Euroclydon

The key issues with this team have been discussed repeatedly over the season. There are apparently no answers to be found.

The things we need to focus on is how to prevent this team from having 2, 3, 4 guys hurt all the time. The other issue is TJD getting in foul trouble consistently as the season goes on. Beyond not being able to shoot or maintain a lead, these two things have become an ongoing thorn in the side of this team.

Test the theory - when IU gets a double digit lead they must immediately let the other team back in the game. Done and done.

Any updates on injuries?

How many players will be available for IU? This should be a win at home but when you are down to one PG who has a tendency to pick up fouls it's a lot closer than the last meeting. Also, you never know when half the team may want to go out and forget that pesky team curfew rule. So that's a concern you have to keep in mind.

Was there any doubt at the end of OT that OSU would set one screen to isolate Race to guard a much quicker player at the top of the key?

OSU has run that same play at the end of games against IU since Holtmann has been there and IU still hasn't figure out what to do to stop it. In fact, just about every B1G team has used it the past few years. Race is a lot of things but he doesn't have the quickness to stay near a smaller, faster shooter and OSU took advantage again.

Not that it should have mattered. IU had two chances late in regulation to win it and both times they took a challenged three instead of just driving to the rim. Not smart. IU has mastered not smart basketball in the past few weeks.

Conf tournament or bust at this point. 

Do they track missed layups? This has to be the all time high for a team. Missed chances define this game and this season.

Did Race and Parker just leave a man for an open drive for the third time? This is more than missed assignments. This seems too coincidental.

Did Bates just foul on a three? I'd like IU investigated for point shaving because some of these decisions defy reason and logic.

Chance to win twice and you get two forced threes. Smarter teams drive to the basket. 

You win. No you win. No no no. We don't want it. You take it. No we're  not taking this win. 

Is it fair to say IU has 10 min to save their season?

IU has lost its confidence and its identity. The defense has struggled just as much as the offense lately. There is no player leader. It's really a bad combination right now. 

CMW, please dont tell us you have to get them over the hump again. It's Mt. Everest at this point.

What reason can Parker have to leave a shooter and not have hands up? Can't think of one. 

It's just hard to watch the offense. Which coach is in charge of the offense? Need to reconsider. 

Sadly, if you can't get playing time on this team you've got to be pretty weak.

I'd like to see something different. Maybe drive it every time and force the refs to call something. Enough missed threes. Ugly it up...in a different way.

A five point deficit for this team feels like ten. In fairness to the coaches when your "shooters" miss wide open shots there's not much you can do.

1 hour ago, mchenry34 said:

I believe that this incident will eventually be seen through the lens of racism, and I believe rightly so. My opinion is developed from the fact that Gard's staff has been accused of racism before, Howard grew up in a tough situation in Chicago, and Gard's demeanor had  "teaching that boy a lesson" written all over it. From the grab of Howard as he walked past to the way he talked about Howard in the postgame press conference. (I'd be very interested in what Krabbenhoff said...I'm guessing it's not a good look).

I had not thought about a racial aspect to this but if you were to reverse the races on this and a white coach had smacked or punched a black coach, I think it would not be a question of whether they get terminated or not. They'd be gone already. That's the jacked up culture we are in today. It's not about facts. It's not about merit. Today it only matters what side of the cultural/political divide you are on. I doubt there is a college or university today with the balls to even investigate this event if the races were reversed.

A few thought on the UM v Wis fight.

1. It will be interesting to see what punishment the B1G sends down but let's see if UM does anything beyond what the conference hands down. This is the second year in a row Howard has blown up at the opposing coach after a game only this time he tossed in a head smack to an assistant.

2. Wis talks a lot and they have the one guy who creates more issues per game than anyone in the conference. They may get a pass here because of Howard but my guess is every team in the league has had enough of Wis, who gets away with more than any team in the conference.

3. My expectation is the B1G refs will now put the conference on lock down. Every team will have to adjust because it is about to get ugly with fouls.

3 minutes ago, btownqb said:

Dude.. its year 1. Relax. 

No.

I'm pulling for CMW and the team. I won't relax. He needs to know it's not going to sit well if all he can offer is the same comments over and over. IU fans understand the game and they are tired of watching substandard play. 

