Double Down

Iowa sold 11,200 tickets to their NIT game tonight. Hmmmmm....

Now that almost half of D-1 schools can qualify for the NCAA Tournament, flashing an NIT Banner is just an advertisement for a season gone awry. I'll watch tonight's game. Didn't know I was into S&M, but maybe this proves I have some deep seeded issues.

Excellent reference. Now we just need to get some Hoosiers with video editing skills to make this work!

All over the national writers/talking heads is this notion that Indiana fans are these unreasonable rubes who just don't appreciate Tom Crean. Crean did a fine job and one that we appreciate. But he's had 9 years to establish that he can take Indiana back to an elite level. The trend lines are not looking good. It isn't just the up and down seasons, its that recruiting has taken a nosedive. The AD has done everything in its power to make sure IU has the facilities, the national exposure and revenue channels for Indiana to compete with the blue blood programs. The coach hasn't utilized these advantages to take us to the next level. Hoosier fans have been INSANELY patient. They knew it would take time to build back up again. But somewhere around Camp 3, progress stalled. There is a lot of distance between where we are and the summit. And we're gasping for air at this altitude. Bare with me here as I digress: I played hoops my entire life and didn't know crap until I went to school at Indiana. It infuriated me. I couldn't believe that grown men, who's job it was to teach the game, were so clueless compared to friends that I played with in the Hyper. I never had more fun in my life running ball at the Hyper. The basketball IQ of the average Indiana fan probably exceeds that a majority of the people who do it for a living. This isn't hyperbole either. And these are the people who are watching the Hoosiers at every step. They are far more involved than just watching games; they enjoy the process of a team, a program, being built. Because I love the game, I learned more and more about it from those who taught them. My basketball education started late, but I couldn't get enough. I still don't think I'm some swami. Not at all. But I do know smart basketball minds and Hoosier enclaves are loaded with them. But Midwestern values are at play, too. Hoosiers are gracious people. They are patient. They value closeness and loyalty. Yet, with their deep Hoops knowledge, their senses tell them that what they are watching clashes mightily with what they know is great basketball. They call BS when they see it. Even though they've had a critical eye on some odd on and off the court issues under Crean, most people weren't calling for his job. Nine years in, Crean has been given every opportunity to get to an elite level. The fans have been extraordinarily patient. This isn't just a blip year where a few things went wrong. Patterns have been established and the forward trajectory isn't up and to the right. Indiana Basketball has now into it's "malaise" phase. National writers are playing the role of Jimmy Carter, telling us that we worship the basketball equivalent of self-indulgence and consumption. That we're the problem. We're the ones making ourselves miserable with our unreasonable demands. If we'd put on and enjoy our Members Only jacket while celebrating our last National Championship, while being thankful that we have 5 years where we are only 2 games over .500 in the B1G. That this is as good as its gonna get. Hoosiers aren't reacting well to this condescension. And the VAST majority are conducting themselves with class. They're used the supposed sophisticates talking down to them. But they don't back down. They never have, and never will. Crean isn't just representative of someone they refuse to accept, he's also unfairly the vessel for national writers who want Indiana to accept that the glory days of banners and national competition are far behind them. This isn't anything personal to Crean (for most people). Indiana fans are tired of watching their high school All-Stars throttle their southern neighbors every year. Then we watch them all migrate to wearing blue and white vs cream and crimson to play college ball. We not only want those players playing here, we want to be playing that game WHEREVER it can happen EVERY year. They're tired of being told by others they can't compete anymore. Sorry Tom, but you're the man at the top who could have changed this a long time ago. You aren't some factory worker making middle class wages, who will struggle to put food on the table without a job and health care for you and your family. You are the highest paid state employee and the 8th highest paid coach in all of college basketball. The results are in. We refuse to accept this "malaise." We know it can and WILL be better.

