hoosierbgh

Yes, it was sometime in that timeframe. I think it was one of the first few games that IU played at PSU.

The one I always remember is at Penn State when IU was #1 and PSU had a lead with less than a minute to go. A PSU player stole the ball and had a chance for a breakaway layup and an IU player made a wild grab at him only managing to grab his jersey and untuck it from his shorts. The refs called a tech on PSU for the player having his jersey untucked, IU made the free throws, got the ball back to tie the game, and won in overtime.

You're correct, they should just cancel the remainder of the season. Every team has lost, most more than once and to a team they shouldn't have. Clearly no one is worthy of a championship, so it is time to just end it. Maybe that will teach teams to play harder and smarter if they stop getting rewarded for being less than perfect. Why would anyone want to watch losers play against other losers just to find out who the last loser standing is? I say just play the season until there is only one team remaining that hasn't lost, then crown them the champions. It'd make for awfully short seasons and we'd miss out on some great games but it's the only way I see to avoid rewarding losers. While we're at it, maybe we should consider instituting some kind of punishment for the losing players and coaches. The time of fans clearly wanting it more than players and coaches has to come to an end. For that matter, with games meaning so much more now, why even bother with coaches who are demonstrated losers? Why reward a losing coach with a contract worth millions and any semblance of job security? Instead, let's have the most dedicated and knowledgeable fan from each team coach. Until they lose of course, then they have to go. We might just have to substitute fans for players too, if the players keep bringing less effort than the fans and especially if they continue to tolerate losing more than the fans.

I think Iowa might have a little bit to do with it too... nah, it's all Geronimo's fault.

In Reneau's defense, the shoving the guy with the off arm move worked really, really well for Ballo from Arizona. In all seriousness, I think the quick whistles he's been getting have gotten into his head. He seems to rush everything now instead of being patient, kind of like he knows he will be benched with foul trouble quickly and needs do everything in a hurry before the fouls are called.

Players are sneaky like that... making adjustments only noticed by the refs.

He'll learn and he's definitely has some things to clean up but he's still going to get more than his share of phantom fouls because he's a freshman big playing at IU. I guess the refs feel like the few breaks Trayce and Race do get have to be made up elsewhere and Malik is the prime candidate.

That phase is called "Big Ten Refs" for the most part.

No, its not a coincidence. His mistakes and bad games are almost always a result of trying way too hard. Having JHS takes a lot of pressure off of him and allows him to play more relaxed and patiently. It looks like X has felt pressure to make things happen while JHS is out and has pressed instead of being patient and letting things come to him in the game

It has to be BIG 10 basketball, the Royal Rumble is not this physical.

I would be very surprised also. Kopp is a better fit with the first unit right now and I don't really see that changing. He needs featured scorers and playmakers around him to be most effective. While Bates could probably work ok with the starters, he seems to fit better with the second unit. He is featured more than he would be with the starters and potentially, when he settles down a bit, can provide a scoring punch that Kopp likely wouldn't with that group.

It being Louisville, I'm guessing it was quantity over quality.

It's just a tad early to be convinced that he's for sure leaving but I think there is reason for concern. I disagree on the ease of filling needs through the portal. In the scenario that we need a point guard, we'll need a starting level PG. Whereas we will likely only need a serviceable big to play a backup role. I'm sure Bates and Galloway can help out some at point but if IU is relying on them for extended minutes there, I doubt it really matters who are 3/4 bigs are.

Which one of them are you going to have play point, LOL? While it would be good to get at least one more big for next year, we will still have 2 more experienced bigs than we will PGs IF JHS goes pro. Hopefully we can pick up an experienced transfer in that scenario because I'm far more concerned about relying on a freshman PG and a collection of combo guards than I am the bigs.

Sounds like Cal is planning on retiring or moving on in a few years.

We were not going to be a contender relying on freshman to start either, especially with who we were recruiting. I'm not even sure where the idea that Page would be an automatic starter and upgrade over Duncomb even comes from and certainly none of the guards we missed on had a hope in hell of starting over Galloway.

Next year's starting lineup is already on the team or already committed. None of the recruiting misses, with the possible exception of Bidunga, would have changed that. Those misses will severely hurt the depth for next year and going forward if there are not some late additions though.

Yes, I thought you covered the first part very well. I wasn't disagreeing with the part I quoted, just expanding on it.

I don't know that I would even call it optimism. If IU doesn't improve one iota from last year, then they'd still have a good chance to run roughshod over most of the rest of the Big 10. That's how much the Big lost from last year. How plausible is that IU doesn't improve at least slightly? That the returning players aren't better in year two of the new system? That none of the new players contribute anything?

Well, Metallica will... but as Meatloaf almost sang, 1 out of 4 ain't good.

I prefer intelligence gathering methods that don't require self torture. I also need calmer, more soothing music while driving in traffic or else the objectionable content that they hear may not be coming from their music, lol!

Yes, for me the negotiation would go something like this: Kids: Can we listen to something obnoxious and loosely associated with music? Me: Are you paying for the car? Insurance? Gas? Me: No? Then, enjoy your ear buds.

I'm betting it was his apparently sudden insistence on playing point guard. No way that was happening at IU and as soon as I saw his comments on playing point for Maryland I wrote him off.

Maybe he'll protest the move by refusing to do any of the games for the BIG. We can only hope.

Well, this news certainly can't hurt IU's chances with the West Coast kids they've started recruiting.