Class of '66 Old Fart

'Da rut' is the mating season of ruminant animals such as deer, sheep, and goats. Explains why they can't play basketball; too busy in the barnyard!

IUCharlie beat me to it on VonLeh's individual thread but I thought I'd make a stab at summarizing our pro ballers stats for each game. My intent is to just post it in this thread and not in their individual threads and while I got it posted early this am, don't expect it to be up this early every day -- I am retired!! 10.25.16 W / L Min. Points FG's 3's FT's Reb Asst Steals Blks TO's PF + / - Houston Gordon No Game Scheuled Oklahoma Oladipo No Game Scheuled Portland VonLeh W 16 11 5-5 1-1 0-0 1 0 0 1 1 1 +11 Memphis Williams No Game Scheuled Charlotte Zeller No Game Scheuled

Alex Bozich: 2016-2017 Player Profile: Robert Johnson If Indiana is going to overcome the significant loss of Yogi Ferrell in its backcourt, junior guard Robert Johnson will be a major reason why. As the Hoosiers are discussed and written about nationally in the preseason, the three names that come up most often are Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby and James Blackmon Jr. In a way, Johnson is the forgotten man. He’s not on any preseason award lists, but he’s an essential piece on the roster because of his ability, experience and leadership. Last season as a sophomore, the Richmond (Va.) native started 22 of the 30 games he appeared in, but missed five of the team’s final seven games. Johnson injured his ankle in a 77-73 win over Purdue on Feb. 20 and then re-injured himself in Indiana’s NCAA tournament win over Kentucky. He subsequently missed IU’s Sweet Sixteen loss to North Carolina as a result. While it’s not fair to argue that Johnson would have changed the outcome against the Tar Heels, his absence was a clear blow to a Hoosier backcourt rotation that lacked depth. Johnson’s sophomore season was one of major growth as he improved in several key metrics. His 3-point shooting percentage improved from 38.8 percent as a freshman to 44.7 percent in his second season. His turnover rate dropped by 1.5 percentage points. His assist rate grew by five percent. Following offseason surgery on his ankle, Johnson is back to 100 percent health. As Indiana’s best returning defender on the perimeter, he’ll be tasked with guarding some of the country’s elite guards. And with Ferrell’s departure, he’ll also be expected to handle the ball more often. With that responsibility, his decision making must continue to improve. Along with newcomer Josh Newkirk and James Blackmon Jr., who are both returning from injuries as well, Johnson will be a part of Indiana’s committee approach to the point guard position. Given how Indiana’s offense is focused on moving the ball and spacing, having a defined point guard isn’t essential. What is essential, however, is having the right leadership in the backcourt and Johnson appears ready to step forward and fill at least part of what Ferrell vacated with his graduation. As someone who is viewed as a leader in the program, Johnson has a voice that will resonate in the locker room when he speaks. When you pair the leadership piece with a work ethic that continues to drive improvement, it’s not hard to see why Johnson is one of Indiana’s most important players on the 2016-2017 roster. Bottom Line: Johnson should return to Indiana’s starting lineup, which is where he’s been for most of his first two seasons in Bloomington. There will be an adjustment period for him playing without Ferrell, who justifiably had the ball in his hands a lot in Johnson’s first two seasons. As a junior, Johnson should have the opportunity to create more for his teammates while also aggressively seeking out more shots within the flow of the offense. Quotable: “What has to happen now is those guys have got to learn from what they missed. They’ve got to take those next steps of confidence that come from doing it time and time again. They’ve got to not only do it, they’ve got to bring leadership to the younger guys.” – Tom Crean on Johnson and Blackmon Jr. as they return from missing time this offseason into leadership roles as upperclassmen.

#OTRHoopsReport: USA Basketball Mini Camp Underclassmen Recap – Oct 12, 2016 On the Radar At 6-foot-8, Trendon Watford is a good all-around player that is effective getting to the basket off the dribble. He can knock down a three point shot and has a great feel for getting into the lane and finishing with a pull up jumper or at the rim. He can play all over the floor and has the ability to defend multiple positions.

