(2017) SG Al Durham Jr. to IU

[Kepner]

Who has bashed him?

Okay well bash was the wrong word, but people complained out the gate before even researching him. Then when people find out that is a a top 100 player, they all of a sudden change their tone and reasoning. 

[Kepner]

There is more needed from a player than just love/passion for IU. Can't have a whole team of Gelons

People complained when we first signed Zeisloft and he turned out to be a great role player, thinking Gelon can come in and do the same. Not every player we sign is going to be a starter and a star, we need solid bench players as well. 

[WayneFleekHoosier]

Okay well bash was the wrong word, but people complained out the gate before even researching him. Then when people find out that is a a top 100 player, they all of a sudden change their tone and reasoning.

player rating has no bearing on my feeling unless he is Lebron James. It's the fact Crean seems to utilize poor recruiting strategies regarding positions, oversignings, early acceptances, and a multitude of other factors that indicate to the haphazard style in which I've been told he runs the program.

The timing of the Gelon and Durham commits are my problem not the actual players and I've been clear on this from the beginning.

[Beowulf50]

Oh Cody will not contribute much as a freshmen! Why did we recruit a three star from Maryland? Welcome aboard Mr. Durham I hope you work your butt off and go down as a Hoosier legend!

No armchair coaches I'm not saying he will do what they did, I'm just pointing out the doubt some on here have had in the past.

[Dalton26]

Oh Cody will not contribute much as a freshmen! Why did we recruit a three star from Maryland? Welcome aboard Mr. Durham I hope you work your butt off and go down as a Hoosier legend!

No armchair coaches I'm not saying he will do what they did, I'm just pointing out the doubt some on here have had in the past.

Did anyone really think Cody would not contribute his freshman year? I don't remember that. Your memory may be better than mine though Armchair assistant.

[MartintheMopMan]

Oh Cody will not contribute much as a freshmen! Why did we recruit a three star from Maryland? Welcome aboard Mr. Durham I hope you work your butt off and go down as a Hoosier legend!

No armchair coaches I'm not saying he will do what they did, I'm just pointing out the doubt some on here have had in the past.

Again though, I think it bears repeating that most if not all of the criticism I saw in this thread is of the "why sign a recruit this early unless they're top 10" variety and not "Durham isn't good enough for Indiana".

 

And, it's easy to point out when armchair coaches are wrong, but it's not like that's always the case. Why sign a no-star big from Texas? Why sign a 2/3-star big from Arizona? Why sign a 3-star shooter from California after watching him once? Why sign a 3-star seven footer with chronic injury problems? 

 

And optimists have been wrong about the ultimate impact on the team too (Hollowell, Jurkin, HMP, Robinson)

 

I think it just goes to show that rankings aren't everything, and the further you are from the top, the less predictive they are of your abilities. Our 5-star players have been 5-star players. Everyone else, it's not so clear cut.

[WayneFleekHoosier]

Again though, I think it bears repeating that most if not all of the criticism I saw in this thread is of the "why sign a recruit this early unless they're top 10" variety and not "Durham isn't good enough for Indiana".

And, it's easy to point out when armchair coaches are wrong, but it's not like that's always the case. Why sign a no-star big from Texas? Why sign a 2/3-star big from Arizona? Why sign a 3-star shooter from California after watching him once? Why sign a 3-star seven footer with chronic injury problems?

And optimists have been wrong about the ultimate impact on the team too (Hollowell, Jurkin, HMP, Robinson)

I think it just goes to show that rankings aren't everything, and the further you are from the top, the less predictive they are of your abilities. Our 5-star players have been 5-star players. Everyone else, it's not so clear cut.

are we twins separated at birth?

[Beowulf50]

Did anyone really think Cody would not contribute his freshman year? I don't remember that. Your memory may be better than mine though Armchair assistant.

Yeah, I distinctly remember low predictions! I didn't just pull this out of you know where. After players produce memory tends to get short for some. I'm talking very much lower predicted freshmen numbers not that he would not see the floor! Hey he was a freshmen can't expect much from a freshmen right?

[Beowulf50]

Again though, I think it bears repeating that most if not all of the criticism I saw in this thread is of the "why sign a recruit this early unless they're top 10" variety and not "Durham isn't good enough for Indiana".

And, it's easy to point out when armchair coaches are wrong, but it's not like that's always the case. Why sign a no-star big from Texas? Why sign a 2/3-star big from Arizona? Why sign a 3-star shooter from California after watching him once? Why sign a 3-star seven footer with chronic injury problems?

And optimists have been wrong about the ultimate impact on the team too (Hollowell, Jurkin, HMP, Robinson)

I think it just goes to show that rankings aren't everything, and the further you are from the top, the less predictive they are of your abilities. Our 5-star players have been 5-star players. Everyone else, it's not so clear cut.

[Beowulf50]

Again though, I think it bears repeating that most if not all of the criticism I saw in this thread is of the "why sign a recruit this early unless they're top 10" variety and not "Durham isn't good enough for Indiana".

And, it's easy to point out when armchair coaches are wrong, but it's not like that's always the case. Why sign a no-star big from Texas? Why sign a 2/3-star big from Arizona? Why sign a 3-star shooter from California after watching him once? Why sign a 3-star seven footer with chronic injury problems?

