Scooter D

Having given it some thought, CTC should obviously be managing the roster better, but if we think about it, in the first three years under CTC, IU was never going to score a quality big man. We just weren't good enough. In 2011, we score CZ, an in-state 5-star kid. Great, we think we are getting on the right track. Everyone figures that he at IU for at least 3 years. Now we have a quality big. He decides in 2013 to bolt for the NBA, ok that sucks, but no problem, in 2013 we bring in 5-star NV and 4-star LF, plus at this point, I beleive that we still have TL, a 5-star in-state kid committed to coming to IU. Great. Things are looking up, but in 2014 everything falls to ****. NV decides to go pro, which everyone, except NV and his agent knows is a bad idea. LF leaves. Even if NV leaves after one year, we, including CTC, probably thought that we had a very serviceble big man for years to come, with TL still in the wings. Then TL gets the better offer and the train wreck has finally come to halt. I think that the situation that IU is in is part due to their own success and at the same time a little bad luck and trying to compete with the likes of UK, which we clearly cannot do. For all coaches, except Calipari, recruiting is a lot about relationships, and CTC probably stoped making those contacts and building those relationships because we had big men coming out of our *****. Now don't get me wrong, CTC is still to blame for this, as he never should have stopped recruiting big men, but I think that he needs to adjust his tactic. He needs to be going after a high 4-star, who will stick around to give the team some stability. Stability is really what the team needs more than anything. FFS, Painter has Hammonds, who should be, given is talent but is too lazy, a top NBA prospect, but did Painter rest there, no he went out and got another 7-footer. He was not a highly prized recruit, but he will be there for a few years. My point being is that it appears that CTC can recruit the big man, but getting the right one to stay is the problem and the key.

If we, the fans, are just recognizing this now, that is baffling.  

This is pathetic. FFS..when I was at school, you know how many tickets a season that I got? 6 and only 4 were Big 10 games. It didn't matter where the seats where, I went. No complaining about that the fact that 2 of those games were always balcony seats, I went. I had to stand in line outside AH on a saturday for 8 hours to turn in my application for seats with my buddies.

I think that this is a great idea. Personally, I don't care about the NBA, so I would see it as a big middle finger to the NBA and the stupid one-and-done rule. It would certainly make college hoops better. You would get better player development and hopefully more roster stability. But sadly, in this day, it will never happen. At the very least they should do it so that it shows that colleges and universities are about the kids and academic and not all about the almighty dollar.

Yogi has shown outstanding leadership this year and great decision making...and I think that he has finally become the player that we thought he would.     As for if he is ready for the NBA or not...he probably is, although from what I have seen, he is late first round to second round, so if he sticks around for his senior year, maybe he can earn some hardware to boost his stock (not sure if everyone has seen, but he was left off the Wooden Award Top 20.  How?  That is beyond my comprehension.).  I would hope that he would rather play for IU for another year then play in Europe.  

Or maybe CTC is recruiting him harder so he can have a year to learn under Yogi's tutelage and so IU does not have to start a Frosh PG? 

Road wins at this point, especially where IU is at in the standing, are crucial.     Being able to win on the road will be the factor that either keeps IU in the top 4 in the conference or not.  A lot riding on this one.     I honestly think that we are in for a long night.  As others have noted, this team is not a road team.  Those Maryland fans are going to be U-G-L-Y tonight.  

This UK team has to be the worst undefeated team ever.

But with Iowa's help, the Hoosiers are back in a 4-way tie for 2nd. Does this log jam in the middle prove that the Big 10 is good or bad? Can't figure it out.

Look at Tony Bennett taking a time out knowing that this is a huge posession. Who would have thought.

The Big 10 standing are sickening. 

Watching some of the Temple game...that is a school that the Hoosiers need to get back on the schedule. 

Do you are care to elaborate? 

Nothing will happen to either school...the NCAA and ESPN have too much to lose to let that happen. 

This is the only thing that I am going to say tonight, but if Crean does not go out tonight and pay a good big man to come to IU next year, he needs to be fired.    Like I have said before, maybe not having big men worked in that Micky Mouse league that he came from, but not here.  This is the big time.    That is all.  Good night.

Just throwing this out there, but the next pick'em which DD is commentating, there needs to be a over/under on how many times he mentions Ohio St or Urban Meyer.

I think that this has a lot to do with why scoring is down.  For the most part, kids are going to college from H.S, where they dominated and really did not play against good defenses; however, the step up to college often shows that they were scorers and not necessarily shooters (for example, it is clear, at least to me, that Troy was probably more of a scorer, given his superior athletic ability; whereas, JBJ is clearly a great shooter with a scorers mentality).  The good ones move on to the NBA after a year and the schools are left with players who probably have not adapted or adjusted to more intense defenses.      I am still not sure why people want to make it like the NBA.  The NBA is one of the worst products out there, in my opinion.  No one plays defense and typically there are two passes or less (usually less) and a shot goes up.  They don't really do a lot to move the defense and most of the time, it is someone just trying to create something out of nothing.  The NBA was a lot better when you had more refined players (those with 3-4 years of college ball)being drafted.  

So, I am watching this Kansas-Iowa St game and the dopes doing the commentating are talking about how the shot clock needs to be lowered because scoring is down in college hoops. Perhaps someone out there can explain this insane idea that all of these ESPN commentators seem to be throwing out there to me? Do they honestly think that giving already bad shooter less time to take a shot will result in more points per game? IMO, the big reason why scoring has been dropping in college hoops is due to the stupid one-and-done NBA rule. The NBA is sucking all of the "talent" out of college hoops; thereby making college coaches play more guys that are not ready to play. What am I missing?

I'm in.  Going for the 3-peat!

A win is a win. The team looked rattled the last game...i hope that this game helps them get their confidence back and get the offense moving again. Defense still needs to be better and they need to cut down on the turnovers. As for next game...I see a repeat of the last two road games...and maybe Crean will then go directly from that game to recruiting a big man...although I doubt that he has learned that lesson yet. You might have been able to get away without having a big man in the Micky Mouse league that he came from, but not this one.

...and we thought that Mayland was overrated?

Huge game tonight...please show no mercy and destroy what, if any, dignity they have left.  

This. I think that this was probably expected after the game against Maryland. I would expect an even wider margin of loss at Maryland, unless this team learns to play D. Thank you OSU for bringing us all back to earth.

CBS in the ATL is showing IU vs OSU. UVA vs VT is on the WB. Might have to watch some of UVA game just to see how good they are.

Not sure what exactly it is about this team, but it kind of feels like the 2011-2012 team, but I am a little more anxious with this team. I guess that I had more confidence in that team, but I hope this team can achieve what that team did. By way of comparison...that team also got an early season beat down by Mich. St., but let's hope that this team does not have a 3-game Big 10 losing skid.