BGleas

He really is a joy to watch! I just can't stand to root for anything Iowa.

I hate that I have to hate Bennet Stirtz.

That's a really solid non-conference resume win, especially given the margin of victory. I thought DeVries did an excellent coaching job the last 5 or so minutes of the first half going back to Tucker and Alexis offense for defense to stretch the lead back out. Many coaches would have just sat them the rest of the half.

So sad! I was working for the Celtics when we got him at the trade deadline during the 2001-2002 season and made a run to the ECF. He was an incredibly nice person. Very respectful and engaging with all the front office staff, etc. Not all players are. So sad what happened to him after his playing days.

DeVries took 11 3's. He just wasn't hitting tonight. Both he and Wilkerson missed some wide open ones that they normally make.

This game only worries me if its a trend, and so far its way more of an outlier. Our defense was fine, we just didn't make the shots and free throws we normally. Not great for the metrics, but most teams have a game like this. Just can't make it a trend.

That was so fun. So excited to have a well coached team that is skilled, plays hard and plays smart. So refreshing!

There was a PnR play at the top of the floor early in the 2nd half the other night with Conorway and Bailey. It was perfect, Bailey rolled and got a wide open dunk. The floor was spaced with DeVries and Wilkerson on opposite wings and Enright spread out too. All I could think about was that Woodson would have run that PnR with non-shooters on the wing and most egregiously another big sitting on the opposite block completely clogging the lane. Probably would have resulted in Xavier Johnson or Myles Rice forcing a pass in traffic and a turnover.

Almost as impressive as our 3pt and free throw shooting, is that we only gave up 4 3pt attempts and zero makes. We're no longer getting crushed from 3 by a low-major.

Bilas is so annoying on this topic.

I hear what you're saying, but most of those same publications had Dusty May's Michigan, Maryland and Wisconsin rated in that same range ahead of last season, while having IU a top 3 team. I get it though, we spent a lot of money on the roster, so you'd hope there would be more preseason momentum behind us. Also just because those aforementioned teams out-paced projections last year it doesn't mean IU will this season. What has me cautiously optimistic are a few things. 1. We brought in a lot of experienced, proven guys, albeit at the mid-to-low major level. 2. We brought in a lot of skill and shooting, not just raw athleticism. 3. While DeVries wasnt really on my radar, i remember watching Drake in their conference tournament championship game in DeVries last season there, and thinking, 'i wish we had guys like that and I wish we played like that.' 4. He's from the Creighton/McDermott tree, and same thing there. Watching Creighton in the tournament this past season, I just loved the way they played. If our offense is anything like that, we should compete and be fun to watch. 5. I loved his answer at the Winery thing when asked about the 5 being a weakness. I feel like our last two coaches would have agreed with the question and then said they have to recruit better. DeVries didn't agree it was a weakness, said he liked his guys at the 5, but did acknowledge rim protection will be an issue and that the coaching staff will need to develop schemes and coach the 5 to be a strength. I dont know, I just really liked that answer. Really long story short, I get your skepticism especially with how much money IU spent, but I think this team has a chance to be really fun to watch and to outperform the preseason rankings like Michigan, Maryland and Wisconsin last season. We'll see.

This is partly why the Alexis signing is interesting to me. Apparently he's had a higher offreb rate in his career than TJD, Ware or Ballo. One of the best 3's you can shoot is the kickout 3 from an offensive rebound. If Alexis can translate that to IU, it will be a big asset.

I lean Conerway. Like that he was POY in his conference, that says something. Like that he's a good defender and was a strong finisher at the rim. With our shooters, we need guards that can get into the paint and both finish and kick out. I dont love how much Mack's shooting efficiency dropped with the move from Harvard to Georgetown.

And yes, he's definitely NOT the #2 ranked Center in the portal. Not sure where that came from? He's a solid piece, especially if he's behind Lendebourg, Wolf and Johnson in their front court rotation. Though, I have a hard time believing all four of those guys end up there.

Where are you seeing Mara as the #2 ranked center in the portal? I guess it's splitting hairs, as your point that Dusty is killing it in the portal at least optically still stands, but a quick look at CBS's rankings (probably not the best but it popped up first) has Mara as the 7th ranked Center.