Cody Zeller as a foul machine?
Could that be right?
Let’s take a deep breath.
Indiana’s talented freshman forward had five fouls in just 22 minutes of the Haunted Hall of Hoops scrimmage, four in what seemed like the first four minutes. Does this mean he tapped into the spirit of the departed Bobby Capobianco, who fouled at a legendary rate the two previous seasons?
No. It does mean, assistant coach Tim Buckley said, that Zeller has to play defense with his feet and not his hands.
“It’s a teaching point,” Buckley said.
Zeller will have other such points, probably in today’s double secret scrimmage against Indiana State that no one is allowed to see except players, coaches and the spy we have embedded in Conseco Fieldhouse.
But we digress.
Here’s what we know after Saturday’s Assembly Hall scrimmage:
1) Zeller will be an inside-outside force. He had 12 points, four rebounds and ran the floor really, really well.
2) Will Sheehey continues to show huge improvement. He totaled a scrimmage-high 14 points, plus five rebounds and three assists.
3) Derek Elston is finally healthy and playing like a major contributor. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds, plus a team-high three steals. Oh, he, too, needs to work on his defensive footwork. He had six fouls.
4) Austin Etherington showed off his three-point shooting with a pair of three-pointers en route to 10 points.
5) Jordan Hulls runs the push-the-pace show well with totals of 10 points, three assists and one turnover.
6) Victor Oladipo remains a human highlight. He had 10 points and three rebounds.
7) Finally, if you’ve forgotten about Matt Roth, get a clue. He nailed three three-pointers to show what happens when defenses forget about him.
What does all this mean? There’s a lot to look forward to in basketball, and heaven knows Cream ‘n Crimson fans could use it after the debacle that is IU football.
*****
At least Indiana has a football offense. It has guys who offer hope, play that suggests maybe, just maybe, Hoosier football might one day be something you’d want your children to see.
The defense?
It’s a horror show.
Consider that quarterback Tre Roberson ran for 121 yards and a touchdown, threw for 169 yards and a touchdown. Tailback Stephen Houston rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns. IU totaled 319 rushing yards.
All that and it wasn’t nearly enough in Saturday’s 59-38 Homecoming loss to previously reeling Northwestern. IU is 1-8, 0-5 in the Big Ten, and now it has to play at Ohio State and at Michigan State in the next two weeks.
Oh no!
Historically bad defense is no way to turn around a program. Granted, Northwestern has a good offense. There was Heisman contention talk floating around Wildcats quarterback Dan Persa that was squashed because Achilles tendon and turf toe issues sidelined him for much of the season.
Still, this is not an offense for the ages -- until it met the Hoosiers. The Wildcats did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. When they wanted to rip down the field via the pass, they did. When they wanted to run it down the Hoosiers’ throats to run out the clock, they did. They scored their first 52 points in just 59 plays. They totaled 616 yards and it could have been 200 more if they had pushed it.
This was not an aberration. IU has allowed at least 40 points four straight weeks. It has given up at least 450 total yards five straight weeks.
IU defense is a myth.
Here’s how bad it was. Northwestern faced a third-and-5 situation at their own 9-yard line. Cornerback Greg Heban gave the Wildcat receiver an eight-yard cushion, then moved back another eight yards. The result -- a 23-yard completion and a first down.
Heban said it was a busted coverage, that he and the linebacker played one call, the safety and the nickelback played another.
“It just comes down to communication,” Heban said. “We all have to be on the same page.”
Maybe it’s the consequence of starting seven true freshmen on defense, something no other program in the country has done this season. Maybe these guys go into games and experience the fog of war. Maybe the coaches aren’t teaching it well enough.
It’s not like Northwestern was using some exotic, never-seen-in-history formation or trick plays. A lot of it was basic stuff Hoosier defenders treated like quantum physics.
“I don’t have excuses,” coach Kevin Wilson said. “We’re playing some young guys, but (it was nothing unusual. I understand that you’re a young guy and you don’t hear (the defensive call), and you have some (busted coverages) to some degree, but that’s an excuse. It’s your job to know your job. To know your assignment. To get the call and be on top of it.”
Some day, you’d like to think, it will get better. But then, it’s always like that at Indiana. Man, is that getting old.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Look for Hoosier-Wildcat Shootout; Zeller Plays to Hype; Is $2,000 Fair?
Figure a shootout is coming Saturday with Indiana and Northwestern knocking heads in a Hoosier Homecoming.
Both teams have defenses no coach wants to take credit for. The Hoosiers can’t defend the pass or stop the run. The Wildcats can’t defend anything.
So that’s a wash.
Northwestern has a strong offense with its spread attack that even a defense as formidable as Penn State struggled to deal with. It can run and pass, but it’s a better passing team.
IU might have an offense now that Tre Roberson has taken control at quarterback. The Hoosiers showed something at Iowa by scoring 24 points and racking up long drives. They should be able to get in the end zone often enough to make things entertaining, anyway.
