Anyone have a word on where Brunk will go next or who’s scouting him?

[Nonymouse]

On 4/14/2021 at 8:49 AM, eddy4iu said:

Possible Shrewsbury connection via Butler/Stevens 

Possible he goes there but he was a Holt recruit - not Stevens - and Shrews hasn’t been at BU since Brunk was in middle school. 

[Nonymouse]

9 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

He was no bust

He was a top 100 recruit and he’s been a below average center five years into college basketball. He’s a bust. He’s one of the worst high major post defenders I’ve ever seen. And not for lack of effort. He’s just lost.

My guess is Woodson leveled with him and let him know the PT wouldn’t be there for him next year. So he’s leaving for the chance to play more. Same reason he left Butler. It was clear Bryce Golden was just better. 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Nonymouse

[Dave from Dayton]

8 hours ago, Nonymouse said:

He was a top 100 recruit and he’s been a below average center five years into college basketball. He’s a bust. He’s one of the worst high major post defenders I’ve ever seen. And not for lack of effort. He’s just lost.

My guess is Woodson leveled with him and let him know the PT wouldn’t be there for him next year. So he’s leaving for the chance to play more. Same reason he left Butler. It was clear Bryce Golden was just better. 

He was the best backup 5 that IU has had in the last...ahem...5 or so years.  Year before last, he played 19+ mpg, scored 5+ ppg, defended as he was instructed.  Sure, he wasn't anyone's dream  backup 5.  But he helped get IU in position to get into the NCAAT.  That there wasn't a NCAAT isn't on Brunk.

His hedging on defense which was evidently what Archie wanted but drove a lot of us nuts and opened the inside doesn't show that he was lost.  He obviously is a smart player.  He just isn't a Jared Jeffries or Cody Zeller.

That he was injured last year and IU underperformed also is not on him.  Indiana basketball really missed him as backup center last year.

Even players that sit on the end of the bench that never get into games aren't busts in my books.  As long as they are doing what they can and helping the team either or both on court or off of it.

I guess, if the criteria is comparing him to other starting centers in the B1G, then he was not above average.  If one really thinks that was his role...still doesn't make him a bust.

 

[Southside]

 

[Hoosierfan1901]

Ohio State? That’s surprising 

[OliviaPope40]

9 minutes ago, Hooserfan1901 said:

Ohio State? That’s surprising 

I would've thought Penn State but then I think he wanted to play for Holtmann given their history.

[Hoosierfan2017]

He’s pretty average so it’s not a game changer, but going from IU to OSU leaves a bad taste to me. Better him leaving for a conference rival than Franklin, though. 

[WayneFleekHoosier]

He’s pretty average so it’s not a game changer, but going from IU to OSU leaves a bad taste to me. Better him leaving for a conference rival than Franklin, though. 

Yeah, sour taste for me too, but Given the Holtmann connection and him just being a good dude, I’ll root for him until we play him.


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[Hippopotamo]

39 minutes ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

He’s pretty average so it’s not a game changer, but going from IU to OSU leaves a bad taste to me. Better him leaving for a conference rival than Franklin, though. 

I would say I have a bad taste except for the fact that he was encouraged to leave. Can’t blame anyone in that case. 

[go iu bb]

9 minutes ago, Hippopotamo said:

I would say I have a bad taste except for the fact that he was encouraged to leave. Can’t blame anyone in that case. 

Where are you getting that from? From Fife's interview it sounded like they wanted him to stay. He also wouldn't have counted against scholarship count so as far as the roster is concerned he'd have been like a walk-on desire having a scholarship.

So forcing him out wouldn't make much sense. 

[maharkn]

Where are you getting that from? From Fife's interview it sounded like they wanted him to stay. He also wouldn't have counted against scholarship count so as far as the roster is concerned he'd have been like a walk-on desire having a scholarship.
So forcing him out wouldn't make much sense. 

