JustWinBaby

I want anything that will make Indiana basketball better to happen. End of discussion.

I never argued that the program isn't relevant to the equation. I'm saying that the argument that the players ARE irrelevant to the equation is a silly position to hold.

While I agree the way things currently stand is extremely flawed, it's ridiculous to presume that the basketball programs on their own are the only draw for fans. I guarantee you that the excess millions of eyeballs watching Cooper Flagg this year had little to do with the name on his jersey. And while not everyone is Cooper Flagg, the point still remains that each player that contributes to his team's success is a part of the program in his own right and is a draw for the fans. Players like TJD, Yogi, Zeller, Oladipo, etc., led Indiana to successful seasons and brought a lot more positive attention to the program. It is worth investing in players who are capable of playing winning basketball that makes Indiana a household name again. Indiana used to be one of the top 2 or 3 names in college basketball because it produced players like Steve Alford, Calbert Cheaney, Kent Benson, etc., and of course we had a legendary coach but the players and their hard work and talent is what won us basketball games. Knight orchestrated it of course, but he didn't put the ball through the hoop. To act like the product of the players' labor has no monetary value is truly insane and is a very weak argument against paying players. It's one thing to dislike the current system. I don't like it either and I think that the current NIL fund arms race is problematic and is leading to players getting way overvalued. But that doesn't mean the players don't deserve compensation for what they do. Without them there'd be no on-court product. Fans wouldn't show up to watch an empty court.

THAT argument I can somewhat understand, but none of us have been in the position that the kids on the team had to deal with the past year (two years for some). It takes a tremendous toll on the psyche of the team, and whatever you can do to help your team and improve the locker room dynamic, you do it. I never took Luke Goode's comments as "taking shots" at the fans. I understood that he was just trying to stick up for his coaches and teammates, because they needed it at the time. I didn't like it. He could've worded it better. But I also think that the things we saw him do in games to coach up his teammates and give effort and focus at crucial moments demonstrated that he is the sort of player that any smart coach would want on their team. He's a glue guy and a vocal leader. And I think that's what he was trying to do when he made those comments, ill-advised as they may have been. I'm more than happy to put those comments in the rearview mirror, but he'd be welcomed back with open arms in my book.

Me too. A little bit of continuity from a guy who clearly wanted to be here and give it all he had can't hurt.

"Cook(ing)" is a slang term amongst the youngins and refers to someone doing something good. Has nothing to do with Woodson specifically.

From now on it's a meme to me lmao. I will bust it out at every opportunity. For the record I'm mocking myself as much as anyone because I got duped by this stupid gif multiple times. But it is also not-so-subtly pointed at RTZ (and IUFB on Peegs).

The rise and fall of RTZ needs to be studied

If DeVries can prove in year 1 that his approach can succeed here, he will have no problem recruiting HS and portal players going forward. This year was always going to be more challenging because players are taking a bit of a leap of faith to come here as opposed to more established systems elsewhere. With that, we will likely have to overpay some players. That's just the way it is. I'll worry about next portal season next portal season.

The freakouts on Rupp Rafters are hilarious. Shock, denial, bargaining, pointing fingers at their insiders for getting this so wrong, and character assassination of Wilkerson ("he clearly is just in it for the money," "obviously he just wants to be THE guy and doesn't care about being on a winning team") Maybe, just maybe, it was a bad choice taking the kid to Keeneland to get the stench of horse **** stuck so far up his nose he could smell it all the way back home to Arkansas.

https://x.com/cenright04/status/1912228228519092582?s=46&t=6nAr-pKn3DGeSC7LWQDGKA

Get fcked Kentucky

https://x.com/INBBallSource