*****
Cody Zeller makes other guys better. Is there a more positive comment you can here about a player, especially a freshman?
In truth, no. A guy who makes others better is rare. To do it at such a young age, is special.
Zeller has benefitted from having two older brothers play major college ball. He knows what he has to do, and he’s doing it. Granted, it’s early and he’s only doing it against teammates. We’ll see what happens when he faces Kentucky and Ohio State, and the other prime-time opponents on the schedule.
For now, though, the early optimism seems accurate. It’s even more reason for Hoosier fans to get excited.
******
A lot has been made about all the players leaving the football program since Kevin Wilson took over from Bill Lynch.
That’s not usual. Different coaches have different player needs. Not every player responds favorable to a new coach.
It’s obvious Wilson wasn’t the coach for some of the veterans. It’s also obvious some of the veterans weren’t the players for Wilson.
Doug Mallory, the co-defensive coordinator, remembers when his father, Bill, took over the IU program in the early 1980s. Three new coaches in three years had decimated the talent pool. The elder Mallory installed a disciplined, tough-minded approach that also didn’t suit the veterans. No matter. When he had taken over the Colorado program a decade earlier 35 players left his first year.
“Any time you come in with a transition you’ll have guys who won’t buy into the work ethic,” Doug Mallory said. “You hope it’s a smooth transition. Sometimes, it’s not. You get buys who want to be part of this program.”
*****
How is this $2,000 extra money the NCAA Division I board of directors just approved anything but a way for the elite schools to have an even bigger advantage over their mid-major competitors?
Yeah, we know. The supposed purpose was to help athletes pay for the extras they need to make it in college, like laundry, food, dates and, at certain schools, tattoos.
The powers in the power conferences worked out a deal sure to boost their recruiting edge.
Why?
Because mid-major conferences such as the Horizon (Butler thrives there) and the Mid-American (Ball State is a member) likely don’t have the financial resources to pay that money. The Big Ten certainly does because of the lucrative Big Ten Network, although figure league athletic directors would have preferred to keep the money for other uses.
Say you’re a stud high school player. Your choice is Butler and IU. Not only do you consider the usual criteria, you have to think about money. Go to IU and you’d get an extra $8,000, $10,000 if you stay for five years.
Yeah, that matters.
You’d better believe Tom Crean and his staff will mention that if they’re in a recruiting battle with the Butlers of the college basketball world.
They will be, and they will win. That’s good for the Hoosiers, bad for mid majors.
Is that fair? No. But that’s not the point. Now, if the power conferences were about fairness, they’d have some sort of revenue sharing so every Division I school would be able to afford the $2,000 benefit.
That ain’t gonna happen. So if you’re a BCS school, you’re in control. If you’re not, you gripe, just as you do about the lack of a football national playoff.
Then you hope things will get better.
Both teams have defenses no coach wants to take credit for. The Hoosiers can’t defend the pass or stop the run. The Wildcats can’t defend anything.
So that’s a wash.
Northwestern has a strong offense with its spread attack that even a defense as formidable as Penn State struggled to deal with. It can run and pass, but it’s a better passing team.
IU might have an offense now that Tre Roberson has taken control at quarterback. The Hoosiers showed something at Iowa by scoring 24 points and racking up long drives. They should be able to get in the end zone often enough to make things entertaining, anyway.
*****
Cody Zeller makes other guys better. Is there a more positive comment you can here about a player, especially a freshman?
In truth, no. A guy who makes others better is rare. To do it at such a young age, is special.
Zeller has benefitted from having two older brothers play major college ball. He knows what he has to do, and he’s doing it. Granted, it’s early and he’s only doing it against teammates. We’ll see what happens when he faces Kentucky and Ohio State, and the other prime-time opponents on the schedule.
For now, though, the early optimism seems accurate. It’s even more reason for Hoosier fans to get excited.
******
A lot has been made about all the players leaving the football program since Kevin Wilson took over from Bill Lynch.
That’s not usual. Different coaches have different player needs. Not every player responds favorable to a new coach.
It’s obvious Wilson wasn’t the coach for some of the veterans. It’s also obvious some of the veterans weren’t the players for Wilson.
Doug Mallory, the co-defensive coordinator, remembers when his father, Bill, took over the IU program in the early 1980s. Three new coaches in three years had decimated the talent pool. The elder Mallory installed a disciplined, tough-minded approach that also didn’t suit the veterans. No matter. When he had taken over the Colorado program a decade earlier 35 players left his first year.
“Any time you come in with a transition you’ll have guys who won’t buy into the work ethic,” Doug Mallory said. “You hope it’s a smooth transition. Sometimes, it’s not. You get buys who want to be part of this program.”
*****
How is this $2,000 extra money the NCAA Division I board of directors just approved anything but a way for the elite schools to have an even bigger advantage over their mid-major competitors?
