The Indiana University men's basketball team saw their undefeated season end tonight, as the Runnin' Rebels of Mississippi spotted the Hoosiers an early nine point lead before settling down and dominating in the schools' first round Puerto Rico Tipoff matchup.
Indiana led 20-11 at the 14:14 mark, but relinquished the lead just four minutes later and eventually fell 89-71.
At 2-1, Crean and the youthful Hoosiers have begun to settle into the grind of a major-conference schedule. As fans, we're starting to figure out who the stars are, and who will be relegated to a season spent wearing the candy-striped pants and chatting with assistant coaches.
Let's take a look at the Hoosiers' rotation as it stands today:
Point Guard: Jeremiah Rivers
Doc's kid has started all three games (Crean has gone with the same starting five thus far), but before Ole Miss he was pretty quiet on the stat sheet, totalling just eight points and a 9:8 Assist:Turnover ratio in heavy minutes. Tonight, we saw why Rivers, the 6'5", 210lb Georgetown transfer, is so highly regarded by his teammates.
In 27 minutes of action, largely limited by foul trouble, Jeremiah scored fourteen points on 6-6 shooting, and added seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals. His turnovers are still troubling (four tonight), but Rivers looked like a natural PG bringing the ball up and handling good defense from a high-major opponent.
His rebounding abilities may allow Crean to go smaller at the 2 as the season progresses, but he needs to improve his defense if he wants to stay out of foul trouble and on the floor for 30+ minutes a game.
Shooting Guard: Verdell Jones III
Ah, Verdell. As the Hoosiers wound down last year's 6-25 schedule, it was Jones that emerged as Indiana's star in the making. Last year, I called him "a joy to watch on defense and simply nerve-wracking to watch with the ball," and although the 6'5" SG has put on weight and made his mark as a slashing scorer and spot-up shooter, he's still a work in progress while, um, dribbling.
His turnovers are down this season since he's been able to move to the 2 and bring the ball up less, but he still has a tendency to get too flashy and, say, bounce the ball off his own foot and out of bounds. Or throw it over somebody's head.
Jones scored 17 tonight on 8-15 shooting, and gives the Hoosiers a legitimate threat from midrange and driving the ball. But he needs to accept a role as a catch-and-shoot (or drive) type of player if he wants to really help the offense grow.
His long-armed defense is still very good as long as he doesn't get caught in transition.
Swingman: Maurice Creek
The 6'5" true freshman from Maryland has stepped into the starting rotation and led the Hoosiers in scoring through three games, averaging almost 20ppg. He's an athletic player who seems to thrive as a scorer and can bang down low when needed.
In his first real test against Ole Miss, Creek turned the ball over four times. He had only one total turnover in the first two games. As Indiana's secondary ball-handler, Creek needs to be able to slow down and run the offense with confidence.
His obvious talent and poise makes Creek a virtual lock to hold down this position throughout the season, but the frosh still has a lot of growing up to do. He's going to have to guard a ton of good players as the year wears on, and needs to step up on the defensive end.
Forward: Christian Watford
Watford exploded for double-doubles in his first two games against Howard (14-11) and USC Upstate (17-10), but was held in check tonight, shooting 20% for a mere 5 points. Although his rebounds were also down (5 tonight), it should be noted that four of those were on the offensive glass.
Watford, at 6'8" and 220lbs, was recruited as a small forward-type. But undersized Indiana needs him to post up this year, playing the role that the since departed Nick Williams filled last season.
He can be a force on the glass and has good range (2-5 from outside the arc this year), making him a tough matchup for traditional power forwards. An important factor for Watford going forward is free throw shooting. He will be going to the line a lot this year, and needs to convert his opportunities.
Forward/Center: Tom Pritchard
Pritchard started his freshman year strong, averaging a double-double through the first third of the season before fading down the stretch. He was burdened with being the Hoosiers' sole legitimate big man, battling with the best of the Big Ten as an eighteen-year old.
The key for Pritchard this year? Consistency. He played just ten minutes against USC Upstate and struggled against their 7'3" center Nick Schneiders, racking up four quick fouls. Ole Miss was a better gauge of what Tom can bring to the table. He played a solid thirty minutes, chipping in eight points to go with eight rebounds (four offensive). His thunderous dunk early set the tone for the opening Hoosiers run.
Pritchard needs to stay out of foul trouble. He is the best of IU's big men at running the pick-and-roll sets that make up so much of Crean's offense, and is crucial to Indiana's scoring potential in the half court game. With much of last year's weight off his shoulders, the 6'8" Pritchard has to continue to work hard on both ends of the court, or he risks losing minutes to Indiana's other big men.
