BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- All it took were three possessions to see this wasn't the same Jeff Newton, and that just maybe replacing Jared Jeffries wouldn't be as impossible for the Indiana Hoosiers as most folks believed.

Newton took a drive to the left, stopped and pulled up for a jumper at the top of the circle. Three times his 'J' was money -- just like J.J.

"He looked like an all-American today, taking guys to the hole, jumping up and hitting shots," Indiana teammate Kyle Hornsby said Wednesday of the 6-foot-9 senior forward. "J.J. was an incredible player, but Newton might be the best guy in the country to (try to replace him)."

	Jeff Newton has the opportunity to be the "man" for Indiana this season.

When looking at players who either graduated or left school early for the NBA, Jeffries will be one of the five toughest to replace this season. He was a consensus second-team all-American, averaged 15 points, 7.6 rebounds and led the Hoosiers to a share of the Big Ten title as the conference's player of the year. He was the reason Indiana reached the Final Four, and despite his tough two nights in Atlanta, the Hoosiers ended up just a little bit away from winning it all. Then, as expected, he left after his sophomore season, becoming the 11th pick in the NBA draft.

"Nobody can replace J.J., but Jeff can bring up the slack, handle the ball and score," said freshman guard Bracey Wright. "He's really coming into his own."

So, where has Newton's game been before this year? Untapped. Newton showed the nation during Indiana's national semifinal win over Oklahoma (19 points) that he had improved in practice during the season. He had the defensive numbers (70 blocks) but he never pushed his offensive game the past two seasons. How could he? He was playing behind Kirk Haston in 2000-01, averaging 6.1 points a game, and then was a clear subordinate to Jeffries while averaging 8.1 points last year.

"He played with Haston when he was the man. He played with Jeffries when he was the man. Now I'm going to give him the basketball every chance I can," Indiana coach Mike Davis said. "He creates havoc. You watch, he'll be one of the best players in the Big Ten. You saw this against Oklahoma, but this is him, what you're seeing now. He's an NBA player. Mark my words. He's just our next guy."

Newton certainly looked like a prototypical NBA small forward in practice recently. He handled the ball like a guard, pulling up from the perimeter and even showing spinning post moves. Davis said his NBA system, which takes advantages of mismatches and emphasis small forwards handling the basketball, is perfect for Newton. He said the spacing in the offense creates room for players such as Haston, Jeffries and now Newton to drive, shoot and post.

But the concern, as teammate Tom Coverdale said of Newton, was that he didn't always show up last season for games. Well, he was there, but his mind floated a bit.

"I had these moves but I didn't get enough repetitions," Newton said. "I had that drive to the left and pull-up, but I didn't work on it as much as I did this summer. I worked on that and my ball-handling all summer. It's nice to see it all pay off."

Newton had never worked on his game exclusively until this summer. The Oklahoma game gave him the impetus to put in the effort. And Davis' confidence that he'll be the "man" in the offense pushed him even more. While the Hoosiers will need production from guards Wright, Hornsby and Coverdale, too, Newton's sudden perimeter prowess is proving that Jeffries will not be missed in Bloomington.

If Jeffries is one of the five toughest to replace, then who are the other four?

	Dan Dickau

Dan Dickau, Gonzaga: The onus is on guard Blake Stepp to not only pick up the production on the perimeter, but also be the late-game, go-to scorer. The Zags will lean heavily on their inside game, but they still need someone who can step back and make the deep 3-ball. The pressure to deliever is on Stepp, who is healthy for the first time in his career. His teammates are looking to him to take the late shot, and Stepp has to make a few to keep their confidence. He's not as outspoken as Dickau, but if he can light up teams in the WCC his voice won't matter as much as his jumper.

	Jay Williams

Jay Williams, Duke: Last season's national player of the year gave the Blue Devils assurance they would always have a chance. Two years ago he brought the Blue Devils back from 10 down against Maryland with a minute left in regulation. He could get his own shot, make 3s, get to the hole or create shots for players on the wing. The easy answer when it comes to replacing Williams is point guard Chris Duhon. But Duhon is more of a system point. Instead, sophomore Daniel Ewing will likely replace Williams' attacking mentality. Ewing went to the basket more when the team was in London in early October. He looked for his shot and wasn't afraid to dish it off, either. Ewing, not Duhon, is more likely to be Duke's leading scorer. As for its leader? Don't be surprised if it's senior Dahntay Jones.

	Steve Logan

Steve Logan, Cincinnati: Logan was Mr. Everything to the Bearcats. He wasn't afraid to take the late shots, the shot in the flow of the offense, or make a play to jump-start the team. The Bearcats leaned more on Logan than any other player. Cincinnati could go with Leonard Stokes as its most likely candidate to lead them in scoring. But Stokes hasn't shown he's a go-to player. The player with the kind of moxie that Logan showed might be JC transfer Tony Bobbitt. He was supposed to start his career two years ago at Florida State but never got eligible. Logan had that charisma that defined Cincinnati. Bobbitt has only two years to get it down, but he'll be pushed to grasp the Bearcat mentality quickly.

	Juan Dixon

Juan Dixon, Maryland: Dixon was the team's best defender, on the ball or off. He gave the Terps a scoring lift and loved to take the ball to the hole. But it was his defense that defined his and Maryland's game en route to the national title. Drew Nicholas might take Dixon's spot in the starting lineup, but he doesn't have Dixon's driven mentality on 'D.' Steve Blake does. He locked up Duke's Williams whenever he drew him. His defense won't be that much different, but he'll be asked to be even more vocal, even more of a leader. Blake will probably draw the team's best perimeter scorer, something that Dixon did last season. If he can do that and add a few more points to his game, then he can help fill in what Dixon gave the Terps.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.