Old Friend

Having watched him in person several times, Booker isn't good enough to play in the Big Ten. He's fine as a high school player, but this isn't a kid I'll ever be excited about.

My point was more along the lines of "he's not the 'help is on the way' kid we can hand the keys to. I have no doubt he can contribute but no field goals and 5 turnovers against the caliber of kid he'll see at the college level doesn't lend itself to the top dog as a freshman.

Okay. So he turned it over 5 times against good pressure. The Big Ten plays some of the best defense at the college level. He didn't have a field goal and he had 5 TO's. I'm not ready to say the kid's the "help is on the way" yet. Like most players, he will need to develop, and the coaches need to do a better job with who we have. I saw a whole lot of people looking at this kid as the one who will bail us out of the turnover trouble....and he may not the day he arrives on campus.

19 turnovers in a 32 minute game is disgusting. Obviously a kid who wasn't a scorer on this night but 8 assists is as promising as 5 TO's is ridiculous.

Indiana 73 Merrimack 56

I really....REALLY don't want to agree with this 100%. But.....

Equally hilarious how people don't understand there's this new thing called the interwebs and you can look up .....things about people and find out about them. You can actually use that data, especially the facts, and formulate a pretty educated opinion based solely on a guy's record. It's not like everyone who applies for any job has to produce a resume or anything. What the hell. Hire any old person and let it play out. Why jump to an opinion based on a guy's record? It might work out just fine! Scott (have you ever hired anybody?), I promise you'll be nowhere near here if it doesn't work out and takes like this which assume nobody here has a brain or cognitive agency is laughable.

Looks to me like he was okay 7 years ago and abysmal since. These say a lot : (FSU) The 2018 season was one of the Seminoles’ worst offensive seasons in school history (UMass) the offensive picture painted during Bell’s tenure is not pretty. I'm unimpressed.

Lander cannot play defense at this level yet. It's really no harder than that. Phinisee lost so much confidence when he got hurt his soph year and for whatever reason, never recovered. Lander isn't any better offensively yet and he's not close to as good defensively. That's why Phinisee is playing right now. I don't understand the abject vitriol toward him, and much of the criticism seems harsh if not unwarranted. The guy has had a tough time shooting it. No question. But he still has a career 2:1 A/TO ratio, and he's a stellar defensive player most of the time. Compare these 2 players, and with the exception of shooting %, someone tell me why one is beloved and the other vilified. Other than "one was on better teams," I don't get it. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/stats/_/id/4397010/rob-phinisee https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/chris-reynolds-2.html

UW 65 IU 57

I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised to see the program still has something to sell which kids are buying into enough to commit. This past season could easily have caved in on itself, and while I know we'll lose players too; I'm impressed to see the obvious rebound and commitment to a relatively quick turnaround.

Indiana 78 Nebraska 67

This. Dead man walking is a perfect description. I see some commenting "he's one of the best Indiana ever had," and I just shake my head. Kansas had an anomaly season. Lee Corso had one here in 1979. Doesn't at ALL mean the coaches are any better or worse. Last season was without fans, Indiana played teams with injuries and players who were out (COVID opt outs, etc), and literally everything fell our way, including a TD call at the end of the Penn State game that I promise goes the other way in Happy Valley. And when Penix got hurt, Indiana's offense went down the toilet. We were that fragile. Last season was an anomaly until Tom Allen proves it wasn't. 2019 was a solid season..no question, but even still, Allen has a losing record at Indiana (26-32). He's 15-28 in the Big Ten. He's finished higher than 4th in his own division ONCE in 5 full seasons...last place twice and next to last another time. He's never won a bowl game, and finished only one season (last year...anomaly) ranked in the top 25. I don't get the take that he's "the best" of anything. Not with our facilities and the high school football talent available in Indiana right now. He hasn't proven a thing to me, yet...other than he can have an occasional successful regular season when we play bad pre-conference games and get Illinois and bad Purdue teams against the west. Indiana wasn't even competitive this year. That by itself is enough to warm up his seat.

IU 73 MTH 63

Yeah. Couple of "b*ll sh*t" (I know, happens everywhere) and an "a$$hole" chant, too. I hate chants; but the positive/supportive ones are fine to me. The ones on Wednesday were not a good look.

Not at the expense of other people, I didn't. That's not "stupid." It's wrong. There's a difference. I was raised better than that, so were you, and so were the kids who were doing it. It looked and sounded awful for Indiana University and I care a whole lot about that. Perception is reality. Others' perceptions of that were not positive.

Doesn't matter. Indiana should be better than that. The source of that comment is irrelevant in my opinion.

I hope his assistants tell him we're millions of miles better offensively when we push tempo and don't walk it up into a one pass/then iso offense. A reversal? Post touch/inside out? Maybe a little movement? Take the win, but that offense needs to get better. We struggle in the half court just like we struggled under Archie and for the same reasons.

IU 73 ULAL 61

Do you blame him or any radio host? It's a ratings business and football will send people back to work and to turn off the radio.

I did. Now just a girlfriend. =)

Yes. Yes I would. (I just felt like talkin' a little trash to the lad. Mea culpa)

I will compare W2's and career trajectory with you any time. Be careful. (I'll also compare golf handicap, achievements of kids, hotness of wife/girlfriend, number of close friends, cool vacations, resumes, and anything else you'd like) The irony of bold above is thick. For the record : * Success isn't a destination. If you succeed and can't sustain it, it's either luck, good timing, or a fluke. Things change and mentioning last year is a comical reach. * Who gets to define success? Someone promoted to a position he's not ready for isn't successful. See : Nick Sheridan * When changes are made - and they will be - I fully expect to see YOUR vitriolic self here apologizing with a whole lot of humility. Dudes getting on you are absolutely justified in doing so; and your comments are as laughable as they are misplaced and unjustifiably judgmental. * More than you have played the game, other sports at high levels, and coached at high levels. Don't kid yourself.

Be louder. Student section needs to bring it in the Big Ten season, and it's a good time to practice. Granted, the team needs to help you. Our offense is still very raw, and it's hard to cheer for defense..... I was there last night and it was terrific to see the number of students there; but the student section isn't yet "there." Loud reacting...a little quiet other times. Never, EVER wear black gloves and a helmet in the seats; and for the love of God don't mention the purdues unless we're playing them....but raise your game a little. You're needed! =)

IU 65 St. J 58