Yeah, we know. The supposed purpose was to help athletes pay for the extras they need to make it in college, like laundry, food, dates and, at certain schools, tattoos.
The powers in the power conferences worked out a deal sure to boost their recruiting edge.
Why?
Because mid-major conferences such as the Horizon (Butler thrives there) and the Mid-American (Ball State is a member) likely don’t have the financial resources to pay that money. The Big Ten certainly does because of the lucrative Big Ten Network, although figure league athletic directors would have preferred to keep the money for other uses.
Say you’re a stud high school player. Your choice is Butler and IU. Not only do you consider the usual criteria, you have to think about money. Go to IU and you’d get an extra $8,000, $10,000 if you stay for five years.
Yeah, that matters.
You’d better believe Tom Crean and his staff will mention that if they’re in a recruiting battle with the Butlers of the college basketball world.
They will be, and they will win. That’s good for the Hoosiers, bad for mid majors.
Is that fair? No. But that’s not the point. Now, if the power conferences were about fairness, they’d have some sort of revenue sharing so every Division I school would be able to afford the $2,000 benefit.
That ain’t gonna happen. So if you’re a BCS school, you’re in control. If you’re not, you gripe, just as you do about the lack of a football national playoff.
Then you hope things will get better.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
For Roberson, Youth Not Wasted on Young; Football Intrigue
Just in case you forgot how special Trey Roberson’s first career start as a college quarterback was, consider that it earned him Big Ten freshman of the week honors.
He went 16-for-24 for 197 yards and a touchdown against Iowa, and didn’t throw an interception. He also rushed for 84 yards, the most by a Hoosier quarterback since Kellen Lewis ran for 148 against Ball State.
Oh, yes. He’s also the first true freshman quarterback to ever start for Indiana.
And he did all that at Iowa, a place that is not visitor friendly. It is the home of the famous pink visiting locker room, after all.
For the season Roberson is 29-for-46 (63.0 percent) for 355 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He’s also rushed for 146 yards and a TD.
Roberson will start on Saturday when IU (1-7) faces Northwestern (2-6) for a Memorial Stadium Homecoming. The Wildcats are 0-5 in the Big Ten, but they have shown a strong ability to score.
Under quarterback Dan Persa, they are a dangerous passing team. If you’ve seen the Hoosiers play defense lately, particularly pass defense, you know this is a scary thought.
Still, this might be IU’s best chance to win a Big Ten game this season. We’ll see if it can make the most of it.
*****
Do you like intrigue? Do you enjoy seeking deeper meaning in the words of others?
That consider Kevin Wilson’s comments during his radio show Monday night. He was asked about the number of players who have left his program since he took over from Bill Lynch.
More than 15 players have left for a variety of reasons. For instance, tailback Darius Willis is done because of knee injuries. Tailback Nick Turner and defensive end Kevin Bush have left by their own choice.
“We do have some attrition, guys going by the wayside,” Wilson said on his show. “But I’m kind of a stickler on you gotta go to class, you gotta go to study hall, you gotta practice hard, and we do some mandatory drug testing. Some things are happening where some guys don’t want to stay with us. I think as it goes through, we’re cleaning up the house a little bit.”
Does the mention of mandatory drug testing -- and “cleaning up the house” -- suggest it was a factor with some of the departed players? Sure it does. Let’s face it. When you have more than 100 players on a team, including walk-ons, some guys are going to mess up. To no one’s surprise, some college students drink before they’re 21. Others do drugs. College athletes are not immune. But they, unlike regular students, can be tested for drugs.
When they do, and depending on the kind of drug and the number of positive tests, it can lead to a parting of the ways.
And so, apparently, it has.
*****
Now it’s official, Indiana will play at Ohio State on Nov. 5 with a noon kickoff.
Ohio Stadium has not been a friendly place to the Hoosiers (or to any visiting team) over the years. They have only won there once since 1951 -- in 1987 when they won 31-10. They’ve been outscored 82-13 the last two times they’ve played there.
Just saying.
He went 16-for-24 for 197 yards and a touchdown against Iowa, and didn’t throw an interception. He also rushed for 84 yards, the most by a Hoosier quarterback since Kellen Lewis ran for 148 against Ball State.
Oh, yes. He’s also the first true freshman quarterback to ever start for Indiana.
And he did all that at Iowa, a place that is not visitor friendly. It is the home of the famous pink visiting locker room, after all.
For the season Roberson is 29-for-46 (63.0 percent) for 355 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He’s also rushed for 146 yards and a TD.
Roberson will start on Saturday when IU (1-7) faces Northwestern (2-6) for a Memorial Stadium Homecoming. The Wildcats are 0-5 in the Big Ten, but they have shown a strong ability to score.
Under quarterback Dan Persa, they are a dangerous passing team. If you’ve seen the Hoosiers play defense lately, particularly pass defense, you know this is a scary thought.
