IUBB vs Iowa - Tuesday, 01.30.24 @ 7:00 on BTN

[Demo 18,705]

38 minutes ago, HoosierHoopster said:

Leal played a great game, hands down.

Question though is whether that's sustainable. I don't mean to rain on the parade, but that's one game. I like his understanding of the floor, now here's to hoping he can add some steady play in other games.

You’re right, he’s not doing that over and over. But if he does nothing but maintain scheme discipline on defense and make clean looks he gives you solidity that Gunn doesn’t. That’s worth 10-15 rotation mins for this team. 

[HoosierHoopster 6,490]

2 minutes ago, Demo said:

You’re right, he’s not doing that over and over. But if he does nothing but maintain scheme discipline on defense and make clean looks he gives you solidity that Gunn doesn’t. That’s worth 10-15 rotation mins for this team. 

Not sure on 10-15 (yet anyway) but yes, agreed on scheme discipline -- that's part of the floor understanding and steady play I'm thinking about.

[DChoosier 7,251]

2 hours ago, Stuhoo said:

Post-game locker room - X trying to applaud one handed - everyone loving on Leal. Could be a good sign that X wasn't taken straight to the hospital for Xrays.

 

I saw the clip last night and what struck me was that MM looked even happier for Leal than Leal did.  It was great to see, but not surprising, as MM often cheers for the guys and seems invested in the team.  No question his goal is to be in the NBA (on a side note I also wanted my kids to get a job after college), and he hopes to make it as a One and Done, but that doesn’t automatically mean (as some imply) that he doesn’t care, it’s all about him, 5* are prima-donnas etc etc.

[JerryYeagley23 2,905]

1 hour ago, Chris007 said:

Eric said on Peegs this morning that nothing is broken for either player. Both should be back this season and maybe as early as Saturday.

I am so happy for Leal. LCS and I have been saying play Leal all year. LOL 

In the last two games, we have actually played hard.

Wish we could see all of our starters play a whole game together. 

Bring on Penn St and the Fighting Tom Allens. 

Bozich confirmed this morning both injuries are considered minor and won’t cause an extended absence for either guy. One of my sources said MR probably could have come back in the game but didn’t want to further the injury so sat out for precaution. Little bit of a sigh of relief. 

[DChoosier 7,251]

2 hours ago, IUFAN1976 said:

That bugs me too, seems like he wants to dribble and the ball does seem to stick more when he’s in the game than Cupps, Leal or Trey.  I think his game is to prove the defense and make a move inside the paint and that’s why it sticks IMO

I agree and find it maddening when X aimlessly dribbles 30 feet from the basket. Trey often does the same thing, and did last night, when he runs the point. Maybe they are coached that way? I don’t know but it often seems to lead to bad shots that have to be taken in the last 2-5 seconds of the shot clocked. 

[Stuhoo 77,516]

2 minutes ago, Ngw7183 said:

I also think his defending has improved greatly. Yes, he still got blown by a few times but I saw a big difference from even earlier in the season. He is strong and pretty good size as well. He can match up with a 3 fairly well. Woody pulled MM for him essentially and told Leal to stop the 3s. He did.

^^This^^

A 22 year old Anthony Leal is significantly more physically equipped to defend than an 18 year Anthony Leal was.

[Chris007 43,012]

10 minutes ago, JerryYeagley23 said:

Bozich confirmed this morning both injuries are considered minor and won’t cause an extended absence for either guy. One of my sources said MR probably could have come back in the game but didn’t want to further the injury so sat out for precaution. Little bit of a sigh of relief. 

Long time no see from you sir. Glad to see you back. Or maybe you've been here and I've missed it. 

[cthomas 6,054]

In the player interviews last night, Leal was asked a question about Cupps performance. He reached over a rubbed Cupps his head and talked about how hard he works. Just like a proud big brother. Leal will play within the game plan and fulfill his role. I think the problem with Gunn and Banks is that they haven't fully understood their roles and deviate from the things that would benefit the team the most. I'm still hopeful that they figure it out.

[KillerMopp 39]

6 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

^^This^^

A 22 year old Anthony Leal is significantly more physically equipped to defend than an 18 year Anthony Leal was.

 

[Stuhoo 77,516]

2 minutes ago, cthomas said:

In the player interviews last night, Leal was asked a question about Cupps performance. He reached over a rubbed Cupps his head and talked about how hard he works. Just like a proud big brother. Leal will play within the game plan and fulfill his role. I think the problem with Gunn and Banks is that they haven't fully understood their roles and deviate from the things that would benefit the team the most. I'm still hopeful that they figure it out.