Maybe there's still hope that UNC gets more than a little tap on the wrist. From NBCSports NCAA rejects UNC’s arguments in Notice of Allegations response By Rob DausterOct 25, 2016, 3:36 PM EDT The saga of the NCAA vs. North Carolina took another step forward on Tuesday. In August, when North Carolina responded to the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations, the school did their best to try and get off of a technicality. We went in-depth on the matter here, but in short, UNC found documents that they believed showed that the NCAA had determined, in 2013, that no rules were broken and that, during the investigation, the association tried to hide this ruling from the school. The NCAA responded to those allegations last month and UNC released those documents on Tuesday. From the News & Observer: NCAA officials have told UNC-Chapel Hill that its largely due-process arguments to shut down an infractions case involving bogus classes that disproportionately benefited athletes are “without merit.” […] “The new information provided, for the first time, a complete picture of the athletics department’s preferential access to anomalous AFRI/AFAM courses and, in some cases, how it used those courses to retain NCAA academic eligibility for student-athletes,” the NCAA’s enforcement staff said. The NCAA also determined that the violations were not mandated by a four-year statute of limitations and that the extent of the misconduct was not truly known until 2014, the result of the Kenneth Wainstein investigation. The document that North Carolina referenced in their response to the Notice of Allegations was from 2013.

From NBCSports: College Basketball’s Top Frontcourts http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2016/10/25/college-basketballs-top-frontcourts/ 5. Indiana (Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby, Juwan Morgan, De’Ron Davis) Sophomores dominate this frontcourt rotation as center Thomas Bryant has a chance to be one of the country’s best players this season. Bryant is a tenacious rebounder and also scored at a decent clip from time-to-time. OG Anunoby can defend nearly everyone on the floor and his upside is immense. There were times late last season when Anunoby looked like he was capable of being a star. Morgan could be a stretch option for Indiana as he made 5 of his 11 attempts last season and showed a good-looking shot. Freshman De’Ron Davis is physical ready to compete and he can provide backup minutes. PUke #3; Wisky #7; Butler #14.

2016-2017 Player Profile: Freddie McSwain A surprise late edition to Indiana’s 2016 class, Freddie McSwain is this season’s X-factor. The junior college signee from Neosho County Community College (Kansas) has plenty of upside with his springy athleticism, good hands and strong instincts around the rim. Couple these skills with a 6-6 muscular, broad frame, one Tom Crean compared to an NFL tight end’s earlier this month and his potential is easy to see. But for now, McSwain remains a work in progress. Despite his talents, the Georgia native came to campus this summer as a late-blooming basketball talent who will need time in Crean’s proven player development system to get up to Big Ten speed. And his later than expected arrival to Bloomington coupled with knee surgery earlier this fall has taken away valuable on-court learning and development hours. “It’s hard to tell,” Crean said about McSwain’s recovery timeline from knee surgery earlier this month at Big Ten media day in Washington, D.C. “But being able to be in the full speed mode, it’s going to be some time in November I think.” With some uncertainty about McSwain’s return to action and Indiana’s first exhibition game just one week from today, it could be a while before his impact as part of the Hoosiers’ lineup is felt. Defensively, his physical profile is the cherry on top to perhaps the most intimidating frontcourt of the Crean era, and his coach is bullish on his contributions on that side of the ball. “He comes in and he makes our defense better,” Crean said. ” … came in here and set the squat record. Freddie is really strong. He’s active and athletic, like he’s going to make our defense better.” Offensively, that activity and athleticism could make McSwain a threat on the break to finish with authority at the rim, a nice counter balance to the ball handlers and trailing 3-point shooters. In the half court, McSwain probably won’t join the chorus of consistent 3-point shooters the Hoosiers have. Video of him at Neosho County shows a shot that needs improvement. But he could flourish around the rim. He’s shown promise as a paint scorer on both sides of the basket. And his positioning, instincts and leaping ability make him a good offensive and defensive rebounder. It’s possible he could also fill the Troy Williams role in IU’s halfcourt offense: roaming the baseline and short corners, the defense one rotation away from him using the given space and converting at the basket with athleticism. Bottom Line: By not participating in Indiana’s televised practice or at Hoosier Hysteria, Indiana fans have yet to give McSwain an eye test in the cream and crimson. Collin Hartman’s injury does create more minutes in the rotation, but McSwain faces competition against a frontcourt with depth featuring an emerging Juwan Morgan and freshman De’Ron Davis, who despite a late arrival as well, is getting in daily reps against NBA talent Thomas Bryant. All that said, McSwain could very well become a player Crean trusts and uses regularly once the thick of the Big Ten season hits and he gains more experience in the program. Time will tell. Quotable: “What stands out to me about Indiana is the player development. I worked out with them and saw a lot of things that were new to me, that I hadn’t seen before. Coach (Tom) Crean saw a lot of things that I needed to work on in my game and I like that.” — McSwain in April

23-8 my guesstimate.

