Zeller vs. Hammons II: The Collision in Bloomington

Cliff February 15, 2013 0

By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor

If I’m an NBA scout, I’m foaming at the mouth to watch Zeller vs. Hammons II.

The first matchup between the 7-footers was awesome, and was one of the few compelling things about Indiana’s 97-60 win over Purdue on Jan. 30. Within a complete massacre was one of the most awesome one-on-one matchups I’ve seen in years. Both have elevated their overall games since the matchup.

So yes, I gave the rematch a title befitting a boxing match. Maybe we can call this the Collision in Bloomington?

40- Zeller lay in over Fromm — Cody Zeller goes up against Butler.

In the first matchup, Zeller had 19 points and 11 rebounds on his way to being named Big Ten player of the week. His ability to get Hammons into foul trouble dictated the early part of the game. Purdue’s Hammons finished with 30 points, five rebounds and five blocks — mostly against Zeller — on his way to being named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Indiana won the war, but Hammons won the battle. (Here is the breakdown of the previous Zeller-Hammons matchup).

With Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel injured, Zeller could well be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Draft XPress’ 2013 mock draft has Zeller going No. 4 overall and NBADraft.net has Zeller going No. 2.

NBADraft.net has Hammons going ninth overall in 2014, and he figures to climb onto more mock draft boards if he has another big night against Zeller.

There’s a lot to watch here.

If I’m an executive interested in Zeller, I’m concerned about the fact that Hammons bulldozed him for 30 points in 28 minutes. But I’d also see Saturday’s game as an opportunity to learn more about who Zeller is. Will Zeller toughen up? Will he more effectively use his speed to offset Hammons’ size? Can he use his smarts to get Hammons into foul trouble again? Can he at least match up with Hammons if Hammons isn’t in foul trouble? Can he take advantage of Hammons’ tendency to keep his hands down as a defender when he’s not defending the low block? Can he take advantage of Hammons’ tendency to put the ball on the floor too much?

To sum it up, did he learn anything from the last meeting? My gut says he did. Zeller is a fierce competitor and he’s a pretty sharp guy. Hammons might be in for a long night.

It should also be noted that Zeller is averaging 18.3 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 67 percent from the field since the first Purdue game. Perhaps he already learned something.

After the first meeting, Indiana coach Tom Crean said he’d need to do something different defensively against Hammons. If I’m an NBA scout, I don’t want Zeller to get too much help. I want to see if he can handle this himself. Christian Watford probably will help some, but I’d rather he didn’t.

Hammons probably made himself some money and moved up in the eyes of scouts with his last performance against Zeller. Perhaps the best thing about it all is that Hammons has been steady since then, too. He has averaged 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in four games since the matchup. He has shot 47 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free-throw line in those games, becoming Purdue’s most consistent player. He also has committed just four fouls in the four games combined after committing five against Indiana. So clearly, Hammons has improved and has not settled since his big night against Zeller.

If I’m scouting Hammons, I want to see if he can come close to the previous effort. I’m searching for consistency. I’m wondering if Hammons is the kind of guy who can stand up to a determined, talented player and deliver the goods. I’m wondering if he can rebound better than he did the last time — five rebounds is too low a total when you’re 280 pounds and mobile. I’m wondering if he can use the extra attention he’s going to get to help his teammates get quality shots. If IU plans to help against him, Purdue will have open shooters. NBA-caliber players take advantage of that.

I also wonder how Hammons will deal with the likelihood that Zeller will be more active this time around. I wouldn’t be surprised if Indiana tries to wear Hammons out.

I have a pretty good feeling on how this game will go, and that’s why I’m not focused on it. Indiana is No. 1 for a reason, and the Hoosiers don’t plan to lose at home against Purdue. The Hoosiers are on the way up while Purdue is trying to patch up a sinking ship.

But Hammons, if no one else, has millions of things to play for. And Zeller has his pride and reputation to play for. You know Zeller had to hear about what Hammons did to him last time, and it can’t be sitting well. That’s why this matchup is absolute must-see TV.