Pre-Season Thoughts Compared To Now Thoughts

[JaybobHoosier 11,821]

Before the season started, there was quite a bit of excitement. Even though we lost so many players, they were being replaced by a very good recruiting class. Some thought this team would be a Top 20 team, while others felt Top 40 was more appropriate. When the first bracketology came out, and IU was a 9 seed, most people laughed and ridiculed it. Everyone felt we were a 5 or better seed.

Now........ look at where IU is at, and compare it to what your thoughts were. How far off were your initial predictions?


For me, I was off. However, I predicted if IU was going to sway from my prediction, it would be for the worse. This team was so young with limited leadership. I also predicted a 6-7 seed in the NCAA, which could really be off unfortunately. I'm not considering this season a fail, but it definitely has been disappointing so far. I thought the team would be further along this far into the season.

IU is a lot more one dimensional on offense than what I thought, and the IQ has been shocking, esp in terms of turnovers. That has probably been the most disappointing.

What about you guys?

Sent from my DROID4 using BtownBanners mobile app

[weaverswonders6 387]

I knew we'd take a step back this year and expected that.  However, I expected that step to be like the "one small step for man" NOT the "giant leap for mankind".  Obviously the season isn't over yet, but to this point, we've been pretty disappointing to me.  The same issues we've had for years continue to crop up.  

 

I don't expect a National Championship every year, but I do expect to make the tourney year in and year out.  I don't expect a BiG title every year, but I do expect to finish in the top 4-5 in the conference year in and year out.  This is Indiana and we expect to be a challenger at the top of our conference and to at least have a chance at making a deep run in the tourney.

[HoosierReb01 7,511]

I'm really not far behind my expectations. I loved the talent coming in, but I've watched recruiting long enough to know not to have to high of expectations for freshmen. You get pleasant surprises sometimes, but in the end they are still freshmen. What doesn't surprise me, and in fact disappoints me, is how often they are allowed to be dumb freshmen without getting a bad case of pine splinters in the ass.

[JSHoosier 19,609]

We should expect to be a tourney team pretty well every year, that's not setting the bar very high at all.  I expected to at least be a tourney team, and they've got the talent to be one.  This team is really disappointing, and has issues that go beyond youth.

 

What's really concerning is that the same issues that have plagued the team every year are still there and still costing us games with no sign of improvement.

 

We're one dimensional on offense every year really.  That one dimension is the fast break.  Take that away, and the team is seriously flawed and has been every year.  Having a half court offense that is almost entirely based on one on one is not a good plan.

[mdn82 25,464]

We are behind where I thought we would be.  One thing Tom Crean's teams have always been able to do is shoot.  This team can't shoot.  I thought Yogi would lead the team in scoring.  Again, I never expected he would have to do what he is doing to get there.  Very disappointed he is taking his best asset out of the game.  Stan is better than I expected.  Noah is in line with what I thought based on scouts.  Disappointed in Will.  Just think he is the type of player that needs better players around him to get his.  I just get the feeling based on where we are in the season and CTC has to still "prove points" the summer was not good.  For the first time since the year before Vic and Will got here, a CTC coached team had a bad summer.  The proof is in the shooting.  That is the most concerning to me.  Crean coached teams will not win during the season due to coaching.  I am not saying he is the worst coach.  I am just saying he is not the best.  For him to win at a high level, his players have to make plays at a high level.  We aren't out-coaching the top coaches.  This is done in the summer.  That "culture" was supposedly made a few years back.  If I were Crean, I would be most worried about that.  

[All_Hoosiers 873]

I was trapped into woefully overhyping this year's team unfortunately. Just got ahead of myself I guess. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

[FortWayneHoosier 5,852]

this team is actually where i thought it would be, win a game or two that we shouldnt (wisky), lose some we shouldnt (northwestern, illinois, notre dame). I know a lot of hoosier nation wants creans head, and there are games i just drop my head at some of the things he does in game. I think every year a lot of fans just overhype these kids because they saw a few youtube videos on them dunking and doing flashy moves (hanner), or how many stars a kid is ranked. Sometimes that doesnt even matter(like this year). Like im sorry but if you are playing for a top basketball school in college, and have been playing basketball your whole life like highschool and aau, you should know how to make a jump shot im sorry theres no excuse. I dont care how much "talent" we have if you cant do the basics in basketball, especially in the big ten, then your "talent and athleticism" go out the window.  

[Dankomite 44]

I thought the tournament should be our goal coming into the season, so IU is right about where I thought we'd be (although I thought the tourney was very realistic, it now it seems less likely).  Based on our experience with young teams a few years ago, I thought being ranked Top 20 was a total joke because poor shooting and being turnover prone seemed pretty obvious coming in...  Noah is better than I thought, and I didn't think Yogi would be able to shoot as well from 3 as he has been.  Jeremy and Hanner have both been disappointing, and I think many of us considered them X factors coming into the season.  Let's face it, if they were playing up to many of our expectations, we WOULD be tourney-bound and in the upper half of the B1G.

