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IU has commitments from 2 4* guards in 2020..

Was Morgan a freshman last year?

This year’s front court will not be better than last year’s. No way, no how. That’s just pure delusions. We lost one of our top post players of the last 20 years and added a 4 star freshman and Butler backup. This is crazy talk.

You're on crack. Juwan Morgan was the single interior presence IU had, at 6-8 nonetheless. IU will get more production from their front court offensively this year and will be much better defensively.
 
You would have absolutely lost your mind if Indiana hired a D3 coach. Jeffries likely isn’t at IU in the first place if it wasn’t for Davis. He almost didn’t play as a freshman if Davis wasn’t named interim and it wouldn’t have been a shock if he left after his freshman year had an entire new staff been brought in.

We wouldn't have hired a D3 coach. But, if we had, at least that coach would've had head coaching experience. I remember when Bruce Pearl and Ray Harper were duking it out in D2 around these parts. And it was obvious that those two guys knew how to coach a basketball team and win -- even if both of them had reputations for a casual relationship with the rules. Those of us who watched Pearl's USI teams in those days aren't the least bit surprised at his success at Auburn (of course, we're also not surprised he's been in hot water...but that's beside the point here).

Also, you mentioned that Scott May supported Davis getting the IU job. Tell me, where did Sean end up playing his college ball?
 
Was Morgan a freshman last year?

This year’s front court will not be better than last year’s. No way, no how. That’s just pure delusions. We lost one of our top post players of the last 20 years and added a 4 star freshman and Butler backup. This is crazy talk.
We will see. I have to respectfully disagree with you on the Frontcourt. Morgan did not achieve what I expected as a Senior, and was an undersized post player. TJD was a McDonald's HS All-American, has more size, talent, and tools than Morgan. This years front court should be way better than last season, and I dont think it will even be close. Obviously I think Race, TJD, and Brunk are much better actual players than you do. Because on paper this coming season's frontcourt is a major upgrade from last season and will be the best Frontcourt since Archie has been at IU.
 
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Was Morgan a freshman last year?

This year’s front court will not be better than last year’s. No way, no how. That’s just pure delusions. We lost one of our top post players of the last 20 years and added a 4 star freshman and Butler backup. This is crazy talk.
I concur, your post is crazy talk. Congratulations on your first accurate assessment in a long time.

This year’s front court has more size, depth and balance than last years’. It’s perfectly reasonable to think they have a good chance to be better than last year. Flatly staying they won’t be better or will be worse is much less reasonable, or in your term, “delusions.”
 
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Also, you mentioned that Scott May supported Davis getting the IU job. Tell me, where did Sean end up playing his college ball?

Those aren't mutually exclusive of one another. Sean May didn't go to IU because IU fired Bob Knight. Sean May committed to North Carolina months before Davis was named permanent head coach.
 
Those aren't mutually exclusive of one another. Sean May didn't go to IU because IU fired Bob Knight. Sean May committed to North Carolina months before Davis was named permanent head coach.

I’m not sure about your timeline there. Looking back, Sean committed to UNC in late October of 2001 — after Wright and Strickland had already committed to IU. Here’s an interview with Bracey from November 2, 2001 discussing Sean’s commitment.

That’s in the early part of Davis’ 2nd year at the helm, after he’d been retained full-time.


Here’s a story from March 2001 discussing Davis losing the interim tag.

But it’s still beside the point — which is that Sean May didn’t think enough of Mike Davis to play for him. You ever hear the old adage that actions speak louder than words?
 
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I’m not sure about your timeline there. Looking back, Sean committed to UNC in late October of 2001 — after Wright and Strickland had already committed to IU. Here’s an interview with Bracey from November 2, 2001 discussing Sean’s commitment.

That’s in the early part of Davis’ 2nd year at the helm, after he’d been retained full-time.


Here’s a story from March 2001 discussing Davis losing the interim tag.

