The “What are we selling to recruits” thread…

[IndyResident16]

7 minutes ago, NotIThatLives said:

See, I was disappointed, really thought Timberlake, Knecht,  and even Ledlum would have helped for sure.  I fully trust that more dudes will become available.   Even before portal life, studs become available even late in the summer and even into early fall.  

I would guess based on the stress in your posts, your worry level projects like a 9.5.  My worry level is like a 1.5.  I still fully anticipate this staff to pull some guys and we will be in the 15-25 range next year.  

I'm actually closer to a 3.5. While this stuff used to really bother me when I was younger and more invested, apathy is real and it has come to be the norm here at Indiana. We've been far too mediocre and far too irrelevant for too long to expect anything different until something actually happens. Preseason rankings, preseason hype these days...well that's all it is. 

[Coach Robby]

32 minutes ago, IndyResident16 said:

Lol.

I fully expect a few transfers to pop here in the next couple weeks. We won't go into the season with 10 scholarship players, that I'm sure.

My worry, and it definitely isn't without a merit, is that we're at the point where we're going to be adding tier 3 and tier 4 guys just to fill the roster. That isn't a recipe for success. We've whiffed on too many primary targets to feel comfortable heading down the stretch. 

Do you realize the portal is open until May 11? Lot of time and lot of things can happen between now and then. We're not gonna fill our roster with Priller and April level players....

[IndyResident16]

Just now, Coach Robby said:

We're not gonna fill our roster with Priller and April level players....

Well I would hope not. There's a massive gap between the Priller's and April's of the world and competent D1 basketball players. Not sure competent at this point really moves the needle. We needed a stud (or two) wing scorer from the portal. I'm not holding my breath at this stage.  

[IU Scott]

Just now, IndyResident16 said:

Well I would hope not. There's a massive gap between the Priller's and April's of the world and competent D1 basketball players. Not sure competent at this point really moves the needle. We needed a stud (or two) wing scorer from the portal. I'm not holding my breath at this stage.  

The thing is we won't know how the players fit as a team until the season. We can bring in top talent but if they don't mesh adva team it doesn't matter how much talent you have ad a team.  We can bring in really solid players who jell as a team. I guess I am saying is that we can't really judge how team will be until wr see it on the floor. I bet no one expected a lot out of the final four teams last year and they didn't have all the top talent.

[IUFLA]

24 minutes ago, IndyResident16 said:

Not infatuated with ratings/rankings at all. Just dudes who can come in and contribute at a high level right away. That level of player is dwindling by the day.

I'm just trying to gauge what you're saying...

Are there proven P6 players who can come in and contribute right away? A few...but the competition will be stiff for them

Is there mid major talent out there that could make a difference? Sure, but you gotta separate the wheat from the chaff on those... Gaudy scoring numbers alone aren't going to make Mike Woodson starry eyed... Can the guy play defense? Does he value the ball? Does his average or the way he gets his points translate to the P6 level of play? 

You and I together have probably seen less that 1% of the kids in the portal even play... I trust the staff to evaluate players and fill our needs... 

 

[IndyResident16]

3 minutes ago, IUFLA said:

I'm just trying to gauge what you're saying...

Are there proven P6 players who can come in and contribute right away? A few...but the competition will be stiff for them

Is there mid major talent out there that could make a difference? Sure, but you gotta separate the wheat from the chaff on those... Gaudy scoring numbers alone aren't going to make Mike Woodson starry eyed... Can the guy play defense? Does he value the ball? Does his average or the way he gets his points translate to the P6 level of play? 

You and I together have probably seen less that 1% of the kids in the portal even play... I trust the staff to evaluate players and fill our needs... 

 

Clearly the staff has identified (several) of those types from all levels of play. The problem is that staff has whiffed on every single one of them. The staff seems to be selective in who they contact and while that is refreshing based on some of the previous regimes, it doesn't matter in the end if they go elsewhere.

I know everyone keeps saying May 11th, but that level of player is dwindling by the day. There's going to be more and more competition for that level of player as the portal window nears closing. Based on the staffs track record to date, the competition hasn't been friendly. 

[Steubenhoosier]

10 minutes ago, IndyResident16 said:

Clearly the staff has identified (several) of those types from all levels of play. The problem is that staff has whiffed on every single one of them. The staff seems to be selective in who they contact and while that is refreshing based on some of the previous regimes, it doesn't matter in the end if they go elsewhere.

I know everyone keeps saying May 11th, but that level of player is dwindling by the day. There's going to be more and more competition for that level of player as the portal window nears closing. Based on the staffs track record to date, the competition hasn't been friendly. 

Hmm..."whiffed on every one of them?" I thought we have two portal commitments already.

[btownqb]

2 minutes ago, Steubenhoosier said:

Hmm..."whiffed on every one of them?" I thought we have two portal commitments already.

Those don't count. 

[IndyResident16]

3 minutes ago, Steubenhoosier said:

Hmm..."whiffed on every one of them?" I thought we have two portal commitments already.

I'm clearly addressing the need for a wing scorer, the most obvious glaring weakness on the roster heading into next year.

But you knew that already. 

[FKIM01]

20 minutes ago, IndyResident16 said:

I'm clearly addressing the need for a wing scorer, the most obvious glaring weakness on the roster heading into next year.

But you knew that already. 

A month ago, it was front court depth...🙄🙄🙄

[FKIM01]

...but you knew that already. 

[btownqb]

10 minutes ago, FKIM01 said:

A month ago, it was front court depth...🙄🙄🙄

HA! I thought so, too! 

