IUBB vs Penn State - Wednesday, 02.26.25 at 8:30 on BTN

[Class of '66 Old Fart 87,682]

Will the team that kicked PUke's a$$ yesterday be the same team on the court Wednesday night vs PSU (15-13) (5-12) and 2-7 in road games?  The Ninny Lions average 80 ppg with a +6 margin.  They shoot 34% on 3s.  Not a strong rebounding team but they do take care of the ball averaging 12 TO/gm and they get 8 stls/gm.  4 players average double figures led by Ace Baldwin at 13.9 ppg.  Zach Hicks is their highest volume and best 3-point shooter at 40.6%.  Basically go 7 deep with players averaging 20+ min/gm.  Most definitely a winnable game.  We follow up this game with a west coast road trip to Washington on Saturday and Oregon on Tuesday before the regular season ends on Saturday the 8th in Bloomington vs O$U.

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[Ryno6284 3,515]

You know, if we lose this game we may have to let Olivia start the rest of the game threads!! Lol 

[OliviaPope40 7,096]

30 minutes ago, Ryno6284 said:

You know, if we lose this game we may have to let Olivia start the rest of the game threads!! Lol 

I'll try my best for you Ryno. 

[OliviaPope40 7,096]

All I want is the senior day game thread. 

[HoosierCoop 4,107]

Is he going to stick with Sunday's starting lineup?  Mgbako and Ballo on the bench?

Do you think Mgbako learned anything from Sunday's pine riding?

Can we sustain the level of play from Sunday?

This and much more on the next exciting episode of IU basketball '24-'25.

[Napleshoosier 10,675]

4 minutes ago, HoosierCoop said:

Is he going to stick with Sunday's starting lineup?  Mgbako and Ballo on the bench?

Do you think Mgbako learned anything from Sunday's pine riding?

Can we sustain the level of play from Sunday?

This and much more on the next exciting episode of IU basketball '24-'25.

Was wondering the same.  Lol. Woody going back to his clog the lane starting line up?

[Home Jersey 12,235]

31 minutes ago, HoosierCoop said:

Is he going to stick with Sunday's starting lineup?  Mgbako and Ballo on the bench?

Do you think Mgbako learned anything from Sunday's pine riding?

Can we sustain the level of play from Sunday?

This and much more on the next exciting episode of IU basketball '24-'25.

Mgbako can sit for the rest of the year for all I care. Maybe 10-15 mins to give other guys a rest. 

[Dave from Dayton 3,858]

If I could pick one reason why IU beat Purdue...it was because of the quick ball players on the perimeter playing much better defense.

Get that 2nd big off of the court.  One at a time please.  If, of course, the matchups call for it.  

It also opened up the lane for the offense to be more...varied.  

[Whoozhers 3,758]

With the Hoosier defense getting better ….

all we need to do is consistently find the bottom of the bucket.

We’d be a force to be reckoned with.

GO HOOSIERS!

[HoosierCoop 4,107]

I really hope this isn't a trap coming coming off of a big win.  Historically this is a game where we lay an egg.

Let's break the cycle and pound the nits!

[Class of '66 Old Fart 87,682]

[Hoosierfan1901 7,109]

Tickets are cheap tonight…hmm

[HoosierHoopster 7,627]

On 2/25/2025 at 8:18 AM, Home Jersey said:

Mgbako can sit for the rest of the year for all I care. Maybe 10-15 mins to give other guys a rest. 

I'm just not down at all with the Bako hate lately. Yes he has not played well lately and his D was completely absent, but he was easily our best scorer / offensive player for multiple games and was playing very well earlier, and the absence of his offense does not help our chances to get into March. I would bet his play lately is at least in part a reflection of the disfunction within the team due to the terrible coaching and stupidity of the worst coach to ever coach an IU team. Dude is a McD's All American, a terrific scorer.

I would hope he learned from riding the bench, watching less talented players  give it their all with hustle and tenacity to slap PU into the ground. If he can get back to playing with intensity he adds a significant piece to getting into the tourney and maybe making just a little noise before we, thankfully, see Woodson fully retired.

