Expectations
- Thread starter Cavanagh.13
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I think with a legit AA big man in TJD, at worst we should be a tourney team. All about if shooting improves.
For us to contend for the BIG imo the following would have to happen.
Johnson - will need to come in and be the playmaker he was last year with a focus on not turning the ball over, improving his shooting and becoming an emotional leader of this team.
Stewart - needs to at least be Franklin prior to his injury last year. A pretty big ask for a guy who didn’t play last year.
Kopp - needs to shoot better than last year and improve as a playmaker for others. Also needs improvements on defense.
Race - needs to improve on his perimeter defense, shooting, and stay healthy.
TJD - overall numbers are fine but needs to improve shooting and perimeter defense as well.
Off the bench we need play improvement and consistency improvements from at least 3 of Rob, Leal, Lander, Galloway, Hunter, and Geronimo. 2-3 of these guys should be close to the starters in production and shooting.
Finally we probably need Bates to come in and show he can play some and Duncomb to be able to at least step in and play defense and rebound for 10 minutes a game when people are in foul trouble.
If all those things happen then I think it’s possible to contend for the BIG.
I do not expect it though. I think some of those things happen and we make the tournament.
I will not be calling for a coaches head if it doesn’t happen though. We have to remember that most of these guys are the same people we saw last year and while sometimes players make huge jumps in a single year, it is typically more gradual than that.
Johnson - will need to come in and be the playmaker he was last year with a focus on not turning the ball over, improving his shooting and becoming an emotional leader of this team.
Stewart - needs to at least be Franklin prior to his injury last year. A pretty big ask for a guy who didn’t play last year.
Kopp - needs to shoot better than last year and improve as a playmaker for others. Also needs improvements on defense.
Race - needs to improve on his perimeter defense, shooting, and stay healthy.
TJD - overall numbers are fine but needs to improve shooting and perimeter defense as well.
Off the bench we need play improvement and consistency improvements from at least 3 of Rob, Leal, Lander, Galloway, Hunter, and Geronimo. 2-3 of these guys should be close to the starters in production and shooting.
Finally we probably need Bates to come in and show he can play some and Duncomb to be able to at least step in and play defense and rebound for 10 minutes a game when people are in foul trouble.
If all those things happen then I think it’s possible to contend for the BIG.
I do not expect it though. I think some of those things happen and we make the tournament.
I will not be calling for a coaches head if it doesn’t happen though. We have to remember that most of these guys are the same people we saw last year and while sometimes players make huge jumps in a single year, it is typically more gradual than that.
I really expect to see a very energized Hoosier team that we have not witnessed for far too long... I expect to see a vibrant aggrieve team of recruiters that will infuse our future roster with the type of talent that can challenge for a BIG title each and every season...
We'll all know before the BIG season starts next Jan that we are ready, focused and poised to once again play with renewed heart and pride...
We'll all know before the BIG season starts next Jan that we are ready, focused and poised to once again play with renewed heart and pride...
I picked the highest expectation choice, and this team has been built to win this year. There is absolutely no rebuild and this might be the most unique, rare, lucky or whatever you want to call the opportunity for IU this year.
The biggest anomaly is TJD coming back. These opportunities come about once a decade IMO. Post Knight era I think it has happened once with Cody. Correct me if I am wrong, but that has really been the only player that everyone was shocked came back, and had a clear path to the next level in front of him.
TJD is getting really big, I always see it fascinating the rate of development at men that age. They transform their body in the matter of months. In these videos you are watching him do just that. He is going to be a man among boys next year. Trayce turned 21 in February and will be 22 going into this years tourney. He will be one of many senior citizens on our squad next year.
I was looking at the ages of our team next year come tourney time, and we are gonna be pushing Wisconsin..... Race turns 22 in June, Rob turns 22 in October, and Jerome 22 In December. Then look at our new additions. Kopp turns 23 in December, X 22 in October, Parker 23 in July.
This is easily the most experienced and oldest team in my lifetime. Other than Lander, Geronimo and Bates, all of the expected significant contributors are experienced men. We have guys that have been through it and not got what they have wanted success wise. Coupled with a new coach and rabid fan base, this team is poised to be a hungry killer this year.
The stars are aligning for THIS year. This is the ultimate opportunity. Don't let a new coach and massive underachieving from previous year blind you from the light. All in on next year.
