OKHOOSIER

The sad part for me is the apathy. I was in Btown pre and post Sampson. I never really witnessed a winning team in person during school. Due to this, every win felt special and important to me, and I’d venture a decent amount of my demographic who endured winless football and last place basketball in person. But they don’t anymore. I didn’t get remotely excited during the OSU comeback knowing it’s only going to potentially delay what we need. I could not root for losses, it’s just not my nature— but I could not care less right now win or lose. Apologies for the depressing post lol. Just bummed.

So Queen apparently off the board. I am very concerned about Liam. There is no way he or his people could be watching this mess and thinking it’s the right place for him. Maybe NIL trumps that, or he really loves IU I guess time will tell. That said, if this becomes a zero man recruiting class that has to move the needle on letting him go. The potential for disaster next year keeping him on the sideline is hard to fathom sans a massive transfer haul.

That quote is distressing. I certainly am no MW fan, and being in the crowd who was too young to remember the last banner he is just a stubborn man and sub par coach. I am sure it is more difficult for folks who remember him as a player, and respect that. This, however, sounds like a coach who as no intentions of going quietly and is either completely disassociated from the reality of his program, or worse, doesn’t seem to care. I’ve tried to stay away from conjecture on his attitude— but going on the record that forcefully almost sounds like he is daring Dolson to fire him. Not like a coach who is on the hot seat. Next year will be worse and it’s going to be ugly.

I don’t think I buy the narrative that this would be too soon or unwarranted and the media coverage seems to agree. This is such a different situation than with TC. We got dragged nationally for that for thinking our program was better than occasionally winning the B1G and making sweet sixteens. Woody, for now, has the program in a marginally better position than when Archie was fired. Any momentum would be squandered keeping him any longer.

Lurk a lot and don't post, and apologies if this has been said ad nauseum but I just simply do not see how Dolson or anyone involved could think a rebuild in year 3 by Woody is a good idea. For me, it is not just the way this season has played out but how poorly we are set up for next season. An absolute monster transfer portal season aside and/or combined with a miraculous holding on to pieces (Ware, MM, etc.) we are going to be bad. We swung and missed on guards when that was the glaring need and we had the luxury of "TJD is gone, we can play the way we want." Well, three seasons of data showing we do not play or intend to play 1 in 4 out and spread the floor or modernize is not going to help get athletic guards in this offseason. I just do not see a world where we are markedly improved. Squeaking into the tournament and getting blasted early changes nothing in terms of the program trajectory with a lame duck (age, results or "bridge"--doesn't matter to me how you word it) is going to set us back into 2026. I love Woody, I hate that it has come to this, but he cannot be allowed to attempt a rebuild-- it has to be a new coach. We have to inject some juice into the rebuild, and I don't see how allowing him to try does that.

I don't wanna jump the gun tooooo much, but next year or even the year after, the idea of Tamir/Jalen in the backcourt is tantalizing. We haven't had that level of 1/2 in a long, long time. Not trying to hyperbolize, but that is the type of backcourt that wins titles in college. I am really really excited for the future.

Back in here for the start of the season, and I have to say after watching the highlights on ITH and a general perusing of social media I am most happy for the players. They seem after a very small sample size to be enjoying basketball and each other again. I hated how miserable they looked under AM. Further, the improvement in ball movement and hitting open shots, while again small sample size, is really encouraging. It is fun to be excited for the season again. Go IU.

This move is totally strategic for spot minutes against big boys in the B1G (see what I did there).. We absolutely cannot afford for TJD or RT racking up fouls and trying to guard some of the legit 7 footers in this league. Is he going to average near a double-double as he has at USF? No. But my thinking is that is not why he was picked up. This is a great pickup at least for that, and if the kid can show some flashes of high level offensive rebounds/put backs, even better. At worst, he can foul the piss out of whatever 7+ ogre purdue puts out this season.

You missed my main points, it absolutely was hand wringing, and I never once brought up any “hypothetical” replacements. I merely pointed out brunks’ not hypothetical stats, and why no one should care too much he left. I also never stated I believe he was bumped. I believe CMW was straight forward and told him he could stay, but there probably wouldn’t be minutes. Hypothetically speaking, you would really take Joey Brunk over a chance at Keion Brooks looking to restore his NBA stature? You can lie and say yes, but no one is going to believe you in that hypothetical.

