All-Time IU “If They Hadn’t Been Hurt” Team

[Stuhoo 83,772]

Last off-season distraction thread:

Let’s hear your five player “if only they hadn’t got hurt” team. The rules? NOT someone who was a big success but missed time at IU (so May’s broken arm and Henderson’s knee are off limits).

We’re talking about a player who never reached their arguably very high potential because of chronic injuries.

My five?

Glen Grunwald

Pat Graham

DeRon Davis

James Blackmon Jr.

and Mo Creek

[Hovadipo 58,240]

Probably doesn’t belong above any of the guys on your list, but I don’t think we got anything resembling the real De’ron Davis. 

Also, if JBJ is eligible, Romeo is too imo. 

[Redcamaro 273]

Landon Turner!!

[Dave from Dayton 3,479]

Logan Duncomb - sinus surgery

Larry Bird - feelings hurt

Sherron Wilkerson - butted heads with RMK

Tommy Baker - OD'd on paraquat

Delray Brooks - swollen feet

   * Mostly snark...

 

[hoosierdogg 3,245]

Todd Meier, on the 87 NC team, but seems like he always wore a knee brace.  

[Hornsby 2,827]

Last off-season distraction thread:
Let’s hear your five player “if only they hadn’t got hurt” team. The rules? NOT someone who was a big success but missed time at IU (so May’s broken arm and Henderson’s knee are off limits).
We’re talking about a player who never reached their arguably very high potential because of chronic injuries.
My five?
Glen Grunwald
Pat Graham
DeRon Davis
James Blackmon Jr.
and Mo Creek

Priller???

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[TTT 1,059]

Ray Pavy (auto off season) 
(L. Turner already had success)

Glenn Grunwald

Devin Davis 

Jay Edwards (though successful I would classify him not reaching his potential due to what I will put in miscellaneous category) same result as injury.

Mo Creek 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 86,763]

Landon Turner is the #1 on this type of list.

Glen Grunwald

Mo Creek

Jeff Oliphant's knee.  Stories were he regularly beat Alford in games of horse. 

Brian Sloan.  Seems like he was always hobbled by back problems.

Honorable mention - Dan Dakich's inflamed a$$hole.

[Scotty R 2,585]

Grunwald 

Turner

P. Graham

Creek 

Deron Davis

[Stuhoo 83,772]

Turner is an outlier. He was on the National Championship all-tournament team, so while he never realized a consistent version of his full potential, he did get through his junior year uninjured and by then was one of top players in the country.

My underrated pick for the ‘Captain’ of this group? 

Pat Graham. He never played on good legs his whole four years. Can you imagine? Knight gave him real game minutes and he  basically wasn’t able to practice. 

Pat Graham on good legs was a Randy Wittman clone—a 15 year NBA player.

[HoosierHoopster 7,316]

Mo --

Very much agree with including Mo Creek as everyone is doing, that kid had so much scoring ability and it was just taken from him. He's my #1, both because he's absolutely in my top 5 no matter who I pick, but also for how that first knee injury came right after his frosh point explosion and was so clearly highway robbery of his ability. 

Big time outlier - EJ. 

Gordon was phenomenal for us, and maybe can't include him just because of his record-setting scoring at IU, but the what if came after his wrist injury in February or so IIRC -- he couldn't shoot the 3 after that injury, really about half the season and we lost in the NCAA tourney in part because of it. His NBA career was marred for many years with repeat injuries. He's still a great player, really a testament to his overcoming the injuries -- but man, an injury-free EJ through the tourney? I mean we were 24-4 before Sampsongate.

Pat Graham. What a force of nature. If only.

Turner

I'll say Romeo. I don't know if he had the motor, but the talent was next level.

[ledies22 60]

completely different scenario and not committed, but

Ben Wilson...?

[Stuhoo 83,772]

55 minutes ago, TTT said:

Ray Pavy (auto off season) 
(L. Turner already had success)

Glenn Grunwald

Devin Davis 

Jay Edwards (though successful I would classify him not reaching his potential due to what I will put in miscellaneous category) same result as injury.

Mo Creek 

Had to look up Ray Pavy! As you said, tragic car accident after his sophomore season, but as a player that averaged 2.5 ppg in zero starts when healthy, he’s a footnote who’s not on my list.

Here’s another one: the legendarily love/hate that was Bracey Wright. (Stay with me here)

In fact, Bracey is near the top of this list for me: the first three months of his freshman year he was pretty much five star unstoppable—40% from three, efficient, and hyper-athletic. Then he hurt his back, badly. He faded while playing with the injury the last two months of his freshman year, had back surgery, and was never athletic or efficient again.

A real shame.

[Stuhoo 83,772]

Romeo is interesting—he was playing almost exclusively with his right hand, and then had to do so with torn ligaments in his right thumb. No bueno.

[Dave from Dayton 3,479]

Yogi Ferrell may just have been the best PG at Indiana since Isiah 'Zeke' Thomas.  Another record setter...so he just may not qualify.  However, he got his bell rung at least twice and other injuries...his back and his thumb.

I noticed that he was a step slower in his junior and senior years as compared to his freshman and sophomore years.  Just didn't quite have the edge that would have made such a difference.  Frustrating to fans and to Yogi...no doubt.

Don't get this wrong.  I thought he was great.  Just off enough in performance that it was noticeable.  Why?  Was it the team?  

I really thought it was the noggin got hurt repeatedly.  It just may well have been his back.   Well, and he was short.  And the team..and Tom Crean...jeez, it was stacked against Yogi...opponents really did slam him.  Big Ten is a grind...each and every game...for Yogi...4 years of taking punishment.  Too mas?

[TTT 1,059]

41 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

Had to look up Ray Pavy! As you said, tragic car accident after his sophomore season, but as a player that averaged 2.5 ppg in zero starts when healthy, he’s a footnote who’s not on my list.

Here’s another one: the legendarily love/hate that was Bracey Wright. (Stay with me here)

In fact, Bracey is near the top of this list for me: the first three months of his freshman year he was pretty much five star unstoppable—40% from three, efficient, and hyper-athletic. Then he hurt his back, badly. He faded while playing with the injury the last two months of his freshman year, had back surgery, and was never athletic or efficient again.

A real shame.

High school shootout last game of regular season in Newcastle gym

Ray Pavy 51 points vs Jimmy Rayl 49 points in New Castle win over Kokomo 92 - 81.  (1959)

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich 8,898]

Mo Creek

De'Ron Davis

Jerome Hunter

Romeo Langford

Rob Phinisee

All of them were in about a 10 year span.. but I think it could compete for a B1G title with the potential they had without injuries.

[RaceToTheTop 27,271]

5 hours ago, Dave from Dayton said:

Logan Duncomb - sinus surgery

Larry Bird - feelings hurt

Sherron Wilkerson - butted heads with RMK

Tommy Baker - OD'd on paraquat

Delray Brooks - swollen feet

   * Mostly snark...

 

You totally missed Neil Reed......neck injury.  Also Devin Davis -- collision with teammate.

[Parakeet Jones 3,838]

Andrae Patterson. He was never consistent after hurting his knee against Kansas. Great moments, but not consistently as great as I believe he could have been. I always thought he seemed permanently tentative after his injury. 

[maharkn 1,817]

Eric Gordon and Dj white

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