HoosierDPU95

Why else bring him? An assistant coach who is familiar with the state (recruiting) and the conference plus a former IU player. Feels like a good assistant hire. Why else did he come? Coach at the school he loves with the potential (didn't even have to be mentioned) of it growing into something more over time. Why the falling out? Only he and Woody know but obviously they didn't mesh.

I'm pretty sure the "Fife was the heir apparent" narrative was only a concocted wish by some fans. Maybe Fife also thought it but obviously Woodson didn't. That scenario only works if Dolson, Woodson, and the next guy are 100% aligned on the plan.

Has anything been said about Ware's health? He came up gimpy on that breakaway late but I haven't heard anything about it.

So we can expect to go 7-1 over our final 8 games (meaning we win the BTT, get slotted into the First 4, and lose in the sweet 16)? 🤔

But Painter was a Purdue guy (former player). Who is the former IU player who is now coaching somewhere that would do that? Lewis?

Here are some thoughts/questions. Feel free to discuss (or not) If Woodson is replaced (fired or retires) then the program (once again) goes into "reset mode". hire Pearl/Wright - this feels like a short-term plan to me given their age and we go into reset mode again 5 years from now? Maybe with the program in a better place? hire May/Shaka Smart - these feels like Miller and Crean again. Maybe one has better sustained success? Will the fans/BOT be patient enough? hire Beard - right now he feels very polarizing like Sampson (yes, for very different reasons) What if, Woodson got someone like Shertz to be his vice-HC (can't think of a better title)? There are plenty of examples of more experience coaches working under younger head coaches as advisors, but does anyone recall an addition like this or a younger coach in this role that wasn't just an assistant that rose through the ranks or a former player or both (like Scheyer and Hubert Davis)? A guy outside the system, brought in to be "the next guy" would bring deep understanding of the college game but can have time to learn/absorb the fishbowl/microscope environment of a major program takes over and we avoid the "reset" when Woodson steps down Is something like this as much of a pipe-dream as landing the "big fish"?

Love it! Agree that there are several other variables at play here. I always chuckle when someone throws out the "basketball is a simple game" quote. Conceptually yes, but the underlying facets are super complex and intertwined. Thanks for taking the time to post.

By making the starters work in practice (which I'm assuming he is 100% effort there as well and not to mention a load to deal with), credit is also due to Sparks for us having such a great front-court.

you would need to subtract the number of 2 pointers we typically would make but not take by taking 5-6 more 3's. Don't know what that would be but I'm pretty sure the "15-18 points" goes way down given how efficient IU is in the paint.

Holtmann's post game presser. Yikes! https://youtu.be/oE0OwG3sf6A?feature=shared

Remember me?

Woodson was "too old" (63) when he took the job and it has been framed as "a retirement gig" for him. So we go after a guy over 60 that is actually retired?

Beard hired by the University that fired Kelvin Sampson? I wouldn't classify that as a no-brainer https://thedmonline.com/chris-beard-ole-miss-and-questionable-ethics/

I'm not saying that X is All-BigTen. Saying "we have enough talent to ..." when our best on-the-ball defender is wildly inconsistent, mediocre at best and has missed a significant amount of games to boot just doesn't jive for me.

Defending the ball at the point of attach is the key to every defensive scheme. The drop-off here when X is out is huge. Everything else breaks down from there. While hands down he is our best player, I would argue that from a defensive standpoint, we are worse off with X out than with Ware.

I keep reading "we have way too much talent..." and also "we have the worst backcourt in the Big Ten". So it's one or the other.

The college field requirements are almost identical to the pros. My confusion has always been around why nothing else really changes with the court between HS, college and the NBA (maybe the width of the paint does too?). Why isn't the free throw line closer for example?

Hope "the little guard" drops 30 on the Badgers

I've always found it odd that it changes at each level. Can you imagine if HS football only had to go 7 yards for a first down, college 8.5, and the NFL had to go 10?

Wisconsin annoys me. I detest Rutgers almost as much as Purdue, "The Barn" is a terrible arena. Juan Howard is a joke. discuss... that better? @DWB

Also..Rutgers went 1-17 from 3 and missed 11 free throws.

I thought Mellencamp was the mascot?

I was with you until the laundry thing. That just went too far

Which is why I feel like the answer here is for Woodson to hire an assistant head coach (from the college ranks) who would/could eventually take over. No, Fife was not that guy. He may have thought he was but clearly Woody wasn't aligned with that plan.

Who knows what was said to them but you have to think that guards looking at our roster (from a distance) and seeing two senior guards slotted in the starting lineup probably questioned how much they would start/play.