But it’s still beside the point — which is that Sean May didn’t think enough of Mike Davis to play for him. You ever hear the old adage that actions speak louder than words?
That’s how I remembered it. Glad my memory is still correct - at times. ;) By that time Scott May had decided Davis wasn’t the coach for his son and apparently Sean agreed.
 
I’m not sure about your timeline there. Looking back, Sean committed to UNC in late October of 2001 — after Wright and Strickland had already committed to IU. Here’s an interview with Bracey from November 2, 2001 discussing Sean’s commitment.

That’s in the early part of Davis’ 2nd year at the helm, after he’d been retained full-time.


Here’s a story from March 2001 discussing Davis losing the interim tag.

But it’s still beside the point — which is that Sean May didn’t think enough of Mike Davis to play for him. You ever hear the old adage that actions speak louder than words?

Yeah I guess I'm off a year. Thought May was a class behind Jeffries, not two.
 
I’m not sure about your timeline there. Looking back, Sean committed to UNC in late October of 2001 — after Wright and Strickland had already committed to IU. Here’s an interview with Bracey from November 2, 2001 discussing Sean’s commitment.

That’s in the early part of Davis’ 2nd year at the helm, after he’d been retained full-time.


Here’s a story from March 2001 discussing Davis losing the interim tag.

But it’s still beside the point — which is that Sean May didn’t think enough of Mike Davis to play for him. You ever hear the old adage that actions speak louder than words?

In Knight's view, Davis double crossed him by taking the IU job. That riled some people who were close to Knight. From a distance, it looked like a bit of continuity, at least until we saw the first game when Davis pitched the motion offense.
 
I’m not sure about your timeline there. Looking back, Sean committed to UNC in late October of 2001 — after Wright and Strickland had already committed to IU. Here’s an interview with Bracey from November 2, 2001 discussing Sean’s commitment.

That’s in the early part of Davis’ 2nd year at the helm, after he’d been retained full-time.


Here’s a story from March 2001 discussing Davis losing the interim tag.

But it’s still beside the point — which is that Sean May didn’t think enough of Mike Davis to play for him. You ever hear the old adage that actions speak louder than words?

Multiple players have confirmed that there Knight put pressure on Scott with Sean.

Jeffries laughed and admitted that Knight asked him to transfer and he was like...I'm probably going into the NBA after this year, I'm not sitting out a year f that.

He then said that years later when playing for the Knicks, Knight still was miffed at him

This all per the Hoosier Hysterics Jeffries interview. It had some good stuff like that, like it was his dad that made him stay two years, that he knew he was leaving and kept telling his agent that he'd start workouts after the USC game (he didn't think we'd beat them) then after the Duke game (he didn't think we could beat them).

Lastly the reason why he didn't block out Boozer at the was because he was so mad at Fife and was stewing about how he was going to beat the shit out of him.

Fife of course says he never fouled Williams, it was a Duke call.

Anyway, it's light-headed and a good listen.
 
Well, if the purpose of the internet over the decades has been to produce the dumbest post ever, then we may as well shut the whole thing down. You have just typed what amounts to the Holy Grail of stupidity.

I just hope he isn't relied upon for desicion making at work.
 
I'm not sure I agree with that, not with the way Knight was let go. Following a legend such as Knight was no easy task. It's fading on me because it's been almost 20 years but I seem to recall a lot of interest in either Steve Alford and Rick Pitino after it was a foregone conclusion he was done in Boston. Gladly would have taken either of those at the time, but given hindsight would IU have really been any worse off today? Results would have been there with Pitino but look how he disgraced Louisville's image and Alford is wildly underachieving. How long do you think the admin would have been willing to hang off to one of the best players to ever come out of there?

You won't change my opinion just like I won't change yours, but Mike Davis earned the job his interim year. He took IU to a national title and was given a short leash. I will never argue against IU's decision to retain Davis. He earned it.

I agree with the vast majority of your posts. On this we can agree to disagree. I admit that I was against making Davis the head coach from the start, and always felt he should have been designated with the interim title when he go the position in September.

