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Can you imagine being a 5*, out of state recruit on a visit to Indiana and you and your parents are sitting in an office reviewing film and talking about your future with Mike Woodson, Thad Matta and Armond Hill? 

I don't mean to not include in-state players, but those guys already have a tie to IU and being interested, this is the first time since probably Bob Knight that IU will have a draw to out of state 5* guys beyond just tradition, fanbase or some direct link an assistant had to the player. 

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50 minutes ago, BGleas said:

I massively endorse this hire! Armond Hill was an assistant on Doc Rivers staff with the Celtics when I worked there. Just a tremendous person and a great coach, especially in the area of working with players individually and guiding/mentoring. Love this hire. 

I'll repeat again, I was extremely discouraged by the Mike Woodson hire and was very vocally against it. But after cooling off and digesting it for a few days after the announcement, I came back to the board and said that what Scott Dolson was doing seemed far more strategic in terms of building a pro-style program that the top players want to be apart of, as opposed to just lazily "hiring an IU guy". 

What Dolson has done here, and in turn what Mike Woodson is executing is a clear and direct plan for putting IU back on top in college basketball. How can players not be sold on joining a program being led by Mike Woodson, Thad Matta, Armond Hill and Dane Fife, and that's before even getting to the other two assistants who by all accounts are great recruiters, etc.  

Just doing some initial research and he sounds like a guy that you know who he is if involved in NBA game. Love the Ivy League/Psychology Degree too. Every angle on this staff is covered. I can't believe what we have put together with Dolson/Woodson's vision/leadership! 

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19 minutes ago, Seeking6 said:

Just doing some initial research and he sounds like a guy that you know who he is if involved in NBA game. Love the Ivy League/Psychology Degree too. Every angle on this staff is covered. I can't believe what we have put together with Dolson/Woodson's vision/leadership! 

I think this tweet speaks volumes about him as well. With all of the heavy hitters that were in the bubble last year, Armond Hill was one of the people that spoke to all of the players in the bubble when they were contemplating leaving and not playing anymore. 

Hill might not be someone the casual NBA fan knows, but players, coaches and people around the league respect the heck out of him. Hill will play very well with parents when recruits are on visits and will be a great sounding board and mentor for the players on the team. 

 

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1 hour ago, BGleas said:

I'll repeat again, I was extremely discouraged by the Mike Woodson hire and was very vocally against it. But after cooling off and digesting it for a few days after the announcement, I came back to the board and said that what Scott Dolson was doing seemed far more strategic in terms of building a pro-style program that the top players want to be apart of, as opposed to just lazily "hiring an IU guy". 

I was very disappointed in the Coach Woodson hire initially and was pretty vocal about it also. So far this off-season it's looking like I might have been wrong, he has hit it out of the park up to this point. Hopefully that continues once the Hoosiers start playing actual games.

Everything he has done so far is something kids should like if they have NBA or pro-ball aspirations.

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10 minutes ago, BGleas said:

I think this tweet speaks volumes about him as well. With all of the heavy hitters that were in the bubble last year, Armond Hill was one of the people that spoke to all of the players in the bubble when they were contemplating leaving and not playing anymore. 

Hill might not be someone the casual NBA fan knows, but players, coaches and people around the league respect the heck out of him. Hill will play very well with parents when recruits are on visits and will be a great sounding board and mentor for the players on the team. 

 

Awesome stuff. Keep it coming! I'll echo what you said earlier. Try being a top 25 recruit and not be impressed with what IU is bringing into a living room. Fans and facilities is gravy. Trying to temper what I see happening in a couple years but sure is exciting to see a plan being put in place. 

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1 hour ago, BGleas said:

I massively endorse this hire! Armond Hill was an assistant on Doc Rivers staff with the Celtics when I worked there. Just a tremendous person and a great coach, especially in the area of working with players individually and guiding/mentoring. Love this hire. 

I'll repeat again, I was extremely discouraged by the Mike Woodson hire and was very vocally against it. But after cooling off and digesting it for a few days after the announcement, I came back to the board and said that what Scott Dolson was doing seemed far more strategic in terms of building a pro-style program that the top players want to be apart of, as opposed to just lazily "hiring an IU guy". 

What Dolson has done here, and in turn what Mike Woodson is executing is a clear and direct plan for putting IU back on top in college basketball. How can players not be sold on joining a program being led by Mike Woodson, Thad Matta, Armond Hill and Dane Fife, and that's before even getting to the other two assistants who by all accounts are great recruiters, etc.  

Don't forget a out Isaac Green. We just have an unbelievable staff. 

Combine that with a seemingly much improved roster and we should be ready to compete starting Day 1. 

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1 hour ago, BGleas said:

I massively endorse this hire! Armond Hill was an assistant on Doc Rivers staff with the Celtics when I worked there. Just a tremendous person and a great coach, especially in the area of working with players individually and guiding/mentoring. Love this hire. 

Should we now consider you to be an insider? 

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I just can’t give Dolson enough credit.  I’m not trying to get the cart before the horse, but man, what a great hire that few saw coming.  High level ball is all about the NBA.  And Woodson is leaving no stone unturned.  I am loving the next 10 years.  Finally, the admin just may be smarter than the boards!  

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I was not thrilled about Woodson for about 30 seconds, then started reading and hearing more and I thought, yeah, kids are going to eat this guy up.  Plus the rolodex has gotten some use.  The staff that has assembled is insane.  Dane Fife is literally the 3rd or 4th most experienced, known, and maybe valuable asset.  The package of staff.  Has anything like this been done on this scale in college before? 

Haven't even mentioned that Coach Woodson says he talks to Larry Brown almost everyday.  

