lillurk

Also he comes up in the Dawkins saga because he meets with Dawkins and Blazer and undercovers and says “whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it,” apparently with respect to recruiting players. I would not jump to conclusions that it means he’d run cash or trade favors inappropriately. Seems like he’s in a meeting with some handler-types and just says some boilerplate thing to me. I’m not naive, but this is far from concerning absent other stuff, and if there was “other stuff” it would’ve come up. This was a fed operation with subpoenas of bank records and so on.

Specifically mentions a 2 guard scorer and a combo forward https://www.insidethehall.com/2021/04/09/after-two-busy-weeks-mike-woodson-wants-to-keep-building-momentum/

Woody and co. deserve lots of credit for this offseason. I also think it shows IU can be players on the TR market and may benefit if an ongoing one-time free transfer rule is approved. (There’s probably a similar argument that IU would benefit from an NIL rule.)

I can see the argument to take a G/W or one of each and get an instant-impact FR or grad TR big next year. My hunch is Woody will be happy to have skilled offensive bigs, BUT could build a good team with a Tyson Chandleresque d, screens, dunks, and boards guy in the middle. But I think it’s a “bird in the hand” thing. If there’s a player who helps you after next year, go get him. Duncomb, Geronimo, that guy aren’t necessarily taking you out of the market for someone else next year (though I like those two lots). That still leaves you one spot for an off ball perimeter player

Chronic took some criticism on Twitter last night for suggesting we need post depth but I think his point was about the future beyond next year. In a “normal” year it’d be an ideal spot to take a sit out transfer. Might make sense to grab someone else’s decommited HSer from a coaching change or a more “project” guy who would know he had a shot at minutes in 2022-23 and beyond.

Yeah I tend to think Race can shoot better than we’ve seen.

To me, on this squad, he’s ideally a 2 with more handle than you have to have there. I’d hope X/KL/RP would handle most of the minutes at the 1. Stewart would probably do fine there if need be. As far as the 3, yeah, probably a little slight. I think you can get away with a 6’5” guy there against most teams for a good # of minutes

A lot of IU’s next target probably depends on 1) do they think Thompson can shoot well enough from 3 (~34% or better?) to play the bulk of the minutes at 4, and 2) can Hunter handle and defend well enough to do the same at the 3?

Yeah the sweet spot for this team is probably a 2/3 with good size and shooting, and Locke’s 6’2”. I’m optimistic you can cover most minutes at the three with Stewart, Hunter, and some combo of Leal, Galloway, Geronimo. But it’s easier to see how that might fail than everywhere else on the floor. Not because those options are bad, but because they’re better suited at 2, 4, or they need more seasoning

I like both and think either could carve out a role. I am also SO excited to have an IU squad with the depth not to need to depend on a player (or two) who are a year (or two) away from being solid contributors. The overwhelming bulk of minutes will go to players in at least their third year, except whatever time is carved out for a second year 5-star PG. if one of the other underclassmen gets high-leverage minutes, it will be because he earned them.

I agree, and he did some things well that portend well for his development, I think. Got to the rim and finished well, positioned well on defense, not scared. He needs to defend without fouling and fix his jumper, but IU’s depth next year should allow him a role he can fill more easily. I like him long-term as a secondary creator.

Keion isn’t in the portal (yet?) so you can’t add him unless you put “Keion Brooks Jr.;Kentucky” (spaced just like that, no quote marks) in the “add anybody” box.

A fun thought exercise: who are the best guards in the conference next year? As of now I think it’s, in some order: Jaden Ivey, Duane Washington, Andre Curbelo, Armaan Franklin, Xavier Johnson, and Parker Stewart.

And those examples you mentioned had good defenses! The last few years’ Michigan teams are good examples, too

As I mentioned in the transfer portal thread, adding Johnson here moved IU from projected 32nd next year to 22nd. https://barttorvik.com/rostercast.php (at some point it’ll be updated so Johnson is ON next year’s projection)