Official 2016-17 IUBB Preseason Thread

[WayneFleekHoosier 50,539]

Our whole dag gum team has jacked up knees.


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[LockdownD 2,248]

1 hour ago, Stuhoo said:

 

Devonte is holding back. If you've seen his twitter feed via ITH, he's a very opinionated, engaged young man.

 

D

 

1 hour ago, Stuhoo said:

 

Devonte is holding back. If you've seen his twitter feed via ITH, he's a very opinionated, engaged young man.

 

Sound like OG probably coached Devonte about his interview skills.  Extremely concise.

[HoosierAloha 30,102]

From Alex McCarthy

Hartman, McSwain bond during rehab

Freddie McSwain immediately had something in common with his roommates when he moved to Bloomington.

He moved in with senior forward Collin Hartman and junior guard Josh Newkirk, both of whom have battled back from knee injuries in the past. McSwain also has a past of knee injuries, and unfortunately for him and Hartman, history quickly repeated itself.

Both McSwain and Hartman have had knee surgeries in the past month. Newkirk has remained healthy so far this year after having microscopic knee surgery last summer. While McSwain’s injury isn’t quite as serious as Hartman’s, the two have bonded during their recoveries.

“It’s been good,” Hartman said, before laughing and amending his response. “It’s been bad and good. You hate to see a teammate be in the same situation or the same rehab, but he’s doing great.”

Hartman didn’t give details as to what his injury was and the timeline for his return is still uncertain, but he talked optimistically about the season ahead, hoping for a speedy recovery. When he tore his ACL after his freshman season, he returned to the court sooner than many expected, and while each injury is different, he feels confident in his ability to bounce back quickly again.

McSwain has also been involved in practices so far, spending time with IU head coach Tom Crean and working on the weaker areas of his game. McSwain, who strung together highlight-reel dunks and high-flying rebounds at Neosho Community College in Kansas, is looking to become more of a scoring threat on the perimeter.

“I’ve been doing a lot of shooting with coach Crean,” McSwain said. “He really likes to shoot the three, so that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve got into defensive drills…getting back to trusting my leg again.”

McSwain, whom Crean has described as resembling an NFL tight end, hopes to help Indiana on the boards while also being a stopper defensively. Crean also said McSwain came in and immediately stood out in the weight room, where he quickly became one of the top performers.

Hartman also noticed McSwain’s explosiveness before McSwain underwent the minor knee surgery. McSwain was a late arrival to campus as he still had academic work to finish up this summer, so he missed valuable time, but Hartman said McSwain’s done as well as could be expected.

“Obviously having missed the summer and coming in and being thrown into this program, it’s tough for guys to transition,” Hartman said. “He’s doing a good job, focusing in.”

McSwain, just like any other player on the team, is still growing in terms of being a vocal leader, Hartman said. McSwain said he’s focusing on rehabbing and on improving his consistency on the court more than anything else so far.

Hartman, always affable and good-natured, was laughing as he chronicled what has been a rough couple months for his family’s health. His mother, who has had numerous knee surgeries in the past, had another procedure recently, and his brother had his wisdom teeth taken out the same week.

“The insurance company is like, ‘What is going on with you guys?’” Hartman joked.

It’s been an interesting experience for Hartman to experience rehab both in person with McSwain and from afar with his mother. He’s been able to help both parties keep their spirits up during their recoveries, which in turn has kept him from overthinking and worrying too much about his own situation.

Hartman has also spent time bringing along the fully healthy newcomers as well as McSwain. True freshman wing Grant Gelon in particular singled Hartman out as a mentor so far, mostly from the standpoint of knowing the plays and the system better than just about anybody.

It’s been a priority, Hartman said, to impart that knowledge to the newcomers, but the most important ideal he’s pushing to them is about taking advantage of their opportunities.

“I think that’s one of the biggest things for me,” Hartman said. “The least I can do is help these guys get acclimated much faster than I did my freshman year, so that they don’t waste a year as I somewhat did just because I was a deer in the headlights.”

 

Hartman already sounds like a coach. I wouldn't be shocked to see him on the sidelines one day.