Another player every dog and his brother will be chasing for the next couple of years. Kentucky has reached out to Archbishop Molloy High (NY) 2019 five-star point guard Cole Anthony

Jake Thomer - Indiana Daily Student IU women's basketball picked to finish third in conference High expectations for the 2016-17 season were reaffirmed Monday afternoon when IU was picked to finish third in the Big Ten in both the media and coaches’ preseason poll. The third place ranking marks the highest preseason projection in IU program history. Junior guard Tyra Buss was also named preseason All-Big Ten by media and unanimously so by coaches. IU finished fourth in the Big Ten standings last season, and Buss was named First Team All-Big Ten. The Hoosiers return all five starters from last year’s team, which won the program’s first NCAA Tournament game in 33 years. “This preseason ranking serves as a reminder of the strides our program made a year ago,” IU Coach Teri Moren said in a press release. “However, we are not thinking about the past. We’re focused on the next challenge, as our program is still in the early stages of growth.” Two-time defending conference champion Maryland was picked to win the league by both coaches and media, with Ohio State slotted to finish second by both groups of voters. Buss, who led the Hoosiers in scoring with 18.8 points per game last season while adding 5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, was named to both 10-woman preseason All-Big Ten teams. Only two players were unanimously named to both teams, but Buss was one of five unanimous selections by coaches. The Big Ten Network is currently in the middle of Women’s Basketball Digital Week, and IU will be featured with interviews from both Moren and Buss on 
Wednesday. The Hoosiers will take the court for the first time in an exhibition against University of Indianapolis at home 
Nov. 6.

Latest blog from Jordan and it includes comments from Aubrey as well: http://albersangle.com/index.php/2016/10/25/inside-life-jordan-hulls-week-expecting-wife/

All the big players are in the hunt as you would expect. Brentwood Academy (TN) 2018 five-star Darius Garland (@dariusgarland22) will unofficially visit Duke this weekend,

Jeff Rabjohns ‏@JeffRabjohns 16m16 minutes ago Indiana's Tim Buckley watched national top-100 prospect @robphinisee1 of @mccutcheonmavs today.

First of all, regardless of the overall truth contained in his book, Todd Jadlow has truly gone through a living hell and I hope he never has to experience that again. Secondly, my respect for Bob Knight as a man was gone roughly 6 years before Myles Brand kicked his a$$ out of Bloomington. As for Jadlow's book, 'sex sells' but I also believe that where there's smoke there's fire. If the book were filled with vague generalizations it would be easy to dismiss it as mostly a work of fiction. However, when he names specific players and the specifics of what they went through, well, that's a different story. If those stories aren't true, all it takes is for 1 or 2 of those players to come forward and expose the book as a "cocaine induced fantasy" using Josh's description. On the other hand, all it takes is for 1 or 2 of them to come forward and say yes, that is exactly what Bob Knight did to me. And if the latter should happen, then even his most ardent supporters will surely recognize him for the pathetic piece of crap he is.

