Hoosier Turn Around
It used to be that you could associate misery with the Indiana Hoosiers. The once-proud program had fallen on hard times under head coach Tom Crean. Indiana was 6-25 in his first season at the helm, 10-21 a year later and 12-20 last season. Not exactly the type of seasons you rush to put into a scrapbook and remember forever.
It's different in Bloomington this season. Here are the Hoosiers, owners of 13 wins and just one loss, with victories over No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Ohio State serving as the exclamation points of that impressive record.
Indiana has had one hiccup during the stretch, an 80-65 loss to Michigan State, but the Hoosiers made up for that disappointment with the upset victory over the Buckeyes on the final day of 2011.
It would have been easy for Indiana to crumble under the pressure against a national championship favorite and fall to 0-2 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers, down 44-41 at halftime, trailed 70-69 as time ticked off the clock, but Verdell Jones came up with a steal, got the ball into the hands of Victor Oladipo, who took off down the floor for a layup on a fast break with 36 seconds remaining. At that point, it was Indiana 71, Ohio State 70. The Hoosiers never trailed again and put another signature win under their belts. They made a little history in the process, becoming the first Indiana team to beat the No. 1 and No. 2 team in the country in the same season.
I realize a couple of wins over two of the best teams in the nation doesn’t mean you have arrived as a contender. But boy, it sure does help your cause when it comes to returning to elite status.
Indiana is going to be a force to be reckoned with this year in the Big Ten, and perhaps, in the NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers 12-0 start, the first since the undefeated 1975-76 national championship season, was no fluke. Balance is part of the reason for Indiana’s success. The Hoosiers have five players scoring in double figures. Cody Zeller has led the way, dropping in 14.2 points per game. Christian Watford is pumping in 12.9 points per outing while Oladipo (12.2), Hulls (11.9) and Will Sheehey (10.7) have been steady contributors as well for a team that is pouring in 82.6 points per outing.
Indiana hasn’t been bad defensively either, giving up 61.9 points per outing, although it would help if it could get better at tallying steals. The Hoosiers average about 6.9 steals per game, although, as a team, they are forcing 17.1 turnovers per game.
Stats mean a lot, but the best teams have the intangibles, particularly toughness, which was on display against the Buckeyes. In his post-game press conference, Tom Crean talked about that toughness.
“We knew we were playing against a great team. They made plays and we made plays,” Crean said. “We played with a sense of toughness. Our players matched the Ohio State toughness and energy.”
The Hoosiers will need to continue to match the toughness and intensity of every opponent from here on out because their success in the early part of the season has put a target on their back. If Indiana handles the challenge of being a hunted team, it will be in the discussion for the national championship when March rolls around.