Edited by NotIThatLives
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27 minutes ago, NotIThatLives said:

I was not thrilled about Woodson for about 30 seconds, then started reading and hearing more and I thought, yeah, kids are going to eat this guy up.  Plus the rolodex has gotten some use.  The staff that has assembled is insane.  Dane Fife is literally the 3rd or 4th most experienced, known, and maybe valuable asset.  The package of staff.  Has anything like this been done on this scale in college before? 

Haven't even mentioned that Coach Woodson says he talks to Larry Brown almost everyday.  

No question. You’re classy not to brag but you were one of the first ones on board with Woody (even before the hire, if I recall correctly?).

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5 hours ago, BGleas said:

I massively endorse this hire! Armond Hill was an assistant on Doc Rivers staff with the Celtics when I worked there. Just a tremendous person and a great coach, especially in the area of working with players individually and guiding/mentoring. Love this hire. 

I'll repeat again, I was extremely discouraged by the Mike Woodson hire and was very vocally against it. But after cooling off and digesting it for a few days after the announcement, I came back to the board and said that what Scott Dolson was doing seemed far more strategic in terms of building a pro-style program that the top players want to be apart of, as opposed to just lazily "hiring an IU guy". 

What Dolson has done here, and in turn what Mike Woodson is executing is a clear and direct plan for putting IU back on top in college basketball. How can players not be sold on joining a program being led by Mike Woodson, Thad Matta, Armond Hill and Dane Fife, and that's before even getting to the other two assistants who by all accounts are great recruiters, etc.  

Great post.  Very informative (I frankly hasn’t heard of him until five minutes ago but his resume speaks loudly).  Also, I appreciate your honesty and candor regarding your feelings.  No revisionism.  That  is partly why you’re so credible.  

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36 minutes ago, NotIThatLives said:

I was not thrilled about Woodson for about 30 seconds, then started reading and hearing more and I thought, yeah, kids are going to eat this guy up.  Plus the rolodex has gotten some use.  The staff that has assembled is insane.  Dane Fife is literally the 3rd or 4th most experienced, known, and maybe valuable asset.  The package of staff.  Has anything like this been done on this scale in college before? 

Haven't even mentioned that Coach Woodson says he talks to Larry Brown almost everyday.  

I'm really trying to take my IU blinders off but top to bottom?? Not many staffs have this many angles in college hoops covered in the climate we live in now. Exciting times for sure. Hope it plays on the court as well as I'm envisioning in a couple of years.

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What I love most about all of this is, they are spending $$$ on coaches. These are guys who are very well connected and respected. To be honest, this situation is as good as hiring Stevens. I too and most people I knew, were not high on hiring Woodson. We were all wrong. What I wanted IU to do was build a foundation for long term success. With who they have brought in, any hand off from Woodson (hopefully after success) to his successor (Fife?) will have been working with experienced guys (Woodson, Matta, Hill, Hunter) and younger "up and comers" and everything in between (Larry Brown, CBK, Isiah, etc.). This is a very, very impressive staff. Compare this to Archie's staff and it's night and day. Any disappointment on my end was erased when they got Matta and Fife, the rest of this is over-the-top. Nothing is certain, but outside of them getting caught cheating, I don't see how this can fail. 

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4 hours ago, BGleas said:

I think this tweet speaks volumes about him as well. With all of the heavy hitters that were in the bubble last year, Armond Hill was one of the people that spoke to all of the players in the bubble when they were contemplating leaving and not playing anymore. 

Hill might not be someone the casual NBA fan knows, but players, coaches and people around the league respect the heck out of him. Hill will play very well with parents when recruits are on visits and will be a great sounding board and mentor for the players on the team. 

 

Great find.

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33 minutes ago, BobSaccamanno said:

 No revisionism.  That  is partly why you’re so credible.  

He is not credible. He is in-credible!

(See what I did there? I took the word "credible", that @BobSaccamanno correctly used,  added two letters and changed the meaning to illustrate how awesome and handsome @BGleas  is.  Just explaining my geniusosity to the common folk that may have missed it).

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40 minutes ago, bluegrassIU said:

He is not credible. He is in-credible!

(See what I did there? I took the word "credible", that @BobSaccamanno correctly used,  added two letters and changed the meaning to illustrate how awesome and handsome @BGleas  is.  Just explaining my geniusosity to the common folk that may have missed it).

ANd don't cha know what Starts with IN ??

 

IN(diana) Mike Effin Woodson we trust! That's what.. :) 

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56 minutes ago, bluegrassIU said:

He is not credible. He is in-credible!

(See what I did there? I took the word "credible", that @BobSaccamanno correctly used,  added two letters and changed the meaning to illustrate how awesome and handsome @BGleas  is.  Just explaining my geniusosity to the common folk that may have missed it).

Based on this post... I can see why we have so many retired mods. @bluegrassIU scares them all away. 

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21 minutes ago, Inequality said:

Before y’all go “all in” with your chips, you might want to see the team win some real games and not lose at home to in-state rivals.

Thad Matta is still the key ingredient in my opinion.

No question, at least on the winning part.  And the upcoming recruiting classes for 2022 and 2023 are huge.  Let’s see what we end up with.  Lot of good buzz, though.  With what he’s already landed and who’s giving us a long look, we very well could be returning to our classic Indiana recruiting level, which we haven’t seen consistently since the 1990s. Woody gets it and knows how to sell IU.  Matta was a big hire in terms of the lay of the land but this is Woody’s program and he’s the draw.  IMO.  I’m sure we will have naysayers poo pooing everything (we always do, and what would sports be without that) but to date Woody has done all the right things.  

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