PITT Transfer Josh Newkirk is headed to IU!

[southsidehoosier]

No. Just practice.

"Practice....we talkin bout practice? Not a game but practice?"

*crickets*


I'll let myself out

[Jketch]

I did not mean he will be playing in January. I meant he will have to fill Yogi's shoes and I think he'll be ready.

[MikeRoberts]

Not sure how to word this properly but, while I don't think newkirk is even close to as talented as Yogi, I think someone new at point, perhaps newkirk could be more effective. Looking forward to seeing how much of our struggles have been related to Yogi over the past 3 years. It might be a ton better or a ton worse once he's gone but won't know until someone else takes over

[Hovadipo]

Not sure how to word this properly but, while I don't think newkirk is even close to as talented as Yogi, I think someone new at point, perhaps newkirk could be more effective. Looking forward to seeing how much of our struggles have been related to Yogi over the past 3 years. It might be a ton better or a ton worse once he's gone but won't know until someone else takes over

I agree. More than anything, I wonder what IU basketball will look like without Yogi. I know many aren't, but I'm a Yogi fan. I'm nervous/excited to see what a Crean (I know, I know) lineup without a scoring-first PG looks like.

[MikeRoberts]

I agree. More than anything, I wonder what IU basketball will look like without Yogi. I know many aren't, but I'm a Yogi fan. I'm nervous/excited to see what a Crean (I know, I know) lineup without a scoring-first PG looks like.

i give Yogi credit for being an individual talent, perhaps one of the top 10 post Knight, but there has been nothing but disappointment since he got inserted into a leadership role 3 years ago

[Old Friend]

I agree. More than anything, I wonder what IU basketball will look like without Yogi. I know many aren't, but I'm a Yogi fan. I'm nervous/excited to see what a Crean (I know, I know) lineup without a scoring-first PG looks like.

It will look slower and likely more controlled.  Yogi is very talented, but tends to play too fast.  He plays to HIS speed most of the time, and not always to that of his team mates, so he makes passes that are the right idea, but not always the most efficient.  I like a point guard who understands how to run his team and tries to get the ball to the right people in the right places at the right time.  Yogi - to me - seems to simply try making plays, no matter who the recipient is or where he is.  Yogi is a very talented player with the ball in his hands.   I'll just stop there.

[Hovadipo]

i give Yogi credit for being an individual talent, perhaps one of the top 10 post Knight, but there has been nothing but disappointment since he got inserted into a leadership role 3 years ago

It will look slower and likely more controlled. Yogi is very talented, but tends to play too fast. He plays to HIS speed most of the time, and not always to that of his team mates, so he makes passes that are the right idea, but not always the most efficient. I like a point guard who understands how to run his team and tries to get the ball to the right people in the right places at the right time. Yogi - to me - seems to simply try making plays, no matter who the recipient is or where he is. Yogi is a very talented player with the ball in his hands. I'll just stop there.

Don't disagree with either of you guys. I just enjoy watching someone as immensely talented as Yogi, which is why I'm a Yogi fan. I could see everything running more smoothly, efficiently with him gone. Then again, we could have to go searching high and low for buckets that Yogi is good at getting/creating. I think people will miss him for some reasons and not miss him for others when he's gone.

[Old Friend]

Don't disagree with either of you guys. I just enjoy watching someone as immensely talented as Yogi, which is why I'm a Yogi fan. I could see everything running more smoothly, efficiently with him gone. Then again, we could have to go searching high and low for buckets that Yogi is good at getting/creating. I think people will miss him for some reasons and not miss him for others when he's gone.

I liked your post and agree with some of this.  But I think many over-estimate his impact and efficacy.  Since he's been put in a leadership role, his teams are 44-29 overall, 16-20 in the Big Ten, have finished 8th and 7th in the conference, have struggled almost all the time against good teams, and have zero post season wins in one appearance.  This with very talented players around him.  Maybe not enough, and maybe not dominant, but certainly better than the record he's amassed.  Many teams have done far more with less.  

 

Yogi is not a strong leader, and I think that's about universal.  He's sometimes selfish and he needs the ball.  I'm not sure I think many people believe he makes players around him better (results don't say so), he's a career 42-43% shooter, but still takes way more shots than anyone else save Blackmon this season. (he took twice as many as anyone else in 2013-2014, and his numbers were still ~ 42%.  That hurt the team in my mind)   He certainly has his strengths, and his assist numbers are way up this year, which is good.  I think he plays with too much freedom, and I blame both he and Crean for that.   

 

I completely agree with your last sentence.  I also think with a better coach and an offense that's more efficient and less reliant on the dribble, along with a better, more physical defender at that position will make Indiana a better "team" when he's gone, too.  This season has a lot of basketball left, and our Big Ten schedule is very easy comparatively.  He's got a chance to make me change my mind, however he has to improve some things, too.  I like Yogi and I'm glad he's at Indiana, but I can't say I'll think of him as any kind of all time great.  He just hasn't won enough....