And optimists have been wrong about the ultimate impact on the team too (Hollowell, Jurkin, HMP, Robinson)

I think it just goes to show that rankings aren't everything, and the further you are from the top, the less predictive they are of your abilities. Our 5-star players have been 5-star players. Everyone else, it's not so clear cut.

Might as well beat my head against a tree as to argue with a used car salesman I mean lawyer. If His only offers were from the little sisters of the poor and the likes than I would be worried. He had solid offers and interest. Like others have said we can't throw out an offer and say we will call you when we are ready for you.

[Beowulf50]

I'm confused why people think every single school is able to issue dozens of offers a year without having any discussion about expectations, timelines, and team needs. It doesn't make sense from the school's perspective. It means you couldn't make any offers until you were sure about each player. The whole nature of a system where scholarships are limited, positions are set and very particularized, and filling these positions is dependent on the decisions of teenagers absolutely requires more discussion than "here's an offer, accept any time, I also have offers out to these 8 guys so make sure you get it in before them". Everyone in the system expects it. If the kid doesn't like the accompanying discussion, then he doesn't choose the school.

Exactly none of my comment was saying we should be worried about his skills or discussing his other offers. I actually said his skills weren't an issue. You quoted my comment, discussed my occupation, and then did not bother to address anything I said. It's OK to admit when you don't have anything to say in response to a good point and just move on.

I always move on when I see a good point! Oh after I hit the like button. All I see out of you is negativity and on some boards that is called trolling. I didn't aim to offend you but this is an IU board and I love my team. I am not one to be negative and down right nasty until I'm proven wrong then yeah go team!

[Dalton26]

When he stepped on campus he was 210 lbs so that tempered a lot of expectations. By the season though he was 235 ish.

All I ever hear from people I knew was how great he was going to be as a freshman.

[Beowulf50]

When he stepped on campus he was 210 lbs so that tempered a lot of expectations. By the season though he was 235 ish.

Thanks! Yeah I remember single digit numbers being predicted.

[Beowulf50]

All I ever hear from people I knew was how great he was going to be as a freshman.

Hey I thought so too. I remember the exact place where I was when Cody committed. That was one happy day!

[mdn82]

All I ever hear from people I knew was how great he was going to be as a freshman.

I think it was a lot like the top player we get every year now but at that point from the depths we were I think some of the outlandish expectations had some scared away. After that first game people's expectations went through the roof.

[mdn82]

The real game not the exhibition that Vic had to hit a half court shot to go to OT against a bad team.

[MartintheMopMan]

I always move on when I see a good point! Oh after I hit the like button. All I see out of you is negativity and on some boards that is called trolling. I didn't aim to offend you but this is an IU board and I love my team. I am not one to be negative and down right nasty until I'm proven wrong then yeah go team!

Interesting you would choose to make an assertion that is easily verifiable as untrue as it only takes reading my post history to realize I am frequently positive and the posts you consider to be negativity are actually just pragmatic discussions of facts. Outside of specific negative moments like something bad happening during a game in a game thread, I think my history shows I am generally quite supportive of the team.

 

But, I know you prefer to make broad and specific statements you can't back-up rather than actually consider what happened, so I won't hold it against you. I am always negative in the same sense that Indiana fans were unsupportive of Cody Zeller (meaning of course, that it happened primarily in your head).

 

Also, I believe "trolls" would rely on emotional arguments without being able to provide facts to support them because they are intentionally baiting people. It is not a general term for people who are negative.

[Beowulf50]

Interesting you would choose to make an assertion that is easily verifiable as untrue as it only takes reading my post history to realize I am frequently positive and the posts you consider to be negativity are actually just pragmatic discussions of facts. Outside of specific negative moments like something bad happening during a game in a game thread, I think my history shows I am generally quite supportive of the team.

But, I know you prefer to make broad and specific statements you can't back-up rather than actually consider what happened, so I won't hold it against you. I am always negative in the same sense that Indiana fans were unsupportive of Cody Zeller (meaning of course, that it happened primarily in your head).

Also, I believe "trolls" would rely on emotional arguments without being able to provide facts to support them because they are intentionally baiting people. It is not a general term for people who are negative.

I tap out I'm done! Have at it, enjoy!

[Feathery]

I like the commitment and I like the timing. The kid is a top 100 talent and if we whiff on the elite McD kids, then we still got a top 100 kid with quality upside. There is no downside to this.

I want a consistant winner and we need this type of player to be a consistant winner. If a kid like Scruggs is scared to come to IU bc a top 100 kid already committed, then we don't want him anyway. True elite players won't shy away bc of this commitment and it adds quality depth.

I've been a Crean critic for years. While I see some roster issues, I think we need to relax and wait to see how 2016 finishes up.

[Stuhoo]

I know it's a long shot, but I'm going to try to tie a ribbon around this extended argument of offering "diamonds in the rough" and offerring early.

The longshots recruits that have turned out fantastic for IU have one quality in common. They all have way way way above average quickness and athleticism. That is why Victor, Will (who was a state high jump champ) and now it appears OG are great finds , and why kids like MSB and others are, well, not quite as great.

Durham? "Explosive quickness" is the scouting report.