Dave from Dayton

Basketball first!!! I've got a basketball Jones. Oh, baby! Oooh...ooh...oooooh! Hoosier the Bison!? Probably diversion since IU football cannot win as many as last year. Yeah, Money Makes The World Go Round! Screw those other minor sports. All hail the almighty dollar. I also think that higher education really sucks $$$$ away from the all-important football funding. Screw tradition. What banners? Let's toss all those alums that love basketball under the Bison. (The above is snark, if you can't tell...mostly.) I loved football and basketball in Indiana in High School. Went to IU and went to every stinkin' IU football game. At home saw them win 4 games total in 4 years if I remember correctly. i attended a class with Jade Butcher. Sure glad football is being upgraded and we get lots of wins and a program that is successful. But do not forget basketball. And soccer. And swimming. And other sports for all genders.

If...like I said...unsubstantiated.

I agree with both sides of this discussion to a degree. Coach Cig has said that he is extremely happy with IU and the support. And he did say, somewhat taken by me ... tongue in cheek with a smile and a guffaw ...that he could have used more money. Well, no kidding, right? But to say that he might jump ship because someone pulled the money rug out from under him is quite unsubstantiated. IU has taken quite a leap forward, recently, in football. That is due to Dolson finally getting a coach and donors and facilities in the pipeline. Unfortunately, and unnecessarily, IU basketball has taken significant broadside hits during the last 25+ years. That is unacceptable. Great to see that football has more than a pulse...it can be and should be in the top 20 every. single. year. And basketball, too. It does not have to be either/or.

Indiana basketball administration missteps before, during and after the Sampson phonegate and Dakich purge, included all sorts of disenfranchised fan feelings. For those that researched Crean's time at Marquette, we were aware that he was more than quirky, liked to play fast, had more than a tendency to oversell, didn't really require the discipline, and lacked focus to put teams together to take advantage of matchups, and rode Wade's coattails. He had passed his zenith at Marquette and IU, apparently, was desperate to hire. Overselling was his major strength. It also was his most serious flaw. Fans could not stand it. Highschool coaches in Indiana could not either. We have gone over those grounds enough. I am very much looking forward to the future of IU basketball and football. Seems that we may have disciplined, smart, knowledgeable, hardworking coaches that know how to build teams and win. Make it so.

Now that was a fun and inciteful read about Mendoza. Thanks for the link!

That IS burying the lede.

Valid point about tongue in cheek not being recognized. Learned in writing class in high school that sarcasm doesn't work in the written word. That is why when lacking placement of emojis, one uses /s. I thought that the previous text was being taken much too seriously. But thought it might be trying to be funny. That is why I started my text with snark. And then continued my comment by being quite droll. Which could easily be taken much too seriously. /s Now back to our regularly scheduled waste of time before they roll the ball out or the world changes for the better.

The NCAA used AI to define international, no doubt. /snark The benefits outweigh the probably intentional sloppy definition of international. The border of the USA, to the NCAA and to some others, does not include territories of the USA. They could have added a clarification phrase to the rule. Seems they did by interpreting it this way. Such a non-issue.

Maybe. But historically, for IU, it has been "Just wait for basketball season.". Hope the football team competing for a B1G title becomes the norm. Same goes for basketball.

The players have to make the plays. Can't get tagged out on a throw from the pitcher. Got to get hits. Got to make the plays. Got to get multiple strike outs by our pitchers. Yeah, coaching, too...

IU loses 5 - 2. Two home runs in the 9th. Just wait for basketball season. Right?!??

Indiana with one out just loaded the bases. Behind in the bottom of the 8th. Sides retired. 5 - 0, still.

Top of the 5th, Rutroh 1, IU Zip. Got to win this.

Today, Tuesday, at 3 ET on BTN...IU vs Rutted. https://scarletknights.com/news/2025/5/19/baseball-to-face-indiana-iowa-in-big-ten-tournament.aspx

Let them eat cake. But not in my hall of mirrors. Can you imagine?

CFB Championship discussions ongoing for expansion from 12 to 16 teams. The below links say for 2026. I speculate that this coming season remains a 12-team playoff. Also reported by ESPN reporter Thamel. Sources: The power four commissioners met again today in... - ESPN Major Update on College Football Format After Big 12's Reported Pushback on Proposed Changes

Yeah. I could visit for 4 months and get totally immersed in the culture and language. That would beat the 4 days we were there. Vraiment.

RtT did not say that we need it. Said he would be "..all ears." (ie. Listen to the discussion of the opportunity and look at the fit.) Seems to be a reasonable statement by RtT. And, yes, we may not need it. It may not be part of the coach's plan. But, obviously, there are other teams that have plans to counter what we might come up with...including their bigs. Not only would it seem to be logical to have that weapon at our disposal...especially if the big can block shots, move, jump, and hit frees. Plus, practices against a big for those learning a new system...may just have loads of benefits...defensively. y

I can see the fans of the other teams chanting: "Let's go Bison!" Or something similar...

Nicely done there, cowboy!

I thought that Lee Corso was the mascot. And Priller...

I had wondered where Coach Woodson had been during the period 2021 - 25. Just saying...

Oh, I wouldn't refer to it as 'great' if we are ranked near 20 at year's end. I would be pleasantly surprised....pleased, yes. It is CDD's first year here. And the team as a team has a long way to go. It will take some getting over some bumps (not humps)...and taking some lumps. Great would be in the Sweet 16 with a good showing there. Great would include the team playing their hearts out routinely. Great would be CDD showing his mettle and BB IQ. Great would be the guards playing like they belonged in the competition for the top of the B1G. Great would-be recruiting improvements for 2026 being experienced during the basketball season. ..and really building something towards another banner. (Great would be a serious upgrade in referees and fairly calling games consistently home and away and in the first half and second half. But I dream. Never mind.) I understand why some would say it is great. Things are relative. To me, great is competing with the best routinely, and bringing it all home once in a while. I am not going to accept all of the hype. But I am intrigued. And I will cheer the team. My expectations are a little lower than others on this site. I hate to admit that. I usually am a positive...cup is half-full of BS..kind of guy. I just do not think that we will get even a sight of that rabbit on the first try this season.

I am so very happy and optimistic about having a coach that knows college basketball. He seems smart, has a plan, gets shooters and ballers that are willing to work. That, plus, he is willing to do the work to build a team. It is his first year. And the cupboard was dry. I am very interested in and concerned with the performance of the guards. But what do I know? I've only loved IU basketball since the mid '60s.

If the guards get the ball into the offense early and we have a halfway decent defense, then this will be a fun year. Wondering about the non-P5 players and shooters and that translating into competing for the top of the B1G. Reflecting on some guard imports last season from the left coast. Not knowing, yet, what to make of CDD and his staff and almost all of the players all being new to each other and to him causes me pause...and lots of hope for the future. Yeah, we all know these new players are all smart IQ ballers that are gym rats and hungry to practice and perform well. And we know that CDD is experienced and successful building a competitive team in other places. Right? (Winning the offseason is where we have been for years.) We all live in interesting times. (Heard that could be taken as a curse.)