mdn82

  That is part of what made that poster a lightning rod.  Its how you feel his negativity or truth in how he sees those 3 things.  How he relayed it is what made that a lightning response.  Most people only had experiences with him around when Zeller signed until now.  Most people don't realize he is always that way.  Its just all how you relay yourself.  Like you said, you feel you are only as strong as your weakness.  Does that mean a coach that is limited at recruiting, even if he is a great in game coach can't win?  I would disagree with that.  I think we have seen coaches who are great recruiters (and not great in game coaches) win like Calipari.  Then we have seen great coaches who were limited on how they could recruit win in Brad Stevens.  Coaches like Coach K are once in a generation coaches.  I think we got a coach who is elite at one major area that pertains to actual IU mens basketball which is fantastic in this era.  Even Pitino who has been an elite coach for years can't keep up with Crean recruiting.  I see a time like Calipari where it all clicks for Crean's team.  Not with all freshman though.  We will see though.

To answer the main question, it is yes.  To answer the question I am sure was being implied, he needs to improve.  There is so much more to coaching in the NCAA than just in game.  Usually, he is very solid making adjustments at the half to what the game is giving IU.  LIU-Brooklyn was no different.  They worked inside-out from halftime on.  He is usually better at defensive in game adjustments than offensive in game adjustments.  He is a top 5 recruiter.  He is a great ambassador of academics.  He is great at getting donations for the Athletic Department.  He promotes sports other than Basketball at IU better than any coach I can remember.  In game offensive adjustments, he needs to work on.  I truly feel he trusts his players too much to make the right decisions and sometimes that doesn't happens.  Then, he sticks with them to keep making plays.  When they don't, it makes him look bad.  As a prominent poster used to state (although I truly mean it) he is good at 197 out of 200 things, but we choose to talk about those 3...  

Great discussion though JS!  I think even two years ago I was on your side of this argument.  

I think the perception is it is easier to learn from mistakes and fix them against South Saskatchewan Poly than try and fix them against UK.  Easier to experiment in these games with wider margin for error to see where you need work.  For a young team, I think that is invaluable.  I guess since the argument has shifted, this brings me to another question.  If the problem is learning from their mistakes, if they can't learn from Jackoff U, how are they ever going to learn during MSU?  A mistake is a mistake no matter who it is against.  It is easier to build good habits (and bad habits) against Cubcakes (< had to) than against MSU.  Plus, those teams like MSU are far more physical than Girl Scout Troop 317, so injuries are far more likely in those named games due to the intensity. Again, as a fan I agree with why you want to see the best every night.  From the outside looking in the good outweighs the bad in the majority of ways to keep it the way it has been for all of our lives.  RMK played some cupcakes that would make Crean blush.  The B1G is just so strong every year, you will get your RPI.  What you can't get back if you play a nasty schedule is those losses.  

  I think there is some degree of it about confidence.  But, lets be real.  Everything is done for money.  The better the team, the more money we have to pay them to come to IU.  That is more money going away from our Athletic Department's books.  Home and home would make more obviously, because they are on national tv.  That is why I think it would be more likely for us to switch out one cupcake with a home and home that has the interest to be on ESPN during the 7 o'clock hour.  A mid-major we are paying more, and its on BTN.  So, we actually lose money to do that with more risk.  Most mid-majors that play the "name" school are in state.  Like Ohio vs. OSU.  Western Kentucky vs. Kentucky.  Indiana doesn't really have a solid mid-major school.  Best option is Evansville.  Play for a good conference, but is that really a sexy mid-major everyone is looking for?  We did them a favor and opened their building a couple of years ago.  As a fan I definitely agree with you and what you want.  Lets just hope for a Kansas or team of that caliber over the next couple of years.  

Strong mid-majors won't want to come into Indiana every year.  "Name" schools won't do anything less than home and homes.  There are only so many strong mid-majors and they aren't going to load up on teams like IU every game on their schedule.  Their money is made from going to pre-season tournaments, and home games.  We play enough good teams throughout our year without loading up pre-conference to have a top 20 RPI every year.  At some point wins are more important than playing 30 major conference teams.  Cupcakes can make more money from going on the road.  Schools like IU, UK, UNC, Duke...  all make their money from a pre-season tournament, home and homes, and being at home.  To be at home, they have to play cupcakes.  We are about one home and home short, but those aren't easy.  If you are IU you have to play someone that makes sense, and can be put on TV.  Only so many teams that people would want to watch IU play every year.  I agree with why you want to play tougher teams, but logic behind our schedule really means more. 

  Yep, next year I think we can make a run if we develop well over the next 12-16 months.  That said, I am hoping we are that team nobody wants to play in March.

Apparently name opponent equates with good opponent.  I have heard of Arizona St. so they must be a quality opponent?  Or LSU...  LIU-Brooklyn made the tournament the last 3 years, but I don't as much about them as the others.  I am thinking that is the mindset. 

Completely glad to get this dude in the fold.  He is just an all around supporter of all things IU.  Love this kid's attitude.  Hope he does big things at IU.  

