Odds/Thoughts on building top 25 preseason

[Hoosierinbham]

2 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

For me it’s because I’m not jealous of what some other first year coach did.  Especially one that went 10-10 in conference and lost 6 of 8 heading into the post season.   His success of failure has 0 effect on how optimistic I am about IU improving.    Personally I don’t care for his style of play and afrer watching every Iowa conference game and most the non conference I don’t feel it will translate to winning big consistently against the upper tier teams.  His style will muck it up enough to slow down the favorites however I don’t think they can string together enough wins against upper level teams to be a national champion threat for D1.  Just my opinion.   

I recall McCollum’s style of play being a concern. Quite a few of us didn’t want a Wisconsin style offense. Many Iowa fans wanted DeVries for that exact reason. It seems like we stole Iowa’s first choice as opposed to settling on DeVries. Their fans did a 180 on that once DeVries chose us and McCollum was hired.
Let’s see if Stirtz is easily replaced, or did McCollum catch lightning in a bottle with him. Only time will tell. It’s also easier to slow a team down than speed them up. The muddy slugfest definitely frustrated Florida and Boogie Fland.

[Home Jersey]

Iowa is much more likely to have a preseason T25 team than Indiana next year 

[Asha’man]

2 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

This is just not true though lol 

It is. Iowa is dependent on Stirtz to either score or draw the defense to him to allow for others to get shots. He has a star on his team and has for 4 years. Let’s see what he can do once the star is gone and little resources to get another one. 

[Uspshoosier]

3 minutes ago, Hoosierinbham said:

I recall McCollum’s style of play being a concern. Quite a few of us didn’t want a Wisconsin style offense

365th in pace I believe is what they were this year 

[Stuhoo]

4 minutes ago, CSP said:

I wouldn't go live in WV. 

Would you reconsider if I told you it's "almost heaven?"

[Asha’man]

3 minutes ago, Hoosierinbham said:

I recall McCollum’s style of play being a concern. Quite a few of us didn’t want a Wisconsin style offense. Many Iowa fans wanted DeVries for that exact reason. It seems like we stole Iowa’s first choice as opposed to settling on DeVries. Their fans did a 180 on that once DeVries chose us and McCollum was hired.
Let’s see if Stirtz is easily replaced, or did McCollum catch lightning in a bottle with him. Only time will tell. It’s also easier to slow a team down than speed them up. The muddy slugfest definitely frustrated Florida and Boogie Fland.

Iowa fans weren’t happy just a week ago because the style of play. They are happy with this opening weekend and now they get a rival so that will be fun. But they slide back to being .500 again next year and lose in the first round the fans will not be happy again. 

[Hoosierinbham]

11 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

My UF sophomore/college hoops junkie son before the Iowa game: "Terrible matchup for Florida. Huge style contrast is a wild card that evens things out."

Dammit; I was hoping he was wrong.

Florida’s bigs were used to bullying people in the SEC. That wasn’t gonna happen to a B1G team. I was also very skeptical of Boogie Fland at the point. Very talented, but emotional roller coaster. Figured he would get frustrated with the style of play. He was no Walter Clayton, jr.

[Home Jersey]

Just now, Asha’man said:

It is. Iowa is dependent on Stirtz to either score or draw the defense to him to allow for others to get shots. He has a star on his team and has for 4 years. Let’s see what he can do once the star is gone and little resources to get another one. 

It's not true that he needs to find an underrated guy every year and turn him into an NBA talent. Not even close... lol. He's got a long enough coaching history before Stirtz to suggest he can coach a roster without NBA talent into playing winning basketball. His recruiting at Iowa will be better than it was at the D2 level. He can develop players and get more out of less recruited players. Absolutely nothing to suggest this is his ceiling as a coach. Takes a lot of mental gymnastics IMO to write off another first year coach for his style of play when he's the one going to the second weekend with an unheralded team. We tried to do that. Just couldn't. 

[Hoosierinbham]

14 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

It's not true that he needs to find an underrated guy every year and turn him into an NBA talent. Not even close... lol. He's got a long enough coaching history before Stirtz to suggest he can coach a roster without NBA talent into playing winning basketball. His recruiting at Iowa will be better than it was at the D2 level. He can develop players and get more out of less recruited players. Absolutely nothing to suggest this is his ceiling as a coach. Takes a lot of mental gymnastics IMO to write off another first year coach for his style of play when he's the one going to the second weekend with an unheralded team. We tried to do that. Just couldn't. 

McCollum is a solid coach. He recruits and develops to his specific style. I’ll be interested to see if he can recruit the level of talent he needs in the B1G to be successful annually. Even Gard at Wisconsin has adapted his offense to play a more modern offense that attracts portal guards. Not sure McCollum can do that with the 365th pace of play and a small NIL. Guess we’ll see.

