Dave from Dayton

Archie Miller did not succeed in getting someone in 'over' Phin. Al Durham was not the leader or a PG. And Armaan Franklin was a frosh. And Devonte Green was Devonte Greenish. And Lander was never ready for prime time. Thought Phin had two concussions, an abdominal injury, and a foot injury. The plantar fasciitis issue in his right foot had been a lingering issue. His first concussion happened midway through his freshman year. With all of that, to come back and be a consistently effective shooter is asking a lot. I remember not understanding why he was not as quick penetrating and dishing after his first concussion. Some thought it was a lack of confidence. I am not sold on that. Archie just did not play him as much. Not sure why. In his sophomore year some fans noted that Phin played through some pain. I also remember him getting strep throat. He seemed to "have it" on defense. And he was a steadying force on offense. But as a starting guard he sure didn't put up the points. Not having a great B10 capable PG year in and year out was bad. But it was just one of many issues during Archie's coaching stint at IU.

Crean is an extrovert, a sunshine pumper. "It's Indiana!!" Archie is an introvert. (*crickets*) His hiring may have been an opposite pendulum swing from his predecessor in many ways. They loved him at Dayton because he won, teams improved during the year; didn't curse loudly during games and didn't use wolf whistles at players during games like Brian Gregory. And he won. Fans of UD think that Archie Miller lost at IU because of lack of support by the Indiana administration. Could be right. I think so, too. That and Phin's injuries. Losing 3 years of a seasoned and excellent PG really sucked. That and the unresolved locker room issues...why Archie didn't tell players: My way or the highway...is also arguable. (ie Administration edict against 'Creaning'?)

Wife and I graduated from IU in Business the year IU basketball went undefeated. Moved to Madison WI and then to Dayton OH. Cheered IU every step of the way. Still do. Archie Miler did a great job at Dayton. Team sport emphasis, offense was active. Defense worked. Recruiting was sound and improved. Point guards were very good. Assists and extra effort were staples. Definitely, Archie Miller was a button-down-type. A little like Wooden (The Wizard) but without the questionable recruiting open purse help. Probably a little like Dakich but without the mouth. I went to quite a few U of Dayton games over here. But I am not an insider. I do love basketball at the college level. Well, actually, I loved it more a while ago. I was pleasantly surprised when Archie was picked for IU. But I had hoped for a more seasoned coach with recruiting success at major university in a power conference. I was realistic though. I thought IU was still at a slight coach hiring disadvantage because of our churning coaches and faulty decision making by the administration. And lack of a clear strategy to get IU basketball back at the level of being competing at the top the B10 yearly had been all too obvious. Not really sure what caused the losses at IU during Archie's tenure. I speculate that there were multiple problems. Recruiting really truly never clicked. IU suffered from a lack of a point guard, poor team play, lower efficiencies, low basketball IQ, bad shooters, lack of effort, recruiting didn't fit the schemes, lack of buy-in by players, injuries, disruptions in the locker room, players that didn't like each other, & etc. At Dayton, Archie had a really short bench. But his players totally bought in and never quit. I thought Archie was more flexible at UD but it may have been the players all had relatively high basketball IQs. They just refused to lose. Glass seemed to give the coach too many restrictions on recruiting. The purse was not opened, like it has been for Woodson, relative to excellent recruiters and additional experience at the AAD level like Thad Matta. Archie may not have been able to clear out the malcontents from the team because of edicts from Glass on Student-Athlete Bill of Rights or some such. And the renewed focus on mainly Indiana High School players was somewhat limiting. How did all that help the coach recruit tall, long, motivated ballers? You mean that Josh Newkirk was IU's PG in Archie's first year? Why did Archie not bring his 4* recruited PG with him? Ask Glass. Then Phin had one good year as a freshman. ugh... And poor shooting and injuries and early outs in the B10 tourney and side looks from players at each other...jeez. But Archie Miller, head coach, did not step up. Why, indeed? Some people cannot adapt. Some people work harder but not necessarily smarter. Who but the administration could have helped shovel out that mess in the Augean Stables? I think that the IU administration did not put Coach Miller in a position that was enabling. I blame IU...at the top. They should have gotten a seasoned coach that would have demanded more or helped Archie succeed rather than set him up for failure. Just look at what Coach Woody knew what to do and the administration did too. That is what they learned from Archie and Glass.

