Old Friend

Understatement. Of. The. Year. Indiana still hasn't recovered from that stupid decision. It's a long and linear story, but I'll die on the hill.

Arrogant. A product of a system. At Tech, he won because several different AAU kids who knew each other (many played together as kids) decided to go to Tech together. Coaches on his staff were mostly handlers. He got to choose his players and few would have gone to Tech otherwise. (An IPS school, not private) At Cathedral, he has no rules when everyone else does. Cathedral might as well be La Lumiere. Indianapolis has a CYO system that generally feeds the Catholic high schools here. Know how many CYO kids are on Cathedral's JV and varsity teams? Zero. None. (I'd bet very few are Catholic) Friend of mine went there and bragged to me once that 62 junior high schools were represented at Cathedral. I can't imagine any other IHSAA sanctioned school in indiana is close to that. Many alumni fund students who go there and I know absolutely 100% a few kids (family) never have to pay a dime. Tuition is ~ $11,500 there. All Delaney has to do is walk into administration and ask for some alum or foundation to pay for a kid and he gets whoever he wants. Football does the same. Football has 200 kids in the program. TWO HUNDRED! Basketball had 84 kids go out freshman thru varsity. They kept 36. A private school cut 48 kids. Many of whom would play and maybe start at other schools and certainly at places like Scecina or Ritter. I believe with my whole heart that he said nice things about IU in case he had a player who could succeed at IU and it'd make him look good. Always has an angle. Cathedral isn't playing on a level field, yet their aura is the same as Notre Dame....holier than thou. Better than thou. Only ND has a relatively equal playing field.

It's not THAT simple! =) Someone else can have kids from the transfer portal. I've seen enough. Someone else can have kids who have no idea how to play the GAME of basketball and everything they do know is ball-centric. That doesn't win in the Big Ten. Sadly, Purdue has the model right now. They have 11 kids from Indiana and another from Chicago. They recruit kids to their system just like Wisconsin does. And Wisconsin is right there every year. Indiana got away from that formula and instead of recruiting to a system...and a culture, just "recruited." That doesn't work, either. Top level talent also doesn't necessarily work because every single measure of "talent" measures athletic and ball skills. Khristian Lander was "top level talent," AND he's from Indiana. But while he's a terrific athlete, he is a wretched player in a 5 man game and couldn't guard a deck chair. Tamar Bates is only marginally better. Recruiting is far more art than science and Xavier Booker is not an experiment we need to attempt.

I will say this over and over. Indiana wants nothing to do with this kid. Nor anything Jason Delaney touches. Booker is a worse version of Peter Jurkin and not close to as good/hard working as Tijan Jobe, Ben Allen, or Evan Fitzner. Been around him (and Delaney) too long. Nope. Nopetty nope nope.

Indiana finds a way IU 71 Illinois 68

Breakout Indiana 81 PSU 56

IU 73 UM 65

Another one? Purdue had zero...ZERO fast break points

PU 77 IU 68 Sadly, they have better guard by far. That'll be the difference

He's maddening for me. I watched the kid in high school, and he was always the smartest, best player on the court and played Langford dead @$$ even in that state title game. He showed so much potential as a freshman, then had the concussion and never got back to that level. His elevation on his jump shot isn't half what it was then, but at times he's just as explosive so I can't blame injury. It baffles me.

And Johnson had 5 more turnovers. We have one point guard who's a hot headed punk that's careless, selfish, and reactionary. Another who's lost all confidence and couldn't throw it in the ocean from the beach. And another who couldn't guard a concrete block.

In retrospect, I would too

Wonder if any Big Ten coaches are pissed because Minnesota gave Phinisee his confidence back?

Wouldn't matter if he did. We beat them up WITH him

IU 73 Nebraska 65

Indiana gets it done 66-61 Hoosiers

Cheaney

Indiana 71 OSU 66

That's a label from a certain group when you don't see things how they do or practice what they think you should. A few here are famous for it. The Colts are very solid and will be just fine come playoff time. Josh and the rest will be cheering like hell for the "selfish" players. It's not really a "stand" they take, as much a making a political statement that fits the moment.

IU 80 UNCA 61

IU 78 NKU 58

IU 72 ND 64

He'll need a great big man coach. The athletic ability's there. The basketball acumen isn't yet.

This is my opinion, okay? I'm just calling it as I see it. He has very little understanding of spacing, where to be, when to be there, when to screen or why; bad footwork... Just doesn't look or play like a basketball player. More like a tall kid who's playing because his friends tell him he "should play basketball." He's soft, doesn't like contact (doesn't block out, doesn't use his body in the post, very foul prone, etc), and I just don't think he's a kid who will ever be a solid Big Ten big. Michael Durr is far better. I'm sure many will understand what I mean by that.

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.