Albers is trolling for traffic. He does this regularly. I saw a number of journalists call him out last year. Well, looks like he's up to it again. Sorry, even if Steve Alford had interest in a job that isn't even open yet, he wouldn't dare open his mouth even slightly, let alone talk about recruiting strategies. I smell a rat.

Guy was just repeating what Crean said to Jeff Meyer in the handshake-line confrontation vs Michigan.

What a small and petty man Bob Knight is. My indifference to seeing him back in Assembly Hall is bottomless.

Crean and Glass are both doing the right things in terms of managing the rumors, leaks and gossip. While someone is in your employ, you don't do anything that that public could get wind of that would point to any loss of confidence in them. I agree that a coaching move should be made after Indiana plays it's last game. The Mizz job isn't going anywhere. If Crean wants it, he'll get it whether it is tomorrow or a few weeks from now. In the meantime, in fairness to his players, it is smart to keep things quelled.

Agreed completely. I just think NYC will be a lot better than DC, which looks to be a complete disaster. Chicago/Indy > NYC > DC

Kent loves to stir the pot. There is a truth to what he says, but not for the reasons why. It is true that Indiana has never hired a coach that was already at the top of his respective field. But Knight was hired somewhere between the and Byzantine Empire era. By the time Knight was hired, our legacy of weak kneed and bumpkin athletic directors bit us hard. Our facilities were still Byzantine....our rivals were out there building everything needed to recruit and compete in the modern era. Indiana now has everything they need to compete. Top 10 salary offer, Top 5 facilities, Top 1 passionate, national and supportive fanbase. What more can a coach who wants to hang banners want. Plus, if they pull it off, there will be a Mt Rushmore-esque statue carved in their likeness, immortalized for eternity.

I think the B1G tourney will do better in NYC. People don't realize that D.C. isn't really east coast. It's its own beast and more south (by geography). Robert E Lee could fly a paper airplane to it from his residence. However, I agree, that it just feels right that the tournament should be in the heart of it's base. It's not like Chicago is Greensboro. I try to keep an open mind about this kind of stuff. I know that changes are occurring and that the ACC is trying to expand past the Sudetenland. We would be remiss to retreat into isolationism. Unfortunately, Delaney doesn't inspire much confidence. The D.C. selection wasn't a play from strength.

How about a couple of current fellas? Kyle Guy (Virginia) TJ Leaf (UCLA) Kyle Guy is killing it at UVA right now. Mr Basketball in Indiana. TJ Leaf went to HS in California, but he's dad was from Indy and his mom from Evansville. Oh yeah, and I think he was mentioned, but Kris Wilkes heading out west to UCLA next year, too.

If the fella was hanging banners, he could wear his pants on his head, with toy poodles dancing around him counter-clockwise on their hind legs. But since that isn't the case.....well.....

Exactly. Perfect example of losing the forest for the trees.

I have to say, more than anything, every time I hear the word "deflections," I laugh. I remember hearing it the first time, and my eyes crossed. Now, I admit, I'm a simple guy. So my simple brain needs simple things to understand. So, it could be that this is some advanced way of thinking beyond my comprehension. Here are some of "my simple brain" stats that I'd like to measure and discuss with my team and the press after the game: 1) Number of times defender keeps ball carrier in front of him 2) Number of times defender closes out a shooter with hands up/Number of times defender closes out a shooter (This number should always equal 1 unless you have a defender with no arms) 3) Number of inbounds plays that go to your team/Number of times you inbound the ball (This number should always equal 1, especially after a time out...see #4) 4) Number of times someone jacks up an off balance 3 with 1 sec left on the shot-clock after a time out/Number of plays run after a time out (this number should always equal 0) I'm sure you folks can come up with a bunch more. But I'm a simple guy. I keep it simple.

We'd lose the most gangster of all coaches on the sidelines. You can't even debate that one of these things is not like the other.

