You are trying to say that the negative fan base was the reason Woodson couldn't get a portal PG?
Say what you want about X
- Thread starter Cavanagh
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You are trying to say that the negative fan base was the reason Woodson couldn't get a portal PG?
If that shot to the throat was him???? F2 for sure.
That play was insane. They waived off the basket too, just complete horseshit.
No. But it's more complex than your view. And, yes, it's in the mix. Outside of our IN born and bred players, not every player (past, present, future) will love this crap that passes as opinion. Yes, every top school has similar issues, but, come on, what do you as a player want to endure?
Oh, if you can, enjoy two wins in a row with a struggling squad. That, imo, matter also, even given the opponents. Wanted more, got less, glad to see progress, open to change ... of staff, players, and ... fan base.
They were sloppy and lacked a sense of urgency today in the first half. Second half they seemed to be looser and just had fun playing. I was impressed that they came out focused. Playing better defensively and Maryland going cold from 3 was a bonus, too.
This is always such a stupid take. Every major program (UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, UNC, UCONN, etc..) all have fanatical fanbases. Any major recruit going to any of those schools is going to have deal with people on social media.
To say that a HS recruit isn't going to go to a school due to the fanbase is just making excuses. Woody has never seemed well-organized or proactive about recruiting. Scrambling to get recruits every Spring has nothing to do with the fanbase. Not attending sectional games isn't due to the fanbase. Not getting Indiana recruits is DEFINITELY not due to the fanbase. Failing to close on recruits also has nothing to do with the fanbase.
But he was denied one after being punched in the throat. Not going to get calls the rest of the year.
Waving off the bucket was the only part of the call they got correct.
Newton has been hurt since high school next excuse please.
X and Trey wouldn't have played like they did today every game. In many years when someone was having a bad day, another player or two would have picked up the slack. Gunn didn't provide good depth and Newton never had the chance. Cupps has done okay, but he played like a freshman We started 2 freshmen and two sophomores most of the year. The sophomres are our best players. Most good teams have one of their experienced players as their scoring leader and go to guy.
Injuries and a failure to find the extra guard we needed put us where we are. It sucks not making the NCAA tournament. A consolation would be to get things turned around and finish strong. A win against Wisky and a road win is a good start to a reset on the season.
This argument bothers me. It's similar to the one smitty has been making about the kid from ND.
Everyone who makes this argument just assumes there was some great point guard in the portal that was going to jump at the chance to be our plan B. Like some great shooting penetrator with awesome vision was going to sign up to fight Cupps to be the backup point guard, if only Woodson woulda just asked him.
It's dumb.
X is a difference maker when he plays and plays well. But he hasn't done both of those things much this year, and most of that is bad luck. The only way to avoid it would have been to kick him off the team in the offseason.
I honestly don’t remember if I ever posted something dumb like “this team is better without X”.
But…on the NCAA claim. We are 9-6 with him. And in all but a few of those games, even and especially some of the early wins…we/he were awful. And those games are like a boat anchor to our NET.
He was as much a part of the problem this year…as he has always been a part of the solution.
Probably why he’s hovering around .500 in his time at IU.
But…on the NCAA claim. We are 9-6 with him. And in all but a few of those games, even and especially some of the early wins…we/he were awful. And those games are like a boat anchor to our NET.
He was as much a part of the problem this year…as he has always been a part of the solution.
Probably why he’s hovering around .500 in his time at IU.
True ..Having a option that no one in country can handle..Without a double team..
Opens up about everything. For all his teammates ...
So we're back to "There were no good guards in the portal" again?
Or back to the overused excuse that none of the players in the portal wanted to compete with a hugely inconsistent player in the backcourt? Or none of the players in the portal wanted to compete with a slight, freshman guard who was barely ranked in the top 100? LOL
To me X is always going to be a “what could have been” type of player. He can be brilliant when all is right between the ears and he is healthy. Unfortunately we just didn’t get as much of both as we all would have liked. He brings a talent that you can’t coach with his speed and quickness. It is just too bad he hasn’t been able to harness that consistently and stay healthy throughout his career.
100% accurate. I can’t understand how Woodson doesn’t blow a fuse when this crap keeps happening. X is a marked man. He deserves it in some respects, but damn. He’s already paid for every f-up he’s had. It’s BS they let guys cheap shot him.
X is the only IU guard that can stay in front of his man and stop the dribble drive.
Amazing what a 5 point win against the worst team in the Big10 can do to a fanbase's expectations.
X has always been good at times, the problem is he loses just as many games as he wins because of his low IQ on the court.
That's why we've been largely mediocre with him running point the last three years and one win against a 15-16 Maryland team doesn't change that.
X has always been good at times, the problem is he loses just as many games as he wins because of his low IQ on the court.
That's why we've been largely mediocre with him running point the last three years and one win against a 15-16 Maryland team doesn't change that.
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Cupps does a nice job defensively for his size and experience level. His footwork is very good. I noted that he got smoked a couple of times by Young yesterday but a lot of upper classmen do as well.
This is such a stupid response. It's not my job to be aware of every possible player. I dont get paid $4 million per year to coach and recruit. However, it IS Woody and his staff's job, however.
I do know that there were around 1815 players in the basketball transfer portal in 2023. Statistically, there should've been at least 1 guard that could've helped the IU program. X, Cupps and Galloway aren't world beaters. The claim that no one wanted to come to IU because they were afraid of playing time is comical. LOL
top 5... in the B10? We're not watching the same team. No top 5 team defends so poorly and blocks out so infrequently. We'd be better, yes, but we're not displacing PU at the top and we're not sniffing the top 5.
I think you guys get deluded when Xavier plays well and forget that for his history here, that's generally been 1 out of every 3 or 4 games. Stringing good games together has only happened once in his career, during the B10 run his first year. Other than that good X is batting about .270.
Good X makes a hell of a difference in a positive way. Bad X that forces things makes a hell of a difference in a negative way. He’s a X factor for sure……both ways
Having good X was nice. Some of you guys are overreacting to beating a bad Maryland team.
I know it was on the road, but that is a well below average team.
I know it was on the road, but that is a well below average team.
Well, they beat Iowa twice, beat Nebraska, beat Illinois in Champaign. The truth is, they were picked to be 3rd in the B1G this year because with Young, Scott and Reese alone, they have enough experienced talent to be a top 25 team. That they have sucked so bad is really puzzling, because I always thought Willard was a decent coach.
That was picked 3rd in the B1G. They have talent and ability. But it hasn't worked out.
Willard is much worse than woody. Did they even watch IU this year? They had all 3 one and one fouls to use to make us shoot. Foul Galloway every time in that situation. I think a third grade coach would have done that down the stretch. Awful coaching.
Maryland had been playing pretty good basketball. At the tip, the line was IU +9 or so. It was a good win. Nothing wrong with admitting that. The problem is we know the last 18 minutes of the game aren't really who we are, or who we're likely to be. The entire 40 minutes is who we are...inconsistent, in just about every way possible.
Maryland is 1-4 in their last 5 games, in what what world is that "playing pretty good basketball"?
Northwestern...1 possession game with 2 minutes to go...
@Rutgers...won the game handily...
@Wisky...down 4-6 most of the last 5 minutes or so...
Illini...tied multiple times in 2nd half, down 1 under 3 minutes...
Iowa...won the game handily...
In my world they were playing pretty good basketball...because they were. Its why they were favored by 9 by Vegas.
