Indiana Basketball: Goals for the 2011-2012 Hoosiers Season

The Indiana Hoosiers enter the season on high hopes.  They return everyone but Jeremiah Rivers, and add one of the top recruits in the nation in Cody Zeller.

Even with the loss of Maurice Creek, the Hoosiers look to contend for an NCAA tournament berth for the first time since their first-round loss to Arkansas in 2008.

Head coach Tom Crean will look to reverse the Hoosiers' fortune and turn his 28-66 record at IU around.

These are the top goals for the upcoming season.

Win at Least 10 Games

This should be a gimme for a storied program, but the Hoosiers barely broke the 10-win mark the last two years.

They won 10 games in the 2009-2010 season and only 12 last season.

This season this shouldn't be much of a problem.  They have nine almost-gimme games in the non-conference against under-matched foes.

If they can get wins in the Big Ten season this could be a tournament team.

Finish in the Top Half of the Big Ten

The Hoosiers have only won a total of eight Big Ten games combined in the last three seasons.  If they want any hope for an NCAA tournament berth it's time they start winning conference games.

This is the year that they're supposed to compete. 

The Big Ten lost a ton of key players and Indiana returns the most experience of any team in the league.

If they can win at least half of their Big Ten games they will be in good shape for the ultimate goal an NCAA tournament berth.

Win Against Rivals

It's been since the 2007-2008 season since the Indiana Hoosiers have beaten their two arch rivals.

The last date they beat the Kentucky Wildcats was December of 2007 in Assembly Hall.  The Hoosiers won 70-51 in front of the home crowd.

The last time they beat Purdue was also in Assembly Hall on February 19th, 2008.  They trounced the Boilermakers 77-68 in front of a raucous crowd.

Since then, the Hoosiers are 0-3 against Kentucky and 0-5 against Purdue. 

Purdue has swept the home-and-home series the last two years and won the only matchup between the two schools in the 2008-2009 season in Mackey Arena.

It's time IU gets back to its winning ways against these two schools. 

Purdue will have a down year compared to their last three and Kentucky is vulnerable with youth and inexperience coming to Assembly Hall in December.  I expect the Hoosiers to at least split with Purdue if not sweep them and finally beat the Wildcats this year.

Don't forget the Hoosiers also have in-state rivals Evansville, Butler and Notre Dame on the schedule as well this season.  They play Butler in Assembly Hall at the end of November and play Notre Dame in Conseco Fieldhouse in December.

The Hoosiers travel to Evansville to open the Aces' new arena early in the schedule in November.

Finish Stronger Than Years Past

Indiana hasn't finished strong since Tom Crean arrived on the Bloomington campus.

Last year looked to be an up year with a postseason berth on the line after the Hoosiers beat No. 18 Minnesota and No. 20 Illinois at home and took No. 24 Michigan State to overtime only to lose by one point on the road in the tough Breslin Center.

After that, the Hoosiers were 12-11 and if they finished above .500, they could have been eligible for the NIT or the CBI.

For some reason, the Hoosiers regressed and went on a nine-game losing streak to end the season, including an upsetting loss at the hands of Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.

The nine losses in a row dropped IU to a last-place Big Ten finish.

In 2009-2010, it was pretty much the same scenario minus the postseason hopes.  The Hoosiers went on an 11-game losing streak at the end of the year, but snapped that with a win in the last regular-season game on the schedule at home against Northwestern in overtime.

The Hoosiers had hopes in the Big Ten tournament to be spoilers with a first-round matchup against the very same Northwestern team that they had beaten six days earlier.  Unfortunately, the Hoosiers didn't show up to play and got smoked by the Wildcats for another first-round exit.

In 2008-2009, it was Tom Crean's first season coaching IU.  The Hoosiers closed the season on a 10-game losing streak including another first-round exit of the Big Ten tournament to Penn State.

So the last three seasons the Hoosiers have had losing streaks of nine, 11 and 10 games respectively at the end of the season.  This needs to stop this year if they want any shot at a postseason tournament.

Make Postseason Tournament

The last time the Hoosiers made a postseason appearance was in the 2007-2008 season.  They need to reach a tournament this year.

There should be no excuses; all but one guy returns from last year's team and he wasn't even a key player.  These guys need experience in a tournament to gain experience with the top recruiting class in the nation coming in next year.

The experience from this season in a tournament mixed in with the talent of the youngsters next year would be a dangerous combination.  It won't help though if they struggle once again.

They now have an inside and outside game and can take pressure off of junior guard Jordan Hulls.  If he can get open looks, watch out.

Also, the Hoosiers will get much deeper if everyone performs well.  Everyone except Matt Roth, Verdell Jones III, Daniel Moore, Tom Pritchard and Kody Barnett will return next season and those guys aren't real playmakers either besides Jones III, but he shoots himself into trouble.  Mix in the experience with at least five newcomers that can start and you have a deep team.

This is why it's very important for the Hoosiers to come out this year and make strides with a tournament berth.  It would be nice if it was the NCAAs, but I would even settle for an NIT berth if it comes down to it.

For those tournaments you have to be at least .500 and if the Hoosiers can reach that, watch out for next year.

Here's a potential depth chart for next year.  How can anyone think this team won't compete for a championship if the guys on the roster now get experience?

Starters

G Hulls, SR

G Ferrell, FR

C  Zeller, SO

F Watford, SR

F Perea, FR

Bench

G/F Oladipo, JR

G/F Sheehey, JR

F Elson, SR

F Ethrington, SO

G/F Hollowell, FR

G/F Patterson, FR

F Jurkin, FR

G Abell, SO

This is without the possibility of Gary Harris joining the Hoosiers and even Maurice Creek coming back.  All I can say is watch out.