Old Friend

Iowa 72 Indiana 56

No defense in AAU. Get a better read from him in his sectional when he'll play better teams.

Indy Metro an athletic and undisciplined team. Tough to say whether or not this one was 'him' or 'them,' but a great stat line. I'd put more stock in 21 against Ben Davis.

Kid was an all star in KY 2 years ago in the Indiana v Kentucky series and was...okay in those games. Was a second stringer and maybe had 6 points in the game Kentucky won.

I wonder who might agree with this (that it's a solid line regardless of who he's playing) but feel differently about Luke Brown?

I would agree with you absolutely when parents are involved and pulling strings. Absolutely. If I hadn't seen what I did a year ago, I wouldn't have the thoughts I do. Maybe a fool's errand, but I'm not giving up on him yet...unless the attitude problem is as real as some have stated earlier. That would change my mind. I do think people can change. Especially young people. Many don't. No question.

Right now? Archie looks hesitant and uncomfortable. All the time. I think there is far more to this than any of us can possibly know.

I swear. It's true. I've hidden it for so damned long.... At some point, you just have to admit your flaws. Expose them. It feels SO good to be free from the facade I've maintained for so many years! =)

I'm no great mind..just been coaching a long time and I'm opinionated as hell. I'm sticking with potential. Kid was recruited by a different coach to a different system; and I saw enough last season to give me some hope there's something that will click. I don't disagree with what you said....I'm just not yet saying "he'll never get it." I gave Green the same mental courtesy before the season, even though I couldn't stand him last year. I guess I'm the same on Smith. He may prove that a fool's errand; but I'm not giving up on him yet. Edit : Just read some of the above posts and I may now be leaning the other way on him. I'm nothing if not fickle. And opinionated.

We've lost 11 of 12 with Green. We could lose 11 of 12 with Jager. =)

I'm a believer in experience and learning lessons. We'll miss Morgan. No doubt. We will not miss Fitzner or McRoberts; and I'm not convinced we'll miss Romeo very much. That will be unpopular and I know unconventional; but the way he's being used isn't good for the team and isn't good for him. At this point in his career; he needs the ball as close to the rim as possible so he can get downhill more often before help can get there. I'm going out on a limb and saying there will be other new faces and at least 1 will be a shooter. Franklin can make the 3, as can Hunter; even if he's not that pure shooter we need. So I'd expect 3 kids next season who can make that shot, added to Durham and Phinisee; and I think that roster will look far different than this one. Phinisee, Durham, Hunter, Davis, and Smith (yeah..I'm on his bandwagon until he pushes me off simply because of the potential I see) is a solid starting 5 assuming improvement - but I don't want to hear it. I want to see it. Then Jackson-Davis, Forrester, Franklin, "new shooter," and Thompson off the bench, plus whoever stays (I don't care whether Green, Moore, or Anderson stick around)? I think that's enough to have some hope; but Archie and staff need to get heavily into player development, and that's more than ball handling and shooting. There's a toughness that needs to develop. A situational attitude of winning that needs to be instilled and the players held accountable to it. I have hope....even without Brooks or any idea who "new shooter" is. =)

I'm willing to bet there will be no less than 5 players on next season's team who have not played a second on this season's team. Davis will be fine replacing Morgan and TJD will have some room to grow into the role. I think Thompson plays some down there; and my true hope is either Forrester or Smith to get better in the paint. I think there will be some attrition after this season; and I also believe Hunter will indeed play, and for all practical purposes be a freshman. I think Phinisee and Durham will mature (and Phinisee will be healthy...I still believe something has been "off" since his concussion, but hard to put a finger on it). There's hope....even without Morgan and Langford. Shooters who can spread the defense a little would really help; and between freshmen and transfers, I bet we get 2-3 of them. I think next season's roster is very different from what we see now.

Whew. An ally. Always appreciated!!

The pieces don't fit. They just don't. Yes...the concept of a total rebuild is fabricated CYA bull ___. Absolutely. Is some of this on Archie? Yep. Our offense is Godawful. But...the pieces just don't fit. I don't think anything is obvious yet, but his seat is going to get hot without improvement next season.

If you have any room on that bandwagon, I may need a ticket. I'm willing to give him into next season because I saw some flashes of a really good player a year ago; but I don't disagree with one word of what you said.

