IU Basketball News and Notes

[HoosierHoopster]

1 hour ago, Stuhoo said:

Also: "Based upon what I've seen, I would like to play ten guys if I could."

Thank God. Yes, when you have real depth, you should use it.

[WayneFleekHoosier]

Woody asked who he thinks will make the biggest jump. First words out of Woody's mouth: "I like Tamar Bates...I'm looking for big things from him."
Also: "Based upon what I've seen, I would like to play ten guys if I could."

He definitely wants to play 10. If that is best for the team or not remains a question. Please, no Hockey sub patterns/Platoons.
I feel like NBA guys like to have a more set sub pattern based on the clock. I really prefer no preset subs and just go by the feel of the game and the players and how they are playing, who is hot and cold. Who is exploiting matchups, etc.

I understand the thought of practicing groups together but I hope he fully abandons that idea. I’ve said a million times by now, the best teams seem to be playing 7-8 by the end of the year, even really deep teams. Which we could work ourselves towards if players separate from a 10 man rotation.


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[str8baller]

3 hours ago, Stuhoo said:

."

Also: "Based upon what I've seen, I would like to play ten guys if I could."

Often a good thing, but it can sometimes mean nobody is really standing out. The latter reminds me of the breathless reports of Guy-Michael-“whatever his name was” tearing it up in practice. It turns out the guys he was practicing against weren’t very good and neither was he.  Hopefully it’s the former and there’s too much bona fide talent to get on the floor. 

[IUFAN1976]

37 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

He definitely wants to play 10. If that is best for the team or not remains a question. Please, no Hockey sub patterns/Platoons.
I feel like NBA guys like to have a more set sub pattern based on the clock. I really prefer no preset subs and just go by the feel of the game and the players and how they are playing, who is hot and cold. Who is exploiting matchups, etc.

I understand the thought of practicing groups together but I hope he fully abandons that idea. I’ve said a million times by now, the best teams seem to be playing 7-8 by the end of the year, even really deep teams. Which we could work ourselves towards if players separate from a 10 man rotation.


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Like it or not, he’s playing a 10 man rotation and it’s obvious you don’t want him to play 10 guys.  Well he’s the coach and in CMW I trust plus he has the personnel to play a 10 man rotation 

[WayneFleekHoosier]

Like it or not, he’s playing a 10 man rotation and it’s obvious you don’t want him to play 10 guys.  Well he’s the coach and in CMW I trust plus he has the personnel to play a 10 man rotation 

Lol. Nice response. I want to win. Whatever it takes to win. TJD should get 32-35 minutes a game. Outside of him, earn them.

I think I can make several assertions that “In CMW you trust” mismanaged PT, starters, and rotations last year. Hopefully he improves and learns. We both want Indiana to win.


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[Stuhoo]

4 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Lol. Nice response. I want to win. Whatever it takes to win. TJD should get 32-35 minutes a game. Outside of him, earn them.

I think I can make several assertions that “In CMW you trust” mismanaged PT, starters, and rotations last year. Hopefully he improves and learns. We both want Indiana to win.


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TJD should get 32-35 against Michigan and Purdoo.

He should get 20-25 against Jackson State.

[WayneFleekHoosier]

TJD should get 32-35 against Michigan and Purdoo.
He should get 20-25 against Jackson State.

Yeah, ideally he gets his 16 minutes in the first half. Gets the first 10 minutes in the second half and let’s the second string bring it home for the final 10.


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[cthomas]

We aren't going to go injury free throughout the year. The depth will pay dividends as frontline guys miss games for whatever reason. Having ten guys who can play doesn't mean that ten guys will play every game. I just feel way more comfortable about the guys on the bench this year than last. Could be the difference between winning and losing in some games.

[WayneFleekHoosier]

We aren't going to go injury free throughout the year. The depth will pay dividends as frontline guys miss games for whatever reason. Having ten guys who can play doesn't mean that ten guys will play every game. I just feel way more comfortable about the guys on the bench this year than last. Could be the difference between winning and losing in some games.