The biggest anomaly is TJD coming back. These opportunities come about once a decade IMO. Post Knight era I think it has happened once with Cody. Correct me if I am wrong, but that has really been the only player that everyone was shocked came back, and had a clear path to the next level in front of him.
TJD is getting really big, I always see it fascinating the rate of development at men that age. They transform their body in the matter of months. In these videos you are watching him do just that. He is going to be a man among boys next year. Trayce turned 21 in February and will be 22 going into this years tourney. He will be one of many senior citizens on our squad next year.
I was looking at the ages of our team next year come tourney time, and we are gonna be pushing Wisconsin..... Race turns 22 in June, Rob turns 22 in October, and Jerome 22 In December. Then look at our new additions. Kopp turns 23 in December, X 22 in October, Parker 23 in July.
This is easily the most experienced and oldest team in my lifetime. Other than Lander, Geronimo and Bates, all of the expected significant contributors are experienced men. We have guys that have been through it and not got what they have wanted success wise. Coupled with a new coach and rabid fan base, this team is poised to be a hungry killer this year.
The stars are aligning for THIS year. This is the ultimate opportunity. Don't let a new coach and massive underachieving from previous year blind you from the light. All in on next year.
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I think we will be pleasantly surprised much like Cody's first year. We had too many player underachieve last year almost all of them. They also had no chemistry. I would expect those players to be energized by the new experienced staff.
Lets face it, that was one of the worst free throw/3 point shooting teams IU has ever had. That is all fixable and the free throws alone could of won 5 more games last year.....Also, Lander to not shoot an air ball from behind the arch all year!!!!!!!!!
Lets face it, that was one of the worst free throw/3 point shooting teams IU has ever had. That is all fixable and the free throws alone could of won 5 more games last year.....Also, Lander to not shoot an air ball from behind the arch all year!!!!!!!!!
You guys got better. A lot of teams in the conference got worse with some getting much worse. No reason you shouldn’t be top 6 in conference unless you get screwed over with the double plays in conference
Got better? They trended down all year until they played themselves out of the tournament.
I think he was saying in the off season. We gained 4 players that could start. Has that happened ever? Except Crean's first couple years lol.
waiting to see if anything else plays out. Still sounds like there may be at least one more roster 'adjustment'. But I do expect this team to be a top 25 team and a tourney team. So for the moment, I would say somewhere between your first and second choice. If all the new pcs blend well as a team, I think top 15 is possible. The talent is there.
Yes, In the offseason.
very few teams will be better than they were last year.
Illinois - worse
Indiana - much better
Iowa - worse
Maryland - much better
Michigan - slightly worse to worse
Michigan st - I thought they’d take a big step forward but then lost Watts and Henry so worse
Minnesota - terrible
Nebraska - around the same
Northwestern - better but not as high as they could’ve been with Koop obviously
OSU - the same to slightly better
penn st - worse
Purdue - better
rutgers - worse
Wisconsin - worse
Most of those things need to happen for us to crack the top half of the Big Ten. I think we can and should expect improvement, but there are so many new components to the team (players and coaches) combined with an obvious need to completely change the culture, so expectations should be managed.
A team that is energized, plays hard and is having fun alone is probably worth 3-4 more wins all by itself.
I don’t have one, but I think UM, MSU, OSU, PU (in no particular order) and maybe UW will be in the lead pack, and probably by a fairly decent gap.
I voted for flirts w top 25 and top 5 in conference, but I would add beats PU at least once and wins at least 1 game in the BTT
I definitely has some disagreements with a couple teams you list there. I think I’ll start a thread to see what others here are thinking
Four of those five make the list because they’re led by the four best coaches in the conference, who nearly always find a way to keep their programs toward the front.
I omitted Maryland, who would fill out my top five and push UW down the list.
UM is a bit of a wild card...they are losing a lot of talent but also have a huge class coming in. They will be talented, just not as experienced. On paper, IU looks to have improved as much or more than any B1G team. Will come down to roster cohesion and adjusting to the new style. Still too many unknowns for me at this point. We will have problems in any game that sees TJD in foul trouble unless we're shooting lights out from 3 (which I haven't seen an IU team do for many yrs).
