Papacap

We have fallen so low that yes, making the ncaa is cause for celebration. And as delusional as I am for thinking that IU would make a change (when we have always let coaches hang on too long so why stop now?,), some IU fans are delusional that the program is fine and just a player or two away from competing for a title. Heck, I know some IU fans who think if IU plays this Saturday, IU will make the tourney this year. I have lost hope that a change will be made this year. Too many people have lost sight of what good performance is.

I agree we’ve underperformed but I’m shocked at how many of my friends say, we did great his first two years so let’s see what happens. And people call me not a “true fan” because I say barely making the tournament the first year and winning one NCAA game the second year with two NBA draft picks on it isn’t good. And it’s not just the record. It’s the entire direction of the program. Maybe IU will offer an online course “Sit back and take it: How to be a true IU fan”

I truly don’t get why Woodson said what he did about fans. Zero upside to it. If the dude was a teenager, I get lashing out at people. No discipline. But he thought about that speech and still said that. Not some off the cuff remark in the heat of the moment. Dude talks a good game. Has not delivered anything someone making his money should deliver.

We get what we tolerate. I can’t see how they can get rid of him now. Just too many instances of tolerating poor performance. It’s in the administration’s blood. The next few years of IU basketball is going to depend on the freakin portal.

What I want to know is, if donors have that much influence, why are IU’s big donors so clueless? 20 years of crap and here we are. Next year. That’s when the magic happens.

MSU is not a good team. Very soft for an Izzo team.

1) pinky promise to make the tournament next year. Any tournament. BTT works. 2) learn the names of recruits. Or just create cool nicknames for them like big dog or set shot. 3) hire an astrologer and rename the team Pisces.

Going with IU plus 3.5 today. Galloway may be playing his last game at AH, so let’s do this.

Haha, exactly. It’s funny to me. I see (not a lot here but on other social media) that IU is going to have a ton of PT and NIL money to get the players, so next year, Woodson is going to rock. The problem with that is, players need to want to, you know, play for Woodson. If we have a bunch of players leave, for whatever reason, along with zero incoming freshman, you don’t think that raises red flags? You know what players like to do? Win. Could Woodson recruit a group of players and compete for a Big 10 title next year? Sure. But it’s wishful thinking to count on that yet we are.

What? Not sure how you are defining modern times, but no school with an elite program, whether it’s basketball or football, would put up with what’s gone on at IU. I live in Georgia and if UGA had two years of 7-5, that coach is gone. And no one would blame the fans. IU fans have actually put up with too much mediocrity. If anything IU fans don’t have high enough expectations.

This. Some of my “on the fence about Woodson” friends talk about last year like IU won the Big 10 or made some deep run in the tourney. It was an OK year. But we also had two NBA draft picks after all. IU fans are so used to bad performance that anything that doesn’t suck is celebrated.

Assuming Woodson is the coach next year, do I A) Hope we nail the portal and make the tourney next year? B) Hope we flop and don’t even make the BTT next year? B seems better long term. But damn it would be hard to do.

What’s amazing about this is, sometimes I hear the argument for not wanting to change coaches is because of how it might affect our current players and incoming recruits. Well, there will never be a time that making a change would have this little potential for player disruption. The first time I became a manager at my company, I had a poor performing employee. I asked my boss for guidance. He said, in all his career, he never fired someone too soon. It’s always later than he should have. After 35 year with that company, it was 100% true. And these folks weren’t making $4.5 million a year to not perform. I didn’t like firing people. But it was my job to ensure good performance.

And he is so glad he made the right decision.

What honestly sucks is, some people were afraid that a new coach would set us back so let’s give Woodson next year and see. And now with McNeeley gone, If Woodson doesn’t get good portal players, and current players like MR, JG, and MM hit the portal, we really may be worse than Crean’s first year. And we still have Woodson! I asked a couple of days ago, what is the objective performance basis for keeping Woodson. Haven’t seen it. This is straight dereliction of duty by IU.

See, that’s where Woodson is playing 4D chess. While other programs are getting HS players and developing them, Woodson is cleaning house to get portal guys who are grown @$$ men. I’ll bet Woodson called McNeeley and said, son, decommit cuz you ain’t getting PT here next year.

What sucks is, after the announcement yesterday, I was gonna smash the under in wins for next year as soon as futures came out. Now, that number is gonna drop. But regardless, still going under. Unless there is a coaching change. Which there won’t be because IU’s brain trust doesn’t realize IU is a bottom 10% P5 athletic department.

Man. One of the things I saw people who say to keep Woodson was, he has McNeeley coming in so add in a couple of guards and we can compete for a Big 10 title. I thought that was delusional but not impossible. But hey, we beat 3 shitty teams in a row, so it’s all good, amirite?

If it’s true and IU keeps Woodson, it just confirms what people outside the IU fan base know: IU is a bottom P5 sports school and basically irrelevant nationally. And before people bring up any non-revenue sports IU is good in, there are two sports 95% of fans care about. And IU has been a non factor in both the last two decades, save a season or two. I think it’s been so long since IU basketball really mattered that people have just come to expect incompetence. And IU doesn’t disappoint.

If IU decides to keep Woodson, I offer free services for the press release. Mike Woodson will be the coach at IU next year. He is the right man for the job. We will be making some minor changes. 1) We will hire an assistant who knows the college game to help with game plan, adjustments and player development. Because it’s one area where Mike needs help. 2) We will hire someone to help with high school recruiting. Developing relationships with coaches and players. Again, not one of Mike’s strong suits. 3) We will hire someone to navigate the portal and NIL. It’s an area where Mike needs assistance. In all other facets of the game, Mike is on point. We are looking forward to a great 2024-2025 season.

Nest year, after a mass exodus of players, IU ends up 5 games under .500 and Woodson will say, given our player situation, it was a good year. And IU will give him an extension.

I live in Georgia and there are quite a few IU fans where I live. Most don’t pay attention to IU fan sites or forums. When I mentioned that chatter is Woodson may be gone, most were surprised. But not one said, why would they do that? I don’t know anyone who would be upset he was fired. There are some who wouldn’t be as pissed as others if he returned. But those are also fans who have come to the conclusion that IU isn’t serious about basketball so are apathetic at this point.

I would really like to know how, other than wishful thinking, anyone who has decision-making ability could still believe Woodson is the right man for the job. What objective results are they basing that belief on? Let’s assume that IU could get Pearl. If there are people within IU who would rather keep Woodson than hire Pearl, I’d like to see their reasoning. Loyalty to an IU legend is a poor reason.

This point from Kathywithac 4. If he remains, Woody will shake up his staff is one that I don’t get. This is not a slam on Kathywithac. Just my opinion on this overall. Hey, the program is sucking wind, so the answer is, shake up the staff and keep the HC? This isn’t a situation where Woody has a track record so needs a new assistant to help with something specific. Like a football coach who gets a new special teams coach because they suck at it. Staff turnover while keeping Woody is simply kicking the can and would show that IU is a second rate athletic department.