Old Friend

He's shown - twice - he can build a program. I don't have ANY interest in a one season wonder. Especially someone who had that success with someone else's players. We've traveled that miserable path. All due respect to Mike Davis.

This is fun for me. Bear with me....I'm just talkin'. Looking at this list upsets me because IU was a year late getting rid of Woodson for what i think were the wrong reasons. Dusty took another job. IU was late dumping Mike Davis and wouldn't hire Pitino when he would have crawled here. IU was late dumping Crean and missed on Brad Stevens. To me, it's time to get serious. I understand why you listed every guy you did, and I don't think ANY of them are home runs except one....see bottom. All others "just guys" to me. Otzelberger and McCasland are the only two I wouldn't have to really work to love because : I think Buzz Williams is full of sh*t. A gas bag who uses catch phrases and platitudes like Tom Crean. Self important and would be hard to embrace for the fan base. To me? No thanks. Mick Cronin is volatile. Hasn't won enough to be the jackass he is. He wins in the regular season. A whole lot of early exits from the NCAA Tournament Byington lost to McCollum on a neutral court. In 13 years as a head coach has never won his own conference and just 62% of his games overall. To me? Just a guy. Pitino and Calhoun we discussed above. I wouldn't think either are candidates and I think McCollum is Now...Schertz? He's interesting. I haven't thought about him as much, but he fits to me. He has experience building a program. Granted in D2 but had 2 undefeated seasons in his conference which is REALLY hard, but started at Lincoln with a .500 team, built it and then in his final 11 seasons won 87% (!!!!!) of his games. I don't care WHAT level you're coaching, that's impressive. Did the same thing at Indiana State. First team was 11-20 with someone else's players, and his last? 32-7 and won the Valley. That shows a pattern to me. He has local recruiting ties and relationships and he understands Indiana Basketball. Of your list? I'd take him over anybody on it, I think. Maybe even above McCollum.

I agree the points are moot...probably. But let's say Dusty says no. Let's say IU won't hire Beard. (They AREN'T hiring Pearl for reasons in the same category) Who in your opinion are the worthwhile "less risky" options? I speak ONLY for myself here, but I have no interest in people like Buzz Williams or Mick Cronin. They're just guys and I think we know their ceiling. I've kinda' talked myself into Brad Brownell because he was a high school team mate of Calbert Cheaney's and I think would keep him and perhaps another IU guy. He also understands the program. I don't think Nate Oats is in play and I don't think Grant McCasland's leaving Texas Tech, but I'd love him. I don't see McDermott leaving Creighton and I'm not sure he fits. I'm going down the list, and I don't have to go far to think McCollum might be worth the risk. But again.....that's only my opinion and I know Scott Dolson's list is longer and broader than mine. Hell.....he could hire Steve Alford and I think Indiana would win far bigger than they have with Woodson or Archie. I'm just excited to care again.

Like I said.....i response to your first line; we have been down the "hire a coach who had one great season" road before with both Crean and Archie. One season doesn't do it for me. Sustained success does, and of the 3 coaches, McCollum's the only one who has shown it. Over his entire career he's won 81% of his games and this season, his record of 23-3 is better than Pitino OR Calhoun. I get the "wins v Top 50," but that's a technicality, I think. He beat Miami , Vanderbilt (coached by a guy Curt Cignetti allegedly promoted), and Kansas State; all on neutral courts, so I don't think his lack of experience against "Top 50" teams is all that important. He's also 3-0 in OT games, which says a lot to me. I don't think he's the guy primarily because he has never had to recruit at this level, but of the 3, I'd take him 100 times out of 100 over Pitino and Calhoun. And like you, I'd support him because the guy can coach. New time and new era I understand, but Knight recruiting at Army is similar to me to McCollum recruiting at Drake. And he turned the roster, recruited to what he does well, and is 23-3. All he'd be doing at Indiana is doing the same thing with taller and in some cases more athletic players. Your bullet points are all accurate, but I don't think any of them put him below Pitino or Calhoun. If you have experience and at best one decent season to show for it, does it matter? Good people around a great coach can mask a lot. This conversation is about three coaches....I took a shot comparing him to Pitino and Calhoun. I'm not trying to sell him, and like you, he would have my full support if hired because he is a GREAT basketball coach.

