Indiana University Athletics
Size Adds New Dynamic To IU Frontcourt
11/6/2015 2:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Indiana's "rebounding buddies" may be on to something.
Fifth-year senior forward Max Bielfeldt and freshman center Thomas Bryant started alongside each other in Indiana's 82-54 exhibition win against Ottawa on Tuesday. The 6-foot-8 Bielfeldt described he and 6-foot-10 Bryant as his "rebounding buddy" in the post, allowing for Indiana two play a pair of conventional big men in the frontcourt.
Throw 6-foot-7 Troy Williams into the mix and suddenly Indiana's starting lineup has a size advantage the Hoosiers rarely had last season. Even that doesn't even account for the other five forwards listed at 6-foot-7 or taller.
"What comes to mind first is the size," Ottawa head coach James Derouin said. "I think especially on the glass they were outstanding—18 offensive rebounds—those extra possessions were huge…The glass and their defense was a lot tighter on their man-to-man."
Bryant and Bielfeldt combined for 20 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks and five steals against an undersized Ottawa team. Indiana head coach Tom Crean said multiple times not to take lineups and exhibition games too seriously, calling starting lineups "irrelevant" during his postgame press conference.
Crean has only seen his team play 40 minutes of competitive basketball against another team so far. Lineups don't necessarily matter, but he said combinations do. And if Bielfeldt and Bryant are going to turn into a dynamic combination, they may be seeing more playing time together.
"I thought they were comfortable with each other," Crean said. "You get that kind of activity from Max and from Thomas, that's going to be good for us."
The two major things Derouin mentioned, size and defense, aren't mutually exclusive.
Bielfeldt said he and Bryant both bring their own element of physicality to the floor, but in different ways. It allows for guards like sophomore James Blackmon Jr. to take more risks pressuring the ball defensively knowing that he has a big man there to back him up if he gets beat.
"I feel like the rebounding went well first. Our defense, as well," Blackmon said. "We have shot-blockers. I have confidence with guys when I know Thomas and Max have got my back. And our guards, we can interchange. Me and Yogi switched off so many times tonight. It's just everything is a plus when we can do that."
Together, Bielfeldt and Bryant provide a one-two dose of center-like players that can create matchup problems for other teams, especially knowing that Indiana can just as easily swap one out and play a three or four-guard lineup it sometimes did last season.
Bielfeldt also pointed out he and Bryant both feel comfortable stepping out and taking a mid-range jumper, stretching the floor more than some conventional big men. Their ability to do that negates the disadvantage of not always having an extra guard on the floor.
"If you have a big, you have to respect them out there," Bielfeldt said. "That's why Wisconsin was so hard to guard last year, because they had those guys who could stretch the floor. It puts pressure on the defense…Having the ability to stretch the floor, this entire team can shoot, having that ability is special."
As Crean and players took time to note, one exhibition in November isn't necessarily telling of things to come. But it did show the potential Indiana's big men have playing alongside each other.
Will it be used more often? Crean said he doesn't know yet.
That could be his advantage.
"All the forwards are going to have to play," Crean said. "There's going to be nights it's going to be very matchup-oriented. Predictions on lineups will be just that, predictions."
Up Next: Indiana will return to action at Assembly Hall on Monday for a 7 p.m. matchup with Bellarmine. Crean praised the Division II power when he briefly touched on them earlier this week. He said he expects another challenge just like the Hoosiers received from Ottawa. Coincidentally, Indiana senior forward Ryan Burton played two seasons for Bellarmine before transferring to Indiana.
Fifth-year senior forward Max Bielfeldt and freshman center Thomas Bryant started alongside each other in Indiana's 82-54 exhibition win against Ottawa on Tuesday. The 6-foot-8 Bielfeldt described he and 6-foot-10 Bryant as his "rebounding buddy" in the post, allowing for Indiana two play a pair of conventional big men in the frontcourt.
Throw 6-foot-7 Troy Williams into the mix and suddenly Indiana's starting lineup has a size advantage the Hoosiers rarely had last season. Even that doesn't even account for the other five forwards listed at 6-foot-7 or taller.
"What comes to mind first is the size," Ottawa head coach James Derouin said. "I think especially on the glass they were outstanding—18 offensive rebounds—those extra possessions were huge…The glass and their defense was a lot tighter on their man-to-man."
Bryant and Bielfeldt combined for 20 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks and five steals against an undersized Ottawa team. Indiana head coach Tom Crean said multiple times not to take lineups and exhibition games too seriously, calling starting lineups "irrelevant" during his postgame press conference.
Crean has only seen his team play 40 minutes of competitive basketball against another team so far. Lineups don't necessarily matter, but he said combinations do. And if Bielfeldt and Bryant are going to turn into a dynamic combination, they may be seeing more playing time together.
"I thought they were comfortable with each other," Crean said. "You get that kind of activity from Max and from Thomas, that's going to be good for us."
The two major things Derouin mentioned, size and defense, aren't mutually exclusive.
Bielfeldt said he and Bryant both bring their own element of physicality to the floor, but in different ways. It allows for guards like sophomore James Blackmon Jr. to take more risks pressuring the ball defensively knowing that he has a big man there to back him up if he gets beat.
"I feel like the rebounding went well first. Our defense, as well," Blackmon said. "We have shot-blockers. I have confidence with guys when I know Thomas and Max have got my back. And our guards, we can interchange. Me and Yogi switched off so many times tonight. It's just everything is a plus when we can do that."
Together, Bielfeldt and Bryant provide a one-two dose of center-like players that can create matchup problems for other teams, especially knowing that Indiana can just as easily swap one out and play a three or four-guard lineup it sometimes did last season.
Bielfeldt also pointed out he and Bryant both feel comfortable stepping out and taking a mid-range jumper, stretching the floor more than some conventional big men. Their ability to do that negates the disadvantage of not always having an extra guard on the floor.
"If you have a big, you have to respect them out there," Bielfeldt said. "That's why Wisconsin was so hard to guard last year, because they had those guys who could stretch the floor. It puts pressure on the defense…Having the ability to stretch the floor, this entire team can shoot, having that ability is special."
As Crean and players took time to note, one exhibition in November isn't necessarily telling of things to come. But it did show the potential Indiana's big men have playing alongside each other.
Will it be used more often? Crean said he doesn't know yet.
That could be his advantage.
"All the forwards are going to have to play," Crean said. "There's going to be nights it's going to be very matchup-oriented. Predictions on lineups will be just that, predictions."
Up Next: Indiana will return to action at Assembly Hall on Monday for a 7 p.m. matchup with Bellarmine. Crean praised the Division II power when he briefly touched on them earlier this week. He said he expects another challenge just like the Hoosiers received from Ottawa. Coincidentally, Indiana senior forward Ryan Burton played two seasons for Bellarmine before transferring to Indiana.
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