BottomLine

Crazy numbers: After 7 games this year we are 7-0 but, of course, we haven't played any one. We are averaging 86.4 points/game and we are giving up 63.6/game. Last year at this time we were 5-2. the two losses were to Arkansas by 1 on the road and by 21 to Duke on the road. We had a good 23 point win over Marquette and 4 wins over cupcakes Chicago St, Montana St, Texas Arlington and UC-Davis. At that point we were averaging 82.1 points/game and giving up 64.6. Are the numbers really any better than last year, considering the competition? In a roller-coaster year we followed the Duke loss by winning 7 in a row to bring us to 12-2 and a #21 ranking in the AP poll. That was followed by a loss in 12 of the next 13 games before we righted ourselves and ended the regular season with 4 straight wins. By the end of the year we had a scoring average of 71.5 and a defensive average of 67.8 Really hope for a win on Tuesday but folks the jury is still out.

So everybody is going to temporarily drop the S Dakota St results and get back one of the other scores that was dropped. No big deal, right? Well, yes, because when we start picking losers the S Dakota St score is going to come back and haunt us and we will be GLAD to have it. What a monstrosity of a game. Am I worried? Not in the slightest. I don't PLAN to pick any losers, choke cough choke cough wheeze. Good luck to everybody with the Florida State game. I have a headache already.

This has the possibility of being a trap game. Big heads from a 6-0 start and the first major test coming next week, can't blame the guys for looking a bit ahead. Hope they tend to business as usual. Vegas has the over/under at 149. They are starting to wise up out there, especially after we have been over in 5 of 6. With IU favored by 17.5 that would make the implied final score something like 83.5 to 66.5. IU has also covered in 5 of 6. South Dakota State has played 3 major teams and lost all three on the road by an average of 81-67. I think IU has a better defense than any of those teams as well as a better offense, so I'm going over on the o/u and over on the spread. Looks like there are a lot of predictors here that are in agreement so there isn't much wiggle room this game. IU 90 SDst 65

6 games into the season and our 3-point defense is still a point of contention. Here is the season 3-point percentage for each of our opponents and the 3-point percentage for the game with IU Western Illinois (41.1 - 29.2) Portland State (29.9 - 50.0) North Alabama (32.0 - 50.0) Troy (27.1 - 20.0) Princeton (28.7 - 22.2) Louisiana Tech (31.3 - 40.0) We have allowed over 40% 3-point shooting or better in 3 of our 6 games, and that includes our biggest tests Portland State and Louisiana Tech. We still won all six but there are plenty of good 3-point shooters still to come this year and plenty of work still to do. Three of six at 40 or over seems like a lot to me, especially against high volume teams. Are we that bad or is it just a case of random streaky shooting from our opponents? Speaking of streaks - there are still 27 undefeated teams (IU included)

The HOOSIERS are averaging 90.2 points/game. That ranks second of the 353 division I teams. After last year we were wondering if we would be able to score this year. Don't tell me about the easy schedule. Other teams play a series of cupcakes in November and they aren't scoring over 90 points/game. A drop off is coming but how much? For those who have forgotten how dominate IU basketball have been over the years. This is our 120th season and the lifetime record now stands at 1839-1053 for 63.6% wins. Then again some people only ask "what have you done for me recently?" Point taken, but the bar is always going to be high for the Hoosiers. The season record for the first six IU victims this year is 15-22. Subtract the IU loss and they are 15-16. The present record for the teams that are ahead 82-27 and not one single opponent has a losing record. Despite leading IU in minutes played and scoring, team captain Al Durham still is being left off many fan's ideal IU starting lineup. That is despite 45.5% shooting from 3-point range and 19-21 from the foul line. And, IU has the reputation as having one of the most knowledgeable fan bases. Not going to happen guys. Finally Joey Brunk led IU in shots against Louisiana Tech. Joey Brunk?

