OT: Watford and Zeller to Return to IU
According to Jeff Goodman at CBS, Indiana just released a statement that Cody Zeller and Christian Watford will be returning next season. I think next season is going to be an incredible one for Big Ten basketball. I think 14-4 or even 13-5 gets you at least a share of the title next year.
Link to press release: http://www.iuhoosiers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041012aab.html
Link to twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/GoodmanCBS
According to Jeff Goodman, Trey Burke was also leaving so.....
True, but....
http://www.iuhoosiers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041012aab.html
April 10, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University forward's Christian Watford and Cody Zeller have announced that they will remain in school and play for the Hoosiers next season. Both players were a big part of leading IU to a 27-9 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
CBS announces "every underclassman is returning." That way, they're right about like 99% of players in D1... which is a pretty good success rate.
Yeah that was my initial thought, until I read the part that said it was from an IU press release....
April 10th, 2012 at 10:21 AM ^
I read Goodman a lot. CBS Sports is my default MSM info site, because the writing is better than tWWL, the pages load fast, and I don't have to listen to a commercial blaring out of a video on every article.
Goodman's story on Burke is that, according to his sources, Burke had decided to leave, and was convinced to stay by his parents, Beilein, and "fan backlash." I hammered him a bit in comments, and told him to check out mgoblog to see what fans think of his "sources," but he is usually pretty solid.
Nobody gets predictions right 100 percent of the time. Anyone who even got two out of three right on a consistent basis could make a living playing roulette. I never agree with anyone 100 percent of the time, but even when I disagree with Goodman, I can't deny that his articles are professionally written, and that he believes that what he writes is true.
He got it wrong on Burke, but it isn't a reason to question his conclusions any more or any less than those of anyone else. Both he and Gary Parrish seem to love basketball as much as Michael Rothstein does, and they do their homework.
They aren't perfect, but they are pretty reliable. That's good enough for me.
The problem is, these guys always want to "break" a story that hasn't really happened yet. Who were his sources? We'll probably never know, but it obviously wasn't Trey Burke, and that should be the only source. If it's Trey, then he should say that he hears Trey is leaning toward the NBA, or that there is speculation of him leaving.
Until Trey came out with it publicly, it shouldn't have been reported by anyone. These reporters want the credit when they jump a story that comes true, so they should take the backlash when they gamble and lose. Goodman will now be CBS's BKFinest, in my eyes, for the same reason.
For me, 13-5 would be kind of a disappointment...
April 10th, 2012 at 10:04 AM ^
MSU, OSU, Minny, IU are all going to be real, real good. Purude also has a solid class coming in. That strength, along with the fact that it's difficult to win on the road even if you are favored in the B1G, makes this league incredibly competitive next year. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if the league champ has 4-5 losses and if that happens to be us, I'd be thrilled!
April 10th, 2012 at 10:09 AM ^
OSU loses Sullinger and Buford. They aren't replacing them with even close to comparable players. They'll be a top 5 team in the B1G, but not "real, real good".
Minny gets back Mbakwe (which is huge) and takes in two 3-stars. They were 6-12 in conference last year, Mbakwe by himself can probably account for at most 4 additional conference wins. I don't know why you expect them to be on MSU or IU's level at all.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:13 AM ^
I don't think you can count them out. Deshaun Thomas stayed, and they have a lot of young, talented guys (like Amir Williams) who mostly sat on the bench this year but who have a good chance of improving quite a bit. Craft can score more if needed, too.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:28 AM ^
IMO, Amir Williams is a bit of a stiff and will contribute on defense as a shot blocker but I think he's pretty far away on the offensive sidee. I agree and think they and Minny are a step below MSU, IU and us, but clearly they will deal their fair share of losses, so 14-4 would be a very good record in the B10 next year.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:13 AM ^
You don't have to be "MSU/IU" level to be tough at home.
[Insert thousands of examples here]
April 10th, 2012 at 11:03 AM ^
OSU's LaQuinton Ross, a 2011 5* SF, was ineligible last season, but is expected to play next season.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:06 AM ^
minnesota was much better than their record suggests.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:17 AM ^
Minnesota had 6 Big Ten games where they were within 3 under 3 minutes to play that they lost. You would think getting back a player like Mbakwe and having a very young team that got better as the year went on would at least cut that number in half. That alone gets them to .500 in the Big Ten, and I would expect them to be slightly better than that. Maybe not really, really good, but much better than their record would suggest from last year and a very tough oppenent (The Barn might be the most difficult venue in the Big Ten to play in, only rivaled by Wisc probably).
But at the same time, we are counting on a couple of true freshman to come in and be impact performers. While I think they all have the potential to be great players for UM, there is no guarantee that will happen overnight (a la Trey).
