Bryan Medema

As a Hoosier living in exile I say wear the colors with pride and, when in doubt, remind them that Indiana graduates have more job options than "NBA" or "Nothing"

If you haven't seen this video, it's outstanding. If you can't watch it, it's an IU commercial featuring Mark Cuban.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPBIAf8TpDQ   To my knowledge, this is one of the first times that Cuban has been very public about his support for IU (I could be wrong, but its somewhat irrelevant to this point). If Cuban has decided to take a greater interest in his alma mater, specifically with the rumors that he will be purchasing a luxury box in the renovated AH, how will this effect the program? Personally, I think the advantage of having a vocal, well known NBA owner as a regular supporter of the program will do wonders for recruitment. Anyone with NBA aspirations will have to at the very least consider IU, regardless of the program's performance.   Questions: Is this Cuban's first major public endorsement? Can anyone provide proof that he's interested in a luxury box? Are there any limitations to how he can support IU/IU athletics due to his status as a professional sports owner?

At this point it's no secret that A) The B1G is not as strong as we might have thought and B) The B1G has suffered some absolutely embarrassing losses (NJIT, Eastern Michigan, Eastern Washington, Gardner-Webb, Texas Southern, UNF, URI, Immaculate Word, Hawaii).    All things considered, the league looks pretty wide open. Given this, the door looks wide open for IU to make a move (most conservative predictions had us finishing between 7-10) and finish much higher than expected.    So for the purpose of discussion: Where will IU finish and how will the B1G landscape look (tournament teams, NOT tournament teams etc)?

I got some outstanding long-IU Socks (which should go nicely with the new ball shoes I bought myself; red and white, naturally). Now I just need to find some vintage IU ball shorts...

I went from Ft. Knox to Ft. Campbell. At least I got a little bit further out, but without any real basketball team to challenge, it's the same crap. On the bright side, people assume I'm a fundamentally sound and intelligent player whenever I wear my IU gear. 

  Technically it's not even a state; It's a commonwealth. 

Try being a Hoosier living in exile in this miserable commonwealth. 

Stan is an overly aggressive ball handler who is just as likely to draw a foul on a hard-nosed drive as he is to turn it over in baffling fashion. On defense, his aggression seems to have the same effect; either drawing a mistake or blowing the cover. As for his shooting, I don't want him taking jumpers or free throws at this point. The de facto 1pt turnovers he draws when he drives aren't worth it when we have an offense capable of scoring at a more consistent clip.   Given that this team needs to rely on ball possession, shooting, and some sort of consistency on defense, spot minutes are all we can afford risking on Stan at this point. As of right now, I have Holt, Zeisoft, and Hartman ahead of him off the bench.

I still have a standing bounty for anyone who can get me a pair of the throwback shorts...hopefully IU just releases them. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Oy6DwHAi70

I read an article earlier than included the non-consecutive words "Brad", "Stevens", "Indiana", and "University." FIRE UP THE PRESSES

I read an article earlier than included the non-consecutive words "Brad", "Stevens", "Indiana", and "University." FIRE UP THE PRESSES

Any thoughts on where IU might be relative to the polls today? I'm not assuming anything crazy like us being in the top-25, more so do you think we'll be in the "receiving votes" catagory?   EDIT: We picked up 6 votes in the AP(38th) and 5 in the Coaches(T-40th).   http://espn.go.com/m...etball/rankings

So if you don't feel at least slight optimism after the team's performance in the first two games then you're still clearly trapped in the event-horizon of the black-hole that was last season (Awful Science jokes!). That said, the team finally faces a real challenge this week in the form of a talented and well coached (some guy named Larry Brown) Southern Methodist University. SMU was ranked in or near the top 10 as recently as this summer, however a foreign defection and NCAA ineligibility has taken away some of SMU’s shine. Still, SMU is a dangerous team who can expect to make some noise in the AAC this year.      Lineup- G- Nic Moore, JR, 5-9, 8ppg, 2.5 rpg, 5apg G-  Ben Emelogu,SO, 6-5, 5.5ppg, 4rpg, 1.5apg G- Keith Frazier, SO, 6-5, 9ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.5apg F- Ben Moore, SO, 6-8, 16.5ppg, 8.5rpg, 3.5apg C- Yanick Moreira, SR, 6-11, 6ppg, 4rpg   Results- SMU (H) 93- 54 Lamar (A) (61% FG, 31% FG) SMU (A) 56-72 Gonzaga (H) (31.1% FG, 45%FG)   Breakdown- On paper, SMU’s biggest advantage is their size. C Yanick Moreira and Ben Moore will give IU fits inside, however it may not be as bad as it seems on paper. Both Moreira and Moore were held in check (relatively in the case of the latter) against Gonzaga. Notably, SMU only shot 27% in the paint on Monday night. While it’s safe to assume that SMU will play better in the paint, the combined efforts of Hanner and Troy could be enough to keep the two in check. Hanner and Troy’s athleticism should help to dissipate the height advantage of Moreira and Moore. On the perimeter, SMU allowed Gonzaga to hit 10/24 3pt-FGs, accounting for roughly 40% of their shots. Given IU’s love of the 3pt-FGs, this should bode well for the Rojo/JBJ/Yogi triumvirate.   Keys- -SMU interior size versus IU interior athleticism - IU 3PT Shooting versus SMU’s perimeter defense - SMU's ability so shoot on the road versus IU's ability to keep up the intensity   Prediction- IU wins on the strength of the 3PT Shot and wins 73-65   I've never written anything like this before, just an exercise I decided to undertake on my lunch break. If this is interesting/useful/spurs discussion I'll keep it up and attempt to improve.

