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Expectations


IUJoe

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3 hours ago, NCHoosier32 said:

i know experts aren't always right, but our fan base definitely thought we'd be better than the analysts did.  i just hoped we'd finish higher in the B1G, be in the top 25 and me the tourney.  

My expectation was to make the tourney.  We had a team that was kind of cobbled together but we have a pre-season AA candidate at center, one of the better PF's in the conference, a pretty decently experienced backcourt, highly rated Tamar Bates, well thought of Trey Galloway (also a pretty well rated player), a solid transfer who put up points for Northwestern so had experience in this league...and judging by today, we appear to be underperforming.

Is that the end of the world?  No.  Does Woodson have his team in place?  No.  Would missing the tournament this year make his life difficult as a coach?  Possibly.

I think what people get worked up over is that Indiana never seems to have its crap together.  Yeah, Wisconsin probably had the most dynamic player on the floor the other night in Davis but it wasn't like they were an uber talented team.  They are just well coached and do what they have to do.  Not gonna lie, the 5 player suspension really soured me on the year.  I know that people say that it is nuts to believe that the fans care more than the players but....and I think that has been an issue for quite a few fans for awhile now, particularly the older ones.  Seems like the players care more about the trappings of being an IU player than they do the work required.  And it is not all of them but I don't think it is a coincidence that the last time I heard about having a team of gym rats was also the last time we were a really good team.

I don't know, like much with this program, the players seem to be enjoying the benefits of a history they did not build and not enough urgency (collectively) to be a part of building on it.  And before somebody jumps and says they are hard workers or such and such a player is this or that, sure, there are some of those guys in the program, but they aren't leaders and there is not enough of them to make a difference on the team at the moment.

If we miss the tournament, Bates is the only guy out of that 5 who I would probably be open to returning, dumb freshmen do dumb freshmen things.  Durr and Stewart would be bye-bye and Lander and XJ would have to convince me why I shouldn't move on.

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5 hours ago, NCHoosier32 said:

i know experts aren't always right, but our fan base definitely thought we'd be better than the analysts did.  i just hoped we'd finish higher in the B1G, be in the top 25 and me the tourney.  

This happens about every year. The analysts look at us and see a middle of the road Big Ten team. Our fans get outraged and confused, thinking we have enough talent to win the conference or be in the mix. We finish 8th-10th just like the analysts said we would. The fanbase is still outraged confused. Rinse and repeat.

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Honestly, I had zero expectations this year. I was pleased when we hired Woodson, but didn’t really see a significant upgrade in talent, so I was just hopeful with the return of TJD and a new coaching staff, we might win enough games to make the NCAA tournament and bring a little excitement back to the program. That may still happen, but it looks less likely with each game. The suspensions/loss at Northwestern hurt more than most think, but I give CMW credit for doing what he thought was right for the good of the program.

Going forward it’s all about recruiting….we need talented players that can shoot and create on their own when necessary, and not shy way from the big moments. Easier said than done in today’s environment, but it all starts with  coaching and team success. Most of today’s players are focused on 2 things -  playing in the Tournament and making it to the NBA. I’m confident we have the coaching/leadership to do both.

 

Edited by Hoosier4Life53
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