Hoosier Basketball Analysis: 5 Games In

Hoosier Basketball Analysis: 5 Games In

First of all, a shout out to this incredible looking Duke team this year: they lost tonight to Gonzaga. It came down to the last possessions as Gonzaga led most of the way. Way to go, Bulldogs! Now I hope that BYU can knock off a top notch Zag team, like in years past. Oh, and Maybe Indiana can play with these Blue Devils...

IU has a lot of promise, but some things are unsure for now. Archie Miller is considered good enough to make them a good enough team. We shall see. We. Shall. See.

I'll analyze the players individually, then put it together.  

1. Juwan Morgan, 6'8" athletic senior forward. He is a superb player who wins games; he will be a professional next spring. He can play great inside. He can hit three pointers. One weakness that I have seen this year and from last year, when he was their best player on a team to qualify for the NIT: free throws. He is not going to get all the FT points that the Hoosiers need in tight games. He will draw the fouls, however. Speaking of fouls, IU may not have enough quality big bodies to keep Juwan rest and foul trouble free. Which also has to do with IU's health, which now in game 5 is really bad. Too many dinged up dudes.

2. Romeo Langford, 6'6" everything  freshman shooting guard. Biggest home grown recruit since Cody Zeller around 2010. We have to have this guy. By the end of the year he will be better than Juwan, and maybe more clutch. He has played pretty good defense, and his threes and free throws need some work, but this should come. He is a natural and will be done after spring 2019, so IU needs to ride him and he them to the end of March. Hopefully.

3. Robert Phinesee, 6'0" freshman point guard. This kid is poised and can play. He proved that he could hit a key three on the close road loss to a pretty impressive Arkansas squad. He can control the ball, pass and hustle. Very cool. He seems to be about perfect. Time will tell.

4. Aljami Durham, 6'4" sophomore guard/forward. He might be the X-factor. He seems much improved from last year, and last year he was not bad. He hurt his back and left the game early last night, but he should recover and contribute a lot.

5. Justin Smith, 6'7" sophomore forward. Extraordinary athlete. Can do a little of everything. I really hope he matures and channels his talents. He could be a big reason the Hoosiers do well. Or not. Like Juwan, needs to improve his free throws, and probably go to the line more. He needs to dunk more, based on his unworldly jumping ability. (48 inch vertical, 6 inches higher than anyone else ever at IU. And he's tall).

6.  Evan Fitzner, 6'10" senior forward. He can shoot the three, but seems a bit weak and skinny. Hopefully gets stronger throughout the year. But, he is a senior, so will he fill out much this late in college. He seems pretty smart inside, too. Good addition.

7. Deron Davis, 6'9 junior forward/center. He has good inside presence but is a bit slow and less than explosive. His achilles injury from last year seems to be lingering into November. Currently hurt.

8. Devonte Green, 6'3" junior point guard. He has talents and skills that good do much for the team: energy, depth, hopeful intelligence and poise. Currently hurt.

9.  Zach McRoberts, 6'6" senior guard/forward. Red-shirt senior. He is savvy and seems to be in the right place at the right time. Shoots more confidently now. Currently hurt.

10. Damezi Anderson, 6'7" freshman forward. This guy, if developed right, could be a huge difference. He hit a key 3 late in a tight game against a lesser opponent at home last night (UT-Arlington); if he gets smart on the court maybe he will be part of the Hoosier depth and success.

11-13. Race Thompson, Jake Forrester, Jerome Hunter. Three young guys that may provide some depth and muscle. Mostly currently hurt.

14. Cliff Moore, 6'11" sophomore center. Can be an inside presence; showed some aptitude to getting buckets. 

The team has a lot of injuries in November, but as the Coach said, this has given some young guys some early experience on the court and as a team.

Very impressive performance at home versus a tough Marquette team, a close loss where Arkansas showed some grit and hustle away from the friendly confines, and tough resistance win against a very scrappy team from Texas. With starters leaving with back aches and bloody noses. 

This team might develop into something special.

We play Duke in a week. We shall see.