IU Basketball News and Notes

[Class of '66 Old Fart 83,919]

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/xavier-johnson-is-ready-to-go-with-new-look-indiana-basketball-squad/

[HoosierHoopster 6,808]

23 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/xavier-johnson-is-ready-to-go-with-new-look-indiana-basketball-squad/

Interesting that X recommended players and staff followed up on his recommendations. Does look like the team will be more athletic overall -- how the changes from JHS and TJD will look are the big question, but to me it's how Race's and Kopp's departures are filled that should make the team quicker and more athletic. Can't wait to see bako and Ware's get out and go is encouraging.

 

[Demo 19,611]

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/date-set-for-iu-basketballs-hoosier-hysteria-2023/
 

Hoosier Hysteria 10/20, per Schumann. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 83,919]

During the bench test, Sparks was able to earn his way in the Indiana basketball record books becoming third all-time in reps of 185 pounds passing the likes of Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo, De’Ron Davis, Robert Johnson, and more Indiana basketball alums.

https://hoosierillustrated.com/watch-payton-sparks-shows-off-strength-in-bench-press-test/

[Stuhoo 79,683]

58 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

During the bench test, Sparks was able to earn his way in the Indiana basketball record books becoming third all-time in reps of 185 pounds passing the likes of Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo, De’Ron Davis, Robert Johnson, and more Indiana basketball alums.

https://hoosierillustrated.com/watch-payton-sparks-shows-off-strength-in-bench-press-test/

That all-time leaderboard is interesting. The football middle linebacker built Freddie McSwain is the all-time leader at 30 reps, and second ever at 25 reps is...5'10", 185 lb walk-on guard Taylor Wayer. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 8,891]

3 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

That all-time leaderboard is interesting. The football middle linebacker built Freddie McSwain is the all-time leader at 30 reps, and second ever at 25 reps is...5'10", 185 lb walk-on guard Taylor Wayer. 

Wing span, a large one,  is a significant disadvantage when it comes to bench press. It doesn't necessarily surprise me someone like Wayer was way up there. 

Little surprise Yogi wasn't higher. 

[Stuhoo 79,683]

11 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Wing span, a large one,  is a significant disadvantage when it comes to bench press. It doesn't necessarily surprise me someone like Wayer was way up there. 

Little surprise Yogi wasn't higher. 

True, and Cody Zeller has a really short wingspan for a seven footer. DeRon Davis is impressive.

[Hovadipo 55,074]

Wayer was yoked too, IIRC. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 8,891]

1 minute ago, Hovadipo said:

Wayer was yoked too, IIRC. 

To say the least 

[hoosierbgh 1,264]

15 hours ago, Stuhoo said:

Kel’el Ware better get that motor hot because Payton Sparks is gonna challenge him for that 25 minutes at the 5 spot.

I think Sparks will play more than a lot of people do but the only way it will impact Ware is if Sparks pushes Reneau into more minutes at the 4. Ware is not primarily a post player and probably won't be competing with Sparks for minutes at the 5 spot. 

[Stuhoo 79,683]

5 minutes ago, hoosierbgh said:

I think Sparks will play more than a lot of people do but the only way it will impact Ware is if Sparks pushes Reneau into more minutes at the 4. Ware is not primarily a post player and probably won't be competing with Sparks for minutes at the 5 spot. 

I believe that Ware projects as a four on offense and a five on defense, and Malik projects as a five on offense and a four on defense. Payton probably projects as a five on both ends.

[mike vannice 281]

Where is Anthony Walker and should we be concerned that he is not on campus yet?

[hoosierbgh 1,264]

1 minute ago, Stuhoo said:

I believe that Ware projects as a four on offense and a five on defense, and Malik projects as a five on offense and a four on defense. Payton probably projects as a five on both ends.

I agree on Sparks and  Reneau on offense but Ware at the 5 on defense would be a  waste of talent much of the time, IMO. Better to have either Sparks or Reneau with better lower body strength and a lower center of gravity to push opposing 5s farther from the basket and make use of Ware's length and athleticism to come in from the weak side to block shots. There may be times that Ware needs to play more in the post to challenge teams that are good at driving the ball but most of the time his tools should allow him to cover from the arc to the post and vice versa. 

[Uspshoosier 45,032]

1 minute ago, mike vannice said:

Where is Anthony Walker and should we be concerned that he is not on campus yet?

Finishing up summer classes and I’m not concerned 

[WayneFleekHoosier 47,942]

1 hour ago, Stuhoo said:

I believe that Ware projects as a four on offense and a five on defense, and Malik projects as a five on offense and a four on defense. Payton probably projects as a five on both ends.

That may well be but Reneau has confidence in his own game away from the basket.  He doesn't shy away from being a 4 and the idea of spacing out.  Every player sees themselves as 1 position space lower, and MR is no different.  He wants to be a four and be able to guard whoever is in front of him. 

[Stuhoo 79,683]

11 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

That may well be but Reneau has confidence in his own game away from the basket.  He doesn't shy away from being a 4 and the idea of spacing out.  Every player sees themselves as 1 position space lower, and MR is no different.  He wants to be a four and be able to guard whoever is in front of him. 

A lot of it will be matchup dictated; Ware is taller and longer and Reneau and Sparks have a stronger base but ae shorter. I would think that Ware would start on a guy like Edey, but that Reneau/Sparks would draw a shorter five like Zed Key.

[yogisballin 2,297]

On 6/6/2023 at 9:00 PM, Stuhoo said:

Holy crap…  That’ll get some instant respect from teammates before the ball ever bounces. The look on Jakai Newton’s face is something like “Shiit; that little smiling freckle-faced kid is a bad-@$$.”

Oh, and the kid never turns the ball over, and is a better recruiter than Ostrom was. 

I just threw up thinking about Ostrom and it’s all your fault

[Hovadipo 55,074]

JD Campbell retiring. Good guy. 

[Demo 19,611]

Kopp continues his unbroken string of being great on Twitter.

[J34 1,472]

Take it for what it's worth (Twitter), but at least it's a conversation piece