Tom Crean and his coaching staff have amassed a lot of talent at the guard position in their short time in Bloomington. Crean loves to play three guards at a time and use a deep rotation. We don't know how the freshmen will adjust to college play and we don't know how much everyone improved in the offseason. However, I will speculate and preview the guard play we can expect this season.
A Change of Style
IU was last in the conference in both offense and defense this past season. Obviously, there is a need for a lot of improvements in a lot of areas. Tom Crean wants his teams to play an uptempo
style. His teams at Marquette routinely played three, even four, guards at a time. They pressured the ball and ran the floor. Crean is attempting to implement this style at Indiana but it might take a little bit more than one season to put things into place. No one else in the Big Ten plays this type of basketball and I think it could be very effective against the grinders we currently see every game. Playing a different style can give you a leg up if you do it well. IU's guards are going to have to be aggressive on defense and force turnovers that will lead to fast break points. They are going to need to run off of missed baskets. This is never going to be a "40 Minutes of Hell" type of program. Crean will use a full court press but it won't be all game long. He prefers his guards to pick up their man at half court and pressure them from that point. The Starters
Tom Crean has not announced a starting lineup and he probably won't until the first game. I already posted that Jeremiah Rivers will be the starting point guard. I think Devan Dumes and Verdell Jones will be starting at the other two guard positions. However, Maurice Creek will have replaced Dumes by the start of conference play. Creek is more talented than Dumes and
once he gets adjusted to the college game he could move into the starting lineup. Devan Dumes was the Hoosiers best player for the first half of last season. He was a decent shooter who attacked the basket. However, he appeared to lose his head during the later stages of the season and his game suffered. Dumes ended up averaging 12.7 points per game to lead the Hoosiers. He was spectacular during a five-game stretch that included IU's only conference win (19 points a game). He needs to lessen his dribbling and stop trying to force things. Having additional offensive weapons is 
going to help. I like the option of bringing Dumes off the bench for some instant offense but we'll see what Crean has in mind. While Dumes was the best player in the first part of the season, Verdell Jones was the best in the second half. VJIII took over the point guard spot, an unnatural position for him, and struggled with turnovers. However, he showed an offensive spark that has everyone excited about his future. Jones is 6'5" and he has very long arms. He was really skinny last season but still managed to finish around the rim when hit with contact. Tom Crean has been talking about the progress of Jones in the weight room. Apparently, VJIII has added about 20 pounds. I love the versatility he brings and he will have an impact on this team. Options and Competition
One of the things that often gets overlooked is how much competition in practice can help a team. Last year, IU's starters didn't really have anyone pushing them for playing time. That is going to change this season. Maurice Creek, Matt Roth and Christian Watford are all going to
push for playing time. That doesn't count the option of Rivers and Jordan Hulls playing at the same time. Watford is more of a small forward but in a three-guard lineup, he could play the third guard. Maurice Creek is a 6'5" scorer from Hargrave Military Academy. Creek is probably the most gifted offensive player on this team right now. However, we don't know anything about his defense yet. Creek has a deadly jump shot with a quick release. He is also athletic enough to get to the rim and finish. As I said, he will be starting by January. Matt Roth is a big question mark. He was phenomenal against Ohio State but seemed to struggle to get in rhythm almost every night. His problem last season was a one-dimension game. The defense knew he was either going to shoot a three or pass the ball. He has gotten stronger and worked to add a driving aspect to his repertoire. If he is successful, his shot will get him playing time. If he struggles, playing time won't be there and with the talent level around him increasing, Roth might be forced into to transfer to get on the floor. Congratulations to my second favorite team, the Butler Bulldogs. Butler was ranked tenth in the preseason coaches poll. It doesn't really mean anything but it is a big sign of respect from the coaches. The Bulldogs return everyone from a team that spent most of last season in the top 15. The Dawgs tip off the season November 14 against Davidson. My preview will continue with the big men. Of course, I will recap the weekend in college football as well. Until then, stay vigilant and God Bless America.
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