DougWil

I remember many people thinking the JMU football transfers and other smaller conference players wouldn't be good enough for the Big Ten. Some analysts predicted Cignetti's first IU team to finish #17 or #18 in the Big Ten. It worked out okay. I agree with you. As long as our coach can scout, we shouldn't worry about the rankings.

What will impress me is if DeVries achieves what he talked about in his opening press conference: We want to build something that is sustainable for a long period of time, and we will do that by staying true to what this program is about. We will know when we have made it when every time a fan, a booster, an alumni, or a former player comes to watch us play and turns on the TV, and after that game is over, that they are filled with pride because they have so much respect for how our team plays, how unselfish they are, the joy they play with, and the enthusiasm they play with and their love for this university. What DeVries needs to do now is set the foundation for the culture and personality of his IU teams. The coaches he hires and the players he recruits will be important first steps in this process. I'm paying attention to the players IU is contacting, but there isn't any way for me, as an outsider, to know how well DeVries is doing in his first 17 days. Josh Dix picking IU would have given me a good impression because he can shoot, but he just finished with a season in which Iowa matched IU's 10-10 Big Ten record (19-15 overall vs. IU at 19-14) and also got their coach fired. Would he be a difference-maker in what DeVries is trying to establish? I don't know. Would he have come at a cost preferable to what other talented players in the portal will ultimately cost IU? I don't know. Am I upset that he's not coming to IU? No. Am I upset that Ryan Conwell isn't coming to IU? No. I think DeVries and his staff aim to build a program by knowing the kind of players and people they're looking for and fitting them into a system that has continuity in the way the team plays every season and every game. How can we judge progress toward that today? I'd rather sacrifice a bit on talent, at least initially, if they can attract players who really want to be here and will compete, like DeVries said, with joy, enthusiasm, and love for IU. With a better-than-average budget and a clear direction on our program, I'm hopeful the team on the floor next season will have good talent, pieces that fit together, and play with a plan and a purpose like we haven't seen at IU in a long time. You can tell a lot by how a team plays and competes. Like many, I haven't liked how IU plays for a long time, even in many of their wins. I want to see a team that is exceptionally difficult to beat at Assembly Hall and never gets blown out there. I'd also like to see things move faster, too, but I have no idea about whether that would lead to more success next season and in the years ahead. How could we possibly know? In a month, we should know more about the talent level of next year's team, but we still won't know about all of the players' intangibles and the impact of coaching that will make the team more than a collection of players. That's the important stuff to me.

He was hired on March 18. As of today, that's been two weeks and three days. Why don't we wait until he's been here a few weeks to judge his first few weeks?

I wonder how IU would negotiate the amount of his NIL deal with his dad being the head coach. Not that it's an obstacle to his coming here, but might it make it a little more complicated to wrap up his deal quickly? Who negotiates and approves the NIL deals? With Tucker, it ought to involve someone other than his father.

I'll be happy if we start putting more emphasis on the size of the fight in the dog. On intangibles, as well as tangibles. On a team full of guys who won't get outhustled and will never show up with a half-hearted effort that leads to getting blown out in Assembly Hall - or in barely beating overmatched opponents and thinking they played a good game. I don't know how you look at the list of names, heights, and stats of players in the transfer portal and figure out which players are the right fit unless you've seen them play a lot and know about them as a person. IU obviously needs players who can score and defend, but it also needs competitors who can excel in ways that aren't easy to judge unless you really know the player.

In his IU introductory press conference, DeVries talked about building a program with players who have the right motivation and enthusiasm, who fit together as a team, and who have a desire to be part of something special. In building that, he may start with some players he already knows and who already know him and his expectations - guys who can help shape the team culture and team expectations the way that the JMU transfers did in Cignetti's first year at IU. Maybe Enright is one of those guys. Isn't that a crucial aspect of transforming the program from what it's been to what many fans would like to see? "We will know when we have made it when every time a fan, a booster, an alumni, or a former player comes to watch us play and turns on the TV, and after that game is over, that they are filled with pride because they have so much respect for how our team plays, how unselfish they are, the joy they play with, and the enthusiasm they play with and their love for this university."

That's fun to see. I went to middle school with Jon Gruden in Bloomington back when Binford was a junior high (it's an elementary school now) when his dad was an assistant coach at IU under Lee Corso.

