Final Score:
Indiana:   89
UMBC:      47

Another cupcake win turned out to be just that. Due to injuries, Indiana was without Derek Elston and Will Sheehey, and only got one half of Verdell Jones III. This didn’t stop the Hoosiers from doing what they do best, making it rain from deep.  Many high school teams could have beaten UMBC; not to discredit this win, but just saying matter-of-factly. This was a big win in a historical/statistical sense but I doubt this will win over the likes of the selection committee come March.

I don’t know if it was just me but was anyone else just kind of bored with this game? I mean don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching Indiana kick the dog crap (pun intended) out of bottom feeders of the America East, but I would have almost rather this been a video game, so I could just simulate to the big games. I’m being somewhat greedy and selfish and I know these games have a lot bigger value than I give them credit for, but I come from a generation that desires instant gratification, so that’s my excuse. The fact that Indiana just tied its win total from last year in 11 less games and I still find a way to complain about something is my way of trying to stay humble through all of this.

Despite my personal issues with the game, the Hoosiers did put out another impressive performance on the court. Hulls, Watford, and Roth were unconscious in the second half. Victor was Victor. Zeller wasn’t clicking on all cylinders but at the end of the day he will get it done every single time out. I really liked in the second half when Coach Crean went to the bench, it didn’t skip a beat. If the Hoosiers are going to be without some key guys against Michigan State, the likes of Abell and Roth will have to step up huge. The sad part of this game is when Jordan snapped his free-throw streak at 58.

So its time to say goodbye to the non-conference schedule. It brought some unbelievable memories but some big questions still have yet to be answered. Will this team continue its success in the conference? Can IU finally win on the road in a hostile environment like Michigan State or Ohio State? Will Zeller be the same Zeller against the likes of Sullinger or Leonard or Green?

I hope you are as excited for conference play to start as I am.

Team Grade: A-

Looking Forward- Indiana’s first test in conference is a tough one. Next Wednesday, the Hoosiers will try to go into the heart of the Izzone and duplicate the way they played last year, except winning this time is mandatory.

Happy Holidays!

Final Score:
Indiana:  107
Howard:   50

Well that was….awesome.

Indiana came into the game as heavy favorites and pretty much did whatever it wanted to against this young Howard squad. The Bison were undersized and out played in just about every facet of the game. After the first TV timeout the score was 8-5. The next timeout came around and the score already was turning lopsided, at 22-10 in favor of the Hoosiers. Although this game was pretty much a guaranteed win coming in (KenPom gave IU a 99% chance to win this game), I was very impressed by the way this Hoosier team was able to stay focused throughout the whole game.

Howard filled the gym with defensive breakdowns and the Hoosiers were able to make them pay, pretty much every time. IU came into the game as the #1 three-point shooting team in the country. Apparently, that didn’t satisfy this team enough as the team went on to knock down a stellar 11-20 from behind the arc, improving their percentage. Two of which (Jordy’s left-handed three and Barnett’s “in-your-eye” three at the end), Hoosier Nation probably will never witness again.

Throughout the game, Crean was able to try a bunch of different lineups and sets out, which will be beneficial in the long run, especially in conference play. If he didn’t get to use everything he wanted, well, at least he has Thursday’s game to do it.

11-0 sounds all too sweet right now. From now on, each game at some point during the telecast the ’76 team will be brought up until they lose. This team has mountains to climb before you can truly start comparing the two teams. Except, for the fact both teams did start 11-0, so I guess that counts.

The true season starts after Christmas but you have to look at the body of work and be super impressed with the team Tom Crean has built. I wonder if the other B1G coaches have started to sweat yet, because this team is only going to get better.

Team Grade: A+ (I was scared to give them this, but I mean, come on, they won by 57.)

Looking Forward- IU will be home again on Thursday to wrap up the non-conference schedule before Christmas. Those feisty Retrievers from Maryland- Baltimore County will bring their 1-9 record into Assembly Hall hoping to start up a dog fight.

Thanks for reading my first column being a part of the CrimsonCast team. I am currently a sophomore at this great place they call Indiana University. I have been a Hoosier sports fan my entire life. Scott found me through my IU basketball blog “Five and Counting” that I have kept over the last year and a half. He asked me if I would write a post-game column on this website, and I gladly accepted. So this is the first installment of what will become hopefully an enjoyable read after each of IU’s games. Welcome to my mind and feel free to disagree with everything I say. 

Final Score:
Indiana:           69
Notre Dame:   58

Ugly can be beautiful. Perhaps, the team was still recovering from the hangovers they got from after the Kentucky win. Maybe Notre Dame’s sloppy play rubbed off on us. Regardless of the reason, the final score had us winning by 11 over an in-state opponent. Can’t be mad about that.

The inaugural Crossroads Classic wasn’t a “can’t-miss” but the Purdue-Butler game was definitely more entertaining than the Hoosiers’ game. After-all, watching Purdue choke away a 12-point lead can be almost as good as watching IU win.

As uneventful as a game this was, as a fan, you can take away a few big things. First, Coach Crean and “The Boys” obviously watched a lot of film on the Kentucky game during finals week and noticed how much they were missing Cody Zeller on the offensive end. I saw a consistent effort tonight on trying to get the freshman the ball and running our offense through him. He didn’t disappoint, with 21 points and 8 boards. Secondly, no matter how stagnant this team is at times, how eye-gouging their offensive can be, how many times Tom Pritchard gets called for phantom fouls, this team will be in every game they play because of their defense. They seriously are one of the most underrated defensive teams in the country.

I knit-pick about the offense, even though they are in the top ten nationally in numerous statistics, because what else is there to complain about. This team is 10-0. No one could see this coming before the season started. Well no one, that is, that isn’t a part of the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team. They believed in themselves and now that got all of Hoosier Nation believing as well.

Exciting times are in Bloomington and the non-conference season is coming to an end. They took another step into becoming the best team in the state and will be 12-0 (yes, they will win these next two games) heading into what will be a tough start to the B1G season. This team has shown that it can play with anybody in the country and I still feel they haven’t played their best basketball yet. This has me all sorts of giddy as I sit here repping my Errek Suhr/Danny Moore/Isiah Thomas jersey.

Team Grade (for the Notre Dame game) : B

Looking Forward - Indiana will be back in Assembly Hall on Monday against the Bison from Howard. I have a hunch the gym won’t be as packed as it was the last time the Hoosiers suited up at home.

See ya then. Go Hoosiers.