IUBB vs Penn St 1/29 8:30 pm BTN

[pumpfake]

1 hour ago, Magnanimous said:

This isn’t a bad Penn State team. The egg was the end of the MD game.

I see us winning at least four of our remaining home games and getting one on the road. 

Last night PSU was pretty bad.  If we were anything close to good we'd have had a 20 point lead at halftime (but we were equally bad in the first half - they played better in the second and we managed to play even worse).

[NashvilleHoosier]

6 hours ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

I don’t think you’re understanding. Is it really improvement when we aren’t actually any better or is it because college basketball is actually the weakest it’s been since who knows when? The quality of basketball clearly hasn’t gotten any better. Has any improvement been seen? Sure we have a better, but are we actually any better of a team? No. There needs to be improvement on the court. Just making the NCAA tournament without any actual improvement in play is just polishing a turd.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

No I understand what you're saying. And its a valid point. I work with two Kansas fans. We talk all the time about how college basketball is at a very concerning point. Far too many games in the 40s and 50s. But even if college basketball overall is down, you simply can't say that about the Big Ten. And if we end up in the tournament, that's obviously a better end result than previous years and in order to meet that goal we'll have had to prove our worth in the best and deepest conference in the country. Again, something we didn't prove when the conference wasn't as strong the previous two years. That's improvement. Is there plenty of improvement left to be made? Of course, across the board, including coaching. Looking at this team before the season started, considering we lost our two best players and scorers from a team that didn't make the tournament, I didn't expect that we'd all of a sudden be some great shooting or great offensive  team. (I also didn't expect that we'd be historically bad shooting team.) But having a realistic goal of making the tournament, I looked at this team as, if we're going to do that, we'll just simply have to find ways to win. It might be defense one night, it might be an unexpected burst of offense another (if TJD's last shot goes in, that's what we'd be talking about), and often, it might be ugly. So far, we've done enough of that to meet the realistic goal. Find a way to win 4 more (I still think we win more than that), and we've met that realistic goal with a chance to make some noise. And in the grand scheme of things, especially in any conversation about firing a coach in his 3rd year, nobody will look at a trajectory of year 1 - no postseason, year 2 - NIT quarters, year 3 - NCAA tourney (eliminated TBD) as not improving. 

[TXHoosierDaddy]

10 minutes ago, pumpfake said:

Last night PSU was pretty bad.  If we were anything close to good we'd have had a 20 point lead at halftime (but we were equally bad in the first half - they played better in the second and we managed to play even worse).

I didn't watch the Nebraska game but after seeing Maryland, Wisconsin and the game last night it is hard to have any confidence we are winning another one on the road. We are sloppy, our defense isn't great, we don't hit shots....its a recipe to get blown out, which is exactly what has happened. We all have to hope we can pull off the 4-5 more wins at home. 

[NashvilleHoosier]

2 hours ago, JSHoosier said:

All I've said is make the tourney this year, problem is with the schedule coming up and our egg against a bad PSU team it doesn't look good.  Let's face it, the quit is strong with this team (again) and it's not an easy road coming up.

Making a 68 team field isn't much of an accomplishment and shouldn't be viewed like one.

I just don't understand why it's so hard to see at minimum 4 more wins when we have 5 left at home. We've beaten FSU and MSU at home and the rest of those 5 games are against teams that aren't as good as them. And when you say making the field isn't much of an accomplishment and shouldn't be viewed as one, I'll ask the same question I asked another poster who didn't answer.......what exactly was your expectation for this team going in to this season? 

^^I'm genuinely interested in the answer, I'm not asking that in a condescending way. 

[Capt. Crimson]

I get more and more angry every time I look at this box score. Absolutely atrocious shooting. Next year is going to be addition by subtraction. 

[Brass Cannon]

4 minutes ago, Capt. Crimson said:

I get more and more angry every time I look at this box score. Absolutely atrocious shooting. Next year is going to be addition by subtraction. 

Could always choose not to play then this year 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

No I understand what you're saying. And its a valid point. I work with two Kansas fans. We talk all the time about how college basketball is at a very concerning point. Far too many games in the 40s and 50s. But even if college basketball overall is down, you simply can't say that about the Big Ten. And if we end up in the tournament, that's obviously a better end result than previous years and in order to meet that goal we'll have had to prove our worth in the best and deepest conference in the country. Again, something we didn't prove when the conference wasn't as strong the previous two years. That's improvement. Is there plenty of improvement left to be made? Of course, across the board, including coaching. Looking at this team before the season started, considering we lost our two best players and scorers from a team that didn't make the tournament, I didn't expect that we'd all of a sudden be some great shooting or great offensive  team. (I also didn't expect that we'd be historically bad shooting team.) But having a realistic goal of making the tournament, I looked at this team as, if we're going to do that, we'll just simply have to find ways to win. It might be defense one night, it might be an unexpected burst of offense another (if TJD's last shot goes in, that's what we'd be talking about), and often, it might be ugly. So far, we've done enough of that to meet the realistic goal. Find a way to win 4 more (I still think we win more than that), and we've met that realistic goal with a chance to make some noise. And in the grand scheme of things, especially in any conversation about firing a coach in his 3rd year, nobody will look at a trajectory of year 1 - no postseason, year 2 - NIT quarters, year 3 - NCAA tourney (eliminated TBD) as not improving. 

