Dave from Dayton

Any word on the recruit visiting today? Josh Harris...

Been to Puerto Rico twice. Once in the U.S.Navy and once on our honeymoon. Down there in September and wondered why there were so many vacancies. (Spoiler alert: hot and elevated chance of a serious storm...Hurricane season is June through November.) Like other places down there, they have been rocked by multiple hurricanes. Still having issues with electrical power grid outages, rebuilding and disparity in opportunities for people. Although it did not stop us from hitting the beaches, checking out old San Juan, visiting the impressive fort, getting to the rain forest and immersing in the countryside and some culture. Did not go to the Bacardi Rum Distillery/factory. Just go out early and siesta afternoon, then go out late. I was reflecting on the goodwill that IU had because of RMK and the referees and the police. Also, politics are not really favorable. If anyone is really wanting to learn about Puerto Rico and the other islands/countries and their relations with the USA...read something about the sugar cane plantations and importing slaves from elsewhere. The islands still have not fully recovered from the sugar companies' exploitation economy, human rights and politics. My daughter and SIL are down there for 5 days at a business conference. Will get a report about their impressions, very soon. Even thinking of going down for our 50th wedding anniversary family trip. Regardless, it will likely be an education for the athletes and a positive growth opportunity for the team.

Being both an engineer and a finance guy...I get a kick out of statistics....and comparisons of the same. I also know that it is a snapshot and not reality. Thank you for putting this together and sharing. Having said all of that...now for the big question. What do you make of this? And how much time did you take putting it together? Can't wait for the season to start to evaluate if the coach was successful in meshing gym rats with a hungry chip on their shoulders with sharing the ball with good basketball IQs. Feeling it a little...

While that may be correct, Alexis missed the last 7 regular season games because of an ankle injury. And then suffered another ankle injury just before the SEC Tournament. He suffered the injury at Mississippi State on Feb. 11 and had his left foot in a walking boot. Golden said Alexis returned to practice on March 3 and was progressing well... per Sam Alexis injury update: When will the Florida forward be back?

I just do not know what to expect beyond better shooting, better offense from the guards and wings, better outside ball movement, better outside defense, better plays, better competitiveness, more wins. What I do not know is about the front court and overall team performances. Also I do not know who will start in the B1G. The coach is also a big unknown with all the variables he and his staff and the team have to deal with. Finally, I do not know about the competition. The head coach DeVries and his staff obviously will be a serious upgrade in many areas with experience in college basketball coaching. I just hope that the team performs well and meshes. Glad that it is happening, finally. If they compete very well in the B1G and get into the top 6 then that is decent. Of course we want them to compete for the top of the B1G but as of yet they do not have the experience playing together, in a new system, with upperclassmen that are well seasoned, and we are missing 5 players. And I hope that everyone stays healthy and grows in a positive manner. Things could be worse...The Purdue Boilermaker Special just had an accident on US 52...crossed the centerline and hit a car head on...one fatality...this is no joke: One dead after crash with Boilermaker Special on U.S. 52

I have been yearning for a great guard or guard combo. Got to have them to get the offense moving and to stop the other team from doing the same. I know that other team members are vitally important too. But we have had guards that just did not compete or execute at the highest levels. They have to have talent. They have to be floor generals. They have to be smart. And they need some other elite asset. We shall see. But since the coach wants the ball in the hoop quickly...that means he needs guards that create. I feel he is trying to accomplish that. I have hope and by the time they toss that first ball in the air...I am going to be sky high with optimism. Yeah...we win the off season yearly. But this coach is an experienced and smart college coach. There are a lot of positive intangibles there.

I don't know about all of that...but there is a Donut Fairy that lives on the north side of Lake Wawasee. I had heard the stories from years back from my wife and her sister that worked at the donut shop there for a couple of summers. Some guy would come in on Sunday mornings and buy a couple of dozen donuts. And the word was that he would take them and deliver them to friends' houses and leave them at dawn on front porches...sneaking away. Years later some found out who he was. My family did not know. But the guy kept coming in on Sundays for years...buying dozens. A few years ago, at a reunion of our wedding party...my wife was telling the story to the bridesmaids. One perked up and grabbed the group hustling to her father's house next door. He is/was the Donut Fairy. Friends even had engraved a plaque with that on it.

