GnarlyTimGarl

Let me say that I apologize if I contributed to needless bickering between two viewpoints. That was honestly not my intention and I regret making my original post if that's what it did. As I said before, I didn't get to watch the game. From what I read from the news outlets and heard on post-game shows it didn't seem like it was a well-played game, so I was (pleasantly) surprised to hear that Chris said Archie's coaching was masterful and as good as it gets. It doesn't exactly jive with what I've read or what I would expect against a not-so-good NW team... but I've watched enough games to know they aren't played on paper and there are a number of nuances and adjustments made in the game that never makes the headlines or the stat sheet. It sounds like there was a fair amount of that going on last night... and that's very good to hear. Anyway... sorry for any negative contribution. Serves me right for posting about a game I was unable to watch!

This is good to hear... and I mean that with all sincerity. It makes me feel better. I didn't get to watch the game due to prior obligations. But what I have read is that it took us 5 minutes to score a point and managed only 54 points in regulation to one of the least-effective defenses in the Big Ten while we were trailing the vast majority of the game. Our best player looks to have been held in-check most of the night. If Archie was smacking Collins on the sideline... how bad was Collins? If Archie coached a masterful game and we could barely escape with a 3-point double-OT win against the 13th place team in the Big Ten... then it probably means the talent level on our team is only on par or below Northwestern. From a logical standpoint I would think if we were more talented than Northwestern, then that fact plus masterful coaching would equal more than a 3 point victory. So then it would lead me to believe we are at a talent disadvantage... and that would be another issue. But as you said, I never sat on a bench before. And there are many people who know a lot more about the game of basketball than I do. I guess when I think of in-game coaching that is as good as it gets, I think of something more along the lines of what Matt Painter did to us earlier this year. Or at any point in time over the last five years. But I am very glad they came away with the victory and that it seems like Archie has found a groove. Hopefully that propels this team into many more wins as the season draws to a close. I do believe Archie has the potential to be a successful coach in the Big Ten.

I believe Dakich's assertion is correct in that IU wanted de-emphasize the basketball program so that it would not overshadow the university. There have been a number of stories, articles and books over the last 20 years that have chronicled the end of the Bob Knight era that have pointed to this assertion. I believe Myles Brand (IU's president at the time) was even quoted saying as much. Coach Knight had so much success at IU that allowed him to do pretty much whatever he desired. When IU was winning and the headlines were positive this was okay. But when the wins were fewer and the controversies were more frequent it was apparent the university didn't want such negative attention, especially over non-academic endeavors. Thus, they wanted to "de-emphasize" Indiana Basketball so that IU's academics and research would be the focus of the public when they thought about IU. How that has fared for IU is debated to this day. Of course, this was 20 years ago and most of the administrators have since moved on. Is it different now? I don't know. But I believe it was like this for sure in 2000. Dakich is most certainly brash and he clearly enjoys attention. But I have no doubts that he's correct in that IU (at least 20 years ago) chose to de-emphasize basketball and hiring big-name coaches. It's clear they wouldn't want someone who could have so much power that Bob Knight possessed. The thing is... I don't believe there's a coach out there who EVEN COULD command as much attention as Knight did. So the point is moot as far as I am concerned.

I'll give this a shot so I can look back at it in the spring and remind myself how little I actually know... Non-conference Record: I'll say 5-2. That shouldn't be an optimistic prediction... so why does a part of me feel that it is? We've got enough talent/experience on the team to say that we're at least good enough to go 5-2. But the Maui Invitational has at least 5-6 teams who are all NCAA tournament-caliber and I have a feeling we'll be matched with Virginia for the ACC game which scares me. Conference Record: 11-9. It would have really helped Archie if this was a down year for the conference and more guys would've went pro from Iowa and Illinois. Instead, there are a lot of pretty good teams in the conference. IU is one of them. But I see teams beating up on each other again this season. I'll guess the winner may only have something like a 14-6 record. Conference Finish: Around 7th. But I see everyone being bunched up together like last year. There could be a tie for second place with a 13-7 record and a tie for 10th place with a 9-11 record. I see the Hoosiers being lumped right in the middle of it. Biggest Positive Surprise Player: Khristian Lander. Everyone is talking about how he's still very young and that's true. They say he's needs more work in the weight room and that's true. But he's probably the second most-talented basketball player on the team. Sometimes you're either a good basketball player or you aren't. And when you're a good player you can kinda toss the height/weight/age aside and just play. He's a 5-star for a reason. I think you'll see that out of Lander and he'll be our clear #2 option and floor leader by the end of the year. Not a one-and-done type of season but maybe something like 11 PPG and 4 APG. Not as Confident in the Advancement of These Players: Rob Phinisee and Jerome Hunter. And boy I hope I am dead wrong on this because I really like both players. They've both had injuries to deal with so I feel bad for them. It's just that for every good game that I see of Phinisee, I see three or four games where he seems pedestrian and not much of a factor. His shooting percentages have been below average and his A/T ratio is nothing overly special. With Hunter... he seemed so one-dimensional last year as a spot-up shooter. And he wasn't GREAT at that... just solid. Can he handle the ball? Can he defend well? Can he be more of a factor in the paint? These are all questions that were answered "no" last season. Again, I like both Phinisee and Hunter and hope that full health allows them to realize their full potential. But a fair amount is being expected from these two guys and they have a ways to go to live up to some of the expectations placed upon them. I'm not confident in major statistical gains from either of them. That being said... I'm not counting them out! Random Thoughts: - I'm concerned that anything less than a 2-1 record in Maui/Asheville will upset a lot of fans who will become more vocal asking "Is Archie the right man for the job?" The funny thing is... I could see us going 3-0 and winning the thing. But I can't say I'd be absolutely shocked if we didn't win a game down there. - I'm thinking (hoping) this may be the year where our defense takes a leap forward and we're Top 20 in that category. We've got a number of players who should be pretty familiar with the pack-line by now. If we aren't a Top 20 defense by this season, I think it's fair to ask if we'll ever be one under Archie. - If it wasn't for Garza and Dosunmu, I'd think TJD would have a shot at Big Ten Player of the Year. I believe we're gonna see something like a 17/9 season out of him with good defense. Unfortunately, those other two guys (particularly Garza) have received so much preseason hype that they would have to really struggle to not win it. - Our offense will probably be rated higher, but as Wayne said above I still see it being a bit clunky, stagnant and generally unspectacular. It always worries me anytime a coach says they are changing their offense in the off-season. Kinda makes me feel like they are unsure of what to do. I think our shooting will only be marginally improved. Thus, how successful we'll become will probably be determined by our defense. - I think the writing will be on the wall at the end of the year. And by that, I mean that I think we'll know who we are with Archie as the head coach at IU. I think it will be apparent that he'll be the head coach for quite some time or that his days are numbered. I'll leave that statement in a bit of ambiguity...