IU seems to have the least holes to fill (the least unknowns), but returning the best player (Burke) at the most important position (PG) on the floor should definitely put us in a position to be fighting for the title come next February.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:09 AM ^
Agree with this. I also believe we now have Wisconsin and Minnesota on the road, so those two, along with MSU, OSU and IU, I can easily see 5 losses.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
Indiana, MSU, and Michigan are going to be the class of the Big Ten by a longshot. yes, Minnesota is going to be better, but they're not going to be able to hang with any of these three teams. Along with that, OSU is going to have a drop off along with Purdue.
Frankly, if anybody's close to IU, MSU, or Michigan I will be very, very surprised. Personally, I think Michigan is actually in the best position of any of the three teams as well. Indiana had some great wins, but they were very inconsistent and were handled by a lot of teams. Yes, they will be more experienced and are getting some big-time recruits, but I just don't see them as dominating any teams like Michigan should be able to do.
I feel like a lot of people are neglecting the return of Mo Creek. He's been injured but can play some good ball. He gives them what they lack a scoring 2-guard
April 10th, 2012 at 10:59 AM ^
I don't think even IU fans expect to get anything out of him. He's had three major injuries in his legs.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:01 AM ^
Zeller and Watford are both great players, and IU's incoming class can certainley rival ours. The matchups should be a ton of fun to watch with our big man depth(!) going up against Zeller.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:06 AM ^
They don't play a lot of defense, though...Should be a very interesting year given that OSU, MSU, and Purdue all have to reconfigure themselves to a pretty significant degree...Crean is really obnoxious, IMO, and I'd almost rather see MSU or OSU take the conference than IU.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:19 AM ^
While Crean is rather annoying on the sidelines, I think he is a pretty genuine guy and a good coach. I think IU and Michigan will be the class of the Big Ten, with a second group that includes OSU, MSU, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. If OSU is able to pull in one or two elite recuits, they will be in the top group with Indiana and Michigan. The Big Ten should again be the best conference in the country.
Edit - I know people will say "what about MSU", well I don't think they will be able to replace Draymond Green and will take a step back, even if it may only be a small step. I have never been that high on Appling, and I don't think they have any elite level scores on their roster. Gary Harris will be a stud, but he will not be able to replace Green alone. If Brandon Dawson wouldn't have got hurt I could see him filling that role, but as of now I don't know what to expect from him.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:24 AM ^
I don't have any reason to think Crean is a bad guy. I don't think of any of the Big Ten coaches as bad guys, though, so being in the obnoxious category is enough for me to root against him. Izzo is obnoxious, too, but you can at least see where his sense of entitlement comes from. Also, Crean sure looks like he goes tanning, which...ugh.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
I completely understand. My wife shares the same feelings as you, although she dislikes IU much more than I do. Being Michigan fans in Indiana makes things pretty difficult, especially when IU is playing well. All of a sudden everyone around us is an IU fan. Who knew?
April 10th, 2012 at 12:48 PM ^
It is pretty unbearable during basketball season. The fairweather IU fans and their ignorance is tough to deal with.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:35 AM ^
I think the picture is pretty clear, at least until the games are played:
1) IU
2 / 3) M and OSU
4 / 5) MSU and Wiscy
Then probably Minny based on what I've heard...
Crean has already said IU is going to run/gun this year. Will be interesting to see how many PPG they can score in the B1G...
April 10th, 2012 at 10:55 AM ^
What? I know MSU loses green, but they've got a good/great incoming class. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they ended up in front of us at the end of next year. Seems like a tossup to me.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:17 AM ^
Who is going to score for them, though? Green was the heart and soul of that team last year. Without him they were an average team at best. Do people really expect Gary Harris to come in and provide the same type of impact? The rest of the incoming freshman are role players. I view Nix and Payne as a slightly more talented version of Morgan and Horford. Appling is quick and a good finisher, but can't shoot to save his life. I think MSU will be good next year, but I think Indiana and Michigan are a notch above them.
Statistically, 90% of MSU's offense also graduated in 2010 with the loss of Lucas and Summers and the team managed a way to find a new identity. I suspect that the same will probably happen this time around. Last year, Green was more or less a one-man show, but I suspect 2012 will see more of team basketball with Appling, Trice, Payne, Nix, Dawson & co capable of contributing every night. I refuse to put any stock into the freshman class because Izzo rarely likes to have freshmen be regular contributors and certainly does not like to rely on them for big minutes during important stretches of the game. This past year was kind of an anamoly which saw Dawson getting lots of minutes due to Delvon Roe retiring early.
I def. do not expect Harris, Costello, Kaminski, or Valentine to carry the team in 2012.
The B1G should be a nice 4-person race with MSU, UM, OSU, and IU. You can probably expect Iowa to piss off multiple fanbases and steal some wins that they aren't supposed to.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:55 AM ^
Switch OSU and MSU. I think OSU will have some major problems this year.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:19 AM ^
I think its clear that IU,MSU,OSU and UM are above the pack.