From a talent/experience standpoint, IU is behind OSU, Maryland, Michigan, and Purdue only. Unless Woodson simply forgot how to coach, no reason to think IU should finish below middle pack.
Assembly Hall has an arch? Or is this some sort of dig at the former Coach?
If the new arrivals show as advertised/hyped, as a Team expect to see IU breaking down the lane and dishing much better with more inside-outside ball movement. Hoping to see an elite defense given that last year's performance kept IU in most games plus the veteran effect coupled with input from Woodson & Fife.
W.r.t. Players, assume TJD will appear to be in beast-mode all Season and earn a first-team all B10 spot. Thompson and Kopp will be very solid if not showy contributors, see Jerome and Geronimo as tantalizing wild cards, and the entire backcourt remains very much an enigma at this point over questions involving individual history, off-Season development and Player chemistry.
Definite reasons for optimism, entirely possible that the combination of Court and Coaching experience produces a ruthlessly efficient and wildly entertaining Team.
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This isn't a back handed slam, fake expectation for Woodson....he's been absolutely killing it and I'm over the moon about how he's taken over.
But the roster he has kept and brought in has been impressive.
He kept an all American who will be an upperclassmen. That's ginormous for any team.
He kept most of his best players from the roster.
He grabbed one of the highest rated transfers at a position of need in Xavier (he was anywhere from #3 to #5 on most lists).
He got some shooters in keeping Parker and getting Kopp.
He got a borderline five star combo guard.
Anyway, if Xavier and Stewart are anywhere as productive as there were previously, that's four high level players all at different positions.
Not many teams will have that.
Behind those four you'll have a bunch of dudes who were fairly highly regarded recruits but haven't shown it yet (Hunter, Lander, Rob, Geronimo, Leal, Galloway, Kopp) that at a min are upper level backups who give Woodson options for different lineup combinations.
Lastly Woodson himself. I liked what Mark Titus said about him. He said 'Woodson has coached against Pat Riley, Popovich and Spoleska....do you think he's going to be intimidated by Greg Guard or Matt Painter?'
I've said this whole time how important it is for Woodson not to have to rebuild and this won't be a rebuild this year.
I think we can hit that top tier but my main expectation is to have a really solid year so Woodson can build the program back up faster.
Having success year one would give his tenure a huge boost recruiting wise.
But the roster he has kept and brought in has been impressive.
He kept an all American who will be an upperclassmen. That's ginormous for any team.
He kept most of his best players from the roster.
He grabbed one of the highest rated transfers at a position of need in Xavier (he was anywhere from #3 to #5 on most lists).
He got some shooters in keeping Parker and getting Kopp.
He got a borderline five star combo guard.
Anyway, if Xavier and Stewart are anywhere as productive as there were previously, that's four high level players all at different positions.
Not many teams will have that.
Behind those four you'll have a bunch of dudes who were fairly highly regarded recruits but haven't shown it yet (Hunter, Lander, Rob, Geronimo, Leal, Galloway, Kopp) that at a min are upper level backups who give Woodson options for different lineup combinations.
Lastly Woodson himself. I liked what Mark Titus said about him. He said 'Woodson has coached against Pat Riley, Popovich and Spoleska....do you think he's going to be intimidated by Greg Guard or Matt Painter?'
I've said this whole time how important it is for Woodson not to have to rebuild and this won't be a rebuild this year.
I think we can hit that top tier but my main expectation is to have a really solid year so Woodson can build the program back up faster.
Having success year one would give his tenure a huge boost recruiting wise.
Agree and I wouldn't be surprised if we had a Juan Howard/Michigan new coach year with these players. I honestly believe this year will be as big a turn a around as Cody's first year. Hate to set the bar that high, but truly believe in what Woody is selling.
If they’re top 5 in the conference they’ll more than just flirt with being a top 25 team. More like like top 15.
Not if they are 4th or 5th. They are almost never in the top 15. You think 5 of the best teams in the country regularly come out of the big ten?
They can barely get a team to a final 4.
Need better overall defense and much improved free throw shooting and TJD developing a 12-15 footer. I think 3 point shooting will be much improved. Won't miss Franklin or Durham. Galloway and Leal will have to get better or they will get splinters from bench[I know- chairs].Team is gonna have to develop chemistry as a lot of new faces on the scene. I like the bench depth though. Best in Big Ten.
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