cthomas

I just finished the book. I loved every bit of it and it's one of the few books that I was sad to see end. My job in the U.S. Postal Service required me to visit post offices around the state. If a town had a post office I was probably there at some point. And if it didn't, I probably drove through it on my way somewhere. Seeing the entirety of Indiana was the best part of the job. Whenever a town was mentioned in the book, I could picture it in my head. I remember nearly every single player who contributed to the book and remember most of the state finals games they talk about. In my house the basketball tournament was must watch TV. Class basketball pretty much ended that for me and Indiana high school basketball quit being unique. From the comments of several of the players they thought so too. Those were truly great times to play or be a fan of Indiana high school basketball. I want to thank @Whoozhers for making me aware of this great book and @eljefe6 for providing me where to purchase it.

You high rollers crack me up. With a bunch of needy kids and grandkids I am firmly planted on the bottom shelf.

Given our recent portal success and our high quality late high school additions, I am considerably less anxious about high school kids decisions. Would really like to have him, especially since we have been talking about for a long time. However, I no longer see anyone as a must get.

I'm in the same boat as you. When it comes to IU football, I've been been cautiously pessimistic for more years than I care to remember. This feels different. CCC has a specific "blueprint" approach to building a football program. It's tangible, it's methodical, and it's exactly what we have needed for a long time. And, if you he can inspire confidence in me, he can convince anyone.

The Cigs 38 That place in Florida 10

I'm starting to like the portal more and more. The drama that surrounds high school kids can be a bit much. The length of time and the amount of resources that go into the recruiting process is ridiculous. At least with the portal you are done in a couple of months.

Different strokes for different folks. Music is such a personal thing that not many people are going to agree on what is good. Personally, I want to hear something presented in a song in a way I haven't thought of it before. I like the Eagles and have since the 70's. Some of their songs meet the criteria that I mentioned above. Paul Simon writes songs that are poetry. "Dangling Conversation" comes to mind and there are many more. I have always thought that Bob Dylan is the best songwriter that I have ever heard. I enjoy a lot of stuff from a wide variety of people and I know that some of it is generational. I am a guy who enjoys the language and I appreciate most those who can use it to express common things in a unique and different way.

I don't know if CMW is the best coach for IU, but I do know that he was one of my favorite players when he played here. I probably wouldn't have hired him to be IU's coach but he was hired. I will support and respect the man for as long as he is here. I think he has earned that. I also think that Quinn Buckner has done enough for IU to deserve respect. Those teams were arguably the best in college basketball history. It's disappointing sometimes the way we treat the people who built the IU basketball brand. I know others disagree with this and that's ok. We all want to see IU win another national championship.

I think CCC is the best judge of talent on this football team. First and foremost, he wants, and expects, to win football games. I believe he will put those players on the field who he thinks gives him the best chance. He knows his guys. Everyone else has to prove they are better. I can't believe we are questioning a coach before he has even coached a game here. For what it's worth, and I know it's not much,but I have more confidence in CCC than any coach in my lifetime, and that's a a really long time.

It was no doubt Barnes. I wish Tolbert would have named names, but what I remember about Barnes tells me it was him. His attitude and general demeanor make him the most likely candidate. I'm glad it worked out that way because I would take Ray every day of the week over Barnes.

I've been disappointed so many times after getting my hopes up. IU football has been demoralizing at best. But I think you are right. This seems different. CCC is very process oriented and that type of approach pays off.

I can see top 3 because Painter will do Painter things. They will no doubt be a pest.

I don't even remember 22 anymore.

I have and I'm about halfway through it. I'm really loving it and it brings back so many memories. Don Curnutt and the Shepard boys were in high school roughly when I was and were part of the Carmel Sectional. Sam Alford was my wife's driver's ed teacher and she was in high school in Martinsville when Jerry Sichting was a player there. The one thing that is clear is how hard those kids worked to achieve greatness. I'm still a big advocate of single class basketball. Not everyone needs a trophy. The world doesn't work that way. Thanks so much for making me aware of this book.

Getting a commitment from Lewis would kick start the program to an unbelievable degree. It would attract other high end talent and we would be on our way to relevance. Not going to get too far ahead of what's happening, but we are on the edge of something special. I have more confidence in this staff than any in recent memory.

Cannot wait to see the CCC era of IU football get started.

I have a lot of respect for Ware. He had a bad freshman year and came to IU and did the work. I think is just beginning to grow into how good he can be. He has all tools to be a great NBA player.

Thanks so much. I can't wait to read it. So many of those teams and players were a part of the soundtrack to my life when I was growing up.

I have not, but would love to. I checked every place I could think of and apparently it's out of print and currently unavailable. The 50's and 60's were my favorite time for high school basketball. The small towns lived for basketball. Believe it or not, Carmel was just another small town back then.

Painter is not an idiot. I'm sure he sees the same things with Loyer that we do. And I'm sure he is planning for a way to compensate. I have no idea how good Purdue will be next year, but I'm pretty sure they will be difficult to deal with.

Man, I'm right there with you. But, I also realize that things have changed and they are never going back. I loved watching kids grow within the program over a number of years. Now, we are NBA lite. We can either embrace it or move on to something else.

It's been a really long time and I still marvel at the skill of McGinnis. You are absolutely right, probably two generations ahead of his time. And Wilkerson remains one of my all-time favorite Hoosiers. It's heartbreaking that he was not able to finish the championship game and celebrate with his teammates. He certainly earned it.

Realistically, we are never going to be viewed the same as Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, or the other top of the food chain football factories. But, we have a coaching staff that acts like we belong in that conversation. That's the first step. And getting an official visit for a top rated quarterback makes a difference in perception. CCC is absolutely right when he says the first order of business is changing the perception.

I heard him say on some podcast that he hated losing more than he liked winning. That's my coach.

I'd like to think that NW is a team we can beat on a regular basis going forward. If we are going to get where we want to go that's going to be a must.