Okay, Nostradamus, who's next?

Is that you, Dr. Seuss?

A shout out of thanks to all that support and post on BtownBanners! Thank you! You all help Hoosier fans get though the lean years. Get ready to hang another banner! Right?!

And self-disciplined and willing to work hard. Goes well with being very smart. Interpersonal skills, which are clearly there, puts him a cut above. Wondering about connections...to up and comers and college preps/academies.

Does Indiana's coaching staff need a Secretary of Defense? /s

You're saying that the sky is falling??

Win at all costs! In society it is ok to not have ANY rules. Screw your neighbor. Holders of the public trusts do not have to take care of those trusts. Teachers can say and do anything as long as students move on. Institutions do not have to do what they are by law charged to do. Universities, that represent ideals and are responsible to political jurisdictions do not have to try to teach and improve the lives of students. We are not on this Earth to help one another. Grab what you can. Wrong on many levels.

If that is the case, glad we do not have 21 scholarships.

Reed Bailey, 6'10" F, Davidson College, A-10 First Team, rumored to be favoring IU allegedly posted on Trilly. Unconfirmed as yet. 1 year of eligibility. From the below link comments, fans posted: He can operate as a point forward (41% from 3) and can score from the blocks. He can use either hand near the basket and has a quick first step to take his man off the dribble. He passes well (3+ assists per game) and can handle the ball in transition. No idea about his defense, guarding a power forward. At 6’10, he is not a center and IU would still need a power forward and an athletic center. Fan sites had UK, now getting interest all over...some say it is a done deal. Dunno. IU basketball transfer portal names to know: Davidson’s Reed Bailey – The Daily Hoosier

I understand this sentiment. And I hear those that may blame IU and not Sampson for the overreaction. Also there is enough blame to focus on IU's lack of oversight upon hiring Sampson while he was on non-double-secret probation. One could also blame Knight and his mishandlers in the administration for not dealing with him before he blew it in the press. Oh well. I do not believe that people that act badly are inherently bad people. One thing that is great about the philosophy or belief some hold is that one can redeem themselves. It almost never is too late to change. A whole lot of people screwed IU basketball (and football). To blame one person or two, or to focus on only one time or a couple of years does not encompass what many see as an effort to downplay major sports at IU. Does this sound like a conspiracy theory? Or is it a bunch of clowns? Why not a lot of really counterproductive agendas? I was not happy about any coach hiring decision since RMK. But have cheered for each one to win while keeping eyes mostly wide open. I realize that no coaching hire is perfect. To continue dwelling on or hating what happened before does not really matter today if we have learned from it and the person is not acting the same generally bad way. I am saddened that Coach Sampson did not work out at IU. He should not have cheated. IU should have watched him so closely that he could not cheat. I do not have a big feeling, personally, about which team I will cheer for in the upcoming championship. I will let you know...maybe. What I really enjoy is watching individual performances, excellent efforts, smart plays, shrewd moves, tactics and taking advantage of what is offered by the other team. I want great teams playing at the highest levels. I want A.J. Moye-type leaps. Excessive money and lack of controls and human beings all being involved means that the game is not perfect in a sense. Has it ever been? But the NCAAT is a hoot. Enjoy the games.

90% of the things that I used to worry about never actually happened. Worrying obviously helped.