I love coming back to random threads to see what the conversation is, and the Brunk departure is causing this much hubbub? Hand wringing about a guy who averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes worth of work per game. He isn't athletic, cant shoot the three, is abysmal from the the line (57% career) and was an average rim defender (0.3 blks per game). To say he doesn't fit the CMW system is an incredible understatement, aside from coming off an injury that is often the kiss of death for a big man, and any basketball player (back problems). At best in our system he is five fouls to give under the basket, at worst he does not see the floor, and I am certain CMW was straight up with him. I am sure they want Logan to get whatever minutes would have gone to Joey. Now, as to his transfer to Ohio, that one is puzzling, and I do not see playing time there for him exceeding what he got under Archie. I stated before in a different thread when we were arguing about "big men" that Joey literally becomes the tallest guy on their team by a couple inches. I guess that may have been the draw there for him and why they wanted him. Personally I wish him nothing but the best and hope he has a solid role for them in their rotation, I just don't see it. Either way, and this has been pointed out before, people need to get used to this kind of turnover, this isn't "Creaning" which was over signing for over signing sake and machine gunning scholarships to players that had no business getting an IU offer. This is turnover because every year we will be looking for the best players available to plug holes or make the team better. I think everyone should prepare themselves to lose the IU loyalty nonsense, they are going to build a roster year over year to get better, not clog a scholly on a 3 star at the end of the bench because he is loyal to IU and an "IU guy". This, like it or not, is what it takes to win big now in CBB, and with the transfer rule now, there will be very little "get old, stay old". But that's just like, my opinion man.

Really not understanding the obsession with height on the board. The game is not the same. No one in the final four had a player taller than 6-8 average more than 15 minutes a game with the exception of Gonzaga with Timme (28). And Timme was exposed against a more athletic team of shorter dudes. Ohio State doesn't even have a guy on the roster over 6-8, Brunk is literally the tallest cat on the team now. Quite frankly, who cares if some 7-3 dude scores 25 on us? Doesn't matter if the rest of the team musters 35. This is, IMO one of the problems with the B1G in general, slow, plodding teams do not do well in march (one year of UVA notwithstanding). Small ball, the 3 and spacing are the game now. Length and speed is much more important today that height.

IMO people need to adjust their expectations under this regime. Clearly, and I mean clearly the model is going to be NBA factory/reload as apposed to rebuild. Gone are the four or five year wasted project scholarships in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle (a la VO/OG). The message is going to be clear, produce and work and get minutes, because regardless you’re getting recruited over year to year. For me, it’s how IU should be, not squabbling over “potential upside in year 3”. It should and I believe will be, most talented transfers and highly rated freshmen only from here on out. Taking a flyer on a kid because they are from Indiana but probably won’t help win games immediately appears over. And I am for it. As the kids say, iron sharpens iron. Produce or GTFO.

1. Easily in the Tournament 2. 23+ wins 3. No inexplicable losses (cough IPFW cough) 4. See the kids (men) enjoying themselves, lifting each other up good or bad. I am a softie, but I really hated seeing how miserable the team looked under Archie pretty much all the time. I want to see the joy back in the game for them, and just judging by social media, that has already started. 5. Beating PU would just be a bonus, they will be a really good team next year, competitive is fine for me there. 6. No 6,7,8,9,10 minute scoring droughts. I expect a couple minutes without buckets and CMW is going to wholesale change a la RMK.

XJ committed to IU! Woody Wagon rolls on!

I definitely do not believe there is any kind of coach in waiting stuff going on, IMO we have seen a culture shift where former players WANT to come back. I am sure the subject of "being in the running" after Woody was broached, but I see the addition of Fife and possibly Lewis more as an indictment of Crean and Archie, and to a lesser extent Brand and Glass. Embracing the past and looking forward, as apposed to trying to ignore the past or the RMK shadow. I just get this general feeling that there has not been a feeling of welcome or openness around the program to players/coaches under the previous regimes. It is making a huge impact, the media wants to downplay IU as a program, but when you look at the Umbrella of IU people in basketball it is vast, and has been an untapped resource since Davis. I think Crean tried, but ultimately was simply not that likeable, and Archie appeared to have zero interest in reaching out and using the resources of IU's past. Just my thoughts.

Let's also remember that squad was predicted to finish upper half of B1G by most major outlets, easily in the tournament, and started the season ranked 26 in Kenpom. Coaching matters. Not saying its a FF team, but expectations can and should be high with this amount of returning talent. Potential inbound transfers notwithstanding.

Khristian is staying. What a day lol. WOODYWAGON

Late to the party on this one, but I had a discussion along those lines with my brother about this. Basically, our theory is CMW probably heard the rumblings and new there was a high probability of Archie being bought out. Knowing this, and knowing this would probably be his last shot at ever HCing IU, I believe he probably sat down, built a staff, watched film on the players and had a full set of visions for SD. After being hired, my guess is he already had a deep dive done on each player and their strengths and weaknesses so the one on one meetings were directed heavily towards showing said player what they meant to the program, and his overall basketball acumen. Just a hunch. Sampson once talked about the preparation in the NBA being far beyond anything he had experienced in the college game, no way Woody didn't have a full dossier on the team, coaches etc. the moment it became a possibility.

