BGleas

You could also make an argument that the real success will be in the middle 3-4 or so guys. We probably know roughly what we're getting out of Burton, Sherrill and Yugi, but the difference between 5-8 in conference vs top 3-4 in conference is probably how well Mustaf, Harris and Lindsay or maybe Sisley perform.

Yeah, I think we're largely saying the same thing. That's also why Zeisloft was my comparison. A guy averaging 6ppg at the mid to low-major level isn't going to cost a lot, but has a specific skill (shooting in this case) that you can utilize in spots. That way it's not a waste of a spot even if the guy isn't getting a ton of time. Anyways outside of a backup big, anyone we add at this point is going to most likely not get a ton of time. So, I think you look for specific skills you can utilize situationally in those players.

Thank you! Can't believe I couldn't remember his name. He was so important that season.

That's kind of why I specifically picked Zeisloft as the example. Remember, Crean took a lot of heat for that pickup. Zeisloft averaged like 6ppg at the mid-major level. He wasn't a guy you had to promise a ton of minutes too, but then he ended up earning them. With that said, I agree. One more serviceable big, and then you're looking to supplement any other additions IMO with a specific specialist (ie. Zeisloft type). Going back to that same year (2016). The Michigan big that transfered in and was huge in the Big Ten title run. Again, if I remember correctly, he had pretty much fallen out of the rotation for Beilein the year before, and was not a really sought after transfer, but then played a big role for IU.

Would love to see a Nick Zeisloft type added with one of those spots.

Probably couldn't get him specifically, but a guy like Terrence Hill from VCU. Just a bucket-getting guard off the bench that can also take some ball handling duties in spurts.

Also think we need a combo guard off the bench that can score alongside Burton, but also handle the ball when Burton is out.

Obviously Michigan was led by their "Big 4" of Yaxel, Johnson, Mara and Cadeau. But what I felt took them from good to great was the other 4 main guys around them. McKinney, Cason, Burnett and Gayle, Jr. Those were legit power conference role players. Replace those guys with Enright, Dorn, Miles and Bailey and Michigan isn't winning a title. All that to say, of Sherrill commits we have at least 3 (Burton, Sherrill and the Turkish big) of our lead guys. Question on how good we'll be is whether we can add another "lead" guy and then our role players are Mustafa, Harris and fill in a couple more (maybe Moody)? Can we get one more "guy", or are we starting both Mustafa and Harris. Can we push Harris to a shooter off the bench role? Great start, lots to still figure out.

Sounds like they may have some more in the bank to burn...

But the donor has no ROI. I guess there's a lot of rich people out there, but it can't go on forever when there is no chance of a monetary return on the investment.

I would assume at some point super rich people get tired of forking over hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars annually with basically 0 ROI. I guess if you're program has some people with billions. But rich people usually don't get there by handing money out with no chance of a return.

Insane. Don't think these two are worth this amount, if accurate, but I guess that's the market.

Hilarious thread if you read the comments on the original post. Bama fans blaming Michigan. Michigan fans pretty much admitting it's Dusty but they don't care. A couple Illinois fans complaining about Dusty taking Johnson last year. Even a couple Indiana fans praying that IU is the team tampering lol...

I constantly find myself reading @WayneFleekHoosier's posts and getting mad. I want to reply and go at him for the negativity and expectations that at the moment are too high. It frustrates me. Then I usually take a beat and don't reply. Then I take another beat and wonder why I don't reply and get into a back and forth with him. During that time I realize it's because I know he's probably right. I get it, we haven't even signed a player yet, we have to let things play out before we judge things, and I'm usually way more on the patient side. But, my worry all season was whether DeVries had the cache to swing big on this landscape, as well as the funds, especially after essentially wasting a year and creating no momentum. How come Louisville can get Flory and Shelstad to take a joint visit and IU can't even get in with one of them? How come Michigan can bounce back from the Juwan Howard experience like it never happened, but we're still discussing Mike Davis, Crean, Archie and Woodson? This program has no juice and has been lifeless for so long. Just frustrating. Feels like we're watching the same movie over and over. Ok, rant over. I'll go back to managing my expectations and being more measured now.

