Expectations for the 24-25 Season

[Unexpectedflash 969]

I think our core roster is set for the most part. Interested to see who we add with those last three spots but what're you guys early expectations for next year? The big ten appears to be down again next year and we are probably the most talented team in the big ten. Rutgers and UCLA should also be good along with Purdue and Illinois being in the mix like always but I think expectations should be a Big ten title and Sweet 16 appearance if everything gels right. 

[mdn82 25,467]

Winning is key.  There needs to be a decent amount of positive momentum this season.  Still a backup big and a knock down shooter, but there are no perfect teams.  You have 3-32% 3 pt shooters that could/should take a jump.  All 3 have a FT% that shows they just need to put shots up over the summer and they will be fine.  
 

Expectations with the roster we have and our opponents?  We need to be a top 5 seed (could be top 2-3 seed), Sweet 16+, 28+ wins, top 2 or 3 B1G team, top 30 offensively, top 40 defensively, etc.  Do I expect that all?  Nope.  Have to see how it all gels.  Most talented team since 2012 imo.  Just hope Gallo is more sophomore Sheehey and not senior Sheehey.  Think that will be huge getting him in the right role for our team beyond stability at the PG spot.  But winning Nov-March will go a long way to giving our NIL currency more value down the road.  Not playing down to our competition will also help.  

[Kentuckysucks 2,155]

Top 3 in the B1G and an Elite 8 should be the expectations.  No excuse for anything less.

But the pundits have concerns. 

 

 

[HoosierHoopster 6,292]

I agree with the points about not really knowing until seeing how the team  gels. This certainly now looks like a strong team with talent across the floor and importantly starting at point. Roster construction is much better - but I’m still wondering how Woodson will use the pieces that he now has.

That said, for me top 3 finish B1G, and at least SW16.

 

[Hornsby 1,637]

Top 3 in the big ten. Sweet sixeteen minimum and 25 wins

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[IUc2016 7,121]

41 minutes ago, Kentuckysucks said:

Top 3 in the B1G and an Elite 8 should be the expectations.  No excuse for anything less.

But the pundits have concerns. 

 

 

Lol. He called Carlyle a great shooter (which I disagree with) on a f68 podcast yesterday. 

so which is it….?

[Demo 18,145]

Seems pretty straightforward. Competing for a B1G championship. Competing for a B1G tournament championship(they’ve never won it, that needs to happen). 2nd week tournament team. From there it’s about matchup and how you play in 1 given game. 

[Juwan Moye 213]

My expectation? Top third of the new B1G with the chance to over perform if a reliable shooter or two emerges outside of Mgbako.

I’d also suggest, given the dollar investment in coach and players, if this isn’t a team that’s at least fringe top-25 for most of the year, and at least a 7 seed in the tournament, then CMW should be gone barring a Sweet 16 run. 
 

So this is apparently me hoping CMW is back because it means we had a level of success that we actually get to cheer for again.

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich 8,370]

My expectation is finishing about 6th, getting a 9 seed and bounced.

I expect to have a rough to watch offense.

I expect we will good in a few games and look really bad in the others.

I expect Mike Woodson to say the word "hump" more than we hit 3's

I expect to see a lot of bricks at the FT line from Ballo and Gallo.

I expect Reneau to take on 3 dudes at once and either put up a terrible shot or turn it over.

I expect Reneau to foul a dude 38.5 feet from the basket reaching in when he's already got 3 fouls and there's 17 minutes left in the game.

I expect Gallos hair to be flawless.

I expect Leal to split the bench but look like the only guy who knows what's happening when he's on the court.

I expect to have the Fire Woody thread opened back up 3/4 through the season.

[HoosierHoopster 6,292]

2 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

My expectation is finishing about 6th, getting a 9 seed and bounced.

I expect to have a rough to watch offense.

I expect we will good in a few games and look really bad in the others.

I expect Mike Woodson to say the word "hump" more than we hit 3's

I expect to see a lot of bricks at the FT line from Ballo and Gallo.

I expect Reneau to take on 3 dudes at once and either put up a terrible shot or turn it over.

I expect Reneau to foul a dude 38.5 feet from the basket reaching in when he's already got 3 fouls and there's 17 minutes left in the game.

I expect Gallos hair to be flawless.

I expect Leal to split the bench but look like the only guy who knows what's happening when he's on the court.

I expect to have the Fire Woody thread opened back up 3/4 through the season.

Sunshine Pumper!

[Demo 18,145]

1 hour ago, Kentuckysucks said:

Top 3 in the B1G and an Elite 8 should be the expectations.  No excuse for anything less.

But the pundits have concerns. 

 

 

So if they’d brought on Essegian or Hickman they’d look at this team significantly differently? These guys wear their hot take stupidity like a freaking merit badge. 

[theriverpilot 5,589]

The talent was there last year and expectations were top 6 B1G and easily make the tournament. But I knew there was trouble when I watched that talent struggle against the likes of Army, Wright St, Morehead, St, and Louisville. 

I feel this team has more talent so on paper expectations will be top 3 B1G and make a run in the tournament (sweet 16 at least). But how this new group does against the teams it’s supposed to beat and how quickly they gel will be key 

[go iu bb 4,967]

Considering the talent + experience on the team it should be competing for the B1G championship, ranked, with a 4 seed or better, and getting to the S16.

