TrueHoosier62

And Gladys Knight would give us just as much a chance for another banner.

I thought Crean was a good coach, and what he did with the program after the Sampson debacle was nothing short of heroic; but it became apparent after four years that while he could win 20 games/yr, make the tournament and even win a few games there, his teams were flawed, and his inability to make ingame adjustments was a killer. Syracuse was like cryptonite. All four men were good coaches, just poor fits for IU.

I wish I could be more optimistic about IU's chances of hitting a home run with this next hire. The Davis hire seemed logical at the time; (senior laden team returning after coach Knight's dismissal, assistant under Knight, continuity, etc), but Davis simply wasn't good enough once Knight's influence, and players graduated. Kelvin Sampson should never have been hired, no matter what his qualifications were. He was a cheat at Oklahoma, we knew it, we still hired him, and he cheated again. Tom Crean was the "Hot" name in coaching, and the media thought we'd hit a home run. He wasn't a Rick Petino caliber coach, (ethics notwithstanding), Roy Williams, Bill Self, or John Calipari, (ethics notwithstanding). He was a mid major coach with a mid major game that was best suited for a mid major school. With respect, Archie Miller was Tom Crean part II. Hot candidate from a mid major school that was perceived to have been a homerun for IU by the media. Like Crean's game, it didn’t carry over to the big leagues. Now it would seem that we've swung and missed out on a top tier coach again, and will end up hiring another coach from a mid major, hoping that four years from now their program will have been good enough for the Big 10. I don't think any of the following coaches would be a Brad Stevens caliber coach, but IU should go for a John Beilein, Thad Motta, or Tony Bennett. Those three have shown they can build a good solid winning program without cheating at a major college level.

Agree 110%. IU has plenty of athletes who can hit shots, but no shooters.

You betcha.

Precisely.

I think perhaps I wasn't as clear as I should have been. Yes, players can develop a shot, but there's a big difference, in my opinion, between someone who can learn to knock down a shot, and someone who is a shooter. Joe Hillman could hit a shot. Rob Phinisee can hit a shot. Calbert Cheney, Steve Alford, Damon Bailey, & even Yogi Ferrell were shooters.

Whomever is brought in to coach IU, it mustn't be an emotional hire. I would love to see a former disciple or player for coach Knight take the reigns, but if they aren't the surest bet for IU's future success, then don't do it. I know this, we need to recruit Indiana shooters again. Defense can be taught, and instilled, but you can either shoot or you can't.

Good get

Admittedly, the idea was something that that just crossed my mind; hadn't really worked out all the details. Still, I think conceptually, the idea of tying tuition to a contract of say, three years, merits further fleshing out.

If my primary purpose here at Indiana is to go out and win ballgames, I can probably do that as well as anybody can. I would just cheat, get some money from a lot of people around Indianapolis who want to run the operation that way, and just go out and get the best basketball players I can. Then we'd beat everybody."

I see. My brain doesn't work as well as it used to. Anyone want to guess what Bob Knight might say about the current state of affairs? :-)

Strictly out of curiosity, why are you opposed to having student athletes, who default on what might be considered a contractual agreement with the university, pay back their tuition?

From ESPN to Pro Football Talk, sports are being destroyed by a barrage of bad news; some of it being premature, some of it inaccurate, and some of it outright lies. Adding to that nasty mess is the win at all cost attitude of some universities, coaches and alumni. Is it any wonder that college sports is becoming less and less watchable? I don't know where the answers lie, but I don't think it is in paying collegiate players. More likely, it's in creating an NBA farm system, (NBA, since we're talking about college basketball) that pays those talents willing to forego an education for the chance, (no matter how small) at stardom, and a big payday. For those who want an education, and something to fall back on in the event their skills and talent don't translate to the professional league, I'd propose making athletic scholarships contingent upon the recipient agreeing to play a minimum of two years, and possibly three, with the proviso that leaving any earlier will result in their reimbursing the university in full for the complete value of goods and services provided during their stay. If they complete all four years and graduate, no payback in required. Half baked idea perhaps, but it sounds fair to me.

