Know Thy Opponent: Iowa Hawkeyes
by Ryan Corazza in Opponents | January 22nd, 2011
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery shows a steer at the Iowa Governor’s Charity Auction. Photo via Flickr.
If Indiana was going to get an advantageous road matchup after back-to-back strong performances in games against Michigan and Wisconsin, a trip to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday to take on Iowa is just it — at least on paper.
Iowa is the only remaining Big Ten team without a conference victory (0-6 so far). Iowa’s offense, at .94 points per possession, ranks last in the conference. The Hawkeyes also rank last in the conference in free-throw percentage (67.1 percent), which could help out the often foul-happy Hoosiers, while also ranking last in turnover percentage (23.4 percent). Iowa (9th at 47.2 percent) also barely outranks Minnesota (11th at 46.8 percent) and Michigan State (10th at 47.2 percent) in the effective-field goal department.
And while Indiana’s defense (10th at 1.21 points per possession) is still a work in progress, Iowa’s D is only marginally better (ninth at 1.17 points per possession). Though, it’s worth noting that Iowa is second in the league in steal percentage (9.5 percent) and is fifth in block percentage (seven percent).
But simply put: Iowa is not particularly strong on either side of the ball.
The Hawkeyes have shown prowess in offensive rebounding (fourth with an offensive rebounding percentage of 33.3 percent), so they may be able to take advantage of some second-chance opportunities. Yet, Iowa’s defensive rebounding percentage (61.4 percent) ranks last in the conference, meaning the Hoosiers could have plenty of second-chance opportunities of their own.
All stats from statsheet.com.
Pick to Click: Iowa
by Alex Bozich in Pick to Click | January 22nd, 2011
Rules are here, for those unfamiliar.
Pool for Iowa: All players eligible to be picked.
Picks are due by 2:45 PM ET on Sunday afternoon.
A few reminders:
+ State the name of the player (not a nickname) that you’re picking. If you use a nickname for a player, your pick will not be counted. Also, please state who you are picking as the first thing in your comment. We’re tracking a couple of hundred picks per game. It’s more difficult to keep track of everyone’s pick if it’s not the first thing in your comment.
+ Please make sure you are using a valid e-mail address if you are not registered.
+ Please make sure you are using the same name each time to pick if you are not registered. We are tracking wins by the name you use to submit your pick. If your name changes on a game-to-game basis, credit for your pick will be given to the name used to submit the pick.
Pick to Click: Standings update
by Alex Bozich in Pick to Click | January 22nd, 2011
Inside the Hall Twitter Mailbag: January 21
by Alex Bozich in Commentary | January 21st, 2011
(Photo credit: Jamie Owens)
The Inside the Hall Twitter mailbag is a weekly collection of questions tweeted to us via our Twitter account, @insidethehall. Tweet us your questions each week and we’ll answer as many as we can. Now, onward …
@michugana writes: When taking into account both offense and defense, is Victor Oladipo already this team’s best player?
Alex Bozich: I’ve been very impressed with how well Oladipo has been able to adjust to the college game, but no, I don’t believe he’s Indiana’s best player. He’s shot the ball very well (nearly 54 percent), but he’s still too one-dimensional on offense and struggles to make free throws (58 percent, but he has hit nearly 70 percent in Big Ten play). Defensively, he’s been a huge positive with his length and athleticism and I think down the line he’ll be one of the better defenders in all of the Big Ten. The nice thing about Oladipo’s situation is that Indiana doesn’t need to rely on him as heavily as they did last year’s crop of newcomers. Long term, that should help his development as he won’t be counted on to do too much too soon.
@hoopstrainer writes: Do you think this team this year will be better without MO compared to last years team without MO?
Alex Bozich: No question it will be. And the reason, one that Tom Crean talked about on Wednesday when he spoke to the media prior to departing for Madison, is pretty simple. This roster is more equipped to deal with the loss of Creek. It’s a deeper club, especially at the off-guard and wing positions, and although IU is still one of the Big Ten’s youngest teams, the Hoosiers are no longer relying so heavily on freshmen. Last season, Creek was far and away the best offensive weapon Indiana had when he suffered his fractured left kneecap. In fact, he was having one of the best seasons on offense in the country. This season, he was a solid contributor on offense, but had yet to return to being a go-to-guy in that regard. His defense had also not yet returned to pre-injury form. So while it may not be reflected in the team’s final Big Ten record, Indiana is much better equipped to deal with the loss of Creek.
The Minute After: Wisconsin
by Ryan Corazza in The Minute After | January 20th, 2011
Thoughts on a 69-60 loss to the Badgers:
When you head up to the Kohl Center, a place Bo Ryan’s Badgers were a staggeringly good 146-11 and had won 31 of 32 heading into this one, you best bring your A game.
And you know what? Indiana did just about that this evening.
Sure, the Hoosiers didn’t emerge victorious. And sure, they allowed the Badgers to shoot 49 percent on the evening, which isn’t exactly something to write home about.
But this was a game Indiana controlled in the first half. Jordan Hulls and Verdell Jones were hot. The Hoosiers pushed the pace and were dictating things. Wisconsin — the best free-throw shooting team in the nation — didn’t shoot a single free throw, as the foul-happy Hoosiers only fouled the Badgers three times.
And there was really no epic collapse of any sort in the second half. Energy, effort and consistency were there throughout. When the Badgers finally snatched their first lead since 2-0 at the 13:19 mark (44-42), it was a sea-saw battle for awhile until they put just enough distance between themselves and the Hoosiers — culminating in a Jon Leuer and-1 with a minute to go to put them up seven.
After a free-throw free first half, Indiana sent the Badgers to the line 17 times in the second half, and they hit 16 of them — with five of those being the completiton of and-1s. That was, in part, the difference.
A valiant effort from the Hoosiers. They’ve found a nice little rhythm here since the second half of the Northwestern game, as Dan Dakich noted during the broadcast.
But this Wisconsin team — with only five turnovers to its name this evening — just doesn’t beat itself, especially at home.
