Will_Logan

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Indiana didn't make the NCAA. Indiana didn't even make the NIT. Grumbles and gripes echoed throughout Hoosier Nation. The direction of the program seemed uncertain. And then today happened... In 24 hours, Noah Vonleh officially declared for the NBA draft, and five other players (including two projected starters) announced they were transferring... Take it easy, Jackie Moon. Here is what we know: everyone is frustrated from Tom Crean to the players to the fans. We also know Crean will be the coach of the 2014-2015 Indiana Hoosiers, and no amount of internet debate will change that much. With that being said, it would be in every Hoosier fan's best interest to take a step back, take a deep breath, and listen to...Yogi's mom? So, was cleaning house just what the team needed after a year like this? Maybe. Obviously everyone would love Noah to stay another year, but that can't be helped. Now, although Jeremy and Etherington played significant minutes this year and were projected to start next year, it's possible the team could be better off without them. Among players averaging more than two minutes per game, Hollowell had the team's lowest offensive rating and Etherington had the third lowest. Six Worst Offensive Ratings for Indiana per StatSheet.com: 13. Austin Etherington 14. Stanford Robinson 15. Jeremy Hollowell 16. Pete Jurkin 17. Joe Fagan 18. Taylor Wayer It's no secret that recruiting is Crean's strong point. Could he already have bodies in mind to fill the newly vacant roster spots? Quite possibly. In fact there are three big names that have been mentioned in association with Indiana over the past few days: Anthony Lee - 6'9" 230 F (photo credit: msn.foxsports.com) Lee would be an almost to good to be true pickup. With Vonleh leaving, Hanner Mosquera-Perea will be the only player 6'9" or taller on the roster with any real experience. Lee averaged 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds for Temple this season, and would be available immediately under the graduate-transfer rule. Just today he narrowed his list of schools down to Ohio State, Indiana, Louisville, Iowa State, and Notre Dame. Eron Harris - 6'3" 195 SG Harris just finished a breakout sophomore season for West Virginia in which he averaged 17.2 ppg, shot 86% from the line, 44% from the field, and 42% from three. Much to the chagrin of Mountaineer fans, Eron recently announced he is transferring in order to be closer to home - which happens to be Indianapolis. As you can see from his high school tape above, he was also AAU teammates with current Hoosiers Yogi, Hanner, and Peter Jurkin. Feel free to let your imagination run wild while watching Eron and Yogi playing together in the video. Trevor Thompson - 6"11" 210 F (photo credit: virginiateach.sportswar.com) Almost immediately after Virginia Tech announced they were hiring Buzz Williams as their head couch, Thompson announced he was transferring. The Indianapolis native averaged 5 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 41% from the field during his freshman season, and he is another player who could help man the middle for the Hoosiers. What the Future Could Hold: 2014-2015: G: Yogi Ferrell G: James Blackmon Jr F: Troy Williams F: Hanner Mosquera-Perea F: Anthony Lee F: Stanford Robinson F: Devin Davis F: Robert Johnson Next year's lineup would look very similar to this year's with some major reasons for optimism. Lee would fill in for Noah, and the drop-off wouldn't be as drastic as most would expect. Lee averaged 2.3 more points per game, only 0.4 rebounds less per game, and there is less than a two percent difference between his overall offensive efficiency and Noah's. An ability to score from the outside was one of the biggest weaknesses for this year's team. The man dubbed the best shooter in the 2014 recruiting class, James Blackmon Jr., by Eric Bossi of rivals.com should alleviate that problem (along with highly ranked SG Robert Johnson). Williams, Robinson, Devin Davis, and Hanner all showed tremendous potential at the end of this season, providing momentum and confidence for the young players heading into next year. The 2015-2016 season could then become the year that the Hoosiers make a serious run at the national title. The Hoosiers would lose Lee, but would add Eron Harris's 17 points per game and an overall offensive rating that would have been the best on this year's team among players playing significant minutes (yes-better than Yogi's). They would also add Thompson's 6'11, athletic frame to the middle along with any other recruits that Crean would (hopefully) add. Most importantly, perhaps, the roster would be loaded with battle tested seniors and juniors hungry for a title. Did you just get slapped with a bunch of pure speculation? Oh yea. Unrealistic? I don't think so. Like Yogi's mom said, Indiana is still recruiting for this coming year. Anthony Lee has already cited the love he has received from Indiana fans on Twitter as one reason for his interest in the school per Jeff Rabjohns: Unfortunately Twitter is a double edged sword, and we all probably took a few steps back today by bombarding the world (recruits included) with negative #iubb tweets. Listen to Yogi's mom...she's a doctor and knows what this sickly team needs. Sunshine and rainbows Hoosier fans. Sunshine, rainbows, and a few transfers.

