Questions/rogue variables for IU in the Dance

[rikki-tikka-tava]

These will sound familiar to most, but the erratic nature of IU's performance makes predicting how they will play on any given night next to impossible. The number of reliable constants displayed by the Team/Players is fairly limited - TJD will show up, Kopp will do his best and Woodson will have numerous opportunities to display his signature look of incredulity at decision-making as well as officiating. On the other side, that leaves a number of questions that simply cannot be answered until gametime. To wit:

1) Which version of JHS shows up? In the same way that many obsessed about good/bad Devonte Green and Xavier Johnson, Jalen has displayed a similarly Jekyll and Hyde persona on the Court if in fact less extreme in terms of highs and lows. The 'performance of the year' effort he turned in against pU was very much an outlier as he had far more outings with stat lines akin to 4-13 from the field and dismal assist/TO ratios. As more often than not a shoot-first PG, IU's fortunes are to a large extent dependent on his marksmanship and nascent playmaking ability.

2) Race Thompson. His maddening propensity for book-ending competent workmanlike to borderline brilliant play around boneheaded lapses in focus/execution needs no elaboration. IU needs Race to be on his game.

3) Galloway. Most everyone's favorite over-achiever. IU is much better when he's contributing whether he's dishing, scoring or disrupting. Sort of inexplicably MIA the last couple games, but seems if he has a good game so does IU.

4) Miller Kopp. He'll give it his all, only real variable in his play is his shooting proficiency.

5) Tamar. Woof. Defense has improved but his infuriating penchant for blowing close shots and lay-ups on his infrequent trips to the rack could be fatal. Have to hope the brighter lights of national 'showtime' get him over the 'hump' and lock him in from deep.

6) Geronimo. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the Season to date for my part if only for fact of having expected him to amass a highlight reel of doing the things that only he can do. Fortunately the Seson ain't over yet...

7) Malik. If ever there was a time for a freshman to show that he's a future force to be reckoned with this is it.

8) Kaleb Banks. Not sure why he isn't seeing more of the Floor as his D, intensity and decision making seems solid, but reckon Woodson has his reasons. Nurturing a faint hope that he emerges as some post-Season secret weapon in the Dance.

So there it is, IU enters the Tourney 8-9 deep with a need for precision, focus and intensity. I expect IU to advance into the second round. After all, they'll have had nearly a week to get ready, several starters facing their last run together, and Mike 'been there done that' Woodson riding herd.

Indiana we're all for you

 

[8Stars5Banners]

And Leal will continue to be a great cheerleader.

 

[frikkenfrakken]

Don't forget about the original maddeningly good/bad player, Troy Williams.

But yeah, the gap between the floor and ceiling with this team is gigantic. They could beat Houston, or lose to Kent State.

 

[GeorgeStrait IU]

Don't forget about the original maddeningly good/bad player, Troy Williams.

But yeah, the gap between the floor and ceiling with this team is gigantic. They could beat Houston, or lose to Kent State.

I get what you're saying.. But people make Houston out to be some dominating force. Even with Sasser they arent. JMHO.. Houston starts running into an Iowa/Auburn and on, its going to get very very tough for them...

 

[rikki-tikka-tava]

Don't forget about the original maddeningly good/bad player, Troy Williams.

But yeah, the gap between the floor and ceiling with this team is gigantic. They could beat Houston, or lose to Kent State.

My point stated far more concisely. Recalling what they did to Illinois in Champaign or @ pU vs. their 'not greatest hits' there's just no telling.

 

[steelyvan]

wondering what the back story is on your accurate observation about Trey being MIA.

 

[rikki-tikka-tava]

wondering what the back story is on your accurate observation about Trey being MIA.

Planetary misalignment, dog died, time of month, broken heart, food poisoning, whatever - empathize but don't really care. Time of year for everyone to play better than they ever have. Whatever it was/is, do expect him to show up this weekend with something akin to murder in his heart. 🍏

 

[BusdriverE]

Really impressed with the development of MR. Has really improved and has gotten over the freshman adjustment, in his case, not fouling as much. Banks has been an inspiration with his hustle play, a la Geronimo used to do. And speaking of, is his leg still bothering him or just as frustrated with his development as we are? It’s just nice to be concentrating on the dance and not NIT….and let’s enjoy the run and worry about next year, next year

 

[rikki-tikka-tava]

Really impressed with the development of MR. Has really improved and has gotten over the freshman adjustment, in his case, not fouling as much. Banks has been an inspiration with his hustle play, a la Geronimo used to do. And speaking of, is his leg still bothering him or just as frustrated with his development as we are? It’s just nice to be concentrating on the dance and not NIT….and let’s enjoy the run and worry about next year, next year

But, but, just because the sky isn't falling right now doesn't mean it won't be.

