Column: Surprise, surprise

Expectations rule our judgment of reality.

If I expect to get back to Bloomington after Thanksgiving break at a reasonable time, but two pileups cause traffic to move slower than Martha the Mop Lady singing a drawn-out IU fight song, I’m not going to be too pleased.

But if I knew traffic would be sluggish, it wouldn’t seem so bad.

Before this IU basketball season began, everyone had their own expectations of the team and its players. Here is one disappointment and one pleasant surprise so far:

Subpar rebounding

The Hoosiers have been bigger and stronger than their opposition thus far this season, but it doesn’t show up in the rebounding comparison. IU has a plus-2.8 rebounding margin, meaning the Hoosiers have averaged 2.8 boards more than their opponents in games this year. It’s an advantage, sure, but not nearly large enough of one given the
opposition.

Chattanooga outrebounded IU 45-36 Nov. 13, while IU edged-out Butler on the glass Sunday, 36-34.

With forwards like the 6-foot-11-inch Cody Zeller, 6-foot-9-inch Christian Watford and 6-foot-9-inch Derek Elston on the floor together at some point, I was expecting more of a dominant showing. This height, paired with more sound boxing out, can turn the tide when opposing lineups get bigger and stronger.

Otherwise, Crean’s squad could run into major issues in Big Ten season when they have to go up against much more physical teams and inside powers such as Michigan State’s Draymond Green or Minnesota’s Ralph Sampson III.

Seniors comfortable in new roles

We all knew this season would be different with the arrival of Zeller. With a strong post presence, added depth and focus on defense, players who have been with the program since the beginning needed to transition into different roles. I just didn’t expect the shift to happen so seamlessly and so quickly.

For senior forward Tom Pritchard, this meant making the most of the minutes he would play. Through six games this season, Pritchard’s average minutes per game have been nearly cut in half in his role off the bench. But within the time Pritchard is seeing, the senior is playing with the intangibles that won’t appear on a scorecard.

It’s no secret everyone has poked fun at the 6-foot-9-inch, 245-pound forward at some point in the past three seasons. It’s sad but true. However, when Pritchard dives for a loose ball, like he did against Butler, it won’t show up on the stat sheet.

What some naive fans will see is that in nine minutes against the Bulldogs, The Pritch did not attempt a shot or pull down a rebound. In reality, Pritchard could come off the bench, lower his head and give minimal effort because he’s playing as a reserve in his senior season. But instead, he is embodying the toughness and energy that was all that pioneer recruiting class really had going for it.

Similarly, senior guard Verdell Jones III has found the scoring burden taken off his shoulders and onto scintillating sophomores Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey. So many times this past year, fans buried their head in their hands at the sight of Jones jacking up ill-advised shots en route to a .298 three-point percentage last season.

This year, we’re seeing a more disciplined Jones, who has taken the least amount of shots of any starter with 32, but he has a team-leading 24 assists. Jones is still finding his way on offense as a shooting guard who isn’t shooting.

­— azaleon@indiana.edu