I'll take a shot at this. We've seen what Richard Pitino can do in the Big Ten. (Giving him credit for "200 more D1 wins" seems a lot like Woodson taking a lot of credit for winning his cupcake games against the likes of Army, Jackson State, and a 4 point win against Eastern Michigan) I'm not saying McCollum's the guy, but I AM saying Richard Pitino isn't. He was at Minnesota for 8 seasons and won 36% of his conference games, finishing higher than 7th place just once. That reason alone says a guy with 4 national titles who has won 81% of his games over his career is a better choice than Pitino. D1 experience is valuable, but even at New Mexico, Pitino has never finished above 6th in the Mountain West. The MW isn't that much better than the Valley. MW is projected to get 2 NCAA Tournament teams. Valley will get 1. Of the 31 conferences, both are ranked in the top 10. Talking about "pace" feels like Tom Crean talking about deflections. Calhoun...barely won 50% of his games in the Horizon League. In case everyone isn't familiar? In this league they feature : Ft,. Wayne, Oakland, IU-Indy, Northern KY, and Green Bay whose head coach also hosts a national sports talk show. Calhoun won just 55% of his games in that garbage conference over 7 seasons. 5 year D2 coach with nowhere near the resume McCollum has. We've been down the "one season wonder" trail (which he will be regardless of how USU finishes) with both Crean and Archie and both of those guys did it with far bigger programs and in far better conferences than Utah State. Both he and McCollum are 43. You're factually accurate but I think age is irrelevant given they're technically exactly the same age. Pitino is 42. I guess I don't understand why "McCollum is the oldest" matters. We're talking about days and weeks older. Not years. I'd take McCollum over both of those guys 100 times out of 100.

1) Will do everything it takes to win 2) Prioritizes winning 3) Obsesses over ways to win games 4) Sets public goals about winning and acts on it 5) Recruits to a style that wins 6) Understands than winning (as long as it's done within the very loose rules in place) is all that ultimately matters 7) Recruits kids who are winners Oh, and a few shooters would help. And kids who understand the game rather than just the sport. Basketball players vs athletes who play basketball. Did I mention winning?

Putting Woodson ahead of the program was an awful decision made for the same reason Mike Davis was given an extension. IU has to clean the slate and get serious. They have NOT been serious in a long time.

Great coach. The one thing I'd say is I don't know that Indiana is in a position (with this hire needing to hit and hit big) to give a guy his first D1 job. Especially after doing so with Mike Davis and watching that dumpster fire.

I had a thought today that is an extension for him was going to happen, it's as likely as not to have happened already.

I think I just got there before you did. I'd be interested in seeing how he'd do with a higher level of talent. I'd be fine with him but I'm starting to come around on Brad Brownell. High school team mate of Calbert Cheaney opens some doors for me.

I was thinking about exactly that and this in reality is the first unincumbered and non-influenced by 3rd party hire for IU men's basketball since 1971. I have 100% faith in Scott Dolson, even if it's not a common guy. Louisville hired a guy nobody had heard of and he took them from 4-28 to 19-6. I'm more concerned about the griping by some if we don't get "a name." Bob Knight wasn't "a name," and I don't think, say, Mick Cronin or Bruce Pearl fit here.

Not a bad idea but those don't honor ANYone

IU 77 UCLA 63

I'm in the process of teaching my sons the difference between mixing whiskey and sippin' whiskey. (one of the three is 21, so that makes it okay; and after all, it's a father's duty) For mixing, Makers is a standard. Easy and almost everyone will drink that mixed with anything they like with no complaint. Jack Daniels and Crown Royal also serve that purpose for me even though that's not bourbon, which is MY preference. To sip, my current favorite (and also for an old fashioned) is Angel's Envy Finished Rye. Finished in a rum cask and oh my goodness. It tastes like butterscotch. For those who like a great bottle of bourbon, it's hard to beat one I had with my uncle last week...Elijah Craig 18 year. Hard to find, but stupid good. Great idea for a thread while we all wait on and read stupid rumors about our upcoming men's basketball coaching hire.

Looking at Drake's scores, I see a whole lot of games (including against Miami (FL), Vanderbilt, and a couple of others with points scored in the 80's. I know some are concerned about tempo and pace, but I just don't think that's an issue. I think he'd be terrific here.

=) I can tell you it will NOT be : Bruce Pearl Buzz Williams Mick Cronin Will report further as more becomes known, but I'm probably not the top guy on anyone's list relative to knowing who it WILL be. Chris is the guy, there.

That's kinda' my thinking too. If not Indiana, he'll be at Iowa. But nobody has ever won at Iowa...last final four was 1980. Indiana obviously a better long term job, so I'm hoping we at least kick the tires.