Still, this might be IU’s best chance to win a Big Ten game this season. We’ll see if it can make the most of it.
*****
Do you like intrigue? Do you enjoy seeking deeper meaning in the words of others?
That consider Kevin Wilson’s comments during his radio show Monday night. He was asked about the number of players who have left his program since he took over from Bill Lynch.
More than 15 players have left for a variety of reasons. For instance, tailback Darius Willis is done because of knee injuries. Tailback Nick Turner and defensive end Kevin Bush have left by their own choice.
“We do have some attrition, guys going by the wayside,” Wilson said on his show. “But I’m kind of a stickler on you gotta go to class, you gotta go to study hall, you gotta practice hard, and we do some mandatory drug testing. Some things are happening where some guys don’t want to stay with us. I think as it goes through, we’re cleaning up the house a little bit.”
Does the mention of mandatory drug testing -- and “cleaning up the house” -- suggest it was a factor with some of the departed players? Sure it does. Let’s face it. When you have more than 100 players on a team, including walk-ons, some guys are going to mess up. To no one’s surprise, some college students drink before they’re 21. Others do drugs. College athletes are not immune. But they, unlike regular students, can be tested for drugs.
When they do, and depending on the kind of drug and the number of positive tests, it can lead to a parting of the ways.
And so, apparently, it has.
*****
Now it’s official, Indiana will play at Ohio State on Nov. 5 with a noon kickoff.
Ohio Stadium has not been a friendly place to the Hoosiers (or to any visiting team) over the years. They have only won there once since 1951 -- in 1987 when they won 31-10. They’ve been outscored 82-13 the last two times they’ve played there.
Just saying.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Look Out -- Oladipo Is Pumped; Weight-Gaining Hoosiers
Victor Oladipo is pumped, and if you’ve seen this sophomore guard play basketball, you know what that can mean.
This is a guy who dunks with the greatest of ease. He’s a guy capable of electrifying a crowd with his passion and play.
IU fans will get plenty of chances to see that, starting with Saturday’s Haunted Hall of Hoops, but for now Oladipo is getting his buzz from a campus buzzing about Hoosier basketball prospects.
With four returning starters and an elite freshman in Cody Zeller, optimism is everywhere you look and Oladipo can’t help looking as he goes to classes.
“People have been excited since the season ended last year,” he said. “They can’t wait for us to get started. That’s why I love it on this campus. The atmosphere is always ready for basketball. Students can’t wait to come to games.”
The 6-5 Oladipo averaged 7.4 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 54.7 percent from the field as a freshman. He’s looking for more this year. He helped improve his game over the summer by playing in the Indy Pro-Am league that features pro players and top-notch college players.
“It gave me a lot of confidence working with those guys,” Oladipo said. “Playing with pros and other college guys and being able to match up with them. It was fun.”
*****
Kevin Wilson isn’t fooling around when it comes to this weight-gaining stuff.
Indiana’s football coach is determined to change the mindset of the entire program, and that includes getting guys to put on pounds.
There comes a time in a person’s life when adding pounds is not a good thing, but that isn’t when you’re an under-sized football player.
Take defensive ends Javon Cornley and Ryan Phillis. Cornley is a 6-5, 235 redshirt sophomore. Phillis is a 6-3, 244-pound redshirt freshman. If they were, say, music students specializing in the harp, they’d be giants. But if they want to compete in the Big Ten, that’s not enough.
“Those guys weigh 240 pounds and that’s too small,” Wilson said. “To me, when we’ve got a guy on a weight-game plan, and he’s not gaining weight, that’s no different than a guy not going to class. That’s part of your commitment to get big and strong enough. Those two defensive ends are a little bit light.”
With a 1-7 record, IU has a whole bunch of other problems. Now Northwestern comes to Memorial Stadium for Homecoming this Saturday, which will give the Hoosiers perhaps their best shot at winning a Big Ten game.
The Wildcats are 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten. They have a potent offense behind quarterback Dan Persa, but their defense stinks.
That means IU quarterback Trey Roberson should be able to follow up his strong Iowa performance with another good game. However, the Hoosiers’ mistake-prone secondary could get torched if it can’t stop messing up.
Still, in what has become a build-for-the-future season, this is a rare chance to get a much-needed victory. The Hoosiers can’t afford to blow it.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
IU Quarterback Found – Roberson Equals Hope, And More
Trey Roberson offers hope.
Now that the freshman quarterback has shown he can handle the job -– and, boy, did he do that at Iowa -– it’s time to let him grow.
No more rotation. No talk about you’ve got quarterback No. 1 and No. 1A and No. 1AA. No hints that Kofi Hughes will get more quarterback work.
Yes, you still might use Hughes for the Wildcat formation option, but Roberson is the man. He needs as much experience as he can get, which means as many snaps as he can get. Edward Wright-Baker and Dusty Kiel are backups from this point forward, playing only if there is an injury.