[quote name="IU Hoosier41" post="53719" timestamp="1395801640"]Yo Will... 762 Facebook Likes... Think you might have just broke a record! Nice post![/quote] I guess there wasn't a lot of competition in the "optimistic about IU" media market. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Indiana may have lost their only viable center, two projected starters, and...well Johnny Marlin today, but no need to hit the bottle just yet.Indiana didn't make the NCAA. Indiana didn't even make the NIT. Grumbles and gripes echoed throughout Hoosier Nation. The direction of the program seemed uncertain. And then today happened... In 24 hours, Noah Vonleh officially declared for the NBA draft, and five other players (including two projected starters) announced they were transferring... Take it easy, Jackie Moon. Here is what we know: everyone is frustrated from Tom Crean to the players to the fans. We also know Crean will be the coach of the 2014-2015 Indiana Hoosiers, and no amount of internet debate will change that much. With that being said, it would be in every Hoosier fan's best interest to take a step back, take a deep breath, and listen to...Yogi's mom? So, was cleaning house just what the team needed after a year like this? Maybe. Obviously everyone would love Noah to stay another year, but that can't be helped. Now, although Jeremy and Etherington played significant minutes this year and were projected to start next year, it's possible the team could be better off without them. Among players averaging more than two minutes per game, Hollowell had the team's lowest offensive rating and Etherington had the third lowest. Six Worst Offensive Ratings for Indiana per StatSheet.com: 13. Austin Etherington 14. Stanford Robinson 15. Jeremy Hollowell 16. Pete Jurkin 17. Joe Fagan 18. Taylor Wayer It's no secret that recruiting is Crean's strong point. Could he already have bodies in mind to fill the newly vacant roster spots? Quite possibly. In fact there are three big names that have been mentioned in association with Indiana over the past few days: Anthony Lee - 6'9" 230 F (photo credit: msn.foxsports.com) Lee would be an almost to good to be true pickup. With Vonleh leaving, Hanner Mosquera-Perea will be the only player 6'9" or taller on the roster with any real experience. Lee averaged 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds for Temple this season, and would be available immediately under the graduate-transfer rule. Just today he narrowed his list of schools down to Ohio State, Indiana, Louisville, Iowa State, and Notre Dame. Eron Harris - 6'3" 195 SG Harris just finished a breakout sophomore season for West Virginia in which he averaged 17.2 ppg, shot 86% from the line, 44% from the field, and 42% from three. Much to the chagrin of Mountaineer fans, Eron recently announced he is transferring in order to be closer to home - which happens to be Indianapolis. As you can see from his high school tape above, he was also AAU teammates with current Hoosiers Yogi, Hanner, and Peter Jurkin. Feel free to let your imagination run wild while watching Eron and Yogi playing together in the video. Trevor Thompson - 6"11" 210 F (photo credit: virginiateach.sportswar.com) Almost immediately after Virginia Tech announced they were hiring Buzz Williams as their head couch, Thompson announced he was transferring. The Indianapolis native averaged 5 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 41% from the field during his freshman season, and he is another player who could help man the middle for the Hoosiers. What the Future Could Hold: 2014-2015: G: Yogi Ferrell G: James Blackmon Jr F: Troy Williams F: Hanner Mosquera-Perea F: Anthony Lee F: Stanford Robinson F: Devin Davis F: Robert Johnson Next year's lineup would look very similar to this year's with some major reasons for optimism.Lee would fill in for Noah, and the drop-off wouldn't be as drastic as most would expect. Lee averaged 2.3 more points per game, only 0.4 rebounds less per game, and there is less than a two percent difference between his overall offensive efficiency and Noah's.An ability to score from the outside was one of the biggest weaknesses for this year's team. The man dubbed the best shooter in the 2014 recruiting class, James Blackmon Jr., by Eric Bossi of rivals.com should alleviate that problem (along with highly ranked SG Robert Johnson).Williams, Robinson, Devin Davis, and Hanner all showed tremendous potential at the end of this season, providing momentum and confidence for the young players heading into next year.The 2015-2016 season could then become the year that the Hoosiers make a serious run at the national title. The Hoosiers would lose Lee, but would add Eron Harris's 17 points per game and an overall offensive rating that would have been the best on this year's team among players playing significant minutes (yes-better than Yogi's). They would also add Thompson's 6'11, athletic frame to the middle along with any other recruits that Crean would (hopefully) add. Most importantly, perhaps, the roster would be loaded with battle tested seniors and juniors hungry for a title. Did you just get slapped with a bunch of pure speculation? Oh yea. Unrealistic? I don't think so. Like Yogi's mom said, Indiana is still recruiting for this coming year. Anthony Lee has already cited the love he has received from Indiana fans on Twitter as one reason for his interest in the school per Jeff Rabjohns: Unfortunately Twitter is a double edged sword, and we all probably took a few steps back today by bombarding the world (recruits included) with negative #iubb tweets. Listen to Yogi's mom...she's a doctor and knows what this sickly team needs. Sunshine and rainbows Hoosier fans. Sunshine, rainbows, and a few transfers. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/articles.html/_/basketball/news-notes/yogis-mom-knows-r138]Click here to view the article[/url]

Will has the team on his back right now. I think we win, but we haven't beaten anybody by double digits in over a month (February 2) so no reason to think it won't go down to the last few possessions yet again.   BURN THE BOATS BOYS!