I'm an incurable optimist, but something about the seeing the way CJ Gunn grabbed a few rebounds like his life depended on it during his limited minutes last night struck me as encouraging.

[TheWatShot 13,455]

Further proof that "Hall of Calls" is dead: the "foul" on Cupps with 8:43 to play when Dix blew by him and scored. If Cupps even touched him at all, it was barely a tap on the arm. Zero chance a ref even thinks about calling that back in the day. 

[Hornsby 1,640]

I'm an incurable optimist, but something about the seeing the way CJ Gunn grabbed a few rebounds like his life depended on it during his limited minutes last night struck me as encouraging.

Please don't tell me we will have to hear again this spring how we don't need portal guards cause we have gunn. Heard that last year from some.

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[Alford Bailey 12,300]

Happy for Leal to come in and take advantage of his opportunity. Do I think this means anything going forward? Not really. Guard play is still abysmal and we barely pulled out a win against a bad Iowa team at home.

[Stuhoo 77,516]

1 minute ago, Hornsby said:

Please don't tell me we will have to hear again this spring how we don't need portal guards cause we have gunn. Heard that last year from some.

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It's not spring yet. I'm sure by then situations will change many times, and you will see and hear some things you like and some things you don't. Of course, we only know a tiny percentage of the information that staff does.

All of this contributes to making it interesting.

[Hornsby 1,640]

Happy for Leal to come in and take advantage of his opportunity. Do I think this means anything going forward? Not really. Guard play is still abysmal and we barely pulled out a win against a bad Iowa team at home.

Probably not though some seem to have think we turned a massive corner now. Let's wait and see how we do at ohio state and purdue before declaring we are back. Penn State is not at all so winning that game should not be that hard at home.

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[8bucks 6,258]

We saw a different Leal last night.  Maybe the minutes he got vs Illinois helped, maybe hitting early shots helped but this was a different Leal.  A confident Leal.  Maybe he heard or saw the outside noise and the pressure it was putting on the guys and when called to step in he came in with the mindset to help find buckets.  Maybe he spent more time in the gym leading up to the game thinking he has to help his guys and the school he loves.  Maybe a little bit of all this.  We have seen some moments where he provided some leadership, and we probably always felt he could shoot but it just did not come together before.  Last night it did and when he did that step through in the lane for a bucket you could tell, this was a different Leal.  This was a guy who knew he could help and started looking to do that.  

I also wonder if the staff encouraged him to look for his shot.  They have to know how badly we have shot from 3 recently.  After one of his shots I saw Hulls stand up and look/point/or something that made me wonder if he had been working with him on that.  Encouragement from the staff to shoot not just run the offense can go a long way.  

[southsidehoosier 4,800]

31 minutes ago, Ngw7183 said:

Man would that be a HUGE break. Maybe it was the fear of the worst that got them both so emotional. 

agreed, would be really nice to see the starters fully healthy and play a whole game. We haven’t had that since very early and those games were MM struggling, learning to gel all new guys, etc. they didn’t get that time to grow as a full unit. 

If, if they can both make it back, the minutes so many have got along the way will pay off. 

I really do think they can go on a run here and I said that before last night.  Those 2 are obviously key to that. 

 

[Home Jersey 5,710]

Super relieved to hear Malik and X may not be too badly hurt after all. Someone asked if we turn a corner after yesterday. Still not sure about that at all, but slightly more optimistic that we see better/more consistent effort the rest of the way, especially if Leal has solidified a rotation spot. The guys were torn up yesterday when it seemed like X was done. They know the season is on the ropes. After having a scare like that, gotta think they understand they have to leave it all out on the floor each and every game the rest of the way. Leal's leadership is first class... now with the merit of playing behind it. Ware also battled like a warrior when the team needed him. His time in Bloomington will be brief, but I'm happy we get to call him a Hoosier and think he will make us proud at the next level when his time comes.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 82,703]

Kel'el Ware is top-10 in the Big Ten in:  

• Defensive Rebounding % (3rd)

• eFG% (6th) • Block % (9th)

• 2FG % (9th)

• Offensive Rebounding % (10th)

[Class of '66 Old Fart 82,703]

Another interesting stat from Assembly Call

 

In 394 minutes with Gabe Cupps OFF the court, Indiana has a Net Rating of -0.78 (699 points scored, 704 allowed.

In 446 minutes with Gabe Cupps ON the court, Indiana's Net Rating is +0.13 (846 scored, 845 allowed.)