Victor Oladipo Shines In Indiana's Loss

        The Hoosier wing, Victor Oladipo, is emerging in his junior season, particularly displaying fantastic potential in Indiana's loss to Butler over the weekend. In 42 minutes of overtime-filled action, Oladipo led the team in scoring with 18 points, on 7-of-10 shooting, knocking down his 1 3-point attempt, but filled the stat sheet with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

        The 6'5" shooting guard made a name for himself in his first two seasons due to his tenacious defense, but his offensive game looks light years better than in years past. His scoring is up from 10.8 points to 13.2, while his shooting percentages have skyrocketed to a .658 overall mark (up from .471) and .313 from 3-point range (.208 in 2011-12). Not to mention, Oladipo often matches up with three or four different positions for Tom Crean's defensive alignment, anywhere from point guards to power forwards, showcasing his defensive talent and versatility with 1.0 block and 2.7 steals per contest.

        On the offensive end, Oladipo looks much more confident with his skills, especially putting the ball on the floor and finishing with power or finesse at the rim. Several times against Butler, he drove baseline and spun back to the middle of the paint and finished with his weak hand for critical buckets when the opponent took the lead.

        From a borderline second-round pick, scouts across the country from various NBA teams are now talking about the junior being a pick in the 20s if he comes out early.


By NBA-DRAFT.com Staff Writer - 12 -18 - 12