Rather than scroll over 988 pages... What are opinions on Ben McCollum? 43 years old....4 national titles at D2 (similar to Bo Ryan before he went to Wisconsin), eats, sleeps, and breathes basketball, and a similar personality and resume to Curt Cignetti. Failing Stevens or Beard, he's my horse. Not interested in guys who don't fit i.e. Bruce Pearl, Cronin, Buzz Williams

Thanks for that. I coached for 25 years. Last 15 at the high school level in this state and 3 years as a head coach. They don't just hand those jobs out.....I generally don't say much unless I'm fairly convicted. =) The delivery isn't always my favorite but filters and I never did get along very well. I started coaching when I was 27 and stopped after last season. I learned from Bob Knight, Roy Williams, Brad Stevens, and a guy named Pete Smith who I'm sure plenty here have heard of. I'll stand by that list and take my chances. I was never sure what his deal was, either. He was a big reason I left.....another being I didn't think I had much to offer if people just wanted sunshine pumped up their..... Indiana did this to itself. It was a conscious decision and that was NEVER okay with me, so I was vocal about it. Maybe I shouldn't have been. In any case, I'm really happy to see your name pop up and I'll sneak on here every now and then. I do miss it. Thanks again!

Me too, Mike. Thanks.

Hello, boys. I'm still around. I'm sorry to hear milehi passed. Did someone say Craig did too? Damn.... that guy actually called me once. I still read from time to time. Just not interested in the battles. For 25 years, Indiana University's administrators and academes did everything they could to devalue men's basketball because they didn't understand that men's basketball was and is IU's most visible and marketable entity. Pamela Whitten and Scott Dolson do. For the first time literally since 1972, Indiana University has an open men's basketball position and people in place to fill it with knowledge of what needs to be done and no restrictions to prevent it. My issue here (and at the old place where the GoColts88 character was created...and that's what he was. A character....not always "me.") is too many people wanted sunshine pumped at every recruit commitment (I remember telling people Mike "Kong" White was too short to be a successful Big Ten post player. The names I was called and the comparisons to Charles Barkley were embarrassing. I said similar things about Ben Allen. DeAndre Thomas. Xavier Johnson. Many others.) and coaching hire. Too many people assumed nobody knew anything about the program or about basketball and anyone affiliated with IU could do no wrong. I wasn't a Mike Davis guy and openly said so, even when they went to the Final Four. I was called a racist and an idiot, and those were the nicer things. Some guy gave out my home address - might have been milehi.....because he was pissed at me for some reason. The guy was from Denver. Whoever it was the guy was a mod and therefore not banned for it. He should have been. Anyway....We saw how Davis worked out and he recently authored a 1-31 season at Detroit. Etc...there were countless examples like this. I was critical of Tom Crean for several reasons, primary among them his clueless zone offense against Syracuse. He'd been in their conference and had seen Butler kill it 2 years prior in a final 4 run. IU looked like they had no clue how to handle it and wasted an opportunity to win a title. I got crushed for what I felt and still feel was honest criticism, method of delivery aside. Indiana's success on the football field has given the entire athletic department a shot of much needed capital and a realization IU doesn't have to - as Coach Cignetti said - take a back seat to anybody. Not in football, not in basketball, baseball, or anywhere else. I'm glad to see the new direction of the athletic program. I think IU waited a year too long on Mike Woodson, but I'm glad the split seems amicable. I always appreciated the civil banter here and certainly never meant anyone any harm. I did push back, though. I did and I do have very high expectations for our men's basketball program and those who represent it. Same for football and I thought Tom Allen was a clown. Good man, decent coordinator. Full of sh*t, though and stole money for a few years. Same as I think Woodson has done. I thank Jaybob for the mention and wish all of you a happy spring. Go Hoosiers.

This. What I love is a couple of bad shots go in for a single game (he entered shooting 33% from the floor and still below 40%), and the number of people playing "gotcha!" just grows. He is so close to being an elite player. Just needs to be smarter and absolutely let the game come to him. That's true 100% of the time. Bad shots are bad shots whether they come against UALR or Duke. They're a bad habit and create empty possessions. Anyone who doesn't think that matters is fooling himself. I'll die on the hill and let people try to feed me crow. Bring it.

You're still such a troll. I love it.

I'll pass. Still took two horrible shots and had 4 turnovers. You can love on it if you want to. Not for me. He's got game and a bright future, but the bad shots need to stop. There's no crow to be eaten after one "better" game. We'll see. It took X a full year to get consistently better.

IU 77 Rutgers 61