IUFAN1976

I hope this team has a better result. I do know this, we better play with focus, effort and determination because Rutgers will. The crowd should help!

That was ridiculous! I’m glad we won but not really a good win. When you are up that many points with less than 8 minutes to go, you don’t let them back into the game. We only won by 5. Freaking horrible! I thought Woodson should have called a TO when Minnesota cut it to 15. The Syracuse game wasn’t that long ago.

Why does that message contradict itself. I read that he is back and is expected to play. I am sure if he gets in, he will only play limited minutes

I thought the same thing. We have to take care of Minnesota first to be able to set the stage for that one. I am glad it’s at Assembly Hall! I hope we match Rutgers energy, because they will bring it, but the crowd in Assembly Hall should help!

I read that, it is sad that the Basketball organization held them hostage and didn’t allow them to leave Ukraine. They also downplayed the urgency of the entire situation.

I think Race will be back for 2 reasons: 1) He’s really improved under CMW’s system which has allowed him to have more freedom and fun 2) He had aspirations of getting to the next level and he may think that another year under CMW’s system might just get him there.

We aren’t as bad as our 8-9 record in the B10 indicates as well as our overall record because the team that is 14-4 in the B10 and sits alone on top of the B10 we should have beaten twice. It goes to show you that we can compete with just about anyone in the country. Just saying and it is just my opinion.

Agree, this is another must win! The Barn is on of the toughest places to play for most teams. GO HOOSIERS!!!

One thing that you didn’t point out that it helped with is when TJD set a pick for X and once he turned the corner, it allowed him and Trayce to both go downhill and that puts a lot of pressure on the D and allows X to make a decision to take it to the hoop, toss it up for Trayce or pass it out to a wing. It seemed to work a lot in the 1st half of the Syracuse game but we haven’t seemed to use effectively since until the Maryland game. I like that offense myself, it gets X & Trayce going downhill and that plays to their strengths. I hope we see it more in the upcoming games, but it only works if Race moves away from the basket

I think we are all disappointed with the fact that TJD hasn’t developed the things you pointed out. If he had, this offense would flow much better with him in the lineup instead of being predictable.

I think When Leal comes he’s been decent, not great, but decent on the offensive end but he doesn’t seem to make any mistakes, which is critical because it allows Woodson to steal minutes while he’s in. Also, I think he’s made good improvement on the defensive end and he does play with good effort. If Leal wasn’t B10 caliber, CMW wouldn’t play him at all no matter how thin our depth is. I think we will continue to see him improve and by his senior year, he may even become a starter.

I say they win these last 2, then they are in regardless on what they do in the B10 tournament.

The stat guys will prove you wrong but I agree, we seem to be better when TJD is not on the floor. TJD is our best player but the ball seems to not move when he is in there, except for last night. When he makes his reads and decisions quick, the ball finally moved. Maybe in this new role of him being a facilitator, it was taking him awhile to learn and process which also reflected in his decision making on the floor. I think Race is much improved and has been our most consistent and steady player all year. Because TJD commands so many double teams, we really can’t say Race is better. I do think he’s been a better free throw shooter than Trayce and his rebounding has been more consistent than Trayce, especially in the B10. When the game is on the line to hit free throws to win a game, I would rather have Race than Trayce at the free throw line. Hitting Free throws are an important part of the game and it just doesn’t look like he takes them seriously or works on them, and that proved obvious in the two free throws he missed last night. Shooting free throws is about having good focus and a good repeatable routine. For example the guy who shot the tech free throws for Maryland shoots over 80%. After he made the first one, he hand slapped imaginary teammates, that was part of his routine. TJD needs to take free throw shooting more seriously than he does because when the game is on the line and he is at the free throw, I am crossing my fingers in hope that he hits them because I don’t have confidence that he will.

Nice win!!! A complete team win! By far X’s best game as a Hoosier all season. Hopefully that will give him a lot of confidence and he can continue this down the stretch. Also, I thought our player and ball movement was the best all season too. As a result, we scored 74 points and I believe we hit something like 13 shots in a row! Also, I read an article today that TJD has averaged 10 points per game over the last 10 games and he only got 10 today; therefore, make it the last 11 games. The only difference today is X and others stepped up. If he continues that kind of production the rest of the way, then X, Race, Kopp and others will have to continue to contribute offensively. Finally, I think Bates is getting much closer offensively, it’s only a matter of time that he will have a really big breakout game! Now We need a big win at Minnesota! GO HOOSIERS!!!

Must win, IMO! GO HOOSIERS!!!!

We had 3 in a row to be exact!

You are spot on with your assessment! I like TJD but with him not willing to take outside shots when he’s open or not being able to go right consistently and holding the ball in post for many seconds because he’s trying to read the defense or make a decision causes our offense to be stagnant, predictable and easy to guard. I listened to Podcast on The Brink and they said that when he watched the game at the Bahamas, they had a lot of ball movement and motion and that offense was what he thought we would have during the season and that hasn’t happened. Also, he stated exactly what you stated about that the offense moves better when TJD is on the bench and he used the OSU game in the 2nd half when we erased the deficit to take the lead and the PU game.

And doesn’t have any range or accuracy outside of 2 feet, he primarily just flings it in hopes his touch is soft enough for it to roll in. Force feeding TJD has lead to a very stagnant and less efficient offense

Thanks for correcting me, I know the ones I’ve seen have them in the 1st four out

That position doesn’t seem to be working

IU has played themselves out of most Bracketologists Brackets. Joe Lunardi still has them as 1 of the last 4 in. I really don’t see how. I think the next 3 games have to be must wins for sure and maybe get one win in the B10 tournament. If we lose 1 of the next 3, then we have to win 2 in the B10 tournament. Thoughts?

All valid statements that I can’t and won’t try to answer. The only thing I know is we can’t call for a new coach to be fired after 1 year. If that happens, we will have trouble landing any good coach. I know you have specific examples pertaining to our defense but I do know it’s our defense that is keeping us in games against good teams and it’s given us a chance to win those games. I can’t support our offense though, it does leave a lot to be desired. I figured we would run the motion offense since that what Woody played as a college player. Woodson did say the D was ahead of the O, maybe this is the best it gets his year. Maybe his O is too complex for these current players to grasp in 1 year. It does seem to be this O is centered around TJD, not a good fit for playing in the B10. X needs to quit shooting so much! I am not a fan and it would not bother me if he left after this year. Not showing a sense of urgency at the end of regulation and losing your man on D was indicative of how he has played this year. His head seems to easily wonder and he loses focus, just like when he fouled out and got a tech in the process. I still think he is bipolar

And it could be just a lack of execution too! I agree, the coach is ultimately responsible but the players have to execute too!

Exactly!!!

I only use Davis as an example because he pretty much single handily beat us down the stretch but probably too extreme of an example. We need a wing player when things break down he can get a decent shot off and he can takeover at times. OSU seems to have a couple in Liddell and now Branham. Purdue has Ivey, Wisky has Davis, Iowa has Murray, Rutgers has Harper, etc. I can point to about 75% of the teams ranked in the top 25 and I would bet each one has a guy on the wing who can create his own shot when the shot clock is winding down or at the end of the game when they need a bucket. I can remember a lot of the old teams at IU and they seem to have that guy or guys. Who on this team is it? Nobody! And that is not a crutch but a necessity with all good teams!