Quarterback is, by far, the most critical position in football. It might be the most critical position in any sport. If you have a good one, you have a chance. If you don’t, it’s grim.
IU spent the first seven games showing how grim it can be.
Roberson was 16-for-24 for 196 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He rushed 15 times for 82 yards. He drived five drives of 70 or more yards.
No other quarterback has done that this season. No other quarterback has been close to doing that.
Yes, it was a huge blow to lose Gunner Kiel, the Columbus East High School senior rated as the nation’s No. 1 pro-style quarterback. He reopened his recruiting last week and might have been on hand to watch Notre Dame botch its chances to beat USC with, among other things, a mind-boggling quarterback turnover.
There’s speculation that IU coaches started Roberson once it was obvious that Gunner Kiel was no longer in the picture. In fact, it’s possible it was the opposite. Roberson reportedly was told he would start last Monday. When word of that reached Gunner Kiel, that might have been the last straw in what was obviously not an etched-in-stone commitment because of indications that Roberson would be switched to receiver. To be clear, it wouldn't have been because Kiel was worried about the competition.
Hey, don’t you love rumor and behind-the-scenes drama?
It doesn’t matter. When you’re an elite quarterback with NFL aspirations, which Gunner Kiel is, you have to do what’s best for you. That means a program such as Notre Dame or Michigan or Alabama or, perhaps, Ohio State. Those guys sure could use quarterback.
Anyway, back to the Hoosiers. The defense is a disaster. IU lost 45-24 which seems like the 100th straight game it's given up at least 40. The Hoosiers have gone with youth, especially in the secondary, and it shows. Maybe today's experience becomes tomorrow's sound play.
Coach Kevin Wilson can’t emphasize that enough in recruiting. Defensive players and offensive linemen are an absolute priority.
Roberson offers hope in the way Antwaan Randle El did. If IU had had ANY kind of defense under Cam Cameron, it would have gone to a couple of bowl games.
Roberson has that kind of potential offensive impact. He has to grow. He needs more skill players around him.
It’s time to maximize that. It starts, and certainly doesn’t end, by playing him.
*****
Quick question -- when was the last time IU had a USBWA-sponsored Wayman Tisdale Award winner, which goes to the nation’s top freshman.
Quick answer –- never.
The award started in 1989 with LSU’s Chris Jackson, included Michigan’s Chris Webber in 1992 and honored Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger last year.
Now IU’s Cody Zeller gets his shot. He’s one of 12 preseason candidates. He’s also the only Big Ten player on the list.
*****
Tom Crean has this thing about basketball and Halloween, and because he does, the Hoosiers offer another edition of the Haunted Hall of Hoops. No, it’s not about scary basketball, but a chance for kids (and adults who remain kids at heart) to dress up and parade around Assembly Hall.
Oh, yes. Also get to watch a basketball scrimmage involving this year’s Hoosier team.
It’s set for next Saturday shortly after the Homecoming football game with Northwestern, which has a noon kickoff.
The scrimmage is set to start around 4:15 p.m., with the parade about 45 minutes later and then a chance to get a group photo with IU players. The players also will pass out bags of treats.
“This event has grown each year,” Crean said in a university release, “and it is something our players and coaches enjoy being a part of. Anytime we can play in front of a crowd this time of year, we want to do it to help prepare us for down the road. This really serves as a second public exhibition game for our fans.”
Now that the freshman quarterback has shown he can handle the job -– and, boy, did he do that at Iowa -– it’s time to let him grow.
No more rotation. No talk about you’ve got quarterback No. 1 and No. 1A and No. 1AA. No hints that Kofi Hughes will get more quarterback work.
Yes, you still might use Hughes for the Wildcat formation option, but Roberson is the man. He needs as much experience as he can get, which means as many snaps as he can get. Edward Wright-Baker and Dusty Kiel are backups from this point forward, playing only if there is an injury.
Quarterback is, by far, the most critical position in football. It might be the most critical position in any sport. If you have a good one, you have a chance. If you don’t, it’s grim.
IU spent the first seven games showing how grim it can be.
Roberson was 16-for-24 for 196 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He rushed 15 times for 82 yards. He drived five drives of 70 or more yards.
No other quarterback has done that this season. No other quarterback has been close to doing that.
Yes, it was a huge blow to lose Gunner Kiel, the Columbus East High School senior rated as the nation’s No. 1 pro-style quarterback. He reopened his recruiting last week and might have been on hand to watch Notre Dame botch its chances to beat USC with, among other things, a mind-boggling quarterback turnover.
There’s speculation that IU coaches started Roberson once it was obvious that Gunner Kiel was no longer in the picture. In fact, it’s possible it was the opposite. Roberson reportedly was told he would start last Monday. When word of that reached Gunner Kiel, that might have been the last straw in what was obviously not an etched-in-stone commitment because of indications that Roberson would be switched to receiver. To be clear, it wouldn't have been because Kiel was worried about the competition.