Thank you for pulling that. Definitely don't want to create a false narrative. That's my bad. I must be thinking of someone else.

Really? Tough for me to respect them with Smith, Loyer and especially TKR being flopping foul baiters. TKR is like the SGA of college basketball

The weirdest thing to me was Juwan Morgan's senior night speech. I remember him not even mentioning Archie Miller. Pretty sure he thanked Crean and the previous staff for recruiting him, but he didn't mention Miller by name. He was at IU for 4 years, but he definitely thrived under Miller. Miller was the one who essentially made him the focal point. Probably wasn't the best decision, but you'd think Morgan would be thankful for being showcased by Miller like that. Always thought that said a lot.

I agree with you. But at the same time we'd be using this as some big red flag against DeVries if it was reversed.

Thanks for explaining! My bad, I misinterpreted or misread your post. Makes sense now!

I played D2 and it can be easier at that level, depending on how the school supports it program. I know nothing about the school McCollum was at, but I can tell in the conference I played in the scholarship money was extremely uneven. Some schools had a roster of full scholarship guys and other schools might have 2-3 full ride guys and then have to disperse the rest amongst the roster. It's a huge advantage. The top teams in each conference would almost always have 2-3 D1 transfers. My senior year the best team in our conference had 3 D1 transfers, one of which was a 6'9 250lb center who was Newcomer of the Year in his D1 conference the year before. Got into some trouble and had to transfer down. If you have a financially supported D2 program, it can be like having the most NIL money at the D1 level. You can stack your roster and almost walk into the D2 Tournament each year. Again, I don't know how McCollum's program was supported. I'd guess pretty well. I'm also not suggesting his D2 National Titles were easy and not impressive.

I love a coach that isn't tied to a specific style. Coaches the roster he has and builds around their abilities. Of the realistic options (though not sure he was actually realistic), I think Otz was my #1 hope last hiring cycle for Indiana.

It was more than just the OG injury though. That definitely hurt, no debating that. But that team had lost to IPW, to Butler, at home to Nebraska, all before the OG injury. The team still had Thomas Bryant, JBJ, a developing and future NBA player in Juwan Morgan, Robert Johnson, etc. I don't expect an Elite 8 or Final Four without OG, but still should have been a tournament team. After the strong start, that team wasn't playing great even with OG. Then add it to recruiting slipping (missing all of the top Indiana players in a strong class that season), and it was time to go. The administration just screwed up the following decade about as bad as it could.

Multiple things can be true at the same time. Tom Crean is a solid-to-good coach. But it was also time for the program to move on. It was the right move, the IU administration just botched the subsequent moves like it has for almost 25 years. You don't achieve what Tom Crean has achieved without being a decent coach. He's been to a Final Four, an Elite 8, 4 sweet sixteens and has two outright regular season Big Ten Titles (in years when the Big Ten was really tough). You don't stumble upon that type of success. He also has a long list of underrated guys that he's helped develop into legit NBA players, while also having the really hyped guys he's put in the NBA. He's not great, but he can coach. But again, it was definitely the right move to go in another direction, the administration just screwed it up, like they typically do.

Agree on the roster building. We absolutely need a top flight PG. That is a must. Can't "Enright" or "Conorway" that position. Get a long, athletic big, and then surround those guys with dogs, athletes and playmakers. Add a shooter or two around them. This offseason needs to be a big swing. Were like an NBA team that's in the play-in every year. At some point this program needs to make a leap and get some momentum. It's needs to happen.

Agree with @WayneFleekHoosier that it's very important to be ranked preseason, it's important to always be ranked. With that said, I'd put it at about 0-5% chance that IU is ranked in the preseason poll. I'd be surprised if we're even close to the top of "others receiving votes."