I don't expect anyone to agree with me about him. I'm venting, really, I just hate the way he plays. 1-7 from the floor tonight w 3 turnovers; and it's not as though that's an uncommon stat line for him. He's is - to me - un-necessarily cocky. His shot selection is awful; I think he's careless and fundamentally bad. I'm just done with him. I've seen 3 year's worth of him. He is not "our problem" as I see it, but I think he is "a problem," and he doesn't help us win. Cocky is one thing. Dumb and situationally unaware is another. The best team mates don't try to do things they can't do. He tries to "make plays" all the time, and he's just not that great at it. My dislike for him as a player is a me thing. I just didn't see anything tonight that changed my mind and I thought he took - again - some ill advised shots for him.

37% from there isn't bad. It's over 1 point per shot, which has become the acceptable standard. His sophomore year, he got a ton of great looks he didn't get last season; but he made ~ 3 per game. How much would that help us now? Hell, even the threat of it would help.

I'm not going to get into this game other than to mention Indiana has given up 55 and 48 points on its home floor...and lost both games. I love defense as much as the next guy, but it's ugly and if you try to win with defense, you leave no margin for error. We just made 15 FG's in a college basketball game; and in that same game....we had 17 turnovers. How in the holy hell do you have in ANY game more TO's than FG's??? That's coaching on some level. I would like to see at least 2 changes in the assistant coach chairs for next season; and if I were Archie, I'd study the best offenses in the last 2 decades; the best secondary breaks; and I would go get at least 2 shooters regardless of how I had to get them. And I would punt Green to the curb as fast as I could.

I chose that lineup thinking Romeo was the second ball handler. I'm done with Green. Durham as the ball handler on the bench, and I completely agree he needs major minutes. Thompson solely because of the effort he showed Saturday. He's not ready, but we lost 10 of 11 without him starting, and "major changes" were suggested and needed. That was my thinking. The point was made by both Kent Sterling and JMV that IU is not getting the most from its players. They (and Dakich )hate the athlete bill of rights because it gives athletes a cushion and no real accountability. Sterling (whose son played AAU locally and in college somewhere) said - and I agree with this - Archie basically runs a screen and roll offense like many teams, but with no shooters to space the floor, that offense is a horrible fit for this team. He said IU's players have either not bought in to his system or he isn't communicating well with them. He said he has so far seen Archie recruit a collection of talent, but not yet build a team that can play within his system....or his system is so flawed, there's no chance for success (I'm paraphrasing). He said someone on a national show said Archie needs to feel his way into the job; and he called BS. Archie is being paid over $3 million to KNOW the job. Nobody is paid that kind of money to learn on the job; and if he can't do the job; pack his bags. JMV said he thinks Archie is the one who's soft and that IU looks like a junior high team offensively. I'm in the car a lot.

Archie getting killed today on local Indy radio...and not by Dakich. I'd start Thompson, Langford, Morgan, Davis, and Phinisee.

Yep. Absolutely.

Dakich and Fischer both said pretty glorifying things about what he was doing in practice to have it be nothing more than light shooting drills. Interesting.

Maybe I'm late to the party.. He was practicing to some degree two weeks ago. Enough to the point where both Don Fischer and Dakich said they were really encouraged about Hunter's future. Has something happened since?

I read your post 3 times and this stuck out as I thought about it. I'm not sure I think what made him successful at Dayton and in the Atlantic 10 can also be successful in the Big Ten; and I say that because of the quality of coaches, quality of defenders, number of shooters, number of athletes, size, depth, etc. He did seem to want many similar players there. Long and athletic. They were also relatively experienced in his best seasons, which is a reason to give him some time. I don't see a pattern yet....but the point of him locking down Indiana, while I certainly agree with the right players for HIM; may not absolutely fit what he wants to do, which makes doing that counter productive. While I've been vocal about recruiting the immediate area; I don't know if that "smart, fundamental player who's tough and will compete" fits what Archie wants.....maybe. It sure fits Painter. Yeah...I love Henry. (and he is absolutely that tough, smart,fundamental player) Did in high school. The kids just the correct play every damned time. Someone coached him very well.

PU 76 IU 61 And seats get really hot.