College Bball Thread

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

I think this has a bit to do with it. I also think it has to do with perspective.

In two games against ACC opponents, ESPN has mentioned it. In the Notre Dame game it came up just once. Although IU has a much stronger SOS than Notre Dame. Against FSU, it was pretty much every other comment.

Don’t get it twisted, the noncon SOS isn’t good by any stretch. But...

La Tech - Quad 3 (fringe 2)
FSU - Quad 1
UConn - Quad 2
Notre Dame - Quad 3 (fringe 2)
Arkansas - Quad 2 game

Then the grind starts..

Opponent - NET (Home) Away
Neb - 178 (quad 4) quad 3
Wiscy - 45 (quad 2) quad 1
Maryland - 20 (quad 1) quad 1
Northwestern - 143 (quad 3)
O$U - 2 (quad 1) quad 1
Rutgers - 39 quad 1
MSU - 22 (quad 1)
Penn St. 18 (quad 1) quad 1
pu - 47 (quad 2) quad 1
Iowa - 26 (quad 2)
Michigan - 16 quad 1
Minny - 28 (quad 2) quad 1
Ill- 41 quad 1

Conference games only:
Quad 1 - 13
Quad 2 - 4
Quad 3 - 2
Quad 4 - 1

The noncon SOS will have zero effect on whether we make the tourney or stay home. Our ability to win enough conference games and not have a bad conference loss will be the determining factor in us dancing.



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The only thing the non con can really hurt us with is if the committee is splitting hairs between us and another team which could hurt where we are seeded.


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[JSHoosier]

52 minutes ago, LIHoosier said:

If you need some comedy, Georgia is on SEC network and their opponent Georgia Southern is playing zone.

Just turned it on and there's already one ugly Georgia turnover.

[8bucks]

This is such a circular discussion about IU. We win a close game against a lowly ranked team. Some people complain that we did not look very impressive. Some other people then look big picture and say we are 11-1, how is that not good? Some people ask how can we not be ranked. Some people then point to out SOS so far being so easy that being unranked is reasonable and that we still have a lot of question marks. Some people point out our remaining SOS is incredibly hard and that it will be tough overall schedule at the end of the year. Some people will then say the weak early schedule won’t prepare us for that remaining schedule.

This takes place between games and then restarts after we win close again against a lowly ranked team.

If we eliminated last year and we just had year 1 Archie and then this team I think most would be optimistic. Until we get deep into the BT season and see how we do against that tough SOS we just don’t know who we are.

It is fair to have doubts. Year 2 helps reinforce that. It is fair to be optimistic as year 1 and some big quad 1 wins last year support that.

It is completely reasonable to be in either camp as long as you are willing to admit that you might be wrong depending on how this year goes.

We went through this same thing with Crean where we wanted to believe but every time we thought we turned a corner we quickly turned back. So many years we just wanted to know who we were and that adds to this debate now.

I am not immune and will post my share of thoughts but I admit those are just comments about the current journey. I may have strong opinions about whether or not we reach our destination but I admit that we just won’t know until we see how things unfold this year.

I am hoping that Archie and the team exceeds expectations this year and we eliminate some doubt. Until then....


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[Alford Bailey]

2 hours ago, Ranger78 said:

A lot of people are complaining about SOS and the complaints have some merit. I personally think it was smart with the make up of this team. I’m not sure how it works out and I’m not sure it prepared us enough for the grinds of the BIG10, but I think it gives us the best shot to make the tournament. Coach needs small victories (like making the tournament) to continue to build his program.


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Agree it gives us the best shot to make the dance. I will feel pretty comfortable if we beat Ark. Cant see another collapse like last year though I think we will get run out of the gym a few times in conference. We will win enough in conference I believe.

[HoosierAloha]

I agree. Did the non-con schedule get us ready for the BIG10? With the makeup of this team, I think it was the best path to get us ready to play the BIG10 schedule. This team needed to build confidence and build chemistry, which I think they have done. I will be the first to say - I don't have the first clue on what the rest of this season is going to bring. We need enough to build some momentum going forward.
This year: Make the tournament and anything can happen.
 
 
 

I have zero clue what the conference holds for us. It could be an extreme case or, most likely, something in the middle. I think if we beat Arkansas and then get at least 9 conference wins, without the terrible losses, we’ll be in the tourney. If we get more than 10 conference wins we start looking at seeding.

Regardless of the noncon, with the new 20 game conference season we’ll have plenty of opportunities for great wins.

Now... if we’re able to bring everyone back next season I’d like to see a little tougher noncon schedule. Thankfully, well get it.

Big Ten - ACC Challenge road game
Gavitt Tip-off
Butler in Indy
Maui Invite (strong field)
— Alabama, Davidson, UNC, Providence, Stanford, Texas, UNLV

That should be at least 5 quad 1 or 2 noncon games before the grind of the Big Ten.


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[BtownBanner6]

Don’t know if this is new or not but Lunardi has us a 6 seed right now 

[RaceToTheTop]

3 hours ago, Ranger78 said:

I agree. Did the non-con schedule get us ready for the BIG10? With the makeup of this team, I think it was the best path to get us ready to play the BIG10 schedule. This team needed to build confidence and build chemistry, which I think they have done. I will be the first to say - I don't have the first clue on what the rest of this season is going to bring. We need enough to build some momentum going forward.

This year: Make the tournament and anything can happen.

 

 

 

What I like is that the non-con ended up UConn, Notre Dame, and Arkansas....two on neutral courts.  

