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Respect and trust are capital that are earned and can be squandered.

That is certainly a take. The problem isn’t us, we are the rubes who still spend outrageous amounts of money on a program that’s been mostly .500 in the B1G for half of my lifetime. If you’re saying the standards are too high, that’s almost something I can agree with. I’m not what I would consider old or young, but I’m nearly forty and I wasn’t alive when all those guys played for IU and hung banners. I know them in the abstract as legends, I know them in reality as failed NBA coaches or front office. Or in Isaiah’s case a guy who MJ disliked so much he wasn’t on the dream team which was coached by his former head coach. That kind of thing doesn’t happen in a vacuum either. People don’t get blind respect from me. Past actions do not allow for blanket support in the face of detrimental program decisions. And CMW and QB are clearly making decisions at the detriment of IU basketball— the program is more important to me than the feelings or status of people that played there in the past. And right now? Those two are bigger than the program. Decisions aren’t being made for winning basketball, they’re being made to allow for as another poster stated— a vanity project. And that deserves all the criticism they get.

Agree! Is there really still anything that qualifies as NCAA rules ‘baggage’ anymore? UNC - fake classes for 20 years -lawyered up, zero penalty. Dean and Roy HOF coaches lauded by everyone. Nike has been kicking them EYBL players and related $$$ since the club league existed. KU - payed top $$$ for talent, for like ever — completely exposed and in cahoots w/triple stripe, lawyered up won. Assistant pays a fine, or went to jail. Where has triple stripe been landing us some dudes if we’re one of their best? ok don’t answer, but it certainly wasn’t close to what they did for KU). KU literally then sued adidas for ‘tampering’ and a month latter adidas re-signed them w/ over $100M contract. lol! Multiple sexual assault charges in the bball dorm, multiple yrs - swept under the rug. Self = HOF and lauded as one of the greatest. MSU - Izzo buried a bunch of sexual assault/rape charges - certainly was competitive in the pre-NIL $$. Lauded as Mr. March and the best in the Big. Future HOF. Duke - systemically best institutional hidden under the table pay for play school in history (ok UK and KU arguably right there). K - viewed as Mr. clean, lauded as best coach ever. Alabama - Brandon Miller was textbook definition of accessory to MURDER ffs!! Teammate texted him along the lines of ‘things are getting hot, bring me my joint, there’s one in the chamber’. He drove the gun to the scene where his teammate grabbed it and killed a young mom. Tuscaloosa PD gave him a pass - no charges — Nate Oats didn’t sit him a single game..explained it as ‘wrong place, wrong time’. miller 2nd pick in draft, Oats viewed as one of the top 5 coaches in the country. Could fill 1000 pages with sooo many other examples. The real NCAA rules are aggressively fight any charges, privately, publicly and all around - run out the clock and or create enough pressure to for them to give up..or in the worst case take a penalty - typically only pulling coach for a cupcake game or two. Do I like, or even respect this? Absolutely not! But, it’s the pragmatics of being successful in college (really professional) sports. Pearl had an unauthorized bbq, and had the rifleman mildly involved in the fbi scandal I think. Child’s play. He’s not my #1, but he’s pretty good and I’d take almost anything over having to suffer through Woody’s system, attitude , ineptitude and excuses for another year watching the program further burn. Also realize the chance a change is made is negligible. Oh yeah - fire Mike Woodson.

Good basketball players don’t necessarily make good coaches or good program managers. These guys are destroying their legacy by sticking around too long.

We can respect what they did as players at IU while being honest about what they've done since. Buckner was the point guard on an undefeated team, even all defense in the NBA. He was a horrible coach that got fired after just one year and is putting his friend over the good of the program. Woodson was a great player at IU and NBA journeyman. Not a particularly good coach though and despite how the NBA recycles coaches after the Knicks fired him (after just 3 years) no one gave him another HC gig and was out of coaching completely for a couple years. He should've never been in consideration as IU coach. He's either got a huge ego or knows his friend is protecting him, or some combination of both. Thomas was a great college player and NBA all star. He was an awful coach and horrible executive that drove the CBA into the ground. For students today and many fans the players you're thinking of exist only in pictures and known in abstract as program legends. Their accomplishments as IU players were over 40 years ago. I respect what Woodson did as a player, it's part of why I didn't want him (aside from being a lousy coach) because it was probably going to be an ugly split. As a coach he needs to go; not next year or whenever, he should've been gone already. Edit: and I'm about sick and tired of people saying maybe the fans are the problem or that our expectations are too high. The fans are about the only thing keeping this program somewhat relevant; holding expectations and demanding they be met is how we get back, not by making excuses and lowing standards. Tom Crean basically said just recently the fans are fine but the administration is toxic.

