2013-2014 season preview Archive
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we took a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the last month. Today, we conclude the series with Will Sheehey.
One never knows the future, and predictions are often a silly endeavor, but here's something I'll stick my neck out on: As Will Sheehey's senior season hits amidst a host of departures and gaps to fill, his game ain't changing.
And it's for the best.
The Hoosiers need the scoring to come from somewhere, yes. But it's got to be more about a collective effort from the team than a shift in style from the senior. No need to start trying to take guys off the dribble or suddenly attempt four or five 3-pointers a game. Sheehey simply needs to do what he's always done -- just smarter, better, stronger. He is a master of the sneaky angles on the baseline when he catches the defense sleeping, breaks to the hoop, finds the pass and dunks it home. He needs to continue to get buckets in the mid-range on both the break and in the halfcourt. He needs to remain a pest on defense.
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we look at graduate senior Evan Gordon.
The decision of Remy Abell to transfer last spring opened a spot on Indiana's roster and rather than letting it sit empty or award the scholarship to a walk-on, the Hoosiers quickly moved into the mix and landed Evan Gordon, a graduate transfer from Arizona State.
The younger brother of former Indiana star Eric Gordon and older brother of class of 2016 target Eron Gordon, Evan arrives at the third school of his collegiate career. He explained both of his decisions to transfer (Liberty to Arizona State and Arizona State to Indiana) to reporters at media day last month.
"The reason I left Liberty was to look for a bigger program and I found that in Arizona State," Gordon said. "I was hoping it was here (when he transferred from Liberty). And to leave there, it was just being away from home five or six years. This is my sixth year away from home, but now that I'm back here, it adds a different element to it."
A double digit scorer in each of his three seasons of experience, Gordon brings a solid combination of shooting, ball handling and defense to the Hoosiers. He's been in the mid 30's percentage wise from behind the 3-point line throughout his career, but the strong suit of his offensive game might be in the midrange.
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we look at redshirt sophomore Austin Etherington.
In a season in which Austin Etherington appeared to be finding his way into Indiana's rotation, it came to a screeching halt all too early.
With 2:28 remaining in the Hoosiers' first half of a game against Central Connecticut State on Dec. 8 last season, Etherington collided knees with Terrell Allen and collapsed as Allen went for a layup. Etherington, who was carted off the court, was soon diagnosed with a broken left kneecap. His season was over.
As Etherington watched from the bench, his teammates went on to win IU's first outright Big Ten title since 1993. Seven months later, as he and the Hoosiers are preparing for the 2013-2014 season, Etherington is the only remaining member from IU's 2011 recruiting class. He's now a redshirt sophomore.
And as he is back at 100 percent, Etherington again has a chance to find playing time, especially if he can prove himself as a reliable 3-point shooting threat. It's been well-documented that Indiana lost 77 percent of its 3-point shooting production from last season, and Etherington is one of only four returning players to have made a 3-pointer from that team.
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we look at sophomore Peter Jurkin.
In his first season at IU, perhaps the only thing more telling about Peter Jurkin than his raw skills was his health.
As someone who had battled injuries during his entire high school career, Jurkin came into his freshman year with an undisclosed foot injury, which severely limited his minutes. In fact, he had a total of seven minutes of action all season, playing in only the Florida Atlantic, Jacksonville and Penn State games after returning from a nine-game NCAA suspension.
However, Jurkin didn't face much pressure coming into his freshman season to come in and play immediate minutes, especially with an All-American center ahead of him on the depth chart in Cody Zeller. Now, Zeller's gone.
And heading into the 2013-2014 season, Jurkin is one of only two centers on Indiana's roster, the other being freshman Luke Fischer, who has battled injuries this preseason as well.
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we look at freshman Luke Fischer.
Before he has even stepped onto the court for a game as an Indiana Hoosier, Indiana coach Tom Crean has referred to freshman center Luke Fischer as a "year-round winner."
Crean's bold critique is justified, though: In Fischer's final two years of high school basketball at Germantown (Wis.), he led his team to a 52-0 combined record and back-to-back state titles.
Now, the 6-foot-11, 230-pound Fischer is on the defending Big Ten champion squad. And though there certainly is no expectation he will come in and immediately help IU to an undefeated season, his winning experience will certainly help, according to Crean.
"He's played in a lot of big games at the high school level," Crean said at his "State of the Hoosier Nation" address on Oct. 2. "He knows what it takes. He knows how to score. He’s not afraid. He comes in there and battles."
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we look at freshman Stanford Robinson.
Following the departures of Victor Oladipo, Remy Abell and Maurice Creek this past offseason, Indiana has been left thin at shooting guard. Along with it, 77 percent of the Hoosiers' 3-point production from 2012-2013 is gone.
Enter freshman Stanford Robinson, a 6-foot-4 Landover, Md., native, who is the Hoosiers' only scholarship player at the position this year.
What that means is that Robinson could get on the court early as an Indiana Hoosier, filling a void left by those multiple departures.
While fellow freshman Noah Vonleh possesses the most basketball talent out of the freshman class, it's Troy Williams high-flying, energetic style of play that might endear him most to Indiana fans. There is a youthful exuberance to Williams' game; he makes it all look so fun. (This is a kid, after all, who has proclaimed he's still trying to give the dunk contest a go despite a right hand injury.)
Williams' pedigree and accolades are well-known at this point. The Virginia native played AAU ball for his uncle, Boo Williams. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia and spent his senior season playing for Oak Hill Academy, a program that's pumped out NBA talent like Carmelo Anthony and Rajon Rondo. A stat stuffer, he averaged 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 blocks during the regular season. More recently, Williams picked up MVP honors at the Derby Festival Basketball Classic.
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