I was in Atlanta for the FF in year 2, and Davis further alienated me when he openly campaigned for an NBA job all week. I said then and still feel that those comments hurt IU in recruiting for the next several years. How easy it was to show recruits Davis' comments that he was leaving IU for the NBA as soon as he could... Davis' use of the media in renegotiating his salary, at least twice, struck me as unprofessional. I was also at Freedom Hall for the epic meltdown, that to this day is a hit on YouTube. "He will always be part of the IU family"....Josh Smith and Mike Davis.
 
Still remember the story of Davis sending Conley Jr. a letter intended for Sherron Collins (?). Could be wrong on who the letter was intended for, but it definitely wasn't suppose to go to Conley. Not only messed up the recruitment of Conley, but also Oden.

Definitely a good story.
 
I agree with the vast majority of your posts. On this we can agree to disagree. I admit that I was against making Davis the head coach from the start, and always felt he should have been designated with the interim title when he go the position in September.

I was in Atlanta for the FF in year 2, and Davis further alienated me when he openly campaigned for an NBA job all week. I said then and still feel that those comments hurt IU in recruiting for the next several years. How easy it was to show recruits Davis' comments that he was leaving IU for the NBA as soon as he could... Davis' use of the media in renegotiating his salary, at least twice, struck me as unprofessional. I was also at Freedom Hall for the epic meltdown, that to this day is a hit on YouTube. "He will always be part of the IU family"....Josh Smith and Mike Davis.

Not sure I agree about the recruiting part. Recruiting (at least in terms of talent) wasn’t his issue, coaching was. His first class with Bracey, Strickland, and Wilmont was extremely good. He did swing and miss on his fair share of in-state guys, Oden, Conley, McRobets, but he still recruited plenty of talent (Vaden, DJ White, Josh Smith before he opted to the NBA, Ratliff), he got some good ones just couldn’t coach them up.
 
You are 1 out of 4 at best, which is better than you usually are. Why the hate on IU players, too?
I’m not “hating” on players. Every offseason there are these delusional hopes that everyone will improve like Oladipo from sophomore to junior year. 99% of the time it doesn’t happen.
 
Well, if the purpose of the internet over the decades has been to produce the dumbest post ever, then we may as well shut the whole thing down. You have just typed what amounts to the Holy Grail of stupidity.
Fitzner averaged more points and rebounds at St Mary’s than Brunk did at Butler. You’re going to be extremely let down if you expect Brunk to be significantly better than Fitzner.
 
We will see. I have to respectfully disagree with you on the Frontcourt. Morgan did not achieve what I expected as a Senior, and was an undersized post player. TJD was a McDonald's HS All-American, has more size, talent, and tools than Morgan. This years front court should be way better than last season, and I dont think it will even be close. Obviously I think Race, TJD, and Brunk are much better actual players than you do. Because on paper this coming season's frontcourt is a major upgrade from last season and will be the best Frontcourt since Archie has been at IU.
I think you’re going to really miss Morgan. We don’t have anyone remotely close to All Big Ten caliber. I’d trade TJD (as freshman), Brunk, and Race all for Morgan.
 
I’m not “hating” on players. Every offseason there are these delusional hopes that everyone will improve like Oladipo from sophomore to junior year. 99% of the time it doesn’t happen.
Once again you throw out this “99% of the time assertion with zero percent support. You’re great for laughs. Keep it coming.
 
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In Knight's view, Davis double crossed him by taking the IU job. That riled some people who were close to Knight. From a distance, it looked like a bit of continuity, at least until we saw the first game when Davis pitched the motion offense.

Oh I know. Knight went out of his way to torpedo Davis and IU. RMK has a lot of positive qualities. But I think he viewed the IU men’s basketball program essentially as his own property. And he was also as vindictive as he was loyal.

But really, the fact that Davis’ hiring caused that much of a wedge between Knight devouts and those who simply wanted the program to thrive in the post-Knight era is that much reason more why Davis shouldn’t have been retained. Should’ve hired somebody who had no ties one way or the other.
 
