lillurk

Yeah I was convinced he was brought in to be a culture / depth backup and he would have been fine in that role. Then he started the first game. Obv injuries played a part but if there are things that concerned me, big picture, about DDV this year it’s roster stuff: no reason Enright should’ve been expected to be anything as critical than he was, and the lack of frontcourt depth. Now, hard to know what role injuries played in both those situations — did they think Harris would give them a serviceable 3rd big? Did the Drake/Dorn/Conerway injuries have an impact on the backcourt? Yes to the second question, but even with Dorn and Conerway healthy, wayyy too much rested on a below-avg 6’1” guy who couldn’t get to the tin or credibly guard up the spectrum.

He’s terrific; my only questions with May are 1. when does he get a title, and how many?, and 2. does he eventually leave for an NBA job?

Agree on the UW parallel; both good programs that are 2nd fiddle to proud and consistent football programs. Also true that UW has been consistently good at hoops and yet the ceiling for programs like this is rarely f4 high.

I think it’s possible McCollum genuinely will punch above his weight but he said himself as recently as last week that the guys who came in this year with him could’ve had more $ going elsewhere. I applaud their loyalty, and maybe the proof of concept if and when Stirtz is a first round pick helps close the gap; some guys may give up $ now for PT and the chance to play early or think they’ll get drafted and make it up in earnings later. But I’m curious about a post-Stirtz McCollum at a place with Iowa’s resource limitations, too, despite thinking he’s a good coach.

Correct. The problems of recent vintage IU teams have been myriad, but even the successful teams should have added more talent than they did — with senior TJD we barely had 6 giys we trusted. Nothing that happened this year made me think DDV would fail at IU, though the thing that came closest was the roster. The good news is he sees to know it based on radio show comments and the Carr hire, and of course the proof was in the pudding. Go get good players. Easier said than done, I guess, except inasmuch as this year’s team was basically what everyone thought they were; flup a NU game or two and they have the outcome we’d be more or less satisfied with this year. Aim higher.

Not sure the whole backstory with Bostad leaving UW but a friend from up there told me recently that Bob left to go somewhere that would play with the NIL big boys. At the time UW didn’t have their house in order. Of course now they’re trying to salvage Fickell’s tenure but speaks broadly to the significance of the groundwork Dolson etc. laid not just toward acquiring on-field talent but coaching talent too.

Anyone else feeling bittersweet that we may never see a team so special again? That we don’t get another game to watch? I can’t wait for the ‘26 team but there’s no topping perfection. And yet: ‘24-present IUFB is the best sports story of basically any lifetime, and we get to watch chapter 3 starting with spring ball.

Rabby has a recap interview, I haven’t read it but seems like he saw a lively crowd

The Sorsby mystery for me is why they’d set the market with him as opposed to anyone else. Seems they’re going to pay All-American prices for a guy who may be 2nd-team all-conference or honorable mention. If the wheel spins, you’ve got the cash, and he’s the last good guy left? Yeah, pay up. But splashing out early surprises me a bit.

Last night really sold me on him as a high-level perimeter defender. Not JUST that he gave Haggerty the business but the way it happened: TOs, not getting to his spots or having space to shoot, giving up ~3 inches to a legit high-major scorer/all-american caliber player.

Mgoblog Purdue defense film scout from earlier in the year: https://mgoblog.com/content/fee-fi-foe-film-purdue-defense-2025 Offense, though at this time they still had Mockobee: https://mgoblog.com/content/fee-fi-foe-film-purdue-offense-2025

Any idea if potential bowl game tickets on the secondary market are going to be higher or lower between now and the quarterfinals?

Who’s visiting this weekend?

We knew what we were in for. The goal is winning, attracting talent, and playing a pleasing style of basketball; taking a reasonable volume of 3s does all those.

Tend to agree but from the outside adidas has always seemed to have a strangely zero sum view about these things. Obviously with individual recruits it is zero sum — Thompson can’t pick KU and IU — but other than when they play each other head-to-head it isn’t really true that Kansas and Indiana can’t both succeed at a high level. Conversely, Nike seems much better at supporting UNC and Duke, UM and MSU, so on.

Appears he’s the highest rated player in the 2027 composite who’s committed anywhere. (Missouri has a guy who’s committed in the same neighborhood of the rankings, 35th composite/31 to 247, vs. 33/43 for Chase.)

https://twitter.com/tiptonedits/status/1969522545515773997?s=46

Committed!

On your description this is exactly the sort of kid that’s a bit of a stay away for me. Not a character judgment or anything, but a competitive/resource heavy recruitment with the chance to be more frustrating than helpful to winning for one year…

“First open practice since the Crean era” is so insane

Yeah I think there was an easy case that McNeeley made a decision that made sense, but it doesn’t seem to have worked out in a way that helped him. Now, injuries have something to say, and he might’ve done quite well in a jumbo JHS role at IU too, but in hindsight it didn’t work out as planned for him. Best of luck to him in the league.

DeAndre Ayton one recent example

Now the inverse of the concern is the possibility of something like Conerway, Leal, then any 3 of Dorn, Miles, Harris, and Alexis as a pretty nasty unit defensively that still has some shooting and ball movement, if — big if — one or more of the younger guys really gets after it on that end

One thing I’ll be watching: how often does IU trot out a lineup without at least one of Conerway, Alexis, or (if waiver granted) Leal? Those are the only surefire plus defenders I see at this point. Most others have experience, high bb iq, or athleticism to help on that end, and maybe it won’t be a problem…but there are some pretty likely lineup combos* that could be a serious concern on that end. *e.g. Enright, Wilkerson, DeVries, then 2 of Goode/Harris/Bailey…reasonably likely lineups based just on a back-of-the envelope depth chart.

The Harris bug on Torvik is driving me insane. I’m genuinely glad you’ve mentioned it repeatedly because I know I’m not simply losing my mind