Aaron

My understanding of the whole situation is the administration has always been among the worst starting at the top for many decades (and that's from people I know who work at university) but has made good hires at times (Bob Knight, Jerry Yeagley, Todd Yeagley, Tracy Smith Etc.) and that is what matters. Basically we will need to stumble upon a good coach whether that is Archie or someone else. We can change people within the administration but success will depend on whether we find the right person for the program who can work around that as several great coaches have done here. The administration is an issue but how good the coach directly in charge of a program is will determine success or failure not the university leadership.

I think I am getting a hold of how this will work ticket wise tonight. The court level is assigned seating and their is very limited availability in the north end zone. The south end zone will be an actual student section with the band as usual. After the south court is full the remaining students and public will sit anywhere they want in Main Level. Again this is not confirmed but based on how they are selling tickets and knowing the layout of Assembly Hall well I am using logic. Again I think this is ideal way to do it along with the cheaper tickets ($20), free parking and free student tickets as well as a (presumed) organized student section. I have been critical of administration for a lot of things but they have handled this NIT perfectly and hopefully we can maximize attendance at 7-10K. Its also a great opportunity for people to take their families in Bloomington who never get to go and get good seats at affordable price.

Congrats to the Women. A fun fact (or not so fun for some) is this is the first year in IU history that the Women made the tourney but the men did not. The women had been 5 previous times but the men also went in those years.

https://iuhoosiers.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=MBNIT&linkID=indiana&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=

Very impressed. Tics down to $20, free parking and GA seating. Basically doing it like Women's game and allowing anyone who wants to go and normally does not get a chance be able to. Great idea for families. Also free student tics.

No. That was 2012 and Rob Wilson in Indy on Friday in quarters. The 2013 loss was on Saturday in Chicago in semi's where we were close whole game then fell apart last 5-10 minutes.

I just hope that we don't pull what we did in Mike Davis' (and Davis was the one coach we had who did decent in Big Ten tourney) second to last year (04-05) where like this year we went into Big Ten tourney 3 games over .500 squarely on bubble with some good wins and proceeded to play our worst game of the season against Minnesota and lost by almost 20 and wound up skunking it up in our first home NIT game (at least we took a home game unlike Crean and will this time as well if offered). We were also kept out of tourney that year by a crazy half court shot against UNC Charlotte like all the crazy shots that have cost us a win or 2 this year. Big difference is Mike Davis was on downside of IU career while Archie just starting. Still the similarities are eerie between the seasons so hopefully we get a different result this time. Glad I work a job where I can watch and listen to game on computer while I work today.

Fun fact: IU has only beaten 2 teams 3 times in a season since Big Ten Tournament has started. One was Ohio St. the inaugural yr. of it in 97-98 and second was PSU in 2011-2012 in Zeller's first year. Expanding to NCAA tourney we have only played a Big Ten team twice I believe. One was 1976 against Michigan when we went undefeated so we got them 3 times. The other was PU in 1980 and we lost. We played OSU and PU on way to NIT title in 1979 but lost to those teams in regular season. In other words we have only beaten a team 3 times in a season 3 times since at least tourney era in 1940 (I don't know in old days before tourney and you just played anyone if we played and beat someone 3 times and I don't have time to look).

I was there and I am not sure how IU could of done anything different other than have a player grow into Gustafson's size. There is a reason she is arguably the best player in women's college basketball. She has the ideal body type and is just a load inside. I hope IU has done enough to make tourney but we will see a week from Monday and I would feel a lot better without that Grambling State loss but it might be enough either way as we are right on border. On side note I have a feeling men will win next 2 than lose a close one next Friday in Big Ten tourney as well. This will make for a nervous 2 days for Hoosier fans as both teams could be in or out and it will be really close.

Good win and we may have locked in a tourney spot but can guarantee it by beating Iowa tonight (I will be there). What is interesting is this team only has one major senior this year in Kim Royster and will have 5 5* players on the team next year which will be the most ever and more than the men currently (Berger, Penn, Patberg and then add Holmes and Allen in recruiting) so future for now at least is very bright.

Our last 2 wins are against Wiscy and MSU the 2 teams we are absolutely horrible against. MSU was just our 5th win over them in 12 yrs. Wiscy was our 3rd in 13 yrs. Everything about this season makes no sense. Also Greg Gard is nowhere near the coach Bo Ryan was. The discipline, the frustrating lock down defense, the impeccable free throw shooting, slow style and flawless play are all gone. Wiscy still has talent and win a lot for now (but we will see long term) but everything that defined then under Ryan is no more. Hopefully if we can be halfway decent we should win over Wiscy more often now and maybe even in the Kohl Center soon given they seem to be struggling for an identity under Gard.

I am listening to Rabjohns now and he is basically blaming McRobbie for all of this and says Glass is doing what he can (hes said this before). It is true that McRobbie has directed some money away from athletics and that does not help but the reason we are not doing well is not for lack of money. We have nice enough facilities and talent now that we should be winning. I wish McRobbie got athletics more (and that's what you get when you hire a foreign president since other countries don't do college sports) and didn't do this but to me in order of culpability Its Glass, Archie and McRobbie in order of culpability not McRobbie, Archie, Glass as Rabjohns thinks. We certainly have the money available to get best coach and Glass made that decision with Archie (which wasn't necessarily wrong at time) and McRobbie had nothing to do with that. Its not like with Sampson where Herbert overrode Greenspan who wanted someone different. The tools are there to win regardless of McRobbie's indifference or re-directing of money. That's the least of the problems. McRobbie may have tied a hand behind our back but its Glass who committed the murder to use an analogy if Archie fails.