Indiana Underclassmen To Watch: Damezi Anderson Jordan Wells | Staff Writer Mark Johnson knows a great player when he sees one. The South Bend (Ind.) Riley head man is entering his 34th year overall as a coach and his 14th season at Riley. Over that span he’s coached numerous high profile players, including 1978’s Indiana Mr. Basketball in David Magley, Don Gandy - who played for Oklahoma in the early 80’s - and former Purdue standout Brandon McKnight (early 2000’s) among others. Damezi Anderson is his next player with a chance to break into that pack. “Damezi’s in the picture of all the really good ones,” Johnson said. “He fits in with all those from a standpoint of being unbelievably competitive, he can really shoot the ball and score the ball, and he has a big desire to improve. “That’s what all those guys had. Damezi’s as good as any kid I’ve ever coached.” Anderson is only entering his junior season, but he’s already played a role in helping Johnson and Riley win at a high level. They’ve captured the sectional title the last two seasons, and fell just 79-74 to Warsaw in double overtime in last season’s regional semi-finals before Warsaw advanced to the semi-state championships. “He’s long - he’s a legit 6-5 or 6-6 offguard,” Johnson said. “He’s a very good shooter with very good range. “He’s improved where he can put it on the floor now. He’s a very good offensive rebounder. From an offensive standpoint, when you can do three things like that - shoot, attack the basket and hit the glass - that makes you a very good scorer. “He can get easy baskets at the free throw line and in transition.” According to the Rivals.com national rankings in the class of 2018, Anderson checks in fourth in the state of Indiana for the junior class, rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 93 overall player nationally. For him to move up that list, he’ll need to continue to work on his one-on-one defense while learning how to sustain a high level of day-to-day effort. “The biggest thing with Damezi is consistency, and that’s the hardest part for anyone I think,” Johnson said. “It’s not just consistency in play, but consistency in effort. “That’s the biggest thing that I think a lot of people have to improve on. You don’t want to just play really hard or well against the top competition, you want to play really well whoever you’re against – whether that’s a pickup game, or practice. “Before you can be consistent in your play, you must be consistent in your effort, and that’s one of the biggest things I think not only Damezi but a lot of players have to understand.” The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association named Anderson underclassmen honorable mention all-state last year after he averaged over 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks per game for 22-6 overall Riley. To catch Anderson and Riley in-action this season, a handful of games jump off the page when looking at the schedule. Highlight matchups include versus Southport High in a tournament at Southport in December and a Feb. 11 matchup at Fort Wayne North Side, among others. For their full schedule for the 2016-17 season, click here (link).

Indiana Underclassmen To Watch: Keion Brooks Jordan Wells | Staff Writer Despite just entering his sophomore year of high school, Fort Wayne (Ind.) North Side standout Keion Brooks might already have a solid grasp on the concept of what it takes to be great. His high school coach, Shabaz Khaliq - who has served as head man at North Side for six seasons - explains the four-star forward already works hard at handling his business both on and off the court. “He is far and away the best that I’ve had personally,” Khaliq said. “Obviously his talent stands out, but there are a lot of factors in that. “His basketball IQ and his understanding of the game, his work ethic and his desire to be better than what he is. He has an approach to getting better. Then he’s good in the classroom to make sure nothing interferes with his success. " Since it's so early in the class of 2019 evaluations, Rivals.com has only ranked 50 prospects nationally in that cycle. Brooks made that initial cutoff, however, checking in with a four-star rating as the No. 29 overall recruit in the country. He just misses the cutoff to be an early five-star with only 17 prospects receiving that distinction at this stage. “He’s very versatile," Khaliq said. "He’s a kid that can stretch the defense with his size. "He’s getting more athletic. He’s playing way above the rim right now, which is something last year where he was athletic, but not as aggressive in terms of utilizing that. He can shoot the ball for his size out to 22 or 23 feet, and now he’s gotten so much better at putting the ball on the floor and make the right decision. "Last year he’d make some freshmen mistakes, maybe take an extra dribble when he didn’t need it or turn the ball over in situations where he wasn’t accustomed to the defense shifting as quickly. Going into his sophomore season, though, those mistakes have gone away and he’s perfecting his game, in terms of eliminating the things he knew last year were a problem.” As just a sophomore, there's obviously still areas Brooks will have to keep growing in. One of those focal points will be a continual effort in the weight room. “Strength is a primary concern for him," Khaliq said. "He’s obviously not a big kid in terms of girth. "Foot speed, especially laterally and being able to move defensively and guard on the perimeter is another important for him. Understanding defensively where he needs to be on the floor in terms of positioning, that’s something he’s going to focus on this year.” With recruiting, early offers for Brooks include Purdue, Xavier and Kansas State, with Michigan State looming as a potential scholarship soon. Indiana head coach Tom Crean has also been by for an open gym. “It’s extremely early but two schools that have been on him early are Purdue and Michigan State,” Khaliq said. “They’ve done a tremendous job getting on him early and getting a foot in the door. “Coach [Matt] Painter has been very hands on with him coming to workouts and they’ve invited him up to campus every opportunity they can. Coach Dane Fife [Michigan State] has made him a priority at Michigan State in the 2019 class and they’ve made that known to him." In-state fans wanting to check out Brooks this winter will have plenty of opportunities. Fort Wayne North Side has a loaded schedule, including tilts against Indianapolis Lawrence North (Rivals150 junior Kevin Easley Jr.) on Dec. 10 in a tournament at Southport, Indianapolis Tindley School (Rivals150 junior Eric Hunter Jr.) on Dec. 23 and South Bend Riley (Rivals150 junior Damezi Anderson) on Feb. 11. “We’ve been invited to various shootouts and we like never say no,” Khaliq said. “We like to challenge ourselves and see how we stack up with everyone else.” Brooks averaged over 17 points and six rebounds per game for North Side as a freshman last year. So when you look at the complete package, he is far and away the best I’ve had a chance to be around.”

