ADVERTISEMENT

We got a contender

I didn’t see the exhibition, but…,,

Isn’t it reasonable to think that both teams would be further along defensively, than offensively? Especially considering each team with a number of new portal players.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cavanagh
I didn’t see the exhibition, but…,,

Isn’t it reasonable to think that both teams would be further along defensively, than offensively? Especially considering each team with a number of new portal players.
Tenn will be a great defensive team. They were flying around. Some killer big guards too.

I’d be shocked if they are not top ten in Kenpom on d at the end of the year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kkott and .Gerdis
Pace. More players involved making plays with the ball. Less double post. Nothing earth shatteringly different. But I saw enough that I didn't feel compelled to come here and bash Woodson...which I've done numerous times after games since he arrived in Bloomington. And I'm sure I'll do at some point this season.

I was hoping for it, but asking someone like Woodson to completely change his offense is probably not overly realistic. There are still going to be a lot of ISO elements. He's still going to run certain things through the post. And ironically, it'll never look like the offense he became an All American in during college. Its going to cost him some games this year, and will continue to hold him back recruiting certain types of high level perimeter prospects.

But I did come away more encouraged than I expected to be, after seeing the score, and following along on Hooky's play by play in the chat. Certainly not Coach Cignetti levels of encouraged, but I can see some things there...
Thanks for the reply. No doubt we have players to be maybe top ten good. The offensive scares me. Long stretches of lots of dribbling and no scoring. We can’t be great and have those 5-7 minutes scoring droughts in the game.

If Mullins watched this same offense in visits, no wonder he chose to go elsewhere.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GThomas
Interesting game. Offense was a bit better, but I get the concerns, I have them. Defense was pretty good. Despite some of our struggles, we beat a good team on the road, and we have obvious upside with two key players getting back in the line-up, and Carlyle can do a lot more once he gets comfortable.

Overall... pretty encouraging for an early scrimmage. Rice was better than I expected and I had some high expectations. Wow.
 
Interesting game. Offense was a bit better, but I get the concerns, I have them. Defense was pretty good. Despite some of our struggles, we beat a good team on the road, and we have obvious upside with two key players getting back in the line-up, and Carlyle can do a lot more once he gets comfortable.

Overall... pretty encouraging for an early scrimmage. Rice was better than I expected and I had some high expectations. Wow.
Agree on all. One minor quibble with Rice were the few times I thought he over dribbled. But overall he was great.

Reneau going to be solid this year. I wish he'd move the ball a little quicker at times. Sometimes it sticks too long.
 
Not sure a contender….4/19 from 3 and no bench scoring. Cupps, Hatton, Goode gave nothing
And Tennessee shot very poorly from deep too. It kills me how fans see one game, an exhibition game no less, and they project out the entire year one facet of play from that one performance. Tennessee and IU will both have much better shooting performances going forward. Guaranteed. Or does that not fit into your agenda?
 
  • Like
Reactions: kkott
Agree on all. One minor quibble with Rice were the few times I thought he over dribbled. But overall he was great.

Reneau going to be solid this year. I wish he'd move the ball a little quicker at times. Sometimes it sticks too long.
Over dribbling, and balls sticking too long, is a by product of most of the stuff Woodson runs offensively. I think Rice executed what we traditionally know of Woodson's offense, very well.
 
And Tennessee shot very poorly from deep too. It kills me how fans see one game, an exhibition game no less, and they project out the entire year one facet of play from that one performance. Tennessee and IU will both have much better shooting performances going forward. Guaranteed. Or does that not fit into your agenda?
Agenda?? Or was that maybe a concern coming in with this roster and it shows it didn’t improve.
 
Based solely on what I've seen in the scrimmage and exhibition game, Rice is much better than I thought he would be and, thus far, I could say the opposite about Carlisle. Thankfully it's only October.
Carlyle I fear wont live up to alot of peoples hype as a 14ppg+ scorer. Atleast not this season.
 
Carlyle played extremely well defensively and had 4 assists. This likely goes unnoticed in an exhibition game.

Carlyle played pretty well defensively, though he struggled to contain the dribble at times and was out of position in transition defense a couple times. Carlyle got the brunt of Tennessee's myriad of moving screens and hip checks, and given his smaller stature, he was slower to regain his balance and recover than his teammates. I really liked his assist to Malik in the paint, and was happy to see that he's a willing passer. He had a couple turnovers, and could have had a couple more (it looked like the refs may have bailed him out a couple times on 50/50 calls).

