So I guess we know just how important JHS is

[abraxis]

I've talked about the concept of basketball gravity before. I think in todays game, the more players you have that create "gravity" the better you are. Basically, just that they command extra attention other than just the main guarding them. There's too much length, speed, and talent any more to have 2 guys on the court that are truly capable of making plays. And that's what we had for large chunks of the game on Saturday. X and TJD. Miller obviously made plays, but part of that was because Rutgers didn't really respect him enough to help on him, shade to him, etc... He doesn't have gravity. X and TJD do, they draw extra attention their way. JHS does too. The benefit of adding that 3rd guy that commands attention is enormous.

At that point, we have guys like Miller and Trey that can operate in those open areas the gravity is creating.

Mark Jackson was the first person I've ever heard to describe it that way...he was talking about why Steph Curry is so great, beyond his shooting/scoring. And its because of the gravity his presence and game creates.

Ah it's the gravity of the situation.

"Large bodies warp time/space more than small bodies." ~ Al Einstein

"Gravity is the second strongest force in the universe,
second only to my sexual urge." ~ Jeffrey Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell is quoted as having said Jeffrey required three ejaculations/day. He never engaged in marriage. He was rarely photographed without a smile and when he didn't, he was dead.

I always thought his eyes looked awfully close together, the look of stupidity, head on. Think Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles. He had a chin the size of Clutch Cargo's, making every slack-jaw envious.

 

[BusdriverE]

You are what the scoreboard says you are. At the 12:47 mark left in the second half, we were 2 points better than them. Doesn't matter how you get there.

I was disagreeing with the statement that we were better than them for 3/4 of the game, not that we weren’t ahead at that precise moment in time….like I said ,we were down for most of the first half(so we were NOT BETTER THAN THEM in first half) down by 7 at half, again, we were behind, and did not take the lead until 12:47 in the 2nd half as you pointed out

 

[mk30]

Ah it's the gravity of the situation.

"Large bodies warp time/space more than small bodies." ~ Al Einstein

"Gravity is the second strongest force in the universe,
second only to my sexual urge." ~ Jeffrey Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell is quoted as having said Jeffrey required three ejaculations/day. He never engaged in marriage. He was rarely photographed without a smile and when he didn't, he was dead.

I always thought his eyes looked awfully close together, the look of stupidity, head on. Think Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles. He had a chin the size of Clutch Cargo's, making every slack-jaw envious.

I didn’t really expect to read about those 2 on this site today. Thanks for that. I guess. 😂

 

[Tru2Irish]

I missed the game live. My sons HS team was busy knocking off two ranked teams this weekend!!

But I rewatched a chunk of the game. A couple observations.

1. It hit me how similar we looked to last years team. And then it hit me why. JHS wasn't in there. Its amazing how much better we look with another guy alongside X that can efficiently start the offense, handle the ball, and make good, solid, basketball plays. Not to mention how good he is defensively. I hope his back issues don't devolve into something that keeps him out for extended times, as its obvious, to me anyways, he's a hugely important piece to our success.

2. Despite how flat we where, and despite not getting basically any production from everyone but TJD and Miller...we still had a lead well into the 2nd half. Again, similar to last years team that lost a lot of games like Saturday's game. I don't like how we finished the game. Just like I didn't like how we finished the Xavier game. Its a lingering worry for me with Woody's teams thus far. And I hope he/they figure it out soon.

3. With Nebraska and NW winning very, very tough road games this weekend...there basically aren't any gimmee games in the conference this year. I still think IU is the best team in the conference. But that's with a healthy JHS. And that's if they figure out how to close games out. Absent either of those things, we won't win the B10.

With Galloway and Race playing tons of minutes with zero points, IU isn't winning that game.

 

[.Gerdis]

Ah it's the gravity of the situation.

"Large bodies warp time/space more than small bodies." ~ Al Einstein

"Gravity is the second strongest force in the universe,
second only to my sexual urge." ~ Jeffrey Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell is quoted as having said Jeffrey required three ejaculations/day. He never engaged in marriage. He was rarely photographed without a smile and when he didn't, he was dead.

I always thought his eyes looked awfully close together, the look of stupidity, head on. Think Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles. He had a chin the size of Clutch Cargo's, making every slack-jaw envious.

I didn’t really expect to read about those 2 on this site today. Thanks for that. I guess. 😂

Mel Brooks and Clutch Cargo???? @abraxis has made me laugh many a times.

 

[mk30]

Ah it's the gravity of the situation.


Mel Brooks and Clutch Cargo???? @abraxis has made me laugh many a times.

Weedsville!

 

[bawlmer]

You are what the scoreboard says you are. At the 12:47 mark left in the second half, we were 2 points better than them. Doesn't matter how you get there.

It absolutely matters how you got there when you had to dig yourself out of a hole in a brawl of a basketball game to take a 1 point lead with 12 minutes left to play and only 2 guys giving anything on offense. The odds of TJD carrying us through the end of the game were very small.

 

[BusdriverE]

It absolutely matters how you got there when you had to dig yourself out of a hole in a brawl of a basketball game to take a 1 point lead with 12 minutes left to play and only 2 guys giving anything on offense. The odds of TJD carrying us through the end of the game were very small.

Well said

 

[IUNorth]

It absolutely matters how you got there when you had to dig yourself out of a hole in a brawl of a basketball game to take a 1 point lead with 12 minutes left to play and only 2 guys giving anything on offense. The odds of TJD carrying us through the end of the game were very small.

Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it isn’t. I actually would agree with you in this game. But my point was that If JHS had played we probably take a lead much earlier, and struggle less after doing it.

 

[Chris A.]

Coach Woodson basically confirmed how much JHS' absence impacted X. Definitely something to this. X plays better with JHS because they can share the ball handling load.

 

[Harry Hondo]

Coach Woodson basically confirmed how much JHS' absence impacted X. Definitely something to this. X plays better with JHS because they can share the ball handling load.

Yes, they looked like they did a year ago on Saturday. JHS has become the difference maker for this team.

 

[MG80]

I'm not so sure on that. Without him, we took a lead with 13 minutes to go. So for nearly 3/4 of that game, we were "better" on the scoreboard. Doesn't really matter what it looked like. If he had played, X probably wouldn't have struggled as much as he did. JHS himself would have contributed, and I think its fairly safe to assume it would have been more/better than what we got from the people that replaced his minutes.

On the flip side, maybe Kopp doesn't go off like he did if JHS plays? Less need for him to be that assertive...

Defensively is where JHS would have made a huge difference. And our team is quite obviously a defensive led team. I think the energy and overall effectiveness would more likely than not have been much better with JHS. We'd have gotten more stops, our team feeds off that, and it would have sustained us through the game.

JHS, by the stat line, was pretty bad against Xavier. Our team didn't fold in that game, largely because of the things JHS brings and helps others with. I think the same would have happened against Rutgers. 1 less key 3 here, one more rebound out of the guard position there, and its a completely different game. At a minimum, JHS provides that over his replacements.

Let's face it. The team isn't going to be really good until Bates especially brings very good offense. And both Race and JG have to be productive too. All three basically being awol is a killer. If this happens again, we lose again.

 

[HoosierJimbo89]

Without JHS, we have one player that can handle the ball well against pressue and is a good dribbler: X. Rutgers exposed this.