HoosierHoopster

Yeah I know how you feel about him, and I disagree. We played our best ball of the season and he excelled during our run after Woodson’s sit down with him while Race was out. Question will be what he and Woodson see as his role next season when Race is gone. He’s been out in a boot and recovering, we don’t know jack right now.

All talk is Duncomb is gone (no info on that, but it’s been strongly insinuated here). Malik is going to be a stud next season imo. Whether JG returns seems like it’s in question (no idea, would think he’ll return as he should be a key piece next season but the talk’s there). Agree we need a wing and probably a point, turning on JHS’s decision, but probably do need a big

I’m prettier

In fairness Leal doesn’t play at all, that’s apples and oranges

Good grief you lack basic reading comprehension. Your inability to admit you misread my post is just weak. Just stop and move on

the question is, "is Lunardi aware" -- of anything

FOY All Freshman Team Second Team B1G (media), Third Team (coaches) Please return!

SIAP -- TJD named 1st Team All B1G (media and coaches), and to the All Defensive Team (they gave Frankenstein POY - that's a whiff, imo, turned on PU winning the conf with a weaker schedule, and despite our sweep) JHS also racked up the honors https://www.insidethehall.com/2023/03/07/trayce-jackson-davis-jalen-hood-schifino-earn-all-big-ten-honors-hood-schifino-named-big-ten-freshman-of-the-year/

He's definitely ball dominant. Strong offensive player for sure, but yeah I think UM could be better off next season without him.

No, read my post closer. Here's exactly what I said: "This statement was about why he went with Bates over a freshman, but it’s a direct statement of what he’s been doing since he started, he favors veterans, to a fault." I then went on specifically talking about Woodson's starting/playing Stewart/Kopp, and Race. I nowhere talked about why he should or shouldn't play Bates. Re Stewart/Kopp, we can disagree on that pick. Stewart? He was horrible, all year. He accomplished nothing, zero, all year, but started anyway. He was a defensive liability, all year, and did nothing offensively. With Bates on the bench at the time there was the ability to develop him -- and we've seen, this year, how Galloway's 3-point shooting has developed. He could have played that role, he could have been developed into it last year, but he wasn't. The idea that because Stewart in theory could shoot 3's along with Kopp they would create spacing was a total bust -- we shot by numbers at the very bottom of the B1G, the bottom -- having both out there all season did not create space, and it certainly didn't add scoring. What became obvious is that it was because they were experienced, vets, not because they contributed, that drove their repeated unsuccessful starts. This isn't me being some kind of 'critic,' it's just what it is. The Race discussion is debatable, agreed -- my opinions here are clear, yours and others on Race are fair, though I disagree, I don't mean to indicate otherwise. My main beef has been how Race was immediately re-inserted into his starting role despite that he was -- CLEARLY -- hobbled, playing poorly, getting beat defensively, and not scoring, while clogging the lane because he pulls a defender in when TJD is looking to drive to the hoop. JG and Malik were playing really well, we scored better with them (I don't think that's debatable) when Race was out after the Woodson sit down with JG, we were firing on all cylinders, we scored the best we have all year and destroyed Illinois at Illinois. Then Race is just re-inserted. That's over-reliance on experience, while ignoring what happened when he was out, and the impact of his playing under 100%. But then JG got injured, and yes, he's been up and down and not consistent -- but on that, he was consistent when starting after Woodson had the sit down talk with him, that's when our run began, he hasn't been off the bench. With Malik, he's been gaining and gaining as he learns to avoid fouling (he's been much better), I think just about everyone sees how good he'll be and how good he is at times, much higher ceiling than Race. Woodson/Staff have been gaining confidence in him, at least, but I'd like to see him play more -- and when Race isn't doing well, he should be pulled the same way staff pulls JG the second he makes a mistake.

You're missing the point. I'm not saying there was a better frosh guard to go with, I quoted it as a reflection of his mindset -- he virtually always goes with experience over talent, he came in starting the God awful Stewart/Kopp combo all season and he's continued. This isn't about "Bates." There have been multiple games where either Malik or JG were playing hands down better than Race and/or matched up better, but he/staff just roll out Race to start even injured. It's not about "critics" it's about the need he feels to play experience. And that was probably in part built in the League.

