Home Jersey

Yes and speaking for myself, it’s not that I even “want” Cronin per se, but find it pretty absurd that some people turn their noses up at the youngest active coach to 500 wins who makes the tournament basically every year. Only made the F4 in 2021 but he did it at the modern (lackluster) UCLA program so that’s unimpressive. Definitely no potential upside there at a place like Indiana. More to debate with a guy like Cronin than the obviously more desirable guys who may have longer odds of coming. Though I doubt Cronin comes either with the buyout.

IU 72 PU 82

I don’t think he can’t hack it but people’s concerns with McCollum will probably not be assuaged by an NCAAT run because their concerns have more to do with the fact he’s never been associated with a P5 program in any capacity.

I don’t have numbers to back this up but I think pretty well by some metrics. There may be more total from CA and TX just because of how huge they are. Not as many as you’d think from NYC metro area or the DMV. And those aren’t really single states like Indiana. I’d be surprised if Indiana were not top 5-10. But I think this conversation is a little silly. Indiana is in a fertile recruiting ground. Local pipelines are important. Start there IMO and eventually we can become a national brand that means something then recruit like it

Lol… I feel so seen…

Great series! And hey… if we hire him, I’ll personally be pretty optimistic and watching with GREAT anticipation! Little bit of anxiety too until we saw his roster. Would certainly be a fun offseason news cycle.

Any Better Call Saul fans? Let me reiterate before posting this I have tremendous respect for him and do think he's going to be successful at the P5 level. Probably haunt us at Iowa for the next 20 years with our luck. But the idea of handing him the keys and saying - go and recruit your first Big 10 level roster (13 scholarships - and he's got none to start with apparently from Drake) - and hire your first P5 level staff. And do that within the span of like 2 weeks... Not to mention the entire aspect of dealing with donors, admin, etc. off-court obligations. Makes me think of this scene where Jimmy is McCollum and the interviewers are IU lol. "I just come in did that little song and dance (one year at Drake) and... I'm in?"

I have a lot of respect for coming up through the ranks and blazing your own trail as McCollum has. I am bullish on him. That said… like you, and I think a majority of the board, ideally it’s far more preferable to get someone who is a proven commodity at the P5 level. One year at Drake isn’t enough for me to say he’s ready to coach Indiana when you keep in mind he’d have to build a whole new roster for the first time at the D1 level (can’t bring his D2 team with him). Theres just so much we don’t know about him and the interviews would have to be very extensive. We don’t know how he’d react to a huge fanbase watching his every move. Many higher floor options right now

For sure better equipped for the off the court stuff, which is important. That said, “Associate Head Coach” ain’t the real Head Coach. Very different thing to be actually in the driver’s seat IMO. Interested to see how it works out for them, I liked him as a player

Never been a HC before. Huge risk IMO. I’d hate that kind of hire.

One of the more practical negatives about McCollum is he has no recruits signed to Drake and I think very few rotation players with eligibility he could bring over (let alone them being up to B10 competition). Does he even necessarily have the connections / network to hire an excellent staff around him? I think D2 ball is great but is he tapping into that circle entirely or just rolling with the Drake staff? Or does he actually have very strong connections at D1/P5 levels? I dunno the answer. He’d probably have to assemble an entire roster and staff in an offseason - on a super quick turnaround - and he hasn’t done that before. For a guy with just one year under his belt, as great as I think he is as a coach, it just doesn’t make a ton of sense for this cycle. Maybe he could get it done. But it’s a big risk. Long list of guys who should get the gig first… if they say yes…

Darvin Ham.

You should berate them for not getting any photos of the target. Mission failed. No partial credit, though we commend the effort.

Our future Coach Brad is winning in Dallas right now. Clemson looking good. Let’s go tigers. Lawlz

McCollum is the most intriguing candidate IMO. Lot of valid points for and against. I doubt we go with him but also think it’s likely he ends up a pain in our backside at Iowa along with Dusty at UM.

Not sure where the idea comes from that Dolson wouldn’t have “retired” Woody mid-season unless he already has his man lined up. IMO that was Dolson trying to get ahead of Assembly Hall becoming a zoo before the Michigan game. That’s it. I don’t buy the logic that making the announcement mid year was in any way “tipping our hand” and giving other schools time to work out an extension that wouldn’t have already been getting done. IMO it was strictly about the home environment and nothing to do with Woody “giving us the finger” as Kathy stated or indicative that Dolson - in February - already has his candidate lined up.

Houston 8-0 run to go up 15-7 on Iowa State. Sampson is probably top 2-3 biggest “what if’s” for IUBB. Maybe #1 since the turn of the century.

Maybe they assessed the risk differently.

Great bit. You keep this up and all you mods are gonna get a nice raise on next year’s NIL budget. Leal Deals for everyone.

The instant ban I'd get is the only thing holding me back from launching 5000 words of the most insane crackpot ideas you've ever seen rn

I would genuinely love a JFK assassination conspiracy theory thread here lol. Joking, obviously. But it would be a treasure trove of internet weirdness.

Jamie Dixon

I’ll have to take your word for it. I haven’t followed him closely / long enough to formulate an opinion like that. Seems fine enough to me from the few clips and interviews I’ve watched

I can give this personality a shot. Youngest active coach to 500 wins. Indiana needs to win again.

I doubt Rabby knows anything concrete but if those are our options you take Cronin 100/100 times even if you think he's a little too mean and cranky.