Originally Posted by
Scrap Irony
If last year's regular season didn't matter, why should last year's last five games? Or IU's last four?
Last year is last year, after all.
This year, neither team has all that much talent. Zeller's a stud. Likely POY, in fact. After that, it's a crapshoot. A freshman PG? Especially one that's not considered an elite (re, top five) recruit. He's also tiny, which will hurt IU as they play larger guards. Others are role players. Hull can shoot, but can't defend. Watford's a shooter that gets into funks and can't buy a basket that took a giant step backward last season. Oladipo has tons of talent, but cannot shoot outside of ten feet and is turnover prone.
Overall, IU's got a great center, but is going to rely almost completely on Zeller, spot-up shooters, and an undersized PG who's quick but tiny.
That's fine, though, as no one else has any talent returning either.
Louisville's Siva is great one game and horrid for three. There's no in-between in his game. Deng is very good and has a chance to be dominating. But his game is still a work in progress. Benahan is a 6'5" power forward. I like his girth, but he can't shoot and has little in the way of offensive moves other than bulling around the basket. And this team cannot shoot. At all. Their best shooter graduated, too. As did their second-best shooter.
Michigan, to me, looks decent. OSU has Deshaun Thomas, who I like to blossom into a 20/10 guy, and Aaron Craft. Florida has five good players but doesn't play much D. Kansas has Withey and a couple nice role players in Johnson and Relaford.
That's pretty much it.
Maybe UCLA or Kentucky freshmen blossom into a special team. I don't see it in either area this year. (Kentucky doesn't look to be able to shoot either.) Maybe IU players all take a step forward. Maybe Louisville's guys learn how to shoot.
But at this point, there's no question the talent level is down across the game.
