We’re only two days removed from the Longwood blowout and, predictably, some patterns are forming. Onward:

– First, a quick observation about Eric Gordon: What sets Gordon apart from the average highly touted freshman is his sheer athleticism. He doesn’t need to rely on his athletic ability; without it, he’d still likely be a very effective player, and certainly a great shooter. But with it, Gordon is a sheer terror. With one dribble, he can get to the basket from any angle. In the open court, he shifts and turns but mostly just barrels straight at overwhelmed defenders. In the half court, he can turn a screen at the top of the key into an easy layup. When he gets in the lane, he effortlessly clears defenders away with his shoulders. In every way, his athletic ability — that vicious, calculating strength and speed — elevate him from “great player” to “possibly transcendent.” And this is after three games.

– For now, I remain cautiously optimistic about IU’s habit of slow starts. In each of the past three games, the Hoosiers have struggled to build a lead — and have, as they did against Wilmington, even fallen behind — before taking the game over and winning handily. I’ll call IU’s slow starts the product of a largely new team getting used to each other and getting used to playing different teams each night … but slow starts like that are the pathway to upsets against more capable teams later in the year. Hopefully IU can start to figure things out earlier in their next few games.

– Dare I say it, but last night showcased Lance Stemler at his finest. I’ve long said that Stemler is of no use to the Hoosiers if he can’t hit shots. Last night, though, Stemler didn’t even try to assert himself offensively; instead, he hedged high screens well, kept loose balls alive, and did all of the grit-tacular things I usually make fun of people for dwelling too much on. It’s a limited role for Stemler, but on a team of very talented players (most of whom can shoot threes), all Lance needs to do is be solid. No turnovers, no dumb shots, et al. He did that last night. As long as he keeps doing it, he’ll deserve his well-won minutes.

(Hit the jump for stuff on DeAndre Thomas, Armon Bassett, and the Big Ten Network. Go on, jump. You might as well!)

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