Aaron

Z is def a go to player inside when healthy. The question is her health. Saw enough last yr to confidently say she is a top 3-4 center in this league when on the court. Also, most importantly, with Jess Petrie and Kenzie Hare out of the portal to go with Lenee, you have three top-tier three point shooters. Z demands enough attention inside to open the three point line for these players. Clearly the team also had way more money for the portal this year which was good to see. I wouldn't say it was top-tier, but solid middle class money that got you three solid p5 starters in Petrie, Hare, and Samuels and a decent backup in Williams. Last year everyone who came at the time was a low end rotation player from the p5 or a mid-major starter. Clearly team went from a working class budget to a middle class budget for the portal given who they brought in.

Stanton gave Tholl another lesson today in her culture and system again today. Sometimes Stanton's system of power ball and avg pitching result in the 9-8 type losses you saw yesterday against decent teams. However, the joy you see in the dugout on every pitch and the home runs being hit like they are going out of style with wins far more often than not, you more than accept the sometimes shaky pitching. Stanton has built a winning program in this sport that has not been seen since the 1980's.

I believe Smiley does stress all of that as that is what Heller and Hannahs build their program on and how Heller took Mercer to school this weekend with Iowa.

Yup. Got the perfect guy who will almost certainly take the job and his name is Brian Smiley and he is only 41 years old. Born in Evansville and worked for years under Rick Heller and Mitch Hannah at Indiana State who are two of the most respected coaches in the game. Then went and instantly turned Miami (OH) and they are good again for the first time in 20 years after we stole the last good coach from them (Tracy Smith obviously) and he built IU from nothing. Miami (OH) might hate IU for stealing their best coaches but oh well. Def need to make a move on Smiley before someone else does but can absolutely get him if you act now given this is his home state. Do NOT bring back Chris Lemonis as fans on social media seem to want. Given Mercer's struggles, some people have gotten Tom Crean syndrome and remember that era far to fondly. Lemonis was better than Mercer, but that is a low bar right now and had serious issues with player development and was living off what Smith built. Did same thing at Mississippi State inheriting a palace and winning a championship before driving it into the ground. Other guys you should call who will probably say no is a Tracy Smith reunion (although he is getting up their in age), Hannahs himself, and Kansas' Dan Fitzgerald. Assuming they do say 'no' though your list should end at Smiley and bring him home to 812 area code. Most importantly IU seems to have good luck with Miami (OH) guys (Smith, Terry Hoeppner) and very bad luck with Dayton guys (Mercer, Archie Miller) making Smiley ideal.

Look everyone is entitled to disagree and maybe I will be wrong and you all will be right. Only time will tell. Scouting is like a weather forecast that is a pretty good guide but often not perfect. This was definitely a case of drafting someone way higher than any so called expert (aka meteorologist in weather field) thought. As a fan with the ability to be an amateur scout due to a brief job in past, i can tell you I see all the red flags that the scouts do. Doesn’t mean anyone is right and Black can absolutely be the ‘sunny’ pick on the ‘rainy’ day forecast as happens a lot when teams ignore the consensus. I am just trying to provide realism without the rose colored fan glasses. Doesn’t mean I am right and everyone else is wrong. I really hope Black is still in the NFL in five years but my ‘amateur expert’ opinion tells me Mendoza, Cooper, Ponds, Sarratt, and Fisher will be the ones around in five years. As with everything above, could be very wrong here. I wish all our Hoosiers luck in the NFL and hope Black tears it up even if i’m skeptical now.

Great pick!. Franchise CB in making.

Mendoza, Cooper, and Ponds will all be solid pros for a long time and great picks where they were taken! However, removing my rose colored glasses, that is a bad pick in third round with Black. He would still be there in the late rounds if 49ers like him and could make a nice complimentary back with his grittiness and ability to grind for yards. However, the third round is for franchise backs and Black is not that with his lack of speed. Not a knock on him and think could have a nice pro career and one of my favorite players. Just not a primary NFL franchise back with his somewhat slower wheels. He got caught from behind far to often on runs a franchise level pro back would not in college. Also, wish someone would have taken Sarratt or Fischer and whoever does next round will be getting steal on other solid pro guys for next several yrs. Also can't wait to see Coogan, Kamara, Hemby, and Nowakowski hopefully taken in late rounds for 10 total guys even if extended pro careers are a long shot. Mendoza, Cooper, Ponds, Sarratt, and Fischer will likely be the ones who are still playing in NFL in five years. Never thought I would live long enough to see double digit Hoosier pros taken in one draft including top pick but its a potential reality that makes me smile everyday:]!

I love IU as much as anyone but that is a horrible pick in third round. He would still be there in the sixth round for 49ers if they like him and could make a nice complimentary back with his grittiness and ability to grind for yards. However, the third round is for franchise backs and Black is not that with his lack of speed. Not a knock on him and think could have a nice pro career and one of my favorite players. Just not a primary NFL franchise back with his somewhat slower wheels.

