lillurk

Some stray thoughts that fit here: 1. We know less about the non-conference schedule at this point than we usually do. Kinda itching to see what it looks like aside from the Atlantis tourney. 2. There’s a class of transfer candidates that will know their ability/level and be LOOKING to squeeze into a potentially winning roster. Think Anthony Walker last year, Max Bielfeldt in 2015-16, Lance Jones on the high end…often an upperclassman/grad who could get minutes at a lower level — and maybe he did — but he wants the big stage, and is looking to fit into a strong roster. I think IU has positioned itself well to grab one or two of those in the wing shooter, stretch big, backup C roles it might still fill. 3. I think @Brass Cannon said this in another thread but here’s hoping there’s a Harbaugh/UM football parallel here. He was BEYOND the hot seat in 2020, and took a pay cut, and had it been any normal year he might’ve been fired. But he’d had success relative to the recent baseline of the program in his UM tenure before then just couldn’t get over the hump (lol) of OSU. He humbled himself, changed DCs, got some culture pieces who happened to be quite good, and turned it around. We have to see it but broadly, that’s the hope. And the roster difference year-to-year shows some growth/learning, not just a talent upgrade.

I’m with the emerging consensus here. My roster fit concerns are already much lower than last year, the top of the B1G does not look as formidable as recent years (even if the median team is better), the level of proven production is much higher and requires fewer players to break out.

When I was in HS we (boys team) always 1) measured in shoes and 2) surely rounded up from at least .5. So you can easily get an extra 1” or 1.5” from those two in concert, as I’m sure you know.

Two things to add here: 1. Pretty sure I recall someone connected saying in Feb/March that Gallo had gone to the staff and said something like “I’m staying, I’ll be the 6th man if that’s what’s best, just go get Dudes.” Of course I can’t find that now, and can’t independently verify it, but that seems plausible (as does an inversion of that condo — coach tells senior “you’ll play plenty but as a gap filler”) 2. Gallo’s soph year — CMW’s first — is good proof of concept here, and was the design in ‘22-23 too until X’s injury forced their hand.

247 had him 66th, 78th in their composite. 16th center in both.

Looks like a strong defender from the #s too. Shot well at the rim — hit about 2/3rds of his non-dunks, about the same ratio assisted — but was 3/12 on other twos. So offensively, basically a center. Terrific rebounder on both ends. IMHO a good fit if he’s willing to play ~20% of minutes again as a sophomore while he grows his game…but if he wanted another year of that he could stay at Duke for it. Bet he ends up somewhere with a chance at a job share at least, maybe more.

In touch with Sean Stewart, the 247 scout on him out of HS has him as a switchy, strong, athletic 4 who has work to do to develop his offense and especially shooting: https://x.com/247hshoops/status/1781735192069132578?s=46&t=amyLA-ibyLT69zYMzsU5bA Didn’t take a 3 all year at Duke, pretty clear red light from Scheyer. But the 247 scout seemed to indicate he’s been working on it. Shot well from 2 in limited minutes, was a McD AA

I should add that while I like Walker for a bench guard role, it would not shock me if he looked elsewhere. He and Cupps play differently but I can’t imagine there are lots of PG minutes left after Rice, Trey, and Carlyle (? — not sure how much even KC will play the point). Cupps as a sophomore can probably handle what’s left.

Anderson’s one!

Yeah I am intrigued by Malone and I just outright like Anderson and Walker for the roles they'd have at IU. Don’t know that any of those three would have more $ elsewhere but could probably find more PT. Would be pretty pleased with the overall haul if it’s the three I named, Carlyle, and the two already in the fold.

Really interested to see where he lands. Early post-May hire, UM folks said it was M or FSU. Then Rooths tweets he’s 100% open. Probably bad news for M. I wonder if IU sniffed around before getting Tucker.

I think this was a classic “only takes one sucker” thing with the wizards. Not sure anyone else takes him lotto

Love his game. Feel pretty confident from the finalists and the publicly available info that a big rule is a priority and there’s nothing wrong with that — he’ll do great with a big role — but even just MM, MR, Trey back and a PG, it’s easy to start to see more competition for shots and PT

If I’m not mistaken the Michigan visit either hasn’t been scheduled or keeps getting pushed back. The mgoblog confidence level that he ends up there has diminished considerably in the last week or so.