Key Reserves:
Senior ju-co transfer Devan Dumes was Indiana's most reliable scorer last year and one of their best deep threats. He is still coming back from an offseason injury, and has yet to find his shot, going 2-10 from deep in the first three games. If he can get healthy, I expect Dumes to play a lot of minutes at SG, especially alongside Rivers, who has the size to make up for Devan's 6'2", 192lb frame. Dumes can also handle the ball and plays competent defense on the opposing point guard, making him the top option off of the IU bench.
Derek Elston, the true frosh from tiny Tipton, Indiana, has made a big impact in his first three games. At 6'9" and 220lbs with the frame to add more bulk, Elston is athletic and tough on the inside. He has played an average of 17 minutes so far this year and put up some major numbers in limited time, averaging over 9 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal per game. He is more athletic than Pritchard and nearly as much of an offensive threat as Watford. Expect Elston to play around twenty minutes a game as the #3 big man.
Jordan Hulls, Indiana's Mr. Basketball and the leader of Bloomington South's state championship team last year, has a problem. He is barely six feet tall. Against inferior competition, this isn't so much of a problem, and Hulls gave Indiana good minutes against Howard and Upstate spelling Jeremiah Rivers. But against the larger players of Ole Miss, Hulls looked lost running the offense, and was harassed into three turnovers and an 0-3 shooting performance in twelve minutes. Hulls is going to have to work on his outside shot and his confidence if he wants to survive the Big Ten grind.
Bench Contributors:
Matt Roth is the Hoosiers' token gunner, the Steve Kerr of the team if you will. The sophomore needs to accept fewer minutes this season and be ready to come off the bench and provide instant offense.
Bobby Capobianco, the freshman from Loveland, Ohio, looks like he is a grade or two below Watford, Pritchard, and Elston as a big man. In eighteen total minutes so far, he has yet to score or make an impact on the glass. Frankly, I expected more from Capobianco, and hopefully he will develop as the season goes on, since IU needs more than a three-man 4/5 rotation.
Tijan Jobe is seven feet tall. He is also slow and can't shoot. Jobe got dominated by Upstate's Nick Schnediers, the 7'3" German.
An undersized jitterbug from Carmel, Daniel Moore is another guy who will have to make the best of his spot minutes. He has better speed than Hulls, but lags behind his fellow PG elsewhere. On the upside, he has gotten a couple of rebounds so far this year, which shows some toughness.
Bawa Muniru was cleared to play later than most of his fellow freshmen, but Indiana could really use him as a backup center. At 6'11" and 242lbs, Muniru has excellent size and athleticism. He has made a few plays (a block and two points vs. Howard, three rebounds vs. Upstate) in his handful of minutes, but is buried on Tom Crean's bench until he learns the schemes.
Brett Finklemeier, Stephen Gambles, and Kory Barnett round out the roster. One of them must emerge as Indiana's lead cheerleader and the first man off the bench and high-fiving at timeout time. None figure to get much time this year.
Breakdown: Here's what I hope for the Hoosiers to accomplish this year.
PG
Rivers: 27 mpg, improve A:TO ratio, stay active on the boards.
Hulls: 10 mpg, run the offense when Rivers sits.
Moore: 3 mpg, be an energy and fastbreak threat guy.
SG/SF
Jones: 23 mpg, score around 14ppg, don't turn it over, be smart off the ball.
Creek: 25 mpg, keep scoring, help run offense as secondary ball-handler.
Dumes: 22 mpg, be a threat off the bench, push Jones for a starting spot.
Roth: 10 mpg, spread the floor as a 3pt threat.
PF/C
Watford: 25 mpg, continue to develop as post-up force, work on defense.
Pritchard: 25 mpg, be consistent on the boards! Stay out of foul trouble.
Elston: 20 mpg, bring energy off the bench, crash the boards and score a bunch off the bench.
Muniru: 7 mpg, guard dominant big men for stretches. Continue growth.
Capobianco/Jobe: 3 mpg, give the top three some rest without much of a fall-off.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Hoosiers in Puerto Rico - You Don't Need Your Passport!
Wait, so you don't need a passport? Why didn't I make this trip? Damn our low Armchair Superstar travel budget. We blew it all on IU Football?? What were we thinking?Indiana was looking great in the first five minutes of the Ole Miss game today. They seemed to catch the Runnin' Rebels off guard with their athleticism and intensity, but this has settled down into a much closer game at a pace that favors the Rebs. They are doing a nice job at forcing IU into the halfcourt offense where we struggle when denied the pick and roll.
It looks like turnovers are going to be an issue again this year - Jordan Hulls is getting treated like the little white kid playing on the front court at the HPER, and Verdell needs to stop trying to dribble behind his back and off his foot. 11 turnovers at the 8:14 mark in the first half. Ouch. Still down just six, but need to stop the bleeding.
That said, Jeremiah Rivers has looked a lot better this game than I have seen him before - calm, confident, and with solid moves to the basket. He might be our primary point guard by the time the Big Ten season rolls around.