This one takes a little more thought than the first five games. Vegas has the o/u at 140 and the implied final score at 76-65 IU. I can't take those numbers. Louisiana Tech has been winning on defense as they give up 58.8/game. IU has one of the most efficient offenses in the country with 90.6/game. Something has to give and it will be Louisiana Tech. Their three tallest starters are 6-7, 6-5 and 6-3. The 6-7 guy gets Brunk, the 6-5 guy gets Jackson-Davis, and the 6-3 guy gets Smith and we have more big strong guys on the bench. Can't see how they are going to stop our big guys and will probably get into foul trouble trying. We should be able to stop any LaTech inside game and unless they are sizzling from the outside IU will walk away with this. I'll take the over and figure IU will beat the spread. IU 87 LaTech 63

Just some thoughts concerning Louisiana Tech: They start 4 seniors and a junior. They are not a big team. Starters are 6-7, 6-5, 6-3. 6-2, 5-11. Not much size on the bench either. The top 3 subs are 5-11 and 6-3 guards and a 6-6 freshman. Will they be able to keep us off the boards? Probably not. Will our bigs be able to chase and guard? Let's see. Despite starting 4 guards they don't shoot the 3-ball well. Only shooting 29.6% for the year but that includes a 3-22 effort against Mississippi Valley State. With that said they will probably explode against us. Isn't that the way it usually goes? Doubt they have much of a post game so we better guard that line. They beat North Alabama at home by 21. We beat North Alabama at home by 26. I don't like the feel of that. The Vegas over/under for the game is 140 and IU opened as an 11 point favorite. That means that the Las Vegas implied score for the game is 76-65. We will probably be Louisiana Tech's toughest opponent on their schedule this year. So, with the food for thought out of the way, let's play some ball. Go Hoosiers

111-147 = 75.5% Keep it up baby!

I love digging up obscure facts - especially on a dull night. Here goes. Total starts during IU career: Smith (46), Durham (44), Phinisee (29), Green (24), Davis (22), Brunk (18). Franklin (5), Jackson-Davis (5). Of course Brunk includes his time at Butler. Anyone else surprised that in four years Green has only started 24 games? Last night's result Texas A& M (56) - Troy (52). What? Did anyone see that coming? ELEVEN schools in the Big Ten have a lower 3-point percentage than Indiana! I know still early but still. The Big Tens record presently is 39-14. Cup Cake season, but how did we manage to lose 14 times? 56 teams are still undefeated - including the Hoosiers.

Not much difference now, but when we get to the part of the season where picking the correct winner is important, look out. The difference between picking the winner and not picking the winner is 50 points. Wow! May be getting a couple of dropped scores back pretty quickly. No Hoosiers!

Let's hold off on the evaluation of De'Ron and Joey. When you play teams that are undersized and out classed they have little choice as to how they are going to play us. They are going to try to press, run and shoot the 3, or some combination of those three. De'Ron and Joey are a bit slower afoot and don't fit that kind of game. When we play opponents that are bigger and stronger and want to play a half court game those big bodies will be more important. If they are going to rise, that will be the time to evaluate.

Hoosiers 95 Princeton 61

Doubt anyone will pick against the Hoosiers in the first seven games. :-)

Second game in a row where Coonhounds nailed one of the final scores. Sure is making it hard for the rest of us. Nice picking!

Hoosiers 93 Troy 63

Hoosiers 91 North Alabama 61

Just a clarification. When we drop the two lowest, does that include a missed game as a 0, or is it the two lowest actual competitive numbers?

Problem is that we need the Big 10 to do well so the games we play against Big 10 teams will be considered quality wins. It is definitely to our advantage to have the Big 10 considered the best league. That said I can't for any reason root for Purdue.

According to Fish on the pregame show Anderson has a nagging injury and was dressed but probably wouldn't play. Didn't sound too serious.

Hoosiers 93-68

Indiana 93-57

Hope we can add Hunter to that group.

Listened to the same interview and was impressed by what he had to say. I go back to way before the Knight era and IU's swagger didn't start with him, it was there before. That is what made IU so great. Somehow we have lost that and I don't see us getting it back. Being great is more than recruiting 5* and 4* athletes. It is about an attitude that says, "We are Indiana and you aren't going to beat us on our home floor, and if you beat us anywhere else, you are going to know that you have been in a fight." It was obvious that Greg knows all about that.

The exception might be the player from a small school without a graduate program that has already graduated.

Grad transfers transfer for a reason, usually it is because they were not that successful where they came from and they are looking for the greener grass on the other side of the fence. If they were great, they probably wouldn't be leaving their old school. Sometimes they are right. More often than not they are not.