cthomas

If D. Davis returns next year, he could be the one who raises the collective toughness of this team through his play. What a mentor he could be for TJD, teaching the young guy what it takes to play at this level. I openly admit I have not given De'Ron enough credit for what he brings to this team when healthy. Last night he made it clear what would and would not be tolerated in the paint. We will only get better as more and more guys take on his personality. I also believe CAM is cut from the same cloth.

If the desire to be OAD is driving the decision, then UK is probably the place for him. Our program is never going to be built on that type of player. The right culture and experience will be our path to success. We need talented players who are going to be here for multiple years. I trust the staff to find those players who will lead us to sustained success.

Media guy being media guy!

Not sure it's possible to be confident in this team given the offensive struggles. This has all the ingredients for a very ugly game.

Well, the 15th is the Ides of March and that didn't work out too well for Julius Caesar.

They're playing better defense, getting better shots, and have better shooters. Pretty simple really. On a side note, Izzo is an arrogant S.O.B.

Same here. Daytime drinking throws everything off for me. I just hope the REAL Indiana shows up and not the imposters we've seen for much of January and February. A good, hard played game makes the results much easier to accept.

Basketball fans, who live and die season to season, are not very good at the long view of things. And basketball is far more important to us than the average IU grad or the public in general. I'm hopeful that CAM can give us the stability to grow a consistently successful program. I'm encouraged by his temperament and his ability to stay calm and to stick with the process. I think that is the recipe for what we have all been waiting for.

Need I remind that you, sir, started this madness.

I keep trying to find reasons to be optimistic, but they are few and far between. I mean, we are celebrating effort in the Purdue game! Effort used to be a given. The only thing that has been consistent lately is the miserable offensive production. I would have thought that the better effort would have led to better offense. Guess not. I would be worried if this was a home game, but since it is in corn-fed country, despair is setting in.

Bobby Wilkerson was pretty effective at 6' 7" jumping center.

I think this team is more in need of a psychiatrist than a different coach. I think the psyche of this team is very fragile and it is probably too late to turn that around. We may not have great shooters, but there is no way they should be as bad as they are. To me, that screams head problems.

I would certainly hope so because I don't think anyone wants to endure another year like this one. The return on investment right now is very low and painful to watch.

I hate losing, especially to Purdue, but we were beaten by a better team tonight. I don't think Painter gets enough credit for his coaching ability. What he has done with the players on that roster is amazing. I had them picked comfortably in the bottom third of the conference.

This is setting the game of basketball back all the way to the peach basket.

I just hope it continues the whole game.

Win or lose, you're screwed....wait, that's not what I mean,...errr, you're....never mind.

I love it when someone is willing to go off script, back it up with observations, and then stand in and take the flack! Good on you my man.

Painter went after higher risk/reward kids for a while a few years ago and it went badly for him from a culture standpoint. If I recall correctly, he apologized to the fan base and went back to what worked for him. I understand that IU is not Purdue, but maybe CAM should recruit kids who fit his philosophy regardless of ranking or location. I'm not sold that players with one foot out the door before they arrive on campus are good for the long term culture of the program. We need talent but not at the expense of the goals of the team.

I can see 'changes' to make a point about effort or possibly to get guys experience for the future. But from what we have already seen, we are not going to win games with what we have on the bench. I'll continue to support our guys but, for me, the plug has been pulled on this season. Honestly, I can't see more than one or two more wins the rest of the way.

Football season is strangely appealing to me about now.

This has turned into a truly disappointing season. I can't imagine there not being some roster turnover. Nothing against any of the kids on the team, but the pieces do not fit. Between now and next year, we need to add size, shooting, and a little attitude.

We are an example of the total being less than the sum of the parts.

Thanks for the link. I'm going to trust the staff on whether or not this kid fits what we're trying to do. But, I was impressed! Crazy range on his shot, terrific passing skills, and decent ball handling. For me, the bottom line is he can play and will find a place somewhere in the college game.

I thought early in the year as the injuries began to pile up that they would take a toll on the team as the year wore on. It's a cumulative effect of not having productive practices, young guys playing before they're ready, and heavy minutes causing mental fatigue. I'm sure they are aware of the negativity being directed at them for not winning. Energy comes from positivity, and right now there's not a lot of that surrounding this team. Feel free to differ, but this is one old man's opinion.