I'm floating some stuff around for my next Featured Columnist article at B/R (and here, of course), so please let me know today if you have any must write ideas! I'm trying to get one posted tonight while I'm at the library writing yet another history essay.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Big Ten Bowls
So the Big Ten has 7 teams bowl eligible, 3 teams that will not be bowl eligible this year (IU, Illinois and Purdue) and Michigan with an outside shot. To fill the 8 bids the Big Ten is likely to receive, we will assume Michigan beats Ohio State
Before I go through the projections, a quick explanation of how the Big Ten receives it’s bowl berths. As a member of BCS, the Big Ten champion receives an automatic berth with a tie-in to the Rose Bowl. There is a possibility that a second Big Ten team gets selected to the BCS as at-large bid. As for the non-BCS bowls that the Big Ten is affiliated with, the Bowls are not obligated to choose their teams in exact order of standings. For example Big Ten #3 does not mean the team that finished 3rd, in the Big Ten, but has the 3rd choice of all Big Ten teams available. A bowl can only select a 6-6 team from a conference if no 7-5 from that conference are still available.
Rose (Big Ten Champion): Ohio State
Date: January 1st
Ohio State’s victory over Iowa and Penn State the past two weeks guarantees them the Big Ten Championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl. Even if they do fall to Michigan this week, they own the tie-breakers for the championship. After another crazy weekend in the Pac-10, Oregon remains in the driver seat towards a Pac-10 championship and will most likely be the team that faces Ohio State. Oregon vs Ohio State should be a good match-up between teams that have been up and down this season.
Fiesta Bowl (BCS At-large): Iowa
Date: January 4th
This has been the big topic of debate, which Big Ten team will get selected and where will they go. Stewart Mandel has it leaning this way, but warns if the Fiesta Bowl picks TCU, the Orange would probably grab Penn State. This article does a pretty good job summing up the possibilities of how the BCS will breakdown. In my own opinion I think Boise State should play in this game, but would not be surprised if Oklahoma State is chosen as Iowa’s opponent. I would like to see Iowa play Boise to see Boise play against another power conference school. Boise would try to recreate the magic from their last appearance here when they shocked Oklahoma. Oklahoma State would be a good game as well, even if they are playing without their best WR. Zac Johnson is a duel threat Quarterback who has been playing well all year.
Capital One Bowl: (Big Ten #2) Penn State vs (SEC #2)
Date: January 1st
Penn State is likely to play LSU in this game. It would be a match-up between the two third place finishers in their conference. I’d be concerned with Penn State’s weak offensive line against LSU usually stingy defense. LSU’s offense has been underwhelming this year. I could see this game going either way.
Outback Bowl: (Big Ten #3) Wisconsin vs (SEC)
Date: January 1st
Champs Sports: (Big Ten #4) Northwestern vs (ACC #4)
Date: January 1st
Alamo Bowl: (Big Ten #5) Michigan vs (Big 12 #4)
Date: January 2nd
Insight Bowl: (Big Ten #6) Minnesota vs (Big 12 #6)
Date: December 31st
Little Ceasers: (Big Ten #7) Michigan State vs (MAC)
Date: December 26th
Trivia: First to win X Number of Super Bowls
Can you name the first team to win 1 Super Bowl? 2 Super Bowls? 3 Super Bowls? 4 Super Bowls? 5 Super Bowls? 6 Super Bowls?
Answers will be in the comments later in the week.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Weekend Watch (11/13/09)
This should be a good weekend for football with games Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Throw in a little Hockey, Basketball and NASCAR (WHAT!) and it should be for a good weekend.
West Virginia at #5Cincinnati 8 PM ET ESPN2
The state of Ohio has two exciting games in two days. The first one is West Virginia playing at Cincinnati. Cincinnati is still playing without Pike (who is expected to return next week vs Illinois) but that hasn’t slowed down the offense. The defense let up around 50 last week against a better then it’s record UConn team. The D will need to play better if Cincy wants to win. Slowing down Noel Devine will be no easy task though. If Cincinnati wins they will remain the next in for the title game behind Florida, ‘Bama and Texas.
Who I want to win: Cincinnati
Who I think will win: Cincinnati
LA Lakers at Denver Nuggets: 10:30 ET ESPN
A rematch of last years Western Confrence Finals. Carmelo has been playing well this year, good enough that Scoop Jackson thinks he should be in the discussion with Kobe, Lebron and Wade. Well tonight is his night to prove it.
Who I want to win: Nuggets
Who I think will win: Lakers
Saturday
College Gameday 10 AM ET ESPN
College Gameday will be in Fort Worth Texas for the Utah vs TCU game. I hope they discuss the absurd line for this game; Utah -20 that seems scary high for a game between two top 16 teams. I don’t think Gameday has ever been to Forth Worth so it should be a fun day for all.
