MoyeCowbell

Just saw this. He's one of those 'love him when he's on your team, hate him when he's not' types. Absolutely annoying when we played Arizona, but objectively speaking, worth taking a look at.

If there's an opening, we should look at Dane Fife. Former player with obvious IU ties. Coached in the B1G. Wife from Indiana. Worth calling and kicking the tires to see if there is interest?

I'm not sure what a fair timeline is, but in the last 25 years, here's who I remember pulling from Northern Indiana off the top of my head - Derek Elston, Damezi Anderson, James Blackmon Jr., James Hardy, Rob Phinisee, Trey Galloway, Austin Etherington, Hanner Perea. And there were quite a few players who we recruited that we simply didn't get. Given that, I do feel IU has given a look at the area and acted when appropriate. There will always be misses and head-scratching oversights. My original point was that a staff can't be everywhere at once, and given the concentration of talent in some of the bigger markets, it's a better use of resources to focus attention and energy there. To be fair to both of our arguments, different staffs have different philosophies and connections, so it's not fair to condemn one over the sins of another. Also, me throwing out a collection of basketball hotbeds doesn't equate to what the current staff is keying on, as their parameters might be completely different.

"I run a clean program!!..." "...now that restaurant booth over there might need wiped down with Lysol and bleach. No black lights please."

If we're being fair here, it's important to acknowledge a couple of things. One, Gunn and Essegian are different players servicing different roles for their respective teams. Two, Gunn was not coming in with a realistic expectation to unseat an incumbent starter in XJ, and was not projected higher than JHS. I did not follow Essegian's recruitment, but I'm not sure if he came to IU his role, minutes and production would've been the exact same. And that's because Three, Wisconsin was an inferior team to IU this season. Our overall talent level and play was better. Essegian stood out on his squad because they weren't as talented as before. I knew someone would cherry pick one of the cities I listed and try and make a counterpoint. If you don't feel Chicago is good enough, ok. I disagree and still feel a big metropolitan city (the third largest in the country just under 4 hours away from Bloomington by car) is a better focal point for recruiting basketball talent than Northern Indiana.

Rick said: PT? No!

There's no doubt that good talent can be found up in the northern part of the state. Playing Devil's Advocate here, given the more 'national' recruiting scope that IU has/commands, I think there are better areas to "prioritize". Should the program ignore the area? Absolutely not. But given the time and resources, there are areas (Indy, Chicago, DMV, Atlanta, NYC) that have historically produced more & higher quality players that are a better play for the staff.

I know that recruiting isn't an exact science (far from it) but it's absolutely amazing to me when I read/hear that coaches relax on a player, assuming that they have it in the bag. Just like in the game, play until the clock strikes double zero. At the very least, if you think you have said player, give them the respect and encouragement to see it all the way through. It's like running a race and celebrating with 10 meters to go... and getting passed at the finish line. Stupid.

Certainly worth noting TJD's improved ball-handling under this current staff. Not always fair to compare skillsets, but that is an aspect that MR could be tasked with improving. Should he do that, he'll expand his range and versatility. And to be fair to all the bigs on the roster, Banks, Duncomb and Geronimo should be challenged with improving their handles as well. I don't think anyone is content with being one-dimensional.

I don't condone cheating and truthfully don't feel we need to stoop to that level to get where we ultimately want to be. But we can't be nice guys, hoping to get picked. If so, we'll be waiting a long, long time. We have to be proactive, aggressive, and confident with the product we have and what we offer, with the audacity to think we're at the top of the heap and staying here indefinitely. It's not about being an asshole program, but simply demanding excellence from the inside-out, and positioning ourselves to be in the running for the best, because that's ultimately where we see ourselves.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Tamar. I don't know how many coaches/programs would be frothing over him based on his low/inconsistent offensive output. That said, Woodson believed in him enough (at least defensively) to play meaningful minutes in the tournament. I think he could do himself wonders by taking a break, being the best dad he can for a while, then start to play as much as possible this summer. Start asserting himself in open gyms and play like he's a main option. This might not equate to the same role in the fall, but he can start working on his confidence through repetition. Not sure if he goes somewhere else, he'll be given 'the keys.' Might as well build off what he's done here. I'm pulling for him.

UGH. Heartbreaker. Snakebitten. And to the same school, twice... cruel.

How do you swallow the whistle there?!?!!??!?!?!?!

I don't think we need to go full Penn State/Miami in our makeup. Yes, we do need to upgrade our overall athleticism, but CMW had our bigs playing with pace. We just didn't have the perimeter balance to offset what TJD et al were doing down low. Given the makeup of this team, we HAD to go through TJD, and it was extremely effective. With the right personnel around Reneau/[insert big] we can be quite dynamic with how we attack, which is ultimately what the best teams are capable of doing. There were times when going big was absolutely to our advantage. Unfortunately, we weren't really able to do the opposite.

It might not be much, or maybe it is, but the rhythm and flow of a game that is allowed to go without stoppages affects endurance and fitness. Athletes that can run unimpeded are allowed to do so to extreme benefit. The plodding of the B1G with the constant fouls/stoppages allows for mini-breathers, which can equalize the endurance of players, but will expose those who aren't able to 'run' for extended periods of time -- time when 8-0 runs can occur and change the game.

I’ve watched in awe all the amazing things he’s done and I still don’t think it’s hit me just how special of a player he is. His dominance made the extraordinary look routine. I feel his personal IU legacy will age like a fine wine, and I’ll appreciate him more and more as time passes. He deserves all the flowers.

Agree. What does he say to Bates? He obviously was willing to play him meaningful minutes, but was rewarded with absolutely nothing on the offensive end. Is there grace and compassion, or does the harsh reality of results rear it’s head?

@IU Scott Just answered this, but yes, a lot of the players that want to get out and run are opting to play elsewhere. I will say that CMW is vastly upgrading our talent from the past MAC-level regime, and I believe it will only get exponentially better.

He and Trayce both have a wonderful ability to control their emotions on the court. They don’t seem to get rattled. That said, it would’ve been nice to see at least Trayce get on his team… I have a feeling it would’ve woken them up a bit.

Let the teams run and play fast. Stop the nickel and dime, ticky tack BS. Simple as that.

XJ is quick and has the ability to initiate the offense, but he’s not going to be the savior that everyone is lauding him to be. I’m absolutely not a hater, and think he can have a positive impact, but we’ve been retroactively placing a tone of production at his feet when we can only (at best) speculate how it would actually play out. We will need more athleticism across the board. Galloway should be our floor, and that’s a compliment to him.

Having a Troy Williams or VO would be amazing… When Galloway had his steak/breakaway, I was thrown off, as it’s been such a long time since we’ve had someone who consistently makes those types of plays.

Galloway maybe? Minus his missed FTs, he seemed the most engaged. Everyone else seemed too cool with everything. For all of the praise I believe TJD deserves, I would’ve LOVED to see him get in some of his teammates faces with a little fire and intensity.

Time is a flat circle.