[ccgeneral 38,084]

I thought the tournament should be our goal coming into the season, so IU is right about where I thought we'd be (although I thought the tourney was very realistic, it now it seems less likely).  Based on our experience with young teams a few years ago, I thought being ranked Top 20 was a total joke because poor shooting and being turnover prone seemed pretty obvious coming in...  Noah is better than I thought, and I didn't think Yogi would be able to shoot as well from 3 as he has been.  Jeremy and Hanner have both been disappointing, and I think many of us considered them X factors coming into the season.  Let's face it, if they were playing up to many of our expectations, we WOULD be tourney-bound and in the upper half of the B1G.

Welcome aboard buddy. Good to see you post.

[Josh 12,381]

I definitely expected a better season.  I guess I underestimated how young we are.

 

I was right about Hollowell (yuck), but I was wrong about Robinson (I didn't see anything good in him at first)

 

Bottom line...we need to make the tournament this year or else it's a major disappointment. 

[JSHoosier 19,609]

I definitely expected a better season.  I guess I underestimated how young we are.

 

I was right about Hollowell (yuck), but I was wrong about Robinson (I didn't see anything good in him at first)

 

Bottom line...we need to make the tournament this year or else it's a major disappointment. 

Youth is only part of the problem with this team.

[Naturalhoosier 15,361]

Youth is only part of the problem with this team.

 

And shooting.

[JSHoosier 19,609]

And shooting.

Goes beyond that too.  Supposedly Etherington and Hartman can shoot, but the problem is neither one of them can create their own shot and our street ball offense lives and dies with players creating their own shot (have I mentioned I utterly hate our half court offense?).  Either way it falls on Crean's shoulders.

 

People don't want to admit it but this team isn't well coached.  Undisciplined and, at times, flat out lazy are not signs of a well coached team.

[mdn82 25,464]

Goes beyond that too.  Supposedly Etherington and Hartman can shoot, but the problem is neither one of them can create their own shot and our street ball offense lives and dies with players creating their own shot (have I mentioned I utterly hate our half court offense?).  Either way it falls on Crean's shoulders.

 

People don't want to admit it but this team isn't well coached.  Undisciplined and, at times, flat out lazy are not signs of a well coached team.

 

IMO, it goes beyond that.  I think this team had a crappy summer.  You can just tell Crean is not comfortable with anything on the court right now.  For as crazy as his sub patterns are, we haven't seen anything like this year.  He has been here a while now.  I can't recall a time he was trying to prove points in late January.  To me, that looks like we did not have a good summer.  Really wonder how much Yogi and Will being gone hurt the team.  Nobody beyond those two are really leaders.  I think they had to go, but Crean is really limited on contact hours in the summer.  Team leaders are the ones accountable in the summer.  I sure as hell hope everyone is here this summer.  

[JSHoosier 19,609]

IMO, it goes beyond that.  I think this team had a crappy summer.  You can just tell Crean is not comfortable with anything on the court right now.  For as crazy as his sub patterns are, we haven't seen anything like this year.  He has been here a while now.  I can't recall a time he was trying to prove points in late January.  To me, that looks like we did not have a good summer.  Really wonder how much Yogi and Will being gone hurt the team.  Nobody beyond those two are really leaders.  I think they had to go, but Crean is really limited on contact hours in the summer.  Team leaders are the ones accountable in the summer.  I sure as hell hope everyone is here this summer.  

It couldn't have helped, but it was a good opportunity for them.  Wasn't there reports of Will shooting well from behind the arc while he was gone?  What the hell happened?

[mdn82 25,464]

It couldn't have helped, but it was a good opportunity for them.  Wasn't there reports of Will shooting well from behind the arc while he was gone?  What the hell happened?

 

Yes there were those reports.  I also think it was a great opportunity, but couldn't have come at a worse time for IU.  From those reports, I wasn't worried about this team and shooting.  I thought it would allow the Freshman to slash.  I really think Will is just one of those players who has trouble creating when he is a primary option and defenses zero in on him.  I think he has to be a 4th or 5th option like last year.  This year when he is on the court he is at worst 2 or 3.  Yogi better be one hell of a leader this summer if we are to be anything next year.  

[Dankomite 44]

Welcome aboard buddy. Good to see you post.

Thanks! I didn't even know this site existed (using the framework of the old hsn site?), but I'm glad I found it. Just what I needed... Another IU message board to check!

[bronkonagurski 894]

Really wonder how much Yogi and Will being gone hurt the team.  Nobody beyond those two are really leaders.  I think they had to go, but Crean is really limited on contact hours in the summer.  Team leaders are the ones accountable in the summer.  I sure as hell hope everyone is here this summer.  

 

That is a great point and something I did not even think about before. 

[Naturalhoosier 15,361]

Thanks! I didn't even know this site existed (using the framework of the old hsn site?), but I'm glad I found it. Just what I needed... Another IU message board to check!

 

It's about darn time!  :) :)  Welcome brother!

[Kilroy 271]

I said pre-season I saw 19 wins. I still see 19 wins. But i'm generally pessimistic to start the season and usually 2-3 games under.