Bryan Medema

With the way Yogi has been locking down the oppositions top (scoring) guard, I'm feeling confident. This OSU team is mediocre beyond Russell. Unless they can find another source of (consistent) scoring, they'll be in real trouble.    Call it a close one, but I've got IU's spread offense being too much for OSU. 72-66.

Not a bar story but there is nothing better than getting a haircut in Btown and having the entire shop talk about the team. Beautiful. 

Brothers and Sisters of the Hoosier Nation, I have seen the light. Maybe it's the Upland Wheat talking, but this Hoosier team has become one of my favorite to watch (a sentiment echoed by multiple major news outlets and sports writers) in recent memory. While the pace, shooting, and talent of this Hoosier team has made every IU game a must-see-tv event, their clear commitment to each other and the name on the front of their jersey (as well as their Diet Pepsi (c) guzzling leader) has made this team a pleasure to watch. But I digress... With their current record (15-4, 5-1) and a challenging, but favorable, road ahead, the prospect of dancing this March is as real as it has been in almost two years. Call it blasphemy, but, as a great man once said "I callz um as I seez um."    That being said, who are the teams that you want to see the most/least in this year's edition of the big dance? (not to be confused with the B1G dance) Take into consideration any and all factors you'd like: Lineups, tempo, style, rivalry, scores to settle, mascots, who produces more corn...Take your pick.    Most Feared:  -VCU: Small ball mastery under Shaka Smart. IU has brought B1G opponents to the woodshed playing small ball but VCU has more experience and their havoc defense might just reignite some old issues with turnovers.   -Virginia: The "1" seed that I'd least like to see. They play smart, physical, and seem to dictate pace wherever they go. Unlike Duke, who seems prone to lapses in judgement (covered by their talent level), UVA looks like an almost flawless product. Given a team that doesn't make mistakes, I think Virginia has the edge.   -Iowa State: Well coached, diverse lineup that will be battle tested by a rough Big 12. I have a hard time quantifying this one, but, from the few times I've seen them play I know they are a team I don't want to face come March. (Insightful, I know).   -UNC: Hot and getting hotter. Their seeding might suffer due to some early season woes (and the rough ACC), but they've proven they can strike with certainty and make use of their outstanding talent.   Most Anticipated: -Eastern Washington: Revenge. 'Nuff said.   -Duke/UK: Outstanding talent, but prone to mistakes (covered by said talent). Both offer IU the chance to stun fellow blue-blood programs (albeit, bluer blood as of late, no team color pun intended) through our tempo, unique lineup, and ability to shoot the ball. Bonus points to UK for potentially offering IU the chance to protect the '76 team.   -Syracuse: They might not make it in, but if they do (and IU holds projected seeding) this could be a potential first round matchup. For IU, it's a chance at revenge with the perfect tools to do it. How to beat the zone? Shoot. Just ask Maryland, we've got that in spades.   -Anyone Else from the SEC: I just hate the SEC, so very, very much and I think we could beat any of them (except for that team from Lexington, maybe).   Who do you all want to/not want to see?

I agree, I just decided to keep B1G teams out of this. Their ability to dictate pace and Kaminsky's ability to step outside the post (something UW post players all seem to be capable of) neutralizes our ability to spread the floor effectively. We'd need to shoot 60% again to beat them. 

  ...so that's what he calls his...

In the strict sense of viewing each portion of the conference season as it's own grouping of games, I'm glad to see we're well on our way to solid record in the first two (~)Quarters.    The Openers- Solid mix of games, lots of opportunities to either take some games or give them away. Came away (3-1), better than most would have expected/predicted   @Neb         W @MSU        L vOSU         W vPSU          W   The Grind Part 1- The first series of consecutively difficult games. Tough road games at UoI/OSU/PU with a red hot MD thrown in at home. Close it with a home-effort against Rutgers (coming off of a road rivalry and preparing for a potential fight for the B1G lead; all in a short week (4 games in 9 days) that might as well be a trap game. I think IU avoids the land-mine and wins where they are supposed to. Current: 2-0, Projected: 4-1, Overall Projected: 17-5 (7-2)   @UoI          W vMD           W  @OSU        (L) @PUR        (W) vRUT         (W)   The Grind Part 2- The second series of consecutively difficult games. Starts with an all out brawl in Madison for conference control. I give it to UW with the home-court edge, but I'll be glued to my TV regardless. Michigan may be cornered and willing to fight, but I think they are a considerably worse version of our roster (at this point). MD gets revenge; last night was great but this is a solid Terrapin team and we won't shoot like that twice). Minnesota is a solid roster but I think they fall at the hall. Projected: 2-2, Overall Projected: 19-7 (9-4)   @UW (L) vUM (W) @MD (L) vMIN (W)   Coffee is for Closers- The last stretch of the season finally relents a bit for IU: Purdue at the Hall, on the road at two B1G minnows, followed up by two solid opponents at home. Purdue, Rutgers, and Northwestern should be easy (though I don't believe that word exists in B1G play) victories, while I think we split Iowa/MSU (Take your pick who beats us; I've got Iowa pulling the upset while IU gets vengeance on MSU for their only ugly loss of the year) Projected: 4-1, Overall Projected: 23-8 (13-5)   vPUR (W) @RUT (W) @NW (W) vIOW (L) vMSU (W)     Robert Montgomery Christ! I think I've become an optimist. 