Then I look at the coaching staff and my actual expectation become some disappointing blowout loses, middle of the pack in the B1G, unranked at the end of the season, and missing or barely making the NCAAT. If they do make it, it will likely be an early loss. There will likely be a customary 3+ game losing streak or two in conference play. I expect we'll hear many of the same excuses as last year.

[Stuhoo 76,716]

23ish or more wins.
Top 1/3 of B1G with a chance to be the B1G champ.
Top 25-ish all year.

I don’t like to have expectations for the NCAA tournament because a red hot 10-13 seed can legitimately end a good season for almost any top 25 ranked team. 

[Stuhoo 76,716]

21 minutes ago, theriverpilot said:

The talent was there last year and expectations were top 6 B1G and easily make the tournament. But I knew there was trouble when I watched that talent struggle against the likes of Army, Wright St, Morehead, St, and Louisville. 

I feel this team has more talent so on paper expectations will be top 3 B1G and make a run in the tournament (sweet 16 at least). But how this new group does against the teams it’s supposed to beat and how quickly they gel will be key 

The roster construction was awful and because of that the talent level in the guard group was truly subpar.

Once Mgbako improved the frontline talent was outstanding last year.

Finally… if expectations last year were 6th in the B1G? We ended up doing that.

[lillurk 3,710]

1 hour ago, Demo said:

Seems pretty straightforward. Competing for a B1G championship. Competing for a B1G tournament championship(they’ve never won it, that needs to happen). 2nd week tournament team. From there it’s about matchup and how you play in 1 given game. 

 

1 minute ago, Stuhoo said:

23ish or more wins.
Top 1/3 of B1G with a chance to be the B1G champ.
Top 25-ish all year. 

I’m with the emerging consensus here. My roster fit concerns are already much lower than last year, the top of the B1G does not look as formidable as recent years (even if the median team is better), the level of proven production is much higher and requires fewer players to break out.

[HoosierHoopster 6,292]

7 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

23ish or more wins.
Top 1/3 of B1G with a chance to be the B1G champ.
Top 25-ish all year.

I don’t like to have expectations for the NCAA tournament because a red hot 10-13 seed can legitimately end a good season for almost any top 25 ranked team. 

Agree re NCAA tourney— a good well coached team should win but it’s March Madness every year, in a 1 and out format anything can happen. I’m very underwhelmed by Woodson’s coaching and decision-making, but conference/ pre-tournament play imo is always a better barometer.

[lillurk 3,710]

Some stray thoughts that fit here:

1. We know less about the non-conference schedule at this point than we usually do. Kinda itching to see what it looks like aside from the Atlantis tourney.

2. There’s a class of transfer candidates that will know their ability/level and be LOOKING to squeeze into a potentially winning roster. Think Anthony Walker last year, Max Bielfeldt in 2015-16, Lance Jones on the high end…often an upperclassman/grad who could get minutes at a lower level — and maybe he did — but he wants the big stage, and is looking to fit into a strong roster. I think IU has positioned itself well to grab one or two of those in the wing shooter, stretch big, backup C roles it might still fill.

3. I think @Brass Cannon said this in another thread but here’s hoping there’s a Harbaugh/UM football parallel here. He was BEYOND the hot seat in 2020, and took a pay cut, and had it been any normal year he might’ve been fired. But he’d had success relative to the recent baseline of the program in his UM tenure before then just couldn’t get over the hump (lol) of OSU. He humbled himself, changed DCs, got some culture pieces who happened to be quite good, and turned it around. We have to see it but broadly, that’s the hope. And the roster difference year-to-year shows some growth/learning, not just a talent upgrade.

[theriverpilot 5,589]

28 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

The roster construction was awful and because of that the talent level in the guard group was truly subpar.

Once Mgbako improved the frontline talent was outstanding last year.

Finally… if expectations last year were 6th in the B1G? We ended up doing that.

BUT, was nowhere close to making the tournament where I think seasons are largely judged. 

I do agree that Mgbako’s continued success from late last season will be instrumental on the upcoming season.

[Dave from Dayton 2,646]

1 hour ago, Stuhoo said:

The roster construction was awful and because of that the talent level in the guard group was truly subpar.

Once Mgbako improved the frontline talent was outstanding last year.

Finally… if expectations last year were 6th in the B1G? We ended up doing that.

I agree with Stuhoo about the guards issue.  

I wonder less about Myles Rice as a PG than I did about IU's previous PGs in years past.  Myles Rice is older and has been through the ringer.  However, all it takes is a slight injury.  Then Gabe Cupps is our PG again.  And if one believes that his 3 point shot and strength will blossom over a 5 month summer period then...well, nevermind.  And I like Gabe Cupps.  

And who the heck is going to be our knockdown 3 point shooter wizard? (Looks around...)?  Unknown, for sure.  Yeah, great portal haul.  But unknowns all.

Our new center...footwork and defense?  Seems to be a great idea...another unknown.

Will Woody platoon early on seemingly putting IU's momentum behind the curve each and every game?  

I am seriously uncomfortable with IU's and opponents' unknowns.

I do think, I hope, that IU will be deeper.  Gabe Cupps, Galloway...great guys.  Mbgbako is fanfreakingfantastic!  Reneau, if not in the center...great.

We need a coach that will put IU in a position to win each game.  Does Woody understand X's and O's and can institute a certain offensive and defensive scheme to take advantage of differing opportunities and challenges?  

I think we win a few more games than last year.  That is all I have.

Injuries are the wild card.  And shooters...and defense...and Woody...and opponents...and momentum...and...