Indiana Basketball: Improving Frontcourt Key to Success Going Forward

Things aren't as bleak as they once seemed for Indiana University basketball.

While the sky was falling a few weeks ago with a home loss to Eastern Washington and a blowout defeat at the hands of Louisville, the Hoosiers have bounced back and now have a quality win over in-state rival Butler.

All of a sudden, they look like a team that can compete in a Big Ten conference that is wide open behind Wisconsin.

The key to the win at the Crossroads Classic was the same as the key to success going forward: frontcourt play.

A lack of proven players in the frontcourt was a major problem to start the year and seemed like it was going to limit the squad throughout the season. Indiana allowed a combined 41 offensive rebounds in the two losses this year, as well as numerous easy baskets in the paint.

At the same time, it seemed like the only way the team was going to score points was from shots from beyond the arc.

However, the improved play of Troy Williams and Hanner Mosquera-Perea can end up being the difference for a team with a lot of talent.

While a great second half by Yogi Ferrell was necessary against Butler, the duo up front was truly the difference, as noted by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports:

Williams was the one who turned heads offensively with 22 points, including a number of impressive finishes in the lane. Rob Dauster of NBC Sports believes the forward can help Indiana go far this year:

The sophomore always had the talent to be a star at this level with great athleticism and excellent body control, but he has been extremely inconsistent to start his career. The good news is this game can end up being a turning point for the young player.

He explained after the game that his mindset is different:

If he can continue to play anywhere near this level, it will give the Hoosiers some much-needed balance on the offensive end of the court. According to KenPom.com (subscription required), Indiana came into the game ranked 239th in the nation in percentage of points from two-point baskets and 226th in points from the free-throw line.

What this means is the team has been overly reliant on three-point shots from players like Ferrell and James Blackmon. This works sometimes, but it is also a great way to lose a big game when the shooting goes cold.

Adding this new dimension to the offense—with the ability to penetrate and score in the paint—can be a game-changer for this team.

Opp.	Margin	Opp.	Margin
MVST	+27	PITT	-8
TXSO	-2	SAV	+18
SMU	-13	LOU	-18
LAM	+9	GCU	+17
EWU	-5	BUT	+9
UNCG	+13

Of course, the necessity of a quality frontcourt goes beyond just the offensive end. As you can see from the table, rebounding has been incredibly inconsistent all year long. The inability to stop opponents from scoring inside has also been a major problem.

Both of these issues were seemingly fixed against Butler. At 6'9", Mosquera-Perea will never be a prototypical rim protector, but he showed his timing and athleticism with four blocks in the win. His nine rebounds were also his most since the first game of the year.

While the team doesn't have a lot of size inside, Mosquera-Perea and Williams showed they can combine to become at least a formidable defensive duo. Adding in contributions from Emmitt Holt, Collin Hartman and Max Hoetzel and this unit should be able to hold its own in most games.

This is a necessity because if these players as a group cannot contain opponents or limit possessions to one shot, the team will lose regardless of how well the guards are playing.

The good news is the Hoosiers are in the perfect conference to succeed. The Big Ten has a lot of good teams. But aside from Wisconsin, there are few frontcourts that really scare you.

We have seen teams like Michigan and Michigan State lose games early this season to opponents with better frontcourts. Even Ohio State—considered by many to be the No. 2 team in the conference—received this reaction from Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports during Saturday's loss to North Carolina:

Despite being undersized, Indiana shockingly has a chance to be one of the better frontcourts in the conference if it can reach its potential. 

At the very least, the unit, as it played against Butler, will be far from a liability, which is what it seemed like earlier in the season. This alone could be the recipe for success for the remainder of the season and possibly the NCAA tournament. 

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