Once again you throw out this “99% of the time assertion with zero percent support. You’re great for laughs. Keep it coming.
You need proof that most players don’t make jump Oladipo did? There are approximately 4,000 D1 basketball players and you think more than 1% improve like Oladipo did? Take a break and catch up.
 
Fitzner averaged more points and rebounds at St Mary’s than Brunk did at Butler. You’re going to be extremely let down if you expect Brunk to be significantly better than Fitzner.

You're going to be "significantly let down" when Brunk lights things up with double doubles...
 
You need proof that most players don’t make jump Oladipo did? There are approximately 4,000 D1 basketball players and you think more than 1% improve like Oladipo did? Take a break and catch up.
You’re so funny. No one expects any of them to be Oladipo, we expect them to be better. You’re an anti-IU troll so you post like you expect everyone to regress.
 
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I’m not “hating” on players. Every offseason there are these delusional hopes that everyone will improve like Oladipo from sophomore to junior year. 99% of the time it doesn’t happen.

Who on Earth said anything about anyone making an Oladipo type leap? Nobody. Why do you always speak in absolutes and extremes? You’re right, 99% of players don’t take Oladipo-type leaps, that’s why nobody has claimed that. But you know what? Close to 99% of college basketball players gradually get better with experience. That’s the expectation for next year. Keep talking out of your ass though, it is entertaining.
 
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You're going to be "significantly let down" when Brunk lights things up with double doubles...

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So if we can all agree that we're in a similar camp as Iowa, can't we at least all agree that transcending to the top isn't going to happen overnight? A program like Iowa isn't going to become an elite program overnight. You're never going to become an elite program if you fire a coach every two years when you don't see immediate results.

There are 3 programs in the entire country that have seen sustained success for over a 50 year period and that's Kentucky, North Carolina, and Kansas. Duke didn't become elite overnight and in fact is was quite a struggle for Coach K his first 5 or 6 years. Villanova didn't become elite overnight and in fact it took over 10 years for Villanova to really become elite. Same thing with Tony Bennett at Virginia. He didn't exactly hit the ground running his first 4 or 5 years either.

The only way Indiana is going to get back to the top is through consistency and continuity. That's not going to happen after firing a coach after 2-3 years because there is no instant gratification. Sure, someone like Chris Beard is the example of instant gratification, but Texas Tech still has a way to go to prove that they actually belong at the top.
Again, I hated Crean when he was at Marquette so if I was the AD I would have let him go just for that. Lol

I would obviously put in some serious back channel feelers on Brad. Maybe we did that, maybe we didn't. I can only go by what the message boards were saying and the gist when I was pushing it was....

1. I was being too mean and ruthless
2.Brad Stevens is still unproven at a Big Boy school.
3. We have the movement coming!

If Stevens said no in back channels, I still probably fire Crean (again, I personally hated him as our coach) and go after a bunch of dudes knowing I had Pearl (who I love as a coach but obviously isn't a fit for IU, but we'd win big) and Wittman/Alford in my back pocket. All three would be improvements to Crean.

Again, I'm not rational when it comes to Crean as a steward of the program.
I'm not sure I agree with that, not with the way Knight was let go. Following a legend such as Knight was no easy task. It's fading on me because it's been almost 20 years but I seem to recall a lot of interest in either Steve Alford and Rick Pitino after it was a foregone conclusion he was done in Boston. Gladly would have taken either of those at the time, but given hindsight would IU have really been any worse off today? Results would have been there with Pitino but look how he disgraced Louisville's image and Alford is wildly underachieving. How long do you think the admin would have been willing to hang off to one of the best players to ever come out of there?

You won't change my opinion just like I won't change yours, but Mike Davis earned the job his interim year. He took IU to a national title and was given a short leash. I will never argue against IU's decision to retain Davis. He earned it.
Who knows what Pitino would have been like at IU? We monitored phone calls. Hard to think strippers et al would have gone unnoticed.
Remember how a few years ago people were salivating over Tom Jurich as what an AD should be?
 
My only rub is bitching about recruiting.

One because no one knows how these kids will play together.

