About // Advertise // Archives // Contact
RSS Facebook Twitter

Archive for the The Minute After Category

The Minute After: Mississippi Valley State

by in The Minute After | November 16th, 2010

Notes on a 71-54 win over Mississippi Valley State:

There was trepidation among the ITH faithful before this one.

We worried Sean Woods, a Rick Pitino disciple, would have his Delta Devils — about as fantastic a team nickname as they come, by the way — running up and down the court, taking it to the Hoosiers, a group playing its third game in five nights.

It wasn’t always a sure thing. IU, against a controlled full-court defense from Mississippi Valley State to start the game, were taking contested threes too early in the shot clock, and turnovers created some issues in the first half as well. But it’s beginning to become clearer and clearer that these Hoosiers are too experienced, too talented, give too much effort and have too much heart to let some team from the SWAC give them serious trouble inside Assembly Hall.

Tonight’s win was grabbed on the strength of a second half where IU clamped down hard on D and got out on the break. (Defense creating offensive!) The Hoosiers scored 32 points off turnovers tonight.

IU now stands at 3-0, the first time its found itself at such a mark in the Tom Crean era. And with another three games against more-than-beatable opponents looming, it would be a letdown if IU didn’t head into the ACC-Big Ten Challenge against Boston College at 6-0.

It’s not always perfect. It’s not always pretty. There will be tougher tests ahead, especially when Big Ten play rolls around.

But it’s taking care of business when business should be taken care of — something this team in Crean’s third year is proving we should come to expect, not see as a pleasant surprise.

Continue reading this post »

Tags: , , ,
65 Comments »

The Minute After: Wright State

by in The Minute After | November 14th, 2010

Notes on a 67-44 Sunday night win over Wright State inside Assembly Hall:

First 10.

Wright State took away the 3-pointer from the Hoosiers. Couple that with its impressive ability to draw charges — and IU’s penchant for silly turnovers and travels; it had six turnovers in the first 10 minutes — and it left the Hoosiers with little to show on the offensive side of the ball.

Maurice Creek went out quick with two fouls. Christian Watford didn’t have anything going offensively early. So the Hoosiers turned to where they have so many times in the past when nothing is cooking: Verdell Jones. He scored IU’s first four points on two drives off the wing.

Near the end of the first 10 minutes, IU was able to get out on the break to open things up a bit. Shortly after entering the ballgame, Victor Oladipo scored on the break off a Wright State turnover, and on another fast break, Jordan Hulls was fouled and hit both free throws.

10-8 Hoosiers.

Second 10.

With the shot clock winding down, Jones bailed out the Hoosiers with their first made three of the night.

And then IU coupled points off the break with free throws by getting into the bonus early. Hulls was fouled on Wright State’s end of the court and made both free throws.

Jones was fouled during an inbounds play, and though he missed the front end of the one and one, Watford grabbed the rebound — IU continues to be a strong offensive rebounding team in the early goings of 2010-11 — and found Jones for another three.

The Hoosiers continued to get free throws — Bobby Capobianco made one of two; Watford hit three of four. Jones got another two points on the break and Vic stole the ball just before half and scored on a slick spin move as time expired.

Another six turnovers for a total of 12 in the first half, but IU’s uptempo attack and free throws  – along with Wright State having trouble creating in their halfcourt offense due to point guard N’Gai Evans being out — saw the Hoosiers with a 30-19 lead going into half.

Jones had 14 points. Vic had six.

Continue reading this post »

Tags: , ,
90 Comments »

The Minute After: Florida Gulf Coast

by in The Minute After | November 12th, 2010

Musing on a 88-60 IU win over Florida Gulf Coast:

Them threes is back.

As I wrote after IU’s first exhibition game, there’s enough 3-point shooters on this team to really do some damage. But as we saw against Ferris State, when they’re contested and don’t come in the flow of the offense, the 3-point shooting percentage can struggle.

Tonight against Florida Gulf Coast, IU did a much better job of stretching the floor, moving the ball and making the extra pass to get the likes of Jordan Hulls open down in the corner for good looks. The Hoosiers started out hot from beyond the arc (8-of-11) and though they cooled off in back half of the first half (0-of-7), they were mostly still smart looks.

Hulls was 6-of-9 from distance for 18 points. He had it tonight.

For the game, IU hit 50 percent (14-of-28) of its 3-pointers. And they shot an impressive 52.6 percent (30-of-57) from the field.

IU’s overall energy was also high from the get go, which allowed them to get up early, and despite a few defensive lapses and turnovers that allowed Florida Gulf Coast to chip away at the lead, the Hoosiers were pretty much in control all evening.

Verdell’s return.

Part of the reason the Hoosiers’ offense opened up tonight was due to the return of Verdell Jones. Jones’ debut saw him taking over point-guard duties from Jordan Hulls, and his ability to get into the lane and draw the defense allowed for less predictability and more variety. And guys like Derek Elston, Tom Pritchard and Christian Watford worked well around the rim with some nice passes for easy looks to vary the attack as well.

Verdell was a little rusty in his debut, as he finished with seven points (3-of-10, 1-of-2 from three), one rebound, two assists, one steal and five turnovers.

Continue reading this post »

Tags: , ,
115 Comments »

The Minute After: Ferris State

by in The Minute After | November 8th, 2010

Notes on a 78-65 overtime win against Ferris State:

Vic does it again.