Sorry if someone has already posted this (I couldn't find it in the threads).   But IUAthletics did an amazing job with this video.  Great way to get pumped up for National Signing Day tomorrow.   [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J15ssGnaYKI&feature=youtu.be[/media]

The month of January was a hectic, exciting, and potentially program-altering one for Indiana football. Whether you've been on top of a figurative mountain of wedding planning and work or a literal mountain falling head over heels attempting to ski (both true in my case), you may have missed some major football happenings. Here is a summary of the events that have unfolded over the past 31 days: Massive Coaching Shakeup: The coaching staff has gone through a major shakeup this month. Most notably, on January 10, Coach Wilson announced often criticized defensive coordinator Doug Mallory (along with defensive line coach Jon Fabris) would not be returning. Ten days later, on January 20, it was officially announced that former Wake Forest DC and Ohio HC Brian Knorr had accepted the challenge of reversing a historically hopeless Hoosier defense. One day later, it was announced that Hoosier alum Larry McDaniel would be taking over the defensive line coaching at Indiana after working the same job at Bowling Green. That same day, it was officially announced that Indiana offensive coordinator Seth Littrell would be leaving to take the same job at North Carolina. Kevin Johns, who was already extremely involved with the offense as a WR and QB coach, was promptly was promoted to offensive coordinator. James Patton, whose history has been on the offensive side of the ball, was then assigned as TE and fullbacks coach after serving as recruiting coordinator, special teams coordinator, and defensive line coach in 2013. Goodbye Old Friends: Indiana received a big, yet unsurprising, blow on January 7 as star WR Cody Latimer declared for the NFL draft. Coach Wilson also announced on January 15 that several players would be transferring in the interest of playing time. Most notably once starting QB Cameron Coffman and linebacker Jordan Wallace, who was considered a major recruit for the Hoosier's coming out of Indianapolis Warren Central in 2012. Hello New Friends: On January 16, Indiana welcomed six mid-year enrollees to campus. All were highly heralded recruits: Dominique Booth chose IU over a host of SEC suitors, Delroy Baker chose IU over his homestate Florida Gators, DeAndre Herron was a one time Louisville commit, Jordan Fuchs was a one time Rutgers commit, Timothy Gardener was a one-time Ohio State commit, and California QB Alexander (Zander) Diamont. Commitments Pour In: With National Signing Day just days away, there aren't a lot of spots left for this year's recruiting class thanks to flurry of commitments over the past month. Here's a quick look at the most recent additions: Tommy Mister committed to the Hoosiers over offers from Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. A superb athlete, Mister played QB in high school but projects as a RB at Indiana. The staff has been high on him for a while, but they'll have to continue to fight as other school's haven't let his commitment deter them from attempting to sway him their way. Tegray Scales was another guy the staff has been after for a while. The number 34 linebacker in the nation, Scales, is the type of difference maker the staff is looking for on the defensive side of the ball. He chose IU over offers from schools including Oklahoma, Louisville, and Wisconsin. Waynedriko Smith was the second Rutgers commit to flip to Indiana along with Jordan Fuchs and has good size for a cornerback at 6'0". Tony Fields is yet another top defensive target that rewarded the staff for its efforts with a January pledge. The Florida native is ranked as a top 50 safety and had several major offers from schools like Missouri, Ole Miss, and Michigan State. Zeke Walker and Sam Boyd. Walker is a safety prospect with great size at 6'2" and Boyd is an absolute beast of a receiver at 6'4" 235 pounds (seemingly the perfect replacement for Latimer). Although both have committed to Indiana, Indiana isn't committed to them...In Walker's case, the staff may be holding out for a higher level player. In Boyd's case, the staff appears to be waiting on academic clearance before accepting his commitment. Phew. Happy February Hoosiers.

Sure everyone knows by now, but looks like Brian Knorr is the new DC and we picked up two huge defensive commits today. I'm stuck on top of a mountain...like all the way at the top. Not sure this will go through and can't get online to write an article but big day! Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

