Dave from Dayton

Who else here thinks THEY are Red Auerbach?

Crean was fired by the AD for reasons that a lot of us fans were never told in public. What bothered me was not the wins and positive runs, it was that he overhyped everything...and focused on some things that in hindsight did not bode well for the future of Indiana basketball. He seemed frantic at times...but lots of coaches do. He did not seem to deal with locker-room issues. Discipline seemed inconsistent. He was a very hard worker and at times drove his team, apparently, to exhaustion prior to some games. He did not create positive situations or matchups for game tactics and strategies. He overhyped recruits, the season and his sales jobs on a few players was something that seemed to come back as a detriment during games. He allowed players to take it easy on defense if they played fast and scored on offense. And then starting with the Northwestern game in his last season,Crean used physical placards, which he dubbed "echo signs," to send signals and directions to players during games. These signs, which included directions like "call out screens" or "no hopping," were used to improve in-game communication and defensive awareness but they resulted in serious ridicule and players felt demeaned. He broke the pipeline to Indiana high school coaches. For instance, he did not seem to be able to continue to draw recruits for the future. These issues were common knowledge and some recruits seemed reluctant to step into it. When some top Indiana high school prospects went elsewhere Crean's future became more tentative at IU. The cupboard of recruits and players was lacking in that last year, and the future was not looking good.

I mostly agree with Pagoda's comments. I see a mega-conference of those universities that have lots of money excluding others. The confederacy-like NCAA is not a sustainable institution. I see players incorporating and wearing sponsorships on their uniforms. I see collective bargaining being attempted, but because of contrary conservative politics it will ultimately be controlled by corporations and billionaires. We will all be paying more and enjoying it less. It will become all flash and fighting. And it will not lend itself to supporting higher education. Imagine the 1980's scifi 'Blade Runner' for prepro sports. There are a lot of movies and novels that look to the future of corporate sponsorship for everything. That is unless the NBA takes it over like a bunch of lower-level pro leagues playing with the college name on it, too. Quite the depressing dystopia.

Cheering for Wright State. At least they got in.

1. Dashed hopes for a new coach and his staff in recruiting (and in-game coaching). (TBH it is his first year.) 2. Dashed hopes about the roster having ready for prime-time players. 3. Dashed hopes that there would be enough options down the bench for the coach to show his mettle about taking advantage of matchups, tactics, and who is hot. 4. Who are those guys? 5. Losing in SS Assembly Hall really pisses me off. 6. Referees are consistently bad and so is the NCAA. And money corrupts and skews everything. 7. At least IU did not have a slow big man clogging the inside so that our perimeter guys could slash in and take assists and score, right? 8. Fouling in lieu of quickness to stop slashers...ugh. One positive about the year was that it was with a new coach and players. Another positive about the year is that it is this coach's first year and we have hopes for next year. Right? This thread should have both negative and positive things.

Now you're talking! After the upcoming NCAAT is over, we can start to hype the upcoming basketball recruiting rumors and then on to the actual, almost, probable verbals. Meanwhile, while watching and enjoying a real coach and his team actually perform using that oddly-shaped ball in all sorts of weather...we can reflect on the previous basketball natty banners in SSAH. Seriously, Btown Banners helps immensely. A tip of the ole coonskin cap to those who help manage, run, moderate, do research, post and add value, levity and perspective...informing and entertaining those of us who are fans whether just lurking or contributing opinions.

Maybe find a way to stop Martinelli before he comes out on the court. Maybe give him some unripe persimmon or a chocolate ex-Lax shake. Or buy out his NIL...

Some of us understand that playing games two nights in a row...and especially overtime games...wear teams down. Your point seems to be that you don't think that IU being a higher seed can beat either of those teams. And in making that point, it seems you think we don't know IU's schedule. We all know that IU plays the winner of tonight's game tomorrow night. No need to pretend otherwise. We disagree, strongly, whether IU can beat...say Northwestern.

That is my point. They play tonight. The survivor would not have the legs for our game.

I can envision Penn State and Northwestern playing multiple overtimes.

Northern Penitentiary West Correctional Institution 73 The Home Team Hoosiers & Referee Stripes Consolidated 83 Obviously, using remaining NIL to get the zebras on our side, finally. Last chance for DD to get a solo technical...watch for it.

"It's Indiana!" CTC

No way. I was in the Navy in Puerto Rico. Clap ain't cool, man.

Hey, we are IU fans here. Listen and respond with empathy.

I have the appropriate words for this.