The productivity of the players might differ depending on who is on the floor but the positioning should be pretty much the same. Obviously, communication and leadership come into play in this situation, too. It falls on the point guard though to make sure that people are in the right places at the right time and things are being done correctly. Like Ace said, much like a QB.

Venting Time:
I know it was the last game and we can't do much till next year, but I am going to go ahead and get negative up in here anyway (been holding it in since last night after leaving Conseco). Why do i think we lost this game? Coaching, coaching, coaching. I have had Crean's back since he got here, but this game definitely gave me concern about our head coach's decision making. Just like you mentioned and just like several posts mentioned last week – i thought the last NW game that we clearly obviously showed who are main 5 players were. The played together a lot that game and the entire overtime and clearly beat NW.

So why were they not on the court very much TOGETHER????? I kept thinking Crean was just randomly giving guys rest here and there until the right time to put the main five in at the same time and close out the game. I finally found out that wasn't the case as the clock just kept ticking down past the five minute mark. And why at the end of a long season is IU using a dozen different lineups in one game? Does anyone else feel that just maybe a certain 5 group of guys play better together than a different group of 5 guys? After a full season we still don't have a main lineup? and then a secondary lineup? Is Crean playing players out of some type of loyalty or is he playing a certain group of players to win?

I guess I could go on and on – like simple fundamentals about not picking up your dribble in certain situations, bounce passes, the high pick that IU runs all the time with little success, the lack of under the basket ball screens, the lack of lane curl plays, and our defense. But I have vented enough for one day. Sorry about the negativity, but hey I just needed to express it.

I love IU basketball, i love our freshmen, and though it may not sound like it hear i love Coach Crean as well. I am faithful that as time goes on Crean will mold and his team will mold into an Indiana Basketball caliber program. These freshmen are going to be so good by their senior years and IU will be back. Thank you to all the ball players and Crean that decided to rebuild IU………just hoping our identities are clearer moving forward.

“A point guard doesn't have to average 6 assists per game either as long as he gets the offense started and puts the team in position to score.”

I couldn't agree more. Right now, Hulls does neither.

How many 6'5″ PG's are there in the country? Very few. Very few. IU's wing men (2 and 3) ARE large enough AND athletic enough to beat a press. You can't convince me otherwise. There may not be much depth but the size is there and the athleticism is enough. Who was the little white kid for NW that was torching the IU zone last night? Marcotulio or something like that? Dude wasn't exactly oozing athleticism. Man for man IU had more athleticism on their roster than NW yesterday. Wisconsin isn't exactly throwing out there a team of athletes all the time.

I played baseball in college, too, so we at least have something in common. Watford, VJIII and Dumes are/were not afraid to get the ball and take it to the hoop or take a shot. Creek wasn't afraid, either. None of those guys met a shot they didn't like. Get them the ball, let them do their job.

I understand your statement on the maturation of a college player but I don't think that at his best Hulls will be a full-time starting point guard on a NCAA tourney team in the future.

The kid put up a huge game against NW the other week and I was one of the first on this site to applaud him, look it up. It's not the kid I don't like, he seems fine. I just don't like losing.

I am pretty sure Wish watches the games closely and if he is like me he watches them 3 times before posting on this site with all these knowledgable fans.

In defense of Hulls:

+ he is only in the PG position for about 50% of his minutes
+ our offensive scheme is not best suited for him to get assists
+ he is still only a freshman who should get alot better

In defense of Wish

+ Many IU fans have an unrealistic and clouded view of Hulls game as it is right now to the point that his weaknesses are invariably defended by pointing to HS or the future w/o acknowledging his performance now as Wish is doing
+ Hulls and Jones simply were dismal in both games against the zone trap, one step away from a TO every time up court
+ One reason we played zone is that Jones and Hulls have been unable to go over the top of ball screens BUT to stop Thompson and Shurna we needed to play them man ( ie close )

I personally think Hulls will be a fine player as we go forward but he will have his own style of success. I doubt he will ever resemble Coverdale on defense but may be better on offense.

I didn't play point guard in college, I played baseball but I did play point guard in high school and I know one thing for sure: If the players you are throwing the ball to are scared to have it in the open floor or looking to get rid of it as quickly as possible because they are playing timid then you aren't going to be a very successful point guard. I'm sure you don't expect every point guard in the country to be John Wall because those are few and far between. A point guard doesn't have to average 6 assists per game either as long as he gets the offense started and puts the team in position to score. Hulls is going to be a solid college point guard because he knows how to do this and as he gains experience and added strength he will be able to translate that to the college game.

I played quarterback for a solid high school program as well and I wasn't expected to throw a touchdown pass every play or hand it off for a score every play either. I was expected to manage the game, lead the team, and put us in a position to score by stringing together a series of plays after surveying what the defense was doing. When I was a freshman, I was definitely not ready to be the varsity starter but as a sophomore I was. It just took a year to learn the system and the speed of the game, but no one wants to give a freshman point guard playing in one of the top four conferences in the nation to do the same.

