2015 IU season in review: Nick Zeisloft
Indiana's season is complete. It's time to take stock of the winter that was, what we learned about the Hoosiers, and what's to come.
In that spirit, we'll go player by player down the roster, highlighting best moments, analyzing future development and figuring out where everyone fits.
Today, we examine the impact of Nick Zeisloft.
THE RUNDOWN
At a basic level, Zeisloft was exactly what Indiana needed him to be this season.
He started a handful of games but played mostly from the bench, hitting 45 percent of his 3-pointers. He was one of the most efficient offensive players on his team, because of that shooting success, and he finished with a KenPom offensive rating of 139.1, the highest of his career and one of the highest in the nation. Zeisloft shot better than 51 percent from behind the arc in Big Ten games.
Off the court, he appeared to be the vocal veteran Indiana needed in what was often a young huddle. Zeisloft's frequent stops in front of the media suggested he was one of the program's preferred spokesmen, notable for a player who only became a Hoosier officially in late July.
THE GOOD
This is borne out in the numbers. Zeisloft was the spot-up shooter Indiana needed to put next to its stable of talented, creative guards -- Yogi Ferrell first and foremost -- and by all accounts good for the locker room.
He was also prone to impressive hot streaks, at one point in Big Ten play shooting 19-of-31 from behind the 3-point line over a stretch of six games.
This might also seem like backhanded praise, but Zeisloft embraced his role offensively all season. Of his 158 field goal attempts last season, only 18 came from within the 3-point line. The Illinois State transfer never tried to be something he was not.
THE BAD
It will be interesting to see if Zeisloft's role changes much in his final season, especially if Yogi Ferrell departs for professional opportunities.
Zeisloft certainly isn't a point guard, but Indiana will be thinner in its backcourt next season, with or without Ferrell, and a fifth-year player should be able to pick up some slack in that situation.
Irrespective of how deep Indiana goes at his position next season, it will need to be much better defending along the perimeter. Thomas Bryant's imminent arrival should raise Indiana's overall defensive level, but expecting him to, by himself, turn around a defensive unit that was at times disastrously vulnerable is foolhardy.
Again, a player of Zeisloft's experience should be at the forefront of any such improvement.
He was also streaky this winter. After that 19-of-31 stretch, for example, Zeisloft finished IU's last three games of the season 2-of-9. That could use stamping out.
FINAL WORD
One of the built-in advantages of taking Zeisloft as a transfer was that he had two seasons of eligibility left. He wasn't a one-year rental.
Now, Indiana adds the big man that makes every guard's life a little bit easier. Bryant might not be quite as good of a passer right now as Cody Zeller at the same age, but he's still the kind of low-post presence Indiana can funnel play through, whether for his own offense or to move the ball back out and around to an open shooter -- like Zeisloft.
Will Tom Crean ask Zeisloft to be a much different player from this season? That's hard to tell. His impact, particularly on offense, was pitch-perfect.
Like several teammates, he can improve defensively. But Zeisloft's greatest strength should remain his first priority. He's a potent shooter on a team that needs one.
Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.
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