So it looks like Wilson and Glass finally read the BtownBanners Mallory article. All joking aside, optimism abounds with the news of a new defensive coordinator in Bloomington. Here is an early look at some potential candidates who could reverse the eternally dismal defensive culture at Indiana. While compiling this list, the following parameters were considered: 1. Experience as a proven D1 defensive coordinator 2. See #1 Enjoy. Todd Orlando (photo credit: usu.com) There's no doubt in my mind Orlando could get the job done at IU, but he might actually be "too good" as his name is being associated with some high-profile DC vacancies like the one at Oregon. First of all, dude brings the heat. Second, he has nine seasons under his belt as a successful defensive coordinator. He began as the DC at UConn from 2005-2011, a school with a comparable talent pool to that of Indiana as far as rivals recruiting rankings are concerned. During those years, his defense finished in the top ten nationally twice. He also coached the Husky defense in several bowl games, most notably the 2011 BCS Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. This past season, he served as the DC at Utah State where his defense finished fifth in yards per play and 12th in total defense. Subsequently, he finished as finalist for the Broyle's Award which goes to the nation's top assistant. He has the type of attitude that players love and the successful track record that fans are looking for in a new DC. Carl Pelini (photo credit: sportingnews.com) This one is interesting. First of all, he is Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini's big brother. Like his little brother, he is apparently somewhat of a...character. Long story short, he has recently found himself unemployed after resigning as the head coach of Florida Atlantic as a result of partying a little too hard. Or should we say, too "high." However, Louisville's recent hire of Bobby Petrino has reinforced the lesson that if you get fired for anything other than being a good football coach, you'll get another shot somewhere. Why would Wilson give him a chance? First of all, despite his recent poor lapse in judgement, we know he's not an idiot as he is the proud owner of two separate Masters degrees. Second, he was a successful DC at Nebraska from 2007-2010 before taking the head coaching job at FAU. Most importantly to IU fans, he has a history of revitalizing bad defenses. In his first three seasons at Nebraska, his defense went from being ranked 112th overall to 55th to 7th. Likewise, the FAU defense improved from 69th in his first year to 11th in the country this past year. With a pedigree of turning bad defenses into national leaders and a B1G background, he could fit the mold. Nick Holt (photo credit: nasorb.com) Holt spent his first three years as a DC at powerhouse USC. For two of those three years his defense finished 2nd in the country in total defense. In 2008, USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was hired as the head coach at Washington, Holt went along to lead the Husky defense. Although the Husky defense improved 42 spots in total defense during his three years at the school, he was let go in 2011. Bobby Petrino, who appreciates second chances, brought Holt on as the defensive coordinator this past year at Western Kentucky, and Holt simply crushed it. The Hilltoppers ended the season with the 14th ranked defense in the country. With Petrino leaving for Louisville and WKU offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm getting the promotion to head coach, one would think Holt would jump at the chance to work the same position in the Big Ten that he currently holds in the Sun Belt conference. Randy Shannon (photo credit: fannation.com) In 2006, Shannon was the up and coming assistant, and Indiana wouldn't have had a chance at landing him. As the DC of the Miami Hurricanes, his defenses finished in the top ten of the country five out of six years. But, when he got the promotion to head coach he was a bit of a disaster from 2007-2010. He has spent the past two seasons since his fall from grace as the linebacker coach for Arkansas. So he's not a great head coach. His track record says he's a phenomenal DC and his recruiting ties to the state of Florida are invaluable. Although he's at an SEC school now, he could jump for the B1G if it meant a chance to restore his credibility as a DC. Jimmy Burrow (photo credit: ohiobobcats.com) No list of candidates would be complete without a MAC coach in the mix. Burrow is a bit of anomaly. He has been rock solid in his nine seasons as the Ohio DC, but apparently never phenomenal enough to gain national attention. His defense has led the nation in turnovers, and has ranked in the top five of the MAC virtually every year. The state of Ohio is by far the most rich in talent as far as the Midwest is concerned, and he presumably has deep ties throughout the state after nearly a decade of recruiting in it. David Gibbs (photo credit: footballrecruiting.rivals.com) This year was Gibb's first at the helm of the Houston defense. The Cougars finished the season leading the country in turnovers and, of particular interest to a team with a historically awful defense, as the fourth most improved unit the country. After finishing 118th overall in 2012, the Cougars finished 80th in the country in total defense this year. If he could generate that kind of improvement in one year at Indiana, and the Hoosier offense puts up the same kind of numbers they did this year... Gibb's accomplishments were recognized on a national scale as he was named to the Broyle's Award list, and he also has NFL coaching experience with the Texans, Broncos, and Vikings, which recruits love. Barry Odom (photo credit: commercialappeal.com) Odom's name has been one of the most consistently mentioned in association for the Indiana DC job, and for good reason. In 2011, the Memphis defense was comparable to that of Indiana's as they finished in the bottom five of the nation and dead last in their conference. In 2012, Odom's first year as DC, the defense skyrocketed up to 51st in the country and first in their conference. Their run defense (always a struggle for IU) also finished 32nd in the country that year. It wasn't a one year fluke either. In 2013, his second year, the Memphis defense continued their improvement as they finished 39th in total defense and 12th nationally in run defense. Moving your defense up 78 spots over two years in national rankings will get you noticed, and such a track record is exactly what Indiana is looking for in a prospective coach. He also has experience recruiting both the southeast with Memphis and the midwest from his nine seasons at Missouri. This list is sure to be updated as new information is released, and it has been speculated that Wilson already has a "handshake" agreement with the next man in line but... One way or another hope springs eternal for the Hoosier faithful. Have your own thoughts on who the new DC should be? Hop over to our forum thread on the topic and let loose.

[quote name="ccgeneral" post="29608" timestamp="1389667419"]Pete Roussel ‏@coachingsearch 14m Per source, Memphis defensive coordinator Barry Odom is on Kevin Wilson's short list for the Hoosiers' defensive coordinator job.[/quote] Great news, now only question is whether or not the interest is reciprocated. Hopefully Orlando wasn't the only other name on that "short list." Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Pete Roussel is reporting that Wilson reached out to Todd Orlando for the spot, but he turned down the opportunity to interview.  