Who I want Corso to pick: TCU
Who I think Corso will pick: Utah
Northwestern vs Illinois Noon ET ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPN Classic
Honestly this game would not normally make the watch, but the A.C.S.S. report team might be live on the scene. Northwestern needs to win another game to ensure they are invited to a bowl, while Illinois needs to keep winning to hang on to their outside chance of making a bowl. Illinois lost something like 17 straight games to FBS teams and now have 2 in the past 2 weeks. Crazy. O, BRING BACK THE SWEEET SUIX TOMAHAWK, this will be the first time in 64 meetings the trophy won’t be played for. The trophy was retired out of respect for the Native Americans. I like the trophy, and sad to see it go. Saying that, the Land of Lincoln Trophy actually looks kind of cool; it is by far the best trophy choice out of the other 3 considered (President's Trophy (named after the state's four presidents), Popcorn Bowl (named after the Illinois state snack) and the Graham-Grange Fire Bell (named after two of the greatest players at each school. Read the rest of the article about the trophies here).
Who I want to win: Northwestern
Who I think will win: Northwestern
#10 Iowa at #11 THE Ohio State University 3:30 ET ABC
This game is the unofficial Big Ten Title game. The winner of this game has the clear path to the title. Iowa is coming into game after having their perfect season ended last week by Northwestern. The biggest part of the loss for Northwestern is that Stanzi is done for the rest of the regular season. Ohio State comes in after playing very well against Penn State last week. I think with the loss of Stanzi it could make for a long day for Hawkeye fans. Wish A.C.S.S. Sr Hockey reporter (even though he doesn’t write anymore, lazy) Colin luck as he heads to Columbus wearing all of his Iowa gear. With the way he likes to trash talk, I give it 50/50 to ever see him alive again.
Real Salt Lake vs Chicago Fire 6 ET
This is the Eastern Conference finals and the winner heads to the MLS championship. Chicago lost at Columbus in the conference finals but look to win at home this year. The fire haven’t won a conference title game since 2003. Cuauhtemoc Blanco is looking to end his fire career (retiring or heading back to Mexico after the season) with a championship and has played well everytime he has played RSL. RSL is in the Western Confrence but got in the East as a wild card because they had a better record then any east team playing for the spot (I know confusing, but Canadian Football League does the same thing so not unheard of). RSL has never been to the cup final so they are looking to send Blanco home unhappy.
Who I want to win: Chicago Fire
Who I think will win: Chicago Fire
#16 Utah at #5 TCU: 7:30 ET
(Picture by Kurt SNIBBE of ESPN.com) This is why I love College Gameday. They go to the week’s biggest game, and doesn’t care if it’s on ABC/ESPN. Kirk will do the morning game and then fly off to do another game that night (I believe Norte Dame at Pitt). Utah is coming into the game as a 20 point underdog which boggles my mind (my loan bet for the weekend, wagered legally in Las Vegas). I think the game will be a lot closer then that. The story line for the game will probably primarily focus on last year’s BCS buster playing this year’s most likely BCS buster.
Who I think will win: TCU
Who I want to win: TCU
Notre Dame at #12 Pitt 8 ET ABC
Notre Dame is coming off a loss to Navy (2nd straight time in Notre Dame Stadium) and needs this game to avoid a free fall. The Offense has been good all year, but Pittsburgh’s might be the most undereated in the nation. Expect to see a lot of Pittsburgh running to keep Norte Dame’s offense off the field.
Who I want to win: Notre Dame
Who I think will win: Pitt
Sunday
NASCAR NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix pres. by Goodyear 3:15 ET ESPN
Apparently if Jimmy Johnson finishes outside the top 10 and Mark Martin wins, Mark Martin will be the leader heading into the final race next weekend. Oh yeah, he’s doing this at 50.
Who I want to win: Mark Martin
Who I think will win: Jimmy Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles at San Diego Chargers 4:15 ET FOX
The last time the Eagles flew west, they lost to the Oakland Raiders, and it wasn’t pretty. San Diego looks to beat it’s second straight NFC East team after a comeback victory last week against the Giants. Should be a fun game to watch.
Who I want to win: Eagles
Who I think will win: Charges
San Jose Sharks at Chicago Blackhawks 7 ET
Blackhawks are currently in first in central division while San Jose is currently leading the NHL. Should be some fierce action that down the line could be a Western Conference Finals preview.
Who I want to win: Blackhawks
Who I think will win: Blackhawks
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts 8:20 NBC
Two of the three best teams of the decade got at it for the 7th consecutive year. Last year’s game lacked with Brady being out. Now that he is back and hitting his stride, the Patriots look to stop the Colts perfect season. Peyton Manning has been very efficient all year working with is young reciving core. I expect Bellick to try to come out with a defense that will confuse the young wide outs.
