The Assembly Call Indiana Basketball Podcast

Indiana roared to a 52-29 halftime lead today over #8 Minnesota, scoring at a ridiculous 1.60 point per possession clip. It was, quite simply, one of the best halves of basketball any team in America has played this year. But to Minnesota's credit, the Golden Gopher kids fought back, and Indiana helped them out with turnovers and missed free throws. Thus, what looked like a blowout turned into a hard fought 88-81 win for Indiana. And today, it was all the starters. With only three points coming from the bench (and none from Will Sheehey), the Indiana starters needed to be big, and they were. Victor Oladipo led the team in scoring with 20, while Cody Zeller had 18. Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls, and Yogi Ferrell were all also in double-digits. It was both an interesting and a weird game, leaving plenty to discuss. We did just that on yet another victorious episode of The Assembly Call.

Penn State took a 3-2 lead...and then the Hoosiers asserted their dominance. A big early run, keyed by aggressive offensive play from Christian Watford, put Indiana up by double digits, and Penn State never got any closer. The Hoosiers weren't particularly sharp in the second half, but they didn't need to be, en route to a 74-51 road win. Jordan Hulls found his shooting stroke again, Watford played a terrific all-around game, and Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo were mostly good in a solid team victory. Indiana is now 4-1 in their last five Big Ten road games, and sits atop the conference at 2-0 with #8 Minnesota headed to Bloomington on Saturday. We discuss tonight's game plus look ahead to Saturday's big tilt with the Gophers in tonight's episode of The Assembly Call.

Late in the afternoon on New Year's Eve, the Indiana Hoosiers scored their first Big Ten victory of the season. And it was an important victory, as it came on the road against a team many think will compete for an NCAA Tournament bid. That doesn't mean it was a pretty performance by the Hoosiers, what with Jordan Hulls going for 0-10 and Cody Zeller playing an uneven game (despite final numbers of 19 and 10), but there are no style points when it comes to playing on the road in the Big Ten. That said, Victor Oladipo played his usual #feathery style of basketball, leading Indiana with his hustle and timely play-making. Simply put, he's been Indiana's best player this year, and this was never more evident than Monday night in Iowa City. We broke it all down on another victorious episode of The Assembly Call.

Indiana bounced back from its first loss of the season to demolish Mount St. Mary's in Bloomington. It was one of the Hoosiers' most efficient offensive performances ever from a field goal percentage perspective, although MSM was able to force Indiana into a high number of turnovers with its pressing style. The guys broke down the game on another episode of The Assembly Call.

Today, erstwhile #1-ranked Indiana lost to ersetwhile unranked Butler. And without question, the Bulldogs deserved to win. Indiana actually controlled the game for most of regulation, but Butler was able to make a late 12-0 run that ultimately resulted in a 7-point lead. Then, despite a late 3 by Yogi Ferrell to send it to OT, and the foul-outs of Andrew Smith, Roosevelt Jones, and Erik Fromm, Butler still was able to hang on against an Indiana team that, frankly, just didn't come to play the tough, physical, smart brand of basketball it was going to take to get a W.

Last night, Indiana improved to 9-0 on the season with a 100-69 victory over Central Connecticut State. Cody Zeller led the way statistically with a goodness-gracious double-double of 19 points and 19 rebounds. But Victor Oladipo led the way in highlights, busting out a number of memorable dunks (and filling the stat sheet in his own right). It was a dominant performance by the #1 team in America.

It seems that we've had a slight problem with our shows syncing correcting with iTunes, causing only a portion of the show to be available there. I think I have it figured out, so I am re-posting last night's show - from IU's thoroughly entertaining demolition of North Carolina - in hopes that it syncs up correctly for everyone who likes to access the show via iTunes.

What a performance from Indiana. After trading baskets with North Carolina for 16 minutes - but always seeming in control - Indiana went on an epic 10-minute run to make a 2-point game a 20-point game and essentially run the Tar Heels out of the gym. And we broke it all down on tonight's victorious episode of The Assembly Call. Was this the smartest game Victor Oladipo has ever played? Just how good was Cody Zeller tonight, especially early? Who is the more improved Hoosier: Vic or Jordy? Was Will Sheehey functioning at peak efficiency tonight? What concerning signs did Zach see in Christian Watford's body language watching the game live from Assembly Hall?

Things didn't start our perfectly for Indiana tonight. Leading only 21-13 at the third TV timeout, Zach Osterman mentioned aptly on Twitter that Tom Crean seemed quite intense with his team, perhaps sensing that something was a bit "off" with them. Well, whatever may have been off got flipped on quickly.

Georgetown may not be ranked, but that won't be the case for long. The Hoyas are a long, tough bunch, and they gave Indiana everything the Hoosiers could handle tonight. But the #1 team in America - still playing without its top three frontcourt reserves - did what the #1 team should do: it responded to gut check time and won a gritty game against a good team.

Tonight's game felt a little blah. The atmosphere on a Monday night in Assembly Hall was a little blah. The play on the floor, for stretches, was a little blah. And yet, Indiana still dominated North Dakota State just like a #1 team should en route to an 87-61 victory. We broke it all down on tonight's show, including some great observations from Zach (who was at the game) about the interactions between Victor and Yogi as well as Christian and Jeremy.

Friday night, the #1-ranked Indiana Hoosiers did exactly what a #1- ranked team should do against an inferior opponent: they imposed their will and cruised to an easy victory.

One of the most memorable seasons in my 20+ years as an avid Indiana basketball fan ended last night when the Hoosiers fell 102-90 to the Kentucky Wildcats. Here is last night's postgame show, where the disappointment was certainly palpable but, I think, totally overshadowed by the pride of what this team accomplished and the optimism about what the future holds for IU hoops.

In our Indiana-Kentucky Sweet 16 Preview episode, we break down matchups - specifically Anthony Davis on Cody Zeller and Indiana's guards on Kentucky's guards - and discuss key players, the coaches, and the importance of Indiana's intangibles against Kentucky's incredible talent. And, of course, we give predictions.

By now you know all the details of how and why Indiana's VCU victory happened, and you've surely seen the replay of Will Sheehey's shot more than a few times. Andy, Ryan, and I broke down the game - quite excitedly - immediately when it was over.