I am not as hard on Glass as some but all I can say is be thankful last nights dream of mine was just a dream or we would have the biggest athletic department scandal ever. I dreamed that Glass unilaterally decided to made every athlete in the department take a drug test naked on live TV. He then pulled out of a hat the number of games each player was suspended. As you can imagine about 20-30 athletes were caught and suspended from 1-8 games depending on the number pulled out. The younger generation of fans under 40 and the parents of the athletes thought this was unnecessary and wanted Glass canned for embarrassing them and being over reactive. The older fans and trustees though came to Glass' aid for cracking down on drugs and thought maybe this would teach young athletes a lesson. After parents threatened a lawsuit and we became national news as a school though, the suspensions were lifted and Glass was canned. What is weird is in real life while I have some issues with Glass and don't like all of his hires I don't blame him for any of them (except Allen) and on the Olympic sports level a lot have worked out and think he has done some nice things with fundraising and facilities. However, if Archie (who I don't blame him for hiring and think he was right hire at time) and Allen don't work out in next year he's got to go. If any scandal like my dream broke he would need to go immediately. LOL

I am very excited. As I said before I think Mercer will fix the issues Lemonis had with developing talent and that we take next step much like Butler did with Brad Stevens after Todd Lickliter left and program went from really solid to top level. For this yr. given we have everyone back almost, postseason and making NCAA tourney again is a must or right away Mercer is a red flag (I don't think this will happen and I know I just said he should be great but just saying). We are picked 4th in conference and traveling to a regional. To me this is minimum expectations for season to be success. I don't think winning conference and hosting Regional is out of question with right breaks and better development of players. Right away I am watching how Fineman, Lloyd, Houston and some of the veterans do who are good players but always felt like never reached their potential under previous staff and should probably already be in pro's. To me if they finally become the top level players they should be that is a great sign. The only guy who developed to his full potential under last staff was Gorski and I am hoping this staff gets that kind of development out of more players like the above and in future.

Baseball is the one sport we can be very proud of our success recently and is a great example of losing coaches to greener pastures beats the heck out of dead end coaches. I am making this reference to football more in that we worry a great coach will get hired away at the first sign of success but as Butler has shown in basketball and we have shown in baseball stacking good coaches who get hired away by elite programs and establishing a winning culture works quite well and allows year in and year out success even with leadership changes. It certainly beats the heck out of holding onto mediocre coaches for multiple decades who went nowhere as Butler did with George Theofanis and Joe Sexson and what IU did with Bob Morgan.

I think Glass' one big mistake in the meeting was using 'serious rebuild' instead of just 'rebuild' when it came to describing IU basketball. It is a rebuild for Archie and Crean left nothing but to be using 'serious' overstates the problem and sounds like excuses. Crean legitimately had a 'serious rebuild' but Archie has just a rebuild. I know its just nuance and probably changes little but adding that extra word makes it looks so much worse and is going to get him mocked. If all he did was use 'rebuild' people would agree to a point. Everything else he said I don't necessarily agree with but would expect him top say and defend his coaches.

I actually like what Pat Shoulders told him. He concluded with 'we all understand that patience is going to have its limits at some point'. To me this means Glass has time (maybe a couple years) for Allen and Archie to turn this around but if they don't your gone and you've attached you're wagon to these guys. Seems fair to me. Of course Glass is going to defend his hires but for the first time trustees were slightly hard on him which is important. Shoulders comments seemed tough but reasonable. Glad to see.

Same. Its been rough but Colts seem to be back now but last few years have been rough. Pacers should still be easy playoff 50 win team but lowers ceiling for what they can do. Outside of the Colts in the 2000's with Peyton, the 2 Zeller teams and 2 Paul George years it has been rough last decade+.

I was at the game tonight but was to high up to see the fall real well. I was thinking what you said but good news all these guys came back better than ever. First 2 left Indy (either because of team or player decision) but Luck is still here. Either way if Oladipo bounces back like those guys, himself and Pacers will be fine.

Good point. I didn't think about that. Probably saying the fans wishes are granted that he's not playing since the fan base has criticized him so much like you said. Good call.

Maybe tweet means he is tired of playing and wants time off so the suspension grants his wishes. Who knows whats going on. Either way curious what this is all about?

This is now 4 in a row and 7 of 8 loses to PU including 3 of 4 in Assembly Hall. Only two of those are on Archie and most of that blame goes to Crean but this is the beginning of some of our biggest problems.

Romeo it has been accurately pointed out should NOT be a one and done in the ideal world but since NBA drafts on potential he'll be a lottery pick.

Archie deserves plenty of time (like at least this year and one more) but eventually he's gonna have to teach shooting and FT shooting better if this is gonna work out.

Best part so far: Having Gus Johnson on the call and NBA on NBC theme. Feels like old times.