Me too. Well, only if he ends up coaching Indiana. :) If not, I hope his offense makes WWI action look like the Enterprise kicking in the warp drive. :P

Since 1982, only four teams have won the NC averaging less than 75 pts a game. Comparing an erratic, Crean coached offense vs Bennett in Virginia is a non-starter. Crean isn't someone who stands in the way of Bennett and a NC. It's Calipari, Coach K, Boeheim, Izzo, Self and Williams. I like Bennett. Solid character. But the scheme, to me, is too restrictive for banners. He'll always run a very very good program, though. But it doesn't seem to have the fire power to go up against the powerhouses in single-elimination above. I hope I'm wrong, though. I like him.

Great thoughts. For my post, the main point was that WWII was truly about the generals, and college basketball is all about the Head Coach. All about the man at the top setting the tone, direction and strategy of their respective operations. The specific analogies were just for fun and pretty loose on the direct corollaries. ;) Just illustrative for, I hope, mild entertainment value. Either way, let's get Donovan in B-Town ASAP!

Hey everyone! I'm deifnitely a lurker around here and have appreciated some of the excellent thoughts that this community has put together around the current status of the Indiana Hoops program and the man at the top of the pyramid. I had a long discussion over email with a friend about this and thought I would throw this post out here to get some ideas from you guys on it. I'm no swami, I could be wrong, but would LOVE to get feedback from you guys. I’m fairly certain we’re seeing the last games of Crean on the sidelines at Assembly Hall this year. So, this is the time Indiana’s AD and President need to decide if Indiana is going to be a competitive program, or a championship program. Firstly, college basketball is like World War II. It is all about the Generals. As we’ve been mobilizing here at home, let’s call Glass our Gen George Marshall, as he builds up our infrastructure so that we can compete with facilities, a strong financial backing (for basketball), B1G’s largest recruiting budget and focused vision that our fanbase/alumni can rally around (the latter will only happen when we find our ultimate general to rally around). Our two decades-long isolationism led to our serious under-preparedness and our former long-time rivals have rearmed and are wrecking havoc throughout the Pacific and Europe. We’ve stuck our heads in the sand, proud of graduation rates, lack of NCAA sanctions and values that align more with the "underdog" values demonstrated in a great movie that came out in the 80’s (the one with Gene Hackman, not Dennis Quade–although that was ’79, either way). In particular, one of our foes, after falling into the abyss of sanctions from Versailles, the hired an Erwin Rommel-type Field General in the name of John Calipari. We loath how he changed the soul of the game, finding moral superiority over his unethical and soulless one and done cynicism. While we pulled out of the field of head to head battle, Calipari continues to obliterate the competition around him. While some of our fans argue about whether 2 B1G championships in 4 years is impressive, Cal has 1 Championship, an NCAA runner up, 3 FFs and got past the Elite 8 in 5 of his 7 years. He’s landing in North Africa and we have to find someone who can lead our Hoosiers and beat him….in a campaign! Not just one game. You can’t watch a segment of NBA highlights on Sportscenter without seeing one of his players who’s gone through his program at Kentucky. While some Hoosier fans will pound their chest over Oladipo, Zeller and Vonleh….and undrafted Yogi and Troy Williams (yay!!! He won the D-league dunk contest!!! Retweet!!!). In the Pacific (sorry, the direct analogy is going to break down a bit, so bare with me), we have a long-time Military leader, who is a brilliant strategist and a tough commander who learned under one of the long-time great Generals (the man we call "The General"). But, as new technology and culture has changed, he’s adjusted his game to embrace these changes. He also sees the need to embrace being an attraction for talent. Due to his incredible basketball IQ and long-time credibility, he doesn’t quite need the level of talent Cal does to get the job done. But with this adjustment, he’s managed to take over rivals throughout Asia and the Pacific. The sun doesn’t set. Since 2008, he’s hung 2 banners, and reached the Swt 16 6 times. What Indiana needs to compete for banners, isn’t a “solid, good/to very good coach”. We need a MacArthur. We need a guy who, when we destroy your face, stands a foot tall over your leader who just surrendered to you. We need someone elite who has earned that 5th star on their shoulders. We need someone who can square up and strike fear into the hearts of the generals who have put our current program under their boot. Solid, good/to very good coaches are guys like the following: Bennett Bo Ryan-Gard Alford Marshall Smart Younger Miller Few Drew MacArthurs: Stevens Donovan The likelihood of Stevens coming home to Indiana as his Celtics are building a powerhouse in the East, is extremely unlikely. Too bad we couldn’t realize that while he was beating the pants off of Crean’s best team in 2012. So, off to Boston he went to the NBA version of the Hoosiers with their history. A meteor hitting Boston while he’s out of town might be the only scenario where Stevens is in Bloomington next year. It all comes down to Donovan. He’s likely to lose Westbrook soon (perhaps the Lakers?). There’s not much left after that. If the man could live in Gainesville and Oklahoma City for 2 decades, Bloomington would seem like Shangri-La. But we’re going to have to pay up. And we can. This is why we have box seats at Assembly Hall now. If only we could find a way to charge people for tailgating during football season, we might have some extra cash to throw around. If we end up looking for the next up-and-comer, we risk hiring the next Matt Doherty, Bill Guthridge or Billie Gillespie….or Tom Crean. It’ll could be years before we can assess where their ceiling is in terms of competing for national championships. And Indiana becomes more and more irrelevant on the national stage again if 3-4 years later, we find they're not quite the guy can bring the banners home. As fans, we’ll be arguing about recruiting failures, inbounds plays, substitution patterns and awkward net cutting ceremonies, vs how hanging banner #6 will screw with the symmetry of the north-end of AH. We need someone who’s established themselves to be a MacArthur already. The only one who would even be slightly available (MacArthurs are always in high demand), in my view is, Donovan. It’ll take a herculean effort to get him to Bloomington, but it can be done. Is Glass the right guy to do it? If he manages to pull it off, there will be a statue of him somewhere on our campus. If not, Glass may end up going back into practicing law. Better Call Fred!

