IUFLA

It is a foul fest...I watched the KU-TT game, and they called plenty...The problem is, they could have called 3 times as many... As I said, they've lost control of they physical nature of the game...Basketball was supposed to be a game of finesse and skill...Now the skill is "finishing through contact" which use to always result in a bucket and a FT...Now, it gets called maybe half the time... Shooting percentages and scoring have been falling for years...This article may be a bit dated (2013 with a 2019 update) but... "College basketball teams averaged 67.6 points per game this past season, the lowest since 1952. Teams shot a mere 43 percent from the field, the worst since 1965. Free throw attempts were also down because refs have swallowed their whistles and won’t call it when a player is chucked." Only 3 teams in all of college basketball shot over 50% last year (Dayton, Gonzaga, and BYU)... In 1975, the B10 alone had 4 that shot over 50%... I know the 3 point shot has an affect on overall FG percentage, but come on...

A twofer... What college fielded the first college basketball team? Who is the only men's basketball coach in the University of Kansas history to have an overall losing record?

Mac McClung killed TTU down the stretch...He was hot early, but missed his last 5 or 6 shots, had a costly TO, and got used on defense...TT has a couple of nice young players in Peavy and Shannon... And I'll say this about the refereeing...They've simple let basketball become too physical...If they would have called all of the offense shove offs, illegal screens, and guys getting mugged going to the rim last night, it would have just been a FT contest... Basketball was not invented as a physical game...

No one is calling for CAM to be fired... The point is, he's paid to win. His job DOES depend on it. I cited the Izzo mantra of "Players dictate playing time." which I think is how it should be. If Khristian is earning it in practice and games, great...And I hope he is. But putting him out there in crunch time for any other reason than "he's earned it and he's the best player we can put out there to help us win" makes no sense to me...

I'm not in any way saying Archie has one foot in the grave...I just think it's unwise, when you don't have the latitude of an Izzo or Wright, to wager this year's record on future years strategy or worry how it appears in regards to recruiting.

They're kinda like IU...Guard hard, but struggle offensively...

His seat is at least a tad toasty...If IU wouldn't make the tourney this year, I'd guarantee it'd be quite warm for 21-22...So I don't think any sane coach would even slightly compromise this year simply to get a 5 star more playing time in the hope that it would benefit us in subsequent years... A bird in the hand, my friend...

Jay Wright did it with Quinerly (9 mpg) his freshman year and he transferred... But @dgambill brings up an excellent point... Guys like Wright and Izzo have very long, if not infinite, ropes... Archie doesn't... He needs to win and win now... But he's also trying to establish a culture like Wright has at Villanova...right now, we're a better team with Rob and Al on the floor... I think Lander understands. He'd be playing his senior year of high school ball right now...he got a head start and he is averaging 14 mpg

I agree with a lot of this...I bolded the part I don't know about (ignorance of the overall defensive scheme on my part)... I do know he's good about keeping the his man in front of him and I've been impressed with his closeout speed... The underlined part I question...He has to fit into the scheme and the culture...Not the other way around...I go back to Izzo's mantra..."Players determine playing time."

Al I might agree with...If Kristian can provide defense on par with Al, and I don't think the on the ball discrepancy is all that great...scheme wise and recognition I'm sure Al has the edge...I think a lot depends on what we see in the next 3 games...

I agree with that 100%...His overall decision making needs to improve... Right now, I think Kristian believes scoring is his way to more more minutes and an eventual starting role...It's not...

Over who?

That's true. These kids aren't fooled by Little Ricky's last name...they can see he's a terrible coach... And Marcus Carr is the most overrated player in the B10...

The humanitarian in me will not allow me to watch the Whinin Illini pummel The Golden Little Rickies any further... Minnesota should have grabbed Dutcher when they had a chance...

Ok, so there's ONE person who thinks Lander should start over Rob...😁 But I'll give you 2 reasons he won't... Defense and turnovers... As the season goes along though, if Kristian's light goes on, I'd say at this point Al is the most vulnerable to lose his starting gig to the freshman...

So even that skips a generation... Call me Skippy...

I'd call his offense "uneven" (3 1/2 poor games) but his defense, particularly his on the ball defense, has been very good... But my point was the discrepancy in how the analytics rate Rob vs Kristian as opposed to the real numbers... I don't think there's a person on this board that thinks Lander, for all of his potential, should start or get more time than Phinisee...

This is why I don't lend some of these things much credence... Here are the "analytics." Note the 3rd name and the 9th name... Now, here are the numbers per 40 minutes this season... Kristian will be a wonderful player some day, but even with a few struggles Rob is a better player at this point...especially on defense...

Reunion time? 🥳

Yeah, seeing that... Maryland is a selfish team that does a lot of one on one, doesn't share the ball well, shoots a lot of 3s, doesn't rebound or play defense particularly well, and likes to talk crap...

Rutgers is very tough...Ron Harper Jr looks great...Geo Baker is back...Myles Johnson looks improved, and the Mulchay kid can play...and they guard...

NYC preparing for "full shutdown." Really feel for my friend @Lostin76... Always darkest just before dawn, my friend...

That kid is a throwback center...he's excellent in the post and a good passer out if it...very skilled for a freshman big...

Their fans think so too...