IUBB vs Minnesota - Wednesday, 03.04.26 @ 6:30 on BTN

[str8baller]

16 minutes ago, FortWayneHoosier said:

Nice little segment of the seniors coming off the floor. Makes you think, think about the years past coaches and players….we had several players get in trouble off the court and a few personalities that were crappy. 
 

Not this team. This is probably one the cleaniest crews we’ve had in some time, and most likable kids we’ve had the pleasure of putting on the uniform, no bad talk on Twitter,  no putting down the fan base during a speech, no lazy play . Just wore the IU uniform with pride and actually hustled their tails off, and represented the university well! Go IU! 

Great take. Wilkerson leads that group for me. Talented but just puts his head down and works. Alexis and Enright with an honorable mention in that regard, too. 

[WayneFleekHoosier]

5 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

Conerway has completely checked out.

The other seniors loved on all the coaches, but they all REALLY loved on Kenny J. Coach Kenny gets maxed out luv!!

Except Tucker. lol. KJ didn’t want to give him a hug. 
 

The Conweway stuff is real. I guess he was liking instagram posts about letting him play. And what not. Oh well.  We are better when he’s good. Shame.

[newcastle12]

I'm happy the crowd made it up to Bailey.  It wasn't his fault the evaluation was off.  He always seemed to try.

[TheWatShot]

We're 39-6 against Minnesota in Assembly Hall and haven't lost to them here since 2012. 

[HoosierHoopster]

3 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Except Tucker. lol. KJ didn’t want to give him a hug. 
 

The Conweway stuff is real. I guess he was liking instagram posts about letting him play. And what not. Oh well.  We are better when he’s good. Shame.

 8 minutes floor time tonight ….

[Shooter]

5 minutes ago, LIHoosier said:

Went up just one spot in KP (43 to 42) but gained 18 spots on defense (71 to 53) from just this one game.

Predictive metrics loved this one. Big jump from #35 to #26 on Torvik.

[str8baller]

21 minutes ago, Ryno6284 said:

Conerway gave the coaches the blow-by when he came out.  All the other seniors hugged the coaches.  I had a feeling he had something going on with coaches/teammates since December.

I was early money on this. He’s just not a smart player. We play better without him. And once injury cost him his spot it became evident to the coaches and he hasn’t been able to earn his spot back.  Gotta wonder how the season would’ve played out if him and Bailey came off the bench from the beginning. Might’ve taken a game like Kentucky or Iowa. 

[newcastle12]

8 minutes ago, str8baller said:

I was early money on this. He’s just not a smart player. We play better without him. And once injury cost him his spot it became evident to the coaches and he hasn’t been able to earn his spot back.  Gotta wonder how the season would’ve played out if him and Bailey came off the bench from the beginning. Might’ve taken a game like Kentucky or Iowa. 

We need him when we need him, and he's not consistent enough to play when we don't.  He's a bench guy at this level, with a really good skill.  

[BGleas]

1 hour ago, str8baller said:

I was early money on this. He’s just not a smart player. We play better without him. And once injury cost him his spot it became evident to the coaches and he hasn’t been able to earn his spot back.  Gotta wonder how the season would’ve played out if him and Bailey came off the bench from the beginning. Might’ve taken a game like Kentucky or Iowa. 

Same. Even early in the season he was getting abused against tougher competition.

He plays so slow and has no idea how to control pace and tempo as a point guard. 

Enright has his own set of issues, but his tempo with this team is miles better than how Conorway plays.

He walks it up the court and takes forever to get into any set or offense, then add in the bonehead turnovers. 

Seems like a nice kid, but just didn't pan out at this level. 

[OliviaPope40]

8 hours ago, realTomCrean said:

It’s like football all over again. Fernando still enrolled? Becker?

[jermhoosierfan]

11 hours ago, newcastle12 said:

I'm happy the crowd made it up to Bailey.  It wasn't his fault the evaluation was off.  He always seemed to try.

If we could've gotten an actual center like they targeted, I think Bailey would've been playing much better and not as much pressure on him to play inside.  The staff tried to get a big in, but it just didn't happen.

[monskisprodigy]

2 hours ago, jermhoosierfan said:

If we could've gotten an actual center like they targeted, I think Bailey would've been playing much better and not as much pressure on him to play inside.  The staff tried to get a big in, but it just didn't happen.

I think you are right, in him being more of a face the basket vs. back to the basket big in prior years. For some reason I remember people being excited when he committed about his ability to face the basket, put the ball on the floor and shoot outside (although relatively low volume). 

Wonder if the initial plan was to use him in that role, but failure to secure other bigs put him in a more traditional 5 spot. 

