My Brief Thoughts on Indiana’s Loss and Should Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller Turn Pro?

Pictured: Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo. Photo courtesy of thestarpress.com

I apologize for not writing an article on my thoughts after Indiana lost to Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen last Thursday. To be honest, the fan in me came out and I was mad.

I didn’t want to think about the game for a few days and now that I have my thoughts can be summed up in the next paragraph.

Indiana blew a golden opportunity to hang a sixth banner because they were soft. I saw no toughness from the majority of the players. Maybe Crean’s gameplan wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t his fault this time. It’s not his fault when the backcourt of Yogi Ferrell and Jordan Hulls is outscored 38-0. I thought there were times where the Hoosiers got the ball in the right spots, but there was very little execution after that point. And it all comes back to toughness. There was none. This game was lost because Indiana went soft in the biggest game of the year on the biggest stage. You can’t win on talent alone. Team’s that are tough are the most successful.

Now, in fairness, it was a good season (I refrain from saying great because, well, it wasn’t). But, now the attention turns to the offseason and two decisions that will greatly affect Indiana next season:

Should Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller turn pro?

Victor Oladipo:
This one is really a no-brainer. Sorry to any fans who are trying to talk themselves into believing Oladipo will return for his senior season and to finish what has been started, but not only will he not, he should not.

Oladipo has gone from a relative unknown his first two years in college to a standout All-American candidate that overshadowed who many had tabbed as the preseason player of the year, his own teammate, Zeller.

Sporting News named him their National Player of the Year, he was a unanimous first-team all-Big Ten selection and the Big Ten’s Defensive Player.

Not that accolades mean everything, but that is impressive for a three star recruit no one knew about.

He will be a surefire lottery pick now, and while he would certainly improve if he came back to school, he won’t improve his draft stock coming back to school, especially with a loaded 2013 class.

And that’s the ultimate question: will a player improve their draft stock if they return?

The scouts love his defensive ability and upside. He improved immensely as a shooter and is a good enough ball handler already. He moves well without the ball, and, perhaps most importantly, can impact the game without scoring or touching the ball, something coaches love.

He won’t be a top 3 pick, but, as I said earlier, he won’t be if he comes back either. He may also luck out and be drafted by a team like Minnesota, where the future is bright and he won’t be dragged down by an inept front office incapable of providing a winning atmosphere for Oladipo to succeed (aka Charlotte, Washington).

Victor is going pro and he should. Don’t think otherwise, Indiana fans.

Cody Zeller:
Zeller’s situation is much different from Oladipo’s. He came into the season as a preseason player of the year and, quite frankly, didn’t live up to expectations.

That’s not to say he didn’t have a good year, he did. And he was a vital part to Indiana’s success, but his stock dropped from being a potential first overall pick to a likely lottery pick, perhaps even a top-10 pick.

At this point, Zeller is a very skilled offensive player that plays hard, runs the floor as well as any big man you will see and moves his feet well defensively. He also has a high basketball IQ.

However, he also has his faults. He isn’t long (a “skill” front offices and coaches love), he’s an average rebounder, not a shot-blocking threat and, for whatever reason (not sure if it’s Zeller or Crean’s fault), he has shown a shocking stubbornness to shoot a 15-foot shot. Having personally watched Cody practice, he is a skilled shooter, even showing the capability to shoot a 3-pointer (he won Indiana’s 3-point shooting contest at Indiana’s Hoosier Hysteria preseason event). So at least he has that in his arsenal, he just needs to show it.

The bottom line with Zeller is he is a great college player and, while I personally would not want to draft him, scouts still agree he is lottery pick.

At this point, Zeller may be doing himself more harm than good if he returns. It was noticeable as the season progressed where his weak points are and teams draft on potential. Often times, the longer a player stays, the more he hurts his draft stock because teams stop seeing the potential they initially saw.

This looks to be the case with Zeller and that is why he should go pro now.

I’m not sure if he will, part of me believes he will return.

But he should, because he could be risking millions by not.

follow me on twitter: @samtdevoe