Fully agree to this.


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[Honkyman]

6 hours ago, Stuhoo said:

Based upon what I've seen, I would like to play ten guys if I could."

Woodson has added the disclaimer "if I could" in this statement, which means he doesn't think he can or should play 10 guys. What he is saying (imo) is that there are 10 players who are showing him in practice they deserve to play and be in the rotation but that he probably can't play all 10 of them in most games. Against the top teams he'll probably be playing no more than 8 guys.

[HoosierHoopster]

1 hour ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Yeah, ideally he gets his 16 minutes in the first half. Gets the first 10 minutes in the second half and let’s the second string bring it home for the final 10.


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Honestly as good as TJD is - excellent- I’m one who strongly believes in matchups and using actual depth when you have it. We beat PU back then with TJD on the bench bc he was getting owned by PU’s bigs and we went to guard play and had a field day.
That’s clearly not a reflection of last season with TJD, I don’t mean to say it is, but it is a reflection of the need to use depth and this season is the first we’ve had with legit, experienced m, talented depth and highly skilled frosh with at least 2 who are college ready likely to play  real minutes while one starts, in a long @$$ time. 
Plenty of very good teams use this kind of good depth when they have it, not many would leave the level of players we now have on the bench for the sake of running 7-8, and for our team this year i see no good reason to think or hope we’re playing 7-8 by late.
 

Who exactly, of at least 9 expected good minute players on this team should be left on the bench? 
X

JHS

TJD

Race

Bates

JG

Ren

Trey

Kopp

then we have Duncomb, who by several accounts is ready to contribute spelling TJD and with some attitude, could be no. 10

Leal, who has shown solid play and may be ready to contribute more
Banks who’s getting some hype

and Gunn, who seems likely to be largely outside minutes while he acclimates but has good potential 

i see 9 for sure and hope we have 10. My opinion, Kopp has to show much more than last season, he has to be shooting, but with JHS together with X I think he will, though i also hope Bates is as ready as Woodson seems to be suggesting and takes that starting spot at some point (i do think Kopp will start for his experience but i’d love to see Bates come out on fire and grab it). 

 

[Hoosierfan2017]

10 hours ago, IUFAN1976 said:

Like it or not, he’s playing a 10 man rotation and it’s obvious you don’t want him to play 10 guys.  Well he’s the coach and in CMW I trust plus he has the personnel to play a 10 man rotation 

The “in CMW I trust” approach is silly. He’s not infallible. He’s a second year coach who finished 9th in the conference and got blown out by a mid major in the round of 64 last year. He made mistakes last season. One of his biggest mistakes was his rotations. He killed us numerous times by playing 5 bench players at once. The best teams play shorter rotations. Our 2013 conference champion team had 6 guys play 10+ mpg in conference play. The 2016 team had 8 guys play 10+ mpg. Last year Wisconsin’s team had 6, and last year’s Illinois team had 7. We don’t have the talent to have a 10 man rotation. If we’re playing some cupcake, sure. Play them all. But when we’re playing the best teams on our schedule we need to play 7-8 guys, and our starters need to be playing 30+ mpg. 

[Brass Cannon]

8 hours ago, HoosierHoopster said:

Honestly as good as TJD is - excellent- I’m one who strongly believes in matchups and using actual depth when you have it. We beat PU back then with TJD on the bench bc he was getting owned by PU’s bigs and we went to guard play and had a field day.
That’s clearly not a reflection of last season with TJD, I don’t mean to say it is, but it is a reflection of the need to use depth and this season is the first we’ve had with legit, experienced m, talented depth and highly skilled frosh with at least 2 who are college ready likely to play  real minutes while one starts, in a long @$$ time. 
Plenty of very good teams use this kind of good depth when they have it, not many would leave the level of players we now have on the bench for the sake of running 7-8, and for our team this year i see no good reason to think or hope we’re playing 7-8 by late.
 

