MoyeCowbell

Christmas night I went to the theater and saw The Iron Claw. An absolutely devastating film with amazing performances. Zac Efron is jacked! and he totally nails his role. The Von Erichs were slightly before my time, so I didn't know anything about them... all I can say is damn.

Say three 'Hail Marys' and go shoot 50 free throws to preserve Ye from Thy Mortal Sin.

This seems like a strange way to do this, but hey, I'm not a doctor.

Contrary to what you're saying, I actually think Ware was more lackazajdf;lianfbn ao;ingcle than anything.

I might be mistaken, but I believe IU, Michigan St. and Northwestern are the only schools going through a coaching change. That might **could** be a/the reason they're near the bottom. I'm actually gonna go out on a limb and say that's exactly why IU is near the bottom. Time will tell if that trend continues with C3 and his staff.

Good God, Maryland is terrible. Getting punched in the mouth. No fight and zero interest from their fans. Not just for DQ, but who would want to go experience that?

Michican't so Floridid

Mgbako did the same thing in the second half and scored. Must be a coached thing*. *Which may mean that CMW also doesn't have full trust in his shooters on the perimeter. Better chances of scoring down low or drawing a foul, I guess.

Clairvoyant you are. #hattip

The beatdown you wanted/demanded!

I'm trying to think of when we've had a 'complete' WR room that was truly solid from top to bottom. Obviously we've had some good years with one or two guys shining, but what's been our best collective? '08 with Doss and Belcher (but then, who else?) I'm looking and can't seem to find a year that was blended well... only a guy or two that stood out.

That's a very fair way of putting it.

Totally. It might sound like I'm nitpicking, but I'm just stating preference. I's clear that C3 is balancing his WR room appropriately. It'll be interesting to see how he continues shaping this group in the years to come.

You're absolutely right that speed kills. We can never have enough. We've got to be able to stretch the field, no doubt. That said -- and maybe I'm just partial because of past IU players like Hardy, Belcher, Latimer -- I love size. Watching McCulley this year own his area with his physicality was awesome. He could jump and he could get people out of his way. Ultimately, it comes down to their hands, but being able to use their bodies to position themselves and bully smaller CBs is very important. Now, given that we have McCulley coming back next year, it might not be as urgent, but I certainly hope we target a good blend of receiver and not just speedsters.

Woodson won't shorten the bench to just Cupps and Walker. Both Gunn and Banks have to play -- now when and under what circumstances -- that's where it gets nuanced. I don't think this team is strong enough to go 7. It needs 8 or 9 for fatigue and boosts of energy here or there.

This is just rapid fire commitment-time right now!

I'd like to consider myself fairly knowledgeable about college basketball. Sure, there are my people that know way more than I do, but I still feel like I'm pretty 'in-the-know' when it comes to teams around the country. But when I looked at today's scoreboard, I barely recognize any of the names. Prairie View A&M vs NORTH AMERICAN TEXAS A&M COMMERCE vs ARLINGTON BABTIST Pacific vs STANISLAUS STATE TARLETON STATE, LeTOURNEAU, McPHERSON, ECCLESIA, BLUEFIELD UNIVERSITY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Who are these teams and what fictional locations do they "reside"?

It's part of the development process of young players that shifts the mindset from "He has to" to "I can" (and by proxy, "He can.") What I mean by that, is the confidence that is accrued through playing becomes a level of trust, both internally and with teammates. It's not, "Welp, I can't do this, so I better just give the ball to Reneau or Ware." It becomes, "Hey, I can do this [my part] too." AND "I believe this teammate can as well."

I think that is more of a result of X being a capable scorer on his own right (compared to Cupps at his current development level). X might be more rounded in that he can become a strong scorer who doesn't "just" need to look to the bigs to do it. That delay could simply be him assessing between score and facilitate. Cupps' strength right now is setting up the offense first and being a release valve later if the other options aren't open.

All coaches will find under the radar guys; diamond in the rough-types. Whether it's clairvoyance, artful scouting, late puberty/growth or just dumb luck, every coach can point to a few players that were overlooked that became success stories under their watch. And the opposite can be true of highly rated "busts". What it really comes down to is the relationship between coach and player, and how they're able to communicate with one another. Can they be on the same wavelength and be aligned on the same common goal? It's not always what the message is, but how it's delivered and received. (Just look at our basketball team with Ware & Woodson vs Ware & Altman.)

I would counter that Gunn NEEDS to take these shots in games to develop confidence. I have no problem with him shooting this because with each attempt, he's getting more comfortable. The Kobe you/others refer to when talking about a good jump shooter, took THOUSANDS of shots in games over the course of his career. They are shots taken in situations that you can't always replicate in isolation over the summer or in practice. The more Gunn (and others) get comfortable shooting in higher-pressure situations, the better they will be. Just my opinion.

One observation about the game last night (and our overall post play): the thing I love about our interior passing is how it helps negate the challenges of the 2-3 zone. Normally, we would be bricking 3s from over the top, but the fact that we can get the ball inside, and both Ware & Reneau (and others) can pass underneath, totally helps to carve that zone up from the inside. It's not perfect, and at times Reneau becomes a black hole, but there is serious ball movement which will open things up for shots and driving angles.

Gunn. His growth and conviction on the defensive side — while not perfect— is noticeable and encouraging. And it’s starting to give him confidence on the other end as well. it’s the growth we’ve all wanted to see.

With so much fluidity in sports today -- both collegiately and professionally -- it's smart not to burn bridges. You just never know how things might traverse and circle back, through portals, firings and hirings, etc. Not every relationship that separates means that it is filled with animosity. Some of these moves are about timing more than anything else.