Back to reality? Yes and no...

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

So here's the deal. There are three huge deficiencies on this team. We all know this. They are:

1. Defense.
2. Rebounding.
3. Turnovers.

So far this year, we haven't been great at hiding #1, but we've done a very good job with #2 and #3, especially in the B1G season. Today, we outrebounded OSU, but lost the TO battle 15-8.

But I don't think TOs are ultimately what cost us this game. I think it was #1. Defense. We took 50 shots. OSU took 53. We got 8 offensive boards to OSU's 4. We could have won this game, even with the turnovers, if we hadn't given up 62.3% shooting. If we hadn't committed those turnovers, it would have been closer, but we had plenty of chances to come back in this game, and each time, we fell short because OSU was making baskets at will in the last 8 minutes.

Side notes:

1. Troy made a couple of bad mistakes again, but without the normal offensive production to make up for it, I think this was a disappointing performance.

2. I will continue to praise Hartman. I said throughout the non-con season that he was horrible. I was wrong about him.

3. Yogi is an unreal talent who hides a lot of the problems of our offensive system (So does JBJ to a lesser extent). When he is gone, we are going to see many of the same exact plays turn out much worse.

Overall, this season is still going better than I expected, and I think we are going to be a tournament team. I haven't entered the new result yet, but I have our Pyth. win percentage in B1G games only giving us 7 more wins this season for 12/22 total. That's probably going to get us an 8 or 9 seed.

goat

 

[Dubiak5454]

The problem is if we aren't shooting lights our our d will kill us and is probably not fixable at this point. I was just amazed at how truly awful the d really was today.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[iuaddsheet2]

Sub patterns/minutes distribution


Holt only gets 9 minutes. In those 9 mins, he has 4 points and 5 rebounds. He's a good defended too. I don't understand why he doesn't get more.

Sub patters: Crean puts in SR for the last minute of the 1st half. Why was that sub needed? The abosolut worst possible scenario happens. We have ball for last shot to guratentee we down no less than 3 at half, he travels with 33 secs left, then allows his man a 3 point play. This is just terrible.

I'm aftaid the MD game will be just like the Wisky game last year. We all felt great after that win and then it all goes down hear

 

[IUBBALLAWOL]

Reality with this team and coach has always been lack of defense. Today that and the unforced TO's was just too much for this team to overcome. There are only a couple guys that would make the floor playing for Ryan or Izzo. They require defensive effort first and foremost. TC has never shown a desire for his teams to defend. Robinson and JBJ should not hit the floor against Purwhoo and should have been benched today for their lack of effort.

 

[Dubiak5454]

I don't think crean will ever bench robinson he seems to love him.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[frikkenfrakken]

He suspended him...

So, I guess I have to disagree.

 

[rosscoe]

Benching JBJ makes zero sense, EVERYTIME he's had a lackluster performance he's came back w a great game. You challenge kids not bench your leading scorer!! Lmao at you

 

[Dubiak5454]

He had to suspend him.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[webbed feet]

OSU is the most underachieving team in the country

Loads of great talent, including the best gaurd in the country. Today they played to their potential, so there is nothing to worry about if you're an IU fan. Beat Purdue and enjoy being in 2nd place. Do you you really think we can win the B1G?

 

[IUBBALLAWOL]

Yeah no sense in holding a kid accountable for only playing on one end of the court. If he scores 18 and gives up 20 what are you laughing about?

 

[fivestarlocks]

No way 12-6 in conference would result in an 8 or 9 seed

IF we beat Iowa and MSU at home in our last two games, this team will end up as a 5 or 6 seed.

 

[rosscoe]

Ok, since you know. Good luck getting away w that logic at any level.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

I don't see it.

Obviously, it depends what happens to other teams, but I don't think it's possible for us to get to a 5 or 6 seed unless we win out.

There is an upper limit to how good our tournament resume can look thanks to our crappy schedule.

goat

 

[SRIV94]

OTOH, the Butler and SMU wins (especially the Butler win)

will keep paying dividends.

Our RPI was 31 (at realtimerpi.com) coming into the OSU game. Right now, it's at 32 (with the loss already accounted for). One reason--Butler's RPI is at 15 (after their win today) and we beat them in Indy (neutral site win) So we basically didn't drop at all.

A 6 is definitely plausible (a 5 might be pushing it). I'll split the difference and say 12-6 gets us no worse than a 7.

 

[fivestarlocks]

Our schedule is not that bad at all

we've played EIGHT (4-4) games against teams in the Sagarin top 27 and we own 5 wins against the Sagarin top 50.

Only 3 teams have won more than 5 games against the Sagarin top 50 - Kansas, Kentucky, and Virginia.

Our SOS is only going to continue to rise - the whole "crappy schedule" argument is really no longer valid.

 

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

Almost every team we will be fighting for seeding spot with

are also going to see their SOS continue to improve.

It is what it is. Our non-con SOS sucks, and it won't get any better.

goat

 

[cheyennemtnman]

Your reality?

Reality changes from game to game...period...
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[SRIV94]

As SMU and Butler continue to win

(and for that matter, Georgetown and Louisville), that will help. Pitt won't make the tourney, but their RPI of 75 figures to get a boost when they play UNC, UVA and a second game with LOU.

Yes, our OOC schedule had six sub-200 patsies on it. It also had four top-25 RPI teams on it as well. Not many teams can match that.

BTW, just a list of likely tourney/bubble teams with NCSOS worse than or roughly equal to ours:

ND (334)
IAST (188)
WVU (186)
MIA (228)
LSU (179)
O$U (yes, they're even worse than ours--we're at 180, they're at 201)
GW (196)
KSU (178) [who I actually wouldn't even have close to the bubble, but ESPN does]

As I said, a 6 is plausible at 12-6 (and certainly no worse than a 7). 11-7 probably gets us in the 8/9 games (although there a 7 isn't out of the question either). I even think we could sneak in as a 10 if we fall to 10-8--our good wins have that much weight (hard to match three top-25 RPI wins plus it's a very soft bubble).



This post was edited on 1/26 10:43 PM by SRIV94