I was already nervous about this recruitment with the speculation by several journalists that he could skip college and go straight to the G-League. The frequent deference to his guardian in this interview when asked about several key recruiting questions doesn't make me feel any better.

You're darn right. :)

RE: Justin Smith's Transfer... If there's one word I would use to describe my feelings towards this... it's disappointment. Smith wanted to be a "3". That's what he thought he was. He made that clear to the media several times (see: Wichita State NIT postgame from 2019.) The inference was that his first couple of years he played out of position which hampered his ability to truly succeed as an individual and help the team. I'm also sure he felt that's what his NBA position would be. So, with the addition of Brunk and TJD, Archie gave Smith a chance to play the "3" quite a bit during the 2019-2020 season. What were the results? From a defensive standpoint, he showed he had the ability to hamper his opponent... particularly on the ball. When he was dialed-in, his play made him a candidate for the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. There were a number of occasions where he used his size and athleticism to shut down his man. However, there were multiple occasions during the year where his motor was questioned which limited his effectiveness as a defensive-stopper. That being said, he still proved that he could be an effective Big Ten "3" on defense. From an offensive standpoint, we saw problems. His most effective areas were definitely in transition and near the basket where, once again, he could use his athleticism to his advantage. I would go as far to say he was well above-average in this regard considering what seemed to be the majority of his points came in these situations and he ended up averaging double-figures. Outside of that, he struggled. At no point during the season was he able to find any consistency on his jump shot. And he had opportunities. He shot 26.3% from 3FG (10/38) which allowed defenses to sag off of him and pack the paint... which made life all the more difficult for TJD. (InsideTheHall had a feature on how OSU defended him in 2019 which proves this point.) His ball-handling and passing were suspect as evidenced by his 0.6 A/T ratio. His FT% was an unspectacular 67.3%. For a team that already lacked consistent offensive firepower from the "1" and "2" positions, you really need to have more efficient offensive production from the "3"to be anything above mediocre. I think it's clear that by bringing in four new players this offseason who were slated to play the 1-3 positions, Smith was going to be pushed back to the "4". To most observers, this would be the best move in order to maximize the strengths and potential of the team as a whole... and even put Smith in better positions where he isn't asked to do things he has shown he is unable to do. However, I think Smith was very much against that. In my opinion, he wanted to be an NBA player and in order to do that he was going to need to showcase certain skills. I figure that Archie was relatively unwilling to allow that because slotting Smith at the "3" for next season would limit the overall effectiveness of the team considering Smith's proven limitations on offense. So, Smith leaves because he wants to be an NBA player but thinks he won't get the opportunities at IU next year to prove it. I don't blame Smith for wanting to play in the NBA. Most Big Ten players do. But the fact is this... few actually ever will. I believe what Matt Painter recently said on the Dan Dakich Show holds true in this situation. Smith showed he could be a good college player. Not great, just good. He was never All-Conference. And he hasn't shown he has an NBA game. And he's had plenty of opportunity to do so. Is that Archie's fault? Is it the system's fault? At some point, I would think a player and his family would understand that the NBA is probably not in the cards. Instead, relish in the opportunity to be a senior leader on what could be a pretty good IU team in 2020-2021. However, Smith has the right to make the decision that is best for him. I wish the best for him and his future endeavors and hope that he finds what he's looking for in basketball and in life. To be honest, I'm surprised he didn't transfer last year considering all of the unflattering things his father said about Archie on Twitter in 2019. But in the end, I'm a Hoosier fan. And he's no longer on the team, so I look for the next man up. We have two guys in Race Thompson and Jerome Hunter who are oozing potential to be really good college players. Thompson's per-minute stats show he can be a very active and effective player at this level, while Hunter's raw abilities show that he can become a high-level player if/when healthy. This is not to mention any of the Leal/Galloway/Geronimo combo. My point? While there is a void left with Smith's absence, we have several guys who are capable of filling it either on their own or by committee. My opinion of this team being Top 25 caliber for most of the season remains unchanged with Smith's departure. As always, this is nothing but conjecture and one fan's opinion that doesn't mean anything. Who knows... this could all be about simply wanting to play close to home... showing that I have no idea what I'm talking about. :)

