(Come on…you knew the headline had to have some kind of lame pun involving “grace”.)
Yes, it was only an exhibition game against Grace, but last night proved to be an encouraging and auspicious beginning to the 2009-10 basketball season for a program seeking redemption.
Tom Crean and the Indiana Hoosiers did exactly what an IU team should do: impose their will on a far inferior opponent and cruise to an easy victory. Though reports of the game indicate that Grace played the Hoosiers tough for the first 24-25 minutes, IU won the game 96-73.
Coming off of a season that saw the Hoosiers lose home games to Northeastern and Lipscomb, any win — even an exhibition win that doesn’t count — is a welcome event.
And for anyone who took IU’s opponent last night for granted, just ask Syracuse fans how that worked out for them.
Let’s go around the IU blogosphere and newsosphere for reaction to the game. I had previous obligations and was not available to plunk down the $3 to watch it live on the Big Ten Network’s website (although I would have), so I’ll let those who actually saw the action provide the insight.
From what I’ve read and from the time I’ve spent trolling IU forums this morning, a couple of things are clear:
- What we expected is confirmed: the talent level is way, way, way up this year.
- Christian Watford is a really talented all-around player.
- Bloomington native Jordan Hulls is going to be this team’s floor general and a fan favorite from Day One.
Reaction below. As detailed in our handy-dandy 2009-10 Indiana mens basketball tv schedule, the Hoosiers next take on St. Joseph’s (of Indiana) in their second exhibition game on Monday.
Indiana Struggles Early, Rolls Past Grace in the Second Half — (Inside the Hall)
A couple of thoughts from Indiana’s exhibition opener:
Watford was very effective after he settled down. He looked a bit anxious early, which is to be expected for a freshman, but his athleticism around the basket made an instant impact. He got to the line nine times and connected on all of his attempts. Impressive debut. The basketball IQ of Hulls will make him a fan favorite in Bloomington. He has a knack for setting up teammates and when left open, he was able to knock down some shots. And he didn’t register a turnover.
Here are some player interviews (including Jeremiah Rivers, Verdell Jones, Jordan Hulls, and Christian Watford) found at Inside the Hall:
And here is the post game audio from Tom Crean.
Freshman Impressive in IU Exhibition — (CJ.com)
On a night when all eyes were on IU’s highly touted recruiting class, the freshmen didn’t disappoint.
Christian Watford had 19 points and 11 rebounds, helping IU’s five freshmen combine to score 52 in a 96-73 rout of Grace College.
“We’ve been looking forward to showing people what we can do,” Watford said. “A lot of publications have us ranked last in the Big Ten in the preseason, and we just think we’re better than that.”
IU Gains Fresh Start to Season — (FW Journal-Gazette)
“I don’t put a lot of emphasis on the points, I put more emphasis on the rotations, playing through fatigue, and I thought we took quality shots,” IU coach Tom Crean said. “… I thought all our freshmen came in and contributed and made strides as they got better.”
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* – Christian Watford photo credit: Rob Goebel / The Star via IndyStar.com
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