Euroclydon

Gotta finish smart. Can't foul and give up easy points. Make them score baskets to win. Be ready for the press. Gonna be a fight to the finish.

How many players and teams that can't shoot or score suddenly light up IU this season? It's not coincidence. Just as IU was closing late they do their best to help the other team stretch the lead. Frustration.

Mgbako squared up jumper is solid. Dribble drive? Nope.

A clinic on poor shooting and bad shot selection by both teams.

No shot. Bad shot. Good shot. Too many of the first two. Not enough of the latter.

Force Jordan Geronimo to beat you and hope he doesn't finally figure out how to play. Other than that, rebound and don't foul and give up easy points at the line.

Defense and rebounding. If IU wants to win this game (any game) and have hope of a potential run in the conf tourney, they have to become a defensive brick wall and a rebounding force. Mindset change. Focus change. Tempo change. Lineup change. Whatever it takes. The goal has to be holding their opponent to 60 points. That's really their best chance when you can't count on your own shooting and scoring. X is back. He may not score but he has to defend. Trey has to be Trey. The bigs have to defend and limit their fouls. Everyone has to rebound.

Congrats to the team and CMW. Hard fought win. I'm one that suggested they had quit over the last several weeks. Last night they showed up. I'm hoping this is the start of something good but frankly, if they sleep through the next game I'll still have to wonder. There were times last night when it looked like K. Ware and pray for rain. Or pray for a fire alarm. I loved that it made their coach react post game. Regardless, it's still a team with a long way to go but at least the effort was there. That's the coach. Good for CMW. Go Hoosiers!

Do I dare add this again? Nothing we have seen to date suggests they can win this game. I want IU to win. I despise Wisconsin. Why? Because Wisconsin plays to their strengths. Their system is geared towards getting a good shot. Their defense is not great but follows basic fundamentals. In other words, they try to do what they do well and let the other team beat themselves. They are the exact opposite of IU and it shows up in wins and losses.

Years one and two CMW focused on defense first. You'd have a hard time finding a worse defense in conference today. They're going on 30 games and still have no clue how to defend. And not fouling is part of being able to defend. The team ridiculously leaves shooters, is often out of position, consistently looks lost and if they do occasionally defend they don't seem concerned with rebounding most of the time. Just as important, they don't have the skills to stop fouling. All lead to easy points for their opponents. The offense is a different issue. They still can't shoot beyond six feet so they have to work harder than every other team to score. We could continue talking about the four out one in offense. It doesn't matter. If you can't shoot, dribble, or pass and can't hit FTs for some odd reason, it doesn't matter what you run.

This is still a thing? Ok. Copy and paste. Nothing we've seen to this point suggests they can win this game. I hope they do, but it's more wishful thinking than anything substantive. It's self-evident they've quit on the season. Worse offense and defense now than when they started. Even if you cant score you should be able to defend and rebound. But that requires a willingness to work hard and fight. It's desire. Not seeing any of that from this team.

What I don't want to hear from CMW - "Well, we've gotta keep working. We'll, I've gotta help them get over the hump. Well if X was playing...Well...Well..." That ship has sailed. The team has quit. Even if you can't score a point, your defense should show up, especially at home. It's getting progressively worse. Why? Because defense and rebounding are about working, fighting, and desire. They've quit.

Until they demonstrate an ability to actually play winning basketba, I'll pass. I can record it and potentially spare myself more misery. In years past I'd watch regardless. I no longer feel required to watch poor play.

Cupps thinks they're quick. We've been watching all season. Anyone else think they are quick? If anything, they have the slowest foot speed in conference and some of the weakest ball handling skills you will find assembled on one team. They start two bigs who are slow and methodical with every movement. They also start a freshman in Mgbako who yesterday could not get around a slow 7'0 280 center off the dribble. Quick is not an accurate description. The guards have so many holes in their games it's hard to imagine this team can win more than two games the rest of the season. Guys playing out of position, a freshman learning the game, and a guy who couldn't recognize a good shot to save his life. All forced into playing more than they should after one injury because they couldn't recruit anyone else that could help now. It's a poorly constructed team. That's on the coaches. Just as bad, if not worse, they're making the same mistakes we witnessed in their exhibition games. Again, coaches.

Not much left to say about this team or the coaches. As a fan I have to ask how much more of this do I want to see? The answer is no more. If I saw anything that appeared hopeful I'd ride this season out. I don't see anything suggesting hope is warranted.

Just not able to put together enough on either end of the floor. Too slow. Too weak. Not skilled enough. Not basketball smart enough. Dolson has to see the writing on the wall.

No team has to work harder than IU just to stay close. It's up hill all the way and every game. Such is the life of a baskwtball team that cannot shoot the basketball outside of five feet.

IU gets close. Three for the other team. Five game minutes later IU gets close. Three by the opponent. Rinse and repeat. It's better than the 20 point blowouts but not by much.

Does any team make slow white guys look like all conference more than IUs defense?

Easiest offense to guard in conference. Easiest defense to get an open shot against. It's that simple. Talent. Lack of talent. Argue all you want. It doesn't matter as long as the coach refuses to adjust anything.

That's been going on all season and not just Gunn. It's deliberate.

Not sure this team can shoot 30% from three in an open gym.

Malik blocked out by Buie. He watched the three by MM and made zero effort to go to the glass. Rebounding has been an afterthought all season by everyone not named Ware.

Two things stand out so far. 1. Northwestern can run a high screen and get open looks every possession and iU cannot. 2. Mgbako was not fast enough or good enough with the dribble to get by their big man. That's not good.

Things I don't need to see... the weave.