TTT

Guard the xxxx three ball

A really interesting player. After reading some things about her it seems she has characteristics as that are consistent with IU Ladies basketball culture….Hard worker….and thoughtful in recruiting process. IU Ladies could really use the depth. Question is would she be willing to come off the bench and playing a lot (20 to 25 minutes…maybe more minutes depending on performance)?? Thinking about (a few teams like UCONN for example) that’s kinda what they have on bench and incoming recruits in their programs. Not that many programs but those at the top every year or most years factoring in injuries and etc. IU Ladies need another big girl from transfer portal as well…6’4” that can play some or a little for next year.

20-21 multiple tears in both knees=3 surgeries.

The Regular Season Big Ten Conference Champ or any Regular Season Conference Champ is about 3 or 4 months, 15 or 16 weeks, 60 to 90 days, and 25 or 26 games more Prestigious than Big Ten Tournament Champ or any Conference Tournament Champ.

IU played in slow motion mentally and physically

Purdue 84 Penn State 69 Z. E. 40 points

IU Midgets struggled to get a defensive rebound

NIT 1979

March 21, 1979 NIT Woodson, Tolbert, Butch Carter hits a 20 footer with 4 seconds left to give IU 53 to 52 win (first shot IU took in like nearly 7 minutes to go in game) over Joe Barry Carroll and Purdue coach Lee Rose. Last 16 seconds of game 6 time outs were called…4 timeouts by IU.

If you search blog archives of IU men’s basketball comments for most of the 21st century (and football as well) the names of coaches and players have changed….but the comments have pretty much remained the same

Actually, if Holmes is playing no one outside program (fans) won’t really know anything until observing her play in game to game and as competition gets more difficult.

Holmes and Berger both 5 star recruits. Parrish was a 5 star at about the 8th best player in the country.

It’s more than just swelling to come down…at very least it impacts practice, confidence, strength, stamina, and in tournament playing with day between games. Even sweet 16 will be tough and then competition level increases. Holmes played well against MSU but OSU even and I am not trained in that area and know nothing…she was kind of skipping around at times very gingerly. In a late season game she looked really tired but she played very well. T. Moren in a pre big ten tournament interview looked exhausted like worrisome (my take), and right before OSU game made statement that IU Ladies were going to have to get a lot more from L.M. (Just my take)…At the very least its just a bummer because of such a high level Holmes was playing. I did see comment about Holmes “gutting it out playing on one leg”…The only reason OSU beat IU and coaching staff was trying face reality right in middle of game to figure or not figure it out.

If Iowa is not a number 1 seed they are rewarding teams for season in total vs tournament. IU drops one spot and Iowa with 6 losses vs VT with 4 losses. A way to create controversy, interest, debate. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if Iowa replaced VT as a number 1 seed. If current brackets were to hold IU Ladies would be in an excellent position. Especially if Holmes were to be at her best. I think it’s a mystery situation with Holmes. Could it be the reason that coaching looked poorly vs Ohio State press…was because coaches and players were trying to cover up for whatever is going on with Holmes while continuing to let her play (rather than going with 5 guards the whole game).

Of course I wanted IU Ladies to win vs Ohio State. However, there is a mystery surrounding Holmes in my opinion. And without her being able to go in typical healthy Holmes fashion though the Ohio State loss was bad and it hurt….playing a Iowa team hitting on all cylinders maybe the Ohio State loss wasn’t such a bad loss in the overall scheme of things.

My take on Clark: Hear all kinds of both, positive and negative on Clark. Yes, she makes mistakes that is overcome by how GREAT a player she is. Clark has not only mastered her basketball skills but has also mastered psychological skills as well (all of her floppy, complaining to refs and everything else she does to compete for any kind of edge she can get just like anything, really…cards, boxing greats, politics etc etc etc) plus I am sure she gets dogged on as well. Overall, it’s worked well for her and Iowa and she has the guts to be the way she is. So if she gets away with so called different things, why not do it. If she is on your team or side you probably love her.

That would be a Ladies Big Ten Basketball Dream.

The argument is who is the best conference in women basketball? Answer: Big Ten Conclusion: Big Ten Regular Season Champs with some really excellent wins = # 1 Seed. Conclusion: Big Ten Tournament Champs back to back on a winning streak with some really good wins over coming earlier losses with a dominant player = # 1 Seed.

The big ten tournament seems to be circling all the way back to pre season predictions with Iowa on top. IU Ladies were pre-season 2nd and/or 3rd pick and great during the regular season with a Big Ten Championship.

I think there is a high probability of a sweet sixteen. There could be more to it rather than off and running. A major concern is Holmes that could linger. Also noted: Ohio State shot 3 ball in first half and hardly any effort to rebound ball and seemed pretty content with that. Then, it became really apparent that Holmes was not her healthy self in a lot of ways… Of course things changed in half number two.

Regardless of what happens in March Madness Tournament IU Ladies at 27 wins and 3 losses and at worst will be 27 and 4 and realistically 28, 29, or 30 and 4 are an excellent top ten team in the country (in reality all except a couple or three teams fluctuate in the top dozen or so in rankings and who are the best in this era). In IU Ladies situation now there is the Holmes situation (and maybe others as T.Moren eluded to…besides Brown not sure what she was referring to). It won’t be known much about any injury issues as T. Moren keeps any kinds of issues and circumstances inside the program. Even Iowa was kind of ugly and Ohio State was uglier…Not long ago ECSTATIC would describe this kind of season. Now, with winning and what this IU Ladies basketball program has become is a testament from (comments about performance) to it’s EXPECTATIONS in the second decade of the 21st century of IU Ladies basketball.

LSU blows 17 point lead to lose to Tennessee

Agree. If Holmes gets a couple more blocks today, and able to defend better scores her season average, gets a couple more rebounds and available and active for OSU press, and able to come up with a couple more 5050 balls. IU Ladies win by 10 or more. And today Holmes wasn’t able to do so. That’s what Holmes was able to do almost all season. That’s why she is elite all American type player.

Sadly this may be an issue for Holmes the rest of the way. It’s equivalent to a Scott May or Kent Benson injury type thing for IU Ladies. IU Ladies can still get to the sweet 16 but all bets are off getting to final 4. Rest will definitely help but it could be a tough barrier to hurdle. Holmes was hitting like 70% from the field and currently her stability to get off the floor reminds me of when she came back last year. Just not the same. And yes a healthy Holmes at near or at her best she would have been available and active for OSU press defense like she was during the season. IU Ladies are not able to replace that and OSU smelled blood in the water.

And healthy Holmes at her best which she has been money most of the year. Unable to be a dominant factor in this game and OSU figured that out. It was really obvious.