Here is a look at some of the story lines, improvements, and continued concerns after another week of Big Ten basketball: Still Surrendering Threes Indiana continued their trend of giving up open three point shots Saturday. For the second straight game, the defense gave up over 20 three point attempts with a majority being uncontested or lightly guarded. Luckily PSU only hit 8 of their 23 attempts, or yesterday's game may have ended differently. Yet, somehow the Hoosiers are actually ranked 13th in the country in terms of three point defense with opponents only converting on 28% of their attempts. A seemingly odd statistic, since it's abundantly clear to everyone (including BTN analyst Stephen Bardo who made more than a few jokes at the expense of the Indiana defense) that the defense has not figured out how to rotate yet. Yogi Ferrell says the Hoosiers are over-helping when opponents drive to the basket, but it really all comes down to a lack of communication, an issue Tom Crean foreshadowed all the way back in October before the season even started: This quote could have easily been pulled from a press conference this week. Four months later, the same problem persists. Stanford Robinson Emerging (photo credit: insidethehall.com) Freshman Stan Robinson's minutes and impact on this team seem to be increasing in dramatic fashion. Not surprising given that he had the highest plus/minus on the team coming into B1G play, and according to Crean "it wasn't even close." His 1.3 turnovers per game in B1G play are forgivable, his 7 points per game won't blow you away, but his energy and defense have been invaluable. Last week he was the only Hoosier who seemed to be able to slow down MSU star guard Gary Harris. This week, he (along with Yogi) held PSU star Tim Frazier, who had been averaging over 16 points per game, to just two field goals. Robinson's most valuable contribution is one that won't show up in a box score. Crean calls him a "blue-collar, go-at-it guy" who has a "desire to compete" that the team needs. Offense Improving, Struggling Have the Hoosiers finally gotten the message with regards to inside-out ball movement? It looked like it Saturday. Noah Vonleh at least touched the ball on over 80% of Indiana's first 15 possessions, and it paid off. Vonleh not only scored IU's first 12 points of the contest, but even when he didn't score, good things happened when the offense ran though him. He again disappeared somewhat in the second half as he only took two shots (a three and a dunk) in the last 20 minutes, which he converted. It's a good thing Noah started hot, because Sheehey and Yogi did not. Yogi did not make his first bucket until the 3:45 mark in the first half, and Sheehey, for the second week in a row, didn't record a point in the first 20 minutes. Sheehey hit some big shots in the second half again this week, and Yogi finished with 15. But the two leaders of this team need to develop more consistency if the Hoosiers want to have a chance against better teams... Like, say RPI ranked #1 Wisconsin two days from now. Speaking of RPI rankings, Penn State was the second highest RPI ranked team the Hoosiers have beaten this season behind Washington...neither is in the top 100. Many miles to go.

  I haven't heard any names other than Blackwell, and I still haven't found an actual source for that.  Article coming soon though.

    I haven't done much research into his past, but I don't like the trend in his coaching history:   Pitt  --> Clemson --> South Florida --> Fordham   I realize he wasn't a DC until he got to South Florida, but if he was great there, why is he at an FCS school now?  Why couldn't he get a FBS job?  I may feel like an idiot for posting this later when I learn more about him, but it just feels a little like DM:   OK State --> LSU --> New Mexico   I'd like a guy on the upswing.

I’m truly not one to cry for a coach’s firing whenever things aren’t going well. I promise I’m not. I understand that Indiana’s defense isn’t loaded with elite talent. I understand that the fast paced Indiana offense doesn’t lend itself to defensive success. But, I also understand there are other defenses doing more with much less talent. There are also defenses that rank in the top 10 of the nation despite playing alongside more prolific offenses than that of Indiana's. Enough with the excuses and debates though. Let's just answer the question we are all really asking ourselves: can Doug Mallory successfully lead a defense? Here is your answer. Football Background: (photo credit: Bentley Historical Library) Doug Mallory’s football pedigree is not to be disputed. He is the son of the last truly successful Indiana football coach, was a co-captain for the legendary Bo Schembechler at Michigan, and has been around the game his entire life. However, having football in your blood isn't necessarily an indicator of coaching success. Rise to Defensive Coordinator: (photo credit: Tim Sharp AP) Mallory’s relationship to Les Miles goes way back. The two were at Michigan together in the mid 80’s. When Miles became the head coach at Oklahoma State, he had Mallory alongside him as a defensive backs coach from 2001-2004. When Miles got the job he currently holds at LSU, he brought Mallory along with him as a defensive back coach, and the two (along with other assistants of course) won a national championship in 2007. After the national championship season, he promoted Doug Mallory and another assistant to “co-defensive coordinator”. That’s where our analysis begins. Is Mallory a "Good" Coach? I don't think many would dispute that one sign of "good" coach is that his teams show improvement. Game to game and year to year. If you can agree to that, then what follows should close the door on any debate as to whether or not Doug Mallory is a "good" coach. From 2002-2007, LSU was a defensive powerhouse. Just as all Big Ten fans know Penn State as “Linebacker U”, LSU became known as “Defensive U” for their dominance during that time period. Year-in and year-out, the boys from Baton Rouge were ranked near the top of the country in virtually every defensive category. That all changed, in 2008 when Mallory was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. Under Mallory, the team that had just won the national championship fell apart defensively. The Tigers were ranked an unheard of 81st in the country in passing defense and 66th in points allowed. It was LSU’s worst defensive year of the decade, and it was the first time in the proud history of the program that the defense allowed 50 points or more in multiple games. The conversation around the LSU program then was identical to the one in Bloomington right now: Sound familiar? If you've been following Indiana football this year, it's hauntingly similar to the reasons given for the poor performance of the Hoosier defense (you can read the whole article here). After a season of excuses in Baton Rouge, the condemning fact was that the defense got worse as the season progressed. Despite their 30-year history together, Les Miles was unable to deny the fact that Doug Mallory had to be let go. (photo credit: lubbockonline) He replaced Mallory with a man named John Chavis. After ranking 66th under Mallory, LSU immediately improved 40 spots the next year and finished ranked 26th in the NCAA. The Tigers continued to improve after Mallory's departure as they were ranked 12th in total defense in the second year and then 2nd in the country in year three post-Mallory. This basic trend of defenses becoming worse under Mallory and then improving after his departure is not limited to his time at LSU. The graph below demonstrates that every defense Mallory has taken over as defensive coordinator has experienced a decrease in their total defensive ranking. The vertical axis shows the team's percent defensive rank with 100 representing the best defense in the country and 0 representing the worst. In the two places Mallory has already left (LSU and New Mexico) you can see a clear improvement after his departure. No matter what the reasons or excuses behind the experiences, the statistics clearly say that defenses get worse under Mallory. A good defensive coordinator produces a good defense, or at the very least, an improving defense. A good offensive coach produces a good offense, or at the very least an improving one. Chavis undeniably improved the LSU defense each year after Mallory. Kevin Wilson and Seth Littrell have likewise proved themselves as “good” coaches. The Hoosier offense was ranked 83rd in the country in year one, 34th in year two, and is currently 10th in year three. That is "good" coaching. The Trend Continues: After being replaced at LSU, Doug Mallory took over as defensive coordinator at New Mexico from 2009-2010. The Lobos were ranked a respectable 45th in the country defensively the year before Mallory arrived. In Mallory's first year, the defense plummeted 55 spots down to 100th in the NCAA. In his second year, they fell all the way to 119th meaning there was only one defense in the entire country worse than Mallory's, which is the exact position the 2013 Hoosiers are in right now. There's also evidence from Malloy's coaching past that sheds some light on the Hoosiers helplessness at stopping the run. In the year before Mallory, the Lobos allowed just one opponent to rush for over 200 yards in a game. In Mallory’s first year, they allowed five opponents to rush for over 200 yards in a game. In Mallory’s second and final year, they allowed two opponents to rush for over 200 yards and four opponents to rush for over 300 yards per game. Here's the overall rushing defense data from New Mexico dating back to 2007. You can see the obvious increase in 2009 and the embarrassing increase that occurred in Mallory's second year with the program, 2010. In Mallory's final year, the Lobos gave up an average of 469 yards per game and ranked 119th out of 120 schools in the nation. These are just facts. In reality, these statistics are so concrete and without deviation, that one has to wonder what qualified him for the promotion to a Big Ten school in the first place. Of course, the statistical trend has followed Mallory to Indiana. The chart below shows the seasonal progression of Mallory's defenses. Total yardage given up is organized from left (August) to right (November) by the time of season the yardage was given up. Linear trend lines were then applied to the data. The only year a team showed slight improvement was in 2010 at New Mexico, but that's the same defense that finished ranked 119 out of 120 teams. Other than that slight deviation, no Doug Mallory defense has ever improved throughout the year. Virtually every one has gotten worse. Conclusion: I regret that this comes off as an attack on Coach Mallory, as I’m sure he’s a great person. However, while he continues to place blame on the players and supporters blame the Indiana offense, when emotions are stripped away the data is simple and indisputable: without exception every defense that Mallory has led has gotten progressively worse under his coaching and better after his departure. This year's defense isn't just the usual bad Indiana defense fans are used to. They are currently allowing an average of 582.5 yards per game in B1G play. The 2013 Indiana defense is on pace to finish the year as the statistically worst defense in the history of the Big Ten. Doug Mallory was elevated to defensive coordinator by a friend. Even that friend knew after just one year it was a mistake. Since then, Mallory has shown no statistical evidence of being a capable coordinator. Kevin Wilson and Fred Glass are winners. They know Indiana can be a winning program. If they want that to come to fruition they can’t allow the blame to be placed on the talent of the players or the pace of the offense anymore. They have to make the same emotionally difficult, but statistically obvious decision Les Miles made. Mallory has to go.

