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I have no idea what happened or who was involved in the altercation. I will just say that with only one guess, I would go with Smith (he seems to always be getting butt hurt and defensive because his teammates often holler at him). The second player would be Green. The third player (because he tried to get in the middle of it to end the stupidity) would be Juwan. I could also see something between Langford and Smith, as I’ve heard rumors there are issues between them...and possibly Phinisee stepping in to defend his friend. But, without knowing a thing, I’m guessing Green was involved and maybe Smith. Davis may have stepped in as it seems he may be tight with Green. What I’m really saying is, who freaking knows? This team is falling apart if they’re shoving each other after games, so it could be anyone.

I was puzzled how Al Durham, in my opinion IU’s second most consistent overall player (and arguably the player with the smartest basketball IQ), was placed on the bench for a very long stretch. Perhaps I missed something? Davis continues to prove how badly he was missed the past couple seasons. His type of presence is something IU doesn’t have anywhere else on the roster. The selfish play of Green on that last possession was too much to overlook. Not only was Rob wide open but he was waving his hands begging for the ball and Green had a clear pass to him. That was beyond frustrating. It may not have gone in, but it had a much higher chance. I wish Smith would quit shooting the three. Period. Is it just me, or does Romeo have a bad case of butterfingers? Forrester continued to be the most enthusiastic player on the team...albeit, from the bench. I still haven’t read the thread, so thank you for breaking it down for me. Life is too short to dwell extensively on the negatives, especially over a game played by teenagers which I have no direct input, so I’m going to try to refrain from reading too much of these post game analysis for a bit. As someone not on the coaching staff, I don’t need to analyze...and even if I do, what good does it do for me or for Indiana basketball. I’ve seen, and experienced personally, too much negativity this season. It’s time for me to step back and just hope for a couple more wins, and not dwell on the defeats. Thanks again for the breakdown! Much appreciated.

Juwan had 14 rebounds, but he managed to score only 3 points tonight against Ohio State. His total is now 1,199 points. He needs 5 points to move past Jeffrey Newton.

I'm not willing to read any of this and I got a late finish to the game, so my apologies if it was already stated...but, man, Phinisee was wide open beyond the arc on that last possession with time for the pass and shot. Instead, it was taken by someone else with four men guarding.

Yeah, I guess not. He must have suffered the concussion from hell.

And I’m with you both on this. And pumpfake might be right, but if that was the case, then why is Fitzner playing before either of them. Whether Moore is better than Forrester is obviously debatable based on these threads, but from my vantage point it’s hard for me to see what Fitzner has done to beat either of them out for minutes?

Davis had 7 assists and 0 turnovers...meanwhile, Green had 0 assists and 4 turnovers. Hmmm... I've always been a huge fan of Davis and expected great things from him...contrary to what many others expected from him. If it wasn't for all his nagging injuries, which have also led to poor conditioning, then the impact of his career would have been very different. Then again, he's still only a junior.

Juwan Morgan scored 17 points in only 22 minutes of action bringing his career point total to 1,196, which is good enough to surpass Quinn Buckner and move to 38th on Indiana's all-time scoring list. He needs only 8 points to surpass Jeffrey Newton and move into the 37th slot.

I just realized you had already posted this. I swear I didn't see it when I read through the thread again. I even looked for it to not make a repetitive post. My apologies, OF.

What might excite more fans than him averaging 28.1 points per game (at the time this article was written on 1-19-2019) is that he (again, at the time of this writing) was 8 assists away from averaging a triple double (10.4 rebounds and 9.8 assists). I haven't found his up-to-date statistics, but this wasn't too long ago. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/high-school-basketball/2019/01/19/Ethan-Morton-Butler-WPIAL-basketball-triple-double-Pitt-Indiana-Ohio-State/stories/201901190051

For those wondering about his recruitment and questioning which schools at the D1 level have been showing interest in Brown, I read an article where Wisconsin, Purdue, Butler, and Ball State were listed as the D1 schools expressing the most interest. I have no idea if Indiana has expressed any interest, but I imagine at some point Archie will at least check this kid out to be sure he's not naively missing a gem from this state. Considering Brown has claimed Indiana is his dream school...if Purdue lands him because Indiana didn't want him, then look for him to play with a chip on his shoulder each time he plays against Indiana. I'm not suggesting Archie needs to offer, as I'm not sure how much development Brown will make in his next two seasons or at what level his play will plateau, but he's been praised for being among the hardest working players Jerry Hoover has ever witnessed...a man in his mid-eighties who has coached most his life, including 14 years as an assistant at Indiana State (he also coached Randy Wittman at Ben Davis). And, recent seasons when Hoover was not coaching, he still managed to watch roughly 100 games or more each season. He has seen a lot of players in his day, so if he thinks the sky is the limit for Brown, then I'm not willing to doubt him. I guess we all will see in time...a lot may be revealed in AAU, as well as two more seasons of high school. I hope to have a better assessment of his game once I see him play this month, although I don't foresee Burris as a tough outing for Blackford. Then again, they may double or even triple team him as has been the mode of operation for some defending teams this season.

