Some Non-Conference Numbers

After going bust in Vegas, the Hoosiers headed home for a 3-day respite before the commencement of conference play tonight.

Now that we've closed the book on the non-conference portion of IU's schedule, let's take a look at a couple of points of interest about the season-to-date:

• IU's assist to turnover ratio is -.005 (198 A's-199 TO's).  That's not good. Considering the fairly soft strength of schedule IU has faced, it's disconcerting to still see the persistent bumblefuckedness with the ball in Crean's 3rd season.  
• Speaking of shitfingers, let's look at the primary ball handlers individual assist to turnover ratio: VJ3 41-48 (-.170); Jordy 41-19 (+2.157); Rivers 20-19 (+.052); & Danny Boy 12-7 (+1.714). So, yeah, Verdell has more TO's than Hulls, Rivers, & Moore combined.  Sheesh.
•  Maurice Creek is shooting 39.2% from the field this season, more than 7% worse than any other scholarship player.  Mo has also missed almost as many 3-pointers (44)  as Hulls has attempted (48). The Hoosiers desperately need Mo to find his mojo...and quickly. 
• Tom Pritchard is averaging 1.6 pts/gm, 3.8rb/gm, and shooting 10% from the charity stripe. Sure, he's 2nd on the team in boards (despite ranking 7th in total minutes), has an assist to turnover ratio of +1.375, and has more than twice as many blocks as the next 2 closest players combined, but c'mon man. 1 for 10 and 1.5 shots attempted per game?! It's time for Big Tom to find his o-face. (And if I were Crean, I'd make him shoot FT's underhanded in games until he can hit 50 out of 100 in practice. Just saying.)
• Victor Oh-lah-dipho leads IU in steals (20), is 2nd in rebounds (53), 3rd in fga (.559), but is 6th in minutes.  Though he turns it over almost 50% more than he dishes assists, he's proven to be a reliable 6th/7th man off the bench, especially as a freshman. However, with his 48.3% shooting from the line, I suggest Vic try dunking it next time he steps up to the stripe. 

So, there you have it.  A couple statistical observations at the onset of Big 10 play.  It's been a bumpy December, but I guess there's worse ways to kick off conference play than hosting Penn St. in Assembly Hall.  Nonetheless, it's time to find some consistency- at all spots not otherwise played by Christian Watford- if IU is going to have any kind of a chance of finishing +.500.  Value the ball, harvest some W's.  Leggo!