I know this has been discussed before and it doesn't really matter, but if he's only the 97th recruit in 2021 then that class must be stacked with talent. I've had the opportunity to watch him play multiple times. The improvement from his sophomore to junior seasons was very impressive. Reminded me a little of TJD's rise (albeit playing a different style.) Kaufman can do so many things well... especially at his size. I think he's an instant impact guy and would help Archie open up the floor so much as a stretch-4. He reminds me a little bit of when Jared Jeffries played at Bloomington North. Maybe not quite as athletic, but still quite versatile. He's been my #1 hope for the 2021 class for a while (even over Lander.) I'm not a scout, but from what I've seen he has all the traits of someone who could be an McDonald's All-American. At worst, he is Top 50. The good news is that his ranking probably prevents Duke, UNC, Kansas, etc. from sniffing around too much. If he would have played AAU this year, I firmly believe we would be fighting Duke and/or UNC for his services as opposed to Louisville, Xavier and Purdue.

A few thoughts on this one... and how it relates to the whole. - By no means am I trying to tell someone how they should feel after this loss. Losing to Purdue stinks and we've done a lot of that the last few years. As a fan, it's frustrating. No two ways around it. So if you're ticked off that we lost last night... I hear you. Those are valid feelings. - I'm not sure you can win a Big Ten game shooting 25% from the field. Purdue can really clamp down on you defensively and take away your strengths. They did it to us. They double-teamed our bigs often. Our guys didn't respond well. But all the same, when someone is double-teamed, someone else is open. That's when our back-court HAS to step up. They didn't last night. They went 7-29. This has happened before this year and as we have seen, that's not gonna get it done. - I've seen some say that they felt we were thoroughly out worked in this game. Not completely sure on that. We were beaten, no doubt. But look at rebounds...40-37, Purdue. They only had us by three. We had them 16-12 in offensive boards (an effort stat.) Turnovers? 11-13 in favor of Purdue. Not a HUGE difference there. Steals? 8-7, Purdue. Again, just one more than us. Blocks? 4-3 IU. We had them there. Free throw attempts 21-18 Hoosiers... even with the fouls at the end. Purdue only shot 37% (11% from 3.) Did we execute well? No. Did we at least compete? I think so. Not sure it was an effort deal last night. We just stunk offensively. When we played Purdue in Bloomington, THAT was an effort deal. Just my opinion. - I've really tried to focus my feelings from a season-wide perspective as opposed to game to game. Because the fact is... we're not that good. We're not that bad, either. We're just limited. We're capable of beating good teams. We're capable of being blown out. When you look at the composition of the roster, you knew this would be a possibility. In the Season Predictions Thread I guessed 18-13 (9-11)... so we're actually a little ahead of where I thought we'd be. We're still in good shape to make the tournament... which for me, was the barometer THIS season. It would show progress. We're still on our way. Win 2/3 in these last three conference games and I feel we're a lock. Probably still in good position if we only win one more (and another win vs. NEB or NW and the tourney would put us at 20 wins... that would most likely get us in. If you look at our resume, it's relatively strong for a bubble team.) So as a whole, I'm content. - Now if you're upset from a MACRO standpoint that our offense can still look like this in late FEB in Year 3... I get it. That we haven't beaten Purdue since 2016? I get it. That we question effort in Year 3? I get it. I don't necessarily disagree. But that's a different lens and I feel it's absolutely imperative to recognize that. THIS YEAR'S team was going to be prone to offensive struggles. When the "leadership" of THIS team has been criticized for poor effort in year's past, you knew it could still be an issue this season. In my opinion, I think you have to have two separate grades for how THIS team is performing vs. how the Archie tenure has gone as a whole. For what we have on the team THIS year, I think we're doing okay. If you're upset that this this is what we have in Year 3, I hear you. But that's a different issue. Therefore, I believe it's possible to be upset with this loss (along with other losses) and still be optimistic/content about how THIS year has turned out. But again, I'm just a dude who types on a keyboard.

A few thoughts on the current state of IU basketball... After the Wisconsin game in December, I made a post defending the team against all of the outrage that was directed by some fans against the team. At the time, it was the first loss of the season and I felt it was appropriate to give THIS YEAR'S team a chance to right the ship. There have been a number of disappointing losses since then. But I still held on to hope. I'm a fan. I follow IU basketball for a leisurely activity. I want to think the best. I try to be fair. I don't want to be miserable. However, the effort displayed by the team against Purdue was among the most disappointed I have ever been as a fan of IU basketball. The Purdue game was huge for about a hundred different reasons... and then the team played like they did. It has become clear that this isn't working. We were told at the beginning of the era that we would push the pace on offense. We don't. We were told there would be variations of the motion to the offense. The offense stands still for multiple possessions in a row. My understanding is that our defense is predicated on packing the lane and forcing play away from the basket. Instead, we see guys driving into the lane without much resistance. (Anyone see Nojel Eastern's drive to the basket on the first play of the 2nd half? Unbelievable.) If by chance we do stop them in the lane, our rotations have shown to be poor in that we often leave guys WIDE open for outside shots. We were also told that every possession is important and there would be an emphasis on ball-security. Yet, we're among the worst in the league in turnover percentage. Add in the fact we are a poor shooting team. Again. To put it simply, we're not executing. I've come to a point where I'm searching to find hope that this will get turned around. And I'm struggling to find answers. Can I put my hope in the players? I can with TJD... but who else? Right now, we have one "good" player and a bunch of random pieces. Some of which don't fit. Can I put my hope with the coaches? Not from their experience at IU. You have to look at Dayton success and it's fair to question if that translates to IU. You HAVE to make the tournament at IU. You HAVE to. That's the minimum. It shouldn't be THAT hard. Just be one of the Top 68 teams in the nation. That's all. Unless we get this thing turned around in a hurry, this coaching staff will have gone 0 for 3 in that regard. And that just can't happen. I really think the Purdue game turned a lot of fans against Archie. That's not good. It would be nearly impossible to get them back. Once Crean lost them, he lost them. Didn't matter that he won another Big Ten championship. Support was gone. If the same has happened to Archie, it's over (barring a Final Four appearance... and even THEN, I'm still not sure.) So does IU let him go this year? Unlikely considering the buyout, new AD, etc. So we let this toxic environment play out for another year (at least.) How fun. Plenty of excitement, there. I really want to believe we have bright days in our immediate future... but my fear is that we're about to re-live the end of the Crean tenure all over again. And that's not even getting into the mess that could be finding the right candidate to be the next head coach...

