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Well. If the 7-0 start didn’t shut some up...

rocketo

All-American
Feb 23, 2007
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This should. This team is pretty good. To handle the pressure as well as we did without our starting PG. To take the good shots and make them. To play very good defense for two full halves. Frankly, we just spanked the #17 team. And it should have been worse.

We turned the ball over too many times. We missed a TON of FTs. Those mistakes won’t do against better teams and outside the confines of AH. But it was enough to beat a 7-1 team, ranked #17 who beat two top 25 teams.

So I guess we’re pretty good... Can we keep this up? Will we improve? I think so. We have a good balance of veteran and young players who are playing well and seeing quality minutes. TJD and AF played huge roles tonight as TF. DA played some solid minutes and for a guy who was god awful last year on D, he played very well tonight. JS played really well and well within himself. AD struggled quite a bit tonight, but DG just took up all that slack and then some with a HUGE performance.

Outlook GOOD IMO.
 
Some of you may remember I posted a couple years ago on why Crean would never make IU elite again.

Tonight we saw a lot of how this program is establishing itself, the identity it it taking on. Playing stellar defense, taking good shots, showing toughness down the stretch.

Still have a ways to go, but the vision of what this program can become is starting to show itself. Really looking forward to see how we respond to this win and how we play the rest of December.

EDIT: This stat line from Inside the Hall reflects best what I’m talking about:

“Indiana’s free throw rate (FTA/FGA) was an insane 84 percent.”

THAT right there is winning basketball, folks.
 
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Some of you may remember I posted a couple years ago on why Crean would never make IU elite again.

Tonight we saw a lot of how this program is establishing itself, the identity it it taking on. Playing stellar defense, taking good shots, showing toughness down the stretch.

Still have a ways to go, but the vision of what his program can become is starting to show itself. Really looking forward to see how we respond to this win and how we play the rest of December.
The future is bright.
 
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Some of you may remember I posted a couple years ago on why Crean would never make IU elite again.

Tonight we saw a lot of how this program is establishing itself, the identity it it taking on. Playing stellar defense, taking good shots, showing toughness down the stretch.

Still have a ways to go, but the vision of what this program can become is starting to show itself. Really looking forward to see how we respond to this win and how we play the rest of December.

I see what you see brother!
 
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Very worried about how the refs will call our aggressive defense in Wisconsin. Seems to me refs give aggressive teams the benefit of the doubt. We looked good today, let’s keep it going
 
Some of you may remember I posted a couple years ago on why Crean would never make IU elite again.

Tonight we saw a lot of how this program is establishing itself, the identity it it taking on. Playing stellar defense, taking good shots, showing toughness down the stretch.

Still have a ways to go, but the vision of what this program can become is starting to show itself. Really looking forward to see how we respond to this win and how we play the rest of December.
CAM is recruiting the type of players we need, and many of them are Indiana kids. I think a perfect example is AF making a drive or getting a rebound (can’t recall exactly) and before putting the ball up near the basket, a single pump fake and then going up strong. Kid just knows how to play the game. Keep getting the type of players we have been getting, and keep developing them. Add a few high rated players who fit well and we will be consistently rolling.

This is the closest thing to IU basketball I have seen in a LONG time.
 
CAM is recruiting the type of players we need, and many of them are Indiana kids. I think a perfect example is AF making a drive or getting a rebound (can’t recall exactly) and before putting the ball up near the basket, a single pump fake and then going up strong. Kid just knows how to play the game. Keep getting the type of players we have been getting, and keep developing them. Add a few high rated players who fit well and we will be consistently rolling.

This is the closest thing to IU basketball I have seen in a LONG time.
Getting Armann was big for Archie. Highly underrated kid who will do nothing but get better.
 
There were stretches that we controlled the game on defense. It was genuinely enjoyable to watch.
What I love about this team is that we don’t let runs by other teams completely change the game. We took some good licks, but we didn’t totally lose focus and we not only take the punch but come back swinging. We have missed that for a while, and I remember a lot of Crean teams totally blowing many a lead and losing momentum completely
 
Getting Armann was big for Archie. Highly underrated kid who will do nothing but get better.
Agree. Love his game and for him to be playing this well, during pivotal points in games against top competition says a lot about where he already is. He will take his lumps due to youth, but super excited about him. He was a surprise to me as I hadn’t seen him play before. Great get.
 
