Stuhoo

And JUSTLIKETHAT Kentucky pulls ahead by seven midway through the second half... ... ... ... only to then give up a scoring run. Santa Clara by four at the under eight timeout.

Crean wasn't mediocre; he was consistently inconsistent. Solid peaks and real valleys. And he wore out his welcome after nine years. For sure, he was better than the two coaches that followed, but that doesn't mean he should have stayed after nine years. I'm a fan of the previously stated strategy of giving each coach a fair chance to be the decades-long great coach, and when that is clearly proven to not be the case? Try, try again.

Hot seat and he'll be back next year = terrible situation. Feels like next year he will have some well paid mercenaries that won't gel and will beg off with some vague injury early. Or, they can win today and go on a run. But the former is far more likely.

Keeensucky down two to Santa Clara at the half. UK with major size and athleticism advantages... shoots 15 three balls in the first half ... makes four of them. And makes one free throw in the first halfThey look confused and sleepy. I will now show a graphic depicting Kentucky's currently signed freshman recruiting class for next season:

Those VCU guards played like they had rocket jets coming out of their a$$es. Super-fun to watch.

His recruiting profile picture on 247 screams "My agent just informed me that I'm going to be in West Lafayette for four years:"

Yes - culture can be built quickly. But building that culture does not necessarily immediately show in the won/loss column. I am certain that Todd CreeperGolden and Danny AngryHurley started building a winning basketball culture immediately, but it took a few years for the fruits of that culture to be evident. Of course, many other coaches that weren't immediately great in the won/loss column were ... just not great. We will have portal transfers, and we will see them as soon as the portal opens. Those portal transfers are a two-way street; they can be dissatisfied player-originated or they can be 'staff dumping bad culture players' oriented. For me Trent Sisley is a bit of the IUBB canary in the coalmine; if he stays even after receiving minimal late season playing time I am far more optimistic about the culture that CDD is establishing.

If we're going to have college sports be amateur sports, make it that way for both the players and the team stakeholders. In other words, ticket prices that reflect solely the cost of keeping the lights on, volunteer coaches, and open free access for anyone to broadcast the games. In that scenario the players won't have a case to be paid.

The "I Love You I Love You I Love You" sweater from the coach who is "widely regarded as one of the best recruiters in the sport" is... AwkwardCreepy.

Me too. That's the perfect sauce. Give a coach enough time to be sure about him and to lower the buyout, and then move on as soon as we're sure he's not the decades-worthy choice. The beauty of it is that IU has plenty of resources to retain that great coach once we find him. It took IUFB 80 years of rotating through head coaches to find that right choice; currently IUBB has gone 24 years without that great fit. So give CDD a real shot and if he's not it, then keep trying!

“Alex, I’ll take 1,800 word book reports on IUBB for $400.”

Dybansta with the NBA quality ‘didn’t get touched fell like he was shot’ flop-a-rooski!

The Dusty Discount Yaxel Landenborg says he turned down three times as much from UK to play for Dusty instead of Pope: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48250755/kentucky-pope-sounds-lendeborg-claim-refute

Back handed compliment to Conerway! "You're good enough to be throwing games when you're that bad!" lol

DUCK! I mean... Duke!

Sienna by four over Duke with 12:30 left in the game is... worth noting.

Sienna by 6 over Duke nine minutes in is worth noting.

Sure, it's only six minutes in, but Siena-12, Duke-10 is worth monitoring.

Bobby Bags is an interesting IUBB Tweeter follow. And the thing from a week ago where he promotes the Tyme post? Aye caramba. Ahhhh, I love a spicy IUBB mystery, even when it turns out to be a debunking exercise.

Don't be sad; our program is taller and better paid than Gabe Cupps will ever be! :]>}

Gabe Cupps now has more NCAA tournament points than the entire Indiana University Men's Basketball program over the last three years.

Every personnel situation is different. Cig replaced a "who cares" football coach with no support and few personal connections to the university. It was a clearly different situation replacing Mike Woodson with his ties to the Board of Trustees and significant boosters. Dolson did not have the ability to "man up" and leave Woody's things in boxes in the parking lot. Sure, Dolson could have resigned if he felt strongly enough, but instead he was patient and ended up with the head coach he wanted for both slots.