Outrage is all the rage! Catch the fever! Friends, our guys were embarrassed today. No two ways around it. Fans deserve to be frustrated at this loss because of the uninspired effort displayed for about 80% of the game. From a defensive standpoint, we took a step back today. WAY too many open looks. We were playing catch up much of the day and when we weren't, we were just getting out-physicaled and had silly defensive lapses. Now the offense wasn't good today, but 64 points can beat a Wisconsin sometimes. The defense was extremely disappointing. I'm not surprised we lost. I am surprised we didn't compete. That being said, this is the first time this year we have witnessed the team play like that. True we've played some cupcakes but you can show positioning, physicality and effort against anyone. By and large we showed that until today. Therefore I'm not ready to jump on the "more of the same" bus that people seem to be flocking to. This game only counts as one loss. It's a road game in a tough venue. We weren't ready. They did similar to Marquette a few weeks ago. If this carries over and this becomes common place for the season, then the overwhelming negativity is justified in my opinion. Until then, THIS team deserves a chance to rebound and bounce back. It was just four days ago that Leonard Hamilton was gushing about how good of a team we have and how good we can be. One embarrassing loss doesn't necessarily change the potential we have for the future. Or... You know... We stink... Fire the coach... Shut down the program... :) Happy Holidays! -GnarlyTimG

A few thoughts here... Remember that Fred Glass mentioned before the season started that he had some money held back in anticipation of a Tom Allen raise (don't have the link, I think it was an Osterman article). This was before our best season in 26 years. I would say a raise for him is a near certainty. As in like 99.9% certainty How much should/will he get? Not sure, but I'd be surprised if his salary wasn't doubled. He's proved he can compete in the Big Ten and deserves a competitive Big Ten salary. That's fair. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see him around 4 million a year. And that still only puts him in the middle of the Big Ten. Does he deserve that pay? Well, we've gone 8-4 this year. Can we honestly expect much better? Of course we'll keep pushing but IU football has had a ceiling for a long time. We darn near reached it this year. Historically speaking this was easily one of the ten best seasons in IU history. He's 18-19 at IU. Historically speaking that's pretty good for us. Allen has done something here few coaches have ever done. I think IU is fortunate that Allen seems like he wants to be here because IU doesn't have much football leverage. We have very little draw. We are not going to attract great coaches. If we ever found a GREAT coach, we'd have him a year before leaving to a bigger school. We're not the type of program that can switch coaches and have immediate success. My opinion? We should be appreciative of what we have. Allen isn't a GREAT coach. But he's pretty solid. We've got momentum with him. If you're wanting back to back 8-4 seasons at IU before giving him a raise, I'm afraid we'll lose him because another school will take him from us. Is it a risk that we could slide back to 5-7? You bet. But again, what leverage does IU football have? Considering the market, it's a risk worth taking.

After watching some Media Day coverage, I'll finally throw in my opinion... just a gut feeling. 1) Before the postseason 18-13 (9-11 in the Big Ten). I believe we'll be squarely on the bubble. I truly think it'll be 50/50 NCAA or NIT. A win or two in the Big Ten Tournament would probably be enough. 2) Starting Five By January: Phinisee, Durham, Hunter, Jackson-Davis, Brunk. 3) Top Five Scorers: Jackson-Davis 12.6, Hunter 12.1, Phinisee 10.3, Green 9.3, Durham 8.2. Hot Take#1- Green and Smith begin the season in the starting lineup, but are passed by more effective players. Hot Take#2- Jackson-Davis and Hunter clearly become our top options on offense by January. A few additional thoughts... - I've got to watch TJD some over the last three years. When he's "on", he's a LOAD. Sorta reminds me of a more advanced Jeff Newton at his age. He'll have his struggles as a freshman, but he's got A LOT of talent. His talent will make up for his youth in many games. - People are cautious on Hunter and I get it. But I'm very optimistic about him. I think he's the perfect "3" for us. He may start the first 7-8 games slowly, but I think he'll become a consistent scorer for us and be on the floor more often than not. Let me be clear, this is a prediction. Not my expectation. If he falls short of this, I won't hold it against him as a fan. - I have trouble seeing this year as a breakout year for Green. He can light it up for sure. And he will several times this year. But after watching three years of sample size... my expectations are low. If he's leading us in scoring this year... I don't see us making the tournament. I may not even see us with a winning record overall. - My opinion is that Phinisee, Durham and Brunk will be the team leaders and it will be evident. - I was a bit disappointed (maybe even a little embarrassed?) with how a few of our players handled the media day press conference. This is just my opinion, I'm probably looking into it too much and I know these are college kids. But some of the responses by a few kids seemed a bit snarky, mocking and disrespectful. I understand that not everyone is great at a podium answering questions, but some of the responses seemed a little uncalled for. Again, I'm sure the life of an IU player is difficult. And I know dealing with the media isn't always fun. But I know a simple respectful reply isn't too much to ask because the majority of the team did that. - I think IU will be considered a team on the rise at the end of the season. TJD, Hunter and Phinisee will be on "Player Watch" lists for the next year and guys like Durham and Brunk will be hailed as great senior leaders to-be. The mood around here will be significantly brighter. Although a few posters will still be making knee-jerk reactions to everything... as per tradition. :) As always, just my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.