[jermhoosierfan]

1 hour ago, monskisprodigy said:

I think you are right, in him being more of a face the basket vs. back to the basket big in prior years. For some reason I remember people being excited when he committed about his ability to face the basket, put the ball on the floor and shoot outside (although relatively low volume). 

Wonder if the initial plan was to use him in that role, but failure to secure other bigs put him in a more traditional 5 spot. 

I believe that was the plan figuring they could get a true C and have Bailey float on the outside and come in to help rebound.  Sometimes the plan doesn't always pan out, and I believe finding a C who can play in the P4 isn't the easiest thing to do.  Woodson had to pay quite a bit to get Ballo and Ware, and that is probably what we will have to do this offseason.  There aren't as many of them as there are CGs and wings.

[FloridaHoosierGirl]

This season is so bad that I wasn't paying attention and missed yesterday's game.  That's the first time it's happened in my lifetime that I haven't recorded it or watched.  I'll have to try to find it somewhere.  

[str8baller]

1 hour ago, monskisprodigy said:

Wonder if the initial plan was to use him in that role, but failure to secure other bigs put him in a more traditional 5 spot. 

We have Alexis who has done a yeomans job as a traditional post. And despite floating the idea earlier CDD has not played those two together with Bailey as the stretch 4. Unfortunately, I think he was just a stone cold miss by the scouting dept. 

[Stuhoo]

31 minutes ago, FloridaHoosierGirl said:

This season is so bad that I wasn't paying attention and missed yesterday's game.  That's the first time it's happened in my lifetime that I haven't recorded it or watched.  I'll have to try to find it somewhere.  

This season has been fine/solid/good enough:

• First year of a new coach sitting at 18-12.
• Bubble tournament team - currently 50-60% likely to get in.
• A bunch of very likable players - Sam Alexis, Enright, Lamar especially for me.
• Incoming recruiting class for next year is already strong.
• Finally playing modern offense. First time in eight years for that.

Much of the program buzz is gone because for decades we have been a middling program, we aren't exceeding expectations, and because the fan base is understandably much more into our undefeated national championship football team. But overall? This is better than the past two years of Woodson and pretty much all of the Archie era.

[iu2win]

It seems to me Bailey is a bit Jekyll and Hyde; when his is passive he even has trouble hitting the easiest of layups, but when he is assertive his play is more like last night.  Granted, some of it has to do with the level of opponent but last night I noticed he really got after it and good things happened.  His decision-making was better too; passing the ball when doubled and going strong one-on-one.

[IUHoosier5]

1 hour ago, iu2win said:

It seems to me Bailey is a bit Jekyll and Hyde; when his is passive he even has trouble hitting the easiest of layups, but when he is assertive his play is more like last night.  Granted, some of it has to do with the level of opponent but last night I noticed he really got after it and good things happened.  His decision-making was better too; passing the ball when doubled and going strong one-on-one.

I think this level is too fast for him. Couple instances even yesterday where you could tell he had absolutely no idea where he was on the floor or what to do

[WayneFleekHoosier]

1 minute ago, IUHoosier5 said:

I think this level is too fast for him. Couple instances even yesterday where you could tell he had absolutely no idea where he was on the floor or what to do

He’s got an interesting skill set.  Hes fast and above average handle for his size.  
 

However his handle isn’t tight enough to attack at this level and it would be his biggest strength. 
 

He lacks the strength needed on offense and in defense.  This is his 2nd biggest issue.  
 

His 1st biggest issue is his grip strength/hands. The scout is to dig and swipe him constantly because he losses the ball so easily.  
 

and 3rd. His finishing ability.   
 
I think if he had a great rebounding big he played with he could release in transition and use his speed to get cheap buckets.  We never use him that way but I think that could be a strength if he wasn’t our only big on the court.  
 

People say Sparks was better.  I don’t agree there.  I feel like something could be unlocked with Bailey, but we can’t seem to find it.  

[IUHoosier5]

7 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

He’s got an interesting skill set.  Hes fast and above average handle for his size.  
 

However his handle isn’t tight enough to attack at this level and it would be his biggest strength. 
 

He lacks the strength needed on offense and in defense.  This is his 2nd biggest issue.  
 

His 1st biggest issue is his grip strength/hands. The scout is to dig and swipe him constantly because he losses the ball so easily.  
 

and 3rd. His finishing ability.   
 
I think if he had a great rebounding big he played with he could release in transition and use his speed to get cheap buckets.  We never use him that way but I think that could be a strength if he wasn’t our only big on the court.  
 

People say Sparks was better.  I don’t agree there.  I feel like something could be unlocked with Bailey, but we can’t seem to find it.  

That was a wonderful analysis to read, and I agree that there’s something to unlock there. I wish there were more sets where we find him cutting to the basket from the wing while his big is out there with him.