Late Season Optimism

[CrossboneIU22]

For the first time in a long time I have a great deal of optimism at the end of the year and really wish we had another month of watching this team play.  There are many reasons for this and if you will allow me, I am going to address those in this post.

1.  First and foremost, and it took a while this season, but we have seen a team get better game after game at the end of the year.  We didn't peak in January like most teams under CTC.  We don't look dejected, tired, and downright miserable in February like we have seen for the majority of the past 9 years.

2. We have a better B1G record this year than last year with a less talented team.  I do not believe the B1G is as down as many believe, so that is up for debate here, but we have virtually the same team minus the 2 G-Leaguers and 1 NBA player and didn't gain near that talent.  Smith is playing well and Al has had a good game here and there but at this point, they are not at the same level but yet we still have a better league record and a similar overall record to this point.  

3.  We are playing great Defense.  Something we only saw one year under CTC and that was mainly due to Vic and Zeller.  A team that should have been to the Final 4.  Victor was great at getting steals and deflections which led to a lot of fast break points.

4a.  Half Court Offense is actually being ran and working to get good shots. 

4b.  We can also beat a zone offensively.  We know where the ball needs to go and where to look once it gets there.  Our passing needs improvement to be much more effective in this area but that will come in future seasons when Archie doesn't have to spend so much time on the defensive side of the game.

5.  The bench is used as a punishment/motivator.  We never saw this under CTC.  

6.  Turnovers are not being tolerated.

7.  Substitutions are not pre-planned and happen as the game requires.  

8.  Big Heads are GONE!  If the Big Heads would have made more sense, I could have gotten on board, but what in the hell does Samuel L Jackson, Chuck Norris, Will Smith, a Panda Bear, and Big Bird have to do with IU?  I understand Victor Oladipo, Zeller, Cuban, the We are IU campaign guys, and I can even understand where's waldo with the Red and White but the heads that were being used were poorly done in my opinion.

9.  I think we can actually do something in the B1G Tournament for a change.  The way we are playing defense gives us a chance in almost every game we play recently.

10.  Its a stretch but I feel like we have a long shot at still making the Tourney or at the least making the NIT and possibly winning it.  

I am excited about the future of IU Basketball and what Archie Miller can do with this program.  I was not a fan of this hire in the beginning but he has won me over by watching his coaching style this season and doing what he has with this team. 

The only area I still have concern is in recruiting.  It is still a work in progress for me, as we really only have 4 committed recruits in his tenure so far, so I am anxious to see how he will be able to recruit and specifically the state of Indiana, so verdict is still out.   I do like the 4 he has coming in, but its not a highly ranked class and for us to be successful long term on a national scale like Kansas, UNC, Duke, and UK, we will need higher ranked recruits and higher ranked recruiting classes going forward.  Can he produce them?  We will see.  My feelings or hope is yes, but until I see it, I have to remain open minded and skeptical at this point.

Thanks for reading! 

Let's Beat Nebraska!

 

 

 

[Trish]

Agree with it all. NIT would be a win for this season. We must remember we're dealing with a team who doesn't have great shooting, great defense (until now), and elite talent. 

Can't tell you how happy I am to be able to see a zone offense, a offense vs man, and improvement. 

 

I feel like we wasted the past nine years with Crean. 

[HoosierDYT]

Fantastic post ^


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[CrossboneIU22]

This is speculation but IF:

We can beat @Nebraska

We can beat Ohio State

Penn State can beat @Nebraska

We would finish tied in 5th place with Nebraska in the Big Ten.  We would get the 5th seed via the Tie-Breaker.

If Penn State were to also beat Michigan

There would be a 4 way tie for 4th in the Big Ten with Michigan, IU, Penn State, and Nebraska

I am not sure the Tie-Breaker scenarios in a 4 team tie, but in my opinion it would be in the order I listed but I could be wrong.

[Stuhoo]

DeVonte Green makes me very optimistic.

I was not a fan; thought he was an undersized two guard. I am now hugely impressed at his willingness to adapt, change, and mature, and the coaching staff’s ability to get him to buy in.

 

 

 

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[HoosierAloha]

This is speculation but IF:
We can beat @Nebraska
We can beat Ohio State
Penn State can beat @Nebraska
We would finish tied in 5th place with Nebraska in the Big Ten.  We would get the 5th seed via the Tie-Breaker.
If Penn State were to also beat Michigan
There would be a 4 way tie for 4th in the Big Ten with Michigan, IU, Penn State, and Nebraska
I am not sure the Tie-Breaker scenarios in a 4 team tie, but in my opinion it would be in the order I listed but I could be wrong.

Lots of ifs..
IU would get the tie breaker by going 2-1 vs that group. PSU would get the next seed for going 2-1.


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[pumpfake]

Playing real defense and being competent in a half court offense make me happy.  For the last many years it felt like we were done if a team could force us to slow down.  Not anymore.

[HoosierHoops1]

I'm wondering if so much (needed) time was spent on getting the defense to where it needed to be and to get the defensive mindset to where it needed to be, and to pound those principles in, that offensive coaching had to be put in the background?

