lillurk

We’re due for a long Memphis drought here. They’re up 9 with 15:14 left. Alabama wins if it hits a near-average number of threes down the stretch.

Yeah really thought Nebraska might be alright until they lost to someone terrible opening night (not looking it up, feeling lazy)

Trying not to be overly optimistic. The number of returners and the recruiting success indicate the vibe is good.

As soon as I saw USPS post about Cleveland State I knew what to expect. Love it

…and I meant to add that if IU cleans up some of its other issues (TOs, PG and bench consistency), then it stands to reason that wing defense could be one of the things that limits its ceiling this year unless, like, Galloway or Geronimo or Bates really transforms into a DUDE on that end by Feb/Mar. The D is quite good, the O is too, if it improves how well it takes care of the ball. But you can imagine an endgame with this team where it plays a good game against a good team in the tourney — scores ~1.05 points/possession, say, and sound play on both ends — but the best player on the opponent is some future NBA all-star for whom IU currently has no stopper. So they do alright, he hits a bunch of high difficulty shots, and you tip your cap. We’ll be back, you tell yourself, and when we’re back Bates won’t be so green or slight, Geronimo will be a one-man trap, Jakai Newton will eat someone’s lunch then pack him in the cooler, and so on.

Yeah I think in terms of team defense, they’re pretty sound. Stewart is a little foul-prone but he’s often asked to guard an opponent’s best perimeter player, not including PGs. The comparison upthread unfavorable to him vs. JBJ was too harsh. But they both have an athleticism deficit vs. wings that really put heat on you with the dribble. You can usually hide one of those guys, but it’s really hard to hide two at the same time. Absent injury or Bates REALLY coming on, I think the starting lineup probably stays the same this year, but there are some ways to mitigate this: 1. Since Stew and Kopp have overlapping skills, stagger their minutes somewhat. Ideally neither spends much time guarding the opponent’s first or second perimeter option. So if you start them together, one sits pretty early (~16 minute timeout, when CMW doesn’t often sub). When he comes back, the other sits. (See #2 for one workaround) 2. Play Kopp at the four more. This is harder to do if Durr and Geronimo are dependable but he gives you a different look. In theory this might make it easier to hide both guys defensively simultaneously. Unfortunately both of the above require more dependable contribution from bench guards/wings. I think Bates can get there, and Galloway if he comes back healthy. Leal has been close — he probably gives a little more (though less height) on D and slightly less on O than these two right now. If you want to tip the scale both smaller and more towards defense, you can solve some of these issues with more Phin at the 2.

Would like to see a QB and some OL reinforcements, to be sure. I think it’s partially a strength-begets-strength thing: IU’s defense was pretty good, all things considered, in spite of tons of injuries. So guys want to join a good unit. The offense, however…one of the worst units of an organized football team I’ve ever seen. Some of that is explained away by injury, as the offense looked okay with Mathews, Penix, and more than one D1 scholarship running back.

Yeah it’s good for him to get run in games like this and I have been team “can’t be worse” re: backup pg minutes. But maybe it can be worse! And of course we all know Phin can be better than he’s been this year.

He can play, I guess? https://mobile.twitter.com/ESPN_BillC/status/1469014464125153282

This is how I’d expect them to start. Stew on Davis, X on Hepburn can limit X’s fouls early, Kopp probably isn’t at an athleticism disadvantage against Davison and his height can be an asset.

And the FSU offense was…fine. Not great, but 31st in success rate, 26th rushing SP+, 44th passing.

Per SP+ his offenses are Arkansas State ranked in the 50s. That’s pretty good for inherited talent at a lower-tier job.

Also, IU won comfortably and X finished with 3 fouls. Think he would’ve played more than 16 minutes if the margin got closer, and CMW was teaching.

I think even in high times IUFB probably needs to get a good haul in the portal so this is good news

Can he suit up tomorrow? I like our guards but I can’t wait for JHS

Yes, looks like 247 updated their own ranking of 2021s about four times after the same point last year (and because other rankings updated at other points, the composite was adjusted about nine times before the CBB season started).

Forget who tweeted this around IU’s first game (Schumann or Osterman, I think) but TJD is IU’s youngest starter in the X/Stew/Kopp/Race/TJD lineup. I feel like you can tell there’s a ton of experience in the way they play.

Yeah I can’t imagine ANY defensive system would take years for adults to learn? I know that was bandied about by archiphiles but I don’t think the man himself said it. Such an obvious tell

At some point I wonder if Underwood benches Curbelo and moves Frazier to the point. You lose some dribble-drive dynamism but probably gain shooting whoever you play over Curbelo, and waster fewer possessions. I recall thinking Curbelo was flashier than conducive to winning when Archie was after him. He may still shake the TO habit, may become a passable 3-pt shooter, but probably got the keys at least a year too early

I think the Loyola-Chicago blueprint is a good play, too, make Kofi guard a million PNRs

I would rank S16/E8 week above these and then same order

I don’t have the splits but I would guess he’s much better on the catch. A “just a shooter” offensive role lets him do what he’s best at on that end

Yeah I think the St. John’s game showed that. Phinisee may be better suited for a catch-and-shoot, lock up on defense, secondary ball-handler role if KL is ready

Thanks, OF, good piece, @Mike Schumann. “Don’t leave the weak side to block a shot” is a great example of a sound defensive rule you coach your bigs to know when to break. Sounds like Archie was dogmatic instead of practical about it.