BGleas

Just caught a second of the Michigan game, and they were talking about UK potentially going undefeated. Seth Davis said he would never predict a team to go undefeated, but if UK got to January undefeated then "lookout". That says more about how bad the SEC is then it does how good UK might be.

https://twitter.com/JeffRabjohns/status/534459055105114112/photo/1

This all come out to the team this summer. It just became public the other week, but the failed tests and suspensions happened in the summer.    Troy's mom said on here that she's known about this for a while. So I'm sure the team did too.   

I've said this before, but ESPN's coverage on this UNC thing has been an absolute joke!   

I don't like that SMU has a "real" game before our matchup. With us only playing complete cupcakes up until this point and trying to integrate Troy and Stan back in (which shouldn't be a huge deal, but still) I worry about getting of to a good start against SMU. 

Tweet from ITH that OG is signing his LOI tomorrow.

My only issue is the waiting until Spring part. He says he's down to three now. But a lot can change over the next 6 or so months. If Tom Izzo calls, he's not answering? If Billy Donovan calls, he's not answering? I like where we stand, but I'm sure there will be more competition over the course of the season.

I disagree on Hollowell. I think he was just overrated. While he has some skills, he's not great at any one thing. He's an average at best shooter, average at best ball handler, averaged defender, he's an average athlete, doesn't finish at the rim, he's an ok rebounder. He just doesn't do any one thing particularly well IMO. Guys like that don't usually pan out.

I just feel like booing Mike Davis says way more about the people doing the booing than it does about Mike Davis. Yes, the guy isn't a good coach. Yes, he made some big mistakes as the IU coach. But at the end of the day, 8 or so years later, is the right/class thing to do to boo him or to give him a some applause? Not saying a standing O is necessary, but an applause is the right thing to do.

Missing the practice time isn't just a little throwaway line. It's a huge deal. He's basically missed July through a couple days ago. We had freshmen that played a ton last year still looking confused at times late in the season. It's also not just about knowing the plays, but it's also about knowing them with the guys you're on the court with. He may have never walked through the plays with Priller at the same time (as they can both be 5's at times in Crean's system) which can cause confusion.

When Hanner Perea isn't practicing or studying, he should spend his time watching film on Montrelz (sp?) Harrell on Louisville. Similar build, similar athleticism, but that kid plays like it's the last time he's ever going to play. Don't get me wrong, after two exhibitions and one real game I'm happy with what Hanner has done, just saying he could learn some things watching Harrell.

With the events of the last couple weeks, I'm changing mine to 10-3...  

Donovan was his backcourt mate and Pitino was his coach. What do I win?

I guess my point is that I'll take the coach that can adjust and win with anyone everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.    What happens when/if (huge if) the next Greg Oden comes out of Indianapolis? If Crean is the latter type of coach, does he not recruit the kid? Does he recruit him and then force him (for discussion sake the most talented player on his team) to play a style that doesn't fit his game?    Even Bo Ryan altered his system last season to fit his personnel, and it was a brilliant move. He played a more up and down style that was conducive to his talent and it paid off.    I also think the "system" coach works at a place like Wisconsin where you get good players, but you're not necessarily a destination school. You're not really even in the running for guys like Vonleh, etc. At IU the recruiting is different. Your pool to select from is larger and more talented, so you're going to have to be able to adapt to that. You can't turn down 5* kids at IU because they don't fit your system, you have to adapt to the talent.    It's a preference thing, and I certainly understand the other side of the debate.   

Definitely agree, we needed a third option, better chemistry, and we needed some shooters around Yogi, Noah and whoever that third option would have been.    On the points about Noah, I have my own opinion on that, but I don't think it needs to be rehashed, and really isn't the point of my original comment. My point was that we always see posts like "Crean doesn't do well with traditional bigs" or "Crean's system doesn't work with post-up bigs". If that is true, then that's not a complete coach to me. Any coach that can't utilize his talent or shape his system to fit his talent, is a very limited coach IMO.    The real thing that has made me question Crean wasn't necessarily the losing last year, it was IMO his refusal to alter his system to fit the talent we had. The insistence to play fast with a team that was horrible at playing under control and handling the ball. Running the dribble drive when you had horrible ball handlers, no shooters, and your best two players were your point guard and center? Why are Stan, Troy and Evan drilling 25 seconds of the shot clock off with their heads down, while Noah basically stands there and watches and never touches the ball? Put your best talent in a position to be successful.    I just prefer a coach that analyzes his talent and then plays a style that fits what he has, as opposed to a coach that tries to force a square peg into a round whole. I think Crean is the latter. 

