Stuhoo

19 wins still oughta do it.

Win the first two and we could have a puncher's chance at making the NCAA tournament. For real.

I find it curious that with three or four games left, Drake and Harris are still listed as "out" for each game but not "out for the season," whereas a perma-injured Rayford is "out for the season."

FWIW; every time I discuss college sports with someone and I tell them I'm an IU alum, they immediately say (and it happened again last night) "damn, you guys are really kicking everyone's @$$!" No one under the age of 50 notices IU basketball unless they are a dedicated IU fan. Hopefully that will change, but that has been the reality for decades.

This is what it has looked like when Dan Hurley and Todd Golden succeeded greatly at P5 schools. This is what it has looked like when Archie Miller and others failed miserably at P5 schools. If anyone claims to know how this will turn out after 28 games with an under-equipped roster, they are very mistaken.

^^I can't like this post enough.^^ It is a reality-based description of 'normal' behavior when fans pay big money to show up and it goes badly for the team they care about. No one was booing IU football when there were 18,000 people scattered to watch them barely beat Akron or get pummeled by Wisconsin. The bit of booing is as normal as it gets when a player is basically a professional and doesn't perform. If you think it is misplaced? You are correct; Bailey seems like a very nice guy who took a massive payday to come to IU and try his damndest. If it's something you'd never do? I am with you - I will never boo an IU player in any sport. But to think that it's a big deal? It is not. If you boo the bad player on your local high school team when he just isn't up to the task that's pretty shameful. But this is as anticipated as it can possible get.

Great discussion! I was on the road yesterday and only heard Fish - haven't watched the recorded game yet, but some initial thoughts: This IU team has some guys that are really easy to root for; Enright, Alexis, Tucker, Lamar. But guys like Enright and Alexis are the kind of players that are truly beloved as eight or ninth options in a rotation, and we're needing to play them 30 minutes per game. As many have said, there are some serious roster deficiencies and that is on the staff. With this roster? "Expectations" are about where we are; a 17-20 win team when it's all said and done. Bailey and Conerway were epic high-cost misses. I think that Conerway is probably a bigger miss; he's played better than Bailey, but there is very likely an issue between him and the staff. He's significantly more talented than Enright, but the staff trusts Enright to play hard and with a great attitude, and Conerway has responded by severely pissing off the staff. When there are multiple extended losing streaks, things can mentally slide into the abyss in a hurry with 18-23 year olds. I'm guessing that has happened with Conerway. BTW, if you think it's an unusual problem at IU; just look at Purdump basketball. Their body language and attitude is super-sucky right now, and that is with a still-highly ranked team. Would not be the least bit surprised if an excellent attitude Northwestern team picks them off in Evanston this week. And that would be with 3* freshman guard Jake West matched up with Amish Boy. In summary? Things need to get better, but after 28 games I haven't made up my mind about whether they will. Anyone that is doing a self-congratulatory dance on Devries' grave is being premature, and anyone (not sure there is right now) thinking this is a likely success waiting to happen is also premature.

“It’s a great game atmosphere and a great campus. The team sucks…. Good thing I’ll be there soon to fix that.” Most high end recruits.

Starting two freshman and two sophomores, one of which missed most of the season? That would indeed be something.

Completely agree. Would love to be wrong, but MSU -3.5 is the bet here. They’ve got too much height and too much bounce.

Next you’re gonna tell me I have to root for Puredoo at OSU tomorrow. Not Gonna Happen

A win for Chris Beard? I’ll drink to that.

UF, Duke, Michigan. I’d be pretty damn surprised if anyone other than those three raises the banner.

Florida looks really dominant. That front line? wow

Arkansas QUARTERBACK Taylen Green checks in at 6’6”, 227 with a 4.36 and a 43.5 vertical. Holy ****

MSU + one of two = tournament for sure. That having been said, MSU is tall and bouncy and all in all a horrible matchup for our short, not-bouncy Hoosiers.

This. Frazier might be excellent, but this particular ‘might be excellent’ assistant coach was never going to work out of Btown.

The Muss Bus:

You can work with him on all of that—my wife has done wonders for me. But, to borrow a phrase,”You can’t teach 5’5”.”

And he thought long and hard about coming back to IU anyway. Top end players LUV us.

You are 4’11” and desire a quarterback? Have we got the fella for you:

Looks like 4.48 is average. A 4.43 for a guy that blocks like a demon is getting notable.

The buck ALWAYS stops with the head coach.

Iowa and UCLA on the bubble and need to get the job done against bottom dwellers: