HoosierHoopster

I have some early concerns with the whole portal thing, development Vs chasing portal players. Guys like Galloway (shooting needs development), Hunter (develop D), etc. have maybe a shorter timeline to develop. Do want to see team improvement through the portal, don’t want to see NBA-style trade market. A guy like Vic couldn’t shoot early, shot like in the 20’s from deep, junior year shot plus 40 percent from the arc. Any reference to Vic is kind of the outlier because of his huge strides in development, but the signs were there, elite athleticism and D to go with good free throw form and steady development, lots of promise. Vic is an outlier but there are lots of guys with high level talent and upside that can get passed over in this shiny new thing approach to team building. Galloway is an exceptional player with a strong work ethic, really good floor vision and downhill skill. Absolutely needs to develop a shot, but really should have that opportunity on what he has shown as a player before running into the portal, imo - long rant but seeing early signs of a shiny new thing instead of development approach

Funny thing to me, the 2 and 3 really are the same position and should be interchangeable, just different sides of the floor (NBA). I agree with where you're coming from, it's just that we tend to look at guards and wings when it's sort of like having a point and two "wings" or 2 on-ball guards and a 'wing' (lol). I think (aggressive) Rob can play well off-ball and can man that 'wing' spot, hope to see him shoot more and with confidence, his outside shot can be strong when his head is in the game. (I'm kind of betting that the confidence - head issues were coming from CAM's style of coaching and we'll see a lot of improvement there under Woodson.) Would think Race and Hunter will run at the 4, but we haven't really had a baseline - running type 4 (e.g., Troy). I would like to see more of Galloway inside, he's around 6'4 or whatever but he's an excellent finisher, quick and strong 'downhill' and around the rim and would bet on him having a good soph jump.

I tend to think we'll see a difference in 'starters' to start the season and starters as the season progresses (as we did last season, etc.). Galloway is not ready to start on the wing imo. I like the kid a lot, but he has a lot of work to do to develop an outside shot. We need outside shooting along with slashing from the wing. I'd like Hunter on the wing but his D was not consistently at a level to guard wings. Leal can fit there assuming further development. We're thin on wings. We tend to get hung up on positions but also think we'll see Woodson working to establish more 'positionless' ball. That's going to come through more recruiting of length and quickness but would bank on seeing more player development to get that going.

Why can’t they just get rid of the stupid possession arrow? Why not jump balls? I would like the end of the one and one

2019-20, from 2/1 through the end of the season, that’s 11 games, he shot 10/22. The Feb 1 game was his breakout game that season, first game with real minutes, 28. That’s why I remember it and what I’m talking about, clearly well over 40 percent from that point to end of season and the stretch that mattered. He obviously didn’t end up at that level this past season. As I said, I think that has to do at least in part with CAM’s offense. Maybe I’m right maybe I’m wrong, but I see a guy who given floor spacing and an offense that looks to use the perimeter can and has shot better than the stats you are pulling up. He’s better than a 32 or 34 percent shooter. End of the day we’ll see, he should have much better opportunity to shoot, and hey if he hits at 36 or whatever it will be improvement over last year m, thank God.

No the season before last — and factoring in his shooting when he had just returned from missing an entire season from his condition is clearly misleading. Look you don’t have to agree with me, proof will he how be does next season but I’d bet you money he’ll do better — talk again this time next year

Those percentages on his outside shooting are really misleading. It’s easy to say a guy is x percentage, and not saying it’s unfair to point them out, but again he was shooting around 38 percent for much of the season and finished the last 10 games of the prior season shooting North of 40 percent. Then there’s the fact that CAM’s offensive “system” was, well, offensive to watch and devalued the outside game. What can Hunter, and others do in a system designed to free up outside shooting? You think Leal’s percentages show his actual shooting - no way, kid can absolutely shoot. Hunter’s D is not the best but it did improve, and look at a guy like Watford, got all kinds of flack his frosh and soph years for his D and inability to finish in traffic. How was he as a junior and senior? Gotta give guys a chance and not make assumptions, Hunter will - imo - absolutely be better under Woodson. CAM’s offense was just bad for perimeter guys. Hunter has a lot of promise and that’s what I see. But enough on Hunter, damn Geronimo could turn into a monster player, really glad he’s back

I don't really understand the speculation on additional players transferring. I may have missed it, but I haven't seen or heard anything to indicate any additional transfers, and on Hunter, he stands to have a big year, not the opposite, he's a legit outside shooter and Woodson will be running sets and a system to integrate outside shooting, which, of course, CAM didn't. Not seeing any reason to speculate on him or the others transferring. JMO.

RIP Legend -- you are already missed

Leal is an excellent shooter. Expect him to do a lot better as a soph in Woodson’s offensive sets

Probably flows from Beverly's injury, he's out 3 weeks. Would love to see Yogi stick with the Clips though.

Quoting your post for emphasis -- X is a combo-guard, he's really not a "point guard" it's more that he's fully capable, as he demonstrated, of playing a primary on-ball role. We have an uber-stud young gun true point guard in Lander. The extent of his role remains to be seen, but he has all the talent in the world, it's about how ready he is now with a year's growth and experience and development. We have a veteran point/combo-guard in Rob, we all know what he can do and that he hasn't been consistent for whatever the reasons but that he can be a strong on or off-ball player. And now we have a strong combo-guard in X who has demonstrated a top flight assist ratio/ability and dribble-penetrating scorer who brings in in-your-face toughness we've been needing. I don't see X taking anyone's "spot" I see a talented group of guards who can play on or off giving the team a dynamic we didn't really have last season. AF and Al brought a lot, but I think our on-ball play will be stronger.

