Crean looks for frontcourt to improve offensive effort

After his team’s 88-76 loss to Boston College on Wednesday, IU coach Tom Crean was asked about the offensive production of his big men.

His answer? It has to be better.

“We need to get more out of the front line across the board,” Crean said. “It’s got to start on the physicality of rebounding and being better defensively. We’ve got to be more of a force.”

Without 7-foot center Guy-Marc Michel — who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA on Tuesday — the Hoosiers have less low post depth than they might like.

Michel’s absence makes junior forward Tom Pritchard and sophomore forwards Derek Elston, Christian Watford and Bobby Capobianco — all 6-foot-9 — the tallest players on the team. 

Other than Watford — who plays more of a small forward position — the other three play a more traditional “big man” role.

And while those three have improved on the defensive end this season compared to last year, their offense has been stagnant.

The Hoosiers (6-1) will look for them to get more involved in Saturday’s 6 p.m. matchup against Savannah State (1-7) at Assembly Hall.

Pritchard, Elston and Capobianco each average fewer than five points per game this season. In IU’s loss to Boston College, Pritchard attempted one shot from the floor and finished with two points and three rebounds despite playing 21 minutes.

Elston and Capobianco combined for seven points.
 
Crean said offense will come as a result of being more physical inside and rebounding, and he used a Boston College player as an example.

“(Joe) Trapani didn’t have a ton of rebounds, but he kept a lot of balls alive,” Crean said. “We’ve got to be able to do that. We’re not as big, maybe, as they were, but we got to be as aggressive.”

In the Hoosiers’ first six games, these interior problems were not glaring issues because the opposing frontcourt players were not as big or tough inside, and the IU guards were good enough offensively to carry the team to victories. 

But Wednesday’s loss featured a true test of the season: centers and power forwards from a major conference. Crean said the Eagles’ ability to limit IU’s big men was a main reason for Boston College’s victory.

With a matchup against Kentucky a little more than a week away and the Big Ten schedule looming, the Hoosiers’ frontcourt will be facing more tough challenges. The Wildcats, for example, boast three players taller than 6-foot-8, including star freshman forward Terrence Jones.

Crean, though, said his big men have worked hard all year and will learn from a game like Wednesday night.

“They are a pretty good learning team that wants to get better,” Crean said. “We’re not as aggressive on the backboards as we need to be. But the level of play went up tonight to prove that to us, and that will be good for us.”