Regarding Matt Cross... According to the following article from Xavier's 247 site... https://247sports.com/college/xavier/Article/Xavier-Musketeers-Basketball-Recruiting-Matt-Cross-2020-Forward-Massachusetts-BABC-Travis-Steele--132210096/ "In addition to Xavier, Cross added offers from Miami, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, South Carolina, Creighton, Georgia Tech, Illinois, and Butler already this spring. Those schools have been the ones most involved in his recruitment lately." Definitely has a lot of high-majors interested in him, so I'm not sure I put too much stock in his current ranking. The same article also says we're rumored to be the early leader in his recruitment.

Watched this guy pour in an Edgewood school-record 48 points against Eastern Greene a couple of years ago. It was an absolutely amazing offensive display. Scored from all over the court. Not sure if his game will translate to minutes at IU (probably not) but he was a pretty good high school player. Thought this was cool, too... https://usatodayhss.com/2017/video-indianas-cooper-bybee-hits-two-crazy-buzzer-beaters-in-same-game

I've watched him probably a half dozen times or so for Bloomington South the past two years. I'm not a scout or an expert. I do support South, though. I think some folks see his ranking and can't understand why Archie hasn't offered Leal yet. I think you saw why. He can look very pedestrian at times and fade into the game. Personally I have never seen him dominate a game (although I know he has in other games.) I may be bad luck because I witnessed probably some of his worst games. You accurately described how he has played a few times. The Edgewood game at the beginning of the year was low point. Outhustled in that one, too. As a whole though, he has potential. Currently a good shooter. Nowhere near a Hulls or Roth or Zeisloft at this moment, in my opinion. But still good. Has the potential to be an above average offensive player at the next level. Solid size for his position. Can defend well when healthy and engaged. Is well coached. Intelligent individual. Good teammate. Evidently lights it up in AAU. I believe he has strong ties to IU... But I won't dive into that for privacy purposes. As I have said in the past, I'd be happy for him to become a Hoosier. I think we get him if we want him. But he can't be the centerpiece of the class. He's a support piece, in my opinion. If you liked the addition of guys like Damezi Anderson and Armaan Franklin, I think you'll like Leal. I'd guess his impact will be somewhere around there. What's funny is the amount of negativity you see against Jalen Windham but love Leal. My opinion is that their about the same.

A few thoughts, some of which have already been stated by others: - There are many things I like about Archie. His emphasis on defense. His emphasis on recruiting the state. I like how he doesn't speak in platitudes like his successor. He has the "look" of a basketball coach... for whatever that matters. That being said... he's 35-31 with no NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure. That includes embarrassing blowout losses at home to Indiana State and Fort Wayne and losing 12 of 13 games. That's not going to cut it, long term. Similar numbers ended the Davis and Crean eras. I don't want Archie fired, I want him to turn this thing around. Plus, I have little confidence in our administration to find someone better. - Normally, I am a fan of building up a roster and limiting attrition. I think that's Archie's style. However, I am not sure that several players are good "fits" for what Archie is trying to build here. Is it a lack of effort? Are they too okay with losing? I'm not sure... although one of my lasting memories for the season will be watching multiple players laughing and smiling on TV while coming from the locker room after halftime vs. Ohio State in Big Ten Tournament after being out-played in the first half of what was their most important game of the year. I'm not saying their lives should be a living nightmare, but I know I wasn't smiling at that moment. - Who steps up this off-season? The past two off-seasons we were greeted with rave reviews of the improvements of two players in particular. They had many opportunities to step up this season, but could not attain that consistency we so desperately needed. I haven't given up on those players, but I think it would be somewhat foolish to count on them as leaders for next season. However, someone needs to step up with the departures of Morgan and (likely) Langford. Is the leader on the roster right now? Many people point to Phinisee (and I love the guy) but look at these numbers below... - Here are our shooting numbers for our returning backcourt... Phinisee 36.1% FG, 31.0% 3FG, 66.0% FT... Durham 40.3% FG, 34.8% 3FG, 74.0% FT... Green 40.2% FG, 41.0 3FG, 73.6 FT. That won't win many games. I fully expect improvement from all of them next year, but we need some capable shooters in the worst way possible. None of those guys provided us with a consistent shooting threat this season. - Our post game has potential. Davis can provide offense. However, he has never played more than 18.8 minutes per game in his career. It may be wishful thinking to expect anything more than 20-22 minutes per game (if that.) This is not to mention his lack of rebounding that will need to be improved upon. He'll have help with Trayce Jackson-Davis, but I don't see them playing on the floor together much. I have failed to see either be able to hit a jump shot with any sort of regularity and we'll need to space the floor. - What will come of our highly-touted 2018 class? Langford is likely gone. Hunter never played and considering how cautious IU seems to be with their athletic health guidelines, I have concerns about his athletic future at IU. Anderson failed to score a point in the 2019 calendar year. Forrester logged 56 minutes. Thompson played 63 minutes. That means Phinisee will be the only returner from that class with any sort of real experience to draw upon. Need a lot more production from this group. Remember, they are all "Archie's Guys". Hopefully a year in the program helps them improve. - Hopefully Archie can find a couple more players this off-season who will help us win games. Whether that's Watford, grad transfers, I don't know. I do know that the current roster projection for next year screams a 9th-10th place finish in the conference, at-best. Again, that won't cut it. Just my opinion.