I hope Woodson gets Carlyle moving a lot more on offense; seeing him spreading the floor by being planted in the corner will not maximize his skillset. I think this lack of involvement contributed to a few, low percentage three-point shots. I look forward to him having the ball in his hands a little bit more, looking to drive to the basket. However, with Malik and Ballo occupying the paint, this may not often become a reality.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hookyIU1990
I agree IU, based solely on the roster, could contend for a B18 title and make a decent run in the NCAAT. However, I don't expect the Hoosiers to make much noise in March with that guy ⬇️ calling the shots. It's evident he just doesn't have a high level of CBB coaching chops. That said, if there was ever a time to silence the doubters, this is the year.

College Sports Dancing GIF by Indiana Hoosiers
 
Its hard to say this when the team struggled so much for a good chunk of the game, but I was actually encouraged by the offense.

First of all, Tennessee is an elite defensive program, and they have a lot of length and athleticism to continue that this season. A lot of teams are going to struggle to score against them this year.

Further, I've been one of Woodson's biggest critics when it comes to the offensive style he's implemented while at IU. And while I'd like to see a little more ball and player movement, overall, I did like the pace of play for longer stretches being faster. And there seemed to be much less dribble ISO and post ISO stuff than his teams normally employ.

I still have concerns his system won't be dynamic enough, and/or varied enough, to allow us to consistently beat top 20 level teams this year. With the lack in overall ball and player movement, at times, the offense will be prone to being stagnant for stretches...and that will hurt us against good teams at times. But to just say the offense looked the "same", isn't accurate.

I think Trey could end up being a huge "addition" to what we saw yesterday as well. If nothing else, Trey does move the ball with pace. With him off the ball, its one less guy that the ball should stop or "die" with.
There is an obvious effort to push the tempo. I would venture to guess that (save Ballo, Hatton and Dallas) anyone who gets the rebound has the green light to get it and go. I still get frustrated at the lack of player movement in the half court. I’m not going to kid anyone, I’m no basketball savant. But I judge an offense based on how I would feel trying to defend against it. There isn’t much that we do that seems to make the defense work. Guys are stationary a lot. But there are a lot of ways to skin a cat and as long as it wins I guess I don’t really care what it looks like.
 
I appreciate Cupps and am glad he dons the cream and crimson, but, hoops-wise, he might have been better off at a mid-major. That said, he's only played one season plus one exhibition game, so the jury is still out.

If Cupps wants to be a solid contributor at IU, he needs to look for his shot MUCH more. Everyone with an iota of basketball knowledge realizes IU has been in desperate need of a consistent perimeter threat since Woody stepped foot on campus. Maybe GC will be that guy someday. 🫰
Didn't watch him a ton, but I did see him on the perimeter set to shoot and calling for the ball. Didn't come to him, but had it, I have no doubt he was pulling the trigger. He looked like he put on weight and looked better moving with and without the ball I thought, for the limited time I saw him. I think he'll be solid for what he is: a backup PG. With both Carlyle and Galloway, I think they'll take some of his minutes so I doubt he'll get much more than 10 a game, but I think he'll be fine and will be one of our better spot up shooters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GThomas
Didn't watch him a ton, but I did see him on the perimeter set to shoot and calling for the ball. Didn't come to him, but had it, I have no doubt he was pulling the trigger. He looked like he put on weight and looked better moving with and without the ball I thought, for the limited time I saw him. I think he'll be solid for what he is: a backup PG. With both Carlyle and Galloway, I think they'll take some of his minutes so I doubt he'll get much more than 10 a game, but I think he'll be fine and will be one of our better spot up shooters.
Cupps was fine last night in limited minutes. Attacked the basket on multiple occasions and played solid defense on Ziegler.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kkott
Goode certainly had an off night shooting but he did at least rebound the ball. My thing with one dimensional players on the roster (think Matt Roth), is do they offer ANYTHING else to help offset their PT if their main benefit isn't on. If not, they're a major liability.

Having a guy that can grab rebounds is something that is usually a consistent habit. I love (non-post) players that get rebounds because that is showing hustle after a shot, and IU lacked that last year. We often stood still and stared at the ball in amazement while other teams were going around us and getting into position for a rebound.

Seeing Goode's career, I'm not worried about his shot and I'm glad to see him making aggressive plays on the board.
 
Tenn will be a great defensive team. They were flying around. Some killer big guards too.

I’d be shocked if they are not top ten in Kenpom on d at the end of the year.
someone in here posted how Ballo go his shot blocked in yesterdays game. UT had two guys that played above the rim and were excellent shot blockers. No cause for concern getting your shot blocked by those guys.....
 
Not sure a contender….4/19 from 3 and no bench scoring. Cupps, Hatton, Goode gave nothing
That's not our full bench but you know that. Add Tucker and Galloway who will play in front of everyone listed.

*eyeroll*

I’d be shocked if they are not top ten in Kenpom on d at the end of the year.
Easily, probably lower, considering they were #3 last year but probably 110 in offense. They don't have a go to guy or a main scoring threat and that showed at end game.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT