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Who’s upset? It’s a discussion not an argument. Leal does nothing to move the needle for me. He isn’t a high D1 player he’s shown that for 5 years now. I dot really care what analytics show defensively my eyes saw he was awful and couldn’t keep even decent athletes in front of him. Leadership? Who knows we aren’t there day to day but I do know it takes someone special to get ppl to follow when you’re not even close to the best. If we add him I don’t think the sky is falling I would rather just add Goode and a center. If leal is back and we are any good I don’t expect leal to play very much so if we can’t add a center then it doesn’t really matter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

THE King, gonna coach the Kings.....match made in heaven.

For a team with only 25 winning seasons out of 77 so right up his alley. *Credit to basketball-reference.com for the stats.

I didn’t get to watch a ton of games while he was at Montverde, mainly highlights but I did catch a few, so hard for me to give much insight but I’ll try…. The thing that sticks out most to his improvement is just how much more explosive and physical he played this year. He is so much stronger and quicker than he was at heritage hills. Some of the games and highlights he was going through ppl. The other thing that impressed me was just his body language. Trent is to let things affect his attitude alot when he was younger. Teams around here could frustrate him bang foul him and he would lose his head a little. I didn’t see much of that watching him at Montverde. Maybe that’s because in high school they put 4 guys on him and beat the crap out of him and while at Montverde it wasn’t like that. Who knows…..I still believe defensively is where he is going to need to improve the most. He really didn’t “have” to start playing it until this year against better guys. In junior high and high school he could be lazy or not guard because he was longer, bigger, just better than everyone….The one thing about Trent is he works his @$$ off. The thing he liked most about Montverde is he could workout 2-4 times per day on his game. The kid loves the game and has never been afraid to work. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He posts under the name RoadToZion

Lol you know he had to get a job within a few hours of Napa Valley aka wine country. Match made in heaven.

It’s very likely because Devries knows a whole bunch-o-stuff that we do not know.

Coaching wasn't even in Woodson's top three hobbies at IU.

Doubt it. We're experts here.

CTM to again coach the national U19 World Cup team this July! She coached the team to gold last summer.

Holmes a nice little pre season first game outing. In 21 minutes 4 for 5 fgs and a ft = 9 points and 8 rebounds. Good for MacKenzie Holmes.

Also 3 blocks.

All this pro-Leal propaganda makes me think I was wrong to delete my cranky post. The wisest posters here said to trust DeVries even when the portal got off to a slow start (according to Dolson’s own expectations). So I’m going to trust DeVries about the Leal situation, too, which may not even be a situation. But I will say again that a part of fan psychology I just don’t understand is endless anger at ex-coaches and endless sympathy for ex-players. If you dislike Woody, and I very much do, I don’t understand bending over backward to defend Leal. They were both part of several bad and weak teams! Leal was an adult who had a role in this mess. Now he’s an invaluable leader and glue guy? As @Home Jersey notes, defensive metrics are not always useful—even more true in sample sizes as small as Leal’s. I always thought he would make some good team defense plays (but often undermine them by then making a silly play with the ball). But he did not look like a great defender to me. And mostly because he can’t keep players in front of him, which is a bigger problem without a rim protector. It is absolutely wild to me that anyone would want Leal over literally any big, even one who won’t play this year but might play in two years. We all watched the same games, right?

Could be. Or it could be his asking price. Or maybe the kid can do the math on two upperclassmen 5’s signed in front of him and doesn’t see the minutes he wants. Seems like a logical recruit but if he’s looking for backup type mins next year, IU is likely not offering that.

Pretty much sums up Woodson's coaching tenure at Indiana...

This is crazy to me.