On a night when IU shot the ball poorly and were without last year’s go-to crunchtime player in Verdell Jones  – he again sat due to his ankle injury — it was freshman Victor Oladipo who brought it when it mattered most this evening inside Assembly Hall.

Down four with 10.7 seconds to play, Vic nailed a three-pointer and was fouled in the process. He hit the free throw — nothing but net — to tie the game.

On the ensuing possession, Olapido picked up Ferris State’s Kenny Brown full court. He was screened just after halfcourt, and Brown got a few steps on him en route to a wide-open layup, and maybe the game. But Vic stayed on his tail until he began to go up for the layup, timed it perfectly and swatted the ball away for an impressive, game-saving block from behind.

After a made basket by Ferris State’s Jerrell Sanders was called off at the buzzer, IU rolled in OT as the threes they were missing all game started to fall. Oladipo helped out in that extra frame as well, stealing the ball for a breakaway dunk at one point.

This kid is a playmaker.

And he stuffed the boxscore again: 14 points (4-of-8 from the field, 1-of-2 from three, 5-of-5 from the line) to go along with nine rebounds, five steals, two blocks and only two fouls in 31 minutes. Tremendous line.

Vic is becoming an early fan favorite, as Assembly Hall chanted OL-A-DIP-O after that breakaway dunk in OT.

I have a feeling it won’t be the last time the crowd chants his name this season.

Everything else.

First: Props to IU for getting back into this game late in the second half when they were left for dead, and taking care of business in overtime. Perhaps it’s a sign this team can figure out a way to win games they should all year.

That said, they also shot and turned the ball over a lot like last year’s team. The shooting was woeful from both the field (24-of-65 for 36.9 percent) and from three (7-of-27 for 25.9 percent). They had 20 turnovers.

Ferris State — a Division II team, mind you, but one with a lot of experience and upperclassmen — took IU out of their game offensively. The Hoosiers were working a lot of motion around the perimeter, and that 1-2-2 zone the Bulldogs utilized in the second half left IU looking for answers on several possessions.

Continue reading this post »

Tags: ,
139 Comments »

The Minute After: Franklin College

by in The Minute After | November 3rd, 2010

Photo by James BrosherA few scattered thoughts on IU’s 89-37 win over Franklin College in their first exhibition game of the 2010-11 season:

No Guy for you.

After all the positive chatter surrounding Guy after Night of the Living Red, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one curious to get a peek at IU’s new big man. But it wasn’t meant to be.

The NCAA has come calling, and until there’s a resolution in the investigation, Guy’s game will remain in a holding pattern with nowhere to land.

(Thanks to our friend James Brosher for the photo.)

Watford on the rise.

He flashed some polish from downtown. He mixed it up around the basket. He stepped back and nailed a mid-range jumper; he drove to the hoop and scored. Watford’s offensive arsenal was on point from several spots on the court tonight, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this is what we’re going to see out of the sophomore all season long.

It won’t always come this easy for him. He won’t always score over a point per minute (25 points in 24 minutes).

Remember: The competition was not anywhere near Big 10 level this evening. But Watford’s game stood out the most tonight as one that’s taken that next step.

He’s going to shoot better than the 37.5 percent from the floor a season ago. And with Mo Creek on the floor at the same time, defenses won’t be able to key on one or the other without suffering the consequences.

Just one of many reasons why this team can be better this season if things play to form.

Threes alive.

Just a thought, but if Watford is knocking down threes, Matt Roth and Maurice Creek are back in the fold, and Hulls and Elston improve their 3-point shooting in their second season as Hoosiers, it could prove to be a strong asset for them this season.

If Guy can draw some attention down low, IU could even run a little one in, four out — similar to the sets the Orlando Magic run with Dwight Howard and their gaggle of 3-point shooters.

Continue reading this post »

Tags: , , ,
70 Comments »

The Minute After: Northwestern

by in The Minute After | March 11th, 2010

FINAL SCORE: Northwestern 73, Indiana 58 | Box Score

The ghost of Hoosier future.

Derek Elston (10 points, nine boards) and Christian Watford (nine points, six boards) playing close to the  double-double men they’re capable of being night in and night out. Verdell Jones and Jordan Hulls handling the perimeter. A strong start. Controlled, sensible decisions. Being in the driver’s seat for 32 minutes of this one. Using the same scheme — a zone that forced outside shots — against Northwestern twice in the same week, and it working. Respectable shooting from the field (43.5 percent) and (sort of) from three (33.3 percent).

The ghost of Hoosier past.

The scoring droughts. A few of ‘em, but none more costly than the 9:29 without a field goal late in the second half — a stretch of time that essentially lost this team the game.

The turnovers. When the wheels fell of midway through the second half, Northwestern’s 1-3-1 zone forced the Hoosiers into plenty of them, and of course, there were a number of the unforced variety as well. In total, IU had 19. (13 of which came in the second half.)

—

This one stings a bit, because IU had this game. The car was on cruise control. But they fell asleep at the wheel and veered off the road — never to recover.

It would have been nice to rack up an 11th win, nice to have a chance at a 12th win against Purdue in the next round of the tourney. But alas, what’s doomed the Hoosiers all season — their inability to take care of the ball and put the ball in the basket — doomed them again today.

Going to cut this one short instead of rambling on like usual. We’ll have plenty of end-of-the-year content starting next week for y’all, which should be fun.

Thanks for sticking with us this season, and don’t fret. Better days are ahead.

Tags: , ,
39 Comments »

ITH on Twitter

Resources

Recruiting

Comments


Page 12 of 14« First...891011121314