Hey, don’t you love rumor and behind-the-scenes drama?
It doesn’t matter. When you’re an elite quarterback with NFL aspirations, which Gunner Kiel is, you have to do what’s best for you. That means a program such as Notre Dame or Michigan or Alabama or, perhaps, Ohio State. Those guys sure could use quarterback.
Anyway, back to the Hoosiers. The defense is a disaster. IU lost 45-24 which seems like the 100th straight game it's given up at least 40. The Hoosiers have gone with youth, especially in the secondary, and it shows. Maybe today's experience becomes tomorrow's sound play.
Coach Kevin Wilson can’t emphasize that enough in recruiting. Defensive players and offensive linemen are an absolute priority.
Roberson offers hope in the way Antwaan Randle El did. If IU had had ANY kind of defense under Cam Cameron, it would have gone to a couple of bowl games.
Roberson has that kind of potential offensive impact. He has to grow. He needs more skill players around him.
It’s time to maximize that. It starts, and certainly doesn’t end, by playing him.
*****
Quick question -- when was the last time IU had a USBWA-sponsored Wayman Tisdale Award winner, which goes to the nation’s top freshman.
Quick answer –- never.
The award started in 1989 with LSU’s Chris Jackson, included Michigan’s Chris Webber in 1992 and honored Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger last year.
Now IU’s Cody Zeller gets his shot. He’s one of 12 preseason candidates. He’s also the only Big Ten player on the list.
*****
Tom Crean has this thing about basketball and Halloween, and because he does, the Hoosiers offer another edition of the Haunted Hall of Hoops. No, it’s not about scary basketball, but a chance for kids (and adults who remain kids at heart) to dress up and parade around Assembly Hall.
Oh, yes. Also get to watch a basketball scrimmage involving this year’s Hoosier team.
It’s set for next Saturday shortly after the Homecoming football game with Northwestern, which has a noon kickoff.
The scrimmage is set to start around 4:15 p.m., with the parade about 45 minutes later and then a chance to get a group photo with IU players. The players also will pass out bags of treats.
“This event has grown each year,” Crean said in a university release, “and it is something our players and coaches enjoy being a part of. Anytime we can play in front of a crowd this time of year, we want to do it to help prepare us for down the road. This really serves as a second public exhibition game for our fans.”
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Man Up – Wilson Seeks More Physical IU Approach
Kevin Wilson has a vision for where he wants Indiana football to be and it absolutely ain’t where it is now.
He pushes a hard-hitting, relentless style. He wants a ferocity that follows the rules while intimidating opponents.
It’s the way Wisconsin does it now. The way Iowa, Saturday’s opponent, has done it in the past.
It’s a be-more-man-than-the-other-guy mindset that has yet to take deep root.
So Wilson lets the Hoosiers know with a direct approach not big on worrying about a guy's feelings.
“As I told the guys, I’m disappointed that we have not developed more physical toughness. We don’t hit. We can do that as we mature, get bigger and stronger. To some degree we can do it with recruiting. At the same time, the more you play, the more comfortable and confident you get.
"The big mode is to try while we’re in-season to build physical toughness. We’ll move forward after the season. Right now, in the short term, it’s guys getting off blocks on defense. On offense it’s staying on blocks, running hard like Stephen (Houston) has been doing. It’s receivers being more competitive. It’s the D-line getting off blocks. It’s DBs when they get there (to the ball carrier) really striking and clubbing up.
“We can’t beat our team up in practice, but I’m disappointed we don’t show a more physical style in all phases.”
This is Wilson’s message now, and for the rest of the season.
“As we move forward these next four to six weeks, that’s what we’re looking for in practice. Not just smash mouth and beating us up, but work on being a tougher team. That’s the essence of football.”
It also looks like reciver Damarlo Belcher won’t get a shot to set IU’s career receiving record this Saturday, and center Will Matte’s consecutive-game streak is about to end.
Knee sprains have kept both from practicing this week, and Wilson isn’t big on playing if you haven’t practiced.
Belcher remains IU’s top receiver with 25 catches for 286 yards and a touchdown this season.
“He’s been out there a little bit (practicing), but I don’t think he’s going to play,” Wilson said. “He’s half-way jogging and running, but he really hasn’t timed-up plays.
“To me, when a guy hasn’t timed-up reps and we have enough other guys, he’s probably out of the mix.”
That means Duwyce Wilson and Kofi Hughes will start, with Dre Muhammad, Cody Latimer, Jay McCants, Jamonne Chester and Shane Wynn getting lots of action.
Matte, meanwhile has started every game in college, a streak of 31 games. While Wilson didn’t go overboard with praise, he did acknowledge Matte’s accomplishments.
