Old Friend

His throws beyond 10 yards are wildly inconsistent. Or just bad. Surely to God you know that 68% completion percentage is skewed by the throws he makes.

Today, yes. But he's slow in the pocket, makes bad reads consistently, doesn't see the field well when he throws it (much better as a runner), and he has a very inconsistent arm. Just the facts as I see them, my man. There's a reason he lost his job. But...yes. As I said before....go back and read....the entire team looked soft. Purdue definitely wanted it more. The ridiculous stupid penalties have GOT to stop; and Indiana got very lucky. Indiana did not play well as a team today. There were bright spots, but the consistent issues remain.

We were missing our starting QB, all conference left tackle, and all conference RB. What's your point again, troll?

Ask them why they chant "IU sucks" when they're playing Northern Montana? The complex is real. Pity the poor people.

He missed a lot of throws, a couple would have changed the game. Fact. Made some horrible reads on run plays. Again. Fact. You can deal with it or you can't. We both know the answer, don't we? I believe I called the entire team soft, especially the defense; but do feel free to claim I "blamed the game on Ramsey." Your ability to ignore is once again noted. Are you really saying he didn't deserve criticism or are you just pissed it came from me because I was right again? Edit : Great win. Should never have had to pull it out that way. Ramsey made some great plays with his legs. There. You happy?

The entire Indiana program should be embarrassed and ashamed. A pathetically soft and helpless second half. And I'm sorry, folks. Peyton Ramsey is as at fault as anyone. His inability to hit Westbrook....with the wind....who was wide open and would have scored a touchdown, resulting instead in no points, is a microcosm of who he is. Yes..he has made some great plays with his legs, but Purdue's 4th string QB throws the ball WAY better than our 2nd string guy does, and it's about to cost us a football game. We also need tougher people. We're soft. And we look like we're getting bullied and don't know what to do about it. Absolutely embarrassing.

1) Can clearly see why some players are backups. 2) Can clearly see why Don Fischer compared Sampson James to Anthony Thompson. That touchdown was absurd. Wow. 3) The Big Ten needs to re-align football divisions. ' 4) Indiana really...really needs to eliminate big penalties. This is an ongoing problem...and this is a recording. 5) No sh!t on the grass. Good Lord....unacceptable from Purdue A&T.

So all that matters are raw numbers, is that correct? Many have complained about the strength of schedule. "We don't get anything from these games!" You've seen that, right? So in a game where we had a 23 point lead against an inferior opponent, letting that lead get down to 11 and letting them hang around is just FINE! We don't need to learn lessons from THAT! The second half doesn't matter...we don't GET anything from these games. Until you do that stuff against Purdue. Or Michigan. A good first half erases a bad second half? Pointing out (after complimenting a kid for 9 months) that he reverted back to his old ways for a half. A HALF.. Is "trashing him?" Um....wow. I said and others have said the entire team played poorly. Durham doesn't have Green's track record....so the comment really couldn't be made about him in the same way. Let's say your kid has a really great first half of the semester. Straight A's. His/her goal is to get into a great college he/she loves and it requires a high GPA to do it. (Indiana's goal is to win titles....follow me here) Your kid shows some lethargy around Thanksgiving. Grades drop a bit, focus drops a bit. You point out the facts. They've been watching more TV, going to bed later, spending more time with social stuff and less on their grades. So you say "hey man...you've had a terrific semester. You got off to a great start, but staying up until midnight may not be the best idea; and watching TV won't help your algebra grade. Let's make sure we maintain our focus for 5 more weeks, okay?" "DAD!!! STOP TRASHING ME!!!!!!" That's basically what you're saying. There is something else that needs to be "given a rest," and it's the absolute requirement around here that reality gets ignored sometimes in favor of what some want to hear. Whether that's good or bad. I've been first in line to point out why NOT to fire Tom Allen, Archie Miller, or Fred Glass because SO much is positive for IU Athletics right now. The team played a bad half. That happened. A kid who's had problems with turnovers, poor decisions, and selfish moments had a few of those in that same bad half. So pointing it out is trashing him because his overall numbers were okay? Fellas...just accept that sloppy's not okay. Mistakes of omission are not okay. 8 FG's in a half is not okay....and there are reasons that happened. They're not because we were missing good shots. Please accept not everyone looks solely at raw numbers as their basis for the whole story.

Agree, however my point is that player has to be selective and smart about when he looks to make plays for himself. Doing it when it's available and trying to create it at the wrong time are two different things. I LOVE when he plays aggressively. I don't love when he (or others) play selfishly or lazily (bad passing angles, that wrap around pass that's been stolen 100 times in his career, etc). All I'm saying.