Welcome to the 2013-14 version of the Indiana Hoosiers everyone! That was what we should come to expect for this season. The unexpected. We are talented. We are also very young. We came out like most would have expected, jumping out to an early lead. Then, our youth seemed to take over it seemed. Suddenly we turned into a jump shooting team, missing shot after shot. Will had about as bad of a half as one will ever see him have. I can't even say we "righted" the ship. We survived. That is it. The announcers appointed Will as the player of the game, but this was all Noah Vonleh. His 17 and 11 were so much bigger than Will's 19/7/6. Some will disagree with that, but without what Noah did in the First Half, we don't win this game. Yogi put up 17 points in a game where he was frustrated most of the night. Troy had 9 and 6. Jeremy had 6 and 6. Beyond that, it was slim pickings for the Hoosiers. Stan had some key minutes on both ends as did Devin. As a team we did what you would expect on the boards. We out-rebounded them 48-35. One area more wouldn't have expected us to improve in this type of game is with the turnovers. We had 14 in a game that was up and down, and as ugly as the women in West Lafayette. We did have 13 assists on 27 field goals. I don't expect there to be many games where we shoot under 40% and win. This counts as one. A lucky one. As fans we don't like to see this type of a win so early in the season. There will be positives that come from this game. Noah took this game and put it on his shoulders in the First Half when it seemed we had lost control. As a freshman the only thing more impressive is his patience in hectic moments. This game was no fun for anyone. There is no sugar coating that. This is just one game that will help the kids that matter more than all of us. They are young, but they all helped us age a little more on this evening. HIGHLIGHTS:

The Hoosiers Struggled early, but were able to overcome their slow start on way to a 73-72 victory Tuesday Night.Welcome to the 2013-14 version of the Indiana Hoosiers everyone! That was what we should come to expect for this season. The unexpected. We are talented. We are also very young. We came out like most would have expected, jumping out to an early lead. Then, our youth seemed to take over it seemed. Suddenly we turned into a jump shooting team, missing shot after shot. Will had about as bad of a half as one will ever see him have. I can't even say we "righted" the ship. We survived. That is it. The announcers appointed Will as the player of the game, but this was all Noah Vonleh. His 17 and 11 were so much bigger than Will's 19/7/6. Some will disagree with that, but without what Noah did in the First Half, we don't win this game. Yogi put up 17 points in a game where he was frustrated most of the night. Troy had 9 and 6. Jeremy had 6 and 6. Beyond that, it was slim pickings for the Hoosiers. Stan had some key minutes on both ends as did Devin. As a team we did what you would expect on the boards. We out-rebounded them 48-35. One area more wouldn't have expected us to improve in this type of game is with the turnovers. We had 14 in a game that was up and down, and as ugly as the women in West Lafayette. We did have 13 assists on 27 field goals. I don't expect there to be many games where we shoot under 40% and win. This counts as one. A lucky one. As fans we don't like to see this type of a win so early in the season. There will be positives that come from this game. Noah took this game and put it on his shoulders in the First Half when it seemed we had lost control. As a freshman the only thing more impressive is his patience in hectic moments. This game was no fun for anyone. There is no sugar coating that. This is just one game that will help the kids that matter more than all of us. They are young, but they all helped us age a little more on this evening.   [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/articles.html/_/basketball/rapid-reactions/rapid-reaction-liu-brooklyn-vs-indiana-r85]Click here to view the article[/url]

Completely agree.  I personally think Will is better off of the bench.  A couple of years ago he was hot as a 6th man and we tried starting him for a couple of games.  Didn't work.  Crean even said then, for whatever reason Will can't get going at the start of the game.  I personally would like to see Will stay inside the 3 pt line to start the game.  Even if he would have hit the first few, it just makes him one dimensional when he is thinking 3.  Will is a smart kid though.  He will see it and come back better.  

  Ha, for me it would be that Minny guard that shot from his butt to beat us in the BTT.  That was what I was worried about.  

  I am a Bears fan, but this might be the single funniest tweet I have seen.  

  Ha, it is just a rough night for you man.  

  Knowing our luck, they will have like 5 total fouls for the game.  

87-68 IU.

heybec_, the replay is at 2 am tonight.  Not sure what nightlife you have, but you may want to drink if you relive the first half.  Or just set the DVR and FF through the painful game.  Don't know what was worse, Stephen Bardo or our play.     Edit:  I just re-watched part of the first half, and I think that made me want to drink.  It really was that bad.  

  They should have the replay on the BTN I would think within a day or so.  Don't know if you would want to put yourself through that pain.  You are a brave, brave soul.  

  No doubt about that.  I preferred Noah's game due to him being consistent and keeping us in the game.  Will's first half was a huge part of us being down.  He just did not stop shooting in the first half.  His mid-range opened up that outside shot.  He is just not an outside shooter.  If he lives at 15 feet we would have won by 10+ and he would have scored 25.  Easy to live in hindsight, but that has been his game for 4 years.  

  We shot 52 percent from the field.  Scored over 90.  It wasn't like they stopped us.  You said you can't look good and lose.  We did that game.  

  No.  They shot 37 FTs.  Made 35 of them.  This was the highest percentage made in the tournament for over 30 attempts.  That is why it seemed like 50.  

  We did against UK in the Sweet 16 two years ago.  

God that was ugly.

That is a MAN'S rebound!