[DoctorP 1,657]

48 minutes ago, HoosierHoopster said:

I would hope he learned from riding the bench, watching less talented players  give it their all with hustle and tenacity to slap PU into the ground. If he can get back to playing with intensity he adds a significant piece to getting into the tourney and maybe making just a little noise before we, thankfully, see Woodson fully retired.

Im sorry, but I’ve never seen him play with an ounce of intensity.
He has never competed on the defensive end. We’re better with Leal/Goode getting those minutes and MM playing 15 min of coming off screens and letting it fly. 

[IUHoosier5 1,984]

Just go get a win. 

[Home Jersey 12,235]

Might miss the first 10 minutes or so. Going to the Delaware Blue Coats vs Rio Grande Valley Vipers game tonight. Markquis Newell from KSU and Thon Maker are on the vipers. I thought Thon and his brother could help Crean build a monster once upon a time lol.

[Home Jersey 12,235]

1 hour ago, HoosierHoopster said:

I'm just not down at all with the Bako hate lately. Yes he has not played well lately and his D was completely absent, but he was easily our best scorer / offensive player for multiple games and was playing very well earlier, and the absence of his offense does not help our chances to get into March. I would bet his play lately is at least in part a reflection of the disfunction within the team due to the terrible coaching and stupidity of the worst coach to ever coach an IU team. Dude is a McD's All American, a terrific scorer.

I would hope he learned from riding the bench, watching less talented players  give it their all with hustle and tenacity to slap PU into the ground. If he can get back to playing with intensity he adds a significant piece to getting into the tourney and maybe making just a little noise before we, thankfully, see Woodson fully retired.

I am inclined to root for Mgbako being that he’s from a town less than 20 minutes from me. I think he’s got potential still, despite getting less than no help from Woodson and staff IMO. Hard to cheer for him when effort is lacking. But I also don’t feel like he is set up to succeed here. I’d like to see him for a different coach. Can’t imagine he won’t transfer anyway. 

[HoosierHoopster 7,627]

37 minutes ago, DoctorP said:

Im sorry, but I’ve never seen him play with an ounce of intensity.
He has never competed on the defensive end. We’re better with Leal/Goode getting those minutes and MM playing 15 min of coming off screens and letting it fly. 

I’m sorry too, and disagree. In multiple games he led scoring and played hard. He’s not a good defender, but he has “competed” defensively. It’s easy to sit back and take pot shots at players - funny how many said Goode wasn’t good, until more recently when he found his stride. Fans…. Leal has been much better, but he has slipped in on lack of scouting and no, we’re not better if Leal is our offense. We need our most productive players to play hard and well.

[DoctorP 1,657]

1 minute ago, HoosierHoopster said:

I’m sorry too, and disagree. In multiple games he led scoring and played hard. He’s not a good defender, but he has “competed” defensively. It’s easy to sit back and take pot shots at players - funny how many said Goode wasn’t good, until more recently when he found his stride. Fans…. Leal has been much better, but he has slipped in on lack of scouting and no, we’re not better if Leal is our offense. We need our most productive players to play hard and well.

Mack literally can’t stay in front of his guy. He gets lost in defensive rotations and doesn’t make the hustle plays. He reacts two beats late on everything.
The amount of points he costs us on that end outweighs what he can do offensively, especially given he’s had multiple awful shooting nights this year.
 

This is an overall garbage take, but I’m feeling generous today so I’ll let you keep it. 

[HoosierHoopster 7,627]

3 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

I am inclined to root for Mgbako being that he’s from a town less than 20 minutes from me. I think he’s got potential still, despite getting less than no help from Woodson and staff IMO. Hard to cheer for him when effort is lacking. But I also don’t feel like he is set up to succeed here. I’d like to see him for a different coach. Can’t imagine he won’t transfer anyway. 

Oh I would be shocked if he doesn’t transfer— but then if we land the right coach and he sits down with Bako with a plan, including an actual perimeter game, maybe he stays. Dude didn’t become a McD’s All American player by being just ok, and he’s shown hos ability to score — but there is literally no perimeter game under Woodson, no wing actions, no sets. Perimeter / wing players cannot thrive under Woodson, but they could under a coach with an actual outside offense