It's not a vendetta at all. You said you can live with the bad plays.... I don't know a successful coach who can live with bad plays. Why - after being complimentary of him for several months - is pointing out that he had a bad half (as did about everyone who wrote about the game) and looked like the player he used to be for a few minutes a "vendetta?" Serious question. You see a different game than Coach Miller, too. He mentioned the quick shots, bad angles, and sloppy half. Why do I (or others) have a vendetta for mentioning the same things? There's a difference between creating "electric" plays or taking them when they're there. Green played much better late in the year last season because he stopped trying to create plays and let the game come. Took advantage of opportunities rather than trying to make them. The other night, for a half, he reverted back to trying to create them. And pointing that out (which is all I did in my original post) is a "vendetta?" Seems a little dramatic to me. Anyone who believes that needs to read the things said about him that were complimentary and frankly be more realistic about what's being written. The Big Ten is a league that's tough and many games are close. Living with bad plays will get you beat. If you take two teams with relatively equal talent; one takes advantage of opportunities, plays with solid fundamentals when they AREN't, and takes care of the ball; the other tries to create opportunities and lives with bad plays while trying to be "electric," which team is going to win 99 times out of 100? Edit : This is only my perspective, but I also said the whole team played poorly in the 2nd half. Green and others. And we let a team hang around. We let a 23 point lead get down to 11. I guess I don't understand at all why it's not okay to say that's....not okay. We all want to win, right? Then we can't take bad shots (and a quick 3 when you're up 16 when a team's coming back on you is a bad shot); you can't make passes through traffic or with bad angles because you're trying to be "electric." You want Indiana to beat Ohio State? Purdue? We can't have a second half like that. That's from Coach Miller...not me.

You and I watch basketball differently, then. You're either a team player or you're all about "me." And you either like fundamental basketball or "electric" basketball. Electric doesn't generally work in college (more an NBA thing where ALL players are elite), "me" plays aren't generally winning plays (even though they can be fun to watch if they work), and "me" plays are generally selfish, even if....yes, some heat check shots DO go in. That does happen. But...doesn't make them good shots in a team game. He plays for Indiana, not "Green." I think Green's better playing off the ball. When he runs the show, he tends to make "me" plays more often than when he plays off the ball. Maybe it's systemic? Late last season, Green eliminated the "me" plays and showed a few the other night. If you're okay with that, you and I disagree. I think "me" plays hurt teams and I've seen it for over 20+ years. An experience thing, Doesn't mean I'm pouncing, looking for reasons to criticize, or have some agenda. Means I see it different;y than you do. In fact, you know the truth? I am looking for reasons to compliment the kid. I saw old habits the other night and commented that it concerned me. The HORROR!!! That means I "pounced?" Please. You used the word "always" in your first sentence, but whatever. Seems to me someone else is eager to pounce. And that person DOES seem to have an agenda. Believe what you want about me. On you. Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for doing what you do for the board.

So heat check shots early in the shot clock when you have a lead are the same as missed shots? Making a hero-type low percentage pass is the same as dribbling it off your foot? Don't agree. Errors of omission vs. errors of commission. One man's opinion; and because of his history, the antennae are up just a little more for him. That's life and what he created.

This is where we disagree. Nothing "balances" turnovers and bad shots. Turnovers are - despite what Tom Crean said - NOT "part of the game." Especially lazy ones. He gave away at least 6 possessions. In a close game against a good team, he can't do it. Simple as that. Neither can anyone else. It's not limited to him; but he's been the one with the consistent problem over the last 3 years, so he's the most scrutinized for it.

All I said was I was concerned because of what I saw. Easy, tiger. Let's not get out the accusatory brush and make assumptions. His bigger picture has a history and you know that as well as I do. I have been complimentary of him, but a hot first half turned into a lazy, heat check second half. You saw that....right? And you can think logically and see a red flag, right? Not saying it's a permanent condition; and once again....every sportswriter in town voiced the same concerns because THEY saw the same things. It's not as if I'm the lonely opposition. Because of his history, he gets a little closer scrutiny. Just the way things are; and his better play doesn't erase his history, making him immune to criticism. You wouldn't by chance .....be waiting for a chance to pounce....on ME, would you? Pot...meet Kettle.

True, but where does that stop? We also haven't seen how they respond to a road game, when Archie gets a technical, when we get in foul trouble, if we don't make free throws, if Al Durham has an off night, in an afternoon game with sun coming in the windows, etc. Some of that can't be controlled by the schedule. There was no guarantee we wouldn't be down by 10-12 with the schedule we've played. And with a better schedule, there's no guarantee we WOULD. This isn't a controlled environment. There are a million things we "haven't learned," none of which could have been controlled with the schedule. A road game would have been good for them, but apart from that, everything's subjective.