I see things similarly while at the same time it’s hard for me to gauge how much of an effect losing AF will bring at this point On the one hand while people talk about AF’s 3-point percentage his 2-point percentage was around 43 percent. Compare Hunter at about 54 percent etc. 43 is not great. And that went with how many of the team’s shots he took, it was disproportionately high, with a lot of misses to go with TO’s, we lost scoring from others because of how much of the offense he required or CAM pushed though him while he played like 30 mpg. On the other he was our 2d leading scorer (though by about .1) and on percentages easily our best deep shooter on the season, and he brought it every game, hustled and played hard on both ends. I definitely wanted him back, good kid, good player. I can’t tell yet what the impact will be but if guys like Leal, Hunter and Rob shoot at the level they’re capable of, with more opportunity and emphasis, Geronimo and Galloway get more PT and bring that soph jump - I think both will contribute a lot more - Lander has the jump as a soph with his age and strength and a year’s experience to let him show that #1 pg ranking promise, and X and Race bring that toughness and attacking scoring, while TJD does his thing (with some shooting), we could be really good. Still ifs to work through but looking forward to this season with Woody at the helm, I have a feeling of confidence on what he can bring out of the players I just never had with CAM

Vic injured his right knee again on a dunk against the Lakers, being evaluated and unclear right now how long he'll be out, same knee he had that quad injury to when with the Pacers. Classy statement by Jimmy Butler: "We definitely need that guy," Heat forward Jimmy Butler said Thursday night. "We want him back. Playing the way he played today, making shots, getting to the cup, getting to the line and getting everyone else involved. ... We all want that guy to be OK." https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31225173/miami-heat-victor-oladipo-not-traveling-team-west-coast-trip

Refreshing. A coach looking to expand scoring with our best player and front court, invested in growing their offensive games with shooting. A coach recognizing Lander’s speed and vision and talking about exactly what he needs to do to take the next step while publicly giving him confidence by talking about his talent. A coach talking about being flexible on D — not being closed minded! — with man and zone and having staff experienced in zone to use situationally refreshing

I said this elsewhere but applies here, fwiw I wouldn't assume the shooting percentages of several of the players are representative of their shooting, they're not. CAM's offense devalued the outside shot, it wasn't run to create spacing for outside shooters or better opportunities and they were basically discouraged from shooting -- that goes to the small number of outside shots we took in relation to other B1G teams and the points about confidence we've heard TJD among other comment on. And there's more history here. Leal is a very good outside shooter, he's way better than a 30% shooter. We'll see that. Hunter finished his prior year hitting over 40% in the last 10 games. For much of the season he was hitting around 38%. He's definitely better than a 32% shooter, the kid can shoot, and he's going to have spacing and the green light to show it. Rob is absolutely better than a 30% shooter, he was touted coming into last season as one of our 3 best outside shooters. Really think it's a confidence/head thing with him, and with Woody he'll get a lot of positive pushing of his shot. We're going to shoot better than this.

Side note, our guys can shoot better than the stats reflect, we shot from outside on a low volume basis in relation to other B1G teams (think we were around the bottom in number of outside shots) because CAM devalued the outside game and the idea our guys were 'scared' imo really is a reflection of not having the green light to shoot, under CAM. In a 4-1 spread with dribble penetration and kick outs for spacing with a green (at least greener) light to shoot and an offense that actually looks to use the outside game, think we'll see better percentages from several and we DO have guys who can shoot. Hunter and Leal absolutely can shoot and I'd bet on much higher percentages from both. Stewart can shoot. I'd bet on Geronimo expanding his outside game. Race has shown the ability to step out and knock it down, his outside game has at least some promise. Rob can shoot, with him imo how well is purely mental. He came into last year as one of our top 3 outside shooters per CAM. He ended up at 26%, he's way better than that percentage reflects.

Great story

This won’t be popular but I’m ambivalent about AF leaving. He was extremely high usage, he often took a really high volume of the team’s shots, and he didn’t want to come back when we brought everyone else back to play for a genuinely good NBA coach and IU legacy player who will push the 3-point game and has surrounded himself already with a top flight staff including Fife and of course Matta. You’d rather go try to win now for yourself in another program? Ok, best of luck to you.

Agree and for me it's also the type of player. X is a tough, hard-nosed baller. We've been short on really tough in your face players for some time (like a Sheehey). We've needed toughness for a while, and this is good to see.

I was there at Showalter - and one of those fish has never been returned :)

Seems fairly likely imo

Great pickup. Welcome aboard Xavier! We now have real depth and versatility in the guards and including on-ball, I see real multiple ball-handler play possibilities here. And more scoring. And some attitude/in-your-face play, which we've needed for a while (and Geronimo will add to that with more PT). Things looking up

sorry missed your post -- carry on!

And Yogi's. Yogi's mom was great, but she did get ticked off at times and was vocal ...