Fundamentals

Heck of a win, let’s roll Sunday, and keep it going! Go Hoosiers!

JHS will start from day 1. He may even be better today than any guard on our roster. He is 6’5 and crafty with the ball.

X, Parker, Rob, Tamar, Leal: 7-25 shooting. Friends: the names have changed since last season, but 58 points, terrible shooting, road woes, scoring droughts, getting torched from 3, and just flat-out underachieving? Groundhog Day.

This is exactly the type of loss that has us watching selection Sunday and lamenting the “what ifs.” Yes, it is only one game for those who crave voice of reason, but it’s really not. It is a bad loss to a team, who, before last night had zero wins over the top 100. It is a team with a first time D1 coach, who took a remade roster and won against an overwhelmingly more talented team. Further, IU has nothing of resume importance accomplished yet, will struggle to win on the road, and the recipe is present for us to miss the dance again. Yes, last night was one game, but it’s impact on NCAA resume was significant.

Ohio State won @ Penn State by 12. Probably a reasonable barometer for us, so maybe a 7-10 pt win?

Sounds like a game Jordan Geronimo could make in impact with their smaller front line.

Greg Graham is the same player I had in mind. Very good comparison. Size, frame, game. Should be a load to handle by junior/senior season at IU.

Also, I will take my lumps with X this season. Guard play has already been identified as the greatest need by our coaching staff on the recruiting trail: 2022: Jalen Hood-Schifino 2023: Jakai Newton, Gabe Cupps

Absolutely. Coming off finals week, and playing a sluggish first half, I thought IU showed some grit to find a win on a day they were not at their best.

Most-level headed post after Wisconsin loss. Spot on.

Not elite athletically? Disagree.

Painful loss. But, seeking to identify the good. Baby steps 1. IU played the best basketball I’ve seen for years, in the first half 2. Mike Woodson, although not his best in the second half, walked down the bench giving X an earful as he was subbed out, TWICE. Thus, I didn’t think Woodson was aloof to his struggles, but gambled he was best chance to lead us to a win 3. HSN family: I am as restless as the rest of you, but do believe a full season of Woodson’s leadership will have us improving as the year goes on, but EVENTUALLY to walk out of the basketball purgatory to which we now have a membership card, WE NEED TO BEGIN WINNING games such as we’ve lost this season.

And while on topic, anyone else feel like they have a dartboard of Coach Knight or voodoo doll B1G officials play with before games. There was a time where we would get a fair to more than fair shake. No longer. Props to Coach Woodson, who leaves the refs alone. Should help down the road.

Yep. Further, officials are getting savvy about keeping fouls (total fouls per team) at least in the neighborhood of fair. The one workaround is not calling fouls on the home team being physical and keeping the road team from breathing on the opponent. So at the end, fouls look close, but physical contact is WAY different. This tends to be the B1G method, in particular, at Wisconsin and Mackey.

IU has to be patient. Watched VCU play Syracuse this past week in the Battle 4 Atlantis. VCU was patient, worked the middle of the zone, found creases and took quality shots. Add to that timely and quality shots from 3, and I think IU will be fine. Guard their shooters tightly. Overall length and athleticism is not close to what is the norm for Syracuse. Defend, rebound, patient on offense = WIN.

Couple of observed moments from last night I enjoyed. IU was down, 1st half, but beginning to show signs of responding to Marshall’s impressive 12-point lead when Durr was called on a moving screen (on 3 drained by X). Woodson leaned into the ref that called the foul, which seemed a bad call. Good to see. Woodson has not bitched about officiating this year much, but that was good to see. 2nd moment: latter portion of 2nd half Woody called a timeout and torched X the entire timeout. X came out of the timeout, did not pout and finished the game with strong leadership of the team from pg spot. Little building blocks that make us better.

It is also the reason we need to “beat someone” to move up. Still seen as last year’s team by statistical analysis until schedule gets tougher.

Statistics-based rankings become valuable after conference play has been underway for a few weeks, until then it draws on previous season and what little can be learned in the new, current season. Any ranking that shows Iowa ranked is validation of this. They will be in the lowest third of conference standings at year’s end, but still seen at the moment as top-20ish in most polls. Iowa will struggle to finish above .500 overall by year’s end.

Another consideration is Lander has, for the most part, been playing with the second unit. Would be interested to watch Lander play with the first unit, while X is out of the game.

Excellent post. Rob seems to be a high quality person, but Lander, averaging just 12 minutes to Rob’s 20 per game, leads in every statistical category over Rob, and your point about what is known and building for the future is exact. Regarding the defense, play Lander and let him learn/be coached through his learning process.

Would be a good game for Miller Kopp to get going from 3. He has been quiet through first 2 games.

Perspective. Since Mike Woodson was hired: 1. Reclaimed 5 players from the portal, including pre-season All-American, TJD. 2. Retained Kenya Hunter 3. Added former Hoosier and elite assistant Dane Fife 4. Hired Yasir Rosemond, who has already brought in 2 ATL-area recruits 5. Retained commitments from Logan Duncomb and CJ Gunn 6. Has rebuilt numerous bridges with former Hoosiers 7. Swiped Tamar Bates from Texas upon departure of Shaka Smart 8. Landed Kaleb Banks 9. Landed Jalen Hood-Schifino 10. Landed Jakai Newton 11. Portal add: Xavier Johnson 12. Portal add: Michael Durr 13. Portal add: Miller Kopp All this in just one off-season. Noah Clowney would have been nice to have, but we are rolling…and the season is a week away. LFG.

Hate to lose out on Clowney, but love my reliable sources: Road to Zion Billingsley

True, and Purdue will need the portal in the spring. They have some guys, but will head into next season with very little experience with the following almost certainly or def gone: Williams Stefanovic Ivey Edey Hunter

I’m with IndyKev on this one. Looking like he may go elsewhere, but with the portal and incoming class, IU will be just fine. Would love to have him, but guessing Bama or Tech will get him.