If that's the case, let him keep predicting that way.

Typically I stand by the resolution "Never count out Izzo." ...This year's team might make me reevaluate that maxim.

Please and thank you.   So for those of us still interested in the topic at hand, anyone interested in weighing our updated/adjusted expectations against how the rest of the B1G is performing? We are only 1/14th of the puzzle after all...

Their shooting was misery (31%). I haven't seen a spray chart (to see where they were shooting from) but I'd say it's a hopeful indicator. If the fans stay on their feet I wouldn't expect to see SMU shoot much better.

And there I thought I was being overly optimistic...

First off love the thread topic, definitely a fun conversation to have...as for where expectations stand now:   -The team should be in the neighborhood of 20-22 wins and, primarily on the strength of the B1G, find a spot in the tournament.    -Crean proves he can coach in-game; I've been more impressed with what I've seen the first two games and I really think that, with the fire so close, Crean proves himself. The roster is guard heavy, which Crean seems to prefer, and should eventuate his style.   -The Bench (Stan/Z/Hoetzel/Hartman/etc) forms a quality, albeit underused, second unit. The ability for multiple players to hit the 3-ball and cut to the rim allows us to continue scoring when the starters are out, however defense will be an issue (especially in the paint). Zeisloft surprises early but fades as Stan and Hoetzel come on late. Watch for Hoetzel to be a surprise 6th man candidate in the B1G   -Troy takes time to earn back his role but ultimately become a fixture and leader on the court. Whether he makes the jump or not is debatable, the improved guard play will hurt him statistically, but his biggest impact will be on defense and rebounding.    -Hanner continues to improve but stalls once the B1G season hits. He'll still be a nightly double-double threat, the result of being our only inside presence, but can't hold the post himself. Watch for a HUGE 2015-16  season.    -Yogi continues to draw the focus of opposing teams and, as a result, doesn't make the great leap we're all hoping for. While disappointing, it's more of a reflection on the attention he draws and the help that surrounds him. Yogi has a handful of breakout games but ultimately sits as a low double-digit scorer with 4-5 APG.    -JBJ is the most electric player on the roster and ultimately wins us game we shouldn't. In spite of this he's not the team MVP because... -Rojo plays the most consistent and influential role on the team and, ultimately, is the team MVP. While teams focus on Yogi's terrifying speed and JBJ's ability to breakout at any moment allows Rojo to draw a favorable assignment on both ends and ultimately flourishes as a result. I don't expect too may more 20+ performances (if any) but Rojo's consistency becomes the key to an NCAA tournament berth.    -No one leaves for the NBA (JBJ considers but ultimately returns to improve his all-around game) but we do lose 1-2 players via transfer (Not a harp on Crean, just a reality of a crowded bench) however it won't be any critical pieces. The team returns in 2015-2016 looking like a top 3rd team in the B1G, with a shot at the crown.   I've said it in other posts: I think that if this team can make the tournament they can make some noise. The propensity for guard-led teams to succeed in the NCAAs favors us.   Drinks on me if this all comes true. 

And now the prayers (directed at RMK of course) for an early release and minimal traffic begin.

  Definitely agree. I suppose I'm more predicting that it will be an alum who takes over in the future. Given that, whenever the Crean era ends, one of the chief complaints will be in-state recruiting, I'm sure someone will brilliantly decide that an alum (regardless of laurels) will be strongly pursued.

Anyone planning on watching at Nick's?

Clearly you've never met me in person! (Except for the butt-face thing...what I'm saying is I talk incessantly) 

I'll do my best to find some statistics to back myself up, but historically speaking Big Men tend to have a greater influence on regular season play versus tournament settings. The typically slower pace of regular season games (brought on by the arduous grind of a marathon seasons versus the "win-or-go-home" up-tempo mentality of tournament games) tends to favor big men who can use the reduced tempo, paired with more lax calls (officials in the NCAA tournament tend to call games with a  positive bias towards guards) to their advantage. Applied to our team this year, we're in trouble. The best way for the current team to overcome their size based handicap is to be incredibly well conditioned (something they've surely worked towards with recent...problems) and rely on guard depth as it allows for us to continue to maintain a high-tempo style. If we can squeak into the tournament, our overt strength at guard can give us a greater advantage than some of the higher-rated B1G teams.    All told I think that Crean is more comfortable with a small lineup that emphasizes slashing and spot shooting rather than post play. If we can maintain a high-tempo attack (through depth, conditioning and the 3-ball) we can steal some games and hopefully find the tourney. From there, the application of a seasons worth of practice and the bias towards guard play might help us win a few games.