HoosierHoopster

No problem with your second paragraph, but how in the world can you say you love JG and then be completely dismissive and misleading by referring to one game against Merrimack?? I mean, Gleas, that is such a totally misleading statement man. The guy who you assess by pointing out one game against Merrimack with 11 and 7.5rpg, is the same guy whose minutes jumped to plus 20 at the end of last season in MM where he was clearly one of the best players on the team, right? The same guy who, on a per 40 min and 100 possession basis for this season was: - 4th in PPG at 13.8 / 20.3 - 1st per 40 at 11.3 - 16.6 per 100 (not counting Childress, Duncomb) -- and 4th on a total rebound basis at 121 - 2nd in blocks - 2.3 and 3.3 Why go out of your way to be dismissive about how impactful he is? If you think that Merrimack reference is how he'll do this season, I'm happy to set up a real money bet with you my friend. And you left out 15 and 7 against Wyoming in the tourney...

On the plus side of this question, we’re deep with top veterans, TJD, Race and X, with strong returning soph-junior potential star level players, Bates, Geronimo and 6th-man type in Galloway, and 5-star incomers at point/combo guard and the front court, JHS and Ren, along with a consistent vet 3-point shooter (but who should shoot more) in Kopp. On the other we’re not deep on the wing / outside shooting, may still be a weakness unless Bates has a soph jump (i think he will), JG expands his outside shooting, and Kopp shoots more with more movement added with JHS. I hope Woodson pushes the perimeter game. What I don’t want to see is just running the same starters every game as vets, we have genuine elite depth, it’s real, need to use it and the versatility that guys like JG and Bates bring has so much more potential

I think we’ll be seeing this lineup regardless of starters. I love the upside of TJD, JG, X and JHS, and can see Kopp having more impact with that 2 on ball group. It’s up to Bates to take that real frosh to soph step, i think he will, if he does that lineup with him is so explosive

We’re definitely going into the season with expectations. Fun season coming

I mean SERIOUSLY TJD Race X JG Bates Galloway Hood-Schifino Reneau Banks Gunn Kopp Leal Duncan We ARE loaded.

Yeah, who says bad news drops on Fridays? :)

OK, we're going to be good :)

Yeah completely agree, but as of now he has to self-quarantine and the interviews were cancelled. I'm unclear if he'll still be able to set up individual/team workouts before the deadline, hope he can.

There's maybe something of a silver lining in this for TJD. Having to miss the 5v5 and the individual workouts/interviews because he has to isolate, while missing out on feedback, may mean he gets some more attention from teams during/after next season (highly likely he'll be back now imo) who didn't get to evaluate him now.

Seriously, if both Bates and JG take that real step up we’re going to be very good

He was selected but can’t participate

It is basically a positive -- he hasn't ever been considered a likely first-rounder, but getting selected reflects interest.

His getting selected to the 5v5 shows a level of potential draft interest.

I certainly do not think you have belittled or denied Galloway's value, and agree with Stu it's more that you and 2017 just don't think he'll be as good -- without a jumper -- as others such as Bates will be. But I do think you're discounting the contributions he has shown he brings on both ends (especially defensively) while overvaluing the need for him to shoot from deep. He'd be better all-around for sure if he could hit well from deep. But his contribution to wins, when healthy, is beyond clear, and has already been covered in this thread. He plays similar to another point, when he's on the floor the ball moves better, we score more effectively, and the overall D is clearly better. A few stats to add to the mix -- Assists per 100 Poss: he was 3rd on team at 5.1 (excluding Lander and Leal who barely played) the other 2 are X and Rob - so he assisted behind the two points. Steals per 100 Poss: he was 1st (excluding Duncomb). His D including lane reads is strong. FG% 4th (excluding Childress and Duncomb). Behind only TJD, Race and JG. Points per 100 Poss: 6th (excluding Duncomb, Lander, Childress) Win shares: 7th On the other hand, the stats also show areas he needs to improve on, beyond 3-point shooting, including Boards per 100 - last on team. That's kind of surprising to me but it's accurate. TO's per 100 - 3.8, 3rd highest on team (excluding the usuals). Like JG, he has to improve his handle. FT 65% - that's a real need https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/indiana/2022.html