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

How much longer again?

[Class of '66 Old Fart 88,804]

Zach Osterman - Indianapolis Star

Nearly 100 percent, Juwan Morgan ready to step up

BLOOMINGTON – It didn’t take much to separate Juwan Morgan’s shoulder by the end of last season. Something as simple as deflecting a pass would jar it loose, crumple Morgan to the floor and pull him out of the game.

Offseason surgery to correct a problem that dated to high school has given IU’s sophomore forward a newfound comfort and -- even though he’s still awaiting full clearance -- more confidence on the floor.

“I’m very close, probably not more than a week, maybe less, off from being back 100 percent,” Morgan said at team media day Wednesday. “There definitely is a freedom, just being out there and not having to worry about, ‘Oh, I can’t do this because it might come out,' or 'I have to be careful with this because it might come out.’ Being able to do everything 100 percent, it feels good.”

Injury caused him to miss nearly half of IU’s non-conference schedule, before he became a mainstay off the bench during Big Ten play. Morgan appeared in all 18 games during the Hoosiers’ run to an outright regular-season title and averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a freshman.

But Morgan’s shoulder kept giving him trouble, knocking him out of games against Iowa and Maryland, limiting him in March and eventually requiring surgery.

That procedure – and his subsequent rehabilitation – dictated the extent of Morgan’s summer workload. Now, just more than three weeks out from the Hoosiers’ season opener against Kansas, he’s finally close to full strength.

“Beginning (rehab), I wasn’t able to do a lot of things, like passing with a left hand, I’d have to pass with two, or crossing outside my body with my left (arm), it was harder to do,” Morgan said. “But now, with all the treatment and rehab, it’s pretty much there.”

For an Indiana team that must replace Collin Hartman (knee surgery), Morgan’s health is critical.

He was one of the Hoosiers’ best rebounders a season ago, even in limited minutes. He shot 24-of-30 from the free-throw line and 5-of-11 on 3-pointers. At times, when IU coach Tom Crean was trying to spell point guard Yogi Ferrell, he would make Morgan responsible for bringing the ball up the floor.

“Juwan wasn’t handling the ball by accident,” Crean said late last season. “That’s what we do in practice.”

As much as he could, Morgan polished his ball handling further this summer.

“Every day, I’m working on it,” Morgan said. “Last year, it was probably like one or two drills I would get in at point guard. Now, it’s like running the whole offense, running the whole drill at the point guard position.”

Morgan is part of a deep, talented Indiana frontcourt, perhaps the best in the Big Ten. Alongside fellow sophomores Thomas Bryant and OG Anunoby, he’ll need to be more than just a useful reserve.

After a promising freshman season and necessary offseason surgery, Morgan said he’s ready.

“People are going to see a very big difference in my game, and just how hard I always go,” Morgan said. “It’s just gonna get taken up a level.”

 

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

I have conflicting plans on the night of HH.

[Hovadipo 60,945]

#12 in USA Today preseason coaches poll. Duke overwhelming #1.


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[GnarlyNormEllenberger 1,462]

I'm usually not what I would consider to be a "sunshine-pumper", but I am very optimistic for the upcoming season. My reasons are as follows...

- We have three elite-level players on the team. By "elite", I mean guys who could be an All-American at the end of the year and it wouldn't be surprising. Bryant looks to be be one of the five best post players in the nation, easily. He's bulked up even more at 6'10-255, has a high motor and is highly-effective scoring points in the paint. People criticize Blackmon for his defensive effort (and rightfully so) but he's an elite-level scorer who would probably average 20+ PPG on many Power-5 teams. Any improvement on the defensive side of things could elevate his game to All-American levels. But then there's Anunoby... and while I hardly ever leap such high praise on players who have played limited minutes/roles... OG is the real deal. He has the capability to excel at any facet of the game. At the very least, I think we'll see the college version of "3 and D". At best, he could be dominant at both ends of the floor... and make it look easy.

