Stromboli

Listen. Am I the best mod? No. But do I come here every day and give it my all? Also no. But do I love each and every member of this board like a brother? Still no. Truth be told I tried to ban a few posters but apparently I wasn’t given that kind of power. But seriously, if any of you have any questions feel free to let me know so I can get Stuhoo to handle it. - The O. G. And Greatest Board Sandwich

I think we’re getting too caught up in the who rather than the what. The point is that Indiana is being very proactive about this NIL thing, and positioning IU to succeed under these new rules. Very often the first attempts won’t be perfect, and we can expect that if the Hysterics guys can be improved upon in the future, then their role will be taken by or supplemented with something else. I don’t think the support from Cuban, the players, etc is necessarily for the Hysterics. The support is for the objective. And it so happens that the Hysterics guys are the ones stepping up to make this happen. I'm a huge fan of the talent getting paid, and so from that angle I love this announcement. And if we want to attract recruits, then the dollars coming to the players from events like these arranged with the university will make IU that much more attractive.

Honestly it’s Yogi for me. The guy was our PG on our two most recent Sweet Sixteen teams. His stats and records are legit. He was a ton of fun to watch. And I just like the dude. Maybe my favorite recent moment in IU basketball is the 32 point run we put on Michigan in ‘15-‘16, with Yogi leading the way. Big Ten teams hated facing Yogi, the dude could play, and he produced for 4 years. How far back do you have to go to find an IU guard as good Yogi? Maybe EJ and Romeo, but both were 1 year wings on crappy teams that suffered from wrist injuries halfway through the season. (I love EJ and Romeo, btw). Coverdale is my guy, we were on the same soccer team as 6 year olds and graduated together. 2002 was incredible but still Cov didn’t produce like Yogi. Yogi’s teams have been the lone bright spot in the last two decades. The great players of the Knight era were basically during my childhood and I just don’t have memories of them the same way.

Yeah… I don’t like it, but she wouldn’t spill the beans like that if it meant something. I’m guessing those are Noah’s siblings, and she’s a proud mama. It’s a really good pic, hideous uniforms aside. One of my favorite pics of my oldest kid he’s in a Purdue hat. His mom was an all-American athlete there, so it is what it is. I still love the pic and have no doubt he’s an Indiana fan. Wasn’t this the visit he texted our coach(es) during the visit? Oof. I remember Kris Wilkes did that to UCLA from Crean’s office. edit: anyone here good with photoshop?

Most improved is easier when you’ve got some distance to travel. I think the quality of roster is stronger and so even if Trey is most improved, he won’t get starter minutes. And I like Trey a lot. He makes things happen and sees the action well. I think we’ll see Geronimo transition into a player this year. The Oladipo comparisons are too easy but a great model. It’s funny because he doesn’t seem like a guy you run plays for, but just expect him to produce based on his ability.

Honkyman, Brass Cannon. Real cute, you two. Don’t ruin a good time with your bickering. Neither of you are making new points. Let it goooooooo. Real hard to make many snap judgments here. The team kinda met each other 8 weeks ago. We do have some players, and a coaching staff we trust. And dang, who complains about two wins?? You know what? Being an Indiana fan is awesome. We still have access to excellent players. We have several quality media sources. And then resources like this board (I’m basically talking about Old Fart here) providing piles of information for us. Good souls we’ve been patient. Really hoping this team gives us something to cheer for.

One of the recent articles (ITH maybe?) on Tamar, he mentioned that Woodson has him learning the ropes at PG. Somewhat surprising with X, Lander, and Rob. My guess is that Lander and Rob just don’t provide enough right now to occupy one of the five spots on the floor. I’ve read plenty about the size of Mega. 4-1 Motion is supposed to make them pay for that. Unless these 6’10” guys can really guard 1-5. Something clicked for us Friday if their bestish player had 3 points. Fast hands, long arms from a 6’6” guy can really shrink the court for them, and Woodson seems to want to play like that. I loved seeing the win, but this is an exhibition game. And so I’d expect to see more creative lineups and more time for the guys at the end of the bench. More emphasis on running the offense as designed (I have no idea if this happened Friday). And frankly some feisty coaches trying to prepare this team to win when the games count. My hope is that the guys carry the same energy on defense and we get some great fast break highlights. The player I’ll be watching is Parker Stewart. I don’t think we have a good feel for what he’s going to be. FullSizeRender.mov

Came to share my emotions but I guess those aren't welcome... I expect to see (read tweets about) an entirely different team, aside from Trayce. Even the old guys that will get playing time should look different. Geronimo? Hardly know ye. Lander? Hardly know ye. Kopp? Durr? Johnson? Bates??? Who the heck are these guys. Really don't want to trot out another team of placeholders hoping for a miracle. About Trayce. The dude could go down as an all-timer. It's rare to get a player this good and this seasoned, and MAN do I hope Woody et al can make use of it.

From u/ImminentReddits on the College Basketball subreddit: FullSizeRender.mov

Whoa shots fired!! Really excited to see this new team play. Awesome pick up!!

Beautiful family! Glad to have them as Hoosiers. Can’t wait to see Tamar play.

