pumpfake

At least this time it's a good bet - first off we probably can't get any worse. As long as Morgan stays, we won't be losing much from the roster, and Archie has clearly begun to correct the non-skill weaknesses of the past (defense and turnovers).

Clearly not in gym practicing FT's (otherwise great effort).

Sounded like a smattering of boos after Newkirk jacked up the second not-even-close-three on the same possession.

A thought just dawned on me: this team could actually look much worse. With our previous coach on the bench, we'd still be a crummy shooting team but our defense would be worse and we'd already be in double digits in turnovers (only 5 tonight in the 1st half). We stink, but at least it's primarily confined to scoring points.

I can understand that. If you can find a way to synchronize the radio broadcast to the game (it is possible) you can watch/listen and keep your sanity. Listening to the game I have to say that Don Fischer really pronounces the name 'Langford' really well - I hope he gets to say it in every game next year.

You are correct sir, as Ed McMahon used to say. If more university presidents would speak out, maybe something could happen. But, as you say, the bottom line is the dollar and the people that could throw the most influence are probably at the same schools that are among the biggest offenders.

Here's an open letter to Condoleeza Rice from Mitch Daniels regarding the NCAA commission formed to look into basketball recruiting "concerns": https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2018/02/02/daniels-good-luck-fixing-cesspool-ncaa-condoleezza-rice/302446002/ IMO, it's a well written, spot-on piece about the problems in the sport and the failure to do anything about it. He addresses the NBA's involvement in the 1 and done rule as well. I think it's really noteworthy that a former presidential cabinet member, governor, and sitting university president would write this - and even calls out UNC and their phony classes. Definitely a worthwhile read and relevant to the subject of this thread.

And I'll bet he still hit his FT's too. Overall a very impressive interview. Very comfortable and well spoken. I also like that he described himself as a pass first PG (one that can obviously score) - just what an elite scorer might want to team up with (hint, hint).

Yep. We'll know that recruiting is really rolling when the state's best regularly commit, and early, to play in Bloomington.

Interesting article (Indy Star) that documents the current state of the roster: What IU basketball is missing and how it got here With a lot of discussion about the current talent level, the article documents the past several recruiting classes. Looking at what's currently left from the past four classes it's easy to see why we're mired in (sub) mediocrity.

Playing in front of fans dressed in IU garb and RL sets a personal scoring record. The choice is clear young Mr. Langford - candystripes are your destiny....

There must be some reason we were predicted to finish near the bottom of the standings. Just because OSU defied the experts, doesn't mean our talent level was under valued. We were pretty bad last year and lost 3 of our best players - our only hope for improvement was from individual development.

Obviously too early to judge, but Dayton fans complaining about recruiting? Really? In only a few short months he has already signed a class better than any he had there. Now he's in on real difference makers - players that would have never considered Dayton. The proof will come when we find out if he can successfully recruit elite players, but that story is yet to be written.

A lot of comparisons in the importance of getting Zeller v.s. Langford. IMO, Romeo is more important because I think he can have a bigger impact. I just hope he sees that the situation will be perfect for him to come to IU - he won't get anywhere near the opportunity and exposure anywhere else.

Yeah, I can see your point about JM. Johnson has always been so inconsistent (still is) that it's hard to see a trend + or -.

Well, for basketball I'd say: 1. 3 straight sh*tty coaching hires - hoping the fourth time we've got it right. 2. Not cheating enough.

I definitely agree from a team standpoint. I think our ball movement has even improved marginally. That said, I can't really say that any individual player has shown much improvement as the season has progressed (perhaps McRoberts - at least he's not as afraid to shoot as he was).

There is no reason why we can't become a very good team (and I'm confident we will). You become good with good coaching and talented players. What talent we -should- have in our upper classmen was lost due to heading off to the NBA. Our sophomore and freshmen classes have a total of ZERO impact players.

That thought occurred to me during the game. Maybe it's just because you can't polish a turd.

Time to get ruthless.

I wish we would go with the almost invisible B10 logo on our court instead of the hideous, bold version that debases it currently.

Yep. That's why I'm not really all that upset with this game. It's been established that we don't have anywhere near enough talent to succeed. It's a form of resignation. Biggest frustration is knowing that it is going to take time and it seems like we've been waiting for years already (hell, we have!).

We're at the point where I'd be fine with playing the freshman for future development. I'm just not so sure our current freshmen are destined to contribute much in the future.

This season, more than anything else, is an epitaph to Tom Crean's recruiting prowess (or lack thereof). No size. No shooters. Possibly the worst team I've ever seen at finishing around the bucket. Unless we snag Romeo or a player of that elite level, the turnaround is going to take a while.

100%. He also has a guage on things we have no clue about like what current players are unhappy, how interested various recruits are, etc. It seemed FCTC just went out and made a decision on whether he liked a kid or not, tossed an offer if he did, then moved on to the next one - all without regard to building a team that fit his vision. Archie knows what he's doing, knows how to go about it, and has the staff to get the job done.