Uspshoosier

bleacher report did an article in 2013 about the blueprint of an ncaa champion. Really interesting article defiantly worth reading. I would provide a link but I don't know how, if someone else would provide it. Thank you

Most those matadors on the perimeter were in their 1st year with the team. I'm sure Vic and Will struggled their freshman year on the defensive end. With an extra year under their belt (and hard work) they became better defensively. It's not like hulls or Roth were ever lockdown down defenders but they managed to be productive. I see nick on the defensive level has hulls. Yogi has been the point guard on 2 Iu teams that finished in the top 50 in defensive efficiency and 1 that finished in the 200's. I think its more likely he will play on his 3rd team with a defense in the top 50 then playing on one in the 200's. I feel robert and james will improve on defense (not all big ten but enough to make a difference) I'm assuming the people who say the defense won't improve are implying robert, james, nick, and yogi won't work on it in the off season? If we can have a top 50 defense with evan, yogi, stan in the rotation (17-15 year) then I'm cautiously optimistic we can with james, Robert and yogi with bryant as a rim protecter like noah was that year

All you can ask for in March is to have a team that has a chance to make a deep run. You do not have to be the most talented team to win it all. I feel on paper we have our horse in the race. Good guard play is crucial for success in March. Having said all this Iu won't go anywhere if defense dosent improve. I think our defense will improve with our newest additions. (The year before last we had a top 50 kenpom defense on a 17-15 team. i find it hard to believe losing Will, vonleh, and gordon took us from a top 50 adjusted defense to a adjusted defense in the 200's. I think a rim protecter will make a huge difference

jbj decommitted before he could sign a Loi and when he recommitted he signed shortly after

yes he was at hoosier hysteria this last year

hurley hired an assistant coach Brain Merritt who is close with the maker brothers

There is a good article on syracuse.com about bryant and some reasons his mother thinks he picked Iu. looks like mom was still wanting him close to home (can't blame her). I don't know how to post a link

Tyus jones entering the draft

when blackmon committed he changed his crystal ball pick for jaquan lyle to Iu and made a big deal about it on his Twitter feed

after watford's junior year and cody's freshman year they had a joint press conference to announce they were returning

would you consider making a final 4 a solid chance to win? because if the answer is yes then there are too many examples of teams being outside the top 8 teams that have reached a final 4. Even if you dont feel making a final 4 is a solid chance to win it all there are still more anomalies that have won it all outside the top 8 teams (top 8 teams would be the 1 and 2 seeds) 1981-Indiana 3 seed 1984-nc state 6 seed 1985-villanova 8 seed 1988-kansas 6 seed 1989-michigan 3 seed 1997-arizona 4 seed 2003-syracuse 3 seed 2006- florida 3 seed 2011-uconn 3 seed 2014-uconn 7 seed Is it better odds to be a 1 or 2 seed? of course but to say we would need the stars to align to even have a chance next year in my opinion is false. probably like every team i listed above and even the 1 and 2 seeds that have won it all a team needs luck on their side to win it (1987 elight 8 game for the old timers against LSU, Tyus edney driving layup against missouri.......and so on)

michigan in 2012 finished 5th in big 10 and played for a national title.

With Swanigan picking Michigan st , stone at Maryland and bryant at Iu i would pick those 3 teams as the top 3 There are a lot of good bigs that are going to battle down low next year

i never said he was I was just answering a question.

arron craft 3 star rivals 4 time all B1G defensive team and also won B1G defensive player of the year twice. Hopefully he is concidered "lockdown"

looked lockdown to me when he picked Remys and applings pocket

u asked for a 3 star that was a good defender I gave 1 If u would like to research back at his defense from day 1 go for it. I get your point not a lot of 3 star kids come in and contribute right away but in some cases it happens

hope they were insured lol

not the last 4 i mentioned they were all recruited after luke left I believe (maybe bolden was before)

even before luke left there were offers to multiple bigs for 2014 but for whatever reason they went elsewhere (goodluck,humphries(stanford signee), robinson(6'8) and leron black to name a few and then offered plenty in the late signing period (jonah bolden, marvin Clarke, josh cunningham (not really a big but was one of the last top 100 available, and even yante maten. When all 7 say no I guess u r left scrambling desperately and have to take a chance on some lower prospects

trey burke rivals 3 star

remy played his sophomore season with the movement guys here. He transferred right before 2013 class arrived ( must of thought stan was going to take his minutes. Lol)

all I know is at the time troy williams or noah(who was recruited as a 2014 pledge first) hadn't committed to Iu yet and they were 2013 commits it seems like enough time 2 recruit for for the 2014 class when they weren't finished in the 2013 class yet. Fwiw trey committed to kensucky on on nov 5 2013. 15 months after he decommitted from Iu which left him plenty of time to find a new home and Iu plenty of time to find someone else. In the end vonleh and lyles would of been the same for us ( one year rental, it just happens it came a year early for vonleh)

around august 7 2012

its not about being right Imo the long term plan was vonleh here 1 or maybe 2 years and Fischer recruited to be a 4 year guy to cover the programs butt if vonleh left early. I think the staff and fan base was stunned when he left after semester I know i was I thought he would of been a force down low in his sophomore and junior year. Since fischer left in early 2014 (3 and half years earlier then expected) they were scrambling after the 2014 season. To this day I feel fischer leaving the program was the biggest disappointment of last years team. Losing a top 100 guy who was supposed to be your big for seasons to come midseason leaves you with limited options in the late signing period when most of the top recruits had already committed. Now asking why the recruits we were after in that late period didnt want to come here (clark mich st , yante maten Georgia and cunningham Bradley ) which left us with priller and April that could be an interesting discussion. Awesome discussion old friend