Old Friend

Yep. All it will take is the eyeball test. If people think "winning" or not is all there is to it, they're out of their minds. Watch what happens on the floor. This 140 character "right now" world of immediate satisfaction and all or nothing makes me crazy. Hell, I knew in year 2 what kind of coach Crean was, and his team was terrible. That had nothing to do with him; but you could see his offense was based off the dribble; people stood around, and he wasn't bothered by turnovers. People need to use their eyes, too.

It won't take 2.,

Timing was the reason we didn't get Stevens, too.

The world doesn't work the way you're suggesting. It's a theory. It's the way liberal politicians sell things. This is how it SHOULD be, so therefore it's correct. No program; and especially IU is going to offer a coach a 3 year deal. That's just dumb. Sorry, but it is. Tom Crean had 3 years left on his deal; and was reaching a point of either cut him or extend him. A 3 year deal simply is not the way of the world. I'm not sure others are the ones who don't understand.

This would be Fun.

This is a hire that says Fred Glass made a decision based on what he thinks Miller WILL do, not what he has done. Our timing just hasn't been right to get a "home run." For example, Brad Stevens was never available when we were. Glass is betting on the come. Which he said he would do. Archie Miller at Indiana will be a different coach than Archie Miller at Dayton. Time will tell; and while I think everyone needs to support the man, I get some of the disappointment in the hire. I wonder if guys like me who grew up on 1976 Indiana Basketball, 1981 Indiana Basketball, etc....might need to make a harsh realization that this job just isn't what I thought it was....but then again, the University made that decision long ago. There just were not many "huge names" or home run hires available. Is this the best young guy? He's certainly a good young guy. He has won two A10 titles in a row, That's about it. He's someone I'm sure Glass thinks will be here for a long time; and I suppose time will tell. I'm not blown away, but not disappointed.

I'd rather just acknowledge that season, and in particular that block by AJ Moye of Carlos Boozer was...fun at the time, but the true downfall of this program. So few realize how huge an impact Davis' hiring was. The bigger problem was hiring him on a permanent basis after that first season without doing a search. I know for a 100% fact Rick Pitino wanted the job and proactively contacted Indiana about it. Not that he would have been right for the program; but at that time? His was the kind of name we could have attracted. Alford would have been in the mix then. Mike Montgomery was named (Stanford at the time) John Beliein. Thad Matta. Kevin Stallings. I'm not sure any of them "right," but we would have never had the peaks and valleys of Crean nor the consistent drop of Davis; and certainly never the Sampson mistake.

It was never a hard line stance. I know you wanted it to be so you could argue; but it wasn't.

Confused by what? That someone had an initially different point of view than you did? Just thinking more about it. Nothing in particular,

Check PM's in 2 minutes.

I know he'll be great....never a doubt about that. I was more sold than perhaps necessary on whether or not we needed a guy with roots here. I am far less convinced of that now; mostly because he's a smart guy. He gets it. I'm big on culture. That's what it boils down to.

Thinking it's Donovan. I am warming up to his being the best choice. Good hire....

I think this is the way it's going to go. The more I think about it and put reason to it (no way Westbrook hangs around, for example; and the contract he'll get at IU, etc); I think he's the guy. I'm pretty confident based on what I have seen and know that he was indeed in Bloomington today I'm warming up to it....a lot. Think this is it. "Think" being key word.

Awful example? Laughing. Both at your being so damned combative and the fact that you made my point for me. His resume suggests he's won a title. Same as Mike Davis' resume suggests he has been to a national final. We're not hiring a resume. We're hiring the right coach. Hiring a resume (Crean had been to a final four, Sampson had been to a final four, etc) would be....a major mistake if we hired the wrong coach because he had a good resume.

I don't think we're hiring a resume, and I don't believe a resume suggests what might happen. It reflects what has happened. As an example, Kevin Ollie won a title. What did his resume suggest? I think some are focusing way too much on what a coach HAS accomplished. Proven guys are fine and preferred if you can find the right one; but past success isn't a guarantee of future success; and I think there's a lot more to this hire than a resume. Any time you fire a coach, no matter where it is along a timeline, there are going to be a few good candidates available. 5 years ago, Brad Stevens would have been a viable target. Now? He is not. Last season, Donovan wouldn't have; and I'm not convinced he is now. Maybe. 3 years from now, perhaps a guy like Fife makes more sense. Maybe another few names emerge. We have to get this one right. Doesn't matter what a resume says. This coach has to be at Indiana 10-15 years, minimum. One of the most important hires in the program's history. Maybe the school's. The brand depends on it, so I think they really need to focus on what they believe WILL happen; not what has happened.

