EasyEJay

YEP give those staffs a weeks worth of NW Missouri State film and they will stuff him into a locker LOL

And how does he go about hiring an Elite Recruiter? are there a ton of those guys in the D2 coaching circles/ ranks ? The ones in power conference coaching right now are they gonna leave their power conference current assistants job to come work for a D2 guy ?

And to add, I do watch/ follow a bit of D2 football (I have coached HS players who have gone on to that level so I like to follow their careers). If IU football had hired Ferris State HC : Tony Annese (3 National Titles in 4 years) I would have had the same issues I have with McCollum. and that's with IU Football at the time having a decimal point of the expectations that the basketball programs has. And before you ask I have already mentioned my thoughts on the Cignetti hire was positive because I thought IU needed to hire a sitting head coach. Unproven coordinators were the direction most thought IU was going with the search. Then I was even more sold when I learned he had been on Nick Saban' staff at freaking ALABAMA, and not when they were already winning but as Saban was turning them back into a power house. Again the type of experience McCollum lacks

More than willing to admit that you have probably watched more D2 basketball than me kudos to you.

I mean you can say that about any coach at any school with any player. But any coach is still gonna take credit and use that as a selling point to recruits who aren't fans that know better . They just see the pictures on visits of pro players who played there and envision there faces

I agree with you it definitely doesn't but if the rationale of his hiring is he wins and you point to all his D2 titles. The his first taste of the Big leagues is that he gets bodied by a 6 seed (4th or 5th place unranked power conference team) for those in the fan base that have done less research on the guy (80-90%) that'll be the major talking point all off season until the first meaningful game in Nov when he is immediately thrown right back into a similar environment with IUs nationally hyped and tough non conference schedule.

Bet money Trent Sisley dips Mom and Pops didn't send him to Florida his senior year to play for a D2 coach that doesn't believe in shooting 3's and thinks fast breaks are pointless. Don't care how big and IU fan he is. And that's all fine and good so you think you and everyone else in the fan base are gonna be ok with 14-17, 16-15, 17-14? Again ORAL ROBERTS just fired their coach after a TWO season. NC STATE just fired their coach a year after a final four run. Rodney Terry at Texas is on the hot seat after and Elite Eight and 2nd round seasons because Texas is on the wrong side of the bubble............ He better win 23 + game in year 2 or were not back here in 2029 here back here in 2027 a) hope this is all a pointless exercise that's filling the void and the Big time candidate is named in 2 weeks b) if it is D2 wonder boy hope I'm wrong and were set for the next 20 years just don't see it and that's the last I'll say about McCollum and we will see how it all plays out which is fair IMO

" Well sorry coach that other program has produced Multiple NBA draft picks." I know Woodson is a lazy recruiter BUT he was a HC in the NBA and coached guys like Josh Smith and Carmelo Anthony. And produced draft picks in TJD and JHS. Transfer Portal recruits and prep kids take that into consideration in addition to the money. McCollum won't have that.

My biggest issue comes from him doing what he is doing in the Mo Valley. A conference that lost its 2 best coaches (Schertz and DeVires) its probably the 4th or 5th best Mid-major conference. heck Schertz bodied the entire Mo Valley last year with offense and he finished 6th in the A-10? The last time we heard about unique systems was Archie's famed pack-line defense......... also systems Brad Underwood brought with him at first to Illinois it been talked about how he realized in the big ten uniqueness wasn't enough to win and he had to change the way he did things. So that would be another thing to think about can McCollum adapt if his system doesn't work in arguably the best conference with he best coaches in the nation

So basically were just living the alternate reality of 2021 , where instead of Mike Woodson being forced on SD, he would have fallen back on Porter Moser ......... gotcha . Well hopefully D2 wonder boy doesn't get absolutely stuffed into a trash can in round 1

I’m right there with ya but he’s a Chicago guy , and just making the tourney is extension / raise worthy season at NW . I would guess he’s pretty happy being at home with little to no expectations. but yes I think with IUs resources he would kill especially as I’ve said before recruiting the state of Indiana he’s already found a couple of gems (Barnhizer , McIntosh, and now Windham )

Hire Chris Collins and get a potential back court of KJ Windham (Indy native rising freshman) Nick Martinelli Potentially Luke Goode .