In bold....this is 100% incorrect. In red, only if you watch only for the score. That's absolutely your prerogative; but it's not boring if you're watching our players and our team develop rather than the score. In purple, disagree with this, too. I think we know a lot about this team. What don't you know? Without the crystal ball stuff like "what will happen if ____," what don't we know? What haven't you seen? Serious question.

I'm really not saying I like it and I agree with you and everyone else in principle. That said, I don't necessarily think it's hurting Indiana, either. They've seen adversity, they've been allowed to get all 11 players quality time on the floor, they've sorted out lineups and positions, and they've learned how to play team defense, or at least that they still need lots of work on that. All without a loss and all while also seeing how much they've improved. AND..how good they can be offensively if they attack and keep the ball moving. In the end, Indiana will have played a top 40 schedule. That's fine as far as I'm concerned. I may be all by myself in this opinion, but in November, I am FAR more interested in watching OUR players and the overall team develop(ment) than I am the opponent and final score. I have seen a lot of criticism of the schedule, and I suppose my point was "any given night." These kids from Portland State and Stephen F. Austin are on scholarship, too and they can all play. Going 7-0 against cupcakes (which we will) is fine as long as some are decent, and some have been decent. Indiana is currently #31 in Sagarin, and for reference's sake, there are 12 teams in the top 31 (including Indiana) who have not yet played a Sagarin top 50 team. Included on that list are Maryland, North Carolina, and Michigan. Indiana's not alone. 9 other schools in the top 31 have schedule strength in the 300's (Texas Tech, Louisville, and Kentucky among them). It'll all work out, and I'd rather see our still young team grow into a better unit while they win. I guess I believe it's all part of a longer term process because when we start winning, we'll start playing in better pre-conference events and by proxy against better teams. I just don't see the early schedule as detrimental as some do. ** For what it's worth, the Purdue's are #64 in Sagarin and they also have a SoS in the 300's. I sure wouldn't want to trade with them.

Stephen F. Austin was 193rd in Sagarin last week. Duke was #1. How many people here have jumped on the "Fire Archie" "we don't play anyone" "these wins mean nothing" bandwagons? Hell, I see a couple posting here now defending Indiana. Get old and stay old. Get experience. Get balanced. Improve year over year. Beat the teams you're supposed to beat. Indiana is in good shape and is just fine. Uncle Friend has been telling you for a couple of years, now. We don't need to fire Fred Glass. We don't need to fire Tom Allen. And we don't need to fire Archie Miller. It's all going in the right direction. Patience will pay off.

Al didn't take heat check shots. But yes..the whole team was sloppy last night. Green just doesn't get the benefit of the doubt because of his past. Every sportswriter in town wrote about "bad DeVonte" today. I'm not the dissenting opposition, here.

Then I stand corrected. Mea culpa

He started the 2nd half last night, didn't he? Didn't work out so well.

Doesn't matter to me one bit what should have happened. I saw his 4 turnovers and heat check shots. Can't have them.

Indiana 28 Purdue 23

From a coach's perspective Franklin plays great team defense, he sprints, he can play 3 positions and not hurt the team, and does a whole lot of little things (examples : he moves his feet well defensively, gets into positions that cause problems for his opponent, recovers to and from help as well as anyone we have..he caused at least 2 turnovers that way tonight) that don't show up on a stat sheet. But..he had more rebounds and the same number of assists as Green did. He just didn't score the same way; and that's really not his role, anyway. He is capable of FAR better from a production standpoint, and that absolutely needs to change at some point, but defending, taking charges and making it tough on ball handlers is his role right now. Personally, I'd like to see him stay away from the 3 point shot for now because he's better as a cutter/slasher. But he's getting minutes because of the things he does do well right now. I'm concerned about Green again. WAY too many hero plays tonight. At least 2 horrible shots, another that was poorly timed, and 4 turnovers. Can't have that from a senior. He needs to eliminate mistakes and take good shots - and eliminate the "heat check" garbage altogether. Indiana's not good enough yet to overcome their team captain giving away 6 possessions. Green cannot be a 1:2 A/TO guy in any game this year. He made some shots, but "bad DeVonte" came out, and it'll hurt against better teams. He now has 6 assists and 5 turnovers on the season. He's gotta' be better than that.

And a few "other" people have told "people" to let it play out and step away from the ledge. The impatience and intolerance of fans who want to win NOW regardless of circumstances is exhausting.