While possibly a misunderstanding, I'd be more surprised if it was. Can't imagine the FBI would say anything without there being sufficient evidence to back it up.

Oakes for the win. IU 20 UM 17

Things keep up the way they're going and there won't be any place but IU for Langford to go. lol

Ooops.

I don't think our team will be as flashy offensively as it has been in recent years, but overall, it ought to be more balanced and solid, top to bottom. Can't wait to see how things develop with DeBord and with Allen calling the shots now. If nothing else, there should be fewer stupid gambles taken during the game.

I got so tired of reading yesterday's breaking "reports", from so called insiders that I decided to do my own investigative research. I started with the premise that most of the insiders who claimed to know this person's mother, or that person's mistress, probably knew neither. It's conceivable they did, but not likely unless they were buying pleasure by the pound on a Friday night in Bloomington, but I digress. The point is, they probably knew no more or less than any of us. With that in mind, I decided to consult the highest authority in the land, and the most accurate prognosticator known to man, the Ouija board. I climbed up into my attic to retrieve the dusty old thing, along with several pieces musty old IU sports books and memorabilia. I found the ancient Ouija board hidden behind six boxes of never used Christmas lights, two bags of clothes I haven't worn in thirty years and Jimmy Hoffa's corpse. I came back down and placed it in the middle of my bedroom, surrounded by cream and crimson candles, their wicks flickering in anticipation. I began various incantations that called upon the dark lords of the underworld and powers of evil to bestow upon me the gift of foresight and divination. Slowly, almost imperceptively, the planchette began to move, my fingertips barely making contact. At first, it took me to the letter "Z", and my mind raced throughout its diminishing grey matter to identify a young coach whose surname might begin with such a letter, but I could remember nothing. Knowing that this board was ancient and most likely in need of calibration, I smacked the ever lovin' dogsh¡t out of it and started again. This time, there was no mistake, its' movements were much smoother, more deliberate and sure, and in no time, I was staring at the letter "B". To say I was exited would have been an understatement. Brad Stevens or Billy Donovan, we were going to win no matter what! Quickly, my hands were then taken to the other end of the alphabet, and hovered most assuredly over the letter "R"! "Holy hookers of the underworld; we're going to get Brad Stevens”!!!! From there, my hands raced feverishly across the board, stopping here for one letter, there for another and all in the space of perhaps ten seconds, (or the length of time it took this year's squad to turn the ball over). I sat there, my hands finally at rest, my heart heaving in my chest, sweat pouring from my brow and my brain a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.....and confusion. For there on the paper beside the Ouija board, was the name "Branch McCracken". Clearly, I need to get a new board.

This sounds like something I'd have written. lol. God help us all.

If we were fortunate enough to land Donovan, that'd be a great get for us, and we'd all be tickled shitless, but let's face it, if Glass were to trot out Stevens, the roof would blow off this state.

The NBA is like the world's best looking, best equipped and talented hooker. It's difficult for some coaches to come back to the college atmosphere and date the pimpled girl from the third floor of Briscoe. I'd be surprised if either Stevens or Donovan are willing to change "neighborhoods".

This is known as a conundrum, and one that many IU fans are in these days. I wonder though, what if Alford were to win it all this year with UCLA, (not going to happen, but hey, for the sake of discussion), would those who are adamantly apposed to his being offered the job, relent? Personally, I'm indifferent on the subject. I just want to see us feared by the rest of the nation come tournament time. Whoever can accomplish that the fastest and with the most honor and integrity, gets my vote.

As far as I'm concerned, if we get either Donovan or Stevens it won't matter who leaves. No doubt there are players on the current roster whose style of play or demeanor wouldn't mesh with either coach's approach. Either coach could compensate for the loss of talent with shear teaching skills, (especially Stevens), and I've got to believe could still bring in good recruits even late in the spring/summer. In the end, new coach, new beginning, renewed patience.