Yeah, certainly can matter who stays and goes, but i’m not sure they’d be better if Jett were to return

This from ITH, quoting Woodson: “They came in, said “who are you going with?” Well, I’ve got to go with the next senior guy.” This statement was about why he went with Bates over a freshman, but it’s a direct statement of what he’s been doing since he started, he favors veterans, to a fault. I have been and am a Woodson believer long term, but that’s a blind spot, it’s a weakness. Start and play Stewart/Kopp all last season no matter how poorly they play. Start and play Race big minutes over both JG and Race after they had us absolutely rolling, and when Race is clearly still recovering and playing poorly. Yes, we have options (when healthy), and Woodson needs to develop away from his over-reliance on “the next senior guy” and develop trust earlier in the guys showing growth and impact. Rosemond on Race “we feel comfortable” is another way of saying the same thing. Comfort when a senior isn’t playing well isn’t a good thing. Race on senior night had a pretty nice game, notwithstanding 4 straight missed key FT’s and a negative plus-minus iirc. Hope he can raise his game going forward in the tourneys.

UM is probably in that growth sequence- lose close, next year Win close, next (if the pieces are still there) Win big

Thanks for making me feel young again :) Who wins the arm wrestling match between you and @Class of '66 Old Fart - over/under on 2 bathroom breaks?

Definitely agree UM has a chance to be very good next year. Well, but for their coach. :)

I've been saying this for a while - Race crowds the lane. He does, we scored the ball much better before he came back. Some see that as some kind of nitpicking or attack on Race, it's not, but he crowds the lane. When JG and Malik were playing well and healthy when Race was out, we were a much stronger team offensively. Race also has a habit of trying to go iso, he really shouldn't.

One thing I'm certain of, this NCAA Tourney is going to be a crazy rollercoaster ride. Talk about parity

AP dropped us from 15 to 19 for the Iowa loss. But to extent being ranked matters (I admit, I LIKE being ranked, helps in recruiting, helps me emotionally :) ), finishing the season at 19, not to mention 2nd in B1G, is where a bunch here predicted at the start of the season we should be -- top 15-20 ranked, fighting for the conference title. Successful season for sure.

How nice is it not to be sweating whether we play in the play-in game, get screwed with UM getting selected ahead of us despite its trash record....

You're joking, right? Wisconsin (by 18), at Illinois (by 15, the place we never win), MSU (by 13), the at Minny game, a hiccup with Race coming back and starting, v OSU (by 16). Our best win by far since was at PU (by 8), in between losses to MD, NW, MSU, Iowa by 22 at home. A bunch of good teams / away games in there but that run, particularly the first 3, we were playing our best ball of the season.

Absolutely, no arguments, but we just got pounded at home to Iowa by 20+. We needed OT at home to win by 2 against UM. The at PU game notwithstanding, we're not playing as well as we were earlier in the season. The college basketball landscape doesn't change that.

No we're not playing like the team that was crushing teams by an average of 13 ppg during our real run. We are struggling to score from the outside, we let UM go on a big run, from up to down double digits, we have been struggling to rebound well (and even got outrebounded by UM), our D has fallen off. That's not to tarnish the exceptional effort and poise it took to climb back into yesterday's game, it wasn't pretty at all, but it was still a heck of focused effort to pull it out. Matchups in the tourney are of course going to matter, but we need our earlier D to return, we need to create space better again for the outside shooting, we need guys who are rebounding playing more, and we need consistent offensive production from Bates and even Gallo. I'm not trying to knock the team, I loved the W yesterday, and UM is talented and played like they were trying to make the dance, but we're better than this.

That was also the start of JG's growth in minutes and production, good game against UM, then I think he was injured in the next game, missed a game and then showed up in the ncaa tourney. Hope we see him return and get himself going again, need more production, experience and versatility, athleticism up front