Achoki Moikobu went to Renton (Wash.) High School in 2010, and later played at Yuba (Calif.) College and Fort Hays State, graduating in 2015. Played as a 6-1 guard. Head coach at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Air, Kansas, where he coached 28 future Division I players. Then director of recruiting at Grand Canyon (2020-21), which made the NCAA Tournament that year, and then assistant at Drake (2021-22), which went 25-11. McCasland said. "He does a great job of developing and building relationships. He is as authentic as it gets. I think he has a tremendous overall perspective of the game and is really special in individual workouts because he understands how to get the best out of players on a daily basis." Tech sports roundup: McCasland hires two UNT assistants for Texas Tech staff

We are moving! Just bought this place in the British Virgin Islands. Within easy walking distance to a marina, a swim-up bar, 2 decent beach restaurants and a great nude beach. I like it because of the double palapas and the views. It has 2 bedrooms and is rated for 150-mph winds. Access by air is a little difficult...intentionally. All are invited to visit during the months of July - October...which incidentally is hurricane season. Houseguests will be required to fend for themselves. Bring food and linen if and when you visit. Pets are not allowed since there are already some local examples of nature that inhabit your bedroom. But, no worry, if you are vaccinated before your travel and have no immune system issues yet. There is a nurse on the island...with some interesting theories of healthcare. It is recommended that contracting with Captain Ron for a 4-hour cruise since that could be quite an adventure. We would post the address, but these places do not have them. For reference purposes, you can fly to San Juan Puerto Rico and hang a couple of lefts. (Happy 4/1.)

Married a DG. She was in it for 1 year and opted out the last stretch. SIL was in DG too. Also skipped a few years at the end. Last year probably was the year they taught that trick. I do listen to her, though. She who must be obeyed. (OFF TOPIC: SG Kam Craft, 6'6", hits 43% 3s, from Xavier and Miami (Ohio), 1 yr elig., originally from Chicago area. Visiting Dayton. Offers from MI and Rut, Cincy...) Kam Craft, Miami RedHawks guard who played at Xavier, to visit Dayton, DePaul, per report - Yahoo Sports

Skimming through new jazz on AllMusic and came across this...Christian Dillingham, just completed a 4-year tenured music professorship at Indiana University. His quartet plays original pieces here in his debut album. Caught my eye because he is from Brookville Ohio...but has played with symphonies in Chicago and NY and...is on over 20 albums...both jazz and classical...has played with John Legend. If you like organic, creative jazz led by a bassist.. Cascades Review by Matt Collar on AllMusic: Sometimes it doesn't take a massive reinvention of a genre to create something fresh and revelatory. Such is the case with bassist Christian Dillingham's exhilarating debut for Greenleaf Records, 2023's Cascades. The longtime Chicago performer has played with an array of artists, from John Legend and Alarm Will Sound to drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts andChicago Sinfonietta. He also took home a Grammy for his work on Kirk Franklin's 2019 album, Long Live Love. What's so refreshing about Dillingham's work on Cascades is that, while the music is wildly creative, it's also deceptively straightforward. Here, he showcases his quartet with saxophonist Lenard Simpson, guitarist Dave Miller, and drummer Greg Artry. Together, they conjure a deeply empathetic and harmonically exploratory atmosphere that doesn't stray far from the acoustic jazz tradition but never fails to surprise. It's as if Dillingham has distilled his varied experiences into his own organic sound, as in the opening "The Bottoms." Inspired by the predominantly Black neighborhood in Ohio where he grew up, the song is built around his funky bass-and-drum groove that sounds like something a hip-hop group might sample. Miller soon joins in with a wiry guitar solo full of layered and overlapping lines that evokes the free-jazz style of Sonny Sharrock. Impressively, Dillingham's group achieves all of this genre-blending energy while still sounding like they are just jamming live at a small club. Equally evocative, the slow jam "Homeostasis," with its noir-ish sax melody, brings to mind the '70s soul jazz of Stanley Turrentine. There are yet more esoteric moments on Cascades, including the hard-driving "One Breathe," with its crunch sax and guitar interplay, and "Lost in Desolation," which sounds like a slow-moving electrical storm in outer space. There's a sense on the album that Dillingham is exploring much more than his musical or artistic identity. It's a feeling he underlines on "Code Switch." Named after the practice of changing one's speech, attitude, or behavior to try to conform to a perceived cultural norm, the song's twangy, country-and-blues melody rises to a soulful mid-song swell, like a gospel or R&B singer in the throws of a chorus, before simmering down to its hushed outro, all of which seems to mirror the cultural dance the title implies. Throughout all of Cascades, Dillingham's warm, woody basslines and distinctive musical personality shine through. Cascades - Christian Dillingham | Album | AllMusic

I understand the skepticism and doubt. It's Indiana. Wishing and projecting and hoping and drawing on the walls like we have beautiful minds do not give a clear understanding of what the results will be of this hire. People are saying that WVa really knows how to hire coaches. Yeah, they hired Dan Doc Itch for a week...remember? On the other hand...can DeVries coach? At Indiana? Dunno. Pundits say that he knows his X's and O's. Pundits say he supports shooting 3's. Pundits say that he will change the culture. Projection? He most likely will not win the Artfully Articulate Award. Nor will he win the Captivating or Charismatic Comedian Conferral. He did ok in the Virgin Islands where he did not get kicked out. He has not been hoisted on a pikestaff by the court of fools for having a non-secure cell phone glued to his ear at the wrong time. He can coach but will not sit on the playing floor on a stool musing that he does not understand the wins. He does not swill an unknown liquid endlessly during games and his pants fit. He does know the difference between a win and a loss and that it matters. He flattens humps immediately. And he seems to not lead with his face like a routine melomaniac. And his assistants do not sleep during games. He has turned university basketball programs around. He is a winner. He is nobody's fool. Seems to be a fighter and a thinker and a builder... Seems to be willing to work on the necessary preparations to be a winner. Others have given awards to him for his performances as a basketball coach. I have not followed closely his coaching both on and off of the court. Seems that he will land somewhere between Archie2/Woodson2 and RMK's first 20 years at IU. Going out on a limb: Since IU administration and monied alums will support him and in these times of the NIL where $$$$ rules...in 3 years, he will be having IU competing at the top levels in the B1G. IU will be poised to make deep runs in the NCAAT. He will find those PG's that are gifted and smart and help the team. Shooters will be efficient in part because they can hit shots and the team helps. He will surround himself with gifted athletes that also are basketball players, or they will not see the floor. Defense will be important and set up the offense. Blocking out and rebounding and valuing the ball will come back into vogue. And he will both hug the Indiana HS coaches and the semi-pro academy pipeline. * Banner up! * Wishing and hoping and projection...

Posters are complaining about the NCAA rules, and compliance. Wondering about who is to blame for the NCAA decisions and compliance. Is it true that we...the universities...are actually the decision makers? If that really is the case, is it true that our universities are to blame? (I have seen the enemy...they are us.) From the browser and AI, I get this: The NCAA's highest governing body, the Board of Governors, primarily composed of university presidents and chancellors, makes key decisions, while the NCAA President, currently Charlie Baker, leads the national office and provides counsel to governance leaders. Here's a more detailed breakdown of the NCAA's decision-making structure: NCAA Board of Governors: This body, consisting of university presidents, chancellors, and independent members, provides strategic planning for the Association, adopts policies, resolves core issues, initiates and settles litigation, and provides final approval and oversight of the NCAA's budget. NCAA President (Charlie Baker): The NCAA President leads the national office staff, provides counsel to key governance leaders within the NCAA membership, and serves as an ex officio member of the Board of Governors, with a vote only to break ties. Divisions and Councils: The NCAA is structured into three divisions (I, II, and III), each with its own council and committees responsible for setting rules and operating guidelines. Association-Wide Committees: These committees, comprising representatives from all three divisions, make recommendations that can impact the entire Association, such as those related to health and safety, fairness, and expanded opportunities for student-athletes. National Office Staff: The NCAA's national office in Indianapolis provides support to the governance structure, acting as guides, liaisons, researchers, and managing public and media relations

It was obvious that it was a brain fart. I misstate things all the time. Brain is thinking two sentences ahead and my verbal or written comments lag and everything gets mixed. Your many postings are always appreciated. And you cover lots of related and unrelated subjects. Thank you and others for posting with or without flubs. That, plus, who in the heck looks for perfection on a sports blog or fan site? (Looks in mirror.)