brtjohns

insight into mercer's coaching philosophy

Terry is a gracious man. In the summer of 2015 when I was trying to expand my portfolio for the writing & editing profession, Terry welcomed me as a soccer content contributor for this site. He met me for lunch (which he insisted on paying for), we talked about how he envisioned the role and content ideas, and shortly after he showed me the ropes as we attended an iums practice. Essentially with his endorsement, I got the opportunity to interview Coach Yeagley and a few players, a first for me. When I moved on, he told me not to hesitate in using him as a reference (I didn't even ask), which I did for an editorial job later that year and got it. Terry didn't have to do any of that. I was incredibly grateful, and certainly still am, that a prolific five-time Indiana sportswriter of the year would be so generous to me. Wishing the smoothest recovery for Terry and his family.

full game, while it's still available anyway:

probably my favorite game from jbj in his hoosier career thus far. tonight he showed that he's maturing as a team player. as we hear from crean often, good players positively impact the game when they're not scoring as usual. jbj was active on defense, didnt carelessly drive into trees, 5-6 ft, and grabbed some huge rebounds. led the team in rebounds actually. we're now 19-2 in games vs ranked teams at home since 2011-12: 2016-17: #3 unc (W) 2015-16: #4 iowa (W), #17 purwho (W), #14 maryland (W) 2014-15: #22 smu (W), #22 osu (W), #13 maryland (W) 2013-14: #4 msu (L), #3 wisconsin (W), #10 michigan (W), #20 iowa (W), #22 osu (W) 2012-13: #14 unc (W), #8 minnesota (W), #13 msu (W), #1 michigan (W), #14 osu (L) 2011-12: #1 puke (W), #2 osu (W), #16 michigan (W), #5 msu (W)

a few more thoughts after scanning this thread: -hoosieraloha, kb0, stuhoo and magnanimous affirmed why they're some of my favorite posters, and i agree completely in scheduling one or two of these games every year. they are infinitely more beneficial in the short and long term than the grand valley states, alcorn states and libertys at home. starting last season, i dont even care to tune in to all of the cupcake home games. really, whats the point? even if we won last night by 15, i still wouldnt call this kind of game a cupcake. -if there's anything to like about these post loss threads, it's that they continually feed my ignore list which shapes a better btb reading experience. -if the tremont waters miss didnt already sting like a ferocious b, it should now. pinson and harris hurt a lot too, but in my book thats crean's biggest recruiting miss since he's been here. newkirk and probably green is our look at point guard for the next two years. i really like green, but it's hard to tell right now how steady of a point he'll be. newkirk has been inconsistent at best -- flashes of productivity clouded by too many wtf moments. still early in the season though; he'll improve. but waters was the elite all-around, multi-year, immediate high-impact point we could've really used. we'll be alright. beat unc and last night will feel like a mere speedbump.

I can hear it now from our rivals and the rest of the college basketball world: So that’s why the hoosiers don’t schedule nonconference true road games. Can’t really respond. They wanted it more, simple as that. It was evident in nearly every play in regulation tonight. What a win for the mastodons. Biggest win in their program’s history? Despite bleeding crimson, thought it was an awesome scene after the game. Gotta love college basketball. Beat Kansas in Hawaii, then lose to IPFW up the road 11 days later. No worries at this point in the season. We always win some as the underdog and lose some as the favorite. Essentially every team does. Hopefully this was OG’s worst game as a hoosier by a longshot. No defending it – that was an utterly pathetic performance. I lost count of how many plays he quit on. I’ve never seen him and hope to never see him again play so lethargically. Makes you wonder if he’s battling an illness. Green is a really promising player. McRoberts was a helluva spark plug tonight. He put on a clinic on defense. Him playing the last 10 or so minutes plus much of overtime is yet another reminder that it’s not about who starts but who finishes. The latter is more important. Kudos to coach for a great coaching move in going to the 2-3 zone to throw a wrench into their plans and halt momentum. Also kudos for keeping OG on the bench for the rest of the game after two completely uninspired stretches of play. Blackmon needs to learn how to be a playmaker, not just a scorer. As has been the theme for much of his career, he missed an easy assist on a majority of his drives. Needs to keep his head up and be determined to make a play, not be so focused on getting around his man to get a bucket. Tunnel vision. Their big man #45 had his way with Bryant tonight. Hopefully it serves as lesson to Bryant that he needs to combine his energy with creativity in the post. Can’t rely on your length and just expect fouls to be called. edit: really, really big fan of their coach after hearing that interview.