It seems like our defense has been much improved, generally speaking, for a few weeks and these last few games it looks like we've actually had the chance to work on offense. Our passing is much better, Johnson seems to be playing better, offensively. Freddie seems to have made great strides on offense. Justin is starting to get more comfortable on offense. Devonte is wrangled in and making the right play much more often. The team is assisting at a high rate.

Like you, I wish we had about 15 games left to watch.

[theriverpilot]

All great points but point #3 regarding the defense gets me.  This is the most sound defensive team I've seen since the early 2000s, not necessarily by stats, but more by effort and intent.  It's all a reflection of Miller, imo.

[Uspshoosier]

This is speculation but IF:
We can beat @Nebraska
We can beat Ohio State
Penn State can beat @Nebraska
We would finish tied in 5th place with Nebraska in the Big Ten.  We would get the 5th seed via the Tie-Breaker.
If Penn State were to also beat Michigan
There would be a 4 way tie for 4th in the Big Ten with Michigan, IU, Penn State, and Nebraska
I am not sure the Tie-Breaker scenarios in a 4 team tie, but in my opinion it would be in the order I listed but I could be wrong.

Penn st would have the tie breaker and be the 4 seed and we would be the 5 seed. It’s total record against all teams that are tied I believe


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[Uspshoosier]

Lots of ifs..
IU would get the tie breaker by going 2-1 vs that group. PSU would get the next seed for going 2-1.


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Penn st would be 3-1 I believe


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[HoosierAloha]

Penn st would be 3-1 I believe


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Didn't realize they played Neb or UM twice


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[HoosierAloha]

If we were the 5 seed it wouldn't hurt to play an extra game (if we could get an early lead and rest some guys). We need all the wins we can get!


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[Uspshoosier]

Didn't realize they played Neb or UM twice


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They have already beat Nebraska once and there last 2 games are against Nebraska and Michigan so if they win out they would be 3-1. Still would be cool to finish tied for 4th and receiving the 5 seed in the tourney


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[Ohreally]

34 minutes ago, CrossboneIU22 said:

This is speculation but IF:

We can beat @Nebraska

We can beat Ohio State

Penn State can beat @Nebraska

We would finish tied in 5th place with Nebraska in the Big Ten.  We would get the 5th seed via the Tie-Breaker.

If Penn State were to also beat Michigan

There would be a 4 way tie for 4th in the Big Ten with Michigan, IU, Penn State, and Nebraska

I am not sure the Tie-Breaker scenarios in a 4 team tie, but in my opinion it would be in the order I listed but I could be wrong.

Just FYI, for the four-way tie to occur, Michigan would have to lose at Maryland in addition to losing at Penn State.

[CrossboneIU22]

45 minutes ago, Ohreally said:

Just FYI, for the four-way tie to occur, Michigan would have to lose at Maryland in addition to losing at Penn State.

Yes, I forgot to put that tidbit in there as well, but it is @Maryland so I think its not out of the realm of possibility.

[cleeter]

1 hour ago, CrossboneIU22 said:

The only area I still have concern is in recruiting.  It is still a work in progress for me, as we really only have 4 committed recruits in his tenure so far, so I am anxious to see how he will be able to recruit and specifically the state of Indiana, so verdict is still out.  

 

 

 

I agree with all of your post, but just wanted to put out another concern i have, that i havent seen on here (or just missed it)

My biggest concern with this team and it drives me up a darn wall, is missed free throws. Im not 100% on stats but i feel confident in saying that it has cost us 3 wins minimum this year. Now i just keep telling myself that transforming this offense and defense out of the FCTC era and into CAM's era has taken precedence and maybe that means less free throw practicing, but still...its a free throw. Free throws will cost you if you miss them and they have cost us many times, and nothing more makes my blood boil than missed free throws. 

Edited February 19, 2018 by cleeter

[CrossboneIU22]

10 minutes ago, cleeter said:

I agree with all of your post, but just wanted to put out another concern i have, that i havent seen on here (or just missed it)

My biggest concern with this team and it drives me up a darn wall, is missed free throws. Im not 100% on stats but i feel confident in saying that it has cost us 3 wins minimum this year. Now i just keep telling myself that transforming this offense and defense out of the FCTC era and into CAM's era has taken precedence and maybe that means less free throw practicing, but still...its a free throw. Free throws will cost you if you miss them and they have cost us many times, and nothing more makes my blood boil than missed free throws. 

Yeah that is another concern but I was trying to focus on the positives even though I finished it with the recruiting.  But I do agree, the FT% concerns me and the fact that his teams have never been great FT shooting teams.  

[cleeter]

2 minutes ago, CrossboneIU22 said:

Yeah that is another concern but I was trying to focus on the positives even though I finished it with the recruiting.  But I do agree, the FT% concerns me and the fact that his teams have never been great FT shooting teams.  

And i am stoked that a "positive IU list" is that long because they haven't had much to put on that list except for the past few weeks. But i try not to concern myself with FT too much, because the players can practice that by themselves at anytime. They only have so much time with Archie to learn and be taught the offense and defense. Just wish those darn "freebies" would start falling.

[Uspshoosier]

http://btn.com/2018/02/19/btnstatsguys-big-ten-tourney-seed-scenarios-entering-final-week/


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