Really good point, Stuhoo. The antiquated PG/SG/SF/PF/C set is still parroted by some people that really should know better. Sometimes the designation may help to describe a specific player, for example calling Leal a SG. But to say Woodson is finding pieces to fit those roles is off. At this point you’re filling the floor with good basketball players. The tall guys can step out and shoot. The shorter guys are still long enough to switch on defense. And dammit everyone can pass. I swear sometimes people act like you put a “PG” in the lineup and your team will click. Like a 5’11” player that can’t score but gets 4 assists per game is acceptable because he’s a PG. Here’s an article I came across years ago that changed my thinking. https://www.wired.com/2012/04/analytics-basketball/

I think you’re spot on here. To me it shows Woodson cares a little more about beating Purdue than the last guy. The team he’s building may be optimized for his 4-1 motion offense, but can also respond to two very specific games on the schedule every year. A playable 7-footer is the most difficult position to fill. Woodson and staff are really doing well in just 2 months on the job.

Yesssss. This is my favorite iteration of this team. Having Phin/Race/Lander at 7/8/9 feels off, but only because I’m invested in them as veteran players. I love the dynamics of those top 6.

Well, we can’t say this is surprising. He was the name most identified as the most likely to transfer. Best of luck to the kid. He’s been here a long time and endured a lot. I still think he’s got some good college basketball in him. It appears the staff wants another 5 to fill in, right? Makes the Brunk transfer interesting, as others have noted. He was a freebie on the roster. Do your thing, Coach Woodson! I’m ready for a Top 15 team.

OF, if not too much trouble, who are we watching that’s playing the UAA circuit?

Exactly. A dunk is the most difficult shot to get in position to get. A 2 pt jumper attempt is relatively easy. Of course the expected payoff is vastly different. Anyone who thinks a dunk is only about the fun little slam at the end—and didn’t also enjoy whatever action happened to create that opportunity—is really missing so much of the game. And yes the crowd and momentum and demoralizing of your opponents and hearing the lamentation of their women matters too. Scott, thank you for informing the board that 2 = 2. Big brain stuff there. A dunk attempt does not equal a jumper attempt. And anyone still wanting us to take more midrange jumpers has missed a ton of the evolution of basketball over the last 15 years. And ermahgerd I hope you all watched the Adragna vid on the 41 motion offense. You know Trayce is excited to chill in the “dunker’s spot.” Instead of whatever it was Archie was up to. Good luck to young Braden. Painter gambled, and it was Braden that called. Maybe hedging his bets that he underperforms this summer? Taking what he’s got available in case things don’t pan out? Or maybe Painter trusts what he sees and wants the kid. Braden can ball, and while he didn’t have the offers yet, he was getting interest.

I’m really stealing this from Demo, but Braden is exactly the kind of kid you want to see play in the big AAU circuits. That’s what Archie had communicated to him, and I’m fairly certain that’s what Woodson has communicated as well. The dude can ball! No doubt. But let’s see him play against the other D-1 kids. AAU is not a dunk contest. It is a valuable chance to see these kids go up against one another. The best kids are very easy to spot, they are simply better. They control the action on the floor. If Braden is 4* level, then he needs to show he can do it in that environment. Frankly guards have it way easier in AAU because they get the ball so often. And what’s wrong with a dunk? They’re awesome. Getting one is a big deal, as the other team is trying very hard to prevent it. It generally means you exposed or created a weakness to get right to the basket. That matters. TJD would love to dunk every possession. Turns out getting there is pretty difficult. Then everyone gets rewarded with an athletic emphatic slam. In the words of LeBron, 2 points is not 2 points. If there’s some dude able to consistently get dunks over the best of the best? Yeah I want him. Anyway, Painter took a gamble and offered without the benefit of AAU tape. Maybe it pays off? I’m cheering for Braden either way, he’s a local kid and I like his play.

I really like him too. He seems to have so many of the tools to really succeed. And I just like the kid. I’ll say, he’s going to have to push the effort up a notch. Explode out of his cuts and get to his spots for this system to work. Of course that goes for everyone, and our roster looks to be much deeper and improved. A little more effort and activity on defense. He looks the part of an NBA player with his loping style, but his skills haven’t caught up to that. When you compare to a Geronimo, who isn’t always in the right spot but easily makes up for it with high activity and go-go gadget arms, Hunter will have to step it up. Something I think has been underutilized is his post-up game. In HS he had a nice little bag of tricks, and I’d love to see some match-up hunting to use that. Even in the 3 guard line-ups, we won’t be undersized, and I could see him being guarded by opposing 3s that can’t match up.

It was Al. He gone.

Having Matta and Fife here means a lot. We seem to be maintaining and reloading more than the rest of the B1G. Having guys that want to play for their coach will matter. Having guard depth will matter. Having a junior TJD matters. This team was snakebit last year. Archie wasn’t working out. These kids never got to benefit from an energized Assembly Hall. And frankly the other teams in the conference were better. A lot of our talent is new, but not young. Stewart and XJ have already shown they are plus players. Our success really isn’t counting on unrealized potential. The players have already played well. Now let’s see what they do with a better coach. And it’s not just Woody, it’s an entire team of coaches that feel better suited to succeed. I’d put 20 wins as a floor next year. I hold back on tournament expectations, but again I think a 4 or 5 seed needs to be the floor. Ideally Woody will condition these guys to be professionals about it and not be surprised when they play winning basketball.

Give us your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning for playing time, the wretched refuse of your teeming bench.

Terrible news. He was a big part of my basketball experience for a long time. RIP.

Blah. Major loss. We move on! Let’s see what we’ve got in Parker and Xavier.