Dave from Dayton

I realized and others probably did too that Wat (aka Mark Twain) said it in dry humor. We are having fun in kind. That's why my post included LOL and also...ahem...sarcasm. But thanks for the tip. Next time it should be in legal tender.

LOL...we got Coach Cig. And his team. And his players. And a National Championship. Probably overpaid? Seriously, in any big transaction, the seller probably thinks they did not get enough. And the buyer thinks that one paid too much. Just get whomever coach wants...within the budget. It's all speculative for us fans. That is all.

Don't know where to post this. Has there been a good discussion or analysis of the national administration second Executive Order on college sports? Trump NCAA executive order, explained: Transfer rule, eligibility update It has no teeth but may prod either the Legislative branch or the NCAA. Right? (Spoiler alert: No) Please delete if against the site rules.

Like the effort on the rebounds by both teams. Now it is time to just hit the shots and get stops.

I am looking forward to the recruiting news over the next month. I am also looking forward to the upcoming basketball season. I have every reason to envision that IU will be in the upper 1/3 of the B1G and in the top 25 seeding for the NCAAT. And that should just be the start of a great set of seasons. Start making that banner. Give me an I. Thomas or Mighty Quinn clone at PG and I might just crack a smile.

Put me in, coach! On second thought...I would rather IU had a chance to win.

L'Etang is an interesting prospect if he goes into the portal. He's gotten a couple of A-10 POTW and high scores...for Dayton. In '25 he was on the All A-10 Freshman Team. Here is a video of highlights for his offensive play. L'Etang has evolved into a solid defender capable of anchoring the paint against strong opponents by his 2025-26 season. While initially needing to improve his physical presence, L'Etang developed into a reliable post defender who can "push, shove and elbow" with high-level scorers. While the above video was not against a top team, obviously, L'Etang did score 26 in a big win against #23 St. Louis in February. Some anecdotal comments over the recent past from different sites include that he seems to have high basketball IQ, hustles, might be able to extend the defenders if he makes shots from the 3, needs work on his upper body strength, may be slow afoot... While he is performing well at the A-10 level, the transition to the SEC or Big Ten involves significant physicality changes. His ability to hit shots and create space suggests he could be a rotational player, but making an immediate high-impact starter role in those conferences would be challenging. So in November, this analysis was filed: " At 7-foot-1, L’Etang has a long and wiry frame. The length is close to elite and he’ll measure out very well at the NBA Draft Combine. What impressed me is how good his core strength is. He’s still adjusting and growing into his frame but has a good combination of balance and footwork. The frame needs to be filled gradually in the next few years. I don’t want to make the White-on-White comparison with Chet Holmgren, but in terms of slowly getting stronger, that’s the path L’Etang should follow at the next level. He’s a surprisingly well athlete. Looks a bit stiff, but has great feet and improves his hips slowly. The length takes away the must of good verticality, but L’Etang can defend in space with some good lateral quickness. The physical tools are impressive, but need work to optimize at the next level. From Ersin;s NBA Draft Newsletter... Amaël L'Etang Scouting Report

I wouldn't trust anyone with a 'stache...male or not.

I'll go knock on Gabe Cupp's door. Or I could wait until Sunday. I'll see him in church if the windows are clean.

Ivan Renko says: 7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux, recognized as the world's tallest basketball player, has entered the NCAA transfer portal after two seasons at the University of Florida. A popular figure, Rioux redshirted his freshman year and saw limited action in his second, aiming to find increased bench time and continue his seat warming and fan experience elsewhere. Rioux thinks that she is cute and expresses his interest in transferring to IU if the NIL numbers are there.

I do wonder who will be back. I would like to know if Harris is healthy. I wonder which would be better...Jasai Miles for his final year getting 10 minutes a game...maybe vs a new player with similar skills but less play time and more eligibility and maybe costs a little more in NIL. Too many variables and unknowns. We don't know about building the roster with new starters from the portal. Maybe some of our players don't announce their intentions to portal until two weeks from now when the starting picture starts to get into focus. News and rumors today do have the April Fools' cloud over it.

I am not sure about the opinion that all claims are dismissed permanently. All current claims in this litigation under these specific charges unless the higher court overturns the decision, yes. It may be the case that, if any or all of the claimants file different claims under different charges, then it could be heard in a court. I am not an attorney. It also does not resolve the factual issue of whether it happened and whether people were hurt and whether there is a violation of some sort. Also, it does not take into consideration the changes in case law since long ago when this happened. Much law gets fully fleshed out as more and more cases are decided through time. On the other hand, we, as a nation, have become much more litigious.

Deep dive into high school recruiting and mascots...Bosse Bulldogs!

Come on, fans. Let's talk BIGs! From AI which can be taken with a grain of salt, of course: Based on the 2026 spring transfer landscape, here are potential productive bigs for IU: Kwame Evans Jr. (Oregon - F/C): A former McDonald’s All-American who entered the 2026 portal, providing immediate elite talent and size. Ben Defty (Boston University - F/C): A 7-foot forward, named to the All-Patriot League Second Team and Defensive Team, offering rim protection and size. Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan - F/C): Identified as a top 2025-26 transfer bringing proven production and leadership. Devin Royal (Ohio State - F): A versatile forward mentioned in early Big Ten transfer buzz for 2026, offering scoring inside-out capabilities. Seven-footers Chol Machot and Anton Bonke, the top-ranked centers Indiana's recent hire of a new general manager, Ryan Carr, indicates a shift toward a more proactive, scout-driven approach to the portal.

From AI (note that AI is helpful, but also likely to give erroneous and/or outdated information): The following players have been linked to Indiana as potential additions for the 2026-27 roster: Colby Garland (PG, San Jose State): A Third Team All-Mountain West selection who averaged 20.3 points and 4.6 assists. He has a direct connection to IU head coach Darian DeVries and is expected to enter the portal when it opens on April 7. Stefan Vaaks (G, Providence): A 6-foot-7 freshman guard with three years of eligibility remaining. He is reportedly "firmly on the Indiana radar" after leading his team with 91 made three-pointers (35% from deep). Jake Fiegen (G, Cornell): A guard with one year of eligibility left whom Indiana is currently "looking into" to bolster backcourt depth. Yohandry Ortiz (G, Miles College): A high-scoring guard who averaged 24 points per game at the JUCO level last season. Reports indicate IU has expressed significant interest in his playmaking ability. The Daily Hoosier +4 Indiana's Roster Situation and Needs Head coach Darian DeVries has emphasized a critical need for Big Ten size, physicality, and depth following the 2025-26 season. The Hoosiers are expected to replace every starter from their final game, including key frontcourt and backcourt pieces. Team Players Eligible To Return: Seven scholarship players Nick Dorn , Trent Sisley , Jasai Miles , Jason Drake , Josh Harris , Aleksa Ristic , and Andrej Acimovic . Incoming Freshmen: Indiana has signed a top-20 recruiting class featuring 4-star prospects Vaughn Karvala (SF), Trevor Manhertz (SF), and Prince-Alexander Moody (CG).

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.