LamarCheeks

Want to go with the upset, but I haven't seen anything to convince me it'll happen ... Maize & Blue 73 Cream & Crimson 64

Williams inherited a roster that included three first-round NBA draft picks. I'm guessing that helped a little.

There are three things -- well, more than that -- that have really bothered me about this season. But I'll keep it at three. 1. Where is our heart? We go through too many stretches where we just seem uninterested. The Nebraska game was the worst example. This is a team we should beat every time we play them in the Hall -- and we never led. We simply did not show up to play. There also were times we looked really uninterested against Purdue. How, when you're playing your No. 1 rival, can you just have stretches in which you look as if you just don't care. Though we led for a bit in the first half, the Toiletmakers' intensity was there from buzzer to buzzer. Our's wasn't. 2. Why are we so stupid? We continue to try to force things that just aren't there. Sometimes it's Al trying to work his way between two defenders and getting stripped. Sometimes it's Rob driving to the bucket against a couple 6-8 guys when he's got no chance. Sometimes it's Justin getting too far under the bucket and still throwing up some inappropriate shot. Sometimes it's Green trying to make a pass that clearly shouldn't be made (though that might not be a worry anymore). Sometimes it's Romeo barreling toward the bucket and getting a very obvious charge call against him ... Last night, every time we had a chance to make it a one possession game -- or even tie it -- we made a really stupid play. Smart play can make up for a lot of other deficiencies. 3. The Marquette game. ... Where did that team go? We beat the snot out of a pretty good team with no Green, no Thompson, De'Ron playing just 15 minutes. That team looked like a solid B1G contender and possible Sweet 16 team. We reached a pretty elite level of play in the game and I'm just not understanding why we haven't been able to come close to that again. I know we've had injuries, but we played that game with pretty much the same group we have now (no Green, no Thompson, no Hunter, De'Ron very limited). Like the original post, I'm willing to give Archie a break, but a lot of this stuff seems to fall on coaching and seem to be things he can and should be able to correct. I just don't get it! I'm still not over the Nebraska game -- that was shameful.

Falzon gave them tonight what Fitzner needs to give us. I was watching the post-game pressers on the B1G Network. It took about six questions before someone got to Devonte. Archie just said: "Read the release." ... I don't know exactly what the question was but I would've asked if he is still part of the program, if he is expected back at any time this season and what are the chances he returns next year?

I don't participate. I just read it for entertainment purposes. And about 90 percent is people ready to declare us NCAA champs after a win or lynch Archie or some player -- or themselves -- after a loss. I just had never heard or read the rumor that Donovan was a no-go because of financials. I don't necessarily believe it; I was just curious about that particular narrative.

I didn't necessarily believe it. ... I recall the day this board exploded because we were supposedly hiring Donovan, and was just curious if anybody had heard any rumors that financials were the reason it didn't happen. My guess is that if he's doing OK in the NBA, why on earth return to college and have to deal with trying to recruit a bunch of entitled 16- and 17- and 18-year olds.

I got rooked into joining an IU basketball page on Facebook. Someone just wrote a Dear Fred Glass, you suck kinda post. But he went on to say we had Donovan, but Fred was too cheap to pony up for his assistants. Anybody ever hear anything like that? For one, I'm not convinced he would've been the right person for us. For two, I have a hard time believing at this point in his career, he'd have any interest in going back to a college program.

If we play with the kind of effort against Michigan that we had in the last 10 minutes tonight, we actually might come within 10-15 points of the Wolverines.

Refs coulda easily bailed Rob out with a foul there. Lots of contact. More than on some of the fouls on us.

Breaks just aren't going our way tonight and the men with the whistles aren't helping (and believe me, I hate when our fans complain about officiating): What the hell was that kick call on Aljami? After the dunk, Pardon hung on the rim -- and he wasn't in any danger of injury. That coulda easily been a T. That last play, all Durham did was stood his ground. Very ticky-tack call. I know I'm grasping ...

Justin -- catch the ball and make the bucket! Jeezus.

I hate to be one to complain about calls, but I think that was a clean block by Justin.

Two of my sidekicks have completely lost interest in this game ...

We actually have opportunities to chip away at this lead, but we're just running down court, chucking it up and not even trying for an offensive rebound.

I think their past six buckets are 3-pointers.

12 points in 4 possessions.

NW has nine points on its past three possessions.

Crean's first IU team might be better than this!

The color analyst: "Indiana needs to get back to what they are offensively." My question: Just exactly what are we offensively?

I'm almost starting to feel like this his high school ball in reverse. Minnesota vs. Michigan was varsity and us against N'Western is the JV game. We shoulda played first.

Blackmon on McBob would be the perfect matchup. Blackmon can't guard and McBob won't shoot. It would be the resistible force vs. the movable object.

I've read it on here dozens of times, but just for the hell of it, I'm gonna repeat it: If McBob isn't gonna shoot, he shouldn't be out there.

Big Cliff with the block!!

Ftiz!!!

My bad -- that wasn't McBob's fault on the missed box out. He had his man.