HoosierHoopster

Great pass Bates

What we’re missing rn is balance. TJD having another overwhelming game (a few missed bunnies aside), JHS got it together, but almost no other scoring from anyone. Good to see Gallo push to rim

Watching on tape delay so just not participating here, but — let’s go!

Oh what the Hell IU 77 UM, Jett bout to get shut down 75

Of all of the many concerts I’ve gone too over the years, the Eagles Hotel California tour still stands out in my mind as one of the best. And a cool footnote I learned only recently while teaching myself to play Hotel California, Don Felder (original member, who wrote Hotel Cali) grew up in a small Florida town, Gainesville, that produced a ton of rock talent, they all knew each other and competed against each other in talent shows and concerts, and played together. One was Tom Petty — and Felder actually taught him to play guitar, he was his guitar teacher, lol. Felder played at one time in a band with Stephen Stills, Another was the Allman Brothers (came over from Daytona Beach), and Duane Allman taught Felder slide guitar. Talk about a crazy amount of eventual rock stars all out the same area.

Looks like line has us a +2.5 to +3 point dog so far. MU is playing hard over its past 3, we're both 8-5 in B1G play, they're desperate to ensure they get in the tourney, and its their home floor. We just eeked out the W over Rutgers. I think this is probably a MU win, but it's a hard one to predict imo.

Excellent landing spot for TB

And a good landing spot with Kawhi, PG now healthy and the roster otherwise in good shape for a good post-season run. Feel bad for Wall though, sent to the Rockets in exchange.... On a semi-related note, the completely absurd Kyrie Irving trade demand, landing him in Dallas, followed by the move of Durant to the Suns, is just comical. Durant just running to a spot he can win, again.

"might can" it could for sure!

Love that he’s hitting these milestones while putting the team on his back, leading them into conf contention, leading the team all around this season, and all with grace, no side issues, no distractions. He’s earned everyone’s respect, while putting the team first.

It’s kind of hard to just pull stats on this, but he was just back from injury and clearly limited laterally and generally in his mobility. He was not good and more importantly the team has not been doing as well when Malik’s and/or JG’s minutes are down or eaten by Race. I really think that’s obvious in our scoring and close vs not close games but this topic is beaten to death

Yeah 35 - 17 now, doubling them up

I think you're just arguing with me now for the sake of arguing. The point is not his minutes in comparison to the other starters, it's that we play stronger and win with Malik and / or JG playing good minutes up front. Yeah, you keep ignoring what I post. Over and out man.

In those games beginning with Wisc, TJD played better and we won much more convincingly including road games with JG and/or Malik getting good run with TJD. The spacing is better, and the rebounding/D was better.

Come on now, are you deliberately ignoring half of my post? " heavy minutes games with Malik and/or JG’s reduced min games". And so why do you go out of your way to talk about 2.5 games after race was hurt, and ignore the next 3 when we went on the strongest run we've had in a decade and played the best we've played all season, without Race? Come on man. So in those that you just ignore, Wisconsin, JG 29 min, 5-10 for 12 with 11 boards, 1 block, 1 TO, 1 foul. Malik, in 14 min, 3-7 for 6, 3 boards, 3 fouls. We won by 18. @ Illinois, JG, in 30 min, 6-8 for 13 pts, 8 boards, 3 fouls, 4 TOs. Malik in 14 min, 2-4 for 5 pts, 6 boards, 4 fouls. A strong game all around and particularly with them. We won, at Ill where we almost never do, by 15. v MSU Malik played 21, fouled out with 6, 5 boards, 1 TO, and JG fouled out after 5 pts, a block and 1 TO in 13 min. A banger's game -- we still won by 13 -- understandable to give Race run in the next (@ Minn) following the fouling, but then we go to Minn @ Minn. Almost lost, Race 23 min, Malik 12, JG 6. Race was bad.1-4, 4 boards, a TO, in 23 min, defense was not there, mobility limited. v OSU, Malik, 23 minutes (not limited), 6-10 for 15 pts, 8 boards, 3 assists, a steal, 1 TO, 4 fouls. His D was just fine. Race played 21 min, 1-6 for 6 pts, 4 boards, 3 fouls. One of these things is not like the other. @MD -- Malik 13 min 2-3 for 6 pts 1 but fouled out, so not fair for me to complain here, and no JG. Race, in 28 min, scored 11 with 4 boards, 3 TO's, ok offensively, but again not mobile defensively and we lost by 11, in a game where he had the minutes. Then we get the PU game -- Malik, in 20 min (not limited), 3-3 for 8 pts, 4 boards, an assist and steal, 2 fouls, 0 TO's. Race in 22 min, 1-2 for 6 pts (4-4 from stripe), 4 boards, 4 fouls -- he was having trouble defensively, he threw the ball out of bounds, he was struggling. But played smart ball when he was put back in late in the second with that steal and inbounds play. So then Rutgers, Malik limited to 14 min, 2-4 for 5 pts, 5 boards, 1 assist, despite 0 fouls, though 3 TOs. JG got in for about 1 min. Race in 26 min, 1-6, 3 boards, 2 TO's, 2 fouls. We eek out the W at home against Rutgers, scoring only 66, second half was iffy. It's clear to me and I think most that Race is not 100% and that, since at least the Wisconsin game, we are a better team when Malik and/or JG are getting good minutes. I'm not saying don't play Race or that he isn't a key part of the team, he is, but no, he shouldn't be playing those kind of dominant starter minutes. You don't agree, ok.

