Deepak is a writer for the Big Ten microsite of Rush The Court. Follow him on Twitter for more about B1G hoops at @dee_b1g.
During Sunday’s 75-70 victory against Michigan State, Victor Oladipo stripped the ball from Spartans’ point guard Keith Appling on the very first play after the tip-off to finish with a thunderous slam on the other end. That specific play shows Oladipo’s versatility and intensity during a big game, and when he is clicking on all cylinders, the Hoosiers may be nearly unbeatable. Cody Zeller is Indiana’s best offensive player and there are very few teams that can slow him down, but Oladipo is the engine that takes the Hoosiers to the next level because of his excellent defense and quickness in transition.
The junior wing arguably has the quickest hands in the country and is one of the best on-ball defenders this side of Aaron Craft. Appling had a rough game in Bloomington by scoring just three points in 19 minutes; he was frustrated with Oladipo’s stifling defense from the tip and never got into a rhythm after picking up two quick fouls. If averaging 2.3 steals per game is not impressive enough, what sets Oladipo’s defense apart is how he creates chaos during the biggest games. He stole the ball six times against Michigan State yesterday and picked up three steals against Minnesota two weeks ago while also causing the Gophers’ Andre Hollins to turn the ball over five times in their loss at IU. Big Ten guards may still get their points but they are forced to earn every one of them when playing the Hoosiers, thanks to the defensive mastery of Oladipo.
In addition to his defense, the 6’5″ wing is lightning quick in transition and can lead a fast break with anyone. Whether as a result of an interception or an outlet pass from Zeller, Oladipo is off to the races as he usually takes it straight to the basket or kicks the ball out to the corner for a wide open three from Will Sheehey or Christian Watford. The Hoosiers have averaged 66 possessions per game during conference play and the two teams that slowed them down are Wisconsin and Northwestern. The Badgers cut out Oladipo’s transition game (he had 10 points) and Northwestern’s 1-3-1 zone forced the Hoosiers to slow down their pace. Except for those two games, the Hoosiers prefer to push the ball in transition and Oladipo usually leads the charge. Even during their half-court sets, unless the opposition is playing a zone defense, Oladipo uses his size (215 lbs) and first step to get to the basket very effectively. MSU’s Travis Trice couldn’t slow down Oladipo either as he filled in for Appling during most of the game. The Hoosier wing stuffed the stat sheet by scoring 21 points, pulling down seven rebounds and stealing the ball six times.
Because of his ability to push the tempo which in turn creates open looks from beyond the arc, Oladipo may mean more to the Indiana offense than Zeller. The All-American center only scored nine points and shot just 2-of-7 from the field because he was draped by Spartan forwards Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne throughout the game. When the Hoosiers tried to run the weave with Zeller in the high post, Payne was quick enough to prevent him from going to the hoop and Nix wouldn’t let Zeller back him down. Despite Zeller’s offensive woes, the Hoosiers still scored 75 points against a stingy Michigan State team because Oladipo was allowed to push the ball in transition. There are very few guards in the Big Ten who can get back on defense quickly enough to prevent him from racing towards the basket. Bo Ryan’s Badgers had some success with its strategy but it was mainly because they slowed down the overall pace of the game to a crawl. The Badgers let Zeller get his points instead, and it was a winning strategy because the Hoosiers lost at home. Even though Big Ten coaches want to limit Zeller’s offensive production, the key to containing the explosive IU offense may be to slow down Oladipo.
Oladipo did not make the mid-season list for the Wooden Award but his contributions to the Hoosiers are just as valuable as Zeller’s at this point. Even though he is a strong candidate for defensive player of the year in the Big Ten, he also impacts the game on the offensive end as shown during the Hoosiers’ big win on Sunday.