BankShot

If he had caught it with his hands instead of his face...non-issue. : ) 

It's like everyone on this team always misses their first free throw.

We got much worse at free throws a few years ago and have never returned to good enough.

I don't understand it.

Here’s a different way to come at it…

How does one rationally and realistically explain the difference between HOW we are playing, and how well we OUGHT to be able to play?

Sure, there are roster and talent problems, but this group should not be this dysfunctional. This team has too much talent to be this bad.

So, why?

- coaching?

- effort?

- leadership?

- softness?

What is the problem?
 

(It’s hard for me to not think it’s coaching.)

1 hour ago, 5fouls said:

A lot of blame being tossed directed towards the athletic department.  I would venture to say that most of us have no earthly clue as to what it takes to be a strong AD.

Hire Bob Knight.  You're brilliant?

Hire Archie Miller.  You're clueless?

It's not that simple.  And, there is more than one athletic program at the university to judge an AD by.

 

 

I would agree. The job of a major AD is probably very difficult. Which is exactly why you should only hire proven, ADs who’ve actually done the job and done it well. Something IU did not do the last two times at least.

2 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

It isn’t just a roster issue. Anyone who thinks that is just wrong.

We have enough talent on this team to get a lot more out of it than we have. We had more talent last year to get more out of it than we did. There are fundamental issues with the approach this staff takes that they need to change.

I am not Scott Dolson, but if I was I would be just as interested to hear from Woody how he adapts his shortcomings as I am how he fixes the roster. 

Agree with this too.

I should have said above that roster failures are ONE reason why many have concluded that this staff isn't the answer.

There are other reasons too...rebounding, playing hard, playing smart, free throws, etc.

32 minutes ago, DC2345 said:

This isn’t accurate. IU was very focused on select individuals and backed off of many. They focused on Ware, Ledlum, and Knecht. They kicked the tires on some others but never went all in especially with the guards. They overvalued X and Galloway and that was a major mistake. 

Assuming this is accurate, and it seems like it probably is, this is why so many (I believe) are done, or close to done with this staff. I think some/many have concluded that, if you could not see or properly assess the glaringly obvious roster need for guards (or could not land them) then, either way, you're not the answer going forward for this program.

1 hour ago, BobSaccamanno said:

Ball movement has been really bad even when we win....We have some black holes that make up their mind that they want to shoot.

Dusty would fix that....

https://apnews.com/article/bob-knight-indiana-motion-offense-6df9d9c3668990c002f89a4a60df13e9

Thanks for sharing that, I had not seen it. Good read.

41 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

This program needs to start recruiting basketball players and not stars. They need to recruit well rounded players who has a high basketball IQ. They need to construct a team with guards who can shoot and score.

Completely agree with this… it’s what Indiana used to do. Back when we were good and successful.

It’s also what Butler and Purdue began to do.

As far as I’m concerned, I’m ready to call the Woodson experiment a failure.

It’s like he didn’t learn a $&@!&@#* thing from Bob Knight. Like he was never even taught the game.

We suck at free throws. We suck at boxing out. We suck at rebounding on both ends. We suck at valuing the ball and intelligent passing. We suck at shooting. We suck at defense, substitution, roster building, energy, and mental toughness.

We are neither good nor consistent at any of those things. We are not even an adequately functioning division one team.

This isn’t the most balanced or talented roster we’ve ever had but there’s too much talent here to explain these guys being this bad.

I have to conclude that its a coaching/system problem.

Tell Mike to go home, give the keys to Calbert for the rest of the season and then hire Michael Lewis or Dusty May or someone with proven success at the end of the season.

This is worse than bad.

Hard to see how you don’t give Walker more playing time over Banks.

He’s just more consistent and more productive….on both ends.

2 hours ago, JABBATHEHOOSIER said:

Sorry guys...been out of the loop the past few days and just trying to catch up. 

It appears the loss of Ledlum has doomed the future of the program? Is that right?

Anything else I need to know?

 

Here’s stab at a summary (of the perspective of some, apparently)…

Even though Woodson‘s only been here for two seasons, he successfully re-recruited our entire roster (including TJD) and made positive adjustments for the first two seasons, brought in JHS and Reneau, got us to the tournament two years in a row, has now brought in two new players of need already from the portal for ‘23/‘24 (one of them ranked number two in the portal), and it’s only April 20th, our staff is lazy and incompetent, and we’re going to have a horrible year because Ledlum (#53 in the portal?) committed to Tennessee.

And this assessment of the demeanor and performance of our staff, as well as the future forecast of the success of the program, has been done prior to the next roster being completed, and without any real knowledge or information whatsoever.

33 minutes ago, DC2345 said:

Ware visit, Ledlum visit, Knecht visit! 

And it's the Bloomington campus in the Spring. I'm liking this.

So, technically, right now we're 1 for 1 on portal recruits (Sparks). One hit, no "official" misses (until Love or another target would commit somewhere else).