That’s basically what I was getting at. I’m fine with leal if it doesn’t come at loss to our roster. For me a loss would be bringing on leal and not getting C if available. He’s obviously better and more valuable than a walk on I just hope he isn’t logging huge minutes for us or I’m afraid it will be another rough year. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes I coached and worked with Trent through the grades. I think until he became a freshman then I got out of teaching and coaching for a better paying job Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I did not want Woodson back. BUT I didn't let it distract me from still cheering for IU. I attended every game with the exception of 2 which were missed for family events. Leal WONT be the X factor, anyone who believes that is fooling themselves. Rounding out the bench with scholarships nets more revenue sharing vs walk ons riding the bench. IF it means generating more revenue sharing opportunities for the university and having even further depth, you 100% bring him back and don't think twice. I don't believe he would play many minutes BUT would more than succeed at filling in if/when is name is called whenever coach need him

Indiana does...unfortunately the 2 best in this year´s class are going to UConn and Notre Dame

The biggest contribution Leal has to offer the team is his experience living life as an Indiana basketball player. We know that in and of itself is it's own unique challenge, and he could help navigate some of these guys coming from low/mid major environments on a completely overhauled roster. On court, what we've seen is what we'll get, but I wouln't think there's a plan for major minutes.

I think this thread has "Jumped the Shark"....

I wonder if the state of Indiana still annually produces some of the country's finest basketball players? Somehow, I don't think we do, or certainly not to the degree we once did. Consequently, talent will need to be recruited wherever it may be found. If it's here, great. If not, well...

I would’ve lost a lot of money on a “Will Mike Woodson ever work again” bet. I guess he feels well rested after his part-time job the past four years.

Gonna get a visit. Huge step for our new staff with the '26 class. https://247sports.com/college/indiana/article/indiana-basketball-recruiting-davion-adkins-the-no-1-ranked-center-in-the-2026-class-is-planing-to-visit-indiana-249656353/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKGIzRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFnMm5YclNWMUE0cjREUXRaAR4_6GffDnbppNlYfR58OA23QuVHrQ7dHIYAyuzNC2yPkWsyHkIpBZL5hUI3Ww_aem_JcPk7YZHcNQI0c1f-yE6nQ

Man, you just blew my mind!

Yea, I don’t get the dissatisfaction with playing time next year for Goode in particular. Also by most accounts we should’ve snuck into the tourney last year. Arguably if Woody stuck with the small ball lineup after Teneau that started Goode and played Leal more, we would’ve have. They are obviously both rotation players in the conference, and Goode in particular has proven he can be a rotation guy on a good team. Everybody has kind of set the bar for success at making the tourney next year. That is in no way unachievable if two proven B1G level rotation players come back. Ideally, the guys we brought in are better options but not guaranteed.

Pope gets a Langdon Hatton to call his very own.

If DDV didn’t want them on the team there would be NO discussion. Period! The end!

So many things and discussions none of us were privy too will lead to whether Leal or Goode are back. I am Switzerland on them. If they come back, fine. If they come back and play a lot, fine. If they come back and are critical to our success this year, great! If they don't come back, fine. I see no reason to think they will come back and distract the team from talk about the good ol days under Woody. I also have no idea if they will be better or worse under a new coach. Many have left IU/Woody and done well at their next destination. Some have not. Did Goode get irritated with Dakich and kind of say things that were annoying. Sure, have we in response to Dakich, yes. Did he and Leal say things about fans we disagreed with, sure. Were they loyal to the team and generally responsible/good stewards of IU, yes. Can I fault them for being more loyal to their coach than to us fans, no. Come back, don't come back, recruit boilers or wildcats or even illini. Just get us back to being a winning program that is relevant nationally on a consistent basis.

One thing to keep in mind with Goode and Leal's waivers: Goode played in two games that were beyond the regular season (one BTT and one NCAA tournament game). Leal played in one NCAA tournament game. So in terms of regular season games, Goode played in 8 and Leal played in 9. One of Leal's regular season games was in the Hoosier Tip-Off Classic, so it's possible that only 8 of his games counted if IU used the in season tournament exemption. In both cases I'll still state that their coaches should have kept them out of action during the second half of the season to preserve their year of eligibility and this would all have been moot. ------------ While I'm in the camp of preferring Goode and a big as opposed to Goode and Leal should they get waivers approved, at this point the pickings left on bigs are really slim.

yes You watched a lot of Davidson?

Grab Leal and a defensive 5/project 5 and I'm happy with the roster.

That’s correct, big fella’

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJQD9SEydKj/?igsh=cG15bjlzYmJrZGFq IU Ladies and the Holmes era just a normal play in a day at the office.