Incorrect. Please remove

The ESPN story explains why courts and judges have a say in this. https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43048561/vanderbilt-qb-diego-pavia-granted-injunction-allowing-extra-year-eligibility A federal judge in Tennessee granted an injunction Wednesday that allows Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia to pursue another year of eligibility and could represent another significant blow to the NCAA's ability to enforce its own rules. Pavia sued the NCAA in November, claiming the organization's rule that counts a player's time in junior college toward his overall years of NCAA eligibility is a violation of antitrust law that was unfairly limiting his ability to make money from his name, image and likeness. NCAA rules typically allow players a total of five years to play four seasons, but the current crop of college players have been granted an extra year on top of those limits due to the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic. Pavia argued in his initial complaint that the NCAA was unfairly limiting his ability to make money by counting his years in junior college -- which is governed by a separate organization -- against his eligibility. "We're not saying the NCAA can't have eligibility requirements," said Ryan Downton, Pavia's attorney. "But a junior college season shouldn't be the equivalent of an NCAA season when the junior college season has no meaningful opportunities to earn NIL, no television exposure. They take other athletes [who are playing somewhere outside of high school] and don't hold those seasons against them." Downton cited junior hockey leagues and post-graduate prep school leagues where athletes compete after finishing high school without losing any of their eligibility. The judge's ruling Wednesday specifically addresses the NCAA bylaw that deals with junior college players. It does not restrict the NCAA from enforcing the rest of the restrictions it has in place on the number of years athletes can play a sport in college, but the limited injunction could signal that the court system sees the NCAA's eligibility requirements as an illegal restraint. Campbell is the third judge in the past year to issue an injunction on NCAA rules due to concerns that they limit the athletes' ability to maximize their earning potential.

On 11/18, Michigan beat Miami of Ohio 94-67, outrebounding them 44-23 and outshooting them 58%-40% (48%-34% on 3-pointers). Those are some numbers I'll have in mind watching tonight's game.

This isn't correct. When IU was up 21-5, Woodson put in Tucker, Galloway, Hatton, Goode, and Carlyle - four subs, plus Carlyle (we played nine guys). Hatton didn't play for long, but was in there when there when IU lost its early momentum. Why play all four subs at one when things are going so well? Why not put in a sub or two early in the half and a couple of subs late in the half so that they always have at least three starters on the court? And if you're only going to have one starter in, is Carlyle the one to keep on the court?

They are clearly IU's three most talented players, but I'm not sure about the order. JHS is probably IU's most talented player, even if Trayce is their most valuable player. And Reneau isn't as athletically gifted as Trayce perhaps, but I would say even as a freshman may have more refined post moves, a softer shooting touch, and appears to be a better ball handler.

Of course, IU barely made the NCAA tournament last year and had a losing Big Ten record. IMHO, if we are expecting DRAMATIC team improvement this season, we should hope that the roles of some of last year's players are reduced somewhat because the freshmen, plus Bates in his second year, are ready to contribute significantly, even though they're less experienced.

This game made me wonder if IU's ceiling is higher at the end of this season if CJ Gunn is playing more minutes than Miller Kopp and if Schifino is playing more point guard minutes than Xavier Johnson.

If you watch Malik's high school games from last year, there's no doubt he's better than Jordan Geronimo. I don't mean that as a slight to Geronimo. Certain guys - Cody Zeller and Yogi Ferrell were others - you can watch in high school and there's just no doubt that they will be standout players in college. When Trace and Race say they couldn't stop Malik from scoring in practice, I don't find that surprising at all.

Watching Reneau again today, I still disagree. There's nothing over the top about the idea that he's ready to play starter minutes. What minutes he actually does play given the presence of Trace and Race will be interesting to see.

I didn't attend many games last season but during one that I did get to go to late in the season, I saw the same kind of thing. Galloway was hitting one 3 after another in warmups.

I agree that we don't disagree. : ). Geronimo is one of my favorite Hoosier players and certainly one of the most exciting and spectacular -- and game-changing at times! I'll be extremely interested to see where he finds his spot and what steps forward he takes next season. Two great things for the team from my perspective would be if Bates grabs hold of the 3 spot and becomes a consistent shooting and scoring threat, and if Reneau is as good as advertised as the backup four and looks like a near future high-level all-Big Ten player. But where would that leave Geronimo? Who knows? These are good questions for a team to have, especially with the chance of injuries along the way.