We should probably just hire James Madison coach and make it two from that university. I really like their style.

This infuriates me. Why, just why, can't we have an administration with some damn balls? Mike Woodson never deserved this job. I don't care what Archie Miller was given or what the optics are if we fire him now. Archie at least coached in the college arena with some success. All the coaches we could get are going to go elsewhere leaving IU even further behind. All in the name of optics. I'd argue the optics are worse if we keep Mike Woodson. Why can the admin not see this? If the inbreds in Lexington can figure it out, we can too.

Yes. Buckner was great in 1972-76. Woodson was pretty good in 1976-80. But neither of them have done anything worthy of respect relative to Indiana University and the IU men's basketball program since they left school. Buckner forced Woodson on this program as coach three years ago because Woodson's panties were in a wad when IU hired Archie Miller as coach. Miller was an up-and-coming mid-major coach who was hired over the absolutely unqualified Woodson. I've been watching IU basketball since 1973. I've seen the good and I've seen the bad. Where we are now is the worst that it has been. We're saddled with an unept, unqualified and lazy man in the coach's seat. For God's sake, he had to be told by Scott Dolson to go watch a top "recruit" play in his sectional game. He has ZERO recruits signed for 2024 and beyond. I don't need to be told who I should respect. These two (Buckner and Woodson) are working hard to trash what little good will and legacy they have left with the shenanigans that are going on at Indiana today. Mike Woodson has not done his job despite what he will tell you. And Buckner is protecting and enabling him while causing the Indiana men's basketball program to spiral downwards and out of control. You are entitled to your option, as am I. I just happen to not agree with your assessment.

UK is serious. IU is letting pure nepotism be the deciding factor.

Yeah ok but you’re only looking at these players when they were players. Buckner is one of the worst head coaches percentage wise ever. Some say he’s not very good commentator with the Pacers. He’s lived off his name which is ok. Isiah was a horrible GM, President in the NBA, I think he ran the CBA into the ground. Also remember he coached at FAU which he didn’t have near the success as Dusty. We just need an administration to actually interview a few coaches to decide who the best candidates are and overpay for someone. But quit getting guys who think their great without proving they are before hand

247 reports its sources indicate Jakai Newton staying at IU. Good news - 1 less spot we have to shop for in the portal. Bad news - we have no idea how much he'll be able to contribute. If he can be even 90% of what he was in high school, we got ourselves a ballplayer.

—. My wife after my longest session

Uhh, we already do.

Rick Bozich coming in hot.

Woodson should be fired, he created this mess. He never even should've been considered much less hired, but he's safe because IU is more concerned with optics of looking mean or protecting him then doing what's right. Unless next season is a repeat of this one, or the bottom completely falls out, he won't be fired then either. If IU was serious we'd be looking for a new coach right now. You damage a program by keeping bad coaches too long, and IU keeps doing exactly that.

They were IU players decades before I was born. To me? Thomas, Buckner, Woodson, etc. are guys actively ruining the college basketball program I care about. That’s all I know them as. Their legacies as players long before my time doesn’t shield them from criticism for the harm they’re causing in the present day.

To be fair, give UK fans a match and teach them how to light it and they’d burn their own house to the ground.

IU did that themselves when they hired Woodson.

Everyone is entitled to their wrong opinions.

I keep seeing people say this about IU luring him away, but I don’t see it. Maybe it is too big of a risk now like people are saying, but I think he’s gonna crush it at UofL, where when things are rolling, they can print money. If he succeeds, I don’t think he’ll leave. Anyone banking on him walking to IU later just isn’t realistic. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Wisconsin and Nebraska both took a dump today. Seeing Big Ten teams get punked in the tourney is one of my guilty pleasures.

I hope Dusty makes Indiana look stupid. Not hard to do. Usually take care of that on their own. I DO NOT want to lose the passion I have had for this program for 40 years but they are suckin it out of me fast!

Glad it’s not OSU or UM. And Louisville will be a nice gig for him. If will be easy for him to look way better than Payne. Pressure won’t be as high out of the gate. Sent from my iPad using BtownBanners mobile app

10:55pm on Friday night and I say fire his @$$!

