Shooter

4 guys who made All Big Ten this season were small school transfers. Lendeborg (POY), Stirtz, Boyd, Wilkerson. On top of that, plenty more were important contributors on tourney teams. Too many to list. Evaluate each player on their own merits, not just where they come from

Feels like this guy will have a lot of suitors. Started his career at IU Indy.

It's how he justifies his insistence on year 4 of Woodson.

FWIW, in conference games IU was 8th in the Big Ten in offensive efficiency. Iowa was 10th. In defensive efficiency, IU was 14th, Iowa 5th. That's why they made the tourney and we didn't. Time will tell if Devries can build a team that has the shooting he wants, while still being competent on the other end.

Brownell has had a mid-late career renaissance, so credit to him for that. But he's been there for 16 years and won a total of 5 NCAA tourney games. I don't think that would fly here.

About half of his shots were twos, and he made an outstanding 67% of those twos. So I'm guessing he's a better athlete than the typical small school shooter. Cornell was terrible on defense, so I'd be worried about him there. Same with Vaaks and Providence - though Vaaks at least has excellent positional size.

One of the dumbest internet rumors I've heard. Up there with Trey Galloway transferring to Purdue

And what did that 4th season you argued for accomplish? It was pointless to retain a failing 66 year old coach. Very little upside, just a wasted year.

Crean's last 4 seasons: NCAA 5 seed - sweet 16. NCAA 10 seed - first round exit. Missed tourney. Missed tourney. Woodson's 4 seasons: NCAA 4 seed - second round. NCAA 12 seed - first round exit. Missed tourney. Missed tourney. Crean's last 4 years, combined 38-34 (52.8%) in the Big Ten. Woodson went 41-39 (51.3%). So I guess it makes sense that the same poster who was so adamant that Woodson needed more time, also wanted to give Crean another decade.

The parallels between IU football and Nebraska basketball continue. That game sounds like the Peach Bowl

I'm not an expert. But from what I've read, I expect Moody to be in the rotation. The other two are high major athletes, but may need time to put on weight. Then again, it's always a crapshoot projecting freshmen. I'm sure Illinois fans weren't expecting Wagler to be their best player

Crean didn't get fired because 2016 wasn't good enough. He got fired because that was the only season out of his last 4 where he had a winning conference record.

A bit confused about why we are debating Tom Crean's tenure 10 years later... I liked Crean, he was a decent coach and a good guy. But just because we made two bad hires after him, doesn't mean Crean deserved another decade here.

Agree with your overall point, but I'm going to push back on Michigan. They brought in the #2 portal class. Lendeborg #1, Johnson #26, Mara #47 (right next to Wilkerson), Cadeau #60. The three you mentioned were contributors on big time programs with money, they didn't leave to go to Michigan on the cheap. Plus they brought in a 5 star freshman. Plus the money to retain their other guys. Dusty is a great coach, but he absolutely has a premium expensive roster.

Losing to UMass is bad, probably around -0.9 WAB. That would put them at #40 in WAB after the loss. Could change slightly from that depending on what teams around them do. I think they are still in though. Most of the teams that could have moved past them have blown it, like us

Yep. Based on numbers being tossed around: We paid Devries like an all-conference player, and got a solid starter. We paid Bailey like a solid starter, and got a mediocre backup. Scouting misses will happen, can't get too mad about it. The thing that still frustrates me - if you know Tucker is going to play 90% of the minutes at the 4, it's pretty obvious you need to get a glass eating rim protector as a 5 to play with him. Even in an alternate world where Bailey translates better to the Big Ten, he's just not that style of player. That was such a self-inflicted wound.

Do you think Boyd or Cluff cost that much? I doubt either was more than Reed Bailey. Lendeborg sure, but replace him with some other decent wing and that's still a tourney team

If our team of mid major players was Boyd, Wilkerson, Lendeborg, Devries, Cluff - plus Alexis, Dorn, some other mid major guard off the bench - that would have been an excellent team. I wouldn't throw out mid major transfers just because some of ours this season stunk, just like I wouldn't throw out high major transfers because of how bad Kanaan Carlyle was.

I feel like some of the focus on "mid-major players" is missing the point. Some very good transfers come from the mid major level. Almost half of the guys on the All-Big Ten first and second teams are first year transfers from mid majors (Lendeborg, Wilkerson, Stirtz, Boyd). We need to do a better job scouting and identifying guys, regardless of where they come from. Ryan Carr should be all over this.

That's fair, agree Goode had some leadership qualities. Was talking about on-court impact - they are both tall wings who are good spot up shooters and provide very little else.

Goode and Dorn are pretty much the same player. But having one of them to bring off the bench would have improved our depth at least

We completely folded in the second half of several games this year. I would love to see numbers on our first vs second half splits in competitive games. Did we have a single second half comeback this season? Maybe Wisconsin?

Hard to overstate how disappointing that performance was. There goes any momentum heading into a crucial offseason.

Yea, and we've let their little PG get to the rim for at least 5 layups. We have a lot of problems

Jake West made 17 two point field goals total in conference play this season. We've let him get 4 layups so far this half