Unless he knows that there is a transfer big coming in that would take his minutes from him and we just haven't heard of it yet

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[Hippopotamo]

25 minutes ago, go iu bb said:

Where are you getting that from? From Fife's interview it sounded like they wanted him to stay. He also wouldn't have counted against scholarship count so as far as the roster is concerned he'd have been like a walk-on desire having a scholarship.

So forcing him out wouldn't make much sense. 

Rumor mill and insiders, but I saw that Woodson told Brunk he wouldn’t get a lot of playing time next year and doesn’t fit the new style. 

[Uspshoosier]

11 hours ago, go iu bb said:

Where are you getting that from? From Fife's interview it sounded like they wanted him to stay. He also wouldn't have counted against scholarship count so as far as the roster is concerned he'd have been like a walk-on desire having a scholarship.

So forcing him out wouldn't make much sense. 

Fife doing his part to as an assistant coach.   Woodson had his meetings and told players where they stand and what their role would possibly be.  After that Fife still probably tried to convince him to stay even with a reduced role because Brunk still has  B1G experience that valuable.    After Brunk  says he is leaving Fife doing what any good assistant would do and puts the blame on himself for him leaving instead of having heat on Woodson for letting him transfer 

[Dave from Dayton]

What I see is that Brunk was likely informed that his time on court would be extremely limited. Indiana has a 4* freshman coming in.  Woodson has stated that he is seeking a tall 4 from the portal that can play multiple positions.  With Race and TJD, IU has decent bigs.  And Brunk is not an offensive threat. And IU is likely implementing the 4 - 1 offense.  

Brunk and OSU's coach Holtmann go way back.  Holtmann may be throwing in the towel trying to recruit a 5* center from the south...requirements allegedly include a house for Mom.  So Holtmann may see the writing on the wall.  

Brunk is mature.  Is a team-oriented big.  Would likely have been an asset in practice.

But the wave of the future for IU is not a slow big that cannot hit frees or score points.

Good luck to Brunk.  May he not take the court against IU.   May he slow OSU's offense.

[go iu bb]

38 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

Fife doing his part to as an assistant coach.   Woodson had his meetings and told players where they stand and what their role would possibly be.  After that Fife still probably tried to convince him to stay even with a reduced role because Brunk still has  B1G experience that valuable.    After Brunk  says he is leaving Fife doing what any good assistant would do and puts the blame on himself for him leaving instead of having heat on Woodson for letting him transfer 

Right, but that is still far from "encouraged to leave" which is what I was responding to in the first place. To me encouraging him to leave means forcing him out. Honestly telling him what he can expect next season isn't encouraging him to leave. Encouraging him to leave says they didn't want him here at all. I just don't believe that they'd be unhappy if he had decided to stay in a reduced role. He's not taking a scholarship away from another player so they'd have basically had an ex-starter as a walk-on. They'd say no to that?

He was probably told he'd play like 10mpg or less (which is what he was playing at the end of the '19-'20 season) and didn't like that. If that was the case and he decided that wasn't enough so he left, that's on him and not the coaching staff. If he was "encouraged to leave" they told him he would not play at all. I just doubt that happened.

[Hoosierfan2017]

10 minutes ago, go iu bb said:

Right, but that is still far from "encouraged to leave" which is what I was responding to in the first place. To me encouraging him to leave means forcing him out. Honestly telling him what he can expect next season isn't encouraging him to leave. Encouraging him to leave says they didn't want him here at all. I just don't believe that they'd be unhappy if he had decided to stay in a reduced role. He's not taking a scholarship away from another player so they'd have basically had an ex-starter as a walk-on. They'd say no to that?

He was probably told he'd play like 10mpg or less (which is what he was playing at the end of the '19-'20 season) and didn't like that. If that was the case and he decided that wasn't enough so he left, that's on him and not the coaching staff. If he was "encouraged to leave" they told him he would not play at all. I just doubt that happened.

Yeah I would be shocked if he was legitimately encouraged to leave. It would be odd to tell experienced post depth that doesn’t count against the scholarship requirement to get out of town. Brunk doesn’t fit Woody’s offense but he was free injury insurance. It probably went down as you described it.