Column: 5 things we learned from IU's loss to Butler

1. IU is not invincible
 
After the North Carolina game, most people were ready to write off the rest of the non-conference schedule as victories for the Hoosiers. Well, if the game against Butler teaches IU fans anything, it’s that winning is not going to be a foregone conclusion the rest of the season.
 
Butler came out and pounded the Hoosiers from the inside out. From the get-go, the Bulldogs dominated the boards – out-rebounding IU 40-38. Although, they only had two more rebounds than IU, Butler’s Roosevelt Jones (10 rebounds) and Andrew Smith (nine rebounds) outmanned IU’s big men throughout the game.
 
If anything shows the Hoosiers inability to grab rebounds against Butler, you probably don’t have to look much further than fact that freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell led IU with eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Cody Zeller finished the game with only five rebounds and senior forward Christian Watford was non-existent on the glass with only three boards in 23 minutes.
 
After the game, IU Coach Tom Crean said IU would hit the boards hard in practice before its next game against Mount Saint Mary’s. If IU is going to rebound from its first loss of the season, controlling the boards will be priority number one – especially once Big Ten play begins.
 
2. Oladipo always shows up on the big stage
 
Whether it is a exhibition game, a rivalry game or the NCAA tournament, junior guard Victor Oladipo comes ready to play.
 
Throughout the game, Oladipo was the most active Hoosier and he finished with 18 points and four steals.
 
In high-pressure games, teams need guys like Oladipo because he stabilizes the Hoosiers when they struggle. His energy never drops off and his defense sparks IU runs.
 
As a team, IU stole the ball 13 times, which led to 24 points off turnovers for the Hoosiers.
 
Defense is the key to this year’s IU team and Oladipo leads the defensive charge.
 
With plenty of big moments still ahead of the Hoosiers, more players will have to perform well on the big stage, but luckily for IU, Oladipo is the model of consistency on the biggest stages.
 
 
3. Teams will attack Jordan Hulls
 
With the game on the line, Alex Barlow had only senior guard Jordan Hulls between him and the game-winning basket. As it turned out, Barlow attacked Hulls by driving the lane while using his body to create enough space to get the shot off.
 
Coming into this season, one of the biggest questions was Hulls’ ability to defend bigger opponents – especially in crunch time. Entering this game, the consensus has been that Hulls is greatly improved on defense, but Barlow’s final basket is an illustration of how teams will continue to attack Hulls.
 
This problem for IU is not easily solved. Hulls is the floor general and must be on the floor in crucial moments. He is the unquestioned leader of the offense, but on defense, he creates a weakness that other teams can exploit.
 
Although Hulls has taken steps forward defensively this season, his lack of size still could be the Hoosiers’ weakest link on defense.
 
4. Christian Watford might be the odd man out in crunch time
 
With time in regulation winding down, Crean decided to utilize the quick, more athletic lineup of Ferrell, Hulls, VOladipo, sophomore guard Remy Abell and Zeller.
 
The move paid off as IU forced overtime, but the absence of Watford raises questions about his role in crunch time with the Hoosiers moving forward.
 
On three of the biggest stages this season – against Georgetown in Brooklyn, at home against North Carolina and on the road against Butler – Watford has produced three of his poorest performances of the season. In those three games, the senior has only shot 5-of-24 from the field (20.8 percent) and 3-of-8 (37.5 percent) from behind the arc.
 
Although Watford has had strong performances around these games, Hoosier fans have to be wondering if Watford’s inconsistent play is going to prompt Crean to choose other Hoosiers over C-Wat in crunch time. It seemed to certainly factor into the closing minutes of the game against Butler.
 
Watford’s play is crucial to IU’s success, but his role on the team might be changing before our eyes. With freshmen forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea and center Peter Jurkin back and senior forward Derek Elston expected to return soon, some of Watford’s minutes could be in jeopardy.
 
Last season, it was pretty much assumed that Watford would be one of the guys carrying IU to the final buzzer, but this season is proving to be much different. As the Hoosiers continue the process of figuring out their rotation, continue to watch how Watford is being used in crunch time.
 
 
5. Basketball in Indiana is alive and kicking
 
Seriously, could you ask for a better game to illustrate the high caliber of basketball being played in the state of Indiana?
 
The crowd of 19,192 was raucous and was pretty evenly split between IU and Butler fans. Throughout the game, both fan bases had plenty to cheer about and in the end everyone was out of their seats in anticipation of a dramatic finish.
 
The game featured seven ties, seven lead changes, an overtime period and 10 double-digit scorers. Both teams never gave up and it was almost sad to see the game end because it was that entertaining.
 
For two and a half hours, the entire nation of basketball fans were focused on the two best teams that the state of Indiana has to offer.
 
Although Hoosier fans would have preferred a different outcome, you have to applaud the effort of both teams because it was an absolutely mesmerizing game.
 
If you’re a fan of the great basketball coming out of Indiana this year, what more could you ask for?