The Post Game

I am combining the recap of the football and basketball games in this post. First up, another close loss for the Hoosiers. I never really had the feeling that Indiana was going to win the game. They played pretty well and kept some pressure on Wisconsin. However, I think everyone knew that the defense would not be able to get the Badgers off the field when they had to. Make no mistake, this football team has improved a ton since opening night. They have been painfully close to three or four additional victories in Big Ten play. The only two games this season where they have not been competitive have been the Ohio State and Virginia games. Unfortunately, being competitive isn't going to get you to a bowl game.

Badgers Run Wild
Wisconsin ran the ball 52 times for 294 yards. It's not nearly 500 yards like Wisconsin had last year against IU, but it is still a lot of yards. I said the target for the Hoosiers defense was 250 yards. If they could have gotten the Badgers off the field on the final drive, it would have been right at 250 and IU would have had a chance to tie or win the game. I also predicted that the Hoosiers would be put in that position and wouldn't make the stop with the game on the line. In this case, it really sucks to be right. IU doesn't have the size or depth to stop a running game like Wisconsin's. Their offensive line averages around 315 pounds per lineman. The one puzzling thing was the Badgers play-calling around the endzone. There were two instances where UW had three chances to score inside the five and they opted to pass.

Passing Attack
I have been very impressed by Ben Chappell this season. There have been a few questionable decisions and some costly mistakes made in the red zone. For the most part though, Chappell has been sharp and the offense has looked good under his direction. He threw two interceptions on Saturday. Only one of them was his fault. However, Chappell also threw three touchdowns and was 25-32 for 323 yards. That included two TDs for Tandon Doss (92 yards on 6 catches), and a TD for Terrance Turner (68 yards on 6 catches). IU loses a couple of offensive linemen to graduation but the rest of the offense returns and should be very explosive next season.

Bowl Hopes
I think the flame is just barely flickering for the Hoosiers hopes of a bowl game. They need to win in Happy Valley over a pissed off Penn State team and then beat Purdue to get to six wins. I'll be honest, Purdue is extremely hard to figure out. They beat Ohio State and won at Michigan but lost to Northern Illinois and got beat 37-0 by Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a decent team but they are not 37-0 good. Indiana has never won in State College and I don't expect that to change this weekend. IU will feel like they let a ton of opportunities slip away this season, maybe that will fuel them in the offseason. I will say this, a lot of close losses is a heck of a lot better than a lot of blowouts.

Now, onto Monday night's final exhibition game for the Crean and Crimson. They took on the St.Joseph's Pumas, a team IUPUI beat 86-62 on Saturday. You can't compare the scores because every coach approaches these exhibitions differently. However, it could give a little reference point. Indiana played pretty well and I think improved on their first exhibition game in the 95-67 victory. There were several positives and two negatives that I took from the game.

Maurice Creek Leads the Way
Creek, a 6'5" freshman, struggled to find a rhythm in the first exhibition game and some fans questioned his readiness for a starring role on this team. However, Creek settled in on Monday night and found his rhythm. I thought he would lead this team in scoring and take over for Devan Dumes by the beginning of the Big Ten season and I am sticking to that prediction. Creek scored 16 points (4-5 and 7-8 on FTs) and grabbed 7 rebounds in only 19 minutes of action. It was very good to see him active and finishing around the rim.

Rivers Shows Off the Offense
There have been questions about how much Jeremiah Rivers can help elevate the Indiana offense this season. After all, he only averaged 3 points a game at Georgetown. Last night, showed what a difference a good fit can make. Rivers is clearly suited for the uptempo, attacking offense that Tom Crean has implemented at Indiana. He scored 15 points and did a very nice job of pushing the ball and attacking the basket. One of the thing Tom Crean loves about Rivers is that his eyes are always on the rim when he drives. Todd Leary commented that Rivers was one of the best finishers Indiana has had for quite some time. Verdell Jones also scored 15 points and appears poised to pick up where he left off last season. The only downside to the guard play last night was the turnovers. Jordan Hulls and Verdell Jones both had five turnovers.

Bawa the Beast is Unleashed
May the Lord have mercy on every opponent's soul. Bawa Muniru has been unleashed. Okay, slight exaggeration. Bawa is far from being a beast. However, I think he made some plays last night that show he is further along than we thought he would be. Muniru, playing his first exhibition game, played eight minutes, scored seven points, grabbed two boards and blocked three shots. Hey, anything we get out of him is gravy and I think he showed he was ready to contribute a little bit.

Cleaning the Glass
This was an uptempo game and Tom Crean there were some long shots that sent the ball flying everywhere. However, IU should not be giving up 21 offensive to anyone, let alone St.Joseph's. I can't analyze the block-outs or anything because I listened to the contest on the radio. Rest assured, this is a stat that will be hammered home before the opener this Friday night.

Free Throw Shooting
Indiana shot a lot of free throws on Monday night. That is a big positive. There has been a lot of talk about getting back to making more than the opponent attempts. However, IU only made 69% of their foul shots (32 of 46). The only concerning misses were Tom Pritchard's 0-4. He is going to get fouled and he will need to convert on at least 70% to not be a liability in the post. There are other options and he can no longer afford to have a major weakness in his game. Christian Watford shot 7-8 from the foul line for the second straight game (very positive) and Maurice Creek was 5-6. Again, I love the 46 attempts and 69% isn't horrible, but it could be a lot better.

Overall, the exhibition games were a success. I think Tom Crean had to be pleased with the tempo and with the freshmen. He got to see a lot of different rotations and nobody was injured in either game. IU opens the season with a game against Howard University on Friday night. I will continue my season preview with some predictions about the Hoosiers, the Big Ten and the rest of the country, later this week. Until then, be vigilant and God Bless America.