6-3 jr. college center from France, Jade Ondineme, from Northwest Florida Jr college. Coach Moren has a bevy of bigs now.
IU women pick up a big
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why? IU Hoops Forum? Frankly I'd rather see mens and women's news together as long as it's identified as women's in the heading. I'd probably not check the women's forum otherwise, but like to keep up with what's going on with the program.
At least she understands how important bigs are on a team.
There it is...
Technically, so did Woodson.
CDD, and IU, could certainly use another big or two...obviously. But what's also obvious is IF one had to pick a specific type of player, or specific area to be thin with, in today's game, it would be bigs. More and more examples every year of elite level teams winning without traditional bigs. So building a new team from scratch, and focusing on, and landing, the guys he did...I like the approach. That doesn't mean I'm not hoping for him to land at least one more impactful big. But if that doesn't happen, IU will be fine.
There are obvious results that I think CDD needs to show in year 1. Win more than he loses. Make the NCAA tournament. Show overall competitiveness with elite level teams on the schedule. But just as important as that, more important long term, is establishing what the program is going to be. I think its pretty obvious he was very intent on signing shooting, willingness and ability to pass the ball, offensive versatility. And for a coach that's recently proven to be a pretty decent defensive coach, with a solid team oriented philosophy... Indiana becoming known as that type of program, offensively, could reap huge dividends going forward...
Your rationale will be completely lost on a select few here, and you know it. Nice try though.
Do you still think that signing a "big" might happen?
Doesn't appear that there is much talk about a possible signing.
I'm o.k. trying though. I was consistent when Woody started that he was focusing on the wrong things...and many blasted me for it. His antiquated approach both held his teams back (and held TJD back in some ways), AND made it more difficult for himself to land elite level guards and wings. Is CDD alienating elite level bigs right now? Time will tell on that one, we'll see when they start playing the games. But even if he does continue past this cycle to land elite bigs, if his program is successful and appealing to guards and wings, IU will be just fine going forward.
Can't think of anyone...but I'd still be surprised if something doesn't develop somehow. There's almost always May/June movement.
But even if it doesn't...I've said this a couple times now... if we hadn't signed Sam Alexis yet, and we signed him today, I think the mindset towards all this would be dramatically different. He's actually a pretty darn good version of the type of big most are clamoring for.
I can forgive it as "playing the hand you're dealt" and having to live with the realities of what was available in the portal, the new NIL landscape budget-wise and needing to construct a whole roster, but we lived through anticipatable issues and poorly constructed rosters to varying degrees with all of our last 3 coaches. I'd like to see CDD prioritize more balanced rosters depth-wise and not get undone by something that could be foreseen, if not expected. I don't like calling out individual players, because they may have never been a fit or not wanted to play here/already had a deal in place, etc... but Curtis seemed to be a great fit in giving us size, and as a freshman, help to balance classes. Sucked to see him go to NB. Hope he doesn't wear us out over the next few years. I'd have certainly thought we could have nabbed a kid over NB if we wanted him. Seemed as though we didn't really want him though because TJ said he had picked ASU over WVU and IU, so there was some familiarity there. Hoping CDD just felt it didn't match or something, but headscratcher from afar.
Definitely one that is a big question mark, at this point. I hope the answer isn't that he somehow knows BOTH Goode and Leal will be taking the last 2 scholarships, but that seems to be a popular thought right now. What I do hope the answer is, is that he's confident that he has good quality and depth at the big/post roles, for how he intends to play, with the guys that he has. And he knew that Curtis wasn't likely going to play over any of the guys he has already, and isn't the type that would lie to him about that.
Doesn't really matter if he would've played or not, imo. I've said it all along, a well-constructed roster is 3 deep at every position: starter, backup, developmental. There can be cross over among those and between positions, so as a 4 year player, Curtis met a few needs:backup, culture development/continuity and developmental. We don't have that for the frontcourt with our current guys, so I think we're thin there, regardless of how he intends to play. I tend to look at D first and that's what I'm talking about. Bailey's rep is as a sub par interior defender (I think horrible is the adjective I've heard used), which means we're going to need more out of the other 2 guys in terms of minutes played likely. I agree with the HH guys analysis on Leal: I don't think he'll be granted another year because he lacks the argument that Goode has and it would open the NCAA up to tons more appeals. They won't want that. Hoping we can keep that spot open and somehow someway another post comes along. Internationally perhaps.
Well...first off... your premise doesn't add up mathmatically... 3 deep for all 5 positions, is 15 guys. So it implies some overlap in positions and roles. And that's where you start to lose your argument.
If CDD intends to play 4 guard/wings, all the time, then we're "3 deep" at the 5, or post spot. Having bigger, physical, wings like DeVries, Miles, and heck, maybe Sisley...makes that a more plausible approach. Having bigger and stronger guards like Conerway and Wilkerson further enables that approach.
Lead Guard
Starter - Conerway
Backup - Enright
Developmental - Drake
Guard/Wings
Starters - Wilkerson and either Dorn or Miles
Backup - Dorn or Miles, Goode
Developmental - Drake or Sisley
Stretch 4
Starter - Devries
Backup - Miles, Bailey, or Harris
Developmental - Sisley or Harris
Big
Starter - Bailey or Alexis
Backup - Bailey or Alexes
Developmental - Harris
The only thing you've been "right" about, at this point, is it would be nice to have another rim protecting big. But I think a pretty strong argument could be made we're actually more thin in the backcourt, right now, than we are at the 5. Conerway or Wilkerson go down, what happens then?