Honestly, I truly believe Crean will handle this on a game-to-game basis (as he should!). There are certain teams in the B1G where a stretch 5 is going to wreck havoc (Purdue comes to mind, let's see Hammons defend the perimeter) but I think there's a handful that will keep us too honest and effectively neutralize our stretch advantage (Iowa/Wisconsin specifically come to mind).    Either way, Hartman is making it clear to the team, the fans, and the B1G at large what relentless, intelligent basketball can do. Ride the horse that's hot. 

We all know the best way to do that is to just go play at that schools rec center.

If that's the case, I'm confident. This team seems absolutely unshakeable; a quality we haven't exhibited in a while. 

Recipe for Thursday Night-   Take one (1) Team of Turtles; shucked from their shells and dump into boiling assembly cauldren. Cook for forty (40) minutes using five (5) Hoosiers at a time to keep the pot boiling. Serve on hardwood, garnishing with diet Pepsi (c) to taste. Serves (17,472), yields approximately fifteen to twenty (AP 15-20).

Yogi v Melo? Sign me up. 

I'm glad we have a few days for the team to settle down and then one long day for them to get revved up again. Going to be a great one Thursday night!

Agreed. With the number of bottom (top) 25 teams that lost and with how close we were (28th and 30th) in the major polls I believe, I don't see how we don't sneak in. Further, there's been a lot of chatter amongst CBB experts about the quality of this team and attention just seems to grow exponentially.    My guess? #23/24

Anyone watching from BTown? Army had a 4 day.

With how weak (or parody filled, talked your pick) the NCAA is this year, I'd say we've looked like any number of top-25 teams on a fairly regular basis. 

I'd say this forthcoming 4-game stretch is crucial; play well and we'll be respected. @UoI, vMD, @OSU, and @PU could define this season. I truly believe UoI and PU are games we SHOULD win (critical word choice), MD is a toss-up in my mind (Assembly Hall has some magic still), and I doubt our chances @OSU.    Bottom line? Go 2-2 in that stretch or, God Willing, 3-1/4-0 and the national media will take stock. 

#AprilMadness

Congress actually said "Nah Brah (the White House), you got this."

So I actually started reading the article a little bit closer and came across a few points that make this collaboration (somewhat) valid-   A targeted piece of discussion is one the administration's domestic focuses (sexual assault on campuses).   "...discussion about...a campaign against sexual violence on college campuses in which the NCAA and several major conferences were partnering with the White House."   It's not too difficult to make the leap that they are displeased with the very public cases of sexual misconduct by college athletes; specifically the way they've gotten swept under the rug.       Further, other topics of discussion cover the state of Athlete Academics (think the North Carolina scandel), the guaruntee of scholarship and medical benefits, and the state of amateurism. Getting the Fed involved is probably a move to help them navigate the potential, difficult legal issues that will come with addressing all three of these. It also seems like this is more of a move of convenience (all the right people are in the right place, might as well meet).   Basically this is a lot less sinister and big-brotherish than it seems.

In fairness, nothing good can come from the NCAA system as it exists. The writing is on the wall that the organization needs to drastically change to survive. Not that the White House needs to get involved though...unless the NCAA is a Government agency...which would explain the corruption. 

Beat me to the punch. 

What's the typical travel timeline for the team? I'm sure it varies game-to-game, but for in-week B1G play?

That fails to correct for the impact in swing-states here the margin actually mattered. Youth voters have a greater influence in states with a high concentration of urban centers and universities, which are typically blue states already (IE Chicago, NY, California, etc). To properly analyze the impact of the youth voter in selecting the executive, you'd have to do a comparative study of youth participation in swing-states over a period of similar elections (IE open/incumbent seat, congressional balance, economic climate etc). If someone would like to pull the data then you two can have an answer.    #IUPoli-SciDegreeFinallyPayingOff

I remember going to a game there an asking myself if I'd walked into a high school gym...

Tom Crean's New Years Resolutions: Look Cool while being screamed at, Coach the hell out of some basketball games, and win.