I’m 52, indoctrinated into IU immediately. I watched the women play as usual today, was cheering and having fun. It occurred to me that the times I’ve been like this for the men have been very few and far between. I’m one of the super sunshine pumpers, and can’t wait until Woodson is gone. But, I’ll also cheer for the players to win/advance. Confusing times for an old guy! **my normal dispensary was closed and I bought something different. Apologies in advance for further content….

And I know everyone has been wondering- did my daughter get a car??? After a couple of not wonderful visits, my wife and i decided to let her take over payments on wife’s car, and we’ll get a newer one

Watching Kansas get punked puts a smile on my face

Steph Scalia

I’m gonna miss Sara

How does a 4-seed draw a ranked team? It’s that time of year where I start watching IUWBB and I won’t stand for this.

Must be nice to have an administration that wants to win and is supportive of its AD.

Give UK our last 25 years and those fans would burn the campus to the ground. Short of a repeat of this year, or worse, Woodson will get more than one more year. They won't have the black eye of firing a program legend, no matter how lousy he is as a coach.

Seen Kentucky fans arguing on Twitter about keeping Calipari or not. Some say anybody can win at Kentucky. Others point out Gillespie couldn't and reference the fact from 99-until 2011 they didn't make a final four.... A 12 year stretch? Practically double that and I wonder how they'd be feeling. I'm resigned to the fact he's getting another year but man the unserious nature of our program is deflating when you're watching March Madness without the Hoosiers mens team. Love rooting for our ladies though. Since he's here I'm hoping we "hit a grand slam" (eye roll) in the portal and they surprise me next year. That said, fire / retire Mike Woodson. Good grief.

Question for you: if these legends deserve the praise, they can also receive the scorn if their interests are not in the well being of the program, but rather their own interests. Just because players accomplished a lot as players, doesn’t mean they are in bubble wrap as administrators and coaches because of what they did 50 years ago. You discuss standards. Shouldn’t we have standards of excellence? Should we not expect that from the stewards of this program? Or rather we keep our hands behind our back and our mouths shut because of deference?? If it really were about the name on the front instead of the back, we wouldn’t be here today because decision makers are ACTUALLY looking at the name on the back instead of the front. I ask you think about that while we move forward.

Lopes Up, babeee!

I think if we’re in this position next season I would take a look at Bryce Drew. He recruited well at Vandy, plus has our NIL

I'd have a lot more respect if he gave the impression that he was pulling out all the stops to make this program elite again. Maybe he's a different guy behind the scenes, but I have little reason to believe that based on his comments and results. The NBA made him laid-back and lazy. He settles. Like a lot of people his age, he's in retirement mode.

Having watched IU all year and now watching Houston, the size of the canyon that is the difference between the 2 teams is so vast that it's embarrassing. None of their players have the look of "lacking confidence" on their faces and they're all nearly built like grown men. But hey, we grow basketball here?

If Nebr@sska could only play IU every game, they would have it made!

Pearl has more energy to him than Woodson does even if he is in his 60s. If he does what we think he did then he'd stabilize the program and get back to the tournament regularly and leave it more attractive to younger coaches when he retires. After our last 25 years I'd rather have 7 or so of a guy that's won everywhere then risk a guy that could be here 30 or need fired in 3.

But right now, we are a mediocre school. If you bring in Pearl and he does what we all assume he would, then we would be back to a blue blood top 25 school. That changes everything when transitioning to a new coach. Momentum. Which would be more appealing for recruits and portal players? A) Mediocre school w/ risky MM coach B) Rolling top 25 w/ risky MM coach Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tominaga hits a 3, then does the grabbing-the-head gesture going downcourt. Dude -- you're losing by 14 points. You'd better have about nine more of those!

I worry more about our administration baggage more than any ncaa baggage he may have.

Edey gets a foul called on him and glares at the ref like "hey, that's not allowed"

That with or without the media timeout?

Well, as many of us thought, no matter the conference -- 31-1 is nothing to sneeze at. This team is pretty doggone good.

And if our 6 mil Nil is accurate and Louisville 3.5 mil that’s gotta put us as a top 5 spender cuz Louisville don’t play Sent from my iPad using BtownBanners mobile app

Miller coached at a school you could win at not FAU. That’s the difference. Dusty is not Archie. We’re about to see At Louisville