- I really like Robert Johnson and Juwan Morgan, too. They're not at the level of the three mentioned above, but they're high-level players. It looks clear to me that Johnson is becoming one of the leaders on the team. He can handle the ball, shoot and play defense at an above-average level. He's a complete guard that brings a lot to the table. And if it wasn't for OG's meteoric rise, I think we'd be talking a whole lot more about Juwan Morgan. He's a tough-nosed, versatile forward who takes pride on defense. If he's truly bulked-up to the 6'8-230 that he's listed as, look for him to take a huge step forward in his development.

- We've got an intriguing mix of newcomers. It's funny how much criticism Newkirk has received without even playing a single game for us, but at-worst, he'll be a good ball-handler in the rotation that provides quickness and defense. I think you'll see both our freshman guards find minutes. Jones can shoot it and stretch defenses. And it wouldn't surprise me if Green plays some big minutes this year. The guy is a major competitor and has about as complete of a game that you'll ever see from a "3-star" freshman. Personally, I don't expect major production from Davis this season, but I think you'll see him come along as the season progresses and fill his back-up role nicely. It's hard to gauge what we'll get from McSwain, but he's a high-upside JuCo guy who could be a major asset for us if he develops.

In my personal opinion, we have the type of roster that COULD win the Big Ten again and make the Final Four. But we'll need for things to click for that to happen. We'll need for guys to fill-in specific roles and do their roles well (which was a big reason for our end of season success last season.) I think we have the potential to be a good defensive team if everyone truly buys into that side of the ball. I don't see as many "pure" shooters on this team as we had last year, but we've got enough guys to keep defenses honest and run our offense as we have been. We won't need a Yogi-level PG, but we need to have at least one player who is comfortable and effective in that role. We'll need to stay relatively healthy in order to prevent younger players from having to play more minutes than they're ready for (as the Hartman injury has already taken away some of our wiggle room in this regard.)

In short, I believe this team is more than capable of adding onto one of our Big Ten Championship or Final Four banners (or even creating a Big Ten Tournament banner.) If we don't at least win some form of the Big Ten (regular season or tournament) OR make the Sweet 16, I'll be surprised and disappointed because I think we have the roster make-up to be a major player in the national landscape.

[Hardwood83 4,934]

10 minutes ago, GnarlyTimGarl said:

I'm usually not what I would consider to be a "sunshine-pumper", but I am very optimistic for the upcoming season. My reasons are as follows...

 

I think that is a reasonable assessment. Injuries are obviously the wild-card, but I'm beginning to think CH will be back sooner than later. If PG play is solid this team is well-rounded and capable of being very good.  

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

17 minutes ago, Hovadipo said:

#12 in USA Today preseason coaches poll. Duke overwhelming #1.


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Christmas morning came early.

[Stuhoo 87,633]

15 minutes ago, OliviaPope40 said:

Christmas morning came early.

 

How so?

Geez, I always have found you an entertaining (and honest) poster, but the inferred theme  lately that you prefer Duke and Allen to anything currently at IU is notable.

And I'm not sure why.

 

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

1 minute ago, Stuhoo said:

 

How so?

Geez, I always have found you an entertaining (and honest) poster, but the inferred theme  lately that you prefer Duke and Allen to anything currently at IU is notable.

And I'm not sure why.

 

There is no theme here and I still like IU and I always have. I'm sorry if I let you down Stu,

[Stuhoo 87,633]

10 minutes ago, OliviaPope40 said:

There is no theme here and I still like IU and I always have. I'm sorry if I let you down Stu,

 

Oh, puhleease. Not trying to get crocodile tears. Just wondering why all the Dukie love above and beyond IU love, right down to your Coach K signature line on each post, on an IU board. 

Don't want to derail the thread any further; probably shouldn't have to begin with. Move this back to IUBB.

 

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

7 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

 

Oh, puhleease. Not trying to get crocodile tears. Just wondering why all the Dukie love above and beyond IU love, on an IU board. 

Don't want to derail the thread any further; probably shouldn't have to begin with. Move this back to IUBB.

 

Okay fine I agree with you. If you to PM me by all means you can.