Who I want to win: Colts
Who I think will win: Colts
West Virginia at #5Cincinnati 8 PM ET ESPN2
The state of Ohio has two exciting games in two days. The first one is West Virginia playing at Cincinnati. Cincinnati is still playing without Pike (who is expected to return next week vs Illinois) but that hasn’t slowed down the offense. The defense let up around 50 last week against a better then it’s record UConn team. The D will need to play better if Cincy wants to win. Slowing down Noel Devine will be no easy task though. If Cincinnati wins they will remain the next in for the title game behind Florida, ‘Bama and Texas.
Who I want to win: Cincinnati
Who I think will win: Cincinnati
LA Lakers at Denver Nuggets: 10:30 ET ESPN
A rematch of last years Western Confrence Finals. Carmelo has been playing well this year, good enough that Scoop Jackson thinks he should be in the discussion with Kobe, Lebron and Wade. Well tonight is his night to prove it.
Who I want to win: Nuggets
Who I think will win: Lakers
Saturday
College Gameday 10 AM ET ESPN
College Gameday will be in Fort Worth Texas for the Utah vs TCU game. I hope they discuss the absurd line for this game; Utah -20 that seems scary high for a game between two top 16 teams. I don’t think Gameday has ever been to Forth Worth so it should be a fun day for all.
Who I want Corso to pick: TCU
Who I think Corso will pick: Utah
Northwestern vs Illinois Noon ET ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPN Classic
Honestly this game would not normally make the watch, but the A.C.S.S. report team might be live on the scene. Northwestern needs to win another game to ensure they are invited to a bowl, while Illinois needs to keep winning to hang on to their outside chance of making a bowl. Illinois lost something like 17 straight games to FBS teams and now have 2 in the past 2 weeks. Crazy. O, BRING BACK THE SWEEET SUIX TOMAHAWK, this will be the first time in 64 meetings the trophy won’t be played for. The trophy was retired out of respect for the Native Americans. I like the trophy, and sad to see it go. Saying that, the Land of Lincoln Trophy actually looks kind of cool; it is by far the best trophy choice out of the other 3 considered (President's Trophy (named after the state's four presidents), Popcorn Bowl (named after the Illinois state snack) and the Graham-Grange Fire Bell (named after two of the greatest players at each school. Read the rest of the article about the trophies here).
Who I want to win: Northwestern
Who I think will win: Northwestern
#10 Iowa at #11 THE Ohio State University 3:30 ET ABC
This game is the unofficial Big Ten Title game. The winner of this game has the clear path to the title. Iowa is coming into game after having their perfect season ended last week by Northwestern. The biggest part of the loss for Northwestern is that Stanzi is done for the rest of the regular season. Ohio State comes in after playing very well against Penn State last week. I think with the loss of Stanzi it could make for a long day for Hawkeye fans. Wish A.C.S.S. Sr Hockey reporter (even though he doesn’t write anymore, lazy) Colin luck as he heads to Columbus wearing all of his Iowa gear. With the way he likes to trash talk, I give it 50/50 to ever see him alive again.
Real Salt Lake vs Chicago Fire 6 ET
This is the Eastern Conference finals and the winner heads to the MLS championship. Chicago lost at Columbus in the conference finals but look to win at home this year. The fire haven’t won a conference title game since 2003. Cuauhtemoc Blanco is looking to end his fire career (retiring or heading back to Mexico after the season) with a championship and has played well everytime he has played RSL. RSL is in the Western Confrence but got in the East as a wild card because they had a better record then any east team playing for the spot (I know confusing, but Canadian Football League does the same thing so not unheard of). RSL has never been to the cup final so they are looking to send Blanco home unhappy.
Who I want to win: Chicago Fire
Who I think will win: Chicago Fire
#16 Utah at #5 TCU: 7:30 ET
(Picture by Kurt SNIBBE of ESPN.com) This is why I love College Gameday. They go to the week’s biggest game, and doesn’t care if it’s on ABC/ESPN. Kirk will do the morning game and then fly off to do another game that night (I believe Norte Dame at Pitt). Utah is coming into the game as a 20 point underdog which boggles my mind (my loan bet for the weekend, wagered legally in Las Vegas). I think the game will be a lot closer then that. The story line for the game will probably primarily focus on last year’s BCS buster playing this year’s most likely BCS buster.
Who I think will win: TCU
Who I want to win: TCU
Notre Dame at #12 Pitt 8 ET ABC
Notre Dame is coming off a loss to Navy (2nd straight time in Notre Dame Stadium) and needs this game to avoid a free fall. The Offense has been good all year, but Pittsburgh’s might be the most undereated in the nation. Expect to see a lot of Pittsburgh running to keep Norte Dame’s offense off the field.
Who I want to win: Notre Dame
Who I think will win: Pitt
Sunday
NASCAR NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix pres. by Goodyear 3:15 ET ESPN
Apparently if Jimmy Johnson finishes outside the top 10 and Mark Martin wins, Mark Martin will be the leader heading into the final race next weekend. Oh yeah, he’s doing this at 50.
