Dave from Dayton

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Mele K..., and to all another National Championship Basketball Banner for Indiana! Got the go-ahead to get 4 tickets to the IU @ OSU game in February! Price jumped...so checking...Just rechecked...price drop!

Actually, I would like to say that I'm gunning for #1. But, that is not the case. I'm extremely reluctant to predict against the Hoosiers any time they have somewhat of a reasonable chance to win. I get little satisfaction picking a Syracuse over IU and being right. So I will strongly vote with my heart and soul for the Hoosiers. Almost always predicting IU to win just seems to me to be the way it should be. I grew up in Indiana. Graduated from IU-B. Married an IU grad and moved to Madison WI. Got a Civil and Environmental Engineering degree up there. Whenever IU plays WI...I cheer unreservedly for IU! So I picked wrong twice this season. But I feel great about that. I do enjoy predicting though. I am somewhat surprised so far that IU's scoring is so low. But, part of that is that the possessions are down because of IU's really decent defense. No complaints here.

kb, you're #13 with 964. Just ahead of the main pack. For example, I'm #28 at 938. Don't stumble.

Hurrying Hoosiers 80 NKU black and gold? Bourbon Drinking Norse 57 A Norse is a Norse Of course of course, and no one can talk to a Norse of course. Unless, the Norse is the famous Norse... with the name of George Clooney.

I like a sense of urgency, team play, assists, blocking out, give and go, effective screens, smart play, finishing, minimizing mental errors, great recruiting, in-game adjustments, and coaches wearing suits if that helps us to win. Not to mention great point guard play. We are doing better than I had thought we might. Not as good as I hoped we would do. Our free throw percentage is up. Our 3-point shooting is improved. Our point guard play is better. TJD and Race are engaged and TJD is going with his other hand. Defense is generally very decent. I just want to continue to see improvement...even when the tougher part of the season hits. I hope Covid doesn't cause serious damage. I see IU in the NCAAT! Low bar but there it is. And Purdue still sucks.

The point guard position is the starting 'point' of over half of the plays in a game. IU has been lacking a stellar PG for way too long. Yogi was pretty darn good. Phin was a more than decent Frosh PG. But he has gotten his bell rung at least twice. And other injuries have obviously impacted. Maybe he will get his groove back this season. He is a decent option if he wouldn't dribble too long at the top of the key before distributing or slashing. He did play fairly well last night. I agree that if X doesn't kick start the team then Coach Woody has to change out that position for the time being. But, I do not understand the offense of only the PG moving. Why the other players just stand and wait for the PG to initiate a play seems to me to be a problem...with an easy solution. Why not get Race to move to the high position and get him the ball to initiate a play early in the game. That or hit a 3 early. Missing the early 3 and a matador defense in any of the very early plays by the other team...puts IU in the hole game after game. Take a pick of many options...any of them will get the team going imho. I understand the 4 and 1 offense and the focus on trying to get TJD the ball early. But if the other team is prepared for that then IU has to be prepared immediately to react on offense using Plan B.

Hey, a win!

IU did look like they were playing in boots the first 12 minutes. Slow starts get to me. Don't understand why Coach Woody doesn't change flavor of his gum when they start slowly.

Defense picked up the last 7 minutes. TJD started to awaken. Race is great.

In the olde days...a doobie and a beer. Or a beer and a loaded brat.

Sign up for Hulu or another streaming service for trial period. Cancel within their time period. They will ask for CC. But it won't cost if one complies with the cancellation policy. I won't do Sling. They had a trial advertised. But a glitch that maybe I caused cost a month of fees. And they were jerks.

Can IU play better than UK? Yes! (ND just beat UK up there. But neither team is stellar.) Will IU's defense stop ND's cuts and screens and in-bounds plays? Mostly. Will IU beat ND? Oh yes! Can ND stop TJD, Race, etc.? Uh, not likely. Will IU hit 3s, FTs, and keep their cool? Some. 70%, uh I don't know. Wee People 67 Hoosier Daddies 76 This could be the start of something special...

Eat, drink and be merry...Mac! 52 It's Indianerrrrrr.... 76

Ok...I will try not to complain about IU's alleged great defense. Even though Wisconsin scored in the paint at will during the second half. I will not point out that our great coaching staff didn't stop the bleeding by changing point guards when one was out of control. And I won't point out that IU's 3 best players were on the bench at one time during the 2nd half. Heck, Race could bring the ball down and distribute it better. But I won't say that either. Just thinking out loud here. Since I hadn't posted on here since the game started....thought I would pump my normal sunshine now... Go Hoosiers! Heck of a first half at Wisconsin and 2nd half against Syracuse! Great halves! (Sound of one hand clapping.)

If IU holds their own in rebounding and turnovers...the result will likely be a big win on the road in conference. How big of an if are rebounds and turnovers?

Since I graduated from both universities...my alma mater will most definitely win. UW-M 62 IU-B 68

I'm happy that the IU administration took the big picture route and hired Coaches Woodsen, Matta, Fife, Rosemond, and Hunter. This has shown a holistic athletic-management , planning and implementation for the future of the basketball program..and, for Indiana, surprising execution. Well done! I am most concerned about the overriding power of the almighty dollar. It drives so very much in this economic world and college basketball in the USA. Sure, there will always be basketball in college. The rapidity of change has already shaken college ball and the NCAA and the athletes. The consolidation and growth of the P5 conferences parallels the growth of the corporations in the world. Who is in charge? The competition to the NCAA has reared it's head and is just now flexing it's muscles. What will the effect of all this mean to Indiana University basketball etc.? PS. As for the near-term IU basketball future...shooting percentages, turnovers, slow starts, health, coaching...not the biggest concerns..but always it is recruiting. I do like that IU upgraded the guards and the shooting. Next season's roster will have some serious shoes to fill. Almost all we need is an I. Thomas, J. Hulls, C. Cheaney and G. McGinnis.* But since we have apparently good recruiting going on...I'm not worried. I do think that IU will see some transfers out and in. I'm not concerned about it...just curious at this point. * Heck, while we are wishing...how about maybe Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Jordan...gee and why not Larry Bird?

I'm all for Lander getting in when he earns it...from Coach Woody's perspective. Sure he has potential. But, in the Syracuse game he had the opportunity to really do some things at critical points in the game. Two turnovers...and dribbling more than 10 critical seconds when those could have been used to win the game. And fouling Girard with .8 seconds allowing him to hit two FTs to win the game for Syracuse. Maybe one or some of these cause Woody pause... Phin makes bad decisions but not at crunch time against Syracuse and possibly giving IU an L. We also don't know when Phin will actually score like he did today down the stretch. The backup PG position is open for Lander when he proves himself on court and off. We don't see practices. We don't see how he comports himself in other situations. Lander seems to be the one to control his destiny. If Lander goes...then he goes. Next man up to fill the kid's shoes.

Got to clean up the slow start and the early turnovers...

What's with the duplication echo repeat saying twice duplication echo repeat saying twice??

Race with a LAYUP!

Needed Tamar and Leal in to hit some. Now that opens up for inside game. A few stops...Race steals! Glad Nebraska waited for IU. Very gentlemanly of them.

Got to start getting plays going. And it would be nice to get rebounds. Comon!

Getting ready for the first in-conference basketball game. The start of a great new era. First thing is a beer run. Then a jump in the pool I'm thinking of a beer float.