No matter how the rest of the season plays out, Indiana must move on from Doug Mallory.I’m truly not one to cry for a coach’s firing whenever things aren’t going well. I promise I’m not. I understand that Indiana’s defense isn’t loaded with elite talent. I understand that the fast paced Indiana offense doesn’t lend itself to defensive success. But, I also understand there are other defenses doing more with much less talent. There are also defenses that rank in the top 10 of the nation despite playing alongside more prolific offenses than that of Indiana's. Enough with the excuses and debates though. Let's just answer the question we are all really asking ourselves: can Doug Mallory successfully lead a defense? Here is your answer. Football Background: (photo credit: Bentley Historical Library) Doug Mallory’s football pedigree is not to be disputed. He is the son of the last truly successful Indiana football coach, was a co-captain for the legendary Bo Schembechler at Michigan, and has been around the game his entire life. However, having football in your blood isn't necessarily an indicator of coaching success. Rise to Defensive Coordinator: (photo credit: Tim Sharp AP) Mallory’s relationship to Les Miles goes way back. The two were at Michigan together in the mid 80’s. When Miles became the head coach at Oklahoma State, he had Mallory alongside him as a defensive backs coach from 2001-2004. When Miles got the job he currently holds at LSU, he brought Mallory along with him as a defensive back coach, and the two (along with other assistants of course) won a national championship in 2007. After the national championship season, he promoted Doug Mallory and another assistant to “co-defensive coordinator”. That’s where our analysis begins. Is Mallory a "Good" Coach? I don't think many would dispute that one sign of "good" coach is that his teams show improvement. Game to game and year to year. If you can agree to that, then what follows should close the door on any debate as to whether or not Doug Mallory is a "good" coach. From 2002-2007, LSU was a defensive powerhouse. Just as all Big Ten fans know Penn State as “Linebacker U”, LSU became known as “Defensive U” for their dominance during that time period. Year-in and year-out, the boys from Baton Rouge were ranked near the top of the country in virtually every defensive category. That all changed, in 2008 when Mallory was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. Under Mallory, the team that had just won the national championship fell apart defensively. The Tigers were ranked an unheard of 81st in the country in passing defense and 66th in points allowed. It was LSU’s worst defensive year of the decade, and it was the first time in the proud history of the program that the defense allowed 50 points or more in multiple games. The conversation around the LSU program then was identical to the one in Bloomington right now: Sound familiar? If you've been following Indiana football this year, it's hauntingly similar to the reasons given for the poor performance of the Hoosier defense (you can read the whole article here). After a season of excuses in Baton Rouge, the condemning fact was that the defense got worse as the season progressed.Despite their 30-year history together, Les Miles was unable to deny the fact that Doug Mallory had to be let go. (photo credit: lubbockonline) He replaced Mallory with a man named John Chavis. After ranking 66th under Mallory, LSU immediately improved 40 spots the next year and finished ranked 26th in the NCAA. The Tigers continued to improve after Mallory's departure as they were ranked 12th in total defense in the second year and then 2nd in the country in year three post-Mallory. This basic trend of defenses becoming worse under Mallory and then improving after his departure is not limited to his time at LSU. The graph below demonstrates that every defense Mallory has taken over as defensive coordinator has experienced a decrease in their total defensive ranking. The vertical axis shows the team's percent defensive rank with 100 representing the best defense in the country and 0 representing the worst. In the two places Mallory has already left (LSU and New Mexico) you can see a clear improvement after his departure. No matter what the reasons or excuses behind the experiences, the statistics clearly say that defenses get worse under Mallory. A good defensive coordinator produces a good defense, or at the very least, an improving defense. A good offensive coach produces a good offense, or at the very least an improving one. Chavis undeniably improved the LSU defense each year after Mallory. Kevin Wilson and Seth Littrell have likewise proved themselves as “good” coaches. The Hoosier offense was ranked 83rd in the country in year one, 34th in year two, and is currently 10th in year three. That is "good" coaching. The Trend Continues: After being replaced at LSU, Doug Mallory took over as defensive coordinator at New Mexico from 2009-2010. The Lobos were ranked a respectable 45th in the country defensively the year before Mallory arrived. In Mallory's first year, the defense plummeted 55 spots down to 100th in the NCAA. In his second year, they fell all the way to 119th meaning there was only one defense in the entire country worse than Mallory's, which is the exact position the 2013 Hoosiers are in right now. There's also evidence from Malloy's coaching past that sheds some light on the Hoosiers helplessness at stopping the run. In the year before Mallory, the Lobos allowed just one opponent to rush for over 200 yards in a game. In Mallory’s first year, they allowed five opponents to rush for over 200 yards in a game. In Mallory’s second and final year, they allowed two opponents to rush for over 200 yards and four opponents to rush for over 300 yards per game. Here's the overall rushing defense data from New Mexico dating back to 2007. You can see the obvious increase in 2009 and the embarrassing increase that occurred in Mallory's second year with the program, 2010. In Mallory's final year, the Lobos gave up an average of 469 yards per game and ranked 119th out of 120 schools in the nation. These are just facts. In reality, these statistics are so concrete and without deviation, that one has to wonder what qualified him for the promotion to a Big Ten school in the first place. Of course, the statistical trend has followed Mallory to Indiana. The chart below shows the seasonal progression of Mallory's defenses. Total yardage given up is organized from left (August) to right (November) by the time of season the yardage was given up. Linear trend lines were then applied to the data. The only year a team showed slight improvement was in 2010 at New Mexico, but that's the same defense that finished ranked 119 out of 120 teams. Other than that slight deviation, no Doug Mallory defense has ever improved throughout the year. Virtually every one has gotten worse. Conclusion: I regret that this comes off as an attack on Coach Mallory, as I’m sure he’s a great person. However, while he continues to place blame on the players and supporters blame the Indiana offense, when emotions are stripped away the data is simple and indisputable: without exception every defense that Mallory has led has gotten progressively worse under his coaching and better after his departure. This year's defense isn't just the usual bad Indiana defense fans are used to. They are currently allowing an average of 582.5 yards per game in B1G play. The 2013 Indiana defense is on pace to finish the year as the statistically worst defense in the history of the Big Ten. Doug Mallory was elevated to defensive coordinator by a friend. Even that friend knew after just one year it was a mistake. Since then, Mallory has shown no statistical evidence of being a capable coordinator. Kevin Wilson and Fred Glass are winners. They know Indiana can be a winning program. If they want that to come to fruition they can’t allow the blame to be placed on the talent of the players or the pace of the offense anymore. They have to make the same emotionally difficult, but statistically obvious decision Les Miles made. Mallory has to go. Click here to view the article

