PritchardPutBack

14 minutes ago, FW_Hoosier said:

Dane Fife, in regard to last year’s team:

“That was an NCAA tournament team.  We can look at the players and look at the coaches, but I think this is a culture issue not just with the program itself, but with the fans, the media, the whole state.  I’m sorry to hold you accountable and say that you’re responsible Alex [Bozich], but you’re part of it.”

I took that as blaming the fans and the media for what happened last year just as much as the players and coaches, which I don’t buy.  I also don’t really get the point about the media being too harsh — with the exception of a few idiots like Dakich, the IU basketball beat is overwhelmingly made up of people carrying water for the program to maintain access.

When I heard it I took it as he was just saying media/what fans say online plays a role (wouldn't say a gigantic role, but would agree, a role), not that it was a 50/50 split in terms of blame like you took it. As much as we might hate the whole "reputation for IU fans" (especially since schools like Kentucky can be even worse when they're losing as well), at the end of the day it is there and even Osterman even said it affected recruiting when he was talking to Galen from the media school after Archie was fired. Winning probably cures everything and I don't think it has been that bad of an issue on this board for example, but if a guy like Fife who has been around the Big Ten for a decade is even saying it, feel like it's harder to argue it's just some completely made up narrative by a Goodman or Bilas. 

That being said, don't think anyone is saying you can't ever say one negative thing about IU and obviously everyone's passion is what makes Indiana Basketball. Like you said to end the post also, he's sticking up for his players and whether you think the reputation is fair or not, that's always a great thing to see

20 hours ago, BobSaccamanno said:

I have gotten behind Crean and Archie as they came in. I also gave them the benefit of the doubt for years.  At the end of the day, Crean ended up being a different coach than I expected and I overestimated Archie at this time and place.  But I was optimistic on both because I’m a fan and what is the point otherwise?

But I have to say, I’m on another level of optimistic this time as compared with the last two.  Woodson has been impressive in his approach. I believe he’s working hard already based on the film he’s already broken down and all his meetings with players and coaches.  He’s got the right priorities.  But it’s more than that.  We have an AD with a background in sports now.  We have hired people like Matta and Fife which gives us a very smart and talented brain trust.  So this feels different. Maybe it’s in part that we were burned and beaten around a bit and then we had Brad calling himself a Masshole.  

Another reason I think it makes a bunch of sense to be optimistic, we have most of the players coming back. Everyone knew with Crean it would take several years and with Archie people might have disagreed about when he should start winning but that first year he was coaching a team losing it's best three players in Thomas Bryant, OG, and James Blackmon.

If Armaan does actually come back, we're returning our best two players along with whoever we can snag in the portal

A look at the transfer portal numbers based on last year and by conference as of this morning. Not ideal to have us making up about 1/6 of the Big Ten but at least if only a few guys decide to come back there should be a bunch of options out there 

From TDH Q&A link

Quote

Coach Miller and Coach (Tom) Ostrom, and particular with Coach Miller, that relationship that he was able to build with CJ directly, when I would talk to CJ about the different colleges, the way he would describe the relationship he built with Coach Miller directly stood out.  At one point CJ made a comment that he was talking to Coach Miller as much as he was talking to the assistant coaches at the other universities.

This is promising after all the speculation that our assistant coaches were doing too much of the talking with the recruits and Archie wasn't getting in early enough

Haven't seen anything claiming which school tested positive or any additional postponements for either school yet, but both are upcoming on the schedule. Play Nebraska Sunday and Purdue next Thursday (1/14)

32 minutes ago, KDB said:

ESPN is the service that's been high on Pack. They have him at #86 while Rivals has him at #124 and 247 has him at #171.

I tend to think that 247's own rankings are usually more accurate than the composite. They have Leal at 2 and Galloway at 3. 

Leal was #99 in the composite yesterday but dropped 30 spots because ESPN's updated rankings have Leal a 3-star and ranked 7th in the state.. Lol. 

ESPN rankings are just garbage. 

ESPN giveth and ESPN taketh away

Would be nice if they still updated it once Lander for sure reclassifies but know that it's supposed to be their final rankings