I shouldn't follow any of this, but I do find the process (to the extent we know anything about it) and the organizational realities interesting.
If you ignore the noise (including reports of who has said no) and just go with what you see from afar about the capabilities of potential coaches, I still revert to a list of what makes most sense for IU (acknowledging that I am deeply uninformed) that looks like this (in order):
Brad Stevens (always very unlikely, but you never know what path Stevens wants to take with the remainder of his career)
Dusty May (I'm maybe not as blown away by him as others, but his connections might have made him an easier draw and I suppose he might have had an easier time getting started at IU)
TJ Otzelberger (really strong results, lots of favorable buzz about his abilities as both a coach and a recruiter, and he's not at an obvious destination school)
Ben McCollum (purportedly one of the greatest young basketball minds available and huge track record of excellence)
Grant McCasland (great results, also purportedly a strong basketball mind, not at an obvious destination school, tho maybe the regionality doesn't make as much sense)
Pat Kelsey (great, great track record; supposedly grew up an IU fan; at an ACC school which might make him more ripe for the plucking than you might otherwise think even if Louisville is a great destination)
Gregg McDermott (a little older than might be preferred, but he really has had tremendous continued success, esp. at Creighton; his stint at Iowa State is a little concerning)
Tommy Lloyd (proved it up as an assistant at Gonzaga, maybe too west coast, maybe too international for a school like IU that has rich recruiting based in-state, but lots of immediate success; also, pretty spendy to get him)
Mick Cronin (I like him more than most; I think he'd do really well at IU; buyout may be too high)
Chris Collins (he checks the box as having done more at his school than anyone in history; he's got a great pedigree; he's an adult; I'd be pretty open to him coming to IU).
That's pretty much it. For me, there's a drop-off after these ten names. I'm sure I'm missing some. And no I'm not adding Beard or Wade to my list just because I don't think that fits with how IU operates.
I'd think IU could land one of these ten if IU had the same list (even if we know it's likely some have already said no). I'd be pretty happy if any of these turned out.
If you ignore the noise (including reports of who has said no) and just go with what you see from afar about the capabilities of potential coaches, I still revert to a list of what makes most sense for IU (acknowledging that I am deeply uninformed) that looks like this (in order):
Brad Stevens (always very unlikely, but you never know what path Stevens wants to take with the remainder of his career)
Dusty May (I'm maybe not as blown away by him as others, but his connections might have made him an easier draw and I suppose he might have had an easier time getting started at IU)
TJ Otzelberger (really strong results, lots of favorable buzz about his abilities as both a coach and a recruiter, and he's not at an obvious destination school)
Ben McCollum (purportedly one of the greatest young basketball minds available and huge track record of excellence)
Grant McCasland (great results, also purportedly a strong basketball mind, not at an obvious destination school, tho maybe the regionality doesn't make as much sense)
Pat Kelsey (great, great track record; supposedly grew up an IU fan; at an ACC school which might make him more ripe for the plucking than you might otherwise think even if Louisville is a great destination)
Gregg McDermott (a little older than might be preferred, but he really has had tremendous continued success, esp. at Creighton; his stint at Iowa State is a little concerning)
Tommy Lloyd (proved it up as an assistant at Gonzaga, maybe too west coast, maybe too international for a school like IU that has rich recruiting based in-state, but lots of immediate success; also, pretty spendy to get him)
Mick Cronin (I like him more than most; I think he'd do really well at IU; buyout may be too high)
Chris Collins (he checks the box as having done more at his school than anyone in history; he's got a great pedigree; he's an adult; I'd be pretty open to him coming to IU).
That's pretty much it. For me, there's a drop-off after these ten names. I'm sure I'm missing some. And no I'm not adding Beard or Wade to my list just because I don't think that fits with how IU operates.
I'd think IU could land one of these ten if IU had the same list (even if we know it's likely some have already said no). I'd be pretty happy if any of these turned out.
