This blog may turn into the Trayce Jackson-Davis show, so if you think that he is overrated or have some lame excuse as to why you think he’s not as good as everyone else thinks he is, you can either stop reading and continue to be ignorant or you can continue to read and learn something new today!
Now, in reality, Indiana is a complete team with solid play on both sides of the ball. Players that can shoot the three well, who can get to the bucket, who can defend their ass off etc. but they would be at the bottom of the Big Ten without Trayce Jackson-Davis. But since not having TJD is a false reality, let's talk about where they stand at this moment. 19-9 overall record, 10-7 in the Big Ten, #17 in the nation, and most importantly…a contender to win the national championship.
Nobody really likes the Net Rankings, but I look at it to see how teams do in every quadrant. Do they take care of business against the teams they are supposed to beat in quadrant 3 and 4? Do they limit their losses in quadrant 2? Have they played in a handful of quadrant 1 games? Won a couple of them? Indiana checks all these boxes. Not a single loss in quad 3 or 4, only one loss in quad 2, and have played 13 quad 1 games, winning five of them.
Enough of the surface level numbers. Time to dig deep.
Why can the Hoosiers win their first championship since ‘87?
TJD- You can't trust a man with two first names, but can you trust a man with three first names? I do. 20.5 points per game, 11.1 rebounds per game, 3.6 assists per game, 3 blocks per game, and is shooting almost 60% from the field. He isn’t the biggest big man in the country, being only 6’9, but his presence in the paint is huge. Trayce is athletic around the rim, will not back down from any other big man on the defensive side, and can pass the ball very well. It is no shocker that we find this man on the Wooden Award watch list. Averaging a double double in college is no small feat, but averaging a double double in the Big Ten where big men are bred is a whole different story. TJD will be a difference maker in March, it's just a matter of how big of a difference maker he will be.
Depth. The Hoosiers have eight players that average over 15 minutes a game, and all of them bring something to the table. Whether it's three point shooting, free throw shooting, lockdown defense, post presence, etc. they have someone to fill the role.
Shot Selection. I have watched a handful of Indiana basketball games this year, and one thing that has remained consistent in every game is the shot selection. They run a smooth offense with a lot of motion, pass the ball well and move it around until they find a good shot. #5 in the country in FG%, that is in large part due to the quality of shots they take. They don't rush possessions or force any bad shots. This is a well disciplined team that plays ball the right way.
What's holding them back?
Free Throws. My three pillars when selecting a team to make a run are; effective field goal percentage, free throw attempts, and free throw percentage. Now, obviously there is more to a team than those three stats, but that's how I get started. Indiana is great at shooting the ball from the floor, but the other two don’t pass the eye test. #202 in free throws made per game, #199 in free throws attempted per game, and #207 in free throw percentage. No bueno, and those stats will catch up to the Hoosiers sooner or later.
My Prediction: Sweet 16
Next Game: 2/25 @ Purdue
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