IUBB vs Army - Sunday, 11.12.23 @ 7:00 on BTN

[str8baller 4,837]

9 hours ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Yep. Seems overly complicated and rarely if ever executed properly. It’s been bad for over a year. Any coach can watch Penn state slice us up twice last year and copy. Granted you have to hit shots but they are open. Idk. I hate our defense aside from the rim protection.


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It’s probably “ over complicated “ for this group and this time. Also the rim protection is nice at times, but having two guys desperately fly to the rim to block a shot on every opponents drive can take you out of your defense just as easily as a bad rotation and it contributes to the offensive rebounds we give up.   
 

One thing that is frustrating—and I’m sure it is for Woody, too— is that given our near elite rim protection with TJD and now Ware, we shouldn’t have as much trouble as we do simply running guys off the 3pt line. 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich 8,315]

I HAVE A SOLUTION.

And most won't like.

This team offensively has a major problem getting the ball to swing around the perimeter, getting guys to move and getting guys to play with passion.

Solution:

Starters- X, Leal, Galloway, Reneau, Ware.

Why Leal? There isn't a player on this team who is better at keeping the ball moving and himself moving than Leal. And he always plays with energy. Is he a great athlete? Nope. But he KNOWS basketball. And that's something this team desperately needs.

Cupps, Mgbako, Sparks first 3 off the bench. Okay Mgbako at the 4 with Sparks or Ware. Let him be that stretch 4. I think he'd kill it. Cupps, like Leal, also the best at getting the ball moving. Definitely a better natural point than X is. He's a very very high IQ kid.

Would Woody ever do it? Nope. Too damn stubborn and still stuck in 2005. But there are solutions outside of the box.

ANTHONY LEAL. I rest my case.

[FloridaHoosierGirl 4,583]

11 hours ago, Whoozhers said:

Florida Hoosier Girl is BACK! Now the season can officially begin!

Good to see you surfaced FHG.

Thanks, we were actually at the first game so I didn't comment.  Watch other I.U. sports, but don't comment.  Hoping things improve as the new guys get more experience.

[Stuhoo 76,388]

12 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

I HAVE A SOLUTION.

And most won't like.

This team offensively has a major problem getting the ball to swing around the perimeter, getting guys to move and getting guys to play with passion.

Solution:

Starters- X, Leal, Galloway, Reneau, Ware.

Why Leal? There isn't a player on this team who is better at keeping the ball moving and himself moving than Leal. And he always plays with energy. Is he a great athlete? Nope. But he KNOWS basketball. And that's something this team desperately needs.

Cupps, Mgbako, Sparks first 3 off the bench. Okay Mgbako at the 4 with Sparks or Ware. Let him be that stretch 4. I think he'd kill it. Cupps, like Leal, also the best at getting the ball moving. Definitely a better natural point than X is. He's a very very high IQ kid.

Would Woody ever do it? Nope. Too damn stubborn and still stuck in 2005. But there are solutions outside of the box.

ANTHONY LEAL. I rest my case.

 

This is as good a place as any to state your case for Anthony Leal LCS, but no.

There are lots of guys that 'know basketball' that simply aren't nearly talented enough to be a positive on the court. Anthony Leal is by all accounts a great young man and in the same way players like Johnny Jager, Zach McRoberts, Jeff Howard, and Kory Barnett were, an asset to the team. 

But for a guard he is

• very slow laterally,
• cannot really shoot the ball, and
• has no handle.

He just isn't the guy you're projecting him to be. To say that Woody is "stuck in 2005" by not playing Leal? More like Woody would be stuck in 1955 if he plays Leal. Playing him for a few minutes now and then to send a message? Sure. But using him as a rotation player is a clear signal to the team that we are waving the white flag of surrender.

 

[Alford Bailey 12,281]

Early on my gut is telling me (no I didn’t eat Taco Bell and yes pun intended) these guys don’t mesh well and Woody is gonna have a hard time getting MM to do what is expected of him. Been pro Woody from the start but can’t say I’m real bullish on the season right now.

[Uspshoosier 44,473]

12 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

 

This is as good a place as any to state your case for Anthony Leal LCS, but no.