*Not me telling my mom now is the time to use her law degree*

I’m not sure honestly. He has grown tremendously in the last year from an athletic, quickness, and physical standpoint. He has a very nice skill set for a stretch 4 type of guy, especially one that will not be the vocal point of a scouting report. He will do a lot of the little things and does move without the ball well making reads, back cuts, and what not. I have my worries defensively and I didn’t get to watch many games at Montverde so that’s more from my perspective at heritage hills. Wasn’t that he was a bad defender but he didn’t “HAVE” to play it at heritage hills because he was just better than everyone else. So I figured he would grow a lot in that area once he got to college. So he can certainly grown into,or maybe already has, a plus defender. I’m also not trying to be a homer because it’s hard to stay biased about a kid I’ve taught, coached, and have known personally for awhile now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think the thinking goes like this. Guys capable of playing the 5: Bailey, Alexis, Harris Guys capable of playing the 4: Bailey, Alexis, DeVries, Goode, Leal, Miles Harris Hardly any shotblocking, but a lot of spacing and positional flexibility. As I say elsewhere, I think those factors and the strength of the perimeter defense are what they're going for. People interested in rim protection (I am one) are interested in defense. Leal, IMO, adds to the defensive picture in a way that I'm not sure anyone else gettable in the portal could. I'm curious to see how this works out, and think it's worth some patience.

I have no animosity towards Leal. I just look at 2 scenarios and favor one of them. Scenario 1 is Leal taking roster spot for 1 year max while not likely playing at all. Scenario 2 is a developmental HS recruit that has flown under the radar and could possibly develop. In Scenario 2 you could have a player that develops over the course of 4 years max or if he doesn't you cut bait after 1 year (same amount of time Leal takes up a roster spot). Just doesn't make sense to bring Leal back for minimal to non-existent role when you could use that resource to try and find a diamond in the rough. Just my 2 cents.

From someone who coached him, Montverde was the best thing that happened to him. So much more explosive and quick than he use to be. Kid was always a gym rat and his dad/coaches at heritage hills did a nice job coaching and training him. But nothing like he got at Montverde. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

From the Ball Is Life event. Watch for Trent in the right corner. https://x.com/i/status/1918854902630977546

No one forced him to say anything about it at all during his first (of apparently 3) senior night speeches. He didn’t have to choose between dumping on the fanbase and dumping on his coach. He chose to dump on the fanbase to support his coach, which he was free to do. Same as I’m free to not like him for it and hope he’s not back next year. Mike Woodson intentionally drove a wedge between the players and the fanbase. Leal was one of the most vocal. I don’t want anyone from Woodson’s program around next year.

I suppose he can tell everyone what Woody’s program did so this team knows what not to do. :-)

Softball squad wins the weekend series 2-1 and picks up a full point. With 3 events remaining, Hoosiers can finish no worse than in a tie.

Davion Adkins attends Faith Family Academy of Oak Cliff in Dallas, TX. I believe he plays AAU on the 3SSB circuit for Southern Assault. @_showtimedee 247 Rivals ESPN On3 https://www.zagsblog.com/2025/01/12/four-star-big-man-davion-adkins-shows-out-at-iverson-classic-updates-recruitment/

They were critical to our success last year. The problem was that there were other guys that were more critical to our failure. Goode is a pretty high volume three point shooter who can hit 40%. He is most definitely a good thing to have. In 23-24 he was a 20 minute per game player on a team that won the BTT and went 29-9. Not sure how we would 'be in trouble' if he played a part in the success next year.

Congrats on your 3.000th post!

If the guards get the ball into the offense early and we have a halfway decent defense, then this will be a fun year. Wondering about the non-P5 players and shooters and that translating into competing for the top of the B1G. Reflecting on some guard imports last season from the left coast. Not knowing, yet, what to make of CDD and his staff and almost all of the players all being new to each other and to him causes me pause...and lots of hope for the future. Yeah, we all know these new players are all smart IQ ballers that are gym rats and hungry to practice and perform well. And we know that CDD is experienced and successful building a competitive team in other places. Right? (Winning the offseason is where we have been for years.) We all live in interesting times. (Heard that could be taken as a curse.)

Ivisic is terrible. On the other hand, Ivisic is pretty good.