MoyeCowbell

It's like any new product in a legacy market. Take automobiles for an example... Why did Tesla get made? Rivian, Lucid, Fisker, Polestar etc.? They are brands (teams) built by people (coaches) who have the audacity to think they can change the market. They have the ego and determination to change the landscape, legacy brands/teams be damned.

Really good point. When you're offense is constantly going 3 and Out, you're taxing your D. Fatigue can lead to bad tackling, poor concentration and situational awareness, etc. Certainly a great 'What if?'

It's worth noting how in-depth Osterman's list is written. This isn't something whipped up last minute. And while a lot of journalists have stories in their queue for any/many potentialities, he is particularly clued in and connected to the program, so this list has been on-deck for a bit. He just tweeted that he believes the search will move quickly -- the amount of information being shared publicly is being couched a certain way that posits a "national search", but I believe the program has already zeroed in on a few specific names.

I'll add: of course there will be some loyalists that follow CTA out the door. And some of those names will sting really badly. But the overall cupboard isn't bare. We might not have the talent and depth to play with Michigan and OSU for 60 minutes, but we did/do have the talent to beat Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State -- it's not far fetched that some of those losses are more on the coaches and their play calling and schemes than the players. (Although, we beat Purdue if we could TACKLE, ffs -- but that's for another thread, lol). I don't think we're THAT far from being mid pack, and then we can start to climb a bit with competency and a mindset that is more aggressive. More 'win' and less 'not lose'.

Since this thread is specifically about CTA and his firing, I just want to state how incredible I felt watching the '20 season. Some want to give more credit to DeBoer and Wommack, but it was still being driven by Coach Allen. It was just a fun team with some serious dudes creating havoc and making plays. I know I'm not the only one that got excited. I know I'm not the only one who bought in and projected a longer period of sustained success. Whatever was happening around the program was palpable and real. It sucks that it didn't last. Sucks bad. But if anything, it also proves just how thirsty Indiana University football fans are. We want to win at our core. We've seen winning all around us at this school. I love basketball more, but seeing the football program compete (and beat) some of the more hallowed teams in the country was a top level thrill. Why Indiana? Because despite the quick chirps and easy takedowns, I really believe a lot of people care about the program.

Are you drinking now? lol

Didn't Coach Knight once say that if a player helps his team win just one game, he's earned his scholarship?

The reality is that the highs aren't that high and the lows aren't that low. But it's much better for everyone in the locker room to live with a win, no matter how it's achieved. We didn't solve all our problems by beating Louisville. But we did get some good, productive minutes from guys that needed them. This team needs confidence more than anything. That will translate into a more controlled pace, better feel and ultimately, better shooting. As for the Woodson/Zone discussion, whether or not it was his decision is moot. He definitely would've taken the hit if it didn't work.

WHERE WILL WE BE RANKED?

at the Magnavox.

Down 5 with 7:44 to go. 19-6 "run" to end the game. These kind of wins -- I don't care who it's against -- are so important, because it shows that you can overcome adversity and claw back. Nice dub today.

Banks had a very nice game. Not perfect, but he gave the type of performance that we've all been clamoring for. Hope he builds off this confidence.

Our haters and pessimists will say CMW doesn't know how to make adjustments. He did, and we got a W.

Louisville played 'up' to Texas. IU played up to UCONN for 30 min. Who will play up (or down) to who, today? To me, this game is about establishing identity and making the other team bend to what you want to do, not reacting to what they are trying to do.

I'll take a stab. Our starting 5 are our best players, but it might not be the best lineup. The overall balance is off. Our starting PG is probably more of a score-first type, who is benefited by an above-average athletic front court, of which we really only have one guy (Ware). His backup might ultimately be better overall, but is a freshman and simply needs more reps. Our starting SG is really a slashing SF, and streaky as a shooter. Our backup SG (Gunn) hasn't found the pace and confidence on the offensive side yet. (I said it earlier, but I thought he made nice strides today on the defensive end.) We don't have a Rod Wilmont, Zeisloft, Blackmon, hell, DeVonte Green-type guy that can get hot and torch dudes. Our starting SF is a strong midrange shooter, but is a freshman. We don't really have a solid backup for him that can stretch the floor. And as others have said, he might be more effective (at times) being a stretch 4. Our starting PF is very good offensively, but foul prone. Could make the case he plays better as the 5 when Ware isn't in. Backup PFs are shaky at the moment. Walker is too wild. Banks is too fast. Sparks is too slow. Our center needs to play the whole game for us to have a chance. No real backup, unless Reneau leads 2nd unit, but then we would lose his scoring.

