Too Many Turnovers

The week began with Luke Fischer, a promising freshman from Germantown, Wisconsin, deciding that he no longer wanted to be an Indiana Hoosier, and would be withdrawing from school and seeking a transfer. Fischer wasn't completely sure of his decision until early Monday morning, and no official reason has been released from the school or Fischer, though the prevailing speculation suggests homesickness is a strong factor. While he was not giving IU many minutes yet this year, Fischer was expected to contribute more as soon as next season, and is a big hit to the depth of the Hoosier frontcourt.

Then came the Big Ten opener in Champaign. While it wasn't a complete disaster, and a game Indiana had multiple chances to win, the Hoosiers committed 23 turnovers to Illinois' 10, a discrepancy that is far too high to overcome against a competent Big Ten team. Yogi Ferrell led the Hoosiers with 30 points, but also led with 6 turnovers. Noah Vonleh and Jeremy Hollowell each committed 4 turnovers, and three other Hoosiers committed 2 each, including Will Sheehey. The only starter who didn't commit 2 or more turnovers was Troy Williams, and he still had 1 turnover.

The brightest spot of the game, beyond having a chance to beat a good Big Ten team in their building, was that the Hoosiers shot 80% from the free throw line, with only Stanford Robinson shooting under 50%. Even Hanner Mosquera-Perea, who is still improving in many phases of the game, was able to go 2 for 3. The Hoosiers also held the Illini to a terrible 3-point percentage, with only Rayvonte Rice making any shots behind the arc.

However, despite the good news, the Hoosiers are still 0-1 in conference play, and the fanbase isn't particularly willing to sit through a wasted season. The quality of play has to go up now, or Tom Crean may find his seat to be just a bit warmer at the end of this season than he might prefer.