IU - Kaulie

It’s called flirting :)

So you believe Cupps doesn’t have the quickness but you think MM has the quickness to play on the perimeter/wing or anything other than the 4?

Tell that to Miami last year.

He can’t play on the wing so that means he can’t play with Ware and Malik. Ware and Malik need to play a lot of minutes. Sparks needs to play. MM needs to back up Malik and play 10-15 minutes/game. Banks needs to start. Cupps needs to play his 20 minutes. Walker and Gunn are going to get minutes.

But were you not below average last week :)

I can agree with that. He hasn’t been great but he has made some plays. He made a handful of good defensive plays tonight.

I think #1 and #2 are major question marks. His movement/quickness and awareness are not good at all. It’s possible that will get better. It’s also possible that it might not and this is who he is. I agree with #3. That’s where the problem is though. When he is playing it should be at the 4. Where I probably disagree with you is him playing at the 4 should not be at the expense of MR’s minutes. Also, Peyton Sparks needs to play. I’m a believer. So that leaves MM’s minutes…..

Yep. He didn’t always play well tonight. But that’s back to back games with big 3’s late in games.

I didn’t think MR played as badly as some have said. CMW has to move on from that starting 5. MR and MM can’t play together. This is about winning games. Stars don’t mean jack. I’m not sure how much MM should be playing at all. Go back and watch the film and watch how MM was moving and playing defensively and watch how Banks was was playing in his (too few) minutes. It won’t show up in the box score but there is a big difference. Tell me who the 5 star is. I said it in the first game thread and it was an unpopular opinion but I will say it again. MM needs to sit. Banks needs to start for MM next game. For those that will argue MM needs to play above MR that’s just a HARD no. Gunn has some real potential on the defensive end but is a loose cannon on offense. Unfortunately, we don’t really have any alternatives. Starters - X, Gallo, Banks, MR, and Ware. Bench - Cupps, Sparks, Gunn, Walker, MM. Sparks being first big off the bench. I don’t think this will happen. I think the staff will play to MM’s stars or whatever and we will be worse for it.

Ware has some serious talents.

No thanks.

We are seeing the difference between Banks and MM. Banks plays hard with a ton of energy and the ball finds him. MM moves like a 40 year old man and doesn’t seem to get it. Not that I have a problem with 40 year old men :). Banks needs to play. MM needs to sit.

Banks and Cupps out there. Got my wish lol.

I like MM cheering for us better on the bench than on the court through a game and a half.

Banks needs to play some with the starters. I liked him a lot last year and still do. I stand by my comments about Mgbako from the first game thread. Tamar Bates helped us win a couple games last year. I don’t see how Gunn will do that but can see him shooting us out of games. CMW - enough with the mass substitutions. Mix in Banks and Cupps. Let’s see the 3 guard lineup. Cupps came in early but it was for Trey. Should have been for Mgbako.

#Free Anthony Leal

IU 81 Army 52

Please don’t try to put words in my mouth. That’s not cool at all. I said nothing about how hard Mgbako works. All I said was, in my opinion, is that Mgbako has a steeper learning curve than JHS. If MM wants to play on the wing or perimeter he has a lot to work on and learn on the defensive end. Hopefully, he can get better and play out there or maybe he can’t. He has played in one game so we will see.

I’m not talking about one and done. His preparedness, work ethic, study habits, etc as an incoming freshman was second to none. I hope Mgbako is great but he has more of a learning curve compared to JHS.

Big difference. JHS was a pro before he set foot on campus.

I will be happy to be wrong and I didn’t say he shouldn’t start. He should start. But against a lot of opponents, at winning time to close out games, I would rather roll with the guys we had out there last night. He can’t defend the 3 spot and would prefer Malik in the game at the 4.

He won’t be in Bloomington for long that’s for sure.

Not a lot of people will like this but this is about winning games. Our best lineup does not include Mgbako. Their will be times based on matchups things will change but I think CMW and the staff found some very important things out last night.

Cupps with XJ. No worries with X. MR is not a good perimeter defender but you can throw it down to him and he can get buckets. He is fine.

Since this was my first time to see him play what am I missing with MM? I saw he can make some catch and shoot jumpers but where does the ranking coming from? What is the skill set? I really am not trying be negative but I didn’t see a lot of effort and like I said earlier he is not Romeo cool. So I’m assuming he just had a poor game then? I thought Walker tried but that was not good.