I agree, but have two very different perspectives on fouls for these guys. This isn't XJ's first rodeo. He is the tip of the spear and needs to be in the full game (and not on the bench at the end like CMW said post game). He absolutely should already know how to control both his emotions and tempo in year 6. Just has to -- he's way to important to not understand how critical handling those things are. For Reneau, he gets a just a little more leeway, but he too needs to realize that his proficiency to foul will not be masked by Trayce and Race this year. There is no coverup (sorry Sparks, Banks), so he has got to learn how valuable he is and smart he needs to be to remain in the game. But it also takes going through frustrations like today for that lesson to really sink in. So, optimistically, they are able to learn from these experiences.

One positive that I saw was CJ's improved defensive effort. He is still struggling on the offensive end, but I saw a kid that brought intensity. Small gains lead to bigger gains.

For the FT folks, yes wasn't a good night (20-32 for 62.5%), but Banks and Sparks went a combined 1-7. Add Reneau and it its 1-10. Now, these three (but specifically Reneau) are guys who will likely draw a lot of fouls with the way they play, and they have to get better, no doubt about it. But everyone else with a high usage rate performed well at the line. Trey, Ware & MM were 18-21 (87%). They should, and probably will, take a lot of FTs this season. It's not complete gloom and doom in this area.

I'm not sure we have a plan A at the moment. After two games, it feels like Reneau and Ware are playing concurrently, rather than cohesively. Malik plays like he wants/needs to score, independent of Ware, while Kel'el is a bit more situational (there seems to be a little bit better fluidity with him and the guards vs Reneau and the guards). No one on the team is dominant enough to make us one-dimensional in the way we relied on TJD last year, but Ware should be our #1 option. (Reneau as a #2 or #3 (with XJ) is not a bad thing at all!) I thought we should've gone to Ware every single possession in the second half, until they double and triple-teamed him; not joking... Just establish what works and expand from there.

Notre Dame and Stanford are two the best two examples of schools that have above average-to-elite non-football sports programs across the board. But make no mistake, the football teams drive the bus and their revenue generation gives all those other sports some seats. IU "punting" on its football team doesn't make any sense, practically, financially, symbolically, you-name-it-ally. When you say, "I would rather put the money into the basketball program..." what money are you referring to? This statement assumes the additional money outside of basketball and "other programs" comes out of thin air. It doesn't. It's intrinsically tied to a/the football program.

Lions don't concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.

Anything less than two made hook shots today is a major disappointment, imo.

While it's not an apple to apples comparison between Jimbo/TAMU and Allen/IU, it does highlight the expectations and tolerance one school has for winning versus the other. Yes, the $76M buyout is INSANE (and the financial repercussions can/should be discussed), but the underlying desire to get better regardless of cost can't be denied. Whatever metrics A&M has for its football program were clearly not being met, so a change was in order. The same thing should be true for IU (unless 3 wins is our standard of excellence, in which case I apologize for the criticism).

And he *almost* had a dunk on Jokic too -- would've been amazing if he could have pulled it off.

I watched the game as well. Jokic makes TJD look so small. Obviously Trayce is still getting his sea legs, so going up against one of the best post players in the world who has seasons of NBA strength and conditioning, is difficult. But he still looks like he belongs. His gap in athleticism isn't the same as it was in college, but playing with Looney and Draymond will help him really understand how to move in other, effective ways. He's in an absolute GREAT situation. (And another note: announcers mentioned him playing at IU for CMW... didn't hear a peep about CAM. That's gotta sting for him a little bit.)