Understand that we need to get some players. Not understanding the "panic".

17 hours ago, IUDan93 said:

When CMW was hired we all had some kind of timeline. 

Most of us would have agreed on this.....I think.

Year 1: Beat Purdue, Make tourney

Year 2: Compete for Big Ten title, beat Purdue, get seed in tourney where we are playing as a higher seed until the Sweet 16.

Year 3: Win and keep winning.

How is CMW doing so far?

My thoughts are very similar to these. I think we're in a good and much better place, especially given the depleted roster for most of the season, and the fact that Woodson has been here for less than 2 seasons.

One fairly serious negative for this particular team IMO has been consistency. If they had more consistently played at the level they should be capable of playing, they would have realized even more success (success favors the team making the fewest mistakes?). I view consistently playing to your potential as a sign or indicator of culture, maturity, effort, and execution...things difficult to turn fully around in less than 2 years, but feel we're headed in the right direction.

  This team should be able to win at least two games in the tournament...less than that will be a bit of a disappointment.

5 hours ago, MoyeCowbell said:

I've asked myself this a few times... and maybe I'm being too hopeful in trying to find the perfect candidate, but to answer the question:

Ego and Legacy.

IU doesn't have the history or big shoes to fill. A proven coach that may have run out his welcome somewhere else, tried the NFL and wants to come back to the college ranks, or just wants/needs a new change of scenery, could have an opportunity to create something with their fingerprints on it in a way that satisfies their ego. Make no mistake, college coaches are inherently competitive and want to be renown and lauded by the masses.

And while by default, being in the Big Ten gives IU a platform and exposure that a lot of other programs will never get. Nationally, people know who Tom Allen is because he beat Penn St., Michigan and Wisconsin in 2020. He's not getting the same love beating the likes of Iowa St., Wake Forest, UNLV for example.

A coach that understands the opportunity and sees the potential should be very intrigued. It's not like there aren't football fans in Indiana. Look at what Peyton was able to do. If IU was able to string together 5 seasons similar to '19 and '20 rather than just the two, you would see a fanbase that really coalesced and became formidable. That generates money and perpetuates a positive cycle.

Good thoughts.

In addition to these motivations, “proven”, but might still come to IU, could also mean ‘proven at a lower level and ready to move up’ (or someone just ready to move). Some examples might be a Bill Mallory or a Terry Hoeppner, or like Randy Walker when he went to Northwestern.

2 minutes ago, rico said:

I think that a lessor qualified candidate could have certain attributes that would be beneficial to the program.

Ok, thanks. Yes, I can see that and do agree with it.

3 minutes ago, rico said:

That would be one preference.

Can you share a bit more on that? I'm interested in more than just my perspective. Thanks.

2 minutes ago, rico said:

Gerry Dinardo was a proven coach.

Coach Dinardo's success as a head coach was a bit mixed I think. Time at Vanderbilt not stellar? LSU was a mixed bag? Maybe he was 'semi-successful'?

My main point being that we should stop rolling the dice and hire someone as clearly proven as possible.

4 minutes ago, BankShot said:

In my opinion, none of Indiana's last six head coaching hires have been proven head coaches with demonstrated previous success, and none of them have had real success here after being hired.

Seems like the last true success we had was after hiring a proven coach in Bill Mallory, which is also the last time we didn't hired someone unproven, or someone who was hired basically because they were already living in Bloomington.

Stop the stupid experimenting and do what successful programs do....hire a proven coach who can get the damn job done.

2 minutes ago, Steubenhoosier said:

Coach Hep was an excellent hire and had the program trending in the right direction before he passed.

Yes, agree on Coach Hep who I believe did fit the mold of a proven head coach. His tenure was just cut short and not able to bear the fruit it probably would have. 

In my opinion, none of Indiana's last six head coaching hires have been proven head coaches with demonstrated previous success, and none of them have had real success here after being hired.

Seems like the last true success we had was after hiring a proven coach in Bill Mallory, which is also the last time we didn't hired someone unproven, or someone who was hired basically because they were already living in Bloomington.

Stop the stupid experimenting and do what successful programs do....hire a proven coach who can get the damn job done.

1 minute ago, rico said:

Who we get as a coach will be decided upon by how much money we will spend.

Agree.

Proven. Experienced. Successful. Head Coach.  Period.

Faaaarrrr beyond time for IU to stop making the same stupid hiring mistakes.

Is it time to change this forum’s subtitle to something other than “A program on the upswing”?

Asking for a friend. 🧐

1 minute ago, rico said:

What do you have against the University of Louisiana-Cayenne?

Too spicy?

Just now, BankShot said:

My somewhat petty and myopic view of the NCAA tournament is that I don't really care what happens once IU loses as long as none of these team win the title: Kentucky, Purdue, North Carolina, ULCA, or Duke.

Or UCLA  🙂