I'm far from a scout, but I've had the opportunity to watch Leal multiple times over the last couple of years... My feelings on him is something of a mixed bag, to be honest. You look at his #77 ranking composite at a position we'll need and combine that with the fact that he's a hometown kid who (at the very least) had an interest in the Hoosiers growing up and you think it's a no-brainer... he should definitely receive an offer. But then I actually watch him play a whole game instead of select 3 minute highlight clips and then it becomes a bit more complicated. Again, that 3-minute video on the first page of this thread is impressive and really shows you the "Best of Anthony Leal". He has a wide variety of capabilities on the offensive end. His shooting can allow him to get hot at any point in time. He has good size for a guard at 6'5 and can find ways to use it to his advantage. He has the ability to drive through the lane and finish through contact. If that video is representative of his play over the summer and why he is ranked #77, I can understand why. However, watching Leal in-person, I can see why Archie is waiting. Again, judging by that video you would think Leal would be a dominant player. I'll say that he has maybe been dominant in a few games this year. On the contrary, there have been a few games this season when he has really struggled. For example, he had a bad game vs. 3A Edgewood (As Chris007 pointed out earlier in this thread.) While Edgewood has a pretty good team this year they aren't a team I would expect Leal to struggle against. But he was visibly off his game in that one. His shot didn't look good, his handle was loose and his opponents just seemed to play harder. I watched him play a handful of times as a sophomore and again... it was a mixed bag. There were some games when you look at him and feel he's going to be a high-level player in college while there were other games when you wouldn't be so sure. But this is just my opinion. I definitely think he has potential to be a good player in college. But I also have similar feelings about guys like Armaan Franklin and Damezi Anderson. I think they are similar "impact" type players. May take him a year or two before making much of an impact. So if you liked the pickup of guys like Anderson and Franklin, I think you'll definitely like/want Leal. But if you are expecting a McDonald's All-American type of player... I don't believe he's at that level. But then again, if he could become more consistent... look out! He seems to be a likable guy and great student. If we're adding 3 guys in 2020, I'd definitely be cool with Leal as one of the members.

I haven't posted much this year, but figured this might be a good time to start... - Friends, you could see this one coming a mile away. And I am not talking about IU losing to MSU. I'm talking about fans upset/baffled that their team plays well one week and not so much the next. This isn't just an IU thing. This happens a LOT in college sports. Inconsistencies. Unless you are one of the 3-4 best teams in the nation, this happens. You play really well one week. You're feeling good. Then next week happens and you struggle. College football does not operate through the transitive property. Every week can be/usually is something different. One week does not define a team. But a series of games can. And what that has shown us is that IU is a 3-1 team. Not a great team. But not bad, either. Decent. Doubtful we contend for the Big Ten. Probable we can contend for a bowl. - Now... back to the game (as Coach Knight would say.) Yes, I was disappointed. Particularly because MSU didn't play that well, IMO. That is, except their defensive front seven (more on that in a minute.) They turned it over 4 times. They struggled running the ball. Lewerke wasn't particularly sharp. If we played well, we could have won this one. But we didn't. So why didn't we play well? - Let's start with the typical "bad break" for IU. The INT return for TD in the first quarter. Yes, we've seen this too many times before in our history... and it stinks! We were driving and that absolutely killed momentum. It put us behind the 8-ball early and we could never fully recover. Throw in a few other deals like the fake FG TD and those are plays we need to go our way in a game like this. They didn't and we lost by 14. - We heard about how good their D-Line was. And they lived up to the hype. 4 sacks. 9 TFLs. Countless QB hurries. And they held us to 29 yards on 32 carries... that's a 0.9 avg. for those who are interested. Quote simply, our O-Line was thoroughly beaten. They played a bad game and that really hurt us. I saw some people say, "Welcome to the Big Ten, Stevie Scott." Well, yeah. But where was he supposed to go? Just a tough night. - Peyton Ramsey. Friends, he what he is. I said this last year against Michigan and MSU and I'll say it again this season. When he runs the offense, we rely on dinks and dunks. We just do. And against mediocre defenses, that may be enough to win. But against good defenses, we'll struggle to score points. As Wayne said above, the offense is tailored around his strengths. We rely on guys like Philyor, Timian, Harris and Taylor to catch short passes and create yards after catch. Notice how many targets they get compared to our outside receivers with Hale and Westbrook? Those are two great talents at WR, but we can't get them the ball. That's frustrating. Is that a QB problem? Maybe. - Does that mean I was clamoring for Penix? Not exactly. He wouldn't have had time to throw. It's not like our O-Line was suddenly going to pass protect better for Penix. And I dunno if that would have been the best growing opportunity to throw Penix out there in that mess anyway. My hope is that I hope our O-Line gets back on the right track with pass protection (and run blocking) and that we start throwing the ball downfield a bit more. I'm not asking for 20+ yard throws. I''d just like to see a few more 10-15 yd. out routes to Hale and Westbrook. I don't feel they've been utilized well and they're legitimate weapons. Can Ramsey do that? Is Penix ready for it? Evidently, the answer was "no" last night. - I really can't blame our defense. They kept it from getting ugly. Ball had himself a night before his ejection. They were getting some good pressure in the backfield. Had 4 takeaways. But again, we got beat on that last 75 yard run that sealed the game. Just tough. But all in all, I am still very impressed with Allen's defense. He knows how to coach it and with him in charge, we've seen three of the best defenses we've had in decades. I think some forget how impressive that is at IU. - So where do we go from here? Thankfully, we get Rutgers next. Fortunately for us, they have looked downright pathetic this year. However, as fans of IU, we know that we can never take anyone for granted and we are capable of losing on any given night. BUT! I think/hope that the Hoosiers are going to have a mad/rejuvenating week of practice this week. I think you'll see us click and get back on the right track and come out of Piscataway with a win. While I don't believe our offense as-is can lead us to victories against Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan, I do believe we're capable of beating the likes of Minnesota, Maryland and Purdue. I think if our O-Line gels better the Iowa game is a possibility as well. Long story short... I still think 6-6 and a bowl game is entirely possible and we're right there in the thick of things. But for those expecting an 8-9 win season, I am afraid you're going to be disappointed. But that's just my opinion.