IU has to be the favorite.
I think OSU will be elite on D but struggle to score
1 - IU
2 - UM
3 - MSU
4 - OSU
big gap
5 - wisky
6 - minnesota (if Mbakwe comes back?)
7- purdue
8 - 10 - NW, ILL, Iowa
11 - PSU
big gap
12 - Nebraska
April 10th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^
I don't think Bo Ryan has every finished lower than 4th in the Big Ten, though I can't see placing them above any of the top 4.
I think there's probably a gap between Iowa and the rest, but your prediction seems as good as anything else.
I've seen preseason top 10 lists with 4 Big Ten teams, so it should be an interesting year.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:41 AM ^
i was thinking Iowa at 8 with the returning guys and good recruiting class
NW at 9 even w/o Shurna
ILL is a mess but gets a new coach. Lot of variability in there I think
April 10th, 2012 at 12:37 PM ^
If Thomas comes back. I think OSU scores plenty of points. I think he's one of the best scorers in the country. The only thing that slows him down is a lack of touches or him not being fully involved.
April 10th, 2012 at 12:58 PM ^
I'm too lazy to find a link, but he announced that he's coming back.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:39 AM ^
Indiana is going to be really damn good next year, and it's nice to have that program back in the national discussion. It strengthens the Big Ten, and I'd much rather see Indiana win than MSU or Ohio.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:51 AM ^
It's nice to see them competing again. Should be interesting to see if Michigan and Indiana can pass MSU/OSU and cement themselves as the top two programs in the conference. They're both definitely on the right track to do so. Indiana is going to have to learn to play some defense before that happens, though.
April 10th, 2012 at 10:44 AM ^
I think it will be interesting to see how IU spreads out the minutes. What do they do with Hulls? What about Oladipo and Sheehey? With Yogi coming in and Creek coming back, who comes off the bench? What about Watford? Hanner Perea and Jeremy Hollowell both can play the 4 (although I think Hollowell is more of a 3) and both bring more athleticism to the table than Watford. I think the only player that is guaranteed to start is Zeller. It will be interesting to see how Crean handles all of these players and if he can keep them all happy.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:09 AM ^
Consensus of my IU friends is that you can bank on Ferrell, Oladipo, Watford and Zeller all being starters by the time things matter. Ferrell's the only real floor general, Oladipo's easily their best on-ball defender, Watford's a senior who was at times their best guy on the floor this year, and obviously Zeller. Fifth guy is up in the air a little. Hulls will get minutes because there's always minutes for a shooter. Sheehey may get the fifth starting spot, or one of the freshmen could seize it.
April 10th, 2012 at 12:50 PM ^
He currently has 14 guys and only 13 scholarships available. Who is going to take the bullet and give up their scholarship?
April 10th, 2012 at 10:46 AM ^
I'm not one of the people in on the minny hype. I just don't see it. They were pretty bad this year. Mbakwe will be a big returner, but he's no all-star. I'm not saying they won't be a tough team to beat, but there aren't any real "easy" games in conference anyways. This is especially true on the road. I will take no jinx blame if Michigan loses every time they face Minnesota next year, though.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:08 AM ^
they played great at the end of the year. their guard play improved dramatically over the course of the year.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:14 AM ^
Yeah and Mbakwe might be the best big man in the conference. Him and Rodney Williams will probably be the best forward combo in the league (maybe Zeller & Watford), and the two Hollins's are very talented. Minnesota and Iowa are two teams that could surprise a lot of people next year.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:10 AM ^
He was named 2nd team All Big Ten in '10-'11.
http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030811aaa.html
April 10th, 2012 at 12:50 PM ^
I think Minne will be a tournament team next year. They looked pretty good in BIG tourney/NIT
April 10th, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^
Who are our single plays next year? We got unlucky last year playing Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota (and Wisconsin) only once, who were all in the bottom 4 of the B1G. If we can avoid one or two of the top teams this year, it could really help.
April 10th, 2012 at 11:21 AM ^
I thought I heard that the signles just "flip" from home to away and vice versa. I'm too lazy to look this up (though I'm not sure schedules have been announced).
April 10th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^
Schedules have not been released. I am starting grad school at wisconsin next year and have been trying to figure out when I will get to see the basketball team in madison, and haven't found anything.
As a fellow UW grad school alum and current Madison resident, welcome to the neighborhood. I've been scalping tix to see the UM play in Madison for the past 10+ years. It's been nothing but heartache, though. I can't wait to witness a Kohl Center victory very soon.
Almost every year I look at Bo Ryan's roster and think to myself "how are they going to win 10 games in the B1G this year." And every year they do it. No Jordan Taylor next year? No problem. Bo will find a way to scratch and claw 10+ wins. I have begrudging admiration for what he's done.
BTW, I absolutely hate the Kohl Center.