Yep and he didn’t have to manage massive NIL , deal with Agents, truly recruit the portal , and navigate crazy high expectations in arguably the top conference in the country going against other top coaches . again you don’t get 3-4 years to rebuild in todays college basketball as I mentioned Oral Roberts fired their coach after just 2 years. Say what you will about Woodson it’s not like McCollum would be taking over after Archie . IU is likely to have had 3/4 years in the tourney . He’s gotta do better than Woodson and that’s make the tourney every year and finish i the top half of the Big Ten . If he can’t do that within the 1st 2 years it’s right back to square 1

All Gas no brakes Pat Kelsey lol ? gosh the idea of 2- 3 more weeks of this ………. BRUTAL

I don’t like Tyme or Goodman either but at anytime our wonderful insiders could come on here and tell us things haven’t fallen apart . And In clear plain English NOT vague memes or GIFs . I wanted to avoid it as long as possible BUT starting to hope for Chris Beard really only other realistic candidate left seems to be McDermott. That’s really the only other guy I feel as though might be able to get it done .

I mean something positive has to happen to this program sometime soon right ? Just miserable

Omg surely the almighty Ben McCollum the future savior of Indiana Basketball will all his D2 success will end up winning by 20 pts or more and Drake will cruise all the way through the MVC tourney and into the Final Four before he gets to Bloomington right !?!? i mean MULTIPLE D2 titles come on now DWS

For anyone Pro - Devries who was mentioned as a potential dark horse candidate. rumor mill is many within WVU are telling him to steer clear of IU his staff includes (Kory Barnett - Indiana native and long time Alford assistant) and (Tom Ostrom - former IU assistant under Archie Miller) . But also “higher up people within WVUs program.” Lame , scared and insecure cool cross off the list wasn’t high up anyway and move on .

Self crossed my mind too rumors are on Kansas boards from "Insiders" are they feel as though that is the job Nate Oats would leave Alabama for. Self has said he's NOT done coaching if I won 2 national titles , reporters were saying the I was considering leaving for Oklahoma State last year. Then trying to put me out to pasture so they could hire Oats this year , then why not say peace out I'll go to IU (a place where I'll get the same resources I do at Kansas) and let it be my coaching swan song for about 5-6 years. Billy D I wanna ask dude did you not watch Nick Saban's career at all? People are ready to RUN that dude out of Chicago and he could have just about ANY college coaching job he wants. NBA ain't working out man come on back to college it WAY easier now I guarantee he would have just about any program a final four contender with in a year make no sense to me

haha not that I remember, Haven't been out there in a long time though!

Monrovia boy here born and raised. My Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother are Buried about 50 yards away from Branch. Beautiful little Cemetery that sits up on a hill in scenic Hall, Indiana . Always thought they should add a little bit more of a small Monument, Statue or something for him.

its comparing Apples to Oranges IMO. I didn't follow it closely and don't invest the time and energy into Football as fan (mostly because I coach HS football and we have players who get recruited by D1, D2, or NAIA Schools so my time is focused on following their careers/ watching their games). But I do remember my initial reaction was happy they hired a sitting Head Coach rather than an upstart Coordinator (like they did with last 2 football hires ......hhhhhmmmmm)

Not if , in this day in age in college hoops you don't "Tom Crean Rebuild time" D2 wonder boy better come in guns a blazing he will see how good of a "tactician" he is when he runs up against Tom Izzo, Matt Painter, Brad Underwood and others don't find guys like that in D2 or the Mo valley. Oral Freaking Roberts fired their coach after 2 years my man. Ain't me Scotty D's gotta worry about if he gets the hire wrong !

Scott Dolson is. not. going. to. hire. a. coach. who. has. coached. only. 30. D1. Basketball. games. D2 wonder boy will not be the next HC at IU its a flat non-starter for me . One good season in the Mo valley means NOTHING. Schertz won 30 games last year and is middle of the pack at St Louis this year. Millions of dollars in NIL to manage, being able to recruit the portal/ Indiana HS/ National prep schools all stuff McCollum has 0 experience with. I refuse to believe that McCollum is getting talked about for more than 5 secs. I guess since the search is going on as long as it is makes it unique, maybe you are trying to get your Moneys worth out of the search firm. Him and Brownell would be the ONLY two hires that would make seriously for the first time in life consider NOT watching / attending IU basketball games