It is all running together but I said something similar in a different thread last week when "Masshole Watch" was still on going. Aside from BS I was pretty skeptical about the non IU names being thrown around as possibilities. I thought we needed someone who really really wanted to be here, because recent history says-- you take this job, you end up fired-- if I was the hot new up and comer I would think long and hard before taking this job. With BS, he gets fired from IU-- Duke, UNC aren't coming calling, and the NBA bridge would probably be burned, at least at the HC level.

Easy. The first game against Arkansas in Fayetteville. I was there, surrounded by UA friends. A Hoosier in Hogville. I knew better than to talk too much trash, but the shine was still fresh on the Romeo-Juwan tandem and I fully expected to blow their doors off. Most of the game, it was obvious we were the better team. Despite this, due to turnovers (18 if I recall correctly) and a complete inability to guard Gafford inside (he torched us for 30 something), and some poor free throw shooting (they were bad too as I recall) we lose by 1. It really marked the beginning of the underachievement under Archie. I look back at that roster and think how in all that is good did he not manage to coach them into the heckin' tournament. If we were Kentucky or Duke or UNC, he probably would not have survived 18-19 without blasting through the NIT, even then, probably canned.

Looks like he just told them some bad news lol. "You guys have not lived up to the standard, that changes today. BASELINE GO." For real though, they look defeated. Hoping Coach Woody can bring the confidence back that has sorely been missing.

I will tell you why I am excited and happy with the change in direction. I WAS NOT, a hire an IU guy guy (apologies). Brad was as close to an "IU guy" as I was interested in, until I really started digging into MW and the staffing possibilities. The MAJOR thing that sticks out here, is the general disdain for the hire among the brilliant all knowing media types. Some of the vitriol is almost laughable when talking about a guy who coached 30 years in the NBA. Second major thing to me, is the massive out pouring of support from NBA PLAYERS and the IU basketball alumni base. Not even being tepid, or staying silent, basically every Hoosier of note who either had major impact in college and in the NBA has had nothing but glowing sentiment towards the hire. I remember Archie being a "slam dunk" wunderkind hire according to the all knowing media types. I remember TC being the guy who "made D-Wade" and generally loved by the media. What I don't remember was this level of support from IU alumni or players. I have to believe that if a bunch of former players now feel they can be part of the program, and expect success, they probably know better than I do. Soo, swinging back to my original statement about not wanting an IU guy. The reason I have changed my stance is 1. Not IU guy hasn't worked, 2. Maybe all this time, instead of actively ignoring or running away from the shadow of RMK, we should have been embracing it. Maybe this experiment doesn't work, but I can say I haven't been this excited about a hire at IU ever. Bring the family back together, run this ship like an NBA team and lets see what happens. I said before the shine needs to be brought back to this job before we can seriously consider it "elite" and attract the non IU type uber successful coach. Sorry for the wall of text, just wanted to share my thoughts as a convert.

Parker Stewart withdrawing from portal, and staying with IU. Coach is doing work.

I have to think with this transfer market player's are feeling the heat. The coach has leverage this year that usually doesn't exist, and my guess is CMW has probably put a pretty definitive deadline for transfer portal guys outside of TJD (to test draft waters). I believe with the rumored contacts already the message is gonna be get on board, or be recruited over, and someone mentioned it earlier (apologies for not giving credit) but it appears that the NBA length and shooting ability will be a focus. Which I am really excited for. The last few seasons of archieball and crean, we really lacked the length compared to the B1G. It became super glaring under the pseudo pack line defense with Archie, and led to us being the 3PT slump killer for a lot of foes. As much as I would like to keep guys, I much prefer fit in a system, and if that means some guys need to kick rocks, so be it.

Guys keep bringing up his winning percentage in the NBA, and maybe it is because people don't understand or watch the NBA, but .463 is far from terrible. In fact it it about average all time, including the ABA. People love this one around here, so if you throw out his first two seasons a la crean, in Atlanta where the team he inherited was hot trash, even though the win total improved, his coaching record becomes .557 and right on about the top 50 NBA coaches of all time. Also, it takes him .002, 2 thousandths of a point off the current head coach at Boston's career average which stands at a blistering .559. Winning in the NBA is hard. Very hard. Rick Pitino is considered "not a failure in the NBA" and his lifetime record is .466, and he, despite his misgivings, was/is a pretty decent college basketball coach. The numbers are easy to point to, but they don't mean near as much in the NBA as they do in college, and are not a real accurate barometer of whether or not a guy would/could be successful in college.