By Frank Therber

Listen to “The Red Zone Radio Show” Tuesday nights at 6pm on WIUX

Excitement, or craze, is a viable word to describe the last two days as it relates to the IU basketball program.

T-shirt giveaway in Dunn Meadow Thursday afternoon? Check.

A packed Kilroy’s on Kirkwood with conversation centralizing solely around the big man with Happy Hour beginning around 5? Check.

“Cod-y Zell-er” chants from tip to horn in Assembly Hall Friday evening? Check.

Really, about the only thing missing from this party was a rock band and..well..let’ not go there.

A day after Washington High School senior and blue chip recruit Cody Zeller committed to IU, the Hoosiers began their season with a relatively easy 88-60 win over Florida Gulf Coast.

“In the second half when it could have gone either way and we could have been a mature team or an immature team, we were a mature team,” Crean said after the game. “Our turnovers have to get better. We’re still committing too many unforced turnovers.”

Outrebounded by Ferris State on Monday night, IU (1-0, 0-0) showed visible signs of more physical play in the post Friday as they finished with a +11 advantage over the Eagles on the boards (0-1, 0-0).

“(Rebounding) is a huge part of how we recruit,” Crean said. “I want to get a team that’s consistently among the leaders in the nation in rebound margin. ”

Sophomore forward Christian Watford led all scorers with 24 points, with his presence being felt inside as well as on the perimeter. Watford contributed to IU shooting 52.6% from the field, compared to their 36.9% performance earlier this week.

“He’s going to be a really good player,” Crean said. “He’s got to pick his rebounding up. He’s playing through lulls, but we’re just scratching the surface with him.”

It seems that “Yogipalooza” may be eminent, as Park Tudor High School junior guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, who is a close friend and AAU teammate of Zeller, was in attendance. Crean and IU have been hot after the five star point guard from Indianapolis for some time now. Ferrell has been offered by Butler, Florida, Ilinois, Michgian, Notre Dame and Purdue, among others.

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Here’s what seemed most noticeable to me, other than the absence of the gorilla in the student section:

1.     Rebounding: Crean started Jordan Hulls, the team’s second leading offensive rebounder in practice, at the 4. The team fed off it and the Hoosiers collectively grabbed 41 rebounds, 17 of which were offensive.

2.     Christian Watford: The other star sophomore was able to go low and high. For IU to remain competitive against non-conference opponents like Kentucky the Big Ten season, Watford has to be a source of versatility and a rebounding machine, to which Crean alluded.

3.     Maturity: Something else to which Crean alluded. IU did not let the Eagles make the game close coming out of the gate at halftime. Instead, IU outscored Florida Gulf Coast 42-28 in the second 20 minutes.

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