Who I want to win: Mark Martin
Who I think will win: Jimmy Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles at San Diego Chargers 4:15 ET FOX
The last time the Eagles flew west, they lost to the Oakland Raiders, and it wasn’t pretty. San Diego looks to beat it’s second straight NFC East team after a comeback victory last week against the Giants. Should be a fun game to watch.
Who I want to win: Eagles
Who I think will win: Charges
San Jose Sharks at Chicago Blackhawks 7 ET
Blackhawks are currently in first in central division while San Jose is currently leading the NHL. Should be some fierce action that down the line could be a Western Conference Finals preview.
Who I want to win: Blackhawks
Who I think will win: Blackhawks
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts 8:20 NBC
Two of the three best teams of the decade got at it for the 7th consecutive year. Last year’s game lacked with Brady being out. Now that he is back and hitting his stride, the Patriots look to stop the Colts perfect season. Peyton Manning has been very efficient all year working with is young reciving core. I expect Bellick to try to come out with a defense that will confuse the young wide outs.
Who I want to win: Colts
Who I think will win: Colts
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tom Crean Year Two: The Early Season Guide
Between now and New Years Eve, the fledgling Indiana Hoosiers basketball team will face ten opponents ranging from pushovers (hello, Bryant University!) to a possible powerhouse (rival Kentucky). After opening the season with exhibition wins over Grace College and St. Joseph's (Indiana), it's time to find out just how good this youthful team can be.
Let's take a look at IU's first twelve games of 2009-10:
Nov. 13: Howard
The Bison hail from the MEAC, and finished last year with a 8-23 record reminiscent of IU's own 6-25. Their leading scorer from last year, Eugene Myatt, is no longer on the roster. Belgian junior forward Kandi Mukole and Indianapolis native Kyle Riley, a guard, will lead the attack, but I expect this one to be a blowout at Assembly Hall.
PROJECTION: Indiana cruises, 1-0
Nov. 16: USC Upstate
In their third year as a D-I program, the Spartans of Spartanburg, SC don't appear to pose much of a threat. However, they do have a cool media guide available online! They also have experienced head coach Eddie Payne, who is entering his 25th year as a head coach. So that's nice.
PROJECTION: Indiana wins in a walk, 2-0
Nov. 19: Ole Miss (O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff)
*Nov.20: Kansas State/Boston University
*Nov. 22: TBA
The Hoosiers will travel to sunny Puerto Rico to take part in the Tipoff this year. Ole Miss is a quality opponent hovering just outside the Top 25, and Hoosier transfer Nick Williams (traitor!) will get to observe his former teammates from the Runnin' Rebels bench.
The tourney features a tough field including ranked Villanova, Georgia Tech, and Dayton, as well as Mississippi and Kansas State. Really, the only soft teams are Boston U. (Indiana's likely Round Two opponent) and George Mason. The website (linked above) is a good resource if you want to dig deeper into the field.
PROJECTION: L vs. Ole Miss, W vs. BU, L vs. Georgia Tech, 3-2.
Nov. 28: Northwestern State
From the Southland Conference, the Demons are another team that struggled last year. They have games against Texas Tech and Indiana in their early schedule, so we'll have a better idea of if they pose any threat after the Red Raiders get their shot.
PROJECTION: W, 4-2
Dec. 1: Maryland
Senior Greivis Vasquez leads a seasoned Terrapins team that lost to Memphis in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. Maryland is lacking in quality big men but is deep at guard and swingman, and will test the defense of Verdell Jones, Jeremiah Rivers, and the rest of the Hoosiers backcourt. This is a home game for IU and I expect Assembly Hall to be rocking for the Big 10/ACC Challenge.
Maryland has a cakewalk through its early schedule before coming to a truly hostile environment.
PROJECTION: Close L, 5-2
Dec. 8: Pittsburgh
Despite losing its top three players in Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, and Levance Fields, the Panthers may still be a tough opponent for the young Hoosiers. Coach Jamie Dixon gets his teams ready to contend year in and year out and runs a tough offense and defense. This one will come down to whose young players are ready to step into the limelight first. However, the Hoosiers may actually have the advantage in experience, as Dixon is going with an entirely new starting lineup to open 2009-10.
PROJECTION: W, 5-3
Dec. 12: #5 Kentucky
Another awesome game at Assembly Hall. I remember the last time the Wildcats came to town in 2007, when Jordan Crawford schooled his big brother Joe and paced IU to a win.
Patrick Patterson probably remembers, too, which can't be good for Indiana. I expect the junior big man and Kentucky's top notch gang of freshmen to put on a show in what could be a great game for fans of high-flying, fast paced play.
PROJECTION: L, 5-4
Dec. 19: North Carolina Central
They opened the season with an 89-42 loss at North Carolina. In just their third year as part of Division 1, they just aren't ready for major conference talent.