“He’s always been reasonably steady with the snap,” Wilson said. “You’re losing a guy that’s played a couple of years pretty steady. Hopefully he’s just a week or two away.”
Redshirt freshman Collin Rahrig will replace Matte. He has started at rigt guard.
IU is 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
He pushes a hard-hitting, relentless style. He wants a ferocity that follows the rules while intimidating opponents.
It’s the way Wisconsin does it now. The way Iowa, Saturday’s opponent, has done it in the past.
It’s a be-more-man-than-the-other-guy mindset that has yet to take deep root.
So Wilson lets the Hoosiers know with a direct approach not big on worrying about a guy's feelings.
“As I told the guys, I’m disappointed that we have not developed more physical toughness. We don’t hit. We can do that as we mature, get bigger and stronger. To some degree we can do it with recruiting. At the same time, the more you play, the more comfortable and confident you get.
"The big mode is to try while we’re in-season to build physical toughness. We’ll move forward after the season. Right now, in the short term, it’s guys getting off blocks on defense. On offense it’s staying on blocks, running hard like Stephen (Houston) has been doing. It’s receivers being more competitive. It’s the D-line getting off blocks. It’s DBs when they get there (to the ball carrier) really striking and clubbing up.
“We can’t beat our team up in practice, but I’m disappointed we don’t show a more physical style in all phases.”
This is Wilson’s message now, and for the rest of the season.
“As we move forward these next four to six weeks, that’s what we’re looking for in practice. Not just smash mouth and beating us up, but work on being a tougher team. That’s the essence of football.”
It also looks like reciver Damarlo Belcher won’t get a shot to set IU’s career receiving record this Saturday, and center Will Matte’s consecutive-game streak is about to end.
Knee sprains have kept both from practicing this week, and Wilson isn’t big on playing if you haven’t practiced.
Belcher remains IU’s top receiver with 25 catches for 286 yards and a touchdown this season.
“He’s been out there a little bit (practicing), but I don’t think he’s going to play,” Wilson said. “He’s half-way jogging and running, but he really hasn’t timed-up plays.
“To me, when a guy hasn’t timed-up reps and we have enough other guys, he’s probably out of the mix.”
That means Duwyce Wilson and Kofi Hughes will start, with Dre Muhammad, Cody Latimer, Jay McCants, Jamonne Chester and Shane Wynn getting lots of action.
Matte, meanwhile has started every game in college, a streak of 31 games. While Wilson didn’t go overboard with praise, he did acknowledge Matte’s accomplishments.
“He’s always been reasonably steady with the snap,” Wilson said. “You’re losing a guy that’s played a couple of years pretty steady. Hopefully he’s just a week or two away.”
Redshirt freshman Collin Rahrig will replace Matte. He has started at rigt guard.
IU is 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Dangerous Info – Gary Harris, Dustin Bieber, Gunner Kiel and IU, Plus Bob Knight
So what’s up with Gary Harris in the aftermath of Hoosier Hysteria, the greatest spectacle in college basketball if you like rap, rock and romp?
Here’s what we know. Harris already has all the information he needs about the coaches, facilities, academics, academic support, talent level, tradition and fans. All four schools on his list -– Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State and Kentucky –- are top-notch in those areas.
What Harris is using his official visits for is to determine how he fits in with the players. Does he like them? Do they like him? Is there good chemistry, both athletically and socially, with the guys? You want to be around people you like, who you have things in common with.
And of course, can win with.
A diabolical schemer might suggest secretly implanting an imposter to Harris’ upcoming visits to Kentucky and Michigan State. The imposter would pretend to be a potential future basketball teammate for those teams and do really annoying things, like singing Justin Bieber songs for fun or have the Barney the Dinosaur theme song for his smart phone’s ring-and-text tone.
A realist would understand that Harris comes from a good family (his mother is a former Purdue basketball standout) with the kind of patient perspective rare in these make-a-decision-immediately times. He’ll make the best choice for him and no matter what it is, it will be well thought out.
You never know. Justin Beiber might some day sing a song about it.
*****
Gunner Kiel, the all-world high school quarterback from Columbus, Ind., told Dustin Dopirak of the Bloomington Herald-Times that his commitment to IU is solid and that he still plans to enroll at IU for the winter semester, which means he’d be able to participate in spring practice and get a huge jump on next season.
Given the quarterback play the Hoosiers are getting lately, Kiel couldn’t join the program soon enough. He’s the nation’s No. 1 pro-style quarterback. If he’s as good as his buzz, he’ll provide instant impact.
That assumes, of course, the offensive line can block, there’s at least an average running game (tailback Stephen Houston is really coming on) and the receivers are productive.
In the last two weeks IU’s passing attack has been virtually non-existant. It hasn’t helped that Dusty Kiel (Gunner’s brother) is out with an ankle injury, or that Ed Wright-Baker has been hindered by his own bad ankle, but really, neither of these guys looks are long-term answers.