But the conference itself is down as well. Sure it’s the deepest, but is it any better in terms of quality over last season? Is Michigan State better this year than last year? Is Maryland? Wisconsin? Purdue? Nebraska? Northwestern? Ohio State? Michigan? Illinois and Rutgers seem to be the only ones to improve. Penn State has taken advantage of a down Big Ten. We really aren’t a whole lot better than last season as we’ve become a worse shooting team somehow. So making the tourney in a season with the ACC, Big 12 and SEC all down isn’t going to make being the 10th best team in the Big Ten any better.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

[Capt. Crimson]

Just now, Brass Cannon said:

Could always choose not to play then this year 

Think we're getting two solid guards in Galloway and Leal, and addition won't be purely by subtraction, but just remember a couple years ago we had Newkirk and Green on the same team. haha

[Brass Cannon]

Just now, Capt. Crimson said:

Think we're getting two solid guards in Galloway and Leal, and addition won't be purely by subtraction, but just remember a couple years ago we had Newkirk and Green on the same team. haha

Neither one is going to help year 1

[Capt. Crimson]

Just now, Brass Cannon said:

Neither one is going to help year 1

I think Franklin will step up next year. Phin needs to find more confidence. 

[Alford Bailey]

2 minutes ago, Capt. Crimson said:

Think we're getting two solid guards in Galloway and Leal, and addition won't be purely by subtraction, but just remember a couple years ago we had Newkirk and Green on the same team. haha

I didn’t like Newkirk from the beginning but I’d take him over any guard we currently have on the roster

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

Think we're getting two solid guards in Galloway and Leal, and addition won't be purely by subtraction, but just remember a couple years ago we had Newkirk and Green on the same team. haha

From every highlight video I’ve seen on Galloway, he won’t be ready to play year 1. He also can’t handle the basketball and looks about as slow dribbling with the ball as Brunk. So he’s not a guard by any means considering he has worse handles than Justin Smith. And he’s not a shooter. Leal might be able to help. He’s got size. We will see if he can actually shoot in college. Can’t be any worse than Franklin has been from 3 I’d think.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

[Brass Cannon]

1 minute ago, Capt. Crimson said:

I think Franklin will step up next year. Phin needs to find more confidence. 

I would rather have Franklin this year. No reason Rob, Franklin and Durham can’t be our guard rotation. 
 

Keep 1 starter in at all times and Franklin come in any other time. 

[Capt. Crimson]

Just now, Brass Cannon said:

I would rather have Franklin this year. No reason Rob, Franklin and Durham can’t be our guard rotation. 
 

Keep 1 starter in at all times and Franklin come in any other time. 

Agreed

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

I would rather have Franklin this year. No reason Rob, Franklin and Durham can’t be our guard rotation. 
 
Keep 1 starter in at all times and Franklin come in any other time. 

I’m not even sure if I wasn’t Durham back next season or not yet.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

[pappy1865]

10 hours ago, LamarCheeks said:

I just cannot figure out what the hell happened with Damezi. I saw a couple of his school games (not in person, but on a video stream) and while I didn't think he'd be a superstar, I thought he could contribute. And as this video shows (granted, it's set up to accentuate the positive), he at one time could shoot the ball. I saw him tonight take a 3 from the just beyond the top of the key -- it wasn't wide-open, but he wasn't necessarily under heavy duress -- and he totally clanked it. Didn't even hit the rim. You almost have to try to do that. How can you shoot a head-on 3 pointer and not hit the rim? I just don't get it. Earlier this season, he knocked down a couple 3s and it gave me hope that he had found his stroke. But since then, to quote the ultra-obnoxious Dickie V: "It's been Brick City, baybee!" ... I don't think at this point, he could make a 2-footer standing all alone under the basket. I am totally perplexed. 

 

 

It's his jump. It looks totally different in that clip than what he shoots now.

[Brass Cannon]

6 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

I’m not even sure if I wasn’t Durham back next season or not yet.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

He should be coming off the bench and if Archie has gone out and gotten better guards he’d be coming off the bench. But Archie  whiffed a dozen or so times. 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

He should be coming off the bench and if Archie has gone out and gotten better guards he’d be coming off the bench. But Archie  whiffed a dozen or so times. 

I’d be completely with him leaving at this point if Archie would go and grab a couple grad transfer guards.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

[Brass Cannon]

Just now, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

I’d be completely with him leaving at this point if Archie would go and grab a couple grad transfer guards.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

He won’t 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

He won’t 

He’d go grab a couple more Joey Brunks and then wonder why our 3pt shooting sucked.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app