Almost enough to make one wonder why some bother getting out of bed in the morning.

 

[NWfor3]

Planetary misalignment, dog died, time of month, broken heart, food poisoning, whatever - empathize but don't really care. Time of year for everyone to play better than they ever have. Whatever it was/is, do expect him to show up this weekend with something akin to murder in his heart. 🍏

Noticed in the first tourney game that the camera picked up Gallo leaving the bench and running to the locker room. Sickness?

 

[rikki-tikka-tava]

Noticed in the first tourney game that the camera picked up Gallo leaving the bench and running to the locker room. Sickness?

Or the 'trots'. Talk about risky minutes. 🍏

 

[kkott]

These will sound familiar to most, but the erratic nature of IU's performance makes predicting how they will play on any given night next to impossible. The number of reliable constants displayed by the Team/Players is fairly limited - TJD will show up, Kopp will do his best and Woodson will have numerous opportunities to display his signature look of incredulity at decision-making as well as officiating. On the other side, that leaves a number of questions that simply cannot be answered until gametime. To wit:

1) Which version of JHS shows up? In the same way that many obsessed about good/bad Devonte Green and Xavier Johnson, Jalen has displayed a similarly Jekyll and Hyde persona on the Court if in fact less extreme in terms of highs and lows. The 'performance of the year' effort he turned in against pU was very much an outlier as he had far more outings with stat lines akin to 4-13 from the field and dismal assist/TO ratios. As more often than not a shoot-first PG, IU's fortunes are to a large extent dependent on his marksmanship and nascent playmaking ability.

2) Race Thompson. His maddening propensity for book-ending competent workmanlike to borderline brilliant play around boneheaded lapses in focus/execution needs no elaboration. IU needs Race to be on his game.

3) Galloway. Most everyone's favorite over-achiever. IU is much better when he's contributing whether he's dishing, scoring or disrupting. Sort of inexplicably MIA the last couple games, but seems if he has a good game so does IU.

4) Miller Kopp. He'll give it his all, only real variable in his play is his shooting proficiency.

5) Tamar. Woof. Defense has improved but his infuriating penchant for blowing close shots and lay-ups on his infrequent trips to the rack could be fatal. Have to hope the brighter lights of national 'showtime' get him over the 'hump' and lock him in from deep.

6) Geronimo. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the Season to date for my part if only for fact of having expected him to amass a highlight reel of doing the things that only he can do. Fortunately the Seson ain't over yet...

7) Malik. If ever there was a time for a freshman to show that he's a future force to be reckoned with this is it.

8) Kaleb Banks. Not sure why he isn't seeing more of the Floor as his D, intensity and decision making seems solid, but reckon Woodson has his reasons. Nurturing a faint hope that he emerges as some post-Season secret weapon in the Dance.

So there it is, IU enters the Tourney 8-9 deep with a need for precision, focus and intensity. I expect IU to advance into the second round. After all, they'll have had nearly a week to get ready, several starters facing their last run together, and Mike 'been there done that' Woodson riding herd.

Indiana we're all for you

For about the millionth time I'm lamenting the loss of XJ. KSU's PG and best player is 6' and slippery. X would have no trouble staying in front of him, and could also counter with getting by him, forcing him to defend and probably pick up some fouls. JHS might struggle with him, and I think he's too quick for Galloway. Conversely, I wonder how JHS's post up game is? He has 5-6" on the guy and probably 15-20 lbs. Maybe let Galloway run the offense occasionally or work a pick and roll with JHS screening?

We never zone, but they might be susceptible to a zone. Not great shooters and that would give us better secondary defenders to help stop penetration, which is really what they are good at. I don't know why every team doesn't work on some zone at times, just as a counter.

 

[Jssanto]

I agree with most everything. We could go up 20 real quick and then lose. Or be down all game and win in the last minute.

 

[kkott]

Really impressed with the development of MR. Has really improved and has gotten over the freshman adjustment, in his case, not fouling as much. Banks has been an inspiration with his hustle play, a la Geronimo used to do. And speaking of, is his leg still bothering him or just as frustrated with his development as we are? It’s just nice to be concentrating on the dance and not NIT….and let’s enjoy the run and worry about next year, next year

Reanu's going to be very good. They'll continue to work on fouls and his foot speed. I could see him being our leading scorer next year although XJ will have something to say about that if he's back.

And, by the start of the season, Cav will have my half believing it's gonna be Tamar!

 

[Jssanto]

Reanu's going to be very good. They'll continue to work on fouls and his foot speed. I could see him being our leading scorer next year although XJ will have something to say about that if he's back.

And, by the start of the season, Cav will have my half believing it's gonna be Tamar!

