Indiana Basketball: 5 keys for a successful 2018-19 season

Create offense with defense

Scoring in transition is a vital part of garnering momentum in basketball. Specifically, even though counting stats are not always indicative of successful defense, they can be a good indicator. In regards to Indiana’s 2018 campaign, the team struggled to generate blocks and steals, which can both lead to fastbreak opportunities. In fact, the Hoosiers’ rankings in block rate (10.6, 278th) and steal rate (9.5, 273rd) both ranked well below the national average.

This is why, as we head into this season, three returning players project as extremely important on the defensive end of the floor. In the frontcourt, both Juwan Morgan (1.2 steals, 1.4 blocks) and De’Ron Davis (1.5 blocks) will play vital roles in protecting the rim and creating transition opportunities. Additionally, Zach McRoberts is one of the most underrated players in the country. An elite defender, McRoberts averaged 1.3 steals last season despite playing just 21.9 minutes per game.

Furthermore, creating offense with defense is even more important this year considering the potential of the newcomers on the roster. In short, the playing styles of elite scorer Romeo Langford and top-notch shooter Damezi Anderson should yield elite transition offense.