Shooter

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

I liked Malik. Maybe we'd be a Top 25 offense with him. But he wouldn't solve our biggest problems, defense and rebounding

Interested to see if we double Martinelli today. He absolutely feasted on single coverage in the post last time. Especially on switches.

Maryland and Iowa early game today. Maryland up to #137 in the NET - if they win today, that likely gives IU another Quad 2 victory.

Getting 3 in BTT would mean beating a rested #2 seed on Friday, while we are playing our third game in three days. Unfortunately I think we're cooked.

Wilkerson is better than Schifino. But I agree sign me up for Haralson

Is Singleton better than Trent Sisley? Both nice prospects, but I feel they'd be a bit redundant. Agree I'd be really interested in Haralson. Just need to surround him with other shooters.

Orme comes from an IU family. But like you said, wing depth is probably our least pressing need.

Agree Bailey might look better playing alongside a true center... but that was never going to happen at IU. Because we already had Tucker who can only guard the 4. I think we just took a guy who was available and the coaches thought was pretty good. Moving forward, with fewer spots to fill, hopefully we can be past that and bring in guys who fit a specific role on the roster.

If we win at Ohio State we'd be projected to move up to #44 in WAB. Subject to change of course depending on what other teams do around us. Feels like at minimum we need to beat Ohio State + avoid bad loss in BTT to get that number into the low 40s.

Predictive metrics loved this one. Big jump from #35 to #26 on Torvik.

That is helpful. Too bad they laid an egg vs Depaul at home over the weekend, or they'd already be top 100.

That performance was much needed. Now the season basically comes down to one game at Ohio State.