Literally just screamed out in the middle of the class I was teaching. What a natural high. AHHHGHHGGGGGGGGGGG Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Earlier this week, Indiana received a commitment from stud, four-star Indianapolis WR Dominique Booth. If you're simply celebrating the addition of a great player to next year's crop of recruits, you're missing the bigger picture. Hoosier football fans were crushed this year when the team didn't make a bowl game. More than crushed, they were angry. Another season full of sky-high expectations ended with the same old result. While calling for at least one coach's job is easily understandable, fans need to step back and at least appreciate the unfathomable success of Kevin Wilson's recruiting efforts. The rivals recruiting database goes back over a decade to 2002. During that time, Gerry DiNardo, Terry Hoeppner, and Bill Lynch combined for exactly one four-star recruit. One. In Wilson's first two full years recruiting, he has already pulled in seven. More importantly, five of those were homegrown products. Not only is Wilson the first IU coach in the online recruiting era to sign four-star players, he is the first coach to make IU the "it" destination for local talent. Last year, Indiana claimed a larger percentage of the state's top ten players than any other university. Here is a look at the local four-star products who have recently decided to stay home: 2013: Antonio Allen: S, Indianapolis, IN national ranking: 231 position: 20 state: 5 notable offers: Michigan State, Ole Miss, Wisconsin (Allen was also the first IU recruit to play in the Army All-American game which has been played for 13 years.) David Kenney: DE, Indianapolis, IN national ranking: 244 position: 11 state: 6 notable offers: Ole Miss, Nebraska, Tennessee Darius Latham: DT, Indianapolis, IN national ranking: 239 position: 14 state: 7 notable offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Tennessee 2014 (so far): Dominique Booth: WR, Indianapolis, IN position: 46 state: 4 notable offers: Alabama, California, Florida State, Missouri, Texas A&M Tim Gardner: OL, Indianapolis, IN notable offers: Ohio State, Louisville It's not just that Kevin Wilson is signing a few highly rated athletes either. His clear method of pulling top in-state talent, and then supplementing the class with high quality out of state players is paying off. Since 2002, Indiana's recruiting classes have ranked an average of 11.2 in the B1G out of 12 teams. Their best class ever was in 2009 when they finished ninth in the conference. Wilson blew that mark away last year as Indiana's recruiting class finished an unheard of fourth in the B1G behind only Ohio State, Michigan, and Nebraska. As rivals recruiting expert Josh Helmholdt remarked while discussing the recent commitment of Dominique Booth: So if you find yourself swearing off Indiana football again this off-season, at least take some comfort in their off the field success. You can question in-game coaching all you want, but it is a fact that Kevin Wilson is the best recruiting coach the school has had in a decade, and it's not even close. Most coach's would agree on-field success starts with recruiting. Furthermore, they would concur that the results of improved recruiting are not immediately realized on the field (especially with defensive players). Wilson now has one top-five class with a year under their belts. After next year (the Hoosiers are currently ranked seventh according to rivals), he will have two solid classes with collegiate experience. When you're the losingest team in college football history you've got to start somewhere. Wilson is the man for the job, and he's starting in the right place.

