TheStillman

Do we have a losing 2nd half record? Everyone is citing this but even last night we did better in the 2nd half than the 1st.

Because this is Indiana and tournament results matter more than anything and those 2 wins got us a third of the way through the tourney?

  http://www.vigilantsports.com/2010/08/09/crean-picks-up-first-commitment/   ESPN had him at 16 when he committed

  Hammons would have been a bad fit for Crean's system.  People can rag on Jurkin but when he committed as a sophomore or freshman he was a top 25 prospect.

  I think this is true for IU but I also don't think it has much to do with the current coach or administration.  The fact is many IU fans or former IU fans are total Knight loyalists.  It is the same reason you still see Texas Tech gear around Indiana. I would imagine a lot of Knight's former players are in the same category.  I know for a fact that AJ Guyton says all the time that he is a Knight guy.  You can't discount the loyalty these guys have to their former coach.   Admittedly I did not hear Dakich today or Landon call in.  I have seen Landon at a lot of games throughout Crean's tenure and I believe he was honored before at least one of them.  In addition to the 1987 celebration someone noted above there has been numerous other occasions where former players were brought back.  Just off hand I can remember at Crean's first Hoosier Hysteria he brought back a large group of former players and at this year's Hoosier Hysteria as well.  Wasn't there a golf outing early in Crean's tenure with former plays too?     Again I did not hear Dakich or Landon and maybe Crean is less open with former players than most programs.  From the outside it does not seem like that and I am curious what is expected.

Stan was a major reason Hammons was stopped on offense 2nd half

  Wrong, sounds like he is going to the Mad Ants

  4-0 through the first 4!  On to the next

Would be 0-12 if Shaun Pruitt knew how to make a free throw

IU not even a question

I guess my point is if they feel that way it based totally on their arrogance since he's beat most of them very recently.

At what cost do people really want to see April on the floor? Any minutes he plays are going to be taken from others. Personally see no reason to give him any minutes over Hartman, Holt or any of our guards so where do his minutes come from? We have guys who are by all reports working harder in practice and understand our offensive and defensive schemes much better. We can't just throw in a freshman with no clue what he's doing and minimal talent into a game. Suggesting April should automatically get a look here is suggesting that this season is a lost cause. At 13-4 (3-1) I can't justify that.

Crean beat almost every coach in the B1G over the past 2 years in addition to Larry Brown and Jamie Dixon. But yeah I'm sure those coaches have no respect for Crean.

I understand the criticism and obviously would love if this IU team could step on someone's throat like that at the end of a game but we're just not there yet. I don't see that as a bad thing because I think last year we would've just blown the lead completely and lost. This team has shown more composure (besides MSU game) than last and we can build off that. The way I see it basketball is a game of runs and both IU and OSU are teams that thrive off that aspect of the game. Getting a lead from 10 to 20 is a lot tougher against a team like OSU than getting it from 2 to 10. This team hasn't learned to get it to 20 but they will. So many players are progressing and growing. A loss like MSU was going to happen with this group but a win like this and against Nebraska shows that the MSU loss was the exception and not the norm.

I just don't see how those subs that are such marginal moments in a 40 minute game makes people feel down about the win.

Hartman was kind of a really good post defender today as well.

They had to sit at some point. Had Blackmon even sat in 2nd half to that point?

What subs are people down about? Felt like crean managed the lineup really well today given the foul trouble

From a pure talent standpoint that Duke team ran circles around 2012-13 IU.  That 2002 Duke roster included these guys who played in the NBA:   Jay Williams Carlos Boozer Chris Duhon Mike Dunleavy Dahntay Jones Daniel Ewing    All of these guys also had championship experience having won it all the year before.     I honestly can't think of a more talented team than that Duke squad that got knocked out in the round of 16.   As much as 2012-13 hurt to lose, especially in that manner, I think it says a lot about the lack of success in the program over the past 20 years that IU fans act like it was some monumental upset.  Every year 1 seeds just as talented as that IU team lose in the manner and round that IU lost in 2012-13.  

  Honestly would rather he and Tirico call an IU game over pretty much any duo.  

  I thought that too but it wasn't very clear what he meant.  Losing Shane Battier from 2001 made a difference for that team but they were still loaded.  Maybe the most loaded team up until this year's UK squad.     In my opinion IU upsetting Duke in 2002 was a way bigger upset than Syracuse upsetting IU in 2013.

  They lost in the sweet 16 to IU.

  Any road game in the B1G is favorable for our chances but I am saying win two in that stretch is huge mainly because it is a numbers game at this point with wins.  I think we need to win 10 of the final 16 and to do that if we go 1-3 in that stretch it will involve going 3-1 in every other stretch which is a tall order.  

  Not always.  The team IU upset in 2002 in the tourney was pretty elite.

To get back on topic...   In order to make the tournament it is looking like the Hoosiers will need to win 10 of the final 16.  I will break those next 16 into four 4 game segments:   First four: vs. OSU vs. PSU @Illinois vs Maryland  We need to win 3 of 4, not important which 3 just need 3 wins   Second Four: @OSU @Purdue vs Rutgers @Wisconsin The toughest remaining stretch.  If we win two it would be HUGE but I think we go 1-3     Third Four: vs. Michigan @Maryland vs. Minnesota vs. Purdue Very important stretch.  Have to win 3 of 4.     Fourth Four: @ Rutgers @Northwestern vs. Iowa vs. MSU Again you have to win 3 of 4.  Our two easiest road games remaining.  Win those two and split the final 2 at home.   There you have it.  Our road to the tourney.  It would put the Hoosiers at 21-10 (11-7).  Thoughts?