Thanks, Rico. I grabbed two from the Athletics Director today. The Burris AD said Blackford has averaged well over 2,000 fans to away games. With it being senior night for Burris, parents are concerned they won't be able to purchase tickets. With the pep band, cheerleading squads, and season ticket holders there are only 1,000 tickets for this game. My brother and I now have two of them. Burris Laboratory School is affiliated with Ball State, so their basketball and volleyball teams play in Ball Gymnasium, which is the original gym of Ball State. I run in the track there, so I know how tiny it is. On a positive note, there's really no chance of getting a bad seat. A side note: Since the girls volleyball team was established at Muncie Burris in 1982, the Ball Gymnasium has hosted 13 Burris volleyball teams with undefeated seasons (they play 40 or more games a season, so that in itself is quite an accomplishment) and a handful of single loss seasons. Perhaps even more impressive, the school owns 22 state championships (1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, and every single year from 1997 to 2010). Needless to say, boys basketball hasn't been the school's primary focus.

Interesting interview with Keion. And, for once, they don't even ask the questions about recruitment. I sort of like that he wasn't asked those questions. https://www.wane.com/high-school-sports/catching-up-with-keion-a-wane-tv-exclusive/1753105073

I thought that was The Dude for a second grabbing his Caucasian ingredients from the store, but then I realized he's not wearing sandals, sunglasses, or a bath robe. I bet Devonte will catch my reference. Stuhoo, how's that for getting back on topic?

I wrote the athletics director to try purchasing a couple tickets for the Blackford versus Muncie Burris basketball game on February 21. It's a tiny gymnasium, so I wanted to try getting tickets prior to the game. If I can't make it to this one, with it being about 100 paces from my workplace, then I'm apparently not going to make it to any. Fingers crossed they sell me tickets...I worded it to the Burris director that I was only interested in that one game, but I'm sure home teams are used to this by now.

If you prefer not to watch Izzo whine, then you can always watch this instead. Great interview with Deron Davis.

Juwan left early due to injury, only playing 13 minutes. He scored 5 points, grabbed 6 boards, and handed out two assists before his departure bringing his point total to 1,179 career points. He is now 15 points away from surpassing Quinn Buckner on the all-time scoring list. Let's hope he's able to contribute going forward. My guess is he'll be out Thursday regardless, unless it was something very minor. They won't want to rush him back and take a chance on aggravating an injury to a shoulder that has already gone through some very tough times. I noticed going into the locker room at the end of the game his left shoulder was hanging low. Hoping for the best.

12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in 25 minutes.

My answer is, no, they do not. Indiana was in this game from the start (even while Juwan was playing). He had 5 points, 6 rebounds, and two assists in 13 minutes. The team as a whole just played better from start to finish than they have in a long while. The team blocked out (48 rebounds) and chased down loose balls. The team knocked down shots from outside (50%). The team played better defense and limited turnovers (only 13). I don't believe the improved play was because Juwan had to leave the game prematurely. Perhaps the team rallied a bit more because of his injury, but either way, they played hard and with a different energy from the start than we've been seeing. And, as relieved I am to say that, it irritates me and makes me wonder how many of the losses could have been victories had the team played with this same fire in their guts all season. Whatever the reason, whether they felt a desperation to get a win or because the coaching staff was finally able to light a fire under their *sses, they won with a strong effort and a lot of energy. If the latter, then I hope their *sses aren't allowed to cool off any.

That’s the heart of an Indiana team I’ve been missing. I’m proud of these guys for coming out and playing well I knew Indiana was missing Davis in a big way. He adds an element to the team we don’t have in any other player. Finally, Fitzner hit another three to end his streak. Forrester played with a lot of heart. I wish Smith took fewer threes, but he played well tonight. Juwan goes out to injury. Then, the Durham hand/wrist/finger issue. Then, Green limped off. Then, Davis had issues with a calf. Indiana hasn’t been catching many breaks on the injury front all season but, if I may ask for one break from the basketball gods, please let Juwan be ready to play next game (and not playing because he’s Juwan and says I don’t care if it pops out again like we saw in the past...a healthy, playing Juwan)? Thankfully the other three came back in and played, and it was good to see Juwan smiling and rooting on his teammates from the bench. Great game from Indiana tonight. They could have been slaughtered on the glass tonight, but they weren’t. The defense, for the most part, was back to form. The offense was working and players were hitting shots. Thankfully, it was Indiana making free throws and Michigan State missing tonight.

I agree with that, Bailey and Old Fart. That is why I noted his salary is the highest of all state employees, and because of this, fans should hold the staff and players accountable. I'm just saying some expectations are unreasonable. I'm not sure most CEO's are expected to bring a subpar company to Fortune 500 status before their second year is even through, but maybe I'm wrong. I do know that most are expected to not regress. Then again, if half the company's workforce is at home on workman's compensation, then I imagine a little leeway would be offered. And I never said the fanbase is the program's worst enemy, Moye. I know that it is not.