Who exactly, of at least 9 expected good minute players on this team should be left on the bench? 
X

JHS

TJD

Race

Bates

JG

Ren

Trey

Kopp

then we have Duncomb, who by several accounts is ready to contribute spelling TJD and with some attitude, could be no. 10

Leal, who has shown solid play and may be ready to contribute more
Banks who’s getting some hype

and Gunn, who seems likely to be largely outside minutes while he acclimates but has good potential 

i see 9 for sure and hope we have 10. My opinion, Kopp has to show much more than last season, he has to be shooting, but with JHS together with X I think he will, though i also hope Bates is as ready as Woodson seems to be suggesting and takes that starting spot at some point (i do think Kopp will start for his experience but i’d love to see Bates come out on fire and grab it). 

 

Malik and Kopp are probably odd guys out tbh

[Honkyman]

1 hour ago, Brass Cannon said:

Malik and Kopp are probably odd guys out 

Coach Woodson has Kopp playing with the starters so as a starter he's not likely to be an odd guy out. Malik is likely number 8 after Jordan Geronimo and Tamar Bates. Everything could change as the season goes along due to play on the court or injuries.

[HoosierHoopster]

1 hour ago, Brass Cannon said:

Malik and Kopp are probably odd guys out tbh

Naah. Kopp, after starting all last year and returning as a vet wing and one of the few who can shoot will certainly play through the year. And from everything we hear about Ren, he'll certainly play, some thought he'd start, I'd bank on him coming off the bench behind Race and TJD but playing pretty good minutes by mid-season to end. What those minutes are I have no idea at this point, anywhere from 10-18 maybe. But either of these guys not play? No, don't see it.

[HoosierAloha]

Kopp is absolutely a shooter just not a maker. If he repeats last season (minutes, shot selection and %, and his “defense”) the team won’t be reaching all their goals.


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[HoosierHoopster]

6 minutes ago, HoosierAloha said:

Kopp is absolutely a shooter just not a maker. If he repeats last season (minutes, shot selection and %, and his “defense”) the team won’t be reaching all their goals.


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I agree with this in part Aloha. I was really frustrated with Kopp's shooting last season, but more so for the lack of attempts and the way Woodson used him. I'm a believer in Woodson, but I was really surprised we shot around the same number of outside shots that we did under CAM, that's just mind boggling. We did not use the perimeter. We leaned way to heavily on the frontcourt. What I hope to see this season is guys like Bates, Kopp, JHS, X and yes JG taking those outside shots with the space that I think JHS and X will create with the inside dominance of TJD and Race and some Ren. Not having an inside-out game with these guys on the floor makes no sense, and Kopp can shoot, if he actually takes the dang shots.

One thing I liked in Ren's interview from ITH, he talked kick-outs. 

[Hoosierfan2017]

12 minutes ago, HoosierAloha said:

Kopp is absolutely a shooter just not a maker. If he repeats last season (minutes, shot selection and %, and his “defense”) the team won’t be reaching all their goals.


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Unfortunately he’s about the closest thing we have to a maker. If the returning players only Johnson shoots better from 3, and most of his 3s seemed to be on wide open attempts. 

[Stuhoo]

33 minutes ago, HoosierAloha said:

Kopp is absolutely a shooter just not a maker. If he repeats last season (minutes, shot selection and %, and his “defense”) the team won’t be reaching all their goals.


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On one hand, I have been for and still prefer that we start Bates or Geronimo at the three.

On the other hand, Kopp was a decent wing defender and shot 36.1% from three while playing a good part of the year on an injured foot. That's not a home run by any means, but it's still a % that equates to a positive points per possession. And unlike our other 'shooter' from last year (Stewart), Kopp's numbers didn't tank as the competition got tougher or at the end of games.

I think he's a really good choice for 15-18 minutes as a veteran bench presence.

[HoosierX]

22 minutes ago, HoosierAloha said:

Kopp is absolutely a shooter just not a maker. If he repeats last season (minutes, shot selection and %, and his “defense”) the team won’t be reaching all their goals.


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Kopp is the best weak side defender and communicator on the team. There's a reason he played as much as he did last season.