Edited October 20, 2016 by OliviaPope40

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

http://www.indystar.com/picture-gallery/sports/college/indiana/2016/10/19/iu-basketball-players-meet-media/92430236/

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

Numbers to know

James Blackmon Jr.
6-4, 200 pounds
Junior guard, No. 1
15.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 46.3 percent 3-pt (13 games)

About Blackmon

Everything about Blackmon's offensive profile is exactly what Indiana needs -- it just needs it for an entire season.

The Marion High School alum has been a consistent 3-point threat, and with Yogi Ferrell gone, Blackmon's now the best player on his team at creating his own shot. Even with Indiana's loaded frontcourt, guard play will be crucial for this team, in spacing the floor, involving those big men (particularly Thomas Bryant) and providing balance to IU's offense.

Blackmon, who entered the NBA draft but withdrew to return for his junior season, has the ability to be one of the Big Ten's most efficient and prolific scorers, provided he returns from his ACL tear at full strength.

One burning question

For all of his impressive offensive statistics, Blackmon struggled at the other end of the floor as a sophomore. Fairly or otherwise (mostly otherwise), he became the poster child for the Hoosiers' disastrous defensive start in 2015, and their resurgence was pinned in part on his absence.

It was never that simple -- and Indiana actually began improving defensively before Blackmon's injury -- but there's no doubt he needs to improve at that end of the floor.

Tom Crean's team has the potential to be very good in that area this season, with versatile players like Bryant, OG Anunoby, Juwan Morgan and Freddie McSwain giving them a wide range of match-up options. Can Blackmon improve himself to match that standard?

Final word

This is a big season for James Blackmon, who was solid as a freshman before losing most of his sophomore season to injury. He will be counted on to provide explosiveness offensively, and he will need to set a better example on defense.

There's also a larger issue -- Blackmon is now a junior, and one of IU's most experienced players. He has spoken at length this offseason about being a better, more vocal leader, so the responsibility facing him seems to be one he appreciates.

Now that Ferrell is graduated, Blackmon picks up the standard in the backcourt. Coming off of that ACL tear last December, is he ready?

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/hoosier-insider/2016/10/20/james-blackmon-indiana-hoosiers-tom-crean/92406490/

 

Edited October 20, 2016 by OliviaPope40

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

BLOOMINGTON -- De’Ron Davis has his walkout song chosen, but the 6-10 freshman says he isn’t the biggest dancer.

That could make for an interesting evening, as Indiana kicks off its 2016-17 campaign Saturday with the fun-filled Hoosier Hysteria.

“I got my song,” Davis said. “But I’m not a big media person, or a big dancer for that matter … It’s going to be fun, everyone’s been hyping it up all week.”

Nonetheless, IU’s highest-rated freshman will entertain fans for the first time this weekend. Davis entertained, and dominated the state of Colorado at Overland High School. The state’s all-time blocks leader finished his prep career with back-to-back state titles and over 1,500 points.

After utter domination in a state where basketball does not reign supreme, Davis has joined the elite Hoosiers frontcourt of sophomore center Thomas Bryant and sophomore forward OG Anunoby -- the pair combined for 16.8 points and 8.4 rebounds as freshmen.

Davis said that he faced players such as Bryant on the Adidas circuit with the Colorado Hawks, but not in daily practices or high school games.

“I never went against a highly-talented big man like that every day,” Davis said about Bryant. “In the circuit you do, but not in practice. He pushes me to limits I’ve never been pushed before. Especially coming from Colorado, playing against 6-6 big men.”

Bryant, who decided to delay his NBA career, has already been surprised by Davis’ ability to score near the basket.

“He’s a well-versed player that’s willing to learn,” Bryant said of Davis. “I didn’t know he had that many moves down there, it caught me by surprise one time. He did something like a shimmy-shake up and under, and I was like ‘oh, man!’ It caught me. He scored on that bucket too and I was like ‘I gotta watch out for that.’”

Due to academic concerns, Davis missed a large portion of summer workouts in Bloomington, resulting in an August arrival. Davis admitted there is catching up to do before Indiana’s season opener against Kansas.