Lol re Bates.
He was supposed to impact as a frosh. Then take a huge jump as a sophomore. I don’t think he is overmatched like Lander was. But as soon as I say that I don’t have a better explanation. Concentration? Strength?

 

[frikkenfrakken]

I get what you're saying.. But people make Houston out to be some dominating force. Even with Sasser they arent. JMHO.. Houston starts running into an Iowa/Auburn and on, its going to get very very tough for them...

Yeah, I am suspect of the good small conference teams. But I also haven't even watched Houston this year.

It's obvious, given that we beat Purdue in Mackey, that we can beat anyone if our guards are playing well.

 

[TomEric4756]

These will sound familiar to most, but the erratic nature of IU's performance makes predicting how they will play on any given night next to impossible. The number of reliable constants displayed by the Team/Players is fairly limited - TJD will show up, Kopp will do his best and Woodson will have numerous opportunities to display his signature look of incredulity at decision-making as well as officiating. On the other side, that leaves a number of questions that simply cannot be answered until gametime. To wit:

1) Which version of JHS shows up? In the same way that many obsessed about good/bad Devonte Green and Xavier Johnson, Jalen has displayed a similarly Jekyll and Hyde persona on the Court if in fact less extreme in terms of highs and lows. The 'performance of the year' effort he turned in against pU was very much an outlier as he had far more outings with stat lines akin to 4-13 from the field and dismal assist/TO ratios. As more often than not a shoot-first PG, IU's fortunes are to a large extent dependent on his marksmanship and nascent playmaking ability.

2) Race Thompson. His maddening propensity for book-ending competent workmanlike to borderline brilliant play around boneheaded lapses in focus/execution needs no elaboration. IU needs Race to be on his game.

3) Galloway. Most everyone's favorite over-achiever. IU is much better when he's contributing whether he's dishing, scoring or disrupting. Sort of inexplicably MIA the last couple games, but seems if he has a good game so does IU.

4) Miller Kopp. He'll give it his all, only real variable in his play is his shooting proficiency.

5) Tamar. Woof. Defense has improved but his infuriating penchant for blowing close shots and lay-ups on his infrequent trips to the rack could be fatal. Have to hope the brighter lights of national 'showtime' get him over the 'hump' and lock him in from deep.

6) Geronimo. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the Season to date for my part if only for fact of having expected him to amass a highlight reel of doing the things that only he can do. Fortunately the Seson ain't over yet...

7) Malik. If ever there was a time for a freshman to show that he's a future force to be reckoned with this is it.

8) Kaleb Banks. Not sure why he isn't seeing more of the Floor as his D, intensity and decision making seems solid, but reckon Woodson has his reasons. Nurturing a faint hope that he emerges as some post-Season secret weapon in the Dance.

So there it is, IU enters the Tourney 8-9 deep with a need for precision, focus and intensity. I expect IU to advance into the second round. After all, they'll have had nearly a week to get ready, several starters facing their last run together, and Mike 'been there done that' Woodson riding herd.

Indiana we're all for you

I’ll start with TJD. TJD and the seven stat. line dwarves didn’t win any games this year or last. Clearly, that’s the unterstated thesis of your post. One writer thinks IU’s AA TJD is the best player in the MW region, and clearly why IU has a shot at the 1-4 matchup with Houston. IU has to get there first — TJD won’t win 6 games by himself. (Night in. Night out). I expect to see more ISO for some key buckets, especially with defensive mismatches. (Dickinson did a credible job staying in front, actually). We seem to click best when TJD gets 6-8 assists.

Hope he stays off the floor, as hard falls have slowed TJD at times. IU wins and PU early loss may yet make TJD the Wooden winner.

1) Which version of JHS shows up? We all wish we knew. Cold first halves may create too big a hole for down the stretch heroics. He needs to keep up his defensive efficiency — all the guards now will be talented. More assists may improve the open looks. More assists and he may even improve on that #9 projection.

2) Race Thompson. I appreciate your frustration. Some recent plays would have been power filled dunks, I think, before the knee injury. His potential need for recovery time makes MR’s minutes all the more important on Thursdays and Fridays. I appreciate his (and TJD’s) improved FT shooting — they need to keep it up so opponents can’t play hack a shaq late in games.

3) Galloway. “Most everyone's favorite over-achiever”. Mine too. Seems to handle the increased minutes better now. We’ll likely go as far as his contributions take us. He’s clearly the guy who breaks down the excessive defensive attention on TJD and JHS. Then he goes and gets a key steal. We need the early offense he creates before the double teams pound on TJD in the post.

4) Miller Kopp. He died on the floor at the shot clock violation. … Coached himself on the spot. One of the few bonehead things we’ve seen him do. He’s increased his defensive effort — I think many will agree. He needs to keep making those key 3s to punish double teams on TJD.