The flood lights going out for a few minutes due to a glitch late in the game is the perfect message and metaphor from the baseball gods on the state of the program right now. Its why a leadership change is likely needed this year or next. Mercer really struggles with coaches like Rick Heller whose entire system is based on pitching and fundementals.

Michigan softball is basically IU soccer in the Mike Freitag era right now who gave the job from the retiring legend (Carol Hutchins) to her top assistant (Bonny Tholl) a few yrs ago and while it has not gone horribly, it has definitely led to a fairly noticeable drop off. Shonda Stanton basically gave Tholl a lesson in her system and culture she has built today. As soon as the Hoosiers hit or miss pitching gave up a 2-1 lead late to trail 4-2, IU didn't panic and instead poured it on with power ball in last two innings and pulled away to win 8-4 while being loud and joyful in dugout. That's the program Stanton has built in her time at IU and today was a microcosm of it and its why the team is cruising towards a fourth straight NCAA Tournament, while the Wolverines are likely to miss the postseason all together for the second time in Tholl's four year tenure. If Michigan is smart and wants to go back to being a top tier squad in college softball as they were for 30 years, they need to being in someone new who has head coaching experience and not keep the legend's top assistant as doing it this way almost always leads to slow decline.

Skim Milky just dropped the IU meme on twitter meaning Malia Samuels who just visited likely committed. Avg 3.4 pts at USC. Likely 7th-8th person in rotation based on those numbers. Update: Talia Goodman confirmed it is indeed Samuels who committed.

This is a realistic get to fill a final roster spot. Not sure if it will happen. However, with sister on team and where she is as a player, this is absolutely the prototype for 12th and 13th player on rosters.

Id be thrilled with 20 wins and getting back to tourney as IU builds this back up with a young team. You can’t supercharge a rebuild and the fact that Ngeuman was unwilling to wait behind Lauren Betts another year (hence how IU got her) should be ultimate proof no starting level big will come when you already have one. If Cori Close can’t get two bigs to work together at UCLA who are both starting level, I am not sure how you think Moren can. There is zero way to divide minutes amongst two starting bigs who mostly occupy the lane in today’s modern game. That is Z’s prototype and no amount of coaching or wishing makes her a four or someone you can split time with divided between two starting level centers. Moren will either look like a genius or an idiot for hitching wagon to Z and this season will answer which it is. However, in today’s game there is no third option to bring in another top tier big or hoard players. Despite what IU fans seem to think, its not always championship or bust. Its about the journey and establishing an identity with this group as Moren did in 2018-2019 before taking off. The pieces are there if Z stays healthy and everyone besides the transfers have at least two yrs left. I am much more concerned about building a foundation and culture and returning to tourney than setting a number on wins and contending. Feel same way about DeVries and Moren and this year will show if they have the stones to coach in current Big Ten environment given talent they have now.

Again in an ideal world I would love two bigs that split 20 min. Its just not realistic in this day and age with NIL and everyone wanting a guaranteed 30 min a night. There were two realistic ways to handle this with Z: 1. Moren tells Z she is to worried about her injuries and recruits over her and Z goes in portal. 2. Moren trusts and hope Z stays healthy and gives her the starting spot and she returns and shuts the door on a high level big IU chose number two. There is an argument to be made IU should have chose number one and recruited over Z and have her leave. However, once Moren chose number two, you took yourself out of the running for everyone except stretch fours like Petrie or a backup level big like Williams. You cant play two bigs together in modern games which limits options once you have a starter level one (even if injury risk). In modern game playing Z at four will definitely lead to a bad season given she operates within a few feet of basket. You can’t have a second starting level player in that mold playing at same time and be successful. Period I have no idea how good IU will be but starting lineup now is Z at the 5, Petrie at the 4, Maya at the 3, Lenee at the 2, and Battle at the 1. Also Nyemcheck and Hare of bench. This could well win 22 games with having four shooters again around Z but key is her health. Hoosiers clearly have more portal money this yr getting a plug in starter in Petrie and a borderline starter in Hare. Both are better than anything IU got in portal last year. It is just impossible to get any player of starting post quality to consider you once you hitched wagon to Z and whether that was a good idea is certainly arguable. There are certainly unknowns and questions, but this is a higher ceiling roster if things click. Between returnees (four), freshman (four) and current portal players (three) you only have two or three spots left and a USC reserve guard visiting today. None of the spots left offer much playing time based on who is there. You can argue with how roster was built, but now that it has been, you are fishing for bottom feeders for better or worse. You can’t assume anything right now based on how talent will do till we see how everyone develops and fits together.

A backup level one sure as insurance policy. A second true starting level center is not coming here as long as you have Big Z. You can be worried about her injuries and it’s legit concern. However, once you hitched your wagon to her, no high end post player will consider being an insurance policy. You can’t play them together and no top center will risk playing 10 min a game if Z is healthy. Its definitely a conundrum, but one you brought her back, you have to accept she is seen as the one who will play the vast majority of minutes in post. Also, Petrie did not fall off late in season and was in double figures six of last eight games. Every fan base thinks they won with the player they got in portal and only time will tell who is right.