It baffles me what people expect. RMK didn't win by going out and recruiting the John Walls of the game but we forget things like that so quickly. Guys like Hulls, Elston, and Carlino were the type players that coach Knight won with. Look at the development of Coverdale to see what could be possible with a Jordan Hulls. Surely you can recognize that a players development is as much the coach's responsibility than the player's, just like it was for Coverdale. RMK rode him and benched him and coached him and hopefully CTC does the same with Hulls and he makes people like you look very stupid in the future.

As I said earlier, if he's nothing in two years I will admit it but are you going to be the type person to still be bashing him when he's averaging 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists and IU is competing for a Big 10 title or will that still not be enough because you're dreaming the John Wall dream???

You must be related to Hulls. You don't dribble through a 1-3-1 half court press outside of high school.

I'm sure CTC is saying the same thing in the film room and I'm sure if you asked Hulls he'd say the same……The PG's are dribbling and holding onto the ball way too much. Remember when CTC was screaming for everyone to sprint up the floor and get the ball in the bucket as quickly as possible to start the season? The philosophy works but his PG's aren't allowing/making it happen when the offense is supposed to initiate. Watch how much Lucas dribbles on the perimeter for MSU this weekend. It doesn't happen much. Either he's driving to the hole or he's moving the ball.

Look, I understand everyone being on CTC's case about adjusting during the game but at some point the players have to adjust on their own. These guys have been playing together long enough to know what needs to be done when they see certain defenses. If CTC has to hold their hands every second of every game then IU isn't going anywhere. This is where CTC talks about leadership. I do think that will come in time.

IU needs a stud PG and a big man who can rebound. They have all the wing players they need.

How would NW have set up the 1-3-1 had CW been one dribble and two steps away from the rim five seconds into the shot clock? This is why CTC screams for them to get up the court quickly so that they can impose their offensive will and catch the defense before it sets up. Pretty simple basketball concept.

Yes, Shurna was the point man at times on the 1-3-1 and NW had some long guys up there but to sit there and dribble doesn't help the situation. Like I said, this was the third time IU played NW this season, the players should have been able to break that press fairly easily. NW's confidence in the 1-3-1 grew as Hulls struggled at the beginning of the game. NW did extend the 1-3-1 a bit because of IU's 3 pointers last week but there really isn't much needed other than different spacing and an intelligent floor leader in order to beat it.

That's not to say CTC didn't do his damage at times but his frustration on the bench left me wondering if it was that the players weren't listening/executing his advice.

If Hulls is the starting point guard for IU during his junior season then Crean will be on the hot seat and the Hoosiers will be looking at a NIT berth, at best. The kid is ok but he's not going to be anywhere near an elite point guard in an upper tier conference.

Furthermore, CTC had 4 days to figure out how to break that defense and the traps it sets up and he didn't make the adjustments to do so until the second half. We were at the game puzzled at why CTC kept putting guard lineups on the floor like Hulls, Dumes, and Moore??? They had no ball handling and couldn't handle the pressure. When he ran Hulls, Jones, and Rivers out there at the same time, we broke the pressure both in the full court and half court and good things happened. Hulls was bodied and bumped by a guy 8″ taller than him all night and he did struggle but he obviously was a big key because NW keyed on him and it opened up some things early in the game.

Indiana fans usually have high basketball IQ's and we pride ourselves in seeing the little things and a stat line doesn't necessarily determine a player's importance to a team or a game. Learn to watch the game and actually pay attention to what's going on instead of just regurgitating a bunch of stupid numbers at the end of each game. I was patient with you the whole season and let you have your fun with your little Hulls bashing sessions but you're going to have to eat some real big crow when Jordy is leading us back to glory in a couple years as a junior playing in a season where he should be the starting point guard! Do you forget that this kid is a freshman in a strong league playing when he should probably have been redshirted or playing sparingly while he developed?

You're an IU fan! Surely you know the game better than this!!!

Is anybody secretly jealous of the NW passing game and wish CTC would adopt it for us ?

. I really believe it fits the set of players we have very well. In addition the concept upset 'CUse and breathed new life into Notre Dame . We can play it well with the number of ball handlers we should have next year.

My greatest off season development wish is that the kids learn to play some defense. This will be the hardest thing to develop becasue you cannot improve it by yourself , it will require 3 players at one time committed to getting better

There were a lot of opportunities for the PG's to get the ball to the open men for easy baskets and it didn't happen. I counted 12 times and I can't say I was watching that intently after four minutes to go. The guards are tremendous at standing out near half court and dribbling. Might be the best in the nation at that.

Their struggles against the 1-3-1 were sad to watch, especially since this was the third time they've played NW this season.

Elston was a joy to watch. I hope Crean has found enough confidence in him to play him 25+ mins a game next season.