Welcome to “That’s A Wrap,” our attempt to make some sense of the 2010-11 season. Sit back. Relax. Grab some popcorn. Get your read on. Today: Verdell Jones III.
Final Stats (28 games): 12.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 44.8% FG, 67.2% FT in 28.2 minutes per game
Let’s not get this twisted: Despite all the criticism that’s often hurled at him, Verdell Jones matters.
It may not be perfect and it may not happen all the time, but save for Jordan Hulls — who only began to figure it out late in the season, and who doesn’t have Verdell’s size — he’s really the only guy on this team that has the ability to penetrate the defense and create his own shot. And if you’re able to do that it 1) opens things up for your teammates, 2) gets you higher percentage looks and 3) gets you to the line.
Further, on a team filled with what often felt like just 3-point shooters and dunkers, Verdell’s silky mid-range game was something different to throw at an opponent. On defense, Tom Crean often switched styles — junk zones, man — to give the opposition a different look and keep them off rhythm.
On offense, Jones was Indiana’s different look.
Now, of course, this comes with flaw: Jones’ turnover rate (22.4 percent), was fourth worst on the team this season, with only Bobby Capobianco (25.3 percent), Jeremiah Rivers (31.0 percent) and Daniel Moore (33.5 percent) faring worse. Jones’ 3-point shooting (29.8 percent, 17-of-57) could stand some improvement.
But he had far and away the highest assist rate on the team (25.0, next closest was Hulls at 19.2 percent), which is, in part, due to his offensive skills listed above. And outside of Christian Watford (team-high 6.5 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, team-high 140 free throws attempted), Jones was really the only Hoosier that got to the line with any regularity (a second-best 5.4 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, 116 free throws attempted), doubling that of his PG counterpart Hulls (57 free throw attempts).
This matters.
BLOOMINGTON — Execution is the common theme that runs through all of basketball. Everything a team wants to do, every goal it wants to achieve, however small or large, specific or grandiose, will be determined by its ability to execute.
An early look at the 2011-2012 backcourt
We’ll have comprehensive player-by-player previews as the start of the season grows closer, but here’s an early look at some of the storylines to keep an eye on with next season’s backcourt:
– A battle for minutes: Of the twelve scholarship players on Indiana’s roster, eight will fight for minutes in the backcourt rotation. And for the first time since his arrival in Bloomington, Tom Crean should have enough depth to allocate minutes to those will defend the best on a consistent basis. An inability to stop penetration from the perimeter or close out on shooters were two of the many reasons the Hoosiers finished as the worst defensive team in the Big Ten last season. If Indiana hopes to climb out of the conference cellar in season four of Crean’s tenure, progress will be largely determined by an improved defensive presence in the backcourt.
– Will Jordan Hulls take the leadership reigns? Recent comments by Derek Elston suggest that the junior guard from Bloomington is taking on the role of team leader this offseason and if that spills over into the season, it will be a huge positive moving forward. The Hoosiers have been without a player that the coaching staff can rely on as an on-court extension of themselves the past three seasons. Many believed Jeremiah Rivers might develop into that role upon his arrival from Georgetown, but that never materialized. In Hulls, the Hoosiers might finally have that guy.
– Last call for Verdell Jones: It was a mixed bag of results for the Champaign native in his junior season in Bloomington. On one hand, Jones became the 33rd player in school history to surpass the 1,000-point barrier. On the other hand, his 83 turnovers were a team-high and Jones struggled from both the foul line (67.2 percent) and the 3-point line (29.8 percent). The 6-foot-5 guard has been at his best in an IU uniform when he relies on his solid mid-range game. The scoring and ball handling burdens may lessen on Jones as a senior, but improved efficiency and better decision making will go a long way in defining his final collegiate season.
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