BGleas

I know. The only players I really, really like on this team are TJD, and then the hope of what Phinisee, Hunter and Smith could/would be if healthy (Phinisee and Hunter) or developed with skill (Smith). Everyone else is kind of “meh” as players on top tier teams.

I think the biggest reason IU isn't ranked is the margin of victory in these recent wins. I think the Wisconsin loss could be overlooked and even squeaking by UConn, if we had taken care of business against Nebraska (shouldn't go to OT at home against that team) and if IU had held the lead against ND. I think it's really those last two games, Nebraska and ND. I know Nebraska beat Purdue, but that was at home. At home IU should beat Nebraska going away, not have Nebraska force an OT. If IU had passed the eye test against Neb & ND, we'd be ranked.

Fine, call it ugly. It’s going to be that way this season because we don’t have an elite guard or wing. IU is going to have to gut out a lot of wins, unless Phinisee makes a leap now that he’s healthy (which is possible), Green magically becomes consistent (less likely) and/or Hunter or Anderson make an in-season offensive leap (not sure if that can happen). An ugly, gut it out win is still a win and if IU can get 20+ of those then we’re a tournament lock.

Yeah, TJD struggled tonight defensively on the perimeter. He’s had games where he did well out there, but not tonight. I noticed out of a late timeout IU came out switching all screens, which isn’t normal for us. Archie was have been trying something different defensively since we were getting torched.

I’ll take the win. I’m an Archie supported, but I’m also fair and willing to criticize when warranted. I thought Archie was bad tonight. It was plain as day that the big lineup was killing IU. With Smith on the wing and two bigs that can’t shoot, Nebraska just packed the paint all night. Not only did it mean TJD didn’t have room to operate, but also none of guards could get to rim. It took Archie 30 minutes to recognize. Once he moved Smith to the 4 and and went smaller, Smith thrived operating at the foul line and TJD finally had room operate.

Agree with your post, but wanted to specifically mention this last part. I completely agree. Did you see in the Wisconsin game when they came back from a timeout and highlighted Trice basically running Wisconsin's timeout? Name me one guy on IU's roster that is capable of that or willing to be that kind of leader? There just isn't anybody, and there certainly isn't anybody in the senior and junior classes or in the class that just graduated that can do that.

Agree completely, on both points. In terms of Archie being 'overwhelmed', he doesn't strike me as the type of guy that gets overwhelmed or lacks confidence very easily. I'm sure he knows what he's doing and what needs to be done. How it executes remains to be seen, but he's not 'overwhelmed'.

Like I said from the outset, Archie holds responsibility for some strategic things. The players hold responsibility for not coming ready to compete and play.

If it becomes a persistent problem, yes it’s on Archie. As of now this has only happened once this season.

Agree almost completely. A game like yesterday, as far as the effort and mentality at least, is on the players IMO, as an isolated game. If it becomes the norm, then it’s a program problem which absolutely falls on the coach. Im not ready to say, yet, that this is a problem for Archie. If it continues this season, then yes I agree.

What are you talking about? I never said anything about Archie not having to help the players. Archie absolutely holds blame for some strategic things that went wrong yesterday, which I previously said. But, Al Durham’s job is to come to the arena ready to play and compete. Joey Brunk’s job is to show up ready to play and compete, etc., etc. Players hold responsibility too. While your job as a leader at work is to put your employees in the right position to succeed and to develop strategies that will make your department/team successful, your employees job is to show up to wor ready to do work and do their jobs.

Agree with your general point, I’d just say that players being mentally ready to play and compete, and game plans, scouting, etc., are different things.

That’s a very simplistic point of view. As someone that played college basketball, when I had a bad game or simply wasn’t ready to play for whatever reason mentally, which happens to every single player at some point, I never thought ‘well, the coach should had me ready’. If the players hold no responsibility then we might as well just have Archie play Greg Gard 1-on-1.

At the 50,000 ft view, yes of course the coach is ultimately responsible for the program. On a game-to-game basis, the players hold responsibility too, and these guys did not come ready to play.

Good case in point, did you see when they showed the Wisconsin huddle where Trice basically ran the huddle and Gard let him do it? Can you envision anyone on IU’s roster doing that, or even being capable of it? I can’t. Sometimes players have to step up. While I can certainly point to a couple tactical things Archie could have done differently yesterday, the bottom line is that the players did not show up ready to play for this game.