Yeah no player is perfect, and I get the fit concerns w/Malik, but I think Ballo has the possibility of setting a really high floor for your team on defense and the boards almost by himself. IU hasn’t been as good as you’d hope in THOSE areas recently and not every player plugs every hole.

Agree, tend to think there may be more meat on the bone with Essegian than a Just A Shooter career. Torvik’s statistical comps for his Frosh year, using only other high-major freshmen are in the attachment. A serious # of pros, with some shot creation. Maybe he’s not super athletic but I don’t think he’s bad there: shot 61% at the rim and only about the same % were assisted, which is a pretty good proxy for being B1G-caliber athlete. If he can defend, and the sophomore slump was about injury and the Gard doghouse, I’d expect a nice bench microwave scorer for two years.

Feels a little like IU risked it last year for late portal movement — maybe Antonio Reeves? — and got bit. I like this approach better, get your work done and then ask for more cash late if you need more.

Gotta mean you put more $ in the Conwell kitty, right?

A lot of us have this with Painter, too, I believe. To me, yes, best case scenario in balancing those two feelings is 1) we win head-to-head, 2) ideally we’re better year-to-year (if not always, then at least much more often then post-2016), 3) they hilariously slip on a banana peel sometimes and 4) they don’t get titles. Unlike Painter, Pope probably can’t last forever at UK with a resume that has those blemishes.

Hootin, hollerin

Yeah, that’s what I meant and I’m sure @Feathery got that, I think we’re on the same page. Same’s true for 50%, since I didn’t go into decimals, maybe that’s rounded up from 49.5. And finally, there’s the sample size issue, in one season the difference for even a high volume shooter between 30% from 3 and 34% is maybe 6-10 makes.

While I agree with you that IU should’ve shot more 3s, should shoot more going forward, and that Woody’s public comments on this haven’t been helpful, his 2012-2013 Knicks led the league in 3s attempted: https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/2013.html He hasn’t adapted as the rest of the league has caught and passed that pace, though college is behind the NBA in this regard on average. Not defending last season at all. I wish he’d adapted earlier, been less stubborn, seen what we all saw last offseason. But my hunch is he is fine with good shooters shooting whenever they want (think of Mgbako, senior Kopp, Parker Stewart, even JHS, who’s closer to average shooting than these guys). Now, the scheme needs to focus on that too. But if IU has 3 or more guards who can drive and kick, play PNR well? There will be open looks.

Yes, great post, you’re not being a jerk! I will say: can’t pinpoint the episode but the Cleveland Cavs beat writer was on an episode of Zach Lowe’s podcast, The Lowe Post. He said something that stuck with me: The Cavs undertook a study within the last few years, basically a chicken/egg thing. They asked: does making 3s create offensive spacing, or does simply taking them create the threat and do so? And they found that spacing comes from 3pt volume, not accuracy.* So they signed Max Strus, and even though he shot 35% last year in Miami, and he’s about there this year, they’re pleased when he puts one up because it allows more room for Donovan Mitchell to drive, more room for their bigs to work inside, and so on. Put differently: yes, IU was a mediocre 3pt shooting team this year, but they probably still should’ve shot more, because trading a few forced 2s for some 3s opens things up, 3s provide more likely OReb opportunities, etc. *I would guess there’s a lower limit here. If Payton Sparks is hoisting every time he touches it from 30 feet in, that wouldn’t matter much.

Yes! Saw something similar earlier this year. Thanks for sharing. I don’t think CBB is quite caught up to the NBA in this regard yet.

I do actually buy this, and he’s still quite young (47, 4 ~years younger than Mark Pope, for example), that he could have a long career at his dad’s Alma mater. He’s proven to be quite a good executive, too. That’ll be great for navigating the new reality of college revenue sports. Trish is right, coaches get the itch to go back to the sidelines, especially someone so good at every part of the job. 1. get an NBA ring 2. kids age out of the nest 3. NCAA rules address some of the “Wild West” nature of the current landscape and maybe change the calendar to be less insane 4. IU needs a new leader… This gives me some peace about the long-term.