ba43056

I'm at work for another two hours. First, I lost some money today. Who do we have next, when and what time?

Hold up for a second. XJ came in as a "hot and cold potentially combustive player with tremendous potential and great numbers at Pitt. At Pitt. He's had some games that were very tough to watch this year but has done something that the two other perimeter transfers haven't. He's gotten better. He's figured out how to be an impact in the Big Ten from the PG position. At this moment and over the last month he's been the best player at his position in the conference. If Bates develops and Galloway does his thing for an entire season with Race as our interior star XJ will have tremendous assist numbers and we'll be better next year.

Johnson has started to figure it out over the last month. I'm looking forward to seeing him start the season next year at this level.

We'll go as far as Xavier Johnson can carry us. I'm so happy to see him start putting it together. If we had a couple of more athletes around the basket for him to play pick and roll with...but if my uncle had....he'd be my aunt.

What is the single game assist record at IU?

Its not completely out of the question. XJ has been by far our best player and perhaps the best PG in the conference for the last month of the season.

One of my favorite players of all time. Him and Randy.

I think that was his whole name. You're talking about the piano player on the Muppet Show right?

We need this one and an appearance in the Conference Championship game to get in. JMO Honestly though, has anyone every coached and played for an NIT champion? I like our odds in that caliber of competition.

As do I. I think that returning group there with some portal help in the paint will be better than this years group. I believe Race can be a league MVP candidate. We do need to get a starter at the 5 with length and the ability to control the paint defensively in the portal. Not an easy task. Race and Jordan in the paint will be fine offensively but we need a "better than Durr" acquisition in the off season.

When I watch any video on him I hope that he plays major minutes for another Big Ten team.

I think it will come down to which XJ we have. I thought he took about 3 too many shots this game but 20+ points 5+ rebounds and assists with zero turnovers AND impressive defense,,,,not much more you can ask from your PG. However the Rutgers guards are physical and that could mean foul trouble for him.

In my inner circle I started taking bets 3 games ago that we'd win3 more game. The last game and this one and our opener in the NIT. Something that has stood out to me over the course of the year is that we play some of our best ball with TJD on the bench. It gives me a lot of hope for next year. Race will be a Big Ten MVP contender, Johnson will be more consistent and Geronimo will be a great sidekick roll player. Bates will finally show up and we'll have Galloway. The additions will be the difference in a similar record and a record that should've and could've been this year.

Kwame Evans Jr. would definitely cut the corner back to recruiting legitimacy again. It appears that Wisconsin and Iowa have the market cornered in the Kirk Haston category of bigs out there. Missing on this kid and Owen Freeman has sucked. There will be moments over the next 3-4 years both of these kids, baring injury we'll break it off in our a55.

The Illinois game was way more impactful than I thought. I knew it was the difference between being in second place in the conference behind a group of 3 tied for 1st. I think we would've been a game back from that group going into Northwestern. Meaning, very much in the hunt. I wonder if that played into the spiral. I believe that XJ and Race will be back next year. With Bates, Geronimo and Galloway and more importantly CMW with the year of adjustment under his belt, we'll make tourney. We have 1 frosh next year that will impact the team immediately and I believe Banks will have his moments. A "better than Durr" portal acquisition that can be imposing in the paint is a must. With that being said, our next game will be our last win IMO until the opening round of the NIT. I think winning the NIT would be a pretty good. I'm not sure if anyone has ever played one and coached the same team to an NIT crown.

2 wins followed by 3 losses and the NIT.

Got me

Lander Bates Schifino

Buckner would've been a great successor to RMK. Wittman never being a serious candidate was always surprising. I've appreciated CMW's ability to get the team to play defense and in the first year I'm not sure you can expect a lot of continuity offensively so I'm not ready to burn the place down just yet. Lets see what year 2 looks like. We'll have 3 McDonalds All-American Guards on the roster next year.

Kwame Evans would change everything.

I think a 20 point loss is close. I had originally had us as a 22 regular season win team. I didn't think we would do the February fold again.

You unfortunately are 100% correct.

I'm not sure I get it with Kopp. I consider myself above average knowledgeable in terms of the game of basketball. I've had to opportunity to break down my share of video for a well respected coach and the best I can come up with; he has a reasonably high basketball IQ, and seems to be in the right position on both sides of the ball. There's absolutely no position on the court that he can guard and on almost every night since Syracuse his opposite number has out-performed him on paper. Someone said that Galloway has had one good game......smh. He's had one bad one. For CMW to be critical of one game after the kid played out of position at NW and played his ass his off, I found that to be a bit much. I predicted 22 wins at the beginning of the season and mentioned that the one thing I felt CMW would have the others didn't; I said he wouldn't lose the locker room. 18 wins and the NIT gang.

Anyone have the Oulu channel?