PROJECTION: W, 6-4
Dec. 22: Loyola (Maryland)
Part of the MAAC, they started out well last season before losing 8 of their final 9 games. The Greyhounds will have started conference play by the time this Christmas Break matchup rolls around, and I'm seeing... hang on...
PROJECTION: W, 7-4
Dec. 28: Bryant University
Like NC Central and USC Upstate, Bryant is a newcomer to the Division One scene. Still, they won eight games last year, including upsets at Yale and against Long Island at home. Seniors Nick Pontes and Cecil Gresham are capable players. But this team was blown out by every major-conference opponent they faced last year, scoring only 36 at Iowa, and I don't expect a whole lot to have changed.
PROJECTION: W, 8-4
So there you have it. Heading into their New Year's Eve home date with Michigan, the Hoosiers should have a bunch of wins under their belts, and hopefully one or two upsets against major-conference opposition to grow a little bit of swagger.
It's a major bonus to have virtually all of their tough matchups at Assembly Hall, aside from the Puerto Rico tourney, and the home court advantage will definitely play a role.
This early schedule ought to give Indiana fans a good chance to see who's for real among the bumper crop of freshmen, and who has improved from last year's core of Jones, Devan Dumes, and Tom Pritchard.
Let's take a look at IU's first twelve games of 2009-10:
Nov. 13: Howard
The Bison hail from the MEAC, and finished last year with a 8-23 record reminiscent of IU's own 6-25. Their leading scorer from last year, Eugene Myatt, is no longer on the roster. Belgian junior forward Kandi Mukole and Indianapolis native Kyle Riley, a guard, will lead the attack, but I expect this one to be a blowout at Assembly Hall.
PROJECTION: Indiana cruises, 1-0
Nov. 16: USC Upstate
In their third year as a D-I program, the Spartans of Spartanburg, SC don't appear to pose much of a threat. However, they do have a cool media guide available online! They also have experienced head coach Eddie Payne, who is entering his 25th year as a head coach. So that's nice.
PROJECTION: Indiana wins in a walk, 2-0
Nov. 19: Ole Miss (O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff)
*Nov.20: Kansas State/Boston University
*Nov. 22: TBA
The Hoosiers will travel to sunny Puerto Rico to take part in the Tipoff this year. Ole Miss is a quality opponent hovering just outside the Top 25, and Hoosier transfer Nick Williams (traitor!) will get to observe his former teammates from the Runnin' Rebels bench.
The tourney features a tough field including ranked Villanova, Georgia Tech, and Dayton, as well as Mississippi and Kansas State. Really, the only soft teams are Boston U. (Indiana's likely Round Two opponent) and George Mason. The website (linked above) is a good resource if you want to dig deeper into the field.
PROJECTION: L vs. Ole Miss, W vs. BU, L vs. Georgia Tech, 3-2.
Nov. 28: Northwestern State
From the Southland Conference, the Demons are another team that struggled last year. They have games against Texas Tech and Indiana in their early schedule, so we'll have a better idea of if they pose any threat after the Red Raiders get their shot.
PROJECTION: W, 4-2
Dec. 1: Maryland
Senior Greivis Vasquez leads a seasoned Terrapins team that lost to Memphis in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. Maryland is lacking in quality big men but is deep at guard and swingman, and will test the defense of Verdell Jones, Jeremiah Rivers, and the rest of the Hoosiers backcourt. This is a home game for IU and I expect Assembly Hall to be rocking for the Big 10/ACC Challenge.
Maryland has a cakewalk through its early schedule before coming to a truly hostile environment.
PROJECTION: Close L, 5-2
Dec. 8: Pittsburgh
Despite losing its top three players in Sam Young, DeJuan Blair, and Levance Fields, the Panthers may still be a tough opponent for the young Hoosiers. Coach Jamie Dixon gets his teams ready to contend year in and year out and runs a tough offense and defense. This one will come down to whose young players are ready to step into the limelight first. However, the Hoosiers may actually have the advantage in experience, as Dixon is going with an entirely new starting lineup to open 2009-10.
PROJECTION: W, 5-3
Dec. 12: #5 Kentucky
Another awesome game at Assembly Hall. I remember the last time the Wildcats came to town in 2007, when Jordan Crawford schooled his big brother Joe and paced IU to a win.
Patrick Patterson probably remembers, too, which can't be good for Indiana. I expect the junior big man and Kentucky's top notch gang of freshmen to put on a show in what could be a great game for fans of high-flying, fast paced play.
PROJECTION: L, 5-4
Dec. 19: North Carolina Central
They opened the season with an 89-42 loss at North Carolina. In just their third year as part of Division 1, they just aren't ready for major conference talent.
PROJECTION: W, 6-4
Dec. 22: Loyola (Maryland)
Part of the MAAC, they started out well last season before losing 8 of their final 9 games. The Greyhounds will have started conference play by the time this Christmas Break matchup rolls around, and I'm seeing... hang on...
