Demo

This is so nuts. Columbia Records incomprehensible decision to try to fashion Chicago into a sort of nameless, faceless generic rock band has successfully blurred the fact that they were crazy good. And Terry Kath, Jesus, for those who only know Chicago from about 5-10 songs on AOR radio, that guy was simply 1 of the most talented guys in the history of rock. Dude could do everything.

From Cassidy: “Good morning from Houston and McDonald’s All-American practice. I’ve been greeted by new Indiana signee Bryson Tucker, who asks “what do I do in the pic? Do we have an Indiana hand sign?” The kid’s trying.

The kid is a great college player, team leader and stone winner. If any coach can’t win with that dude I really don’t know what to say.

Right now, so do 360 other D-1 schools.

Wonder if this is a little bit of old news and IU reached out before the Tucker commitment. But, fwiw. 6’7” wing who’s shot right at 40% from 3 over the last 2 years on a little over 4 attempts per game. All CAA last year. 1 year left.

I swear, every time I watch Mark Sears and sit here and mumble to myself about how that is the EXACT player Woody needs to find and then remember that he started out at Ohio U, I’m unsure whether to be annoyed that he’s not in Bloomington or encouraged that he can, in fact, be found.

Aaron Estrada needs to pay me to never watch him. I know he’s a good player and yet the half dozen or so Bama games I’ve watched this year I’ve never seen him good.

Blackmon wouldn’t be part of my preferred roster construction, but a couple of points really need to be addressed here: 1) If you don’t think Jalen Blackmon isn’t a better player than Evan Gordon I would question if you know what you’re watching. 2) If you’re going to insult the kid by calling him dumb and lazy, I think you really need to support that with very specific examples of behavior that you have witnessed to reach that conclusion. Because in my experience with D-1 athletes, some are smarter than others and some work harder than others, but the percentage of those kids who don’t work miles harder at their craft than the population in general is infinitesimal.

I’m sure this is the new normal that the portal has wrought, but I cannot wait to get the Covid year cycled.

Zach Edey watching Clingan getting every 50/50 call.

I’m not sure what he’s saying here. Is the fact that Bama staff, which GA’s are, was giving instruction and information to players supposed to be somehow wrong? And the replies are outstanding. Tell us you don’t know what GA’s do without telling us you don’t know what GA’s do.

That Izzo quote is gonna be everywhere. And in this case it’s true. The staff did a very good job with Ware and the kid clearly accepted coaching.

Wow. Not surprised he’s staying but really surprised he’s not going through the pre-draft process. Great news. The kid can get to work now.

Oh yeah, Mack was always gonna get another shot. Just really surprised it was Charleston.

That is the 1 thing I’m not worried about. Maybe it’s the single advantage of Woody being old and crotchety, but I imagine he looks at sketchy kids and thinks, “Yeah I’m too old for that $hit.”

I’ve warmed to Perkins because, while I don’t love the skill fit, my biggest issue with last year’s team wasn’t the shooting or the schemes, it was the complete lack of on court leadership. Every good team has Yogi or Hulls or some kid who centers and galvanizes you. Particularly now when you’re re-rostering every year. Galloway’s not wired that way. That’s why imo so many games got completely sideways last year. The team just drifted. I don’t know if Perkins is that guy or not, but when I watched Iowa I knew who the Guy was.

Creek’s UK game is the most criminally under-appreciated performance in IUBB history. He was freaking awesome.

Wow, that feels so weird. Charleston has always had that “we win and do everything right while we’re at it” vibe and THAT’s the school that rehabs Mack? Huh

I’m not unbiased on Newton. Love him. Great kid. Great family. Maybe my favorite offerree to watch in the last few classes. Before he got hurt he was 1 and 1A with a kid who’s about to be a 1 and done lottery pick. Rooting like hell for him. If het gets back to 90% or better he can change the calculus of this team. If he doesn’t it’s a crying freaking shame because pre-injury Newton was a pro.

So many stories about and commentary on this kid with an undercurrent of, “yeah, you don’t want any part of this one.” No idea what the deal might be, but there is something a little bit gross here.

If I thought that were true I’d be fine with Blackmon. But my fear is what you’d actually get is Blackmon giving you 17, giving up 22 and putting your bigs on the bench with fouls because he can’t stay in front of any decent scorer.

Or, you could also argue that IU killed it’s program when it had the choice of Sampson or John Beilein and hired the guy who was under NCAA sanctions after leaving his previous program on probation for doing the same stupid $hit and then lying about it when they could have hired 1 of the best coaches in the country who would have killed it here and not incinerated the program while he was at it. I have no sympathy for the Sampson rehabilitation narrative. He 100% deserved it and the decision makers involved deserved more for hiring that creep when they knew that if he committed any violations they would be straight hammered for hiring a sanctioned coach. Zero respect for the guy and less than zero for the decision makers.

He re-classed up and I don't think it went great for him, but no idea on particulars.

Putting aside any fit or scheme questions, 90% of that team flat quit and that kid didn’t. Speaks well for him.