cthomas

When CMW says "it's just basketball" I think he has it about right. Everyone thsee days over analyzes everything. After the Rutgers loss he said it came down to making shots which was exactly right. We have analytics to tell us what is a good shot and what is not. I get that this generation has the tools to do that stuff. And I'm not saying it isn't useful. I am admittedly an old guy, really old, but for me it has always been about putting the ball in the basket. I believe that Tony Hinkle used to say before every high school tournament game that the team who put the ball in the basket the most would win the game. I like CMW's approach that it is a simple game. Do the right things and hit your shots and you probably win.

I'm not sure who you are talking about, but if it is Mallory, his last few seasons weren't that good. He was an old school coach who I liked a lot. But it was still the same old IU football at the end of the day.

NIL might be an even bigger problem. No way we are competing in that arena with the big boys. If we somehow how get a really good player, someone higher up the food chain will poach him. We are football's "catch 22". No one wants to invest in a terrible program and without investment we will stay a terrible program.

Do you think it will matter? Honest question and not being snarky.

Not to mention throwing a team together in fall training camp is not ideal in terms of chemistry and cohesiveness.

That is the question and I'm not optimistic about the answer. We have spent millions on renovation and still will not invest in the most important part, coach. Maybe when this fiasco is over we will do a proper coaching search and get a real qualified guy. If the athletic director is not already working the phone and back channels, he should be fired immediately.

Through 8 games I think we have a good to very good team. I don't think it is a great team. Race, Tamar, and Jordan have been somewhat of a disappointment to me so far. We'll only go as far as those guys can take us. As good as TJD is, he sometimes shrinks from the moment. We did not bring defensive intensity against Rutgers and without that we will struggle most nights in the conference. Plenty of time to course correct, but I was expecting more than we got yesterday.

At least we won't be losing with the same guys next season. How can CTA look at this and not know that his whole approach has failed miserably.

Probably the most frustrated I have ever been with an IU basketball team. So much talent, but only 7-5 in December. But then, that turned out alright.

This was always going to be a tough game. The road in conference usually is. Missing JHS big time. He takes pressure off of XJ keeps him from trying to do to much. TJD needs to play like an All-American in the second half. Also need to play better all around. Need the defense from the UNC game that apparently was left in Bloomington.

I understand all that and context does matter. But, painting with a broad stroke, in most situations a kid who wants out would be out on my team.

If I'm the coach, a player who enters the portal doesn't play another minute for me and is no longer a part of my team. At that point a kid who is committed to my to my program gets those minutes. I get that this is a new landscape, but loyalty should still count for something and be rewarded.

I don't ever remember the bench being as engaged as this one is. Some of CAM's bench shots looked like the kids would rather be anywhere but there. These guys want each other to succeed and celebrate when someone does. That is a sign of a coach who knows what he is doing. The jump from two years ago to now is amazing. Indiana basketball is good and fun again.

One of CMW's stated goals was to reunite the Hoosier family. I'd say he is doing quite well in that respect.

We haven't had many big wins in the last few years. Nor have we had a team that anyone on a national level took seriously. Keep winning and " lucky" becomes "good" over time.

This was the best defensive performance I've seen in a long time. That is the kind of pressure in the backcourt that we have been missing. It seemed like nearly every shot by UNC was pressured or contested. Their guards, and they are excellent, never got comfortable. CMW is putting his stamp on this team.

I don't think the program is exactly at rock bottom, but I think we can see it from here.

Let's just go back to grass. Sure it gets torn up, and sometimes muddy, but it is a whole lot more forgiving than the artificial stuff.

I'm not penciling anything in right now. I think we have the best team we have had in a while, but I don't know exactly what that means in terms of the season. National title contender is a huge leap from where we have been in the last few years. I want to see us continue to build to that level. I'm just not sure we can go from where have been to where we want to without taking the steps in between.

From my vantage point there's nothing about IU football right now, other than being in the B1G, that would attract a good, never mind great, coach. History says this is not a destination to a better job. I don't know what it would take to turn this program around. I've been watching for over 60 years and have seen many coaches try. But outside of a few good years here and there, they all have largely failed.

Well, technically it is unbroken but I know what you mean. Question is, will we ever break it and dig out of the hole?

We are the place where qb's go to die.

I love seeing them do something like this. Nothing wrong with having fun while playing the game of basketball. No need to suck the joy out of it. During stretches of this game IU was a thing of beauty. If the word or phrase is a Kopp thing, then that shows another aspect of his value to this team.

Hope so, but not so sure about that. He has the size and potential that NBA teams love.

Looks a little like Lyle Lovett.