what a victory for this ridiculously versatile, 'positionless' team crean has crafted. after blowing 2 opportunities to close out the game and with bryant fouled out, i didnt think there was any way this young team would win the game in overtime vs a great, experienced kansas side with frank mason on fire. but jbj kept making shot after shot (man, did we miss the sloppy janitor last year), jmo kept making hustle play after hustle play, and the freshman--my god. first 'real' college game, the biggest game of their lives, vs kansas on espn, and they knock down pressure-packed 3s and free throws to put the game away like seniors. missed free throws throughout the game by our veterans had me pulling my hair out, then the freshman step up to show them how it's done and ice the game. love it. major kudos to crean and staff for having the team ready to play. perpaps most exciting about tonight is with rojo and newkirk not having a great game and og still raw offensively at this point, that certainly isnt the best this team can and will play come conference and dancin time. to air out one critique: we need to post-up og more. just because his shot is improved doesnt mean he should hang out on the perimeter looking for it. his biggest strength is using his freakish athleticism and lower body to bully opponents at the rim. he can draw a foul or get an easy lay-in any time he wants down there. needed this after the calamity in columbus tonight. and if wasnt excited enough... wow

couldnt write a better script for a ballgame. the sport of baseball cant deliver a better product. this game has instant classic written all over it. it will be referenced and talked about for the rest of our lifetimes and beyond. i'm still stunned that maddon pulled hendricks. guy was dealin, and with a comfortable lead. buck just made a great point though. when you have an elite closer on the mound, somewhat fatigued or not, with a 3-run lead and 4 outs to go, gotta love your chances. any manager would go for that. glad ross smacked a dinger in his final game. now big schuma needs to go ahead and establish himself as a legend by doing the same.

save some crow for me. might need to prepare them in tiny portions considering how many of us are due some. i didnt think he had the composure or defense reliability to warrant a roster spot in the nba. memphis coach obviously thinks he can hold his own, giving him increasing opportunity to earn that spot. williams has played 26.8 mpg in 5 memphis games, team-high minutes in 2 of the last 3, and registered a +/- of +10 or higher in 3 of 5. he's playing as well or better than all of his direct competition in ennis, stephens, harrison and selden, but would certainly benefit from another plus game wednesday.

just rewatched uk-iu watshot game, and my biggest takeaway this time around was i hope og becomes michael kidd gilchrist with a respectable shot this year. mkg had never come to mind when trying to think of a player comparison to og, so it was an ah-ha moment realizing how similar of players they are/can be. he was the meerkats' best player that game. i apologize for poisoning this thread with uk talk when it wasnt really called for. i hope solace is found via my avatar.

if morehead state is a cupcake this year, 3 between duke and notre dame worries me.  asking for a letdown.  7 is still too many, for  me.  i got 23 wins before the btt.

the ncaa will once again prove its incompetence if it doesnt send a convincing 'we dont grant immunity...this wont be tolerated and will be punished severely' message to the premiere athletic departments that think they've built up so much clout, they've earned the privilege to operate above the law.  sadly, i'd put my money on that.   i had more respect for duke even before this whole thing broke.  now that rivalry is good vs evil to me; which is odd, duke being the blue devils.

my thoughts too and i'll add, this is the type of player that goes to a mid major and gives high majors fits for a couple years.  being an indiana prospect, if he does prove to be that player then he's someone you're blaming crean for not showing enough interest in. regardless of what jersey he's wearing, he's going to help space the floor and demand his defender play tight at all times.  you can tell by watching his highlights that he's well-coached... fundamental, right place right time on both ends, runs off screens well, can feed the post, high energy.  i'm not going to bash just because he doesnt have a sexy ranking beside his name.  many what turn out to be solid and breakout college players didnt, in every class.  role players are a necessary ingredient on every winning team.  if he can hold his own defensively, he'll be a fan favorite.  welcome to btown, double-g.

does victor really have endorsements with nike/jordan, sprint, muscle milk, monster, american express and kia?  maybe i'm comprehending the bottom of his home page incorrectly.  surely not.  he's not blown up that much...yet.

i didnt know a high school to d-league immediate jump was possible.  after a little research, it is true.  the d-league's minimum age is 18 and its contracts are signed and paid through the league, no specific team.  latavious williams was the first high school payer to skip college and sign a d-league contract in 2009.  after a season there and turning 19, he was drafted by miami in 2010.  cant find how many have done it since. the pay is pitiful and unreasonable.  three tier pay structure: top players earn 25,500, mid 19,000, low 13,000.  it's easy to see why a year of college is currently the more desirable route.  you could start earning some money and avoid 3.5 months of writing papers, doing homework, etc by going straight to the d-league, and you'd get just as much exposure, perhaps more, to nba scouts and front offices; however you'd miss out on high d1 college arenas and environments, college coaching, college parties with college babes, march madness, public exposure to build your personal brand right away, playing with and vs your peers, etc all on your university's dime.  the draft will be calling you either way. having said that, it wouldnt be difficult to make the one year of d-league route the more desirable avenue.  a fair boost in pay and some national tv time would do the trick.  if the nba and its d-league worked together to form a pay structure of something like 40, 32, 25 and were able to broadcast just like 8 of the top teams' 50-game schedule on espn or tnt -- boom, one and done phenomenon neutered.