This is one of the biggest reasons I'm not sold on Crean as the long term guy at IU. I don't want a coach who's system can't figure out how to best utilize a talent like Noah Vonleh. I don't want a coach who can't figure how to incorporate or alter his system to fit his roster. What happens when the next stud Indiana back to the basket player comes up? Are we going to argue Crean shouldn't take him? I want a coach who can change and alter his system based on the talent he has. Coach K has had stud bigs, stud wings, stud point guards and he's won with all of them. He's had teams run/gun and he's had teams play slow/defensive and he's won both ways. Look at Cal, at Memphis he was the point guard coach with DeJuan Wagner, Rose and Tyreke Evans. While he's still had great guards at UK, he's also had Cousins, Davis, Noel and Randle and now Towns, Lyles, Lee and the other big kid from the '13 class. He's adapted to all of them. While I agree Crean is probably best with a big like Hanner, I'm not sure I want a coach that's limited like that.

The intriguing one to me is Billy Donovan. I don't know if he'd make the leap or not, but he's sort of in that range where Izzo was the last several years, where if he's going to ever leave where he's at he probably needs to do it in the next 5-10 years. He'll be 50 next year, and while that's still fairly young in coaching, he'll need to decide soon whether he's a "Florida-lifer" or not.   We know he's flirted with UK in the past and even took the Orlando Magic job for a bit, so he's open to leaving Florida.     I'm going to guess that before it's said and done, Donovan ends up in the NBA or at one of the IU, UNC, Duke, Kansas, UK, UCLA jobs. 

It's not a mess though. There would be a little turnover. I don't think anyone would leave with Crean. Guys aren't going to sit out an entire season to follow Crean somewhere, especially given that he wouldn't land somewhere better. But even if that did happen, then the new coach would most likely bring guys as well.    There would definitely be an "adjustment" year, but it would mostly be hitting the ground running.   

How is Indiana a mess right now? A mess is what Crean took over. If (big if at this point) Crean were to go, we'd be hiring for a program that just spent a bulk of the season at #1 and won a conference title two seasons ago.    You'd have 2 McDonald's AA to "re-recruit" and several other top 50-70 players (Williams, Johnson, Morgan, Robinson, Perea, etc.) to convince to stay, while probably bringing some recruits with you.    If there's a new coach next season, they might have an initial season where we're a bit mediocre, but otherwise it should be pretty fast to back to normal, if you hire the right guy. 

That team also had 5 future first round NBA picks in their rotation (Burke, Hardaway Jr, Stauskas, Robinson III & McGary), six on the entire roster if LaVert ends up one this year.    Not to rehash the debate, but the idea that IU was heads and shoulders the most talented team in the Big Ten that year is a false one.   

Exactly! My memory may be getting fuzzy, it's been over 15 years since I was a freshmen, and I played at a lower level than Indiana (D2), but I recall our AD addressing the team at the beginning of each season with some type of message regarding sportsmanship, expectations, wishing us luck, etc. Not long, but just to make him/herself a presence and introduce themselves.    It's almost irresponsible not too. Players should know the AD of their school and where they stand on things.   

I think it's more than bathing in the attention. I think there's some legal things going on here too. It hasn't been mentioned, but when discussing "Zimm" waiting until spring, his mom has made several mentions of never actually signing an LOI. From what I remember reading, his mom has said he'll commit late and go the financial aid route, or whatever it is.    Like Hot for example, since he committed so late, he never actually had to sign an LOI. He's still on a basketball scholarship, but when you go late it's not an actual LOI you sign. I don't know all the rules/legalities maybe other posters do, but it's just different.   While all one and dones are certainly focused on the NBA, the more I read about this one, I think Zimm and his mom already have one foot out the door, before he's ever even suited up for a college game.   

That was a weird interview. She referred to her own son as "Zimm" several times and said she loves the way Sean (Miller) coaches and she's always thought he was "gangster".    Just odd things coming from a mother IMO.   

The one thing he has to prove, after all those things you mentioned, is that he's a winner. A guy like Jameer Nelson (similar size) had those things too, but what made him a first rounder was an undefeated senior regular season. A guy like Mateen Cleaves had many of those things (not as athletic, or as much of a scorer), but what made him a first rounder was his leadership/winning. Same with guys like Napier, Kemba Walker, Felton, Ty Lawson, etc.

I've always said that was Coach K's best job, though the NCAA was woefully down that year in terms of talent. But the point is, that's one of the only examples.