Honkyman

Jared Jeffries was very similar to TJD. Indiana Mr. Basketball. JJ played for the Hoosiers for two seasons. Jeffries led the team to the NCAA championship game, but he had a much stronger supporting cast than TJD currently has. Like TJD he couldn't shoot. Nearly all of his points came from layups, dunks and free throws. Jeffries had a solid NBA career because he could rebound and play defense. Of course, Jared Jeffries was 6'11" and TJD is only 6'9" which makes some difference at their position in the NBA. Nonetheless, I would be very surprised if TJD stays in college another year, particularly with the average players IU has to surround him. But stranger things have happened.

Loaded Chicken Sandwich said: "I guess if you want to take life advice from Bob Dylan.. then that's your choice." ____________ It has nothing to do with "life advice." It is an observation that happens to be both insightful and applicable to the subject discussed, i.e, politics not courage drives the administration of college sports.

Hoosier Guy said: "Sports is sports and politics is politics. The two don't coincide." _______ "We live in a political world where courage is a thing of the past." Bob Dylan.

Poor free throw shooting will inevitably cost us a game. And, how did Al Durham go from an 80% free throw shooter last season to a 65% free throw shooter this year?

Hoosier DYT said: Wrong lol. You really think that the next 3 games, in January, in the gauntlet that is the Big 10, are ALL must win games? _______ IU can't continue to stumble along. If we can't beat the teams that are in the middle and lower end of the conference (i.e., Nebraska, Purdue & Michigan State), why would anyone think we going to beat the top teams? At some point in a season you are what your record is. Sadly, this season all signs point to IU ending up in the lower half of the Big Ten. That's not going to get us to the NCAA tournament.

Should he come to IU, it doesn't seem like we are likely to get much out of Brown-Ferguson for quite a while. It is not apparent what his ceiling is but he clearly isn't ready to contribute much next season.

If IU wins Sunday night we will have defeated three teams with a combined conference record of 1-13. We also lost to Illinois and Wisconsin, each of which has lost only one game. The other IU loss is to Northwestern which is 3-3. Our next three games--Nebraska away and Purdue and Michigan State at home are all must wins. Losses to any of those three and we are in deep trouble with little chance of making the NCAA tournament.

IU had their chances. TJD was exhausted and there really isn't any other reliable scorers. Too bad.

Phinisee contributes very little. Lander is pressing too hard. If we had had a normal pre-conference season he would have had time to settle into it. The real problem is that Archie is probably the worst coach in the Big Ten. So IU starts out with a big handicap in every game it plays.

Archie's personality doesn't seem to be the kind that motivates players. That must be why they come out so flat game after game. It is the coach's responsibility to get his players ready to play from the start and Archie can't seem to do that.

It is so painful to watch this team. Miller seems incapable of motiving his players. He really is not a very good coach.

Steve Alford Calbert Chaney George McGinnis Dick Van Arsdale Kent Benson

This argument cannot be a serious one. Indiana basketball has won national championships with out-of-state players (e.g., Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Jim Crews, Isiah Thomas, Daryl Thomas, Keith Smart). Some of those players (e.g., Buckner, May, Crews) stayed and worked in Indiana after graduating. Some of the players raised in Indiana left the state and worked elsewhere. The notion that IU basketball can be successful with only Indiana players is a fantasy and the argument that IU should only recruit Indiana players is ridiculous.

Jerome Hunter is only averaging 15 minutes a game and playing as a substitute for either TJD or Race Thompson because one or the other needs a breather or is in foul trouble. There is really no other option. Jordan Geronimo has also filled in for them although he is shorter (6'6") and often seems totally lost--still learning the system. This is the problem with Joey Brunk being out--and Brunk is likely gone for the season. Rob Phinisee should be playing behind Kristian Lander and Al Durham should be playing behind Trey Galloway. Rob sometimes plays like he doesn't even want to be on the floor. Al has been playing above his talent level for 3 years. This year he is playing at his talent level.

I agree: Lander, Franklin, Galloway, Race & TJD. The offense needs to get more creative. Armaan needs to practice his free throws. Galloway needs to work on his 3-point shot. Race needs to get more aggressive.

It's hard to see this team winning enough games to make the NCAA tournament. The good news is if any NBA scouts were watching the game, it is not likely they will want to draft TJD. He is a good college player but against possible NBA level competition he can barely get off a decent shot. And he still can't shoot from farther out than 5 feet.

Lander was way better than Phinisee or Durham. He didn't score but he moved the ball better. Phinisee just stands around dribbling and Al is looking for a bad shot to take.

Phinisee and Durham are contributing nothing positive to this game.

If IU doesn't make the NCAA tournament this year it will hard to justify keeping Archie on.

There is no excuse for IU losing to Northwestern no matter how much better they may be. Lander and Galloway should be playing ahead of Phinisee and Durham. Phinisee and Durham are who they are. Phinisee is passive and simply isn't good enough to be a starting point guard in the Big Ten. And Durham makes too many mistakes--especially for a four year player. Lander and Galloway are freshmen and will make freshman mistakes. But at least they play with passion and energy. Archie isn't a bad coach but he isn't a particularly good one. He'll be gone in two years at the rate things are going.

Durham isn[t the only IU player to drive in a bunch of defenders. Rob Phinisee and Armaan Franklin both do it. It is maddening.

It would have been nice to get him but it didn't make much sense from Mohammed's point of view to choose IU given how many guards we already have.

Good get for the Hoyas.

IU is ranked 16 in Kenpom.

1. Illinois 2. Iowa 3. Wisconsin 4. OSU 5. Indiana 6. Michigan State 7. Rutgers 8. Michigan 9. Purdue 10. Northwestern 11. Penn State 12. Minnesota 13. Maryland 14. Nebraska