It truly is shocking. No other way to say it. A once proud program reduced to a punchline.
Problem is that didn’t happen today. IU has been a punch line for 20 years now.
Not entirely. There have been a few glimmers of hope sprinkled in. Otherwise this very hangout would’ve closed shop for lack of interest.
Problem is that didn’t happen today. IU has been a punch line for 20 years now.
Glimers of hope have been the exception. Plenty of programs have had good, consistent programs over that time. IU used to be one of them. But now we just settle for the occasional decent season.
Most people set their bars higher than that.
That wasn't a true 2nd place ..
I'm just not taking the bait to say they are a punchline for 20 years. I have more pride in my Alma mater than that.
People like you accepting that type of mediocrity is precisely why IU is where they are today.
I don't think TR32 is saying anything of the sort. It's simply a fact there haven't been 20 straight years of this same crud we're getting now. We are in a particular bad way currently.
It was a classic case of a small lineup beating a big lineup. Almost ALL coaches would have responded with a smaller lineup in the 2nd half to try to counter it. Not Woodson.
To be fair, the only small guys are walkons. He somehow forgot to get any guards this year.
By small, I mean - only 1 of Reneau or Ware on the court at the same time. Everybody else can reasonably guard the perimeter. We’ve played our best defense with only 1 of them on the court. The Iowa game for example. We needed to match up to their smaller lineup because they were drilling us.
Ok. I get that. Let's say Ware is on the court. What other 4 guys do you put out there with him?
Too much time on the golf course with QB and that guard thing got away from him.
Woodson just needs time I am told.
Any of the other guys (who are playing best at the time) who have been in the rotation lately except for Sparks. Guys who can guard the perimeter to reduce the penetration and open 3 point shots. With at least 1 of Walker or MM in the game to help rebound. More MM than Walker. I’m not saying never play Ware and Malik together. But sometimes you have to if you are getting pounded with a small lineup. Like today in the 2nd half. Our best defensive games might have been Illinois and Iowa, when only one of them was on the court.
Again, who? Leal, Trey, Gunn? Then what do you do when they need a break? When you leave an open scholly, have another guard out for the season, and a third guard who can't stay healthy, there just aren't many options.
I still can’t figure out how Sparks was All MAC or whatever. He becomes unable to maintain his balance once a basketball is in his hands.
We played a small lineup the last 2 games. Illinois without Ware. And most of the Iowa game without Malik. And those were probably our best 2 defensive games of the year. So go back and watch those games if you can’t understand what I am talking about.
Just can't do it, can you? Bro, I'm not mad...we've all been traumatized by this crapfest.I agree with your trauma description. I am in shock and extremely upset.
I just did it. But yes - trauma.
Seriously? I get that you're looking for glass half full, but IU was TIED for 2nd at 12-8 in a terribly weak B1G where they earned a 4 seed. As a 2nd place team.
I don't accept mediocrity. I just stand up for my university.
He is totally under utilized on this team. He needs space to work in the paint. If Sparks was the 5 with Mgbako and McNeely as dual wings, add a true combo guard from the portal, then, say Gallo as the other, he would do fine.
I got to go to church tomorrow with Penn State fans. It's gonna be rough.
Lmao #1 seed. Is that where your standards are? 1 seed then ran off the floor in Sweet 16 and you’re happy. Good grief.
Don’t wear your IU shirt and take sunglasses
The idea that *this* program is somehow too good to accept those results is laughable.
Maybe. When you spend top-5 NIL $ in the country and have the biggest athletic dept budget for bball in the B1G, it seems like our fans should expect top results.
And what hope do any of us have that it will change? Be honest. Will a "better roster" happen and would it matter? Would one good shooting guard really change anything? Would Woody suddenly adopt an outside-in offense? Would he suddenly create opportunities or run sets for this "shooter"? Will he retain Ware, Malik and Mgbako? X is gone (awesome) and a couple of transfers into the portal and guess what? We'll have a brand new "young" team again next year.
There’s what the fans want/demand/expect, and then there’s what is actually a successful season given what this program now is, after all this time.
The fans don’t expect much — usually pretty happy to make the tournament and win a game. Look how full AH has been this year for an awful team.
Confession “father I am a rabid Hoosier fan, have I sinned”? No my son but you may want to pray for a new AD and coaching staff. And say 5 Hail Marys just in case.
Pick the right coach next time. And if that coach is good enough and lucky enough - it can turnaround very fast. And all that other shit won’t matter. And you do need some luck in the portal-NIL world that is basically free agency every year.
Build around a core, and use the portal/recruits to fill gaps. This is what the last two coaches failed at and Woody is following right along. In management they call it being reactive, but in reality there’s only one style of management - proactive.
