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College basketball week 8: 5 biggest takeaways

By Chris Stone

Dec 31, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) shoots against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) shoots against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers center Thomas Bryant (31) waits to check into the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Louisville defeats Indiana 77-62. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers center Thomas Bryant (31) waits to check into the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Louisville defeats Indiana 77-62. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Indiana is stumbling and doesn’t have an easy fix

After losing a home matchup to the Nebraska Cornhuskers and a neutral site contest to the Louisville Cardinals, the Indiana Hoosiers are on a two game losing streak heading into the heart of Big Ten play. The Hoosiers have been as bipolar as any team in America this season. They own big time wins over Kansas and North Carolina, but have already lost four games and look like they might be closer to the second tier of the Big Ten than the top of the league with teams like Wisconsin and Purdue.

The concerns for Indiana are two-fold. First, the Hoosiers are a questionable defensive operation despite having the versatile OG Anunoby. In three of their four losses (IPFW excluded), they have given up 1.17 points per possession or worse. Indiana doesn’t create turnovers (16.3 percent turnover rate, 311th nationally) and is therefore reliant on opponents to miss shots. When they don’t, the Hoosiers lose.

Second, Indiana is heavily reliant on being able to knockdown outside shots. The Hoosiers have attempted 40.3 percent of their total field goal attempts from behind the arc this season and although they’re generally a good shooting team they’ve struggled from deep in their losses. Indiana is shooting just 30.8 percent on 3-pointers across those four games.

Poor defense can be improved upon. Head coach Tom Crean got the Hoosiers playing better defense by the NCAA Tournament last season, but poor shooting nights are dangerous in the single-elimination environment of March if you’re heavily reliant on them to score.