PROJECTION: W, 7-4
Dec. 28: Bryant University
Like NC Central and USC Upstate, Bryant is a newcomer to the Division One scene. Still, they won eight games last year, including upsets at Yale and against Long Island at home. Seniors Nick Pontes and Cecil Gresham are capable players. But this team was blown out by every major-conference opponent they faced last year, scoring only 36 at Iowa, and I don't expect a whole lot to have changed.
PROJECTION: W, 8-4
So there you have it. Heading into their New Year's Eve home date with Michigan, the Hoosiers should have a bunch of wins under their belts, and hopefully one or two upsets against major-conference opposition to grow a little bit of swagger.
It's a major bonus to have virtually all of their tough matchups at Assembly Hall, aside from the Puerto Rico tourney, and the home court advantage will definitely play a role.
This early schedule ought to give Indiana fans a good chance to see who's for real among the bumper crop of freshmen, and who has improved from last year's core of Jones, Devan Dumes, and Tom Pritchard.
Top Chef Power Rankings (11/11/09)
We are now down to the final 5. Last night’s episode featured the casino’s of Las Vegas as inspiration for the Chef’s dishes. Each Chef got to go to the casino and experience what the casino had to offer including playing with dolphins at the Mirage, attending a medieval tournament at Excalibur and seeing the Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef. Last power rankings top 3 finished on top while the bottom three finished on the bottom. Robin made a poor dish, maybe not the worst of the night, but her track record of being on the bottom sent her packing. We are now down to 5 with 1 more challenge before the final 4. Does anybody know where they are going this year?
Top Shelf
Kevin “Red Beard” Gillespie
After winning both quick fire and elimination challenge last show, Kevin followed it up by finishing in the top of both this week. His fish dish drawing inspiration from the Mirage was a judges favorite and from the way they talked about it I expected it to win.
Bryan Voltaggio
Bryan finished in the bottom of the quickfire because he added vanilla to his breakfast dish. Bryan drew inspiration on the Mandalay Bay for the elimination challenge where he produced one of the chef’s favorite dishes. Him and Red Beard are still the top two chef’s but brother Mike has significantly closed the gap.
Mike Voltaggio
Mike was the elimination challenge winner last night with his play on the chicken wing drawing inspiration from New York New York casino. I was a little surprised that he won after hearing the discussion from Toby Kieth. Dish still came out good and he is closing the gap between him and the top 2.
Chopping Block
Eli Krishtein
I was debating about putting Eli on the bottom. I think the tailspin that Jen is in, and her saying she wants to go home, puts her a little behind Eli. Eli did win the quickfire last night with what looked like a tasty Breakfast Rueben. I actually feel the judges disliked his dish the most, but he had a better track record then Robin. Saying that, I feel Eli drew the short stick with casinos. Circus Circus is a hard concept to come up with (which he struggled) and compared to the other places the cheftestants went, Circus Circus does not have as distinguishing features as the others.
Jen Carroll
The judges said it last night, the contest is a marathon and it looks Jen has hit a wall. She is talking to herself in the stew room saying she wants to go home. She has continually been getting flustered as well. I feel like her ceiling is higher then Eli’s and maybe even Mike Voltaggio, she has not been performing in recent weeks.
Top Shelf
Kevin “Red Beard” Gillespie
After winning both quick fire and elimination challenge last show, Kevin followed it up by finishing in the top of both this week. His fish dish drawing inspiration from the Mirage was a judges favorite and from the way they talked about it I expected it to win.
Bryan Voltaggio
Bryan finished in the bottom of the quickfire because he added vanilla to his breakfast dish. Bryan drew inspiration on the Mandalay Bay for the elimination challenge where he produced one of the chef’s favorite dishes. Him and Red Beard are still the top two chef’s but brother Mike has significantly closed the gap.
Mike Voltaggio
Mike was the elimination challenge winner last night with his play on the chicken wing drawing inspiration from New York New York casino. I was a little surprised that he won after hearing the discussion from Toby Kieth. Dish still came out good and he is closing the gap between him and the top 2.
Chopping Block
Eli Krishtein
I was debating about putting Eli on the bottom. I think the tailspin that Jen is in, and her saying she wants to go home, puts her a little behind Eli. Eli did win the quickfire last night with what looked like a tasty Breakfast Rueben. I actually feel the judges disliked his dish the most, but he had a better track record then Robin. Saying that, I feel Eli drew the short stick with casinos. Circus Circus is a hard concept to come up with (which he struggled) and compared to the other places the cheftestants went, Circus Circus does not have as distinguishing features as the others.
Jen Carroll
The judges said it last night, the contest is a marathon and it looks Jen has hit a wall. She is talking to herself in the stew room saying she wants to go home. She has continually been getting flustered as well. I feel like her ceiling is higher then Eli’s and maybe even Mike Voltaggio, she has not been performing in recent weeks.
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