Do we have an idea of how many uncommitted bigs from the portal are also testing the NBA draft? I see Boogie Fland just withdrew from the draft, and is in the portal and that is what got me thinking of this. Could CDD simply be waiting to see who withdrawls from the draft before going all in on another big?
Welcome to 2025, where having mobile skilled players at the interior positions instead of slow footed dinosaurs can also be effective.
It's almost if some of you have completely ignored basketball in the 30 second era... it's not the bigs winning championships, it's triple threat guards and wings. Mobility, quickness, skills at the post positions >> power. It's not 1976 anymore.
We have two guys that can play the 5, 1 more would be nice. A long defensive role player would be great, but y'all act like we have no one. Recruiting will not be complete until about july .. or even later for some teams. Maybe relax and let the damn coach, coach.. Novel idea I know.
I like Alexis a lot. My main issue with the lack of bigs is what happens if Bailey, Alexis or Harris miss games with injury. He's open for criticism in that event. Backing off the 7 1 kid was a head scratcher for me UNLESS they assume they can get someone else who can make a bigger immediate impact.
It does add up, because as you then immediately listed, and as I said in my post, you can have crossover between positions. Even if you play only 1 post, 3 guys is thin, and there certainly is a need for a bigger, and rim protector type. I think it's fair to state that that's a hole in our roster and that CDD could've filled and didn't for whatever reason. Easily anticipatable. If one (or more) of those guys goes down, I think it will spell trouble. I just hope it is something he'll address in the future and not leave such a glaring need unaddressed. This year? You can write off to circumstances. If it keeps happening then I think its a problem.
I still think we get 1-3 more players in addition to Goode. 1-2 more bigs, and possibly Leal.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see us with 15 scholarship players. Seems like we are going to have a ton of eggs in next years basket, and face a big rebuild the following year. Not that it matters. This is the era of one year rosters. We have zero excuses for next year being a rebuild, and zero excuses if the following year is also a rebuild.
Fair enough, overall... could use another big, for sure.
You start to lose me with the "CDD could've filled"..."Easily anticipatable"... He signed 3 guys, varying types of bigs, 6-8 to 6-10, one of which has demonstrated backline rebounding and shot blocking abilities in the past?? He signed 3 guys capable of being lead guards. He signed 3-4 versatile wings. He has 4 guys that have multiple years of eligibility, all four being different positions and types of players.
Another variable at play... the big supply pool was much smaller this year, which I'm sure pushed the "costs" higher. The last thing he needed to do was pay multiple 6 figures for a guy like Dallas James, or Tim Priller...for the sole reasons of depth, practice competition, etc... Its very possible he wouldn't have wanted the wrong kind of big, to mess up his practices...and felt like he'd rather play 5 guards, if injuries and foul trouble pushed him past the 3 guys he got, instead of playing a sub par big that didn't match how he wanted to play.
2 kids were conference players of the year, TD was a POY at Drake, Bailey was 1st team all Conference, Miles was 3rd team AC. So 3 kids who were the best player in their conference, another that was 1st team AC, and another that was 3rd team. Not sure CPOY would be called a "role" player
Who are you referencing?
Bailey, starting big for Davidson.
Conerway, starting PG for Troy.
Wilkerson, starting guard for SHSU
DeVries, starting wing for WVU
Miles, starting wing for N Florida
Harris, played 4th or 5th most minutes, one of the main rotation bigs for N Florida
Dorn, starting wing for Elon
Enright, averaged most minutes per game for DePaul
Drake, maybe fits your claim, but was top 3-4 in minutes and led Drexel in assists per game
Alexis, fits your claim...but was an all conference player at Chattanooga before Florida, and was a main rotation guy before his injury...for the best team in the country...
Sisley...incoming frosh, has never been a backup in his life, so we'll see.
I don't know where you're getting that from ..
Devries, Conerway, Bailey, Wilkerson and Dorn were all #1 options for their teams. Miles and Drake were at least top three options...
The rest, sure .. but all? No ...
That's why I said IDK. Just looking at the numbers/stats from last season on these players, nothing really jumped out at me. Maybe I was expecting a huge get like Scalia, etc. but I guess we will get a better feel for the team in the fall.
Garzon jumping ship was a huge jolt to me and I assume others. There was some speculation of the Jewish population at the school and in the local area playing a big part in her decision. Again, that is just speculation and I don't remember hearing or seeing any explanation for her entering the portal.
You speaking of WBB? This thread is all over the place.
Yeah, the original post was about WBB. Then it got sideways into MBB talk.
The reason a women's basketball forum was added, and I am just spitballing here, was to put discussions about women's basketball into said forum.
Might be the reason a women's basketball forum was added?
Or, it could be for folks who want to talk it exclusively or in more detail. The Water Cooler, Fball and AOTF don't prevent occasional non-bball comments here, but do provide a place for more detailed discussions. As I said, I appreciate updates here, because I doubt I'll visit a womens bball board much, and the name of this forum is IU Hoops, so think it's appropriate. And, I don't think I'm the only one who is that way. You saw the title, so skip the thread if you don't want to read it.
Better than talk about the Pacers.
its slow time of the yr. I hate the Pacers but have to admit that I’ve clicked on those threads just b/c there is nothing going on here.
I don't get why anyone would object: the forum name is literally IU Hoops forum! So, it's Pacers content that doesn't belong, but even that I don't mind seeing because if I don't want to read it, I just don't click. Seems the argument is: not only do I not want to see it (don't open it!), but I don't want anyone else to either! Weird.
I feel the same way about IU FB threads on this forum. At least it’s still IU. And, if it’s clearly marked in OP, I can just not click. (We’ve had numerous drunken threads started on gambling, horse racing, baseball, etc)