[RaceToTheTop]

3 hours ago, JSHoosier said:

Just turned it on and there's already one ugly Georgia turnover.

Georgia ended up escaping after trailing to Georgia Southern 32-29 at half.  Looks like Crean still has problems with zones.....the Bulldogs were 4 of 22 from three trying to shot over it.

[HoosierAloha]

Hawaii trying to knock some mfers out on the island. Giving them the aloha...

The refs allowed them to bark and escalate and now an elbow to the head. Now the refs can’t even get the call correct after reviewing it. Ouch


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[jk34]

7 hours ago, cthomas said:

Exactly. After what we've been through the last few years we are not jumping into the deep end of the pool. I really like the kids on this team and that has not always been the case. They are all easy to root for. Are they the most talented? No. But I like them. I like how we have won ugly with different kids stepping up. I like how they seem to support each other. Maybe they won't take us where we want to go, but I would rather hang with these guys than a bunch of kids just using IU to showcase their skills for the next level. Call me a dinosaur, but student-athlete still means something to me. These kids seem like student-athletes. If you read Anderson's comments before the Crossroads about how he learned he had to get better and grind every day, how can anyone not want him on our team representing our university. He didn't transfer, he went to work, and it shows. I'm old and not impatient and am willing to let it play out and let the kids develop. Maybe, probably, they won't hang banner number six, but I'll take them ten times out ten over what UK, Duke and the other OAD factories put on the floor. Winning is important, but how it's done is more important to me.

Excellent post!

[RaceToTheTop]

8 hours ago, HoosierAloha said:

Hawaii trying to knock some mfers out on the island. Giving them the aloha...

The refs allowed them to bark and escalate and now an elbow to the head. Now the refs can’t even get the call correct after reviewing it. Ouch


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I was shocked how much they were letting players get away with in the Houston/Georgia Tech game.

[Uspshoosier]

Didn’t stay awake for the 1:30 am game between UTEP/Ball St. utep won by 1


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[JSHoosier]

9 hours ago, brumdog45 said:

Georgia ended up escaping after trailing to Georgia Southern 32-29 at half.  Looks like Crean still has problems with zones.....the Bulldogs were 4 of 22 from three trying to shot over it.

Yeah, Georgia Southern went away from the zone late too which was a mistake.  Wasn't a particularly good zone but for the most part it was the same as we saw here, slow reversals around the perimeter along with some really quick shots.

[BGleas]

I think the biggest reason IU isn't ranked is the margin of victory in these recent wins. I think the Wisconsin loss could be overlooked and even squeaking by UConn, if we had taken care of business against Nebraska (shouldn't go to OT at home against that team) and if IU had held the lead against ND. 

I think it's really those last two games, Nebraska and ND. I know Nebraska beat Purdue, but that was at home. At home IU should beat Nebraska going away, not have Nebraska force an OT. If IU had passed the eye test against Neb & ND, we'd be ranked. 

[Hardwood83]

 

19 hours ago, LamarCheeks said:

Not sure I understand not being ranked, but it doesn't bother me a whole lot. ... What completely flummoxes me is PU getting more votes than us in the coaches poll. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

Me too- having watched every IU game, I'm not sold they are top 25 either.....except all the other teams ahead of them look shaky too. 

I'm still bothered by the abysmal showings at Wisconsin and vs Nebraska, but winning is winning. 

[Hardwood83]

16 hours ago, Ranger78 said:

I agree. Did the non-con schedule get us ready for the BIG10? With the makeup of this team, I think it was the best path to get us ready to play the BIG10 schedule. This team needed to build confidence and build chemistry, which I think they have done. I will be the first to say - I don't have the first clue on what the rest of this season is going to bring. We need enough to build some momentum going forward.

This year: Make the tournament and anything can happen.

I agree with your point and would answer "yes", FSU UCONN, ND and Arkansas aren't elite, but they are solid teams that are comparable to many B1G teams. A sweep would be a good sign. My only complaint is the lack of a non-con road game. The Wisconsin game seemed to catch IU completely unprepared and it wasn't exactly a raucous environment. Just a bunch of geriatric German people and fat-ankled girls scarfing down brats. 

Memo to Archie/New AD: Play a true road game before conference season begins. 

[HoosierAloha]

I agree with your point and would answer "yes", FSU UCONN, ND and Arkansas aren't elite, but they are solid teams that are comparable to many B1G teams. A sweep would be a good sign. My only complaint is the lack of a non-con road game. The Wisconsin game seemed to catch IU completely unprepared and it wasn't exactly a raucous environment. Just a bunch of geriatric German people and fat-ankled girls scarfing down brats. 
Memo to Archie/New AD: Play a true road game before conference season begins. 

Next season we should have plenty, hopefully not too many. Gavitt and ACC road games unless we can switch one to a home game. Three neutral site games in Maui and Butler at BLF.


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[Uspshoosier]

Merry Christmas college hoops junkies.   Ball St/Portland get the day started (after I do some Just Dance 2020 with the girls)

looks like Santa left something for the kids( or did he get for himself.  Lol)

Hope everyone has a great day with family 

[killerbeezer]

Yep, it’s not that IU doesn’t look like a top 25 team (which they don’t) it’s that many ranked teams don’t either. 

[mdn82]

Yep, it’s not that IU doesn’t look like a top 25 team (which they don’t) it’s that many ranked teams don’t either. 

What does a top 25 team look like this year?


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