There are lots of guys that 'know basketball' that simply aren't nearly talented enough to be a positive on the court. Anthony Leal is by all accounts a great young man and in the same way players like Johnny Jager, Zach McRoberts, Jeff Howard, and Kory Barnett were, an asset to the team. 

But for a guard he is

• very slow laterally,
• cannot really shoot the ball, and
• has no handle.

He just isn't the guy you're projecting him to be. To say that Woody is "stuck in 2005" by not playing Leal? More like Woody would be stuck in 1955 if he plays Leal. Playing him for a few minutes now and then to send a message? Sure. But using him as a rotation player is a clear signal to the team that we are waving the white flag of surrender.

 

Leal will have an awesome super senior year next year playing in the MVC, A10 or MAC like conference.   Watching Conner Hickman strive at Bradley for me just makes sense he goes down a level and help a program win 

[JSHoosier 19,645]

I don't think we're going to be taking a lot of 3s with Woodson as coach; his comments have sort been take them if they come, he doesn't discourage them but it's not an emphasis either.

[Stuhoo 76,388]

3 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

Leal will have an awesome super senior year next year playing in the MVC, A10 or MAC like conference.   Watching Conner Hickman strive at Bradley for me just makes sense he goes down a level and help a program win 

So if Leal were in an offense that lives and dies with very high volume three point shooting? Because last year about 40% of Bradley's shots were from three, and this year it's almost 50%. 

Unless Micah Shrewsbury returns to the conference that is not going to be an option in the B1G and 100% is not a Mike Woodson possibility.

[Uspshoosier 44,473]

2 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

So if Leal were in an offense that lives and dies with very high volume three point shooting? Because last year about 40% of Bradley's shots were from three, and this year it's almost 50%. 

Unless Micah Shrewsbury returns to the conference that is not going to be an option in the B1G and 100% is not a Mike Woodson possibility.

Any offense is better for him than sitting the bench and getting coaches decision against FGCU and Army.   Needs to get to his level and in my opinion he will help a team win games 

[AKHoosier 6,608]

59 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

26-72 > 8-24

you don’t even need to watch the games to  know that in todays game if this trend continues IU is going to struggle.   When you opponents have made more 3s then your team has even attempted it’s going to be a struggle.   If you choose to go that route then your defense has to be elite.   It’s a simple game.  Until that stat changes and  in my opinion IU is going to have problems especially with more talented teams 

Goodness. Is this the amount of 3s given up by IU versus the amount we've taken?

That is going to be a huge issue.

The 3 pt shot is like the spread offense in college football. It's the great equalizer when you have lesser talent than your opponent.

Yeah the better team will still likely win, but it will be a lot more difficult. 

[Stuhoo 76,388]

6 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

Any offense is better for him than sitting the bench and getting coaches decision against FGCU and Army.   Needs to get to his level and in my opinion he will help a team win games 

Agree -- other than the connections to a prolific career in real estate, the program fit for him is terrible!

[Uspshoosier 44,473]

14 minutes ago, JSHoosier said:

I don't think we're going to be taking a lot of 3s with Woodson as coach; his comments have sort been take them if they come, he doesn't discourage them but it's not an emphasis either.

Yeah he definitely talks like it’s not a big deal taking 3s.  He also said last night the he didn’t think IU played that bad 

[IU_FanClub 1,643]

I could be wrong but what I see when watching our offense is a team that is trying to be more perimeter oriented but doesn't really have the tools to do it the way they want to. I really think our best offense starts by dumping it in and letting Malik facilitate but we're going away from that to try to be more modern instead of playing to our strengths (you can still play modern basketball this way, you saw it at the end with the ball movement to the Cupps three). Now he has to continue to improve as a passer but making the defense collapse seems to work a lot better, especially because X is really our only guard that has the type of burst you need to get by people to make the defense collapse.

Malik and Ware can absolutely play together and I still think Mgbako can develop into his role though the 3 guard lineup seems to be much better right now. 

One of two things needs to happen to stabilize this team right now, either Mgbako needs to improve his effort level (would help if we ran some plays to get him involved) or CJ needs to wake the hell up and realize he is a good basketball player that doesn't need to press.