Someone close to CMW needs to let him know the fans watch the press conferences after games. You have to offer more than "I need to help them...".

CMW's duagther's maybe? Talk to him. IU fans understand exactly what is going on with the team. We don't need canned responses for every loss. We appreciate straight forward answers. We understand coaches can't say some things or call out too many players each game, but we need more than, "I've go to  get them over the hump."

The point is, you can't say the same things over and over while losses pile up and expect the fans to accept it. 

Last night IU would have a burst offensively with some good D and start to pull away. Then a turnover, a foul, a missed open shot or some other misfortune (or all of the above) would pop up to keep Wis close. That's the story of the season so far. They do not have the ability to separate and build a lead from most good teams and when the game is on the line they don't have the shooters or play makers to get it done. While other teams can work the ball and come up with either an easy basket or open shot, which they will hit, IU is an uphill climb all the way. They not only have to outplay the other team, they have to overcome all their own repeated mistakes.

One thing that bothers me and has shown up in multiple games. IU will be on a roll and then there is an on floor incident that causes them to lose focus. Dbag for wisconsin instigates a face-to-face exchange and IU forgets about the game and now it's a man-to-man challenge.  After the technical Parker lost his cool and although it was partly a flop, there was a push off. Why? You haven't seen the Davison playbook before? You didn't see this coming? Whether it's Parker or X or someone else, they get sidetracked with the extracurricular. I knew it wouldn't be two minutes before Parker either committed a foul or a turnover after the technical. Him and X have issues staying composed. I appreciate the fight and the no back down attitude, but it hasn't resulted in many positive plays for IU this season. 

Your team is down late and they toss the ball into you as the lone scoring threat at 6'9. You see the defense is hedging toward you and you know once you put the ball on the court they will double you. Then you notice nobody on your team is moving much, so you start to make your move. Once it is obvious you can't get a clear shot you have an instant to decide - who should I pass it out to? Then you realize, there is no good option. In that moment you realize nobody on your team is a reliable shooter or scorer. You know the correct play is to pass it out for a clean look but the two "shooters" on your team have to be standing still and unguarded or they can't shoot. The rest can do nothing more than throw up a prayer or drive to the basket for a wild shot that has little chance of going in. This is TJD's life on the court virtually every game.

It's either a forced shot over size, which TJD struggles with, or what? Who else do you trust to get and hit a shot on this team? The only guy who's shown he can hit a big shot is sitting on the bench in a suit and we have no idea when or if he will play again this season. The rest are unproven and unreliable. There seem to be no answers when the game is on the line.

Not interested in hearing coach say he has to help get them over the hump. That's not happening. They need to learn how to get and hit open perimeter shots. They need to stop dribble penetration. They need to stop getting into pushing and shoving matches where they lose focus on the game. 

This is no shock. One team has play makers and knock down shooters. One does not. One team has a gameplan role players and kids willing to run it. One does not. That's how you end up with guys who dont shoot the three well taking them late in the game. One team can get good looks and easy shots. One struggles virtually every game.

As good as the D has been at times it's clear good teams know they can attack Kopp, Stewart, Bates, Lander and Durr and it's no contest. Worse- it's likely a score and a foul. 

IU playing hard buiit a familiar story is unfolding. They can't pull away. When they try they end up with a turnover, a foul, some wide open missed shots. Frankly. Wis, like other top teams, have more playmakers, more shooters, and find ways to get easier shots than IU. It's always a struggle for IU to score. 

The other issue is IU expends a lot of energy and focus on these push and shove personal grudge exchanges. Wis understands that and any time IU starts to make a run Dbag Davy instigates something and IU loses its focus.

Aldo, Wis knows they can attack Kopp, Stewart, Lander, Batres. and Durr any time. No chance for any of them to stop a drive.

Frankly, IU has to outplay the other team and overcome themselves to get a win.

Hope they figure it out.

What's the over/under on number of times Race and Trace get stuck after a switch out top trying to defend one-on-one against a much quicker player? Virtually every team in the B1G has used this against IU and they never figure out how to stop it.

Been watching the same flippin play against IU for years. One screen leaves Race up top trying to guard a faster player. No chance. Every team in the conference does this to IU.