[SawatchHoosier]

11 minutes ago, FKIM01 said:

A month ago, it was front court depth...🙄🙄🙄

LMAO, generational talent TJD leaves and CMW replaces him with the best transfer portal center available and the best backup center available. Some people are acting like children when they don't get every insane thing on their Christmas list. The ignore user option is worth it's weight in gold for these 🤡

 

[IndyResident16]

2 minutes ago, SawatchHoosier said:

LMAO, generational talent TJD leaves and CMW replaces him with the best transfer portal center available and the best backup center available. Some people are acting like children when they don't get every insane thing on their Christmas list. The ignore user option is worth it's weight in gold for these 🤡

 

There is a zero percent chance Ware is a better center than Hunter Dickinson. Higher upside? Maybe, but he’s nowhere close to the collegiate player that Dickinson is. His portal ranking is purely based on potential.

And there’s nothing wrong with adding Ware. He’s a position of need. But we still have 3 open scholarships, no reliable or proven wing scoring options, and have whiffed on every single target we’ve offered. Forgive me for reading the tea leaves on this one.

[NotIThatLives]

Theory on why we missed out on Knecht and Ledlum.  Staff knows and we told them, they will be given the chance to start and earn as much minutes as possible but staff is very confident in big fish coming later in portal season and even later in the summer through grad transfers.   No guarantees to start.  I get they chose UT in similar fashion but the competition picture is more clear there.  If IU is saying, hey, we see you getting 20-25 mins, alongside who, we can't tell you yet, that muddies things up a bit.

[IUFLA]

I know I sound like a broken record on this, but I think one of Banks, Gunn, or Newton is going to have a standout year and surprise us all...

One of the joys of watching IU basketball over the years is watching kids grow from year to year... That's why I'm so excited about this coming year... I love Trayce to death, but although he covered up a lot of flaws, we were too dependant on him to really be an elite team... This coming year is a huge opportunity for someone to bust out... And I think at least one, if not more, will take advantage... 

[IU Scott]

1 hour ago, IndyResident16 said:

Clearly the staff has identified (several) of those types from all levels of play. The problem is that staff has whiffed on every single one of them. The staff seems to be selective in who they contact and while that is refreshing based on some of the previous regimes, it doesn't matter in the end if they go elsewhere.

I know everyone keeps saying May 11th, but that level of player is dwindling by the day. There's going to be more and more competition for that level of player as the portal window nears closing. Based on the staffs track record to date, the competition hasn't been friendly. 

How have we whiffed on every guy we went after when we got Water and Sparks 

[IU Scott]

I know it was an outlier but Kansas St had two players on July 2nd and was enough good players out there to field an elite 8 team

 

[IndyResident16]

6 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

How have we whiffed on every guy we went after when we got Water and Sparks 

Scott—you’re literally not reading my posts. I’m not talking about Sparks and Ware. I’m talking about the most glaring weakness on our roster; perimeter scoring.

We’ve whiffed on literally every guard/wing that we’ve offered. We have 3 open scholarships and nearly 60 minutes a game to offer. We haven’t landed one guy. Not sure how you don’t see that is concerning?

[IU Scott]

Just now, IndyResident16 said:

Scott—you’re literally not reading my posts. I’m not talking about Sparks and Ware. I’m talking about the most glaring weakness on our roster; perimeter scoring.

We’ve whiffed on literally every guard/wing that we’ve offered. We have 3 open scholarships and nearly 60 minutes a game to offer. We haven’t landed one guy. Not sure how you don’t see that is concerning?

Obvious you didn't make that clear since other replied the same thing. It is funny you are losing it over players who we never heard of 1 month ago.

[IndyResident16]

1 minute ago, IU Scott said:

Obvious you didn't make that clear since other replied the same thing. It is funny you are losing it over players who we never heard of 1 month ago.

I've been talking about the need of adding perimeter scoring ever since Ledlum committed to Tennessee. Ware and Sparks don't factor into that equation. I can't help you there. 

[IU Scott]

Just now, IndyResident16 said:

I've been talking about the need of adding perimeter scoring ever since Ledlum committed to Tennessee. Ware and Sparks don't factor into that equation. I can't help you there. 

Still early to jump off the bridge

[btownqb]

So, it's not that we aren't adding anyone... because we obviously did, it's that we aren't adding them to fit everyone on here/twitter's timeline. Got it. 

Next season Woodson will know he needs his roster, for November, in place by April 15th.... or else. 

[IndyResident16]

1 minute ago, btownqb said:

So, it's not that we aren't adding anyone... because we obviously did, it's that we aren't adding them to fit everyone on here/twitter's timeline. Got it. 

Next season Woodson will know he needs his roster, for November, in place by April 15th.... or else. 

If you've watched IU for the better part of this decade you would understand the need for quality guards. Our overall guard play has been terrible the last 5-6 years. The staff has done nothing to address that in the portal this offseason. We've literally been carried (and not very far) by a generational talent the last two years who is no longer on the roster. 

I cannot be the only person on this board who sees that right?

[IU Scott]

10 minutes ago, IndyResident16 said:

If you've watched IU for the better part of this decade you would understand the need for quality guards. Our overall guard play has been terrible the last 5-6 years. The staff has done nothing to address that in the portal this offseason. We've literally been carried (and not very far) by a generational talent the last two years who is no longer on the roster. 

I cannot be the only person on this board who sees that right?

Why do you forget about guys like Gunn, Banks, Newton and Cupps or are you already giving up on them. Well it use to be you were patient with freshman and let them develop.  In  today's instant gratification society you have to be great right away.

Edited April 26, 2023 by IU Scott