it's a great premise.  very needed, as well.  essentially a usa u19 travel team.  the 700k salary seems heavy, and it's unnecessary to insist on targeting 'mcdonalds all americans'.  just state that it'd be another option for top prospects who have no interest in college to further play and develop until they meet the nba's age requirement.  there would have to be some kind of qualification if it's limited to one squad because dozens of the top prep players every year would be interested in this.  a handful of teams could easily be filled if funding can support it. the one and done phenomenon wouldnt completely disappear from the college game.  there would still be top prospects who want to play college, and there would still be freshman unexpectedly blow up and opt for the draft.  that isnt going away until the nba changes its rule of age 19 and one year removed of high school.  so if you're just looking at how this would impact the college game, it'd be both positive and negative.  dominantly positive, imo.  on the good side, it would restore some integrity and purify it a bit.  scholarships once again given to players who actually desire college.  the college game would probably get a boost in balance and parity.  on the bad, the talent level would decrease, though the style and quality of play could become more appealing without the heralded fab frosh focus on showcasing and increasing their draft stock. something like this is needed, though it would be concerning if too many chose to forgo college.  the best solution is the nba expand and create capacity in the d-league for top prospects with obvious, draftable potential.  the owners could keep their precious age 19 and one year removed of high school requirement.  they dont have to see the nba roster right away.  draft on potential, like whats being done anyway, and see them develop in the d-league a year or two, then get promoted.  these players wouldnt be paid anything near 700k in this route but it's better than forcing them to a college campus, a place they dont want to be.

  yes.  knew there was another seemingly obvious scenario that i wanted to add to my points.  couldnt think of it.  thats exactly it, you see it all the time.  they're inning killers.   pitchers have just proven to have no business being at the plate, period.  in a sport that has way too much downtime as it is, replacing a pitcher's bat with a dh's is, to me, a must.

in my mind there's 4 primary reasons for the national league to adopt the dh: - al has a big advantage attracting players like cruz, mccann, gattis, etc. when they hit free agency or deadline deals.  same might be said for starters and nl. - when nl goes to al parks for interleague play, nl uses a bench hitter.  bench hitters rarely rival a dh. - in the nl, when a starter is pitching well and it's late in a close game, often the manager is forced to remove him come his spot in the lineup for a legitimate hitter.  everybody wants to see him continue pitching. - pump some energy into the less potent league of this relatively sluggish sport   both leagues need to be the same.  if the leagues never played each other then it wouldnt be an issue, but they do.  i vote for dh.  separate the pitching game from the hitting game, defense from the offense.  when a sport recognizes an opportunity to improve, it should.  i think it's more than a sensible improvement.  al adopted the dh in 1973, so nl pitchers have been given 41 seasons worth of chances to prove they can hold their own and not dull the game...and here we are.  i pay little to no attention when a pitcher comes up to bat.  feels like 9/10 at bats a pitcher fails to either bunt or put the ball in play.   good to see big shuma still obliterating baseballs.  hell of a pick by the cubs front office.

~80 mil.  it'll raise 20-25 next year.  here's some 2016 free agents braves might be interested in:  heyward, fowler, a jackson, pearce, gordon, cespedes, c davis, price, cueto, greinke, j zimmerman, samardzija, street. also have like a dozen promising pitching prospects, some of which will undoubtedly be trade bait.  

yep, uggly's on the gnats which warmed all of our hearts.  still owe him 13.2 mil.  wonder if the padres are eating upton's contract.  i sure as hell hope so if they're getting the best reliever in the game.  uggly's contract is off the books following this season, and if muj's is as well, that'll make for a fun offseason.   i like this trade if the padres ate both contracts.  got back a couple nice prospects and a the 41st pick.  that makes 5 picks in the top 90 of the upcoming draft.  braves front office has to admit they're in rebuild mode now as they've been hesitant to do.  i've been fully on the trade kimbrel train.  we gave him a 4y/42m extension last offseason.  thats way too much for a closer, no matter matter how filthy.  you dont pay someone that handsomely who performs one inning of about a third of games, especially when you have a mid payroll.  wren was awful.   j-hey for braves center field 2016!   edit: Mark Bowman ‏@mlbbowman The Padres will be responsible for all of the $46.3 million Upton is owed over the final three years of his contract.   :dancer: :good:

muts could be solid, actually. gnats are loaded. their pitching is just absurd. darlins might have the best offense in the division, probably best chance to dethrone them. fillies are gonna suck hard. braves...will be good a year or two from now, have the potential to make things interesting this year. i'm excited to watch an offense that wont strikeout every other at bat. i'll probably cry tonight as i watch j-hey make highlight reel catches in a cardinals uniform. then the thought of justin upton not in a braves uniform will make me smile. then i'll cry again knowing our two highest paid players this year are melvin upton jr and dan uggla.

in this usatoday article titled '68 fascinating facts about the 68 ncaa tournament teams', for purdue they have:   "The Indiana university has the highest ratio of male-to-female students for any tournament team.  At Purdue, 59% of the undergrads are men. That’s what a quarter-century of Gene Keady’s comb-over will do to a university’s gender ratio."   4 burns in one

toilet paper.  I wrote and rationalized like that in my early high school days.  dude belongs nowhere near a legitimate publication.  wouldn't expect much more, however, from a guy named catfish.