[Shooter]

1 hour ago, Home Jersey said:

How anybody can feel optimistic about our program after watching McCollum this year is beyond me. Writing them off once Stirtz leaves is a huge miscalculation IMO. He already found and developed that type of player in D2, odds seem pretty good that Stirtz won't be the last player he develops into a stud. McCollum is playing chess out there and we are tossing the ball around the top of the arc waiting for someone to chuck a late shot clock 3 lol.

There's for sure improvements needed beyond roster construction. That's got to be painfully clear given how we finished. Talent needs to be upgraded too... and then the coaching has to be better. I'll feel better if / when we land a compelling group in the portal. 

FWIW, in conference games IU was 8th in the Big Ten in offensive efficiency. Iowa was 10th.

In defensive efficiency, IU was 14th, Iowa 5th. That's why they made the tourney and we didn't.

Time will tell if Devries can build a team that has the shooting he wants, while still being competent on the other end.

[str8baller]

21 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

His style will muck it up enough to slow down the favorites however I don’t think they can string together enough wins against upper level teams to be a national champion threat for D1.  

They didn’t really play all that slow last night. And while they were slow this year they weren’t much different than a team like Houston. A far cry from his season at Drake. 
 

Also, I don’t think national champion threat is the standard at Iowa. This is the first time they’ve seen the second weekend since the 90’s. They have like 2 Final Fours ever and haven’t won Conference since Carter was in office.  
 

They are a very mediocre to below average program historically. 

[iu eyedoc]

36 minutes ago, str8baller said:

Why?

With having all his teeth he would have been a target for ridicule?

[ronzo4IU]

1 minute ago, Hoosierinbham said:

McCollum is a solid coach. He recruits and develops to his specific style. I’ll be interested to see if he can recruit the level of talent he needs in the B1G to be successful annually. Even Gard at Wisconsin has adapted his offense to play a more modern offense that attracts portal guards. Not sure McDermott can do that with the 365th pace of play and a small NIL. Guess we’ll see.

I didn't realize McDermott was coaching Iowa, but what I think he is good at is evaluating high IQ players that make great reads.  Their defense and switching against Florida was really good.

[Hoosierinbham]

1 minute ago, ronzo4IU said:

I didn't realize McDermott was coaching Iowa, but what I think he is good at is evaluating high IQ players that make great reads.  Their defense and switching against Florida was really good.

Good catch!  Need more coffee apparently.

[ronzo4IU]

49 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

Think he said that tongue in cheek 

When will Flory be on campus? ;)

[Uspshoosier]

5 minutes ago, str8baller said:

Also, I don’t think national champion threat is the standard at Iowa. This is the first time they’ve seen the second weekend since the 90’s. They have like 2 Final Fours ever and haven’t won Conference since Carter was in office.

Kind of the point.  Some on here are jealous of his success at Iowa in his first year where he went 10-10 and wanted him at IU.  I would have been fine with him at IU and would adjust the way I felt about his style but I feel he isn’t a national title contender which is what people here are IU want right?  I don’t think his style is built for it.  Muck it up means fouling the crap out of everyone every other play as well not just slow pace 

[Uspshoosier]

8 minutes ago, str8baller said:

They didn’t really play all that slow last night

Maybe not last night but against Clemson I think they had 53 possessions for the whole game if I read that correctly 

[str8baller]

9 minutes ago, Uspshoosier said:

Kind of the point.  Some on here are jealous of his success at Iowa in his first year where he went 10-10 and wanted him at IU.  I would have been fine with him at IU and would adjust the way I felt about his style but I feel he isn’t a national title contender which is what people here are IU want right?  I don’t think his style is built for it.  Muck it up means fouling the crap out of everyone every other play as well not just slow pace 

National championship = program + coach. 
 

There are few select coaches who can rise above a crappy job, but the reason most coaches “climb the ladder” is they want to be at a place that can also credibly compete for championships. Lute Olsen left Iowa and won a title at Arizona. Much easier to recruit at AZ.  
 

I’m not in the pro-McCollum to IU club but he could very well not win a title at Iowa but have been capable of winning one at Indiana. He might also fail. I’m agnostic. But he’s given Iowa their most tourney success since ‘99. Even with our crappy 25 year run—like historically bad for us—I’m pretty sure we’ve won way more tourney games than they have in that stretch. 

[realTomCrean]

28 minutes ago, ronzo4IU said:

When will Flory be on campus? ;)

2 weeks. Tentative plan is to finish Spring semester and be moved into Bloomington before start of June. 

[Henryville Hoosier]