 

I say all this with the knowledge that I am not the coach and Woody has to decide what he thinks is best for the team, however we are 2-0 and trying to figure things out. Ware has been awesome, X is still getting back into playing real basketball and having to basically learn a whole new team. The panic is a little premature in my opinion but would be really nice to see us blow Wright State out on Thursday for sure.

[Stuhoo 76,388]

1 hour ago, Uspshoosier said:

Yeah he definitely talks like it’s not a big deal taking 3s.  He also said last night the he didn’t think IU played that bad 

It is counter to his time as an NBA coach, but seems to be true. 

I will say this -- two years ago the team's mid/late season turnaround was largely because of a change in offensive philosophy that featured Xavier and Trayce in a two man game a lot. I think the philosophy change was spurred by a series of meetings Woody had once Wittman was brought in as a team consultant. 

So, there is some precedent that Woody will identify the need for an offensive system change when the pieces he has are not clicking with what he was hoping to install. Here's to hoping that happens sooner rather than later this year, because to me the current offense clearly is not fitting the pieces.

**As for saying that he didn't think we played that badly? Woody received a series of questions in that press conference teeing up how disappointing the team has looked (because it's true). But Woody will simply not throw players under a bus no matter what. The farthest he'll go is to mention a series of names that need to step up. However, my understanding is that behind the scenes when it's just the team in the room, he doesn't pull any punches.**

 

[realTomCrean 1,470]

How much better of a team would we be with only one of MM and MR starting? Spacing, speed issue. Also gives the bench unit a bucket getter. As Stuhoo has said, it's not who starts it's who finishes. 

Galloway has to look for his shot and become a playmaker. I enjoyed that Woody called out effort and playing hard in his postgame. We are more talented than 10+ B1G teams by a lot. We are not as young as everyone is letting on, albeit new, but not young. 

[HinnyHoosier 4,388]

New week has started. On to the next one. 

But those boys had better practice like their jocks are in flames because it sounds like some standards are not being met at a very basic level. I'm probably in the minority being completely ok with Xavier calling that out in the post game. They're all big boys and need to understand it's not personal; it's a message and a challenge. However, he needs to reiterate the challenge to his teammates in the locker room and not leave it hanging in the media. 

[realTomCrean 1,470]

I'm not a huge griper but there is a bone to be picked. These players and staff wear RMK on their jerseys and shirts, which is a relatively new happening, but they've played and prepared like it isn't there. If you're going to wear the greatest preparer of all time initials on your chest don't play so damn lazy and show your obvious lack of preparation!! 

Offensively you are allowed to struggle, that can be fixed. But offensive boards have killed IU all 4 games this year and it's an effort/fundamental based mistake. Teams have shot a ton of 3's against us resulting in long rebounds, where are the senior guards at. Team captains, block out!!

[coonhounds 8,696]

Early on my gut is telling me (no I didn’t eat Taco Bell and yes pun intended) these guys don’t mesh well and Woody is gonna have a hard time getting MM to do what is expected of him. Been pro Woody from the start but can’t say I’m real bullish on the season right now.

I have been pro Woody as well. I did switch against him last season when we had that terrible stretch and figured the season was lost. Then he surprised me and made the season ok. I am hoping he can surprise me again but I am not counting on it. He had one of the greatest iu players of all time on the team last 2 years. This season could get really challenging if he can't get several guys to step up and that will be tough imo

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[Hardwood83 4,546]

9 hours ago, southernindianahoosier2 said:

ideal line up 

1. cupps
2. xj
3. Galloway -> these 3 subbed by our other guards
4. MM -> reneau
5. Ware -> sparks

 

I think your overall point has some merit, but what "other guards?" Gunn has looked awful and I don't think Leal has played yet in either game. IU really needed a transfer guard and losing Newton has left virtually 0 guard depth. 

[realTomCrean 1,470]

1 minute ago, Hardwood83 said:

I think your overall point has some merit, but what "other guards?" Gunn has looked awful and I don't think Leal has played yet in either game. IU really needed a transfer guard and losing Newton has left virtually 0 guard depth. 

Does anyone know anything about Newton? Timeline, plans to play this year, strengths?