Indiana Hoosiers: Reasons Behind Their Resurgence and Why They're Here to Stay

No one, and I mean no one, who has watched Indiana basketball over the past three years could have envisioned the Hoosiers’ instantaneous rise into national prominence this season. The addition of Cody Zeller and another year of growth for last year’s roster were expected to bring a certain level of improvement, but it wasn’t supposed to happen this quick.

The fact is that Indiana, just two games into the Big-Ten schedule, has nearly reached the level of wins that most fans had set for their expectations before the season began. They’ve also thrown their name back onto the national stage by defeating both the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams in the country (Kentucky and Ohio State respectively), and doing so when both teams were at full strength.

And having watched most of their games two or three times each, mainly because I was having trouble believing it was actually happening, I can tell you it’s no fluke. This team isn’t going away anytime soon, and here are the reasons why:

Cody Zeller is as Advertised, and Then Some

The 6'11" freshman came into Bloomington with a lot of expectations, but that hasn't seemed to bother him one bit. Zeller leads the Hoosiers in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, steals and blocks. Considering Tom Pritchard was the one getting many of Zeller's minutes last season, it's not tough to see why Indiana has improved so dramatically.

Not to insult Tom Pritchard, he is a fine defensive player, but the truth is that he was never a threat to score. Indiana was constantly playing a man down on the offensive end, and that's not an easy way to win basketball games.

Unselfish, Efficient Offensive Play

Cody Zeller's offensive production in the post has opened everything up for Indiana, mainly because of his passing ability and patience. Zeller's presence has spread out opponents' defenses, and therefore, created more room to shoot for the rest of the Hoosiers.

But it's the unselfishness and willingness of everyone on the roster to make the extra pass that's launched the Hoosiers into one of the elite offensive teams in the nation. Yes, I said elite. Indiana ranks sixth in the nation in field goal percentage, second in three-point FG percentage, 10th in effective field goal percentage (factors in total points per shot made) and fifth in points-per-possession.

Dramatically Improved Defense

The stats will back it up, but you don't have to watch this team for more than five minutes to see the difference on the defensive end. Indiana is a good defensive team; they are not a great defensive team, yet.

Ken Pomeroy, one of the most respected college basketball statistical sites, has Indiana ranked as the 21st-best defensive team in the nation with a system that factors in everything (field goal percentage, points per possession, effective field goal percentage, free-throw rate, etc.). Last year, he had them ranked as the 109th-ranked team in this category.

The biggest improvement Indiana has made this year is on their help-side defense. Next time you are watching a game, pay close attention to the weak-side of the court when Indiana is on defense. Specifically, watch when their opponent has the ball on one of the wings. In this situation, you will most likely see at least three Indiana players opposite the ball at a given time.

Watch their heads as the opponent tries to take the on-the-ball defender off the dribble. At least two of Indiana's defenders are constantly keeping an eye on the ball at the same time they focus on the man they are guarding. At any moment, they are ready to slide over in the case that their teammate gets beat in order to prevent an easy lay-up.

Offense takes nights off; defense does not. Indiana has had multiple games where they haven't had particularly good nights shooting the basketball, but were still able to come away with wins because of their defensive play.

Free Throw Discrepancy

This may be the most valuable stat in explaining just how much the Hoosiers' offense and defense have simultaneously improved in a single season. Last year, Indiana attempted only 632 free throws to 815 for their opponents. This can be attributed to poor on-the-ball defense and a lack of dribble-drive penetration and aggressiveness on offense.

This season, The Hoosiers have attempted 367 free-throws to their opponents' 280. Indiana ranks 8th in the nation in total free-throws made, converting on 73.3% of their attempts thus far. Consistently getting to the line was a big reason they were able to knock off both Kentucky and Ohio State. It was also what caused them to lose the Michigan State game, attempting only nine free-throws to the Spartans' 22.

Super Sophomores

Perhaps just as important as the arrival of Cody Zeller is the accelerated improvement of Indiana's sophomores, Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey. Oladipo is an every game starter for the Hoosiers, and Sheehey ranks close behind in minutes coming off the bench.

On top of being Indiana's most athletic players, Will and Victor are also the most energetic players on the roster. They rank third and fifth on the Indiana roster in scoring, but they are also very well-rounded. Oladipo has been Indiana's best on-the-ball defender all season, constantly locking down the opponent's most dangerous offensive player. Sheehey is also incredibly versatile on defense, with an ability to guard multiple positions effectively.

Most importantly, "Sheeladipo" have a swagger and a confidence about them that has rubbed off on the entire team.

Maturing Upperclassmen

The biggest question as Tom Crean began to bring more talent in was how the current roster was going to adjust. With the emergence of Cody Zeller, Will Sheehey and Victor Oladipo, the older players, such as Verdell Jones III and Christian Watford, were going to have to adjust their roles.

Watford took a few games to get adjusted to his new role, but has since become Indiana's most dependable player. His offensive game is as versatile as ever, scoring inside and outside. He's also learning to play more within the offense and not forcing as many shots as in years past.

Watford and Jones III have stepped up their defensive games more than anyone on the roster in the off-season. And, along with Jordan Hulls, they have taken over leadership roles, both vocally and with their play.

Even junior Derek Elston is starting to find his place more recently with his very good play off the bench.

Depth and Competition

The Hoosiers don't quite have the talent yet to be among the elite teams in the country, but their improved depth has created a noticeable difference in their play. They can now substitute seven or eight deep without much of a drop-off, which allows them to keep their starters fresh for Tom Crean's fast-paced system.

It has also increased the competition level both at practice and for playing time, which means everyone is now held accountable. If you made a bad play in the past two or three seasons, Crean didn't have much of a choice but to keep you on the court. Do it now, and you will quickly find yourself on the bench...

What all of this adds up to is what I've been saying since about five games into the season, that this is a really good basketball team. They play together really well on both ends of the floor and haven't allowed themselves to get too high or too low at any point this season. Three years of getting the crap kicked out of you tends to humble a team like that.

A lot of the national "experts" still aren't sold on this team yet, with the latest being "let me see them do it on the road" before they proclaim that Indiana basketball is back.

All of their opinions, along with the rankings, are irrelevant at this point in the season. If the Hoosiers continue to play like they have, and they will, then that stuff will sort itself out.

This article originally appeared on Hoosier Cafe