IUBB vs #10/11 Nebraska - Saturday, 01.10.26 @ Noon on BTN

[AZ Hoosier]

1 hour ago, Josh said:

Welcome to year 5 of Scott Dolson basketball.  Some of you are starting to see it for what it is.  Devries was a terrible hire after the Woodson hire and retention for 4 years.  Total mismanagement and poor hires.

FWIW, I hold W Quinn Buckner responsible for the shambles that the IU men's basketball situation has become. Buckner should never have inserted himself into the management of the program. His "job" as chair of the BoT is to manage oversight of the university, not hire and protect his incompetent buddy as coach.

With that said, here we are, and not sure what we do or where we go from here. Thank God we're a football school now. And I'm dead serious about that. 'cuz basketball sucks around these parts.

[Hoosierfan2017]

1 hour ago, IUFootballHappyHappyJoyJoy said:

Do you want to be Purdue, where you put all your eggs in basketball only to get stunned by a freak Nebraska team?

Football isn't what anyone had on the mind but it's what pays the bills.

No, I want to be Alabama or Ohio State, win 10+ games a year, and be in the national title conversation more often than not.

Since iubb went to the sweet 16 in 2016, we’ve had four coaching staffs in 10 years and been lousy under all of them. Devries is infinitely more likable than Woodson, but this season is looking like a new version of the same show we’ve watched for the past decade. It’s hard not to think this is just what iubb is now. Money could fix it, but if you’re donating, say, $1 million to athletics, why give it to Devries instead of Cignetti? 

[BA47591]

3 hours ago, BBTB said:

There is so much that needs worked on .Like they need to stop fouling  and the shooting is either hot or cold . Just finished watching Michigan  vs Wisconsin with Wisconsin won . Why are they getting better ( both of these teams ) and we are hot one night cold another one .At home is so disappointing . I  see the schedule and and don't see many wins ,Thinking unless things change no games after the season is done.

 

1 hour ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

Devries picked every single player on this roster, and he hired his staff. If they’re MVC caliber then that’s his fault.

At the end of the day, though, who cares. IU is a football powerhouse now. Every available resource should be poured into the football program. Giving more than tuition and housing to the basketball players is a waste as evidenced by the past decade of IU basketball. 

What mightve been. Had Miokobu and Murphy walked through the door after Texas Tech and Alabama were eliminated this would've been a much different roster. A+ proven recruiters get you players. DeVries didn't build that team at WVU, his staff did. He fumbled the ball about as bad as you can the first two months on the job. We could've hired any coach in the nation and if they had Adams and Norton working in the players lounge trying to fill 13 roster spots, the roster would reflect it. Clark is solid. Kenny is probably washed up. 

Like I said, tweak the staff and flush this year when it's over. Get some players that belong on a competitive Big Ten team and see what DeVries can do with it. 

I'm just now watching this game. We just don't have a Big Ten roster. We knew we didn't.  

[cbp4iu]

What was concerning was after the bad foul call on Tucker. 1st knowing our history the last 10 years of “basketball IQ” I knew he would try to do the same thing on the other end. Waht was even more frustrating was were happening the calls like broke this teams spirit. Not a single quick huddle to be like relax… Once again we have no leader. Honestly Tucker DeVries can be such a selfish player and personally I think Coach DeVries will be a better coach when he’s gone. At times he coaches as if he’s a dad on his son’s youth recreational team. I still can’t believe we spent 1-2 mil on Reed Bailey. This team is driven by momentum. If they don’t have any… They tank. If they’re rolling they score with ease. Outside of Marquette… We really haven’t played a good 40 minute game vs a P5 opponent. 

[Josh]

2 hours ago, AZ Hoosier said:

FWIW, I hold W Quinn Buckner responsible for the shambles that the IU men's basketball situation has become. Buckner should never have inserted himself into the management of the program. His "job" as chair of the BoT is to manage oversight of the university, not hire and protect his incompetent buddy as coach.

With that said, here we are, and not sure what we do or where we go from here. Thank God we're a football school now. And I'm dead serious about that. 'cuz basketball sucks around these parts.

Just how does somebody insert themself into management?

Not trying to single you out because I've seen many people post this.  It's just that your post is there when I'm trying to reply.  I wonder how many people who have spent time in management feel this way.

Disclaimer:  I'm in upper management at a Fortune 500 company.  The thought that somebody without the power to make a decision could insert their will on my decision is just not feasible.   Oftentimes I've had people try it but it simply doesn't happen without my approval.  If somebody without the power to make a decision tries to do so and I let it happen then I'm either complicit or a weak leader.

That's why this suggestion baffles me.  Could you explain a little more?  There's not a way in my mind that Quinn Buckner just took power from the Decision Maker without his approval.

Somebody please explain how this could be a reality.

[WayneFleekHoosier]

Outside of a few great and fun players I haven’t enjoyed the basketball experience since Zeller has been gone. 
 

TJD was must watch TV his final 2 years. Ware had some moments. Wilkerson has some moments. 
 

