IU Prof

Would our well-heeled donors be willing to pay Oats' buyout if he were interested in the job? He's a Midwestern guy, and has won big at every stop. The fact he knew IU could very well come open, but still agreed to a new contract with Alabama makes me think he's not interested. But if he were willing to come, he'd check most of the boxes Dolson said he was looking for.

If Beard ends up being the guy, we'd better put a similarly massive buyout in the contract should he ever leave for Texas.

Yes and no. I'd still hire him because he's the best candidate for the job. But I lost a lot of respect for the guy with that performance at the press conference. So I'd be much less enthused about it today than I would have been yesterday. If he views himself as a ma$$hole, I have no reason to root for his success anywhere other than IU.

I get the recruit deportation thing, not a great look. But aside from that, what has he done? There haven't been any major sanctions against the program under his watch.

This board is really sleeping on Scott Drew. The rebuild he undertook at Baylor was beyond anything anyone has ever taken on before. And he built it into a national power. I get people think he's sleezy, but the NCAA has been all over that program and never found anything meaningful that he's done wrong. Plus he's an Indiana guy to boot.

I immediately thought the same thing re Beard when I saw that. If anything, Drew fits that description much better. That having been said, I do think some are understating how good Beard is. This team is very young, only one senior on the roster. His recruiting is also much more national than I would have expected, with only a few Texas kids on the roster. And he's also proven adept at identifying impact transfers that fit his system, which is likely to prove to be an important skill moving forward.

After sleeping on it, I believe two things. First, anyone holding out hope that this is all part of some elaborate ruse will ultimately be sorely disappointed. Second, like others, I lost a lot of respect for Stevens due to his performance at the press conference today. Frankly, he came off as a bit pathetic. The pandering to a fan base that wants your head on a stick isn't some kind of Machiavellian, next-level genius thing. It was just an awkward dude trying to fit in. That having been said, he's still a great coach and would have been the ideal fit had he wanted to come. But he doesn't. So on to the next one.

The problem with inside info is that it's only as good as the source. Just like recruiting info that comes from the program, it is likely true that IU felt really good about where it stood. But unless you are hearing similar things from the other side, outcomes like this are always possible.

If you think this stings now, just wait until the Celtics fire him in two years and he agrees to replace Coach K at Duke...

Yeah, if Stevens is as upstanding as everyone says, it's hard to imagine him being that definitive if he thinks he's going to take the job.

Yes and no. A deal like this is usually agreed to verbally with a term sheet outlining the parameters of the deal. You then negotiate the final contract after the deal is announced. So one of two things is happening: 1) IU has agreed to everything Stevens has asked for, and now he is deciding whether to go or not. 2) Stevens has agreed to the terms, and is negotiating his exit with the Celtics (which could be more involved in terms of agreeing to the final written contract before the deal is official). Hopefully we're waiting for #2, not #1.

Agreed. My concern all along has been that the IU side of this is overly confident, and thus the leaks aren't completely representative of where things stand. Not doubting the insiders at all, and appreciate all they bring, just tempering my enthusiasm until we see some smoke from a non-IU source.

Was thinking back to the discussion yesterday about why Stevens is such a desirable candidate, and it hit me. He's basically Bobby Knight minus the temper issues. Not trying to stir up an RMK debate, but the next level coaching mind, focus on academics, etc. While no coach is perfect, Stevens is basically the perfect coach.

I was wondering if Stevens would want to avoid playing Butler...

Agreed, but he's still a complete toolbox. At some point the costs outweigh the benefits.

One interesting thing I read today about Stevens' time at Butler is that he said that he would never recruit a one-and-done, with the only exception possibly being someone who promised to finish his degree. Will be interesting to see if that carries over to IU. Of course, if the one-and-done rule is revoked as expected, it might not matter.

I'd add to this the fact that Stevens hasn't squashed the idea publicly over the last day and a half as the rumors continue to build -- like he did in 2017 -- along with the fact that no one else has been linked to the job in the press in the last few days.

Personally, I could care less when the official announcement is. I'm just eagerly anticipating some word breaking on the Celtics/NBA side of things. That would show that this smoke isn't just on the IU side of things. Give me a Woj bomb...

I was also thinking that if you read through Dolson's comments, they fit Stevens to a T. The talk about hiring a CEO of the program, someone with his pulse on where the game is headed, etc. Stevens would check every description of what Dolson said he is looking for, in ways that some other candidates (Beard, for instance) would not.

It's crazy, if not scary, to think of how Stevens would change the perception of this program overnight if he comes. IU would immediately become the It team, for recruits, ESPN, etc., up there with UK and Duke. With his NBA pedigree, Stevens would have his pick of 5 star talent, and could also skim the cream of the Indiana HS pipeline every year to fill in around the 5 stars with outstanding, four-year type program guys. I realize this is all just stating the obvious, but wow, if this actually happens, the sky's the limit.

I can't see a scenario in which the Celtics would try to force Stevens to stay past this year if he tells them he wants out. That would be a horrible idea for any number of reasons. I'm thinking the future NBA rights is probably one big sticking point, and timing being the other (does he finish out the season or not). Edit: It's also possible the Celtics try to match/throw more $$ at Stevens to entice him to stay, although that seems less likely given the recent extension.

Another HSN transplant and first time poster here. Love all the insider info. There's way too much smoke here from multiple people for there not to be something going on. My only fear at this point is all the positive news is coming from IU's side, it would appear, so if the IU folks are misreading the situation then we could be in for a disappointment. I'd love to see something from the Celtics/NBA side of things to corroborate.