Question for those with high Donovan numbers. Are you hoping or is this truly what you believe? Guy makes $6 million per; and he's only been there 2 seasons.

Odds : Alford 25% Fife 12% Bennett 10% Holtmann 10% Mack 10% Frank Martin 5% (new name I keep hearing) Donovan 4% A Miller Brother 3% Woodson 3% Marshall 1% (Crazy Wife Longshot of the Day) Other : A name nobody has thought of 17% (I think this is a real possibility)

Point wasn't to discredit upper or lower classmen or kids who may be NBA players someday. My point is we don't need a bunch of NBA players on the roster, and especially ones who will leave early in order to win a championship. I reject that completely. I have, and I hope most have zero interest in repeating the Kentucky model. You know as well as I do Indiana fans like to watch their kids and teams develop. The model I will continue to use is Wisconsin. Always an experienced team; always in the conversation, fundamentally sound, do things their way; recruit kids who can succeed in that system, and all they do is win. They are now what Indiana was; and when I hear people tell me how much things have changed; I point to them. Perhaps the most consistent program in the country over the last 15-20 years. And....because Indiana is Indiana, and in a far better basketball hotbed, we will ALWAYS get better talent than Wisconsin. Which, to me, means we'll be there..in the national conversation every year, just like they are.

I'm a fan of upper classmen, and this tournament is proving why. Look at Xavier, for example. Blueitt's a Jr, Mecura's a Jr., Bernard's a Sr.,Gaston's a Sr. For Gonzaga, Williams-Goss is a Jr., Karnowski's a Sr., Matthews is a Sr., Williams is a Jr. (4 of top 5 scorers) For Oregon, Brooks is s Jr., Bouchler is a Sr., Bell a Jr., Ennis a Grad Sr. 3 of top 4 Mason's a Sr. at Kansas, Graham's a Jr., Mykhailiuk a Jr., Lucas a Sr. 4 of top 5 I don't need to tell you about Wisconsin's roster; who already beat a #1 seed. I guess I don't agree at all with your last sentence. I'm not sure more than one or two of the juniors listed above will be NBA players next season; and I will say forever experience counts. I know the theory you proposed is a popular one; but I'm here to tell you we do NOT need to emulate teams that go with one and done kids. It might work at Kentucky or North Carolina; but heck, Carolina is LOADED with upper classmen this season. I completey, but respectfully disagree with your premise, and I think it's very possible to win and win big recruiting 3-4 year kids; and I don't think it has to be perfect world at all.

I guess I don't think a local recruiting focus is something we ever had to change. I think Crean (and Davis) had convinced himself we did; and it worked out poorly for him. Look around the midwest at teams with kids on their rosters who come from within 200 miles of Bloomington. Look at the rosters of the teams still playing basketball. The modern landscape - to me - is mythical. The best basketball players in the country (and I don't mean guys with ball skills, I mean kids who understand how to play within a 5 man team) come from around here. Yes, there are plenty from other areas too; but I don't think a value of kids from THIS geographic region was one we needed to deviate from.

This brings up a very good debate. I agree with you, by the way. This says "Indiana is different." We do things our way, or we want to; and a clean program is part of that. So are 4 year kids. So is fundamental basketball. So is a roster full of kids from around here who play basketball the way we all know Indiana kids play basketball. Why is it we will so easily cast aside some values, yet continue to embrace others?

I think "such a questionable moral past" is a bit of an overstatement; and I truly do think Dakich has IU's best interests at heart. This search firm helped IU get Kelvin Sampson. There was a guy with a questionable moral past. Alford has one incident as far as I know, and also as far as I know, he owned it and apologized for it. Maybe I don't know everything. Entirely possible. But I don't think for one minute that Dakich does not have IU's best interests at heart.

IU has screwed things up. The truth may help them get this one right. Hiring Davis and replacing him with Sampson was absolutely idiotic. That all but ruined the brand, and Dakich was the one who cleaned a lot of it up. IU hired two straight horrible AD's, two straight horrible basketball coaches; and has not yet recovered. Dakich, like him or not, has the best interest of IU in mind, and this is a classic "tear it down so you can build it up" scenario.

I heard that from a pretty reliable source. I'd consider that....probably accurate.

Narcissistic, platitudes, generalities, denial, and fluff. Tom Crean Declined to meet with Fred Glass. A classless move. We didn't fail? No? In your last 4 seasons, 3 of them finished 7-11, 9-9, and 7-11 in the Big Ten. At Indiana. That's not failure? He's complaining about a lack of graduate transfers? WHAT!? People aren't knocking down his door. Maybe he'll go coach on the Bulls staff so he can coach Dwayne Wade again?