Press conference to be scheduled very soon. Heard it was a done deal, final vote to be taken possibly today. Just think: late night games (ugh); redeye travel for the basketball players becomes routine (ugh); conference finals possibly in sunny California; NCAA loses control; SEC and B1G expand and takes over top 50 universities and leave the NCAA; Maze Runner becomes a varsity sport; Northwestern joins ACC because B1G no longer is an academics-oriented University first.

So far for the 22 - 23 basketball season, IU is undefeated. It's a trend. Mark it and nail it. 4 - 0

Indiana will go undefeated! Hang a 6th NC banner in SSAH! And there will be world peace. And parity and love and my hair will grow back.

Not correct. The question was easy. The answer, however, is not 'however'.

Since Xavier Booker had an unofficial visit to IU on Wednesday there has been a lack of information out about how it went. Just this morning I searched for and found one single article. It is behind a paywall at Peegs.National top-5 class of 2023 prospect Xavier Booker recaps his Indiana visit (247sports.com) . Not sure about referencing another site. Not sure if I should link it. If it is against rules/policy on this site, I apologize. Take it down. Brings to mind a lot of things. How the heck can there be such a dearth of information coming out about a possible #2 ranked (2023) Indianapolis Cathedral big that has had a number of visits to IU? And how did it go? Is everyone on vacation? Were there no sightings of his visit? Weren't there helicopters and drones hovering over parts of B'town recently? Tweets? Cell-tower triangulations? What does the NSA say? Thought Chris007 would be wired for sound and be the coffeeboy in the meetings. I mean ... *crickets. Friend of mine over here in Ohio thinks IU doesn't have a chance based upon Duke, MSU...words and referencing an old posting on a national site that is not highly regarded by yours truly. Of course, he doesn't know jack. Well, at this point, neither do I.

IU wins!

6 runs, 4 hits, 2 errors, bunch of walks, great inning for IU.

8 - 1...

Bases loaded IU hit to shortstop. Bobbles ball, error. Run scores. 5 - 1 IU! 1 out. Bottom of eighth.

4 - 1.

3 to 1. 0 out 2 men on for IU.

My neighbor has a UK banner hanging in her flower bed. My dog, another neighbor's cat and I find it to be a very useful rest area. I don't really care if IU schedules a series of games with UK.

Going to Abbey Road on the River (AROTR) in Jeffersonville IN, in a week. Lineup — Abbey Road on the River: May 26-30, 2022 (arotr.com) 50 bands, 6 stages, easy access, great time! Tommy James and the Shondells, Cyrkle, and a whole heck of a lot of Beatles tribute bands. One of my favorites is LSB doing CSN. Was there in 2019 and one guy was singing Bob Dylan. Will be there on Saturday, maybe Sunday too. Other tribute bands for Petty, ELO, and more. Even some new grass fusion and soul. Usually, 3 stages have bands playing at one time...sometimes all of them are rockin'. All within an easy 2 block stroll. Get a ticket to ride! Parking is great...free shuttle to and from the venue from the free lots. We parked within a few car lengths of the gate. But we did get there early. You will recognize me. Wearing a ball cap and sunglasses with this wonderful lady on my arm.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I did say thanks. I asked if there was news about X including a plea deal. I took your post as speculation not news. The most recent post has a fact about the pre-trial conference later this month. That is good information. Thanks again. Hope that your horse wins in the KY Derby.

Thanks for the answer. However, I realized all that. It had been discussed. What I asked was if there was anything more recent. Indirectly, I guess, your post means no new news that you know.

I may have missed news on Xavier if there had been any. It is so important to have a really good PG on our team. Is there going to be a plea deal? If his driver's license is suspended and he gets probation and community service then does Coach Woody then decide any ramifications that would limit his participation? Tough position to put the coach and the team in. Wonder if Xavier was on a short leash already. Not the kind of leadership the Seniors on the team should be displaying. Wonder if the teammates are generally pissed at his actions or what. Looking at the schedule, should Xavier be suspended for 3 games? Glad I am not the coach.

