|
October 20th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Indiana
Hoosiers
Overall Rank:
#23
Conference
Rank:
#3 Big Ten
2005-06:
19-12, 9-7, 4th (t)
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 The
follow up to the Bob Knight era, also known as the Mike Davis
era, is finally over at
Indiana. Coach Kelvin Sampson takes over the reigns in
Bloomington and brings in a renewed vigor of optimism…at least
as optimistic as Hoosier fans get in these post General times.
Who’s Out:
Robert Vaden opted to follow Coach Davis to UAB and will take
his 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists with him. With
long range threat Marshall Strickland and part-time starting
point guard Lewis Monroe running out of eligibility, the
perimeter will look different at Assembly Hall. And that’s not
even the worst of it. Marco Killingsworth led the team with
17.1 points and 7.8 rebounds during his senior campaign. Adding
to the loss of depth up front is Sean Kline. Kline saw his
minutes diminish as his career progressed, partly due to
injuries, and didn’t see that much playing time as a senior.
Who’s In:
Coach Sampson has brought in two great junior college
transfers. Both Lance Stemler and Mike White will contribute
immediately and both could be starting sooner than later.
Stemler’s strength concerns could keep him on the bench, but the
6-8 small forward has the talent to be a big scorer. White will
have to use his experience to quickly be ready to play in the
Big Ten due to lack of depth up front for the Hoosiers.
Redshirt freshman Joey Shaw has added some strength and
confidence and could be a good contributor off the bench this
year. The 6-6 wing can slash and hit the long ball, but he’ll
have some competition from incoming freshmen Xavier Keeling and
Armon Bassett for minutes on the perimeter. Keeling isn’t much
of a perimeter threat, but the 6-6 small forward is a great
hustle player who excels in the transition game. Bassett is the
point guard apparent and will spend the year preparing to run
the show for the Hoosiers in the future.
Who to Watch:
The Hoosiers have some size concerns. D.J. White is a
double-double waiting to happen after missing most of last year
with a broken foot. Ben Allen started two games last year and
averaged 10.0 minutes per contest. The 6-11 center showed
plenty of potential during his freshman campaign and will have
to step up and prove he can be depended on to play more
minutes. Allen is a fine outside shooter and a mismatch on the
offensive end. Even if Allen can become a solid starter, the
depth up front will have to come from newcomer Mike White.
Final
Projection:
The backcourt
has plenty of talent and a fresh start with a new coach could be
very beneficial. Earl Calloway started the last 12 games of the
season and averaged 8.7 points and 3.1 assists during that
stretch. The 6-3 Atlanta, Georgia native saved his best for
last, scoring 13 points, dishing out ten assists and grabbing
nine rebounds in Indiana’s NCAA Tournament loss to Gonzaga.
Guard A.J. Ratliff had a disappointing year as a sophomore,
averaging just 3.5 points per game. He has the talent to be a
double digit scorer even in Coach Sampson’s slow style of play
and, if he takes advantage of his fresh start, will be a key
part of the Hoosiers squad. Roderick Wilmont has done a great
job in the sixth man role. It will be tough not to start the
senior, but if Ratliff and Stemler perform well, Wilmont could
be the early favorite for the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year
award. Coach Davis has left plenty of talent behind at Indiana
and Coach Sampson will mold them into strong players on the
defensive end and smart shooters on the offensive end. When
that happens, IU will be dangerous.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Earl
Calloway, Senior, Guard, 5.7 points per game
A.J. Ratliff,
Junior, Guard, 3.5 points per game
Roderick
Wilmont, Senior, Guard, 9.0 points per game
D.J. White,
Sophomore, Forward, 9.2 points per game
Ben Allen,
Sophomore, Center, 3.2 points per game
Big 10 Preview & Ranking
|