But the overall experience is more dread and anxiety than enjoyment. We haven’t had a great team or even a really good team in 12-13 years.  
 

Woodson had to go.  I like DeVries just fine but the offseason approach and results screams mid to me. He can’t land top recruits. Hes a worker and I respect that but he isn’t gonna catapult us to the top.  If we miss the tourney again, the job is even harder in the offseason.  
 

Maybe we should have barked up the JMU coaching tree again?

People will respond with, he needs to rebuild, we have no results, no culture, yarda, yarda yada. 
 

The response is Michigan or even more so BYU.  Get the coach, get the money, go to work.  
 

Counter, Football has officially taken over and I have absolutely loved the past 2 seasons.  Not convinced the money is there to buy 2 top 10 teams or if DeVries is good enough to spend that money adequately and get a return.  
 

[WayneFleekHoosier]

29 minutes ago, cbp4iu said:

What was concerning was after the bad foul call on Tucker. 1st knowing our history the last 10 years of “basketball IQ” I knew he would try to do the same thing on the other end. Waht was even more frustrating was were happening the calls like broke this teams spirit. Not a single quick huddle to be like relax… Once again we have no leader. Honestly Tucker DeVries can be such a selfish player and personally I think Coach DeVries will be a better coach when he’s gone. At times he coaches as if he’s a dad on his son’s youth recreational team. I still can’t believe we spent 1-2 mil on Reed Bailey. This team is driven by momentum. If they don’t have any… They tank. If they’re rolling they score with ease. Outside of Marquette… We really haven’t played a good 40 minute game vs a P5 opponent. 

Game turned on that dumb play.  Told me sons we were gonna lose after that play.? They said, but the score……. I said, Just watch.  Team completely lost its focus.  

[Golfman25]

3 hours ago, BGleas said:

I like DeVries. Obviously a more modern offense and I've been pleasantly surprised with how good our defense is given our pieces. I think he has a chance to end up being a good hire. 

With that said and you've been beating this drum, he is going to have to find a way to hit a grand slam in the portal this off-season. 

We can't do another year of being a fringe bubble team. 10 years of this is ridiculous for this program (not DeVries fault) and he won't be able to sustain missing the tournament his first two years. 

Like you, I just get concerned on whether DeVries will have the resources and/or the cache to beat out 15-20 other programs for top portal talent. 

I'm concerned we're essentially a "bubble team" program at this point and there's no end in sight. 

Instead of trying to hit a grand slam, he needs to focus on developing and coaching up players.  A team with the talent we have must play error free.  Right now I see too many errors — turnovers, bad shots, bad positioning, etc.   

The Cig model is real   And once you start winning, recruiting both HS and portal becomes easier.   

 

[Hovadipo]

17 minutes ago, Josh said:

Somebody please explain how this could be a reality.

Because universities, athletic programs, and athletic departments don’t operate in black and white like a Fortune 500 apparently does. You’ve tried to make the parallel before but it doesn’t work. 

[Golfman25]

1 hour ago, Hoosierfan2017 said:

No, I want to be Alabama or Ohio State, win 10+ games a year, and be in the national title conversation more often than not.

Since iubb went to the sweet 16 in 2016, we’ve had four coaching staffs in 10 years and been lousy under all of them. Devries is infinitely more likable than Woodson, but this season is looking like a new version of the same show we’ve watched for the past decade. It’s hard not to think this is just what iubb is now. Money could fix it, but if you’re donating, say, $1 million to athletics, why give it to Devries instead of Cignetti? 

Money can’t fix it.  That was tried and failed.  Only thing that fixes it is coaching.  Jury is out on Devries so far.  

[Golfman25]

28 minutes ago, Josh said:

Just how does somebody insert themself into management?

Not trying to single you out because I've seen many people post this.  It's just that your post is there when I'm trying to reply.  I wonder how many people who have spent time in management feel this way.

Disclaimer:  I'm in upper management at a Fortune 500 company.  The thought that somebody without the power to make a decision could insert their will on my decision is just not feasible.   Oftentimes I've had people try it but it simply doesn't happen without my approval.  If somebody without the power to make a decision tries to do so and I let it happen then I'm either complicit or a weak leader.

That's why this suggestion baffles me.  Could you explain a little more?  There's not a way in my mind that Quinn Buckner just took power from the Decision Maker without his approval.

Somebody please explain how this could be a reality.

You’re management of a fortune 500 company.  The Chairman of the BOD decides he wants to do xyz with your department, against your better judgement.   If you disagree as a lower level manager, what are your choices?  Quit?  Grind it out until it fails and the error can be reversed?   

[WayneFleekHoosier]

3 minutes ago, Golfman25 said:

Money can’t fix it.  That was tried and failed.  Only thing that fixes it is coaching.  Jury is out on Devries so far.  

Coaching and Money combined is the common sense formula. It’s a A x B= wins formula.  The better the coach and scout the less the money might be needed. The worse the coach the more money needed.  Plus roster building is key!  Our currently team isn’t too far off.  Switch out 2 guys for 2 better guys would be enough, I think.  Money solves that.  Staff didn’t spend well and didn’t have enough to get the pieces needed. really unfortunate. 

