2011-12 Indiana Basketball: How Each Recruit Can Help Hoosiers Immediately

Coming off a 12-20 season that ended with a nine-game losing streak, many seem to think that 2012-13 is the year where the Indiana Hoosiers will start to turn the corner back towards their glorious past. I disagree. I think that time is now and that they could be a surprise team in 2011-12.

Although their record from last year wouldn't suggest it, Indiana has a chance to be very good this coming season. They struggled with injuries during their late season skid and were able to knock off Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota beforehand. They also have nearly all of their core back to go along with a strong recruiting class in a weaker Big Ten. All of these factors combined means there is no reason for this team to have a losing record this season, and frankly, they should be aiming to be a significant name come postseason time.

This brings me back to the recruits, who will have a major say in the Hoosiers' success, or lack thereof, in the 2012 season. Each guy will bring something different to the table, which I will cover in the following slides....

Remy Abell

HS Stats: 16 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, 2.5 steals per game and 25 blocked shots on the season.

Wow, I was almost starting to get worried. I was ecstatic about Tom Crean getting hired in 2008 because while at Marquette, he appeared to be the rare kind of recruiter who could both get high-profile guys and stars who had gone under the radar, the latter of which had brought him the most success in his time with the Golden Eagles. 

Until this past year, he hadn't shown much of that at IU; in fact, he had done more of the opposite, nabbing a few guys with undeserved rankings who haven't lived up to the billing. Now, after finding two potential hidden gems with great upsides last year in Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey, Crean has added another piece to fit into that category in Louisville's Remy Abell.

Now, although I was very disappointed when big man Jamari Traylor chose Kansas over IU, Abell does fill another need. Graduated senior Jeremiah Rivers was a very good defensive player, and Abell could help offset his loss while likely backing up several perimeter positions.

As the stats show, Abell simply did it all for a Louisville Eastern team that went 33-3 last year. The chance will be there for immediate playing time because he will bring another dimension to the offense that neither of the other primary ballhandlers (Jordan Hulls and Verdell Jones) have with his ability to fiercely drive all the way to the basket. He has an explosive, aggressive burst to the rim and a body built for contact.

Any lineup that could have him, Oladipo and Sheehey on the floor at once would suddenly make this team a very dangerous threat in transition, something they haven't been since the days of Eric Gordon.

He also has the potential to hound opposing ballhandlers with his 6'4" frame and strong body. Not surprisingly, Coach Crean has compared him to former Marquette great Jerel McNeal.

Austin Etherington

HS Stats: 18.6 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, three assists per game.

Seems like this kid has been committed to IU forever, and now we'll finally get the chance to see him lace them up. Etherington is a very solid Big Ten Recruit. He is a very prototypical 3-man for the college level with great size at 6'6", a very good jump shot with terrific form and above average leaping and finishing ability.

He doesn't do any single thing particularly great, but is solid in all facets. Some of the problems i've witnessed with the team over the past few years is that physically they appear to be a step behind the rest of the Big Ten, always seeming under-manned. Like Abell, Etherington will play a role in changing that and giving this team the look of a contender.

The concern for Etherington, especially going forward, is the threat of getting lost in the shuffle. He is solid all around, but will need to carve out a niche for himself as he competes with sophomores Will Sheehey and Victor Oladipo this year, 2012 commits Ron Patterson and Jeremy Hollowell next year and incoming 2013 wings Colin Hartman and Devin Davis the year after. All of these guys will be competing for two spots on the wing, and someone probably won't be happy.

The best bet for Etherington is to go from a very good to a truly great, pure shooter. He shows great potential to be a high-level catch and shoot weapon with a quick release and great form. Taking his consistency to another level could be his weapon to carve out a role for himself with the logjam on the perimeter.

I'm rooting for him because he was one of the first to have the guts to commit when things seemed hopeless for the Hoosier Nation, and I expect him to earn some minutes next year.

Cody Zeller

 HS Stats: 23.7 points per game, 13.0 rebounds per game, 3.6 assists per game, 1.9 blocks per game.

Where do I start?

Simply put, Cody Zeller may very well define the coming era at Indiana. His commitment was storybook and revitalized one of the most committed fanbases in the country. He is a high character, unselfish and highly skilled post player who will open the floor up for the rest of his teammates. Zeller will start from day one and could become someone the offense is run through sooner than later because of his unselfishness.

He doesn't hunt his offense and can stretch the floor from time to time. He appears to have mixed the games of both his brothers Luke (Notre Dame) and Tyler (North Carolina), with the former's ability to step out and shoot and the latter's very refined post game and athleticism running the floor. While he isn't as good as either of them at those things, it does speak to how complete and versatile a player he is.

More important than anything, he is not used to losing. Zeller won three state championships in high school and won't accept the losing culture that has started to seep into Assembly Hall. He plays with a purpose of winning games and should have one of the best freshman campaigns of anyone in the nation.

That's All

Well, I hope you enjoyed that. I just got assigned to start covering Indiana Basketball, among other things. Leave your feedback and check out more of my stuff if you'd like.