Interesting article, although I have never been a fan of the writer, Tom Davis. In regards to his articles about IU basketball, he always comes across to me as someone who watches bits and pieces of certain games and then looks at the box score the day after to try and tell us what happened. Look at this quote... “Our defense was dramatically improved,” Glass said, “which you can see with the eye test.” Again, that is depending on your eyesight. He goes on to point out that our opponents' shooting percentages were higher last year. I mean, sure. Guess we need to scrap the pack-line and move back to playing man-to-man until 7 seconds left in the shot clock then try switching to zone for some ridiculous reason. And we should probably bring back the "call out" signs. Those innovative coaching techniques did wonders for our defense in 2016-2017. Seriously though, there are better metrics to use these days (which is why Glass used defensive efficiency) that are mathematically more accurate to determine the overall success of the defense. It's not really debatable. Points per possession is another one. Plus, when Crean was playing Houston Baptist, SE Missouri St., Miss Valley State and Delaware State, that's gonna pad your stats in a positive manner. The fact is, once conference play rolled around, our defense had structure. There was purpose. There was understanding. Guys were in the correct position a lot more. They were active. They played a lot smarter. They weren't great, but they were better. You could see it by watching the games. Ask any non-biased observer and they'd agree. But the numbers say we gave up a higher shooting percentage... give me a break. And oh yeah... our offense suffered. Imagine that. We lost OG, Bryant and Blackmon and our offense suffers. Must be an Archie problem. He shoulda ran more iso plays for guys like Yogi... oh wait a second... it's almost like his predecessor left him a flawed roster. I just get the vibe Mr. Davis is skeptical of Archie and IU basketball and wants to make sure we know that he is. Sorry for the rant. Little pot-shots like that just annoy me.

I have no inside information, but this recruitment seems to share similarities with Damezi Anderson's recruitment... Last year, it was no secret that Anderson was a top Purdue target. He admitted it in an interview. He was a Northern Indiana guy... the one area in the state where Purdue seemed to have an advantage over IU. A number of people were saying that he was Purdue's to lose. But that went on for a couple of months, yet he never committed. Meanwhile, Archie and Co. was still recruiting him, albeit withholding an offer until the staff was completely sure he was worthy. Then, Archie offered while he unofficially visited. Evidently it was a game-changer because a few weeks later he became a Hoosier. And Purdue lost him. Now, we have Newman. Another Northern Indiana guy. Offered by Purdue early this month. Message board chatter claiming that put them in the driver's seat and that he was a top target for Matt Painter. While it's only been a few weeks since the Purdue offer, he still hasn't committed to them yet. Meanwhile, Archie and Co. has kept tabs on him all this time and still recruited him. Then, he gets an offer this week while unofficially visiting campus. And one crystal baller has already thrown his prediction to IU... What's going to happen? I don't know. I do know that I think Newman is a good player. Personally, I like him better than Armaan Franklin, although some rankings disagree with me. I was impressed with his play at Valparaiso last year. He's a good shooter, but there seems to be more to his game than that. Seems to be quite active.. can hit the boards, fill up the stat sheet. And his team had a pretty good season playing 4A ball. Doing well thus far this summer in AAU, too. Not GREAT size at 6'3 and not a PG, but I think he's got the potential to be a good "2" guard in the Big Ten. Definitely could see him as a double-figure scorer at some point in his career at any Big Ten school. As an IU fan, do I want him? Sure. Right now for 2019-2020, we'll only have three ball-handling guards with Green, Durham and Phinisee. None of which are known to be shooters. Newman can fill that role and still provide other things to help the team win. He's not the highest rated player, but he's still on the radar. He's a top player in the state and if we want to focus on nabbing the top players from the state, I think he qualifies. I'd love to have guys like Carton or Lewis or Ramsey, but if our chances on those guys are lower... Newman would be a great consolation prize. We could still use a PG like Carton or Lewis, but if we're talking a 4-man class, there's a spot for Newman. Do I think we'll get him? Hard to say. Just a (probably biased) gut feeling... if Archie REALLY wants him, I think we'll get him. As in, Archie makes him a top priority. Over guys like Ramsey, etc. But if he's deemed as more of a tier-two guy throughout the rest of the summer, I think he'll head elsewhere. Just my opinion.