But would the current day Jordan Geronimo destroy what TJD was as a freshman? Is the current Race Thompson better than TJD was as a freshman? Is Reneau at a similar level of talent and maturity as TJD as a freshman? I think these are at least as relevant questions as how JG would fare against the kids Reneau was playing against. Even so, I wouldn't downgrade that competition. Reneau became a key player for a Montverde program that had a record seven of its former players picked in the 2021 NBA Draft and five of its 2021-22 team sign with high majors - Duke, Texas, IU (2), and Illinois. The Montverde players compete against high-level competition in practice every day. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-sp-nba-draft-montverde-six-selections-20210730-vf7wochp7rh2divrrocthkg3jq-story.html I am not suggesting Race won't start. I do believe Reneau may cause him to play fewer minutes than he otherwise would, which wouldn't be a bad thing. I think Reneau has a good chance of being a core rotational player, despite the logjam at his position. His soft interior shooting touch, high basketball IQ, and team-centered game seem pretty special based on video and scouting reports. I don't think you leave that on the bench most of the game when you're trying to win a Big Ten title. Look at what Woodson has said about Reneau: "Malik has enjoyed success at the highest level in high school and brings a competitive and winning presence to our program,'' Woodson said. "He’s an outstanding offensive player who continues to expand his game. He has great touch and tremendous footwork and he uses his quickness to his advantage.'' Reneau has played with and against a roster full of Division I talent for two years running now, so making the adjustment to college basketball should be easy. Reneau is smart, and has a great feel for the game. "He has a great Basketball IQ and is an unselfish teammate who has benefitted from working with and against some very talented players on a daily basis,'' Woodson said. "Defensively, he is well suited to today’s game. He keeps his man in front of him and can step out in pick and roll situations and hold his own." https://www.si.com/college/indiana/basketball/indiana-basketball-mike-woodson-impressed-with-signee-malik-reneau-both-ends-of-floor

You are right that the count of resisting law enforcement using a vehicle was dropped as part of the plea agreement. That's the definition of a plea agreement, of course, which doesn't mean the charge was untrue -- an agreement between the prosecution and defense, sometimes including the judge, in which the accused agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in return for more serious charges being dropped. You can see that the charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement at Indiana MyCase. https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/#/vw/CaseSummary/eyJ2Ijp7IkNhc2VUb2tlbiI6InpOcFRyQ3dINEVTdndYWmlVMkZTQVNybERnUFkxenFnUktrdVlzMm9wZWsxIn19 Charges Show all charge details 01 04/03/2022 35-44.1-3-1(a)(3)/F6: Resisting Law Enforcement-Same as 3929, but def. uses a vehicle. 02 04/03/2022 9-21-8-52(a)(1)/MC: Reckless Driving Drive at unreasonable high or low speed so to endanger safety Plea Agreement 08/23/2022 Order Issued State appears by Chris Pierce. Defendant appears in person and by counsel, Joseph Lozano. Defendant pleads guilty to Count II: Reckless Driving as a Class C Misdemeanor. Count I is dismissed. Defendant is sentenced to 60 days all but time served suspended. Defendant has 1 actual day and good time credit. Defendant is subject to a term of Unsupervised probation for 360 days. Defendant is to complete 50 hours of community service and be evaluated for and complete any treatment recommendations. Defendant to pay court costs of $185.50. Court directs the Clerk to release the cash bond to costs and fees and probation fees. Any remaining cash bond to be returned to the defendant. CR 311-c05/mtb

I think the writer of the story probably described North Walnut as a street running through downtown Bloomington to give some context to readers who might not know that, but in this case it was misleading. Does that matter much in understanding what happened? Are you saying he pulled over promptly when the police tried to pull him over or not? It seems the police were saying that he did not. I'm not one to blindly accept what police say as fact. Did Johnson or others on his behalf refute the idea that he attempted to evade police?

It seem like he was trying to avoid the cops in pulling into the parking lot and then running a stop sign. When the cops turn on their lights to pull you over, you pull over. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Indiana University point guard Xavier Johnson has been arrested for reckless driving and resisting law enforcement, according to Monroe County Sheriff Brad Swain. Just after 3 a.m. Sunday, a Monroe County sheriff’s deputy saw a Dodge Charger going 90 mph on North Walnut Street, a main thoroughfare through downtown Bloomington. The deputy tried to pull the Charger over, but the driver refused to stop. The car drove into a parking lot at an apartment complex and ran a stop sign while trying to get away from the deputy. The car eventually stopped and the deputy saw Johnson, 22, get out of the car and switch seats with a passenger, identified by police as Lee Marrioti. https://www.wishtv.com/sports/college-basketball/iu-point-guard-xavier-johnson-arrested-for-reckless-driving-resisting-law-enforcement/

The aspect where I may disagree with you is when you said that if Malik is as good as TJD was as a freshman than Malik would be starting. I don't think that's necessarily true. And you say that Malik won't be as good as TJD was a freshman because he won't be starting. Which again may just be an indication of being on a better team. But like you say, "as good" is subjective. In any case, it's probably just semantics and doesn't really matter. Let's hope he's a strong contributor and not worry any further about ranking his place in history just yet. : ).

You seem to be saying that him being an effective backup to TJD and Race Thompson means that he's not one of the best players on the team. I think he could be one of the best freshmen IU has had in many years and still be a backup to TJD and Race Thompson. As a sixth-year senior who was honorable mention all-Big Ten last year, Race may not be dislodged from the starting lineup even if Reneau is as good as TJD was his freshman year. I don't see a problem with that as long as Reneau is getting his share of minutes, too.