5) Tamar. Our enigma wrapped in a riddle. Earned the start at 2 … but couldn’t stay there. Didn’t take the benching well perhaps, then. Has done more positive things recently. Let’s hope the upward trend continues.
(and fewer shots are leaners)

(It was Jim Thomas’s steady play that powered the ‘87 win over ’Cuse. Al McGuire said as much watching Jim Thomas dish in the paint late in the game. Tamar isn’t ready for that this year. Wish he were).

6) Geronimo. His calf strain was so bad to have required a walking boot. I expected fewer defensive lapses than I think we saw. The limited playing and practice time was clearly a hindrance … He’s got the athleticism to start in front of Kopp … just not the BB IQ and shotmaking.

7) Malik. I think Malik showed the most improvement from the beginning of the year. He needs to stay out of foul trouble, to give Race and TJD a blow.

8) Kaleb Banks. I’m not sure either … He seems to do better every game. It’s clear he’s been getting JG’s injury limited minutes. All the bench players need to contribute… can’t go from +5/+7 to -5 or worse with two starters on the floor … even the mid-major teams with 25 wins may not let IU back in the game.

 

[TomEric4756]

All hail Martha

https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-n...rry-on-legacy-of-iu-icon-martha-the-mop-lady/

Perhaps an even better use of fan funds than NIL donations.

 

[kkott]

It's obvious, given that we beat Purdue in Mackey, that we can beat anyone if our guards are playing well.

Not necessarily. I've maintained all along that PU might be the most flawed #1 team ever. Get to see over the next couple of weeks, but I can't forget how dismal we looked against KU and for much of AZ. PU starts running into some good teams like that and we might find that beating them wasn't as tough as some other top seeds. We'll find out over the next week and a half.

 

[8Stars5Banners]

I’ll start with TJD. TJD and the seven stat. line dwarves didn’t win any games this year or last. Clearly, that’s the unterstated thesis of your post. One writer thinks IU’s AA TJD is the best player in the MW region, and clearly why IU has a shot at the 1-4 matchup with Houston. IU has to get there first — TJD won’t win 6 games by himself. (Night in. Night out). I expect to see more ISO for some key buckets, especially with defensive mismatches. (Dickinson did a credible job staying in front, actually). We seem to click best when TJD gets 6-8 assists.

Hope he stays off the floor, as hard falls have slowed TJD at times. IU wins and PU early loss may yet make TJD the Wooden winner.

1) Which version of JHS shows up? We all wish we knew. Cold first halves may create too big a hole for down the stretch heroics. He needs to keep up his defensive efficiency — all the guards now will be talented. More assists may improve the open looks. More assists and he may even improve on that #9 projection.

2) Race Thompson. I appreciate your frustration. Some recent plays would have been power filled dunks, I think, before the knee injury. His potential need for recovery time makes MR’s minutes all the more important on Thursdays and Fridays. I appreciate his (and TJD’s) improved FT shooting — they need to keep it up so opponents can’t play hack a shaq late in games.

3) Galloway. “Most everyone's favorite over-achiever”. Mine too. Seems to handle the increased minutes better now. We’ll likely go as far as his contributions take us. He’s clearly the guy who breaks down the excessive defensive attention on TJD and JHS. Then he goes and gets a key steal. We need the early offense he creates before the double teams pound on TJD in the post.

4) Miller Kopp. He died on the floor at the shot clock violation. … Coached himself on the spot. One of the few bonehead things we’ve seen him do. He’s increased his defensive effort — I think many will agree. He needs to keep making those key 3s to punish double teams on TJD.

5) Tamar. Our enigma wrapped in a riddle. Earned the start at 2 … but couldn’t stay there. Didn’t take the benching well perhaps, then. Has done more positive things recently. Let’s hope the upward trend continues.
(and fewer shots are leaners)

(It was Jim Thomas’s steady play that powered the ‘87 win over ’Cuse. Al McGuire said as much watching Jim Thomas dish in the paint late in the game. Tamar isn’t ready for that this year. Wish he were).

6) Geronimo. His calf strain was so bad to have required a walking boot. I expected fewer defensive lapses than I think we saw. The limited playing and practice time was clearly a hindrance … He’s got the athleticism to start in front of Kopp … just not the BB IQ and shotmaking.

7) Malik. I think Malik showed the most improvement from the beginning of the year. He needs to stay out of foul trouble, to give Race and TJD a blow.

8) Kaleb Banks. I’m not sure either … He seems to do better every game. It’s clear he’s been getting JG’s injury limited minutes. All the bench players need to contribute… can’t go from +5/+7 to -5 or worse with two starters on the floor … even the mid-major teams with 25 wins may not let IU back in the game.

Wrong Thomas…. But you posted at 1:30 am so you’re forgiven