I thought this thread was going to be a discussion of what IU was going to do in terms of big men next year with Fischer gone and an all guard/forward recruiting class coming in.  Probably time for bed.

I really think he'd be gone already at 123 other schools. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Prior to Saturday's matchup, Crean outlined several things for the team to focus on including getting to the free throw line and moving the ball inside and out on offense. The kids aren't listening. Free Throw Failure: Free throws should have been huge for the Hoosiers. It should have been a godsend when the Spartans put the Hoosiers in the double bonus early in the first half. However, because of Indiana's immaturity and lack of situational awareness, the opportunity was wasted. Instead of getting the ball inside or driving to the basket in order to take advantage of the foul situation, the offense slowed to a halt and settled for jump shots. Crean couldn't hide his frustration: "It's getting me downright angry...when you find something you've got which is important to get to the foul line, then it can't become jump shooting time." Even when the Hoosiers did find themselves on the foul line, they only converted 65 percent of their attempts. Not Enough Noah: (photo credit: rivals.com) Virtually every NBA draft expert agrees that Noah Vonleh will be a lottery pick in next year's draft. He also has the highest FG percentage on the team (54.6 percent). So the question on everyone's mind is, "WHY ISN'T HE SHOOTING THE BALL?!" Tom Crean has repeatedly stressed the importance of getting Noah more touches, but the kids (including Noah) aren't getting the message. In losses, Vonleh is only putting up 4.2 shots per game, and he has yet to attempt a field goal in the second half of a Big Ten game. After the MSU game Crean placed some of that blame on Noah himself for not demanding the ball saying that Vonleh has to become "downright selfish" moving forward. Time to Grow Up: Indiana has to grow up. Plain and simple. They can't afford to sit around and wait for experience if they want a shot at the NCAA tournament this year. Daddy Crean is clearly crossing over from a forgiving father to one who is about to bring out the belt. The players have been given instruction and game plans, but seem to throw everything out the window when the lights turn on. Yet the young Hoosiers did. In fact they left MSU shooters open all afternoon as they looked hopelessly lost on defense. Everyone expected growing pains from the freshmen, but Crean singled out the sophomore class (eh-hem Hollowell) in particular, "Our sophomores have to pick it up. No question about that. And all the way around." Opposing Coach Tom Izzo went beyond the first and second year players in his assessment of the Hoosiers. He went all the way to the top: While Sheehey and Crean have both taken heat this year, it was a bit unexpected to see Yogi called out. Yogi's scoring has been essential, but his overall play leaves something to be desired. Averaging 4 assists, 3 turnovers and less than 1 steal per game isn't a stat line that is going to grab any pro scouts attention. It's not the freshmen that need to grow up. It's not the sophomores. It's Indiana.

Ball and body movement on offense. MSU will trap the daylights out of us of we hold the ball and stand still. That is all for me. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I'm sure everyone will have seen this by tomorrow anyways, but it's just too perfect not to share:   [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVVNN2pzaHw[/media]

  They did handle it shockingly well.

Olivia and Charlie...this is an Indiana board. I question your state loyalty....but funny picture Charlie Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app