AH1971

You didn't really think Reneau and Ballo were going to play 35 mpg together simultaneously did you? Even before Goode entered the picture that was never going to be the case.

Think you'll see extended stretches with Ballo/Reneau as the only big and Goode/Mgbako as the 3/4. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing either. I still expect the staff to land an emergency 5 in case Ballo or Reneau go down, but the way things are shaking out, Ballo and Reneau will likely start together and then see their minutes staggered.

I think most of Torvik's projections are based on efficiency and Purdue returns a bunch of efficient players. What Torvik's model doesn't factor is that a lot of those players were efficient for one reason; Edey. Going to find out real quick the dynamic of that team when Edey is no longer A, B, and C on the scouting report (See the national title game). In all honesty, Painter has completely elevated the floor of that program. I think they'll take a step back this year and rightfully so, but they'll still have a high floor and don't foresee them falling completely off that map.

Or Purdue at 5

3 out of the 4 Final Four teams highest usage player was that teams 5 (Edey, Clingan, Burns). Playing through the post does NOT mean throw the ball down low and not ever see it come back out. Jesus people!!!

Because Ballo isn’t that type of player.

He shot 44% from the field and 56% from the line. 10 points on 9 shots for a lead guard is terrible. There’s no sugarcoating that.

lol, they have not shot 3’s at a higher clip. Going 11-30 (XJ) or 14-39 (Cupps) over the course of a 35 game season is not shooting at a higher clip, percentages be damned. No sense in wasting time arguing with somebody who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Our 5 core back court players last year made 77 combined 3’s. Carlyle and Rice made 62 and Carlyle missed 10 games, all as first year players. We didn’t shoot 3’s at a high clip last year because everybody not named Mgbako couldn’t hit a high clip if they tried.

Because IU needs a shooter off the bench and someone to space the floor when they inevitably go with one big. You’re not ever going to have an 8-9 man rotation all average double figures.

I guess we just have differing definitions of playmaking. Will concede that Trey had good facilitating numbers but 10 points on 9 shots shooting 26/56 from 3/FT is awful to put it bluntly, out of a lead guard no less. He was subpar finishing at the rim and even worse when teams made him earn it. Was not a threat to shoot from the perimeter or in PnR. And he was the best back court player we had which says a lot. Ballo will definitely get paint touches, but his points and shots will come off lobs in PnR action and off drive and dumps just like they did at Arizona. He’ll likely score more off the glass than anything. But I think it’s paranoia at this point to suggest Woodson’s offense is going to revolve entirely around Ballo like it did TJD/Ware the last three seasons. He’s just not that kind of player.

He recruited Caleb Love and Knecht in the portal last year. He had a verbal from the best shooting prospect in the country. But more importantly than just shooting, he’s recognized the need for playmaking guards.

Nobody is missing anything. When you’re hamstrung by a group of guards that collectively stink, you’re limited in what you can run efficiently. I don’t know how or why that is so hard for some people to understand? Now that blame lies squarely on Woodson and the staff and it shouldn’t have taken hair on fire to properly correct it, but expecting IU to be an efficient, volume 3 point shooting team with the backcourt personnel IU’s had the last few seasons isn’t living in reality. There is a big influx in talent coming next year paired with a big that compliments their style of play. There’s no excuse next year, it’s either going to change or he isn’t going to have a job. Those are his options.

Because he’s had one guard (Kopp) who could be categorized as a shooter in 3 years who could shoot consistently on any kind of volume. Don’t over think this one man.

We also started Cupps and Galloway for 75% of the season last year.

Lol that was a dig at Tony Bennett more than anything but props to you for having that kind of free time.

No need to be confused. Pretty clear Woodson's offense has been tailored to its personnel and we knew that'd be the case the first two seasons with TJD. Year 3 rolls around and he whiffed in getting some of the high impact guard transfers he targeted and bet on Galloway and Johnson being better than any tier 2 or 3 options. It clearly backfired. But given the personnel IU rolled with last year, I'm not sure how or even why you would have even wanted IU to play a more perimeter-oriented offense?? Imagine Ware and Reneau each taking 2-3 less shots a game with those shots going to Galloway, Cupps, Johnson, etc from the perimeter? But he substantially upgraded the back court this season and it's more than plausible to see a new look that tailors to the new personnel. Rice and Carlyle did not come to IU to dribble the ball up the court and pass it down low to Ballo and Reneau 30-35 times a game and stand around the perimeter. I will assure you of that and no amount of money changes that. Those two both have legit NBA aspirations that go out the window playing that style of basketball. These guys aren't stupid.

I just can't fathom an argument where you'd advocate a collection of Galloway, Cupps, Xavier Johnson (when healthy), and Anthony Leal shooting MORE three pointers than they already did. Did we watch the same team last year? It was painful watching any of those guys shoot the ball and more times than not, they were wide open. And for reason, THEY CAN'T SHOOT. Mgbako was the only playing on the team I felt comfortable with shooting the ball.

This kid is a 3/4 tweener 3 point specialist; he's not banging down low.

Correct. It's why he assembled this roster. It's his last chance.

Like no longer starting a PG(s) with 23 and 24% TOV rates? A lead 2 guard who shot 26% from 3 on low volume? You know just a miserable back court in general?

You've been screaming for the last 24 hours that there's no way to have a top 15 KenPom offense with a team whose volume 3 point shooters shoot sub 40% from distance..... You're wrong by a mile.

Projections for Mgbako and Carlyle aren't anything out of the ordinary for an expected sophomore jump based on last years numbers. Neither are Rice's either once you stop box score watching.

Miller Kopp's per 40 min attempts were very comparable at both schools with the exception of his sophomore year in a season where Northwestern went 8-23. Xavier Johnson attempted more 3's at Pitt on teams that went 14-19, 16-17, and 10-12. It's almost as if Xavier Johnson taking more 3 pointers is a detriment to a teams success??? You won't find many Pitt fans who were said to see him go.

If you are inferring Rice, that's fine if you want to operate on the assumption that his shooting numbers aren't going to improve at all. I'm not however. Have seen enough tape to know that his shot is pure and shot at a very successful clip for a first year player for the first 80% of the season before a massive 6-7 game slump that can be explained by a multitude of reasons.

UConn finished #1 in KenPom offensive efficiency this last year with their top 3 volume shooters per game numbers looking like this: Cam Spencer: 2.5/5.6 44% Tristen Newton: 1.8/5.5 32% Alex Karaban: 2.1/5.5 38% collectively: 6.4/16.6 38.5% It's not far off from MY baseline projections of our expected volume 3 point shooters: Mgbako: 2.5/6 40% Carlyle: 2/5.5 36% Rice: 1.5/5 35% collectively 6/16.5 36%