Column: Big Handsome is the Big Difference

Zeller is the prototypical little brother.

He out-works you, out-hustles you and does it all without complaining once about the beating he is taking in the post.

When you are tired, he will run you into the ground with the relentless energy of a 12-year-old stuck in an NBA player’s body.

As North Carolina saw Tuesday night in IU’s 83-59 victory against the Tar Heels, the Big Handsome’s ability to run the floor is his most important – and most lethal – contribution to the Hoosiers’ offense.

Before the season, IU Coach Tom Crean said Zeller was almost to the point in which he could run the entire length of the floor in three dribbles. It seemed unbelievable at the time, but Zeller keeps proving Crean’s words true by being the most unstoppable force in the Hoosiers’ transition game.

No big man in college basketball can run the floor and finish in transition like Zeller, and it made the difference against North Carolina.

The way Zeller ran the floor in the first half against UNC should be made into an instructional video on how to play basketball in transition for every big man, or any guard, for that matter.

Zeller put on a clinic in transition throughout that led to a number of fast break points, thunderous dunks and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.

The Washington, Ind., native finished the night with 20 points (8-of-13 from the field), eight rebounds and four blocks in 28 minutes against his older brother Tyler’s former team.

“We want to get out and run,” Zeller said. “It was big for us getting back in transition, but at the same time we want to push it back at them. We aren’t going to change, whether we are playing North Carolina or whoever else is on our schedule. We aren’t going to change what we do on offense.”

When he is running the floor like he did against UNC, it gives opponents two problems.

First, Zeller’s speed and stamina in transition allows him to wear down the opponent’s big men, which leads them into committing lazy fouls throughout, sending the Hoosiers to the line late in games.

Second, everyone on the floor must account for Zeller when he is streaking down the court on a fast break. This creates mismatch opportunities with smaller guards that lead to easy baskets for IU.

How the heck are you going to guard a 7-footer who is faster than you when you are only a 6-foot-something guard?

The answer, as the Tar Heels found out after about 10 minutes of play, is you aren’t going to stop him.

You can credit Cody’s older brothers Luke and Tyler for putting him through the school of hard knocks before they found their own success, but the youngest Zeller brother’s development on the fast break has really bloomed under Crean.

Crean credits Zeller’s patience.

“Cody’s got a patience about him that is just fine,” Crean said. “He is going to feel the game out. Dwayne Wade was like this in a sense that you don’t force it on him. You let the great players find their way through it a little bit.”
 
Under Crean’s tutelage, Zeller has gone from little brother to big man on campus, and he is quickly putting the Hoosiers on the fast track to greatness.