^^ I think Trey's positive impact on both sides of the ball and to the team's competitiveness is clear. How many minutes he gets next year is to an extent up in the air with the incoming guys and developing impact of JG etc. but I can't see any conceivable way he's playing less than 18-22 barring injury, he makes the team better. Adding a decent jumper, and again I really don't think it needs to be from the arc, would increase his impact and imo would make him a genuinely dynamic player -- and kind of like early Troy, getting his drives from the wing/baseline under control would also bring a new level to his game. I'd bet on at least the latter this season, he is a hell of a player and you have to love his fire.

I’d personally like to see him work more on a Derozan - type game. He shot like 19 percent from deep so far. I’m always for development but that’s a big gap to fill and he has that twitch to his shot that he’ll need to re-work out of his form and that adds difficulty. But as quick as he is with the ball he can get to spots fast, think an elbow jumper, a bank shot, floater, and sideline shot would be better to focus on for his game - jmo

Good writeup. If he were a pg he could get away with not developing his shot. There are a few guys out there who are so good defensively and bring that toughness and ability to score in transition and at the rim that shooting from the wing isn’t necessary to their games but they’re so much the exception. Trey helps the team despite his shooting, we’re better with him on the floor, but man if he can just develop a serviceable jumper, even a good 2-pointer, his impact would soar.

So Tom Crean may be 'wierd' (lol, yeah), but he is an all-around classy guy / former coach. And here, he's about as dead on right as it gets. Nice to see

Sort of. As Race came in after reclassifying he was young and his body was nowhere near ready for B1G basketball. The pics of him when he committed vs. the next summer are pretty telling. He was definitely a good redshirt candidate, and it clearly worked out well, he emerged his junior year -- besides the redshirt aspect, it's a strong example of why helping players develop and continuing to invest in them, instead of giving up on them and/or belittling them after their frosh season, is worthwhile. I get really tired of reading people's negative throw-away comments on players during and after their frosh seasons, when the signs of how they could develop are all there.

Yeah people forget Race re-classed and then redshirted

In the NBA the "3" and "2" are effectively the same position just on opposite sides of the floor. College ball has been moving in that direction, along with the whole 'positionless' ball concept which is to bring in more versatile, mobile players who can cross-play, play outside, handle the ball some, shoot, and score inside.

If TJD could even show consistent mid-range / elbow shooting he’d be an easy first rounder. Don’t see him being drafted now, but whether another year at IU or the G League or overseas makes the best sense for him is his own personal decision. Still, regardless of what this guy says or the outlook generally on seniors getting drafted, he could def come back and show steady shooting and seriously boost his shot at an NBA career, but that would require him to show shooting and step outside his comfort zone to do so

Couldn't agree more with this assessment and like the Franklin comparison from frosh to soph. Bates is flat out more talented than Franklin, and you don't go 40% in your junior and senior years of HS ball and not be able to transition to good shooting in college. Do think he'll get there, he has boatloads of talent.

I tend to agree though with the add that Geronimo's continuing growth / maximizing his potential is at least equally important, he's a beast. Bates has the ability to make a big time jump, and brings a much more diverse game than Kopp. I remain hopeful / optimistic on Galloway, who brings that improve-everyone-around-him game, we do tend to play better as a team and the ball moves better when he's on the floor -- but he also needs to improve his out-of-control baseline drives and his shooting. - Also, in some ways the Galloway / Geronimo discussion reminds me of the old Sheehey / Vic discussions. Galloway has a lot (imo) of Sheehey in his game, the guy other teams don't like/don't want defending them.

That and Langford suffered that hand injury. We'll never know just how good he could have been for IU without that injury, but yeah, that team he joined was flawed