I take sadistic pleasure in hating on Albers.  I know it is more a reflection on me than the target of my ire, but with that being said, let's bring on the HATE.  :)   It isn't so much that he's a dope.  There are plenty of those out there.  It is that he's a pompous dope who thinks he's the smartest guy in the room.  Unfortunately for him, his arrogance is expressed in analysis that is about as coherent and insightful as Grandpa Simpson.     I subscribed last year just to get Hutch's articles and was gobsmacked by the quantity of asininity that came from his finger tips.  It got even more awkward when Terry introduced post-game wrap-up videos.  I actually felt sorry for the guy.  I can't remember her name, but there was a young female writer on there and she was mopping the floor with Albers in the insight dept.      He gets blasted not just on Twitter, but on the Scout Boards as well.  The ban hammer used to come down quickly there, but Albers's propensity to say stupid things is so frequent, they can't click fast enough.  Now, it is slim pickins around there and they would kick the 12 remaining subscribers off that site.     I think he's convinced himself that these "out of staters" are the ones that giving him hell.  If he even had an ounce of self-reflection, he'd take the info people are giving him and just get better as a writer and columnist.  Instead, he's going full-Bayless.   

Those shots by Nick sure were pretty. But I'm not feeling confident that the "Shoot Contested Threes Offense" is a recipe for winning in the 2nd half.

My indifference to this game and 3 of our next 4 opponents is bottomless. I understand a couple of cupcakes, but not an entire non-conference schedule full of them.

How come when it comes to "the law" of averages, Indiana football channels Judas Priest?

We knew there weren't going to be a lot of wins in our conference schedule this year, so we could not afford to blow the ones we had to win. I think the tenor and tone of the psyche of our fanbase would be much different if we didn't blow the Rutgers game.