I'll throw in on the uniform debate. I'd love to see IU develop a 3rd alternate uniform that is similar to what Ohio State wore the other night, with the Indiana script across the chest. Since Archie got here, they've been using the script Indiana to close all of their video promotion. I'd love to see that incorporated on some uniforms.

Same. Can we still score enough in the halfcourt to win when we shoot 15 free throws instead of 30? So far, this team is predicated on getting to the free throw line and making more than the opponents take. What happens when we don't get that whistle in Wisconsin? Can the defense carry the day and the offense generate enough without the free throw line?

Agree. He’ll definitely be on the radar, but he’s going to have to make a shot outside the paint before he moves into first round, OAD territory.

It’s not about the decisions, it’s about rust and health. When you haven’t practiced in a month, missed the scrimmage, missed both exhibitions, and the first game or two you’re going to be really rusty. That rust is going to impact things such as timing, speed of the game, etc. Passes you think should be there, you might have the timing off on. This happens all of the time when people miss considerable time. What seems more likely? Phinisee was rusty from missing a month+, or Phinisee randomly, despite working hard all summer, just out of the blue got worse?

IU is missing a healthy Phinisee a ton. The keyword is healthy. He wasn’t fully healthy even when he was playing. He missed almost all of October practices. You don’t just walk on the court after missing a month of practice and look 100%.

This team just really needs a healthy, 100% Phinisee. He’s the one true point guard on the roster, and while they’ve done a great job holding the fort down, as the competition rises a healthy Phinisee pushes Durham and Franklin into the roles better suited for them. Durham should be in Franklin’s role (secondary ball handler, combo guard) and Franklin should be a pesky defender, smart offensive player off the bench.

I agree, tough in that spot. But, that play needs to be legislated out of the game. What if they had called a foul on the defender? That’s would have been worse IMO, and there are tons of times in college and the NBA where refs are baited into calls when the shooter falls down purposely.

I didn’t see the play, but if it’s as you described I love that call. I’m so sick and tired of guys purposely falling down after taking jumpers in a clear attempt to bait refs into bad calls. That’s one play I’m all for being legislated out of the game. I watched about 10 minutes of a Miami Heat game this season and in that span Tyler Herro drew bogus fouls three separate times on 3pt attempts by falling down on purpose when nobody touched him.

It's not ominous, it's actually a fairly good sign. I'd be way more concerned right now if the offense was struggling but the defense was carrying things. Archie knows how to coach defense, we've seen him do it. Instead of always being 'glass half empty', how about being excited that the offense and shooting looks pretty good so far, and that's with our starting point guard hobbled and our senior guard in street clothes, and be confident that Archie is going to get the defense straightened out. You'd love to be hitting on all cylinders of course, but it's November and very few teams are. I'm encouraged and excited that the offense looks good, while understanding and being confident that Archie will get the defense on point. I'd rather have this than the reverse.

Good question, and admittedly I’m working off a very small sample size and I’m going pretty much off the eye test. By “smaller” I don’t necessarily mean small, I just think based off what I’ve seen, albeit against low competition (though I think Portland is better than their projection) that IU has played best with two forwards as opposed to three. I wouldn’t really call a Phinisee, Durham, Hunter, Smith, TJD lineup small, and I think that’s been our best lineup so far. I also don’t think the bigger lineups have been bad, I just see better offensive flow, rhythm, and shooting, and better defensive quickness and speed when we’ve played “smaller”. Maybe more athletic is actually the better word. This doesn’t mean I don’t like our big guys, Thompson was fantastic yesterday, TJD has been really good, Brunk is solid, and Smith has been really good obviously, I just think it’s tough in today’s game to big when your bigs don’t shoot from the perimeter, and none of them are a guy like a Kaleb Wesson who is going to dominate the block offensively. Our bigs aren’t guys that you can dump the ball down to on the block 5 possessions in a row and let them go to work. We’re still relying on our perimeter guys to make the plays. The offense wasn’t bad yesterday, I’m not saying we’ve been bad with the bigger lineups, I just think we’ve played best with the more athletic, slightly smaller lineups. Ideally with everyone healthy and hopefully Hunter having shaken off the rust, I think IU’s best lineup will be Phinisee, Green or Durham, Hunter, Smith, TJD, and then you have a bench of Green or Durham, Thompson, Brunk, Franklin, Anderson, and Davis is available for certain situations.