OKHOOSIER

If they don’t make a move and allow CMW to hire Kenny Payne that will be the straw for me. I won’t watch, I’ll stop my annual donation, and my wife can wake me up when we have a different coach. I love my alma mater, I always will, but the idea of not replacing him and he having the hubris to hire a coach as bad as KP is just laughable.

I live in ACC country and am surrounded by UNC, Duke, Clemson folks etc. I watch a ton of UVA basketball with friends and coworkers. One thing we all agree on is UVA is atrocious to watch. Winning cures all I suppose, but personally I want nothing to do with slow, plodding offense. Bennet would have to have a plan to change his offense. After the seven years we’ve had I really don’t think fans want to see a team dribbling the air out of the basketball for 25 seconds every possession. Just my thoughts. I just don’t think it’s a good fit.

I, for one, am taking reports Woody isn't out recruiting 25s as a positive. Why would he bother if things were moving towards him being replaced. That is my positive affirmation in the face of what looks like an indefensible lack of recruiting tonight during sectionals.

I mean this is a little disingenuous no? What is a recruit going to say with a microphone in their face? "Mike Woodson runs an archaic offense that values 2pt baskets and all his shooters are clearly hesitant." Of course you could pull "positive" quotes. All the positive quotes in the world do not mean anything compared to reality. We offered 31 high school players and 1 committed. Or if you are scoring at home, a .03% success rate.

I think what would be most exciting about a pearl hire is that is a serious name with serious cache. Pulling someone like Pearl from Auburn would show the kind of program power we all believe is lurking beneath the surface in spite of what our rivals say about dusty banners. I’d be excited with May, really anyone other than Woody, but poaching a coach like Pearl would instantly make IU front page news nationally.

In the words of our coach, we are not the ones missing shots. It’s not our job to get them open looks. Lol

I read their articles but got immediately turned off by the moderation. BTB is so much better. If it weren’t for advertising and website marketing I’m convinced they would have turned commenting off years ago lol

And what would the agenda be? Not have to watch terrible basketball? Pretty much every B1G school has multiple opinion and analysis sites for basketball, football or both. Dealing with the media is part of the gig here, and a smart coach uses that. No one in Ohio State media had a bad thing to say about Holtman, other than the basketball was bad. Woody on the other hand is giving them bad basketball and being dismissive. The reactions or “agenda” are completely warranted IMO.

At this point our cause is furthered by more Woody media appearances. It has sounded like he’s been coached for a couple weeks now to stem the bleeding and he still can’t help himself but say things that must make Dolson and Buckner cringe. What college coach says “I’m not missing the shots”

In addition, our administration sanctioned a 1 million dollar raise and insane buyout for a coach no one was trying to buyout or pay more to coach their team. It is unconscionable.

There was a play in the first half that just had me shaking my head. We moved the ball fairly crisply around the perimeter only for Cupps to feed Walker for a missed elbow jumper. It was just a microcosm of this system.

We are now dead last on Torvik looking up at 3-13 Michigan. One guy in the recruiting class. Team generally looked like it wanted to be anywhere but on the court. Body language was just sad while sub .500 PSU looked to be having fun even with nothing to play for. I really dont see any logical argument to keeping Woody unless we really cant afford it which I do not believe.

Fire coach Woodson. You’re welcome.

Sorta surprised at some of the we wouldn’t be considering Dusty without the IU connections. He could have had a P5 job last year. There’s already reports of talks with OSU. If he doesn’t take one this offseason, it’s not going to be due to lack of suitors other than IU. I get the mid-major apprehension but FAU isn’t even mid major. That was a low major moribund program that’s not even existed that long. Fear of Archie 2.0 is crippling people for Dusty. Fear of Kelvin 2.0 is crippling people for Pearl. The reality is perfect isn’t walking through the door. Stevens came and went. Donovan was always a pipe dream. But I think most can agree Woody is not the future. Either would be a massive step in the right direction in the near term. Because the alternative and keeping Woody is far more detrimental.

Someone with Pearls coaching record 15 or even 10 years younger would be considered an absolute grand slam hire by pretty much everyone. Even at 64, another 6 or 8 could be special. Heck Laranaga went to an EE and FF in back to back years in 22 and 23 and he’s 74. I’d prefer Dusty I think, but by basically any metric if we could get Pearl it would be a grand slam. I wanted him when Archie was hired, and would venture a bet had we done it then we’d have already seen a FF and probably another banner.

Not sure it taking a video surfacing three years later and nearly 30 years into his coaching career for “zero tolerance” to be enacted a high level of oversight either. Choking a kid in practice doesn’t happen in a vacuum. That’s a pattern of acceptable behavior culminating in a videoed outburst of physical violence. It is safe to say that pattern was overlooked due to wins.

I don’t disagree it can be used effectively. However, RMK also wouldn’t shy away from criticism and make excuse after excuse with the press. When all he does is blame players and injuries and make any excuse for not getting over the hump— you lose all credibility ripping a guy who clearly is one of the few really trying to win. That was more the reason I think it’s a terrible look. Ware was 5-13 from the line. Cupps couldn’t guard Tominanga to save his life. MR couldn’t stop fouling— again. There were plenty of options for benching or getting in someone’s butt. Trey wasn’t it and it was obvious to someone who tends to not notice things like that— that was the main point.

Here’s a fun anecdote. My wife, who is a die hard fan, but doesn’t really watch that closely or understand all the nuance in a basketball game said: “Why is Woody yelling at Trey? He’s the only person who even tries.” Aside from realizing a clearly married the right person once again, all I could do was agree. That was a terrible look.

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.