DWB

What's a shot fake? I can only remember one in the last 4 years, and that was a head fake from Brunk under the basket. Still can't remember a pass fake either... Imagine what a good pass fake could do for a real shooter...

Fife was on AJ's podcast recently and stated that Woody has already taught him (and the team) so much about the "game". Assuming that's true, I think we could be pleasantly surprised by the results this year. We beat a semi-pro team twice that was bigger, stronger, and known for its 3 pt shooting. We didn't shut them down, but there were very few uncontested shots. I've heard multiple players and coaches talk about team scrimmages, and how the 2nd unit beat the first on more than one occasion. To me that indicates we're REALLY deep, with little, if any fall off in talent and skill. I also believe Woody will not hesitate to substitute whenever necessary to get the most productive team on the floor. Unlike what we had to endure for the past several years of the exact same starting line ups, and wholesale subs at the 16:00 minute time out, no matter if a player was red hot, he was coming out. I even remember throwing things at the TV when Crean did the same thing. A guy got hot, and Crean yanked him. I doubt if we'll see that kind of rotation under Woody. Wouldn't be surprised to see several different starting lineups, depending on the opponents either, instead of the same ol'-same ol' lineup every game. It was obvious to most of us that a kid had earned his Candy Stripes in the previous game, only to be relegated to the bench. Tough to stay motivated like that. Every player I've heard has said the same thing..."you have to earn your minutes". Man...I'm getting pumped to see what these guys are capable of. Go Hoosiers!

Just listened to the HH podcast with Jakai plus his parents. Like Leal's, Bates' and many others, his family is awesome, and he's a great kid. Very mature for a 16 yr old at this point. BUT...the interesting tidbit that came out in the interview is that Jakai just decided 2-3 months ago to concentrate on BBall. He's this good as a sophomore in HS, and he hasn't really focused on it like most others have by now. To me...that makes for a very high ceiling for the kid. And he's perfect for the culture that Woody's trying to instill.

Who the hell is Tom Brew? I've never heard of him. Sounds like he's about as well known as me....and I'm a nobody.

No problem. You must have accessed the story before they put the pay-wall up. Like I said, it's no big deal, just a little inconvenient. All's good.

Listened to Goodman's interview with Woody yesterday, and Woody gave a pretty good shout out to Kristian. Said he's making big jumps in the quality of his play. Still think he'll be the 3rd PG, but I bet he gets more than 4 minutes a game this year when all is said and done.

There's only 2...right?

I don't have any inside info, but I gotta believe it's between us and AL. And hopefully, we offer a much broader experience with the campus, education choices and quality, and BBall. I have a tough time putting Oats on the same level with Woody, especially for those trying to get to the NBA. Girl quality is probably a wash between the 2 schools. AL is closer to home, but he previously stated that wasn't a big deal. It's still 6 hours from SC to U of AL. And you have to go thru Atlanta, which could add another 2-3 hours.

And the scalpers. Stub Hub already has them. Friend of mine bot tickets for us for the OSU game already.

Hope you're right about guys hanging around longer. I wonder how Isiah and other NChamps compare the college championship to the pro championship. Which one do they remember most? The college NC because it was their first? Or the NBA one? I also wonder if any of the former players have discussed any of that with current players, like TJD going pro early. Isiah had to take care of his family financially and all, but he still got a NCAA NC under his belt first.

OK...you guys disagree with me, and that's all good. I come from a different generation of value assessment I guess. But comparing $100 balcony ticket for a game is one thing. For a ½-a$$ practice, show-time event is quite another. I just don't see how you can justify charging $50 (my estimate) to attend something like that. I applaud the effort to get the players some pocket money, but disagree with trying to get them enough $$$ to fully fund their retirement accts...

Just took a peek at the Hoosier Fanfest website this morning and drilled down to the events. In order to a fan to participate in the events with players, there is an auction for you to bid on that priviledge. Not a bad idea. BUT...the starting bid for most of the events is $100. Sorry, but that is outrageous IMO. If the bidding goes up that high from a lower starting point, that's fine, but to start it at $100 completely eliminates 90% of the people who would normally bid. I listened to the HH guys last night on their follow up podcast, and they had every opportunity to announce the admission price and actually made a comment they didn't want to do so until tickets went on sale on Friday. With the starting bids for the auction, I can only imagine the Gen Adm will be looney tunes as well. They didn't even say WHERE you could buy tickets online. There's no link in the Hoosier Fanfest website to buy tickets, at least that I saw. I was planning on driving up from SC for the event, but now I doubt it.

I'm sure you're right about more people wanting to see TJD in person. But honestly, I'd really like to get a good look at the 2nd string to actually see how deep we really are. I love Leal & Galloway because of their hustle and loyalty to the program. I've never seen Logan play other than a few highlights. (saw TJD in person at Peach Jam in SC a few years ago). I'd like to see how Big Mike does against TJD. But that's just me.

If you read further, it states that it will not be split evenly, but based on better players vs those at the end of the bench. (Maybe I'm wrong about an even split, but that's the way I feel for this type of event)

Haven't seen this article posted yet. Has a few more "details" on the event (not many, but some) https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/iu-basketball-players-will-cash-in-from-new-hoosier-fan-fest-event.php I have mixed feelings about how the money is getting split among the players. Seems kind of arbitrary to me. Who makes the decision? Pankowski & friend? Cuban? Coach? Lottery? what? Personally I think the players should split it evenly. TJD, Scoop, Miller, etc have all shown they can get deals on their own, but the guys who work just as hard, and prepare the starters for games are important too IMO. For this type of event I'd like to see "crop sharing". 1:1 deals are a different animal.