Yes, watch it then come to Bloomington with the mindset and approach of Jordan Hulls and Victor Oladipo...wear out the swipe stripe on your card...and don't settle for anything less from your teammates than complete buy-in and a nonstop work ethic...wear INDIANA across your chest with great pride and determination.

I completely agree with this, just as I agree with the comment earlier about how the fan base's expectations are what they are because the fan base is so passionate (which makes the program still special to the fans). What you've said is spot on. I also agree with HoosierTrav that this hasn't been viewed an elite program in the eyes of anyone outside of its fan base for a long time. Sure, the year Zeller was here they rose to prominence again, but that prominence was never sustained. Elite programs remain elite. Indiana hasn't been that type of program for many years. The pressure on the coaching staff to win immediately or else has been an ongoing issue in Bloomington (and elsewhere). Coaching at Indiana comes with so much pressure, which is why Archie Miller is the highest paid state employee in Indiana. Fans deserve to see a coach capable of getting players to play to the level expected. However, I find it unreasonable for fans to expect immediate success with a limited roster (many of whom are not even Archie's recruits). The mentality Archie needs from his players may never be reached by players from a former staff...mindset is not an easy attribute to adjust or change...some have one mindset while others have a different mindset altogether. I agree that at times it seems the team is becoming worse, but some of this too can be expected as the coaching staff learns of problem areas and addresses them. I am hopeful some of the "turning south" we are witnessing is Archie trying to step back and address new issues and players are trying to adjust. I also am quite certain a lot of it has to do with confidence at this point, especially with a youthful group. Things are very difficult to swallow right now and blame can be and should be placed on the coaching staff and players. However, as HoosierTrav stated, the fan base needs more patience from a second year coach. If Crean was still here and we were witnessing this downward slide, then absolutely holler for his resignation...but, since it's only Archie's second year and he's still trying to build something, I would like to see the fan base give it some more time. I know so many people hate Tom Crean as a coach, but I remember watching those teams crawl out of the cellar of college basketball. Yes, the games were extremely tough to watch much of the time, but I also learned to fall in love with those teams. They were in Bloomington to bring this program back to relevance. This year's team and this new coaching staff has far less catching up to do, and I know Archie is here to bring the program back to relevance. I'm still confident he can, but it will require a little time...something we fans are (understandably) tired of giving.

Amen.

I will say only a couple things. Fewer injuries may not have saved this season, but no one can argue that this team has had a limited number of bodies all season long in practice and in games. I can only hope the players that aren't able to practice are shooting 10,000 shots per day. Shooting is a major struggle for this team. Indiana basketball is the only sport team I watch religiously anymore, and it's hard seeing that team go on such extended scoring droughts to where they are constantly attempting to overcome substantial deficits. I am disgusted by the losing streak, but I'm hopeful a lot can still be learned and improved upon. I'm still a fan and will continue to watch the games, but for someone who tries to always be aware of the present moment and not look to much into the future or dwell too much on the past, it's hard watching the present day Hoosiers. I like Al Durham, and I'm glad to see him being aggressive. I like Rob Phinisee as well. They both (Rob especially) get caught under the basket hoping for calls more than I would like, but they need to continue to attack. They're both decent foul shooters and outside of Romeo and Juwan, they seem to be the only two capable of creating plays for themselves. Clifton Moore should get more minutes than Forrester and Fitzner. At this point, Fitzner should get mop up duty only. I guess the coaches are hoping he finds his confidence and starts knocking down threes again...but, how long do they wait for the resurrection of his shot? Too often I see him stand around when loose rebounds are up for grabs. It's frustrating. He seems as lost as Forrester, so give Forrester the minutes if Moore is seen as incapable. However, I see more from Moore than I do either of the other players. Juwan is a gifted scorer around the rim and his footwork and finish continues to impress me for someone as undersized for his position. Thank goodness he is because nothing comes easy for him and he has to fight for everything. With so little success from the perimeter, it's become even harder to feed Juwan in the post. I still think Green is the superior post feeder on this team. I see reasons for why some posters are glad he is out (none more so than his lack of willpower that led to his suspension), but Indiana already lacks healthy bodies. One less player on a limited roster only hurts, even if only for the sake of practice. Anderson makes me very nervous, but I liked the way he fought for loose balls tonight. Romeo had to shoot a lot to get his points tonight, but he has to keep shooting. I liked the starting lineup tonight. Unfortunately, there's not much scoring power on this team beyond those five. At the beginning of the season I had hopes for a lot of depth on this team, but with injuries and some of the off-season promise of the development of certain players not coming to fruition, there isn't. It is among the more shallow teams I can recall in Bloomington. Again, injuries are partly responsible for this lack of depth. And, yes, part of the blame can be passed on to a number of other factors as well...and, as with any forum, it has been and will continue to be. I'm sure they'll surprise us yet with some unexpected victories, but after each passing game the number of those unexpected victories becomes smaller from my outlook. It's turned into a tough season to watch, but still...go Hoosiers!