Saturday, January 17, 2009

When will it pay off?

As I watch the IU-Penn State game, I keep hearing a lot about effort.

"Nobody will work as hard as (Coach Tom Crean's) Hoosier team," the analyst says.

At some point, shouldn't we expect something from all that effort? When will the Hoosiers finally get a break? When will the other team not make a 3-pointer on every possession in the first half? When will the Hoosiers get a win as some tangible evidence for all this effort I hear so much about?

The Hoosiers have lost seven straight games. Most of those losses have been ugly and painful. IU is last in the Big Ten in field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage and scoring average. The team is ninth in free throws made and last in three pointers made, a full 15 shots by 10th place Michigan State.

The team does play hard and I appreciate it. Maybe I'm a little frustrated with the Hoosier mistakes, with how opponents always seem to play like national champions.

I just hope they can put it all together sometime this season. I'm already sick of the analyst talk as the Hoosiers fall farther behind:

"You better get your shots in now," they say. "This team will be back."

Update: The Hoosiers hung tough and had a chance to win, but ultimately lost to Penn State 65-55.