[Bryan Medema]

What's the word on Newkirk's defense? I know it's harder to quantify, but if he's an ace on D (or at least solid) this could be an outstanding defensive team. Help?

[biteoftheapple]

What's the word on Newkirk's defense? I know it's harder to quantify, but if he's an ace on D (or at least solid) this could be an outstanding defensive team. Help?

I could not really say, but do know Pitt hung its hat on its defense and more deliberate play.

[Bryan Medema]

I could not really say, but do know Pitt hung its hat on its defense and more deliberate play.

That's what I was hoping to hear. I think with a strong defender at the "1", this team could be something special on defense.

[Yogi's Picnic Basket]

Man oh man the knocks on Yogi used to be bad. Glad I never wavered with my appreciation for him. He did everything possible his freshmen yr with two top 5 picks on his team. Sophomore year it was pretty much him, Sheehey, and Noah. That class was a bad one personnel wise, but not talent wise. Too many immature kids for even Sheehey to control. Junior year was a disappointment only because we lasted a round in the tourney. This year he improved dramatically and became what IU basketball is about. It took getting some bad eggs to go away for this team to fill its potential. Anderson and Elston have made huge impacts on this program that goes unnoticed. To Newkirk though, his athletic ability shown in his mixtapes suggest he could be a big surprise and crean has always been great with guards. His time at Pitt wasn't great, but Crean saw something and I trust him completely. I don't think he starts though. Johnson and JBJ will be our backcourt. With OG, Hartman, and hopefully TB up front.

[HoosierAloha]

Man oh man the knocks on Yogi used to be bad. Glad I never wavered with my appreciation for him. He did everything possible his freshmen yr with two top 5 picks on his team. Sophomore year it was pretty much him, Sheehey, and Noah. That class was a bad one personnel wise, but not talent wise. Too many immature kids for even Sheehey to control. Junior year was a disappointment only because we lasted a round in the tourney. This year he improved dramatically and became what IU basketball is about. It took getting some bad eggs to go away for this team to fill its potential. Anderson and Elston have made huge impacts on this program that goes unnoticed. To Newkirk though, his athletic ability shown in his mixtapes suggest he could be a big surprise and crean has always been great with guards. His time at Pitt wasn't great, but Crean saw something and I trust him completely. I don't think he starts though. Johnson and JBJ will be our backcourt. With OG, Hartman, and hopefully TB up front.

I never got the impression Sheehey wanted any part of mentoring those young rascals or any young player.

[Yogi's Picnic Basket]

 

24 minutes ago, HoosierAloha said:

I never got the impression Sheehey wanted any part of mentoring those young rascals or any young player.

100% correct observation lol. I think once Victor left he knew it was gonna be a rough year. I like that Noah added another NBA player for us, but it started with him. Loved watching him play, but one bad apple turns a couple good ones too. I don't miss Davis, Hanner, Stan, or Noah along w a couple others. I do miss Emmitt Holt though. He seemed to want to fit in too much. Coming to our game and sitting behind our bench showed the type of kid he is. Wouldn't mind getting him back one bit honestly.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25546027/-17-lookahead-top-five-transfers-that-will-have-the-biggest-impact

CBS Sports 2016-2017 Lookahead:  Top Five Transfers That Will Have the Greatest Impact. 

"Josh Newkirk, PG, Indiana: Like a cheetah in an open field, Newkirk has blazing quickness for a point guard. A former floor general at Pitt, the Raleigh native will be responsible for replacing Yogi Ferrell at the most important position on the floor. Newkirk should be a menace in the open court and get his teammates high percentage looks thanks to his ability to blow by defenders at will. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.7 assists in 20.8 minutes two years ago for the Panthers."

Hope the blazing quickness / menace in open court / high percentage looks all come true.  Could make for a very exciting year of IU basketball.

 

[rebelhoosier848891]

I am not sure Newkirk will be a starter  ----but I think he will give us MANY solid minutes. Remember---right at the end of his Pitt career his 3-point shot was coming along and he had a stretch where he hit like 6 or 7 three-pointers in a row toward the end of his time there.  Can't wait to see his improvement.

[hoosierwhodey]

I am not sure Newkirk will be a starter  ----but I think he will give us MANY solid minutes. Remember---right at the end of his Pitt career his 3-point shot was coming along and he had a stretch where he hit like 6 or 7 three-pointers in a row toward the end of his time there.  Can't wait to see his improvement.

I think we will see a much improved shooter for multiple reasons.

1. Players at IU typically get better at shooting. (Vic, Troy, Max...)

2. With the knee injury he has time to work with Buckley on his form.

[MadAboutIndiana]

I'm worried about his quickness laterally, and his power/explosion. That could be tough to regain, but you never know with a good athlete

[jsprigler]

I could not really say, but do know Pitt hung its hat on its defense and more deliberate play.

Cream said he was a big reason our D got better throughout the year, so I think his D is on point.

[ccgeneral]

Bump.