Two because I have a hard time understanding anyone who enjoyed the Knight era really freaking out over stars.

Think about it...one of his greatest classes on paper was the Patterson, Reed, Miller, Hogston, Hermon class.

And it was basically the class that got him fired.

Patterson, Reed, Recker and Collier were the highest rated players we got in the 90's. Guyton and Haston were some of the lowest.

If you ever listen to the Hoosier Hysterics podcasts where they interview ex players, most say one of the big keys to Knight's success was he knew the kind of player he needed and they weren't all five stars. Actually he had some of his most trouble with five stars (Delray, Flowers, Funderburke, Patterson, Reed, Collier, Recker....and I don't like putting Patterson and Delray as they were great kids but didn't fit with Knight's style).

Instead of 5 star James Blackmon he got 4 star Steve Alford.
Instead of 5 star Funderburke he got zero star Cheaney.

Anyway yes, Knight got some great players in his heyday but he also has a record of solid four and three star soldiers who became great that weren't five stars with demands and a clown posse attached to them like Kitchell, Wittman, Jim Thomas, Alford, Cheaney, Evans, Guyton, Haston, etc.

Five years ago, after the nonsense of the Johnson brothers, Painter told Dakich on his show that he needed to stop prioritizing HS rankings and go get guys that really fit his brand...which the fanbase isn't going to like and he'd have to manage but he needed more 'Purdue guys' vs going down a list.
Bob Knight aside I think the last several years have shown us that stars are the way to go. Would you go with the results we have had the last 20 years or UK and Duke? I don't think we need all One and done but throw some in there. You don't turn down Zion, Anthony Davis, etc
He's done pretty well since I'd say.
 
Archie has a completely different style when compared to Crean. The players in place upon Archie’s arrival lacked the skills required to be effective and had to change. Add to this that Archie had to take what he could his first class, and has to establish a completely different culture. Surely you can see that this will take time.

Positive momentum must be built in this case. The program was stagnant when CAM took over...
I know the situation is different but UK went to the NIT, fired Gillespie and almost wiped the whole roster out and went to EE in his first year. I want that to happen here in year 3 or 4
 

I believe the best players every year are still upperclassmen in general.

As Snow says on TOS, in general a 21 year old four star will beat an 18 year old five star.

It adds a new wrinkle to recruiting and evaluating but I want the best players who will grow old and dominate like Nova, Virginia, Kansas and UNC (they are led and dominated by upperclassmen in general).

Actually the Zeller teams are a great example of what I believe is the blueprint. We had two experienced pros (Cody and Vic) surrounded by a core of talented four and high three stars.
 
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Fitzner averaged more points and rebounds at St Mary’s than Brunk did at Butler. You’re going to be extremely let down if you expect Brunk to be significantly better than Fitzner.
Brunk is better post player than Fitzner.
He won't disappear.
 
Who knows what Pitino would have been like at IU? We monitored phone calls. Hard to think strippers et al would have gone unnoticed.
Remember how a few years ago people were salivating over Tom Jurich as what an AD should be?
Pitino is scum.
 
I know the situation is different but UK went to the NIT, fired Gillespie and almost wiped the whole roster out and went to EE in his first year. I want that to happen here in year 3 or 4

Uhh I think you're extremely downplaying the situation Calipari walked into. That Kentucky team returned 3 starters from the year before two of them seniors to be. He also inherited a sophomore class of Patrick Patterson, Deandre Liggins, and Darius Miller who were all consensus top 35 players coming out of high school and who all eventually played in the NBA. That doesn't include the recruiting class of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton who were all 5* recruits that he was able to bring in.
 
Uhh I think you're extremely downplaying the situation Calipari walked into. That Kentucky team returned 3 starters from the year before two of them seniors to be. He also inherited a sophomore class of Patrick Patterson, Deandre Liggins, and Darius Miller who were all consensus top 35 players coming out of high school and who all eventually played in the NBA. That doesn't include the recruiting class of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton who were all 5* recruits that he was able to bring in.
They were loaded with talent.
 
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