HoosierTrav

Random thought during the game…. Would love to pair Caiden Curry opposite to Kamara.

New coach needs to establish his culture. Very difficult to do that with holdovers from previous staff. Hulls would be easy to retain imo. I like Walsh as well. He is formidable and really gets limited by the head coach. Landed McNeeley and had us in consideration with many others that we had no business being involved with, due to lack of effort from the head guy. Agree with your position on Fife. We can do better. He’s too polarizing and that seems like it can and has caused distractions.

I respect your opinion. I hope you’re right. I’m also not arguing that Dolson or Whitten aren’t capable of making a good hire. Just stating that I don’t have faith in that happening….. This isn’t the first 2nd or 3rd rodeo I’ve gotten my hopes up for. This time around, I’m too apathetic to be moved by anything other than an hire that actually moves the needle.

Fantastic!

Does he know this? Honest question.

I hope so as well. I’d be lying if I said I was optimistic.

My instincts and past experiences tell me that the basketball program is heading for a rough stretch. I have no confidence that this situation will be handled properly to facilitate a quick turnaround by the 2025-2026 season. Here’s how I see things playing out: Woodson, Buckner, and whatever supporters they have left will likely resist any changes fiercely, throwing up every possible obstacle to sabotage any moves Dotson tries to make. Based on Woodson’s past willingness to alienate fans (dismissing legitimate criticism as coming from “true fans”), I wouldn’t be surprised if he frames any decisions about his future as racially charged attacks rather than acknowledging his failure to meet not only the program’s expectations but also the lofty goals he set in his initial press conferences. Ultimately, IU will either cave to pressure of some kind or fall back on their historically questionable decision-making. They’ll either keep Woodson (unlikely) or make another baffling hire. Then we’ll be gaslit into believing that this new hire is the one to turn the ship around—despite every instinct telling us otherwise. I hope I’m wrong, but history doesn’t offer much encouragement. Kathy has said before that things operate a certain way at IU, and I fully expect the status quo to continue. Still, I’d love to be proven wrong. At least there’s Cig and the football program to look forward to. The days of relying on basketball as the university’s only beacon of hope are gone. Right now, I’m completely apathetic toward the basketball program, and I don’t see that changing unless the next coach starts proving themselves on the court instead of in preseason hype.

Stud.

Four D2 transfers he’s doing this with. FOUR!! I’m going to be sick if he isn’t given any consideration. I’ll be dead if he’s hired inside of the conference. He will be leading a P4 team next year or the year after. Book it.

This is so bad. I don’t gamble but if I did, I wouldn’t bet on Indiana Basketball making any return to it past winning ways. Sad. Glad we have football while it lasts.

Thank you! Would be something if he were to actually read it. I’ll say this: I fully trust Dolson to make the best hire for IU. I just hope he’s built up enough political capital to make the decision without others trying to force their way into the process.

Oh…. So he is obtainable…. Nice to know.

Replacing a shitty ball coach.

For years, a large group of fans, warned that apathy was creeping into the program. Those warnings were often met with laughs or dismissed by Fans who blindly supported every decision the program has made, no matter the results. Now it seems those warnings are becoming reality. The hiring of Curt Cignetti and his immediate success on the football field has given fans something else to focus on. Something more functional, exciting, and rewarding than the dysfunction in the basketball program. The usual excuses for the basketball program no longer hold weight. The curtain has fallen and the truth is hard to ignore. To me this feels like karmic justice. Cignetti had to fight for fan support, practically begging people to show up and back the team. What did it take? Winning! Immediately. At Indiana. In football. That’s historically unheard of. Basketball never had to fight for that support. Fans have always bought into the manufactured hype, paid their money, and showed up. No matter what. But Mike Woodson hasn’t done anything to earn that blind loyalty. He hasn’t done enough to “put ***** in the seats”, and honestly, I’m fine with that. He finds himself in this situation where fans aren’t showing up because it’s deserved. “Build it and they will come.” -Curt Cignetti This philosophy should hold true for the basketball program too. Fans deserve a program worth their time, money, and passion. Maybe it means I’m not a “true fan” but I’m hoping that the fans are actually holding those in charge accountable to finally deliver a winner.

I need juicy rumors to fantasize about ladies and gents. Football doesn’t fire back up for two more weeks.