Since columnists are not, in fact, "basketball analysts", I felt compelled to start a thread here to discuss an Indystar article that tried to name a starting 5 for each Indiana basketball program since 1992.
And they got it wrong for the Hoosiers.
So let's fix it.
Cheaney
Henderson
Jeffries
Gordon
Three of those are locks.
And now it gets tricky. But it isn't Yogi
First of all, neither IU ( in the past) nor the Houston Rockets (currently) have had any trouble starting 2 shooting guards so long as one of them or both can bring the ball up. Thus far in the season, I haven't seen that the Rockets really even need Chris Paul to win games, let alone be the star. Harden and Gordon do just fine as guards and they have several others to fill in.
As such, you don't put together a team with this much firepower and not think that the PG should be a pass-first ball handler.
I'm thinking the best fit is either Damon Bailey or Greg Graham - Bailey could do everything as a guard, and Graham became perhaps the best guard in the nation during his senior year. Even Michael Lewis would be a pass first ball handler who could also shoot the 3.
Jeffries gives you nearly everything that Zeller does except a bit more size, but Zeller can come off the bench since JJ allows IU to have more outside shooting without losing rebounding.
The rest of the team:
Indiana's 4 best defenders in that timespan include Henderson, plus: Reynolds, Oladipo and Fife. I see no reason to leave those guys off. Winning starts with defense.
Plus we need to add DJ White coming in for Alan, and Haston and Evans as two more big guys who stretch the floor.
The other obvious choices at guard are G. Graham, AJ Guyton, and Yogi.
Since that is 16 and we need to bring it to 13, I might cut Reynolds, perhaps Lewis if I'm starting Bailey. And then we keep either Fife or Yogi.
As good as Yogi was, he works a lot better as the star than he does as the facilitator. He'd do well with Jeffries off the high screen, and with VO on the wing, but I'm not sure I'd cut Fife, whom often had guys tied up with the ball before they ever got into their offense.
Tough call there.
And they got it wrong for the Hoosiers.
So let's fix it.
Cheaney
Henderson
Jeffries
Gordon
Three of those are locks.
And now it gets tricky. But it isn't Yogi
First of all, neither IU ( in the past) nor the Houston Rockets (currently) have had any trouble starting 2 shooting guards so long as one of them or both can bring the ball up. Thus far in the season, I haven't seen that the Rockets really even need Chris Paul to win games, let alone be the star. Harden and Gordon do just fine as guards and they have several others to fill in.
As such, you don't put together a team with this much firepower and not think that the PG should be a pass-first ball handler.
I'm thinking the best fit is either Damon Bailey or Greg Graham - Bailey could do everything as a guard, and Graham became perhaps the best guard in the nation during his senior year. Even Michael Lewis would be a pass first ball handler who could also shoot the 3.
Jeffries gives you nearly everything that Zeller does except a bit more size, but Zeller can come off the bench since JJ allows IU to have more outside shooting without losing rebounding.
The rest of the team:
Indiana's 4 best defenders in that timespan include Henderson, plus: Reynolds, Oladipo and Fife. I see no reason to leave those guys off. Winning starts with defense.
Plus we need to add DJ White coming in for Alan, and Haston and Evans as two more big guys who stretch the floor.
The other obvious choices at guard are G. Graham, AJ Guyton, and Yogi.
Since that is 16 and we need to bring it to 13, I might cut Reynolds, perhaps Lewis if I'm starting Bailey. And then we keep either Fife or Yogi.
As good as Yogi was, he works a lot better as the star than he does as the facilitator. He'd do well with Jeffries off the high screen, and with VO on the wing, but I'm not sure I'd cut Fife, whom often had guys tied up with the ball before they ever got into their offense.
Tough call there.