The Thunder worked on their roster reductions by axing Mitch McGary and his drug problem. The Oklahoma City Thunder waived former first-round pick Mitch McGary, ending a turbulent tenure that included a 15-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program. McGary was the 21st overall selection for the Thunder in 2014. An agile, athletic 6-foot-10 forward, McGary, 24, had a standout career at Michigan but dealt with injury issues and a failed drug test before entering the draft. McGary will serve his 15-game suspension if he signs another NBA contract and lands on the active regular-season roster.

2016-2017 Player Profile: Thomas Bryant When Indiana’s 2015-2016 season ended in Philadelphia with a 101-86 loss to North Carolina in the NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen, Thomas Bryant and Tom Crean shared a moment in the locker room that was viewed thousands of times on social media. As the locker room was about to close to the media, the 6-foot-10 Bryant sat with his head on Crean’s shoulder as his coach embraced him. It was a totally unscripted moment that revealed a behind the scenes look at the relationship between Crean and Bryant. That relationship, Bryant’s hunger to improve and his love for the IU program led him to return for a second season in Bloomington. Even with a new NCAA rule that would have allowed him to test the NBA draft waters with no risk, there was no drama with Bryant. No press conference. No social media announcement. No waiting until the last minute to make his intentions known to the coaching staff or fans. Bryant was all in on returning to school. In an era where plenty of five-star recruits are looking for the fastest path to professional stardom, Bryant instead wants to be a guy who can not just make it to the next level, but stay there. “Just seeing myself as a long term prospect in the game of basketball, I knew I needed to return for my sophomore year before I even finished the season,” Bryant told Inside the Hall at Big Ten media day in Washington D.C. “I thought it would be better for me for the long term.” Now at 255 pounds and as a centerpiece on Indiana’s 2016-2017 roster, Bryant appears ready to completely break out. As a freshman, he finished a ridiculous 71 percent of his 2-point attempts, which ranked fourth in the nation. He ran the floor hard and finished plays demonstratively at the rim. He’s not a great shot blocker, but by the end of the season, Bryant was comfortable guarding ball screens after being able to do so in Maui. In his second season as a Hoosier, look for Bryant to show off an even more well rounded game. He’s worked tirelessly in the offseason on footwork and explosiveness. He won the 3-point shooting contest at Hoosier Hysteria, a potential new wrinkle to his game that could help this Indiana team have even better floor spacing. And he’s continued to develop as a leader, which is something Indiana will need with the injury to Collin Hartman and departures of Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams, Max Bielfeldt, Nick Zeisloft and Ryan Burton. Bottom Line: It’s rare for a player to pass up the opportunity to enter the draft with a good shot at guaranteed money, but that’s exactly what Bryant did by returning to Indiana. He’ll be one of the faces of not only the Hoosiers this season, but Big Ten and college basketball. Having just turned 19 in August, Bryant should continue to take major steps forward this season as one of the game’s elite big men. Quotable: “I feel like I’m growing into more of a leader. Vocally on the court and off of it. Just trying to help my teammates each and every day.” – Bryant last Wednesday at Indiana’s preseason media availability.

Congratulations to Jordan and Aubrey.

We be good!

Big THANK YOU to all of you for keeping the rest of us up to date with your posts. Most appreciated.

Love the sound of raining 3's in the fall.

Time to start a fire Hartman/McSwain thread?

I'm guessing Jayla Everett. She's from Missouri, and I found some stuff with that twitter handle and some other girls and it referenced Missouri.