IU Bud

I assume Dawson is playing today? Concerns for a concussion seem to have been forgotten. At least we have Hartman back.   We need a good game from Troy and JBJ.  I want to finish strong and have a team to follow in the NCAA.  We can worry about Crean's future later. 

Bryant would be crazy to commit this weekend. If he did commit this weekend, what is Bryant saying? He wants to come to IU, or he wants to play for Crean?  Crean can use that in his next job that he can bring Bryant with him. It makes any team much better. Meanwhile, we are still looking for a big man and a coach.   My guess is he will open his recruitment back up because Syracuse and Indiana aren't settled at the moment.    Let me open up another scenario. Bryant commits. Glass then gives Crean another year to maximize the current players with a proper post player. It saves us a few $million and gives IU time to see if Stevens might be available. We will be rebuilding after next year anyway, so it would be a good time to make a clean break.

They have been around and very vocal. Mike Davis was ripped and it was to this level.  It was to a point that Davis was swimming in very toxic water that would have been unbearable if he came back.   Crean can make it to the NCAA, but there is such a bad taste that it would take a lot to turn it around. Winning a couple of games in the NCAA and landing Bryant this weekend might buy him some time. In my opinion, it would be a temporary reprieve.    During the coaching search, people were monitoring flights of the IU plane by the tail number. Based on where the plane went, people were speculating coaches they were interested in hiring.

Don't be surprised if CTC isn't already working on a deal to leave IU and take another position. I am not going to say I know someone with inside information, but it has been brought to my attention that there are indications this could be in the process.   I have heard two different stories, one from someone we know that is in contact with a former player and is very close to the program that IU has traveled to Boston twice.  The other source has told me that Brad Stevens is not interested, although that is always the answer while a position is still occupied.  Putting these two together would suggest that there has been some initial contact and Brad said, no thank you.

If all Crean had to do was coach this team, I would say he has done as well as could be expected. Since he is also responsible for assembling this team, I would say he has done a terrible job this year. Without a real post presence recruited for next year, I don't see any improvement coming. Without Cody coming to IU, we would have already hired another coach.

Yes, he will be back. The only way he doesn't come back is if Glass is pressured with the loss of his job if he doesn't make a change

Yes, it doesn't sound like Glass is looking at the possibility of a replacement. That could just be a public statement and it could change at the end of the year. $10 or $12 million is a lot of money to write off and not take some heat. Glass and Crean's future were locked together when the extension was signed. If Crean is fired, it looks like Glass would have to go as well.    I would be curious if the Trustees share Glass' views. Could they step in if Glass does not?  At that point would they fire both of them?  The debate loses strength if we beat MSU and one or two games in the Big 10 tournament. I hope we make the tournament. It would still not change my view that we need to make a change.

Has anyone bought tickets from the guys hawking tickets outside AH?  Considering hitching a ride with my son for the game tomorrow. I just need one seat, but don't want to pay above face value. What kind of deals can you get from these people?   Or, does anyone have a ticket they aren't using and would be able to have it issued from will call?   I haven't looked at Stub Hub. I am only thinking about going because I am concerned about the weather and wanted to ride along or drive up with my son.

If a coach was wanting to get back into coaching right away, he would have more options in April than in July. I say we do what is best for the program. It is worth the cost if we get the person we want.   For a lifelong fan and 25+ year IU booster and member of the Alumni Association, this is the second year I can't wait for the season to end. It reminds me of the Mike Davis years.

Just for perspective, last year we finished the last 11 games of the regular season at 4-7 in a much tougher league. In that stretch, we played 4 ranked teams and beat 3 of them. The only loss to a ranked team was a 4 point loss at #12 UM.   If we lose to MSU, we will finish the last 11 games at 3-8. We would have played 2 ranked teams in the stretch and lost both games. A win against MSU will equal last year finish.   Right now, we might be facing Minnesota in the first round of the Big 10 tournament. Anyone feeling confident on a neutral court?

This team doesn't look like a team that is typically competitive in the Big 10. We don't have the physical strength that is capable of competing in a game or can take the pounding of a season. If players leave, hopefully a new coach has a pipeline of players that would love the opportunity to play for IU. Bringing in size and strength in the post would be a priority along with depth at the point.    A new coach would understand he would have to be prepared to restock the roster. 

That is my wish list, but I am not convinced any of them will leave their current jobs. I heard Marshall say last year that he really likes WS. He may not like it as much knowing Baker and others are leaving, but I am sure he had offers to leave last year and didn't.   He can be a big dog in the MVC and make the tournament every year, or slug it out in the Big 10. He brings in players with size and strength. They may not be 5 star players, but they know how to play. Marshall is the most likely of the 3.  I hope his methods would transfer to the Big 10.   Stevens is still building a team in Boston. He will have another year to make progress. I think he is a year away from any decision on his possible availability. Can we wait a year to see if he is going to be interested or available? We might have to if our heart is set on Stevens. What if the Celtics turn it around next year? Would he leave? We can't wait. Any selection committee should include former players. It wouldn't be appropriate, but I would like a current player to represent the team and give the committee what the team would like to see.

