Indiana junior Jordan Hulls, sophomore Victor Oladipo and freshman Cody Zeller met with the media following the Hoosiers’ 69-58 win over Notre Dame in the Close the Gap Crossroads Classic at Conseco Fieldhouse. Watch and listen to his comments in high-definition video in the embedded player below:
HD Video: Hulls, Oladipo and Watford on Kentucky win
by Alex Bozich in Video | December 10th, 2011
Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls and Victor Oladipo met with the media following Indiana’s 73-72 win over No. 1 Kentucky. Watch and listen to their comments in high-definition video in the embedded player below:
HD Video: Crean, Hulls and Zeller preview Kentucky
by Justin Albers in Video | December 8th, 2011
Indiana coach Tom Crean, junior Jordan Hulls and freshman Cody Zeller met with the media on Thursday afternoon to preview the Hoosiers’ upcoming meeting with No. 1 Kentucky. Watch and listen to both press conferences in high-definition quality in the embedded media players below:
Oladipo: Hulls is our leader
by Justin Albers in Media | December 3rd, 2011
The Hoosiers needed a basket.
They were ahead just 76-75 after an N.C. State basket Wednesday night, and the shot clock was running down. Somebody had to step up.
Jordan Hulls did.
The junior point guard hit a dagger 3-pointer as the shot clock was about the expire, effectively ending any chance of a Wolfpack win.
Hulls, who finished with a team-high 20 points, has become the Hoosiers’ undeniable leader on the floor early this season. When Christian Watford made a mistake in the game, Hulls was seen yelling at him to hustle back down the court.
“He’s our leader, man,” sophomore guard Victor Oladipo said. “He’s been working hard on his leadership skills, and it’s showing. We always listen to him, and he lets his actions speak for himself.
“I’m always going to listen to Jordan. He’s the ideal Hoosier. …Without him, we couldn’t win.”
The Hoosiers (7-0) will need more of Hulls’ leadership Sunday afternoon when they face a potential distraction game against Stetson. Indiana will welcome back members from its 1987 national championship team, and the current players will have a chance to interact with the champions.
Oh, and a date with No. 1 Kentucky looms less than a week away.
“That’s going to be an overwhelming experience,” Oladipo said of the ’87 championship team returning to Bloomington. “We gotta make sure we represent very well and all that kind of stuff. They speak for themselves. I mean, they’re a national championship team. I just can’t wait to meet them because I’m trying to be where they’re at.”
As far as distractions, Oladipo said this team is mature enough to handle them.
“Nothing’s going to distract us,” he said, “because at the end of the day, if we lose, that’s a real big loss for us because that’s the next game. The next game is the biggest game on our schedule.”
Where they stand: A player-by-player breakdown
by Alex Bozich in Commentary | December 2nd, 2011
With seven games in the books, it’s time for a player-by-player look at how the 2011-2012 Hoosiers have fared to date. We’ll break down an area where each player has excelled as well as an area for improvement. The roster is listed in order of average minutes per game:
Jordan Hulls
- Where he’s excelled: This is finally Jordan Hulls’ team to lead. And the benefits of having a player with his efficiency have been on full display early in the season. The Bloomington native is playing the best basketball of his career through seven games. He’s contributing big in three pivotal areas: vocal leadership, perimeter shooting and taking care of the ball. Two statistics that stand out: a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and 56.5 percent on 3′s.
- Where he can improve: The junior guard has made 52 consecutive free throws, but only has 11 attempts from the line through seven games. If Hulls can get to the line more frequently, his value increases even more. His defense has improved, but it must continue to progress as opponents become quicker and stronger.
Cody Zeller
- Where he’s excelled: All of the talk of Zeller needing time to adjust to the rigors of the college game has gone silent as he’s been Indiana’s most reliable scorer (15.6 ppg on 68.5 percent shooting) and rebounder (7.6 per game). He’s taken hard fouls, double teams and even chants of “Tyler’s better,” down in Evansville. Through it all, his composure and business-like approach to the game have been remarkable for a freshman. He’s also got 17 steals.
- Where he can improve: It’s tough to pinpoint a negative, but finishing better through contact is one potential area of improvement.
Verdell Jones
- Where he’s excelled: Jones leads the Hoosiers with 26 assists (1.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio), is shooting better from the perimeter (eFG% of 50) and for the most part, his decision making and defense have been solid. His 3-point shooting is also better (4-of-7), but all four of those makes came at Evansville.
- Where he can improve: The senior guard still struggles when he takes it upon himself to make a play that isn’t there. Whether it be dribbling with his head down or getting stripped on his way to the basket, Jones must tighten up with his ball handling.
Notebook: Hoosiers rebound for win in second half
by Greg Rosenstein in Media | December 1st, 2011
Heading into IU’s matchup against North Carolina State, the obvious question mark was rebounding. For the first time this season, Cody Zeller would face a front line with a considerable size advantage in terms of weight and strength.
After one half on Wednesday night – behind tough inside play from Wolfpack forwards Richard Howell, Scoot Wood and center DeShawn Painter – it proved correct.
The Hoosiers were outrebounded 22-13 in the first 20 minutes. The key stat, though, was offensive boards, where N.C. State had the same number as IU’s total rebounds. These led to a multitude of second-chance points, including a tip-in by C.J. Leslie at the buzzer to give his team a one-point lead.
The second half, however, was a different story.
IU’s intensity down low rose. Zeller wasn’t getting pushed around as easy as before. Christian Watford did a good job helping down low and, as he said, it stemmed from a different attitude in the second half (which we’ll talk about in a moment).
“There was a sense of urgency at how we had to play at the rim, and I was proud of those guys,” IU coach Tom Crean said. “We gave up some size and we gave up some athleticism at the glass. There’s no doubt about that, but they came back and battled and fought.”
Zeller and Watford ended up with a combined 16 rebounds (seven offensive) and were effective at getting to the free throw line down the stretch. IU’s strong inside play late in the game proved to be the difference.
