Hoosiers gain post-draft momentum

Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller made one final mark on the IU program before leaving it.

The former IU basketball players were selected No. 2 and No. 4 respectively in Thursday night’s NBA Draft, the highest two picks in IU basketball history.

In 1976, IU’s Scott May and Quinn Buckner were drafted No. 2 and No. 7, the only other time in program history two players had been selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft.

The Orlando Magic selected Oladipo and the Charlotte Bobcats picked Zeller. Oladipo will wear No. 5 for the Magic while Zeller will keep the No. 40 he wore at IU.

IU had not had players drafted into the NBA since 2008 when Eric Gordon and D.J. White both went in the first round. It is the first time in the IU Coach Tom Crean era that players have been drafted.

Oladipo is the highest draft pick for the Hoosiers since Isiah Thomas was taken second overall in 1981.

The successful draft has re-energized IU’s program, Crean said via teleconference Thursday.

“I think it just brings a different dose of energy,” he said. “I think the program’s got a lot of energy anyways. It’s one of the things we’re built on. There’s no question that it brings more energy.”

Crean said he was not on the phone much with recruits during the draft, but his assistants were calling and texting recruits during the draft.

“We’re already recruiting in the sense to try to win as much as we can, so I don’t think it’s going to change the person we’re recruiting as much.”

Crean said he prepared Oladipo to play the point guard position, as well as the off-guard position during his last season at IU because he wanted him to have that skill for the NBA.

But he said what will get him on the court for the Magic is Oladipo’s defensive mentality, which Crean compared to Raja Bell.

“Victor is a pure competitor,” Crean said. “When you compete, you’re going to do what it takes to be in the game and you’re going to do what it takes to keep the ball away from people.”

Crean said he’s very happy with the fit in Orlando for Oladipo because he believes the player development staff is strong.

When asked about Zeller being a stretch post-player, Crean said that is just one of the things he believes the native of Washington, Ind., is capable of.

“He’s going to be a multi-dimensional player because he can drive it, he can shoot it, he can score it in the post, he gets fouled, but he can really, really pass the ball,” Crean said. “When you have upside like that, I don’t think it’s any question you can get better.”

Christian Watford was not drafted, but it is reported he will play for both the Pacers’ and Mavericks’ Summer League teams as an undrafted free agent.

“There was tremendous traffic as the draft was winding down last night with head coaches and owners and GMs,” Crean said. “He was highly disappointed, there’s no question about that. There were quite a few scenarios inside of it that just didn’t come to fruition. What he did is a tremendous job of showing his skills, selling himself and doing the things that he needed to do inside of all of his workouts.”

Crean said he’s not worried about Oladipo and Zeller changing in the NBA. He said the players’ team mentality is what’s going to help them show leadership.

“They’ll go in and blend, but they’ll also go in, they won’t be afraid to compete,” Crean said. “They won’t be afraid to do the best.”

And that’s  the sort of player Crean wants to continue to see coming into his program at IU.

“Those guys were tremendous representatives of what it means to be great people, but just be absolutely competitive nightmares on the floor,” Crean said. I think that’s what they are and that’s what we want to continue to recruit.

“The energy is just going to continue to grow in here. It’s what’s great.”