I don't believe there will be much clarity in Trendon's recruitment until he (presumably) visits IU. I have no inside information, but let's just take a look at this from a logical standpoint. His brother is in the Top 10 of points scored in IU history and was a Big Ten champion while being remembered for one of the more iconic shots in program history. By all accounts, his family loved their experience in Bloomington. You can even see Trendon in the stands behind the basket of the Wat-Shot picture. The Watford family knows what basketball means in Bloomington. He knows how special it can be and the heights it can reach. I would guess he understands the lore and tradition of IU basketball better than most in-state kids do. I do not believe for one second that IU does not have a special meaning to him. That HAS to be a strong feeling and a major sell for IU in this recruitment. So will he come here? I don't know. But what we do know is that Archie had TWO in-homes with the family during the Spring that supposedly went very well. He has visited several other schools, thus winds may seemingly be blowing favorably in their direction at this point. Admittedly, the Brian Snow prediction caught me a bit off guard because he's more reliable. However, let's see what the vibe is after he (presumably) visits IU. I really believe that while IU may not be THE favorite in this recruitment, it's going to run through us one way or another. Now that is pure speculation on my part. The question is... how bad does Archie want him? More than Keion Brooks? Who knows? But if he visits us here and Archie shows him to be a HIGH priority, I think you'll hear plenty of pro-IU vibes like you have heard about Alabama and now Memphis. That's just a guess, but one I feel strongly about. If IU really wants Trendon, they're not gonna let him go elsewhere without a big fight. If Archie really, REALLY wants Watford, I think he'll be a Hoosier.

A few thoughts on the addition of Fitzer... all of which are simply my opinion... "He’s looking for an opportunity to showcase what he does. Obviously not just as an individual, but he’s a very team oriented guy.” -Fitzner's dad "He wants to go out and have an even playing field so that he can go out and earn his spot on the team.” - Fitzner's dad "He wants to get back to the NCAA tournament" -Fitzner's dad "We wanted him back... He will enhance their program" - St. Mary's Coach Randy Bennett I really like all of the above quotes and I think they pretty much explain what kind of player we're getting. I'll admit, the 5 PPG kinda puzzled me first as to why Archie would pursue him, but then you read these quotes and you start to understand. Notice there wasn't as much focus on "wants to become a more focal part of the offense" or "wants more playing time". Instead, you see him talking about the TEAM. About how he wants to work hard and EARN his spot. He talks about wanting to WIN and making the tournament. His old coach (who is pretty successful in his own right... look up his record) didn't want him to leave and believes he'll "enhance" our program. Those are promising sentiments you don't hear too often from transfers. Will he have a higher statistical impact than what he had at St. Mary's? I would doubt it. (I'm not even sure he'll match it.) Do we need him to produce more than that? Not really. What we could use is senior leadership to help bring along the five freshmen and three sophomores. What we could use is a guy who can knock down an open shot and be an offensive threat when on the floor. Check and check. If this team reaches its potential, it will have to have good team chemistry. While the talent on the roster has been upgraded in the off-season, we're still not talented enough to "out-talent" most other teams. They'll need to play well together. It sounds like Fitzner can help with that. Am I worried that this may mean Morgan is leaving? No. I think there's a better chance of another transfer before Morgan would leave. Am I worried that Fitzer is Priller 2.0? No. By all accounts, Priller was a good guy. But his on-court effectiveness made Richard Mandeville and Robbie Eggers look like All-Americans. Could Fitzer be Eggers 2.0? Possibly, but remember that Robbie Eggers never missed the NCAA Tournament. If Fitzer isn't effective, it isn't much of a loss. He only occupies the scholarship for one season. There are only two ways that this was a bad addition. #1) Fitzer is a detriment to team chemistry (seems unlikely) or #2) there was a more effective graduate transfer out there that specifically wanted to fill this role.

Reasons to feel good about where IU stands with Romeo... - BTownBanners "insiders" feel good about it. Chris007 has been discussed. Don't forget about hoosierpap, either. He's come through with a number of nice recruiting tidbits over the years as well. The fact that both of these guys feel good about the situation is a good sign. - National insiders such as Andrew Slater, Brian Snow and Jerry Meyer have all predicted Romeo to IU. They aren't IU guys and they really don't care where Romeo ends up. Meyer was even quoted in a Kansas newspaper that his sources told him it was a "done deal". When a national recruiting expert says something like that and allows it to be printed, that's a very good sign. - Beat writers from all three contending schools gave their predictions in a recent article from the Tennessean (I think?) and all three guessed IU would be the choice. They all admitted that it was just a guess, however, I think it bears worth mentioning that even the Vandy and Kansas guys think IU is the choice at this point. - Some insiders at other IU fan sites seem to feel good about Romeo to IU. How much stock you want to put into that is up to you, but when you stack it up next to everything else, it seems plausible. - A commitment ceremony open to the public at New Albany High School. First and foremost, there will be New Albany fans there to support him. They have wonderful support for their team and always have even before Romeo came along. However, you can be assured there will be plenty of Hoosier fans there as well. It will be the crowd favorite. The Langford family knows this. Would they open it to the public if Romeo was going to Kansas or Vandy? Perhaps. But I believe it's reasonable to look at this setup to be more Pro-IU than anything else. I guess my point is that there's a lot of positive buzz here that points to IU . I don't know if there is much else that can be said that would make you feel any more confident of IU's position until Romeo announces himself in two weeks. I certainly understand being cautious and not wanting to list him as a commit just yet. I'm with you on that. Romeo isn't a Hoosier at this moment. But if those positive tidbits don't make you feel good about IU's chances, I'm not sure anything will. As someone else has already said, I normally hold off watching too many highlight videos of prospects until I feel there's a good chance that they'll become Hoosiers. Let's just say that I felt comfortable enough to start watching Romeo highlights last week.

I'd be relatively surprised if Crean doesn't land at Pitt. Fogler Consulting definitely seems to be an advocate of Tom Crean...