Whose fault is the lack of size? Yogi defending White was an opposing coach's dream. White was the Big 10 player of the week and we are going to defend him with a player 10" shorter. I don't care if he is our best defender. This matchup wasn't due to switching.   The mental state of this team must be as fragile as an egg shell for CTC to take a view that he isn't frustrated or disappointed. His appeal to fans to before the game and other things make me think this team doesn't have a healthy mental state. JBJ looked like he was going to throw up on the bench. His confidence looks really low.   Hours of video haven't gotten through to them that weak, finger rolls against big players won't be successful. That is if we can get the ball to the rim. We often lose the ball dribbling to the basket.   This is the second year in a row we have tanked. I wish we could bring in a group of former players to talk with the team to find out why it is happening. It has to stop this year. 

Another benefit is a new coach will have some big players that he has recruited that might want to come play for us. It almost doesn't matter how many decide to transfer. The right hire should be an upgrade and hopefully the players realize that they can be much improved with a proper staff.

For the second year in a row, we need to win out to get a post season bid. If we had finished 7-3 instead of 3-7 in our last 10 games we would have made the NCAA or at least the NIT.   Now, we have to win the next 2 of 3 to get a comfortable spot in the dance. The next two games are huge. Win these and I feel good about our chances.      I hate that we are in this position again. 

If we come out and turn the ball over immediately like we often do, the fans aren't going to feel like jumping up and down cheering. I agree that the fans feed off the effort on the court first and that helps to sustain the team to maintain their effort.   Have a plan of how to score on the first possession that doesn't include dribbling the ball off your knee.   The game isn't won on the first possession, but the tone of the game is much better if we can score early and get a stop. Focus on that. My son is taking his IU foam finger to the game, so he is ready!

Watch Purdouche play without Octeus on the court. I watched PU fall apart against Minnesota when Octeus came out of the game. Minnesota pressed and PU didn't have another pg that could bring the ball up against pressure. They turned the ball over multiple times in a row. I have seen similar issues in other games.   Crean surely knew that PU didn't have a second pg option. I was screaming at the TV for us to pressure them when Octeus had to come out. Our best defense in that game was to prevent them from crossing half court. They were already scoring easily on drives and feeds into the post without pressing. It is unlikely we would have done worse with a press. Making them adjust to a press would have been a reasonable thing to do based on the games I have seen PU play.  

Exactly! Wildcat Lodge was too nice and they had to allow non-athletes to live there. It was in existence over 25 years ago when I lived in the area. The non-athletes are probably the kids that do their papers and take their tests, but that is a topic for another thread.  I believe among other things, WL has its own chef. For kids wanting to live a life in the NBA, having this to show recruits has to make an impact over McNutt or one of our dorms.

AH is different than most arenas. It is recognizable without seeing the logo on the floor. It is truly an iconic venue and recruits should be excited to see it and be in attendance for a big game with a rowdy crowd. I have always thought the way the fans seem to be on top of the court would be difficult for the opposing teams when the crowd is at full song. The planned upgrades will make it more modern without changing the overall feeling of the arena.   A time will come when AH should be replaced. Nothing lasts forever. I don't think we are there unless the renovation doesn't go far enough.   Improved living quarters would do more to bring in recruits than a new arena. I think that should be looked at. The quarters can't be for athletes only, but other schools are showing off plush accommodations and that has to be an huge advantage.

I remember people asking if I had any extra tickets as we approached AH. We would have been coming from the parking lot walking towards the walkway next to the football indoor practice field.  I don't want to ride up there for two hours and listen to the game in the car or drive into town to watch on TV.   I am curious if the weather will keep people away. I might call the ticket office in the morning to see if there are any tickets in the building and move at halftime.

I am sure the students will give Woodbury a hard time. He got away without any penalties from the league or the NCAA. It seems everyone has forgotten about it.   Will the eye patches bother him or make him more fired up? I would say the latter. Regardless, it would be fun to be a student at the game.

How so?

If we only win 1 of 2, I would expect we would need a win in the tournament to feel safe. The committee looks at how a team finishes the season. The way we have played, not including the Rutgers game, we need to have a couple of good wins. I would rather not have to depend on a win in the conference tournament to get in.   I hate the 8-9 seed. At this point, I just want to be in.

I have never been a big fan of a tournament like this. Taking all 14 teams into a tournament means that if a team would come from the bottom and win, they would be exhausted before the NCAA even started.   I have thought the tournament comes at a time that teams are banged up and tired.  The worst thing you want is to play games in consecutive days before the NCAA.I would rather only allow the top 10 teams qualify for the tournament. It makes the tournament shorter and saves the legs of the players that have to play in the games.   Remember VJIII getting hurt in the Big 10 tournament? We missed him in the NCAA.

I want IU to win and do not care who the coach is anymore. RMK isn't coming back, so we need to get the best coach that will come to IU. I question if Marshall will come to IU, and if he would match the success he has had at WSU. He has been able to recruit a good team. He can schedule a decent pre-conference schedule and be at the top of his conference with a good chance to win every year. His formula works and may not transfer or be as easy to match at any Big 10 school.   We have no proof Stevens will have the same success at IU that he had at Butler. I believe he can be as good, but is he the best fit for us? I remember when Jim Crews was the heir apparent. That would not have been good. I wouldn't be surprised if Richard Pitino wasn't considered. His dad isn't going to coach forever and might like a position as an unofficial volunteer coach for a program like IU.