Cody Zeller likes country music, Dirk Nowitzki

• Expectations high for Indiana's 7-footer, the third of three extremely tall and talented basketball-playing brothers
• Zeller averaged 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds a game in last season's Sweet 16 finish
• USA TODAY Sports caught up with Zeller, discussing everything from country music to his affection for Dirk Nowitzki.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Cody Zeller didn't do it by himself, but he played a critical part in the resurgence and return to relevancy of Indiana basketball last season.

Zeller averaged 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds a game while shooting 62.3% from the field. The Hoosiers reached the Sweet 16 — after they were predicted by news media to finish ninth in the conference.

Zeller, who is listed as a preseason All-American on every list that's come out so far, is expected to again carry the load for Indiana, which is ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports men's college basketball coaches poll.

High expectations surround this 7-footer. The third of three extremely tall and talented basketball-playing brothers.USA TODAY Sports' Nicole Auerbach caught up with Zeller, discussing everything from country music to his affection for Dirk Nowitzki.

On my iPod

I'm a country fan, so anything country. New country — I'm not a big fan of the older stuff. I like Kenny Chesney, Gary Allan, Toby Keith, all those guys.

Xbox or Playstation?

Xbox. I haven't played in a while. I haven't played in like two years. Not a big video game guy.

Favorite hobby besides basketball

Sleep is a really boring answer, but I do sleep a lot. Watch TV. I'm a big movie fan. I watch tons of movies.

DVD I can't live without

I like Wedding Crashers. That's one of my favorites. People always make fun of me because I like animated movies. All my friends tell me I'm like a 5-year-old in a 7-footer's body. Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc.

My 'welcome to Division I college basketball' moment

We played at N.C. State. I played pretty well that game but just how the big the guys were. Playing an away game. On ESPN. It was all of that stuff at once. I had played on ESPN before. I'd played against big guys, but not all together like that before. I thought I handled it pretty well.

Biggest surprise upon beginning my career

There weren't too many. My brothers both told me how the strength of the college game is so much different than high school. I think that was my biggest surprise. Everyone, especially in the Big Ten, is so big. I was a little surprised. I had to put on weight, but even at that I'm still a little undersized.

If I could change one rule in the game, it would be

I have played with international rules sometimes. I like when you can tip off the rim. I like it on offense, because if it's rolling around on the rim, you can just tip-dunk it in.

If you weren't a basketball player, what would you do?

I'd probably do something with business. Probably managing a business maybe. If I wasn't playing basketball, I'd probably play another sport. I'm a big college football fan. I don't know if I could play football. I'd just play when they're in the red zone; I just need someone to throw it up to me.

College players I admire

I'm going to take the easy way out and say my brothers, both of them.

NBA player I admire

Dirk Nowitzki. I like how he plays. He's not the most athletic guy, but he always finds a way to get it done. He's a big guy that can shoot. I just love how he has kind of revolutionized how some post players play because of how he shoots and some of the moves that he makes. He kind of brings the European game over here.

Best part about playing at Indiana?

I love playing in front of big crowds. We have one of the best student sections.

Six up, six down

1. Do you ever sit back and think about what you were able to accomplish last year and how big it was for the Indiana basketball program?

A little bit. We felt like we had the potential to go even further than the Sweet 16. I don't know if that's me — I'm never happy with just the Sweet 16 — but the fans and everyone on the outside were very happy with how the season went. I thought it was good overall, but I always find something we could have done better.

2. How does last season motivate you heading into this season?

We just got a taste of what the NCAA tournament is like. Got a couple of wins in the NCAA tournament, which is great, but it just kind of left us all wanting more. It definitely has been motivating for us.

3. There's a lot of talk about No.1 rankings — and preseason All-America lists for you. Do you feel the weight of the high expectations?

Not really. It's all outside pressure. The guys on our team and the coaching staff aren't putting all that pressure on me.

4. Your high school coach says your family, especially your brothers, has a lot to do with how well you handle that stuff. Would you agree?

I do think it had a lot to do with it. Even when my brothers, Luke and Ty, were in high school, they were already talking about when I would come up, even when I was in junior high. I've kind of been used to expectations. I just learned not to worry about them and just play my game.

5. What are your expectations for yourself this season?

I don't have any specific numbers or anything I want to put up. Obviously, we want to make a deep run into the tournament. Just go out and try to make a difference on every play. I really don't set specific goals.

6. Last season, you guys surprised some people. This season, opponents will expect you to be among the best in the country. Do you feel like Indiana will have a bull's-eye on its back?

Somewhat. We're very driven to get better, so that we can't be one-dimensional. The film that people are looking at from last year is going to be completely different from what we can do this year because of how much we've improved over the summer and different aspects we've added to our game. It's very motivating. You can't be content with where you're at.