Heh, I am not getting the bad joke. I wish IU didn't get the last 20 years. In my pro-Hoosier opinion, IU screwed up not managing RMK before he and IU went off the rails. IU screwed up by firing him after the double-secret probation they invoked on him. Not only did they screw RMK and didn't stop him from screwing himself and IU, but they stuck a fork in the future by letting the players pick the next coach. Because the management was so messed up about those two coaches and the downward trend of wins, the Board of Trustees imposed Sampson on IU. I see this as screwed up. In many ways. And the lack of institutional control as the above post calls it followed and is just like the lack of control on RMK. That was a continuous series of screwup after screwup. They have been reacting instead of acting as far as coach hirings for way too long. Until Woodsen. I hope.

Phonegate didn't appear to be a joke to me. It was worse. A lot worse. First off...who was responsible for hiring a basketball coach? The AD? No? It appeared that one person on the Board of Trustees insisted on Sampson. As an aside, I thought that Sampson could coach. Win/loss results were really good. However, it became subsequently clear that Sampson was already on double-secret probation for impermissible contacts with recruits at his previous coaching job (not to mention the off-court issues). It was controversial at IU to hire him since he had that NCAA rule violation history and was on probation. IU was just too squeaky clean to hire him. Right? Controversy ensued focused not only on the noncompliance issue but on which side of the equal opportunity scale one sits. If that isn't bad enough. What was worse was that this was out in the media and reflected negatively on the program and on the university. OK, setting that bag of worms aside. The next step is unforgivable. IU did not provide the monitoring and control feedback and oversight that was so very obviously necessary. I mean, to jeopardize the IU basketball program's already screwed up marquee program with a lack of oversight. Not to mention, Sampson did it and others on staff did it too. But IU's casual attitude toward requiring compliance was pathetically non-existent. It makes little difference to me that such phone calls were allowed to be made by others. That is not material to this compliance issue. To make matters worse, IU fell on our own sword. We imposed on our self such a restrictive penalty that...ugh...we ended up getting another decade of bad management. What coach would come to IU and work under management that really, really doesn't know how to put a program in a position to succeed? To answer that question: Of course, Tom Crean. He who had caught one great player, Wade, but had hit a plateau at Marquette...and burned some bridges in the area. And likely was on a slippery slope there. This was not a joke. IU has suffered from a lack of proper management of the basketball program for way over 2 decades. Until last year. Thanks goodness. It is not a joke. It was a symptom of a larger problem. It is Indiana!

This means (bidding) war! I would be shocked...shocked! If Mr. Dennis comes to IU. Because of the unknowns. Let me say that I would love to see TJD back. And Xavier on double secret probation, of course. Definitely Race! And the rest of the usual suspects. Tip of the ole hat to Coach Woody. (Looks up at the banners and envisions the sixth.)

I agree about Central Ave. in St. Pete. While I am a beach bum and a walk in a park kind of guy, Central Ave. has a great choice of tapas, cafes, counter cultural digs, murals, street people, and entertainment. After getting cooked at the beach there is not a lot better than a bunch of tapas, some wine or beer, and friends. Would consider a couple of months within easy bike ride or walk to a beach or on a channel with a boat.

I can't grip a club like I once could. Still have my sticks. Never was any good. But loved the game. My foursome scattered. One has knee replacements. Two are out of state. Friends and good times and beautifully landscaped grounds are a great pleasure. Learned to play at Audubon State Park course in Henderson KY. Every time I hit into the woods, I would find 4 or 5 golf balls. Told the starter that. He said people do not go into the woods because of the copperheads. Was on Old Oakland Golf Course in east Indy, and was amazed at the size and athletic ability of two gentlemen in the following twosome. They absolutely filled that golf cart. Clark Kellog and George McGinnis could hit their drives three times as far as I could into the woods. Amazing. Great courses all over...Shaker Run north of Cincy; Blue Ash may be the nicest muni course; NCR; Indy CC; too numerous to count. One interesting tidbit...the Water Department diverts river water into ponds to recharge the aquifer. Then uses lots of wells to supply 1/2 a million users. Two muni golf courses were over one wellfield. The well field supervisor, the golf course manager, and I sited 30 ponds around those courses. Tightened those courses and made it interesting. Ever play at Kittyhawk? The City of Dayton just closed them for a number of reasons.

Hi or low?