Trey Roberson is too young and hasn’t had enough playing time to know if he can do the job. It’s gotten so bad that IU coaches are experimenting more and more with receiver Kofi Hughes as a Wildcat formation quarterback. Hughes was a very good high school quarterback at Indianapolis Cathedral.
Coach Kevin Wilson was very critical of the receivers and veteran offensive linemen during Tuesday’s press conference. Co-defensive coordinator Mike Ekeler had equally strong words about the defensive effort demonstrated against Wisconsin.
What does this mean for Saturday’s game at Iowa? Probably more grim news, because if it hasn’t been fixed by now, it likely won’t be until next season, when new players join the program.
That starts, and certainly doesn’t end, with Gunner Kiel.
*****
Did Bob Knight break NCAA rules by helping his son recruit a pair of Indianapolis basketball players?
Reports in the Indianapolis Star and Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise indicate Knight spoke with Manual’s Jason Smith and Northwest’s Donnell Minton on the phone for about five minutes regarding Lamar University, when Knight’s son, Pat, is the head coach. Smith and Minton have verbally committed to Lamar.
That is an apparent NCAA violation because only basketball coaches are allowed to contact and recruit players.
Apparently, neither Knight knew this was a violation.
Given the NCAA’s recent emphasis on focusing on major violations, such as paying recruits to attend a school or academic fraud to get a recruit eligible, this wouldn’t seem to be a big deal. It likely would be considered secondary violation.
But that’s up to the NCAA to decide.
Here’s what we know. Harris already has all the information he needs about the coaches, facilities, academics, academic support, talent level, tradition and fans. All four schools on his list -– Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State and Kentucky –- are top-notch in those areas.
What Harris is using his official visits for is to determine how he fits in with the players. Does he like them? Do they like him? Is there good chemistry, both athletically and socially, with the guys? You want to be around people you like, who you have things in common with.
And of course, can win with.
A diabolical schemer might suggest secretly implanting an imposter to Harris’ upcoming visits to Kentucky and Michigan State. The imposter would pretend to be a potential future basketball teammate for those teams and do really annoying things, like singing Justin Bieber songs for fun or have the Barney the Dinosaur theme song for his smart phone’s ring-and-text tone.
A realist would understand that Harris comes from a good family (his mother is a former Purdue basketball standout) with the kind of patient perspective rare in these make-a-decision-immediately times. He’ll make the best choice for him and no matter what it is, it will be well thought out.
You never know. Justin Beiber might some day sing a song about it.
*****
Gunner Kiel, the all-world high school quarterback from Columbus, Ind., told Dustin Dopirak of the Bloomington Herald-Times that his commitment to IU is solid and that he still plans to enroll at IU for the winter semester, which means he’d be able to participate in spring practice and get a huge jump on next season.
Given the quarterback play the Hoosiers are getting lately, Kiel couldn’t join the program soon enough. He’s the nation’s No. 1 pro-style quarterback. If he’s as good as his buzz, he’ll provide instant impact.
That assumes, of course, the offensive line can block, there’s at least an average running game (tailback Stephen Houston is really coming on) and the receivers are productive.
In the last two weeks IU’s passing attack has been virtually non-existant. It hasn’t helped that Dusty Kiel (Gunner’s brother) is out with an ankle injury, or that Ed Wright-Baker has been hindered by his own bad ankle, but really, neither of these guys looks are long-term answers.
Trey Roberson is too young and hasn’t had enough playing time to know if he can do the job. It’s gotten so bad that IU coaches are experimenting more and more with receiver Kofi Hughes as a Wildcat formation quarterback. Hughes was a very good high school quarterback at Indianapolis Cathedral.
Coach Kevin Wilson was very critical of the receivers and veteran offensive linemen during Tuesday’s press conference. Co-defensive coordinator Mike Ekeler had equally strong words about the defensive effort demonstrated against Wisconsin.
What does this mean for Saturday’s game at Iowa? Probably more grim news, because if it hasn’t been fixed by now, it likely won’t be until next season, when new players join the program.
That starts, and certainly doesn’t end, with Gunner Kiel.
*****
Did Bob Knight break NCAA rules by helping his son recruit a pair of Indianapolis basketball players?
Reports in the Indianapolis Star and Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise indicate Knight spoke with Manual’s Jason Smith and Northwest’s Donnell Minton on the phone for about five minutes regarding Lamar University, when Knight’s son, Pat, is the head coach. Smith and Minton have verbally committed to Lamar.
That is an apparent NCAA violation because only basketball coaches are allowed to contact and recruit players.
Apparently, neither Knight knew this was a violation.
Given the NCAA’s recent emphasis on focusing on major violations, such as paying recruits to attend a school or academic fraud to get a recruit eligible, this wouldn’t seem to be a big deal. It likely would be considered secondary violation.
But that’s up to the NCAA to decide.
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