Hey folks,
I’ve been told that’s my trademark phrase, and being both Southern and incredibly predictable, it makes sense to break it out to introduce myself.
I’m Zach Osterman, the newest contributor here at Inside the Hall. As IU basketball coverage goes, I haven’t been away long — I covered last season for the Indiana Daily Student and have spent the early part of this season working with the good folks at Bleacher Report.
So when Eamonn’s departure for ESPN created an opening, I asked (and begged and pleaded) with Alex and Ryan to give me a look.
Now, I make no claim to being able to fill the impressive void left by Mr. Brennan. I’m just not that good, and I certainly do not want to disappoint you. I only promise to work hard, avoid (poor) attempts at being clever and never again begin a post with “Hey folks.”
But enough about me, let’s talk about Evan Turner.
Devan Dumes — returning to a stat sheet near you?
Devan Dumes certainly could make headlines last season. No, they weren’t always the kind you cut out and pin up at your desk, (or were they?) but Dumes’ confidence at least made for some memorable moments in a season mostly devoid of them.
So where did he go?
Last season’s leading scorer, it made sense when Dumes’ numbers came down in 2009 with the influx of fresh talent. And an injury to begin the season kept him from fighting for a starting place and visibly hindered his ability to get into an offensive rhythm once he was healthy.
But Dumes, who averaged 12.7 points per game last season, has seen that average fall by more than half, and his minutes-per-game average has been reduced almost as much. Worse, Dumes has lost nearly nine points off his overall field-goal percentage from last season to this one, and his 3-point shooting is down from 38.1 percent to 32.6 percent through 14 games.
Of course, none of this looked like more than an unexplained anomaly until Maurice Creek was lost for the season, cutting more than 16 points and the Hoosiers’ best offensive option out of the gameplan. And yet, in the two games since Creek’s injury, that open starting spot has gone to Jordan Hulls, not Dumes.
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