cthomas

Well you are smarter than me then because I watched that train wreck stone cold sober!

I don't think the schemes, offensive or defensive, are the problem. There is no one one way to be successful in college basketball. The difference between those who are and those who aren't usually comes down to execution. We just don't execute very well. Admittedly, it's clearly the coach's job to get the effort and execution to the level it needs to be. Over time, this will work itself out one way or the other.

Smith, Durham, and TJD saved this game. Brunk made some plays as although this was not his best game. Gotta play with purpose for the complete game. Not going to win on talent alone.

After reading through this, my neighbor's grass is looking better than mine....and his wife ain't bad either.

IU could have been the best opening at the time compared to other available jobs. That's a long way from saying it's the best job in college basketball. I know you didn't say that, but it was sort of implied. I think us on the inside have a significantly higher opinion of our program than those on the outside looking in objectivity. The first step in change is a realistic view of who and what we currently are.

The question was, given everything that's been discussed, why he hasn't tried something different. He manages the game and studies the film. He has way more information to work with than any of us. So, once again, WHY haven't changes been made?

Nothing will convince me that CAM doesn't see the same things that we do. I also think he knows the players better than we do. So, given our struggles and apparent shortcomings, why hasn't he tried any of the things suggested here? I don't particularly like system coaches, but I don't think his approach is the problem. What worked at Dayton, should work just as well here if the talent is good enough. So, what are the possible reasons no significant changes have been made?

CAM is well aware of the expectations for coaching here. I'm sure he is aware of the consequences of not meeting them. I doubt that anyone knows what goes on in practices or in the locker room. Given that, it's for me to say what needs to be done. CAM is ultimately responsible for the product on the floor and I'm pretty sure he knows and will be held accountable. It's really hard for me to be critical of the players considering they chose to play here rather than somewhere else. We offered other kids who declined. If what we have is not good enough, then it's because this was the best we could get at the time. No one gets to this level without being competitive and I find hard to believe that any of them enjoy losing. I can't imagine it's much fun walking around campus after getting embarrassed on the basketball court. I've said repeatedly that I like these kids and will continue to do so until they do something unrelated to basketball to change that. I try to not be too concerned about things over which I have no control. This falls under that category.

From the fans for sure, but I doubt it moves the needle much with the decision makers.

Looks like we aren't the only ones with shooting problems.

You probably just described a search criteria for a university looking for a coach whose personality wouldn't overshadow the university as a whole. Until BOT and administration priorities change, I don't see a "big" personality coach on the sidelines of Assembly Hall.

Going back to the last few years of Knight, and continuing through today, I don't think the administration does. They want respectable and clearly secondary to other interests.

I'm wonder what is really wrong with Phinisee. He has shown himself to be much better than he has played this year. Beyond him, no one is shooting with any confidence and shot selection is pretty bad right now. Trend is not encouraging, but a lot of basketball to be played.

We won the last three minutes!

My Dad's lived by the "hope for the best, but expect the worst" philosophy. I kinda feel like that's where we have been the last few years as a program. Guys either don't believe in themselves and teammates or don't believe in the system. Confidence is such a huge part of athletic performance and I don't see much from our guys right now. Hopefully, they prove me wrong today.

"Tennessee’s roster was built largely on classes ranked 13, 21, 17 and 14 nationally, from 2016-19. The Hoosiers’ numbers in that span: 36, 50, 52 and 63." This quote for an IndyStar article this morning should tell us everything we need to know about what needs to change for us to consistently complete/win these games. I get that ratings aren't everything, but that is a significant four year discrepancy in talent. Not sure how we do it, talent and depth of talent has to improve to take the next step.

The difference between really good teams and us is they make the plays we left on the field. All in all, great effort and on to hopefully a better next season.

This in my opinion is the most accurate thing that can be said about the IU basketball program. Probably athletics in general. We argue about coaches and players when the real blame belongs much higher up the food chain. We are on our fourth coach since the Knight years and none of them have been satisfactory. And, honestly, the last six or seven years that Knight coached weren't anything thing to write home about. If we fired CAM, what makes anyone think the current administration would hire someone better. The blame for the product on the floor goes way higher up than our current coach or players. This message board is just an echo chamber of the most passionate basketball fans and I doubt representative of the greater IU community. The best thing that Purdue ever did from an athletics standpoint, love him or hate him, was hire Mitch Daniels. He seems to understand the marketing value of a strong athletic program. Until we do something similar, I don't foresee anything but more of the same.

I read a really good article about Brunk somewhere recently, but can't find it now. He started with basically nothing but tall. Early in his career he couldn't do even one pushup. The extra work he is doing since he got to IU should be an inspiration to everyone on the team. The change in him is more than just a change in systems. I have also read that he and TJD spent a lot of time last summer going at each other in workout sessions. I have to believe that made both of them more prepared for this season.

Very reasonable and accurate analysis of the game in my opinion. Pretty much exactly what I saw.

I think I understand your frustration and that of others. I have been around for four national championships, although the first one is very vague. I like that most of the kids on our team seem like real STUDENT-athletes and not one semester kids passing through on their way to the NBA. We may never be what we once were. I thought after '76, '81, and '87 I would see a national championship every few years. Hasn't turned out that way. University priorities seem to have changed. The level of success on the court doesn't have to to determine whether or not I like our coaches or players. The way they represent the university I root for does and isn't just about wins and losses. I'm not saying you are wrong to feel the way you do. I'm just not in that place anyone.

I don't doubt that we all want the same result. I think we can express those desires without being so angry at our coaches and team. Coach Miller, like him or not, is the only one with real skin in this game and he will succeed or he won't. Honestly, my life won't change much either way.

Yes, I was. All the way back to the fifties, although I don't remember a whole lot about that time. This is a different time with different kids. Nothing that we did during the Knight years, great as they were, apply now. I just think that the criticism of the coach and the team crosses the line at times. The playing field is not level and I would rather be where we are than play in the mud for mercenaries who only want to punch their ticket to the next level. When we become that, I'll find something else to do.

I said before the Arkansas game that I like this team and I like these kids. The game, as bad as it was at times, hasn't changed that. The rest of the season, no matter how it turns out, won't change that. I don't understand the win at all costs mentally that seems to take over the dialogue here. These kids are human beings who have chosen to represent IU and we are talking about them, and our coach, as if we'd rather have someone better. They want to win, and so do the kids on the other team. One is going to lose. Maybe I'm too old to have the passion over winning and losing that some do, but I care more about how we get there and the kids than the results at the end of the day. It's a bigger world and there are more important things than this.

Arkansas is playing really tight on the perimeter. Not a lot of room for our guards to operate. They will probably try something different on TJD in the second half. Let's see how we counter. That should be the game.