Honkyman

Page at 120 seems underrated.

Zeisloft was a great addition and hit a lot of shots. I'm not sure he is in the same "sharpshooter" category as Hulls and Blackmon, but he ended up being a major contributor. Most posters on IU boards opposed bringing Zeisloft in but he proved them wrong. We'll see what Gunn brings as a freshman. Outside shooting is this team's weakness and if anyone--Kopp, Leal, or whomever shows they can regularly hit 3s, they will see the floor. If Gunn shows something, he wouldn't be the first freshman who many fans discounted. Almost no one on this board thought Galloway would see much playing time his freshman year and, of course, they were wrong just as some were wrong about Zeisloft.

How many like Hulls have played for IU since Hulls? James Blackmon, Jr. No one else comes to mind. For all anyone knows, Gunn could be a better shooter than any of the current IU guards, which may not be saying much. He would seem to be better than Galloway. It has been suggested that Leal is a shooter but he hasn't shown it yet. Xavier has an awkward shot but connected well toward the end of the season. If Gunn shows he can hit the 3-point shot with regularity, he will get some minutes (at least early) unless some of the other guards improve their shooting.

He's only solid as a 3-point shooter. He is excellent in all his other qualities.

Archie Miller also went after a number of highly rated guards, including Darius Garland and DJ Carlton. Archie never could land a top quality point guard. Rob Phinisee was the best he could do and he was always trying to get someone better than Rob.

Purdue's front line will be among the best in the conference. Newman will start at the 2 and he is a really good shooter--a better 3-point shooter than any of IU's 3-point shooters. Purdue's problem will be at point guard. Matt Painter is a good coach, though, so Purdue should not be counted out.

My point that Bates has a long way to go before he is IU's "most reliable 3-point shooter" needs no examples and cannot be denied. That his 3-point shooting needs substantial improvement is evident by his 3-point percentage. In addition to Kopp, I could have included others like Xavier Johnson and Parker Stewart who like Kopp shot better shooting more 3s than Bates. My point is that at 29.8% Bates last season was no where near being a reliable 3-point shooter. Like all IU fans, I hope he improves. Bates certainly has talent, we all agree. But to assert that IU needs Bates to be its most reliable 3-point shooter next season is ridiculous. (is he suggesting that IU needs Bates to be its most reliable 3-point shooter in order to be successful this coming season?). I'll leave it at I hope Bates improves enough with his 3-point shooting that it helps the team.

Tamar Bates will need to improve his shooting significantly to be IU's "most reliable 3-point shooter." He only shot 29% last year, which was 7th on the team. Jordan Geronimo and Anthony Leal shot better than Bates from 3, as did of course Miller Kopp (even Lander shot better from 3). Perhaps, by the end of the season Bates will be playing starter minutes but I doubt he starts to begin the season.

It is a bit early to project the 2023-24 starting lineup. I suspect Jordan Geronimo will be starting by 2023-24, however, if not sooner.

I agree that is the likely starting lineup at the beginning of the season. The starting lineup could change depending upon player performance or Woodson could simply go to the bench earlier than last season. The real issue is which players are on the floor at the end of close games.

If you want to get back to the top, you need great recruiting every year. The schools that have top teams every year--Duke, North Carolina, Kansas--consistently have top recruiting.

My point as I stated above is that the 2023 class as projected by some on this board lacks players of the quality of Hood-Schifino and Reneau. That is a step back in recruiting, imo. Apparently some here are satisfied taking a step back in recruiting.

I don't agree. If your best player for all four years he has played is leaving, there is a huge hole that needs to be filled. Bringing in a lesser talent won't fill that hole. The best teams have star talent.

Perhaps. However, none rank as high as the (by far) best departing player, TJD, who was a McDonald's All-American. If we're losing a McDonald's All American, better that the best player on the team can be replaced by an equally talented player. Maybe Evans or Booker will see that Woodson and IU are upgrading their talent and want to come. We'll see.

This doesn't strike me as a strong follow-up to the IU class of 2022. It would be nice to continue the momentum of 2022 with a couple more top 30 players--players who are or are bordering on 5-star players like Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau.

I agree. Good or bad depending upon how much everyone improves in the off season. If Miller Kopp is shooting 40% from 3-point range as TJD predicts while Galloway shoots better from outside and Geronimo demonstrates he can play the 3 as well as the 4, this IU team could be really good next season. If none of those things happen, it could be a disappointing year.

Perhaps. Obviously, TJD coming back is huge. But 3-point shooting is still a liability. We'll have to wait and see how much.

Miller Kopp will not be outside the regular rotation. He is the best 3-point shooter on the team. Plus he is a senior and Coach Woodson likes to rely on older, more experienced players.

No one is complaining given Kansas and Arizona are scheduled plus an ACC game (possibly North Carolina) and the possibility of another Gavitt Tip Off game. That is potentially four Top 25 games in the pre-conference season..

The problem is by testing positive to COVID Trayce has to isolate himself for at least five days. That means he is basically missing all combine activities throughout his period of isolation.

TJD apparently tested positive for COVID and is barred from participating in the 5 on 5.

When? Shooting, especially 3-point shooting, has been IU's greatest liability for several years. The inability to hit outside shots has cost us games.

Nobody is "denying, ignoring and belittling Galloway's value" that I have seen. Speaking for myself, I written many times I love the guy's heart, energy, and leadership. He was an important contributor last year. But inevitably playing time changes from year-to-year. Corrections are made to make the team better and give it a better chance of winning the close games. It is a fact that IU needs better outside shooting than it showed last season. The lack of consistent 3-point shooting was the team's greatest weakness last year. Whomever can provide consistent 3-point shooting stands a better chance of playing than those who cannot. Otherwise, IU risks having the same kind of season as last year (barely making the tournament). That isn't belittling anyone. If Galloway shows himself to be the guy who can hit the outside shot in critical moments, then he could be playing in critical moments. If not and there are others who can hit those shots, those players will likely be on the floor more often in those critical moments.

Players who might have gambled on the NBA will be more likely to remain in school because of the potential to make money, especially if players are paid some percentage of the revenue as is being proposed in California.

You have no idea what the coaching staff is thinking. In any event, Tamar Bates is the more talented player and is much more likely to have more playing time by the end of the year than Tre Galloway.