“Everything,” Davis said of what he’s had to improve upon. “My whole game. Coach has been breaking me down from the bottom to the top. Mainly conditioning, getting me in shape and building up my motor. I wasn’t here for the first two, three months when everything was really hectic.”

Davis is healthy, despite the mention from Indiana coach Tom Crean  he had been dealing with a sore Achilles. He suffered a sprained wrist during the April live period on the AAU circuit, but that has not “bugged me at all,” says Davis.

Davis’ initial role in Crean’s rotation remains unclear. With the likes of Bryant and Anunoby protecting the rim, Davis will at the very least help in frontcourt depth -- a refreshing strength for the Hoosiers.

“I don’t really know,” Davis said of his role. “We’re all in the same position -- guards play the bigs’ position, the bigs play the guards’ position. Coach has us all interchangeable, so wherever coach wants me, I’m going to do it to my best ability.”

With just a few days to prepare for his inaugural Indiana introduction, Davis has received plenty of advice for his first Hoosier Hysteria -- but not necessarily on any dance moves.

“It’s going to be a packed arena,” Davis said. “Every seat filled. Every day you step on the court, you want to get better, but just have fun. Dunk contest, 3-point contest. It’ll be a good day to play some hoops.”

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2016/10/19/freshman-deron-davis-ready-help-iu-frontcourt/92434270/

[Class of '66 Old Fart 88,804]

Zach Osterman - Indianapolis Star

Player profile: A big year for James Blackmon

Numbers to know

James Blackmon Jr.
6-4, 200 pounds
Junior guard, No. 1
15.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 46.3 percent 3-pt (13 games)

About Blackmon

Everything about Blackmon's offensive profile is exactly what Indiana needs -- it just needs it for an entire season.

The Marion High School alum has been a consistent 3-point threat, and with Yogi Ferrell gone, Blackmon's now the best player on his team at creating his own shot. Even with Indiana's loaded frontcourt, guard play will be crucial for this team, in spacing the floor, involving those big men (particularly Thomas Bryant) and providing balance to IU's offense.

Blackmon, who entered the NBA draft but withdrew to return for his junior season, has the ability to be one of the Big Ten's most efficient and prolific scorers, provided he returns from his ACL tear at full strength.

One burning question

For all of his impressive offensive statistics, Blackmon struggled at the other end of the floor as a sophomore. Fairly or otherwise (mostly otherwise), he became the poster child for the Hoosiers' disastrous defensive start in 2015, and their resurgence was pinned in part on his absence.

It was never that simple -- and Indiana actually began improving defensively before Blackmon's injury -- but there's no doubt he needs to improve at that end of the floor.

Tom Crean's team has the potential to be very good in that area this season, with versatile players like Bryant, OG Anunoby, Juwan Morgan and Freddie McSwain giving them a wide range of match-up options. Can Blackmon improve himself to match that standard?

Final word

This is a big season for James Blackmon, who was solid as a freshman before losing most of his sophomore season to injury. He will be counted on to provide explosiveness offensively, and he will need to set a better example on defense.

There's also a larger issue -- Blackmon is now a junior, and one of IU's most experienced players. He has spoken at length this offseason about being a better, more vocal leader, so the responsibility facing him seems to be one he appreciates.

Now that Ferrell is graduated, Blackmon picks up the standard in the backcourt. Coming off of that ACL tear last December, is he ready?

[OliviaPope40 7,388]

I'm reading that Glass made the decision to remove some of the banners hanging in the hall. Is anybody else reading that? 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 88,804]

Multiple tweets from Mike Miller:

Glass: "When it's all said and done, I think it's preferable this way."

Glass: "I felt it was best to go back to just the single year listings on those two banners that identify the Big Ten champions."

Glass estimates it'd have cost IU $50-100k to add necessary infrastructure to hang two more banners in current spot.

Glass said there have been no specific discussions about hanging the '83, '13 banners elsewhere, but he'd be open to consideration.

Fred Glass says it was his call to remove '83, '13 Big Ten banners. "My strong view is we should recognize all 22 champions in the same way"