Yeah we disagree. It’s not coincidence that in Race’s heavy minutes games with Malik and/or JG’s reduced min games since Race’s return we’ve either almost lost, or lost. Race’s mobility is clearly lacking, so much so that Vitale commented on it, but we can just disgree

Eye of the beholder :) -- In 26 minutes Race was 1-6 with a whopping 3 rebounds, 2 TO's and 2 fouls. He didn't play well. Our second half was kind of scary. Meanwhile, Malik had 5 points and 5 boards in those 14 minutes -- it was his TOs. Simple fact seems to be staff will roll with experience over talent even when experience underperforms, same issues we had with the Stewart/Kopp starting backcourt last year, no matter what. I've said I don't mean to disparage Race, and I don't, but there's no question he's not 100% and he really isn't playing well.

Hair comments/kidding aside, he's a blast to watch play. He's also improved significantly, imo, from just last season. His shooting is remarkably better, and he would get out of control baseline last season, I remember grimacing when he'd run wildly at the basket. He still gets a bit out of control with the energy he brings, and his dribble is too high for comfort, but man he brings it, and his floor savvy is close to point guard level. Yeah, fun to watch for sure.

His foul rate has been the issue all season for sure, but he's been improving on it / learning to bang and get position without fouling better. 2 fouls against PU in 20 minutes, including going directly at Frankenstein. 0 fouls in 14 minutes against rugby twit - Rutger players (he should have played more, but the 3 TO's likely were why he didn't). He's not fully there yet but he's improving, and imo what he brings to the table merits more time.

NBA drafts on talent / upside and to an extent combine / team workout results. He's a two-way big, strong, quick scoring lead guard. JHS has just about every physical trait and intangible an NBA team could want in an on-ball guard, and he's clearly been a major factor in our winning streak. I don't think there's any real question that he's a first rounder at this point, question is where in first round not if. Rest of season and tourney will probably impact placement, but he'll test waters and get direct feedback, and will make his decision on that.

It would be hard for this 55 year old to pass too

He’ll def at least test waters. He’s a likely first rounder. His inconsistency might stop him (a lot of scouts were at that MD game), but he’s been so good at times, obviously bounced back really well from the MD game, and he has all the tools and physical traits for the League, big, quick, two-way on ball guard who runs the floor well, can create for himself as well as orchestrate, gets to his spots and scores midrange with demonstrated ability to hit from deep, runs P&R well (absolutely love his lob vision), etc. Decision will likely be whether another year is likely to give him a real jump in the first round— helps he can earn good bank now in college. Factor into that that TJD will be gone, along with X and Race, younger, kind of rebuilding, chances of shining in March lower. I think he goes but maybe not as clear as it looked earlier due to recent inconsistency.

Both this grind it out game and the hold the lead game are games we probably lose last year. These are games a team that has learned how to win wins, and a team that hasn’t quite yet usually loses. And that was what we were during the losing streak - real progress since. No way I thought we’d be sitting in 2d at this point after losing Vets and going 1-4 out of the gate. Growth

JHS’s ups and downs are kind of surprising, but then he is a frosh running point while also expected to score. If / when we have X back I think he’ll be more consistent— special player regardless

Get me in touch with your high school people, i’ll take care of making sure you’re on the book through March