[TheWatShot]

26 minutes ago, Josh said:

Somebody please explain how this could be a reality.

I went to Ball State and spent 4 years watching the university president make all the hires in the major sports. The athletic director was just a puppet. 

[Josh]

6 minutes ago, Hovadipo said:

Because universities, athletic programs, and athletic departments don’t operate in black and white like a Fortune 500 apparently does. You’ve tried to make the parallel before but it doesn’t work. 

But I think it does.  Even a shift manager at Burger King has some decision making power.  If somebody outside that power makes the decision that the shift manager allows to happen then the responsibility falls on the shift manager.

If Scott Dolson has the power to hire and fire coaches and he allowed somebody else to have that power then he is fully complicit.  This isn't that hard.  What am I missing here?

[Josh]

3 minutes ago, Golfman25 said:

You’re management of a fortune 500 company.  The Chairman of the BOD decides he wants to do xyz with your department, against your better judgement.   If you disagree as a lower level manager, what are your choices?  Quit?  Grind it out until it fails and the error can be reversed?   

Correct.  If somebody above me makes the decision I must comply.  I can influence, but the decision is not mine.

However, Quinn Buckner is not ranked above Scott Dolson.  So how does he get the decision making power and credit/blame?

[Uspshoosier]

Missed opportunity after  being up 16 on a projected 2 seed in the second half.   Would have been a massive resume builder.  Still will have other Q1 home opportunities but this one might haunt them down the road.  So many opportunities to be had in the B1G with every game played in the conference being important.   Wisky gets a road win at Michigan which means their NET will jump way up because that win will basically count as double as long Michigan keeps winning which means IU will get a home game against another tourney quality team.   

[Josh]

6 minutes ago, TheWatShot said:

I went to Ball State and spent 4 years watching the university president make all the hires in the major sports. The athletic director was just a puppet. 

I wondered about this scenario.  In that case isn't the blame on Pamela Whitten instead of Quinn Buckner?  Sorry but I'm struggling to understand how he gets all the blame as an outsider.  Management is always responsible.  Whoever that management decision comes from.  Not a Trustee without the power.  Who gave him that power?  It's either Dolson or Whitten I think

[Pagoda]

4 minutes ago, Josh said:

Correct.  If somebody above me makes the decision I must comply.  I can influence, but the decision is not mine.

However, Quinn Buckner is not ranked above Scott Dolson.  So how does he get the decision making power and credit/blame?

Quinn as Chairman of the BoT was above Scott.  Scott doesn't have the sole power to hire.  The hire and contract has to be approved by the BoT.  Quinn as Chairman absolutely controlled the BoT on this matter, as the trustees all looked to him with respect to basketball.

Furthermore, our most influential basketball donor wanted Woody.  So material athletic dept revenue was at risk.

I'm not saying Scott was perfect in the 2021 search, but when the unqualified best friend of the Chairman of the BoT and most influential bball donor gets hired, it's pretty clear who made it happen.

[Uspshoosier]

Living in an upside down world.   IU lost a home game to Nebraska and moved up 1 spot in Torvik from 19 to 18.   

[AZ Hoosier]

52 minutes ago, Josh said:

Just how does somebody insert themself into management?

Not trying to single you out because I've seen many people post this.  It's just that your post is there when I'm trying to reply.  I wonder how many people who have spent time in management feel this way.

Disclaimer:  I'm in upper management at a Fortune 500 company.  The thought that somebody without the power to make a decision could insert their will on my decision is just not feasible.   Oftentimes I've had people try it but it simply doesn't happen without my approval.  If somebody without the power to make a de cision tries to do so and I let it happen then I'm either complicit or a weak leader.

That's why this suggestion baffles me.  Could you explain a little more?  There's not a way in my mind that Quinn Buckner just took power from the Decision Maker without his approval.

Somebody please explain how this could be a reality.

I worked for many years in IT, as a technician, systems programmer and eventually a manager. Most of my career was spent servicing (consulting contract and then management) at a Fortune 500 company, as well, so I've seen how influence could be effected in this situation.

The issue of "inserting oneself" is easily done in an environment like Indiana and the BoT. Of course there's a heirarchical structure, but the boss' boss' boss, having a strong opinion, can easily apply pressure to effect his will, regardless of what anyone beneath him in the structure thinks (or knows). And Buckner has shown himself to be "influential" enough to pull this off. After all, the BoT hires the president, who hires the athletic director, who hires the coach. And the BoT, chaired by Buckner has to sign off on the contracts. Of course Dolson could have fired Woodson in defiance of Woodson, but at the risk of losing his job. Woodson also had buddies supplying the funding for NIL and providing funding for the coaching staff's salaries and potential buyouts. The fact is well known that Woodson was buddies with all of these guys and IMO, the result of those relationships was protection for Woodson.

Further, it's obvious to many that extending Woodson that last season cost Indiana a shot a Dusty May who wanted the IU job and would have been incredibly successful here.