The Evolution Of Bobby C

Sometimes it's hard to remember he is still a freshman.

When he is 6'9'' and 235 pounds of muscle, that distorts that fact even more.

But after some early season struggles, Bobby Capobianco has become an integral part of the Hoosiers rotation.

The Loveland, Ohio native has drawn some similar negative comparisons to current sophomore and also Ohio native, forward Tom Pritchard.

However Capobianco has been working hard to dispell those comparisons and create his own.

In the past four games, Capobianco has been coming off the bench and staying on the court for longer amounts of time, and excelling in his defense, as well as rebounding.

In that span he is averaging 17.5 minutes, 2.25 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game.

While those stats don't look great, it doesn't show the whole story.

Capo, as he is commonly known, has been doing a great job coming off the bench to guard the big man on the opposing team.

Against Illinois it was 7'1'' center Mike Tisdale, against Minnesota it was 6'11'' center Ralph Sampson III, and against Penn State, it was 6'10'' center Andrew Ott.

Capobianco has also recorded three assists and three steals in the past two games, both Hoosier victories.

In the two games, he only committed two turnovers, showing his improving basketball IQ and his comfort in the Big Ten.

The Bobby Capobianco of 2010 is a much better version than the one from 2009, where he looked lost, as well as missing five free throws against Kentucky.

Capobianco has also gained confidence to shoot the ball, as shown against Minnesota, when he hit a wide open three, something he has been doing in practices, and he hit a great buzzer beater as well.

In a couple years time, Bobby Capobianco should become one of the top forwards in the Big Ten, and as long as he keeps improving his footwork, the rest should come easy.