IUDan93

Some how we have to figure out how to take this show on the road.

Galloway is the man. 

No basket

This has been a crucial 3 minutes. We could have lost touch with them and spent the game trying to claw ourselves out of that hole. Pulling back to even is more than huge.

So glad to see Trey.

Bates needs to start showing what he can do.

Stewart with a "headshot".

Might be time to let the deep bench play.

Just got home from my kid's Christmas band concert. The first play I saw was TJD's "Move". Holy Moses.  Also, Brian Butch really sounds sweet on IU and Trayce.

I like Xavier as our PG. He is not afraid, which, IMO is quality number one I would want in a player, especially at PG. Liking him, or any player for that matter, does not equate to thinking he is flawless. 

So, this just shows that we are better that UK.

We gotta make FTs, which is all about concentration.

Just now, BGleas said:

XJ is the one guy on this team with some cajones. 

Major cajones....which at times means bad things, but we need the tough mentality.

Yes Leal!!!

X comes back in and we grow the lead to five.

This is where we take control back.

Was the lead built with X in the game?

X doesn't lack confidence and he doesn't shrink from playing hard. Yes, he does make questionable decisions and should find other shooters, but we need him to grow and improve. No player improves when they shrink from the game.

Just now, Reacher said:

How come we can't get Stewart taking all these open threes?

ND wouldn't leave Stewart open. I am not down on X like many on here, but they are challenging him to beat them with the three. It is a good strategy.

Nice shot X....at least the results.

We could be 10-0 without having to create crazy "if only" scenarios of how we win at both Syracuse and Wisconsin.  Yes, we could also be 7-3 because we only beat St. Johns by two points.  The results, in terms of record, may not be much different than we saw under CAM, but it seems very, very clear to me that the culture around the program is different.  Of course we want the wins, but there shouldn't be any argument that we are in a much better position to see improved on-court results. 

With all this being said, next year we will likely have two huge holes to fill in TJD and Race. Experience, leadership, and production will be hard to replace. I wonder if this year will provide us the best opportunity for success for a couple of years. Time will tell.

XJ is this team's version of Devonte Green. When he is good, we are dangerous, but.......

Galloway's injury has given Leal the floor time that shows that he can play very valuable minutes. 

I think this team has picked up a lot of what CMW has been trying to implement, but seem to revert to bad habits when they lose focus. It's like they think that playing the way CMW teaches is already muscle memory....it clearly isn't yet. We have seen some of the best basketball at IU in years, a product of focus and coaching. In turn, we have seen them play like absolute garbage also. As the year unfolds we will really see if Coach is the real deal.  I tend to think we will do the unthinkable, and that is we will make steady progress all year.  

Well, the team in the 2nd half certainly passed the "needle in the eye test".  It is just one loss, but until we start winning games like Syracuse and tonight we are still a bubble program.