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We're really starting to fill this roster with Indiana high school players.

I like it.
Not that I don’t love having really good players from other states. But yep, there is something about Indiana kids. Maybe recruiting services should just Indiana kids a 10 point bump on average ;)
 
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What I love about this team is that we don’t let runs by other teams completely change the game. We took some good licks, but we didn’t totally lose focus and we not only take the punch but come back swinging. We have missed that for a while, and I remember a lot of Crean teams totally blowing many a lead and losing momentum completely
Toughness.

It’s what last year’s team didn’t have.

It’s what this year’s team obviously does.

Amazing that having guys in a system 2-3 makes them so much better, isn’t it?
 
Toughness.

It’s what last year’s team didn’t have.

It’s what this year’s team obviously does.

Amazing that having guys in a system 2-3 makes them so much better, isn’t it?
Totally agree. Culture takes time, and to go from a Crean culture to CAM is a complete overhaul. Inject some more talent across the board and these teams could be insanely good
 
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Some of you may remember I posted a couple years ago on why Crean would never make IU elite again.

Tonight we saw a lot of how this program is establishing itself, the identity it it taking on. Playing stellar defense, taking good shots, showing toughness down the stretch.

Still have a ways to go, but the vision of what this program can become is starting to show itself. Really looking forward to see how we respond to this win and how we play the rest of December.

EDIT: This stat line from Inside the Hall reflects best what I’m talking about:

“Indiana’s free throw rate (FTA/FGA) was an insane 84 percent.”

THAT right there is winning basketball, folks.

Very well said.
 
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What I love about this team is that we don’t let runs by other teams completely change the game. We took some good licks, but we didn’t totally lose focus and we not only take the punch but come back swinging. We have missed that for a while, and I remember a lot of Crean teams totally blowing many a lead and losing momentum completely
Previous teams would compound runs and loss of momentum because they were coached to get out of ruts by jacking up jump shots. This team committed to defend every possession, and live with the results. Indiana fans have been starving for this style of basketball. Last night we feasted.
 
Culture takes time, and to go from a Crean culture to CAM is a complete overhaul.

One of the biggest reasons why I didn’t ”jump off the ledge” last year was the realization that guys just didn’t understand what was required to play in Archie’s system. With guys being hurt, it hindered the development of players and put guys into positions that, quite frankly, they just weren’t ready for. Worst part of all of it was the glaring lack of leadership.

Just look a what a difference a year makes. Guys got older; guys got stronger. You see a kid like Smith buy into the packline and be a force as well as a leader. Not surprising to me it’s taken until year 3 for all of this to take hold, especially when Crean’s system was as diametrically opposite of Miller’s.

That’s not to say “we’re there”. There is a lot we can still improve on. But we’re starting to form an identity - and I like it! :cool:
 
Some of you may remember I posted a couple years ago on why Crean would never make IU elite again.

Tonight we saw a lot of how this program is establishing itself, the identity it it taking on. Playing stellar defense, taking good shots, showing toughness down the stretch.

Still have a ways to go, but the vision of what this program can become is starting to show itself. Really looking forward to see how we respond to this win and how we play the rest of December.

EDIT: This stat line from Inside the Hall reflects best what I’m talking about:

“Indiana’s free throw rate (FTA/FGA) was an insane 84 percent.”

THAT right there is winning basketball, folks.
Defense and rebounding was the real key. Free throws helped a lot while our offense wasn't working great. TJD in the second half getting rebounds and getting fouled a lot was great to see. One thing about FSU is they turn teams over. It's what they do. I know we had too many turnovers, but not all of them were egregious.
 
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Look no further than the development(yes, development for all you naysayers that say archie cant develop players) of JS and DA compared to last yr and I have no doubt that we will also be saying the same about JH next year.We knew he would be rusty after taking a yr off but that CAM puts him in on spots to test him shows the confidence he has in him. Love the way this team is rounding into form and CAM starting to smooth out some of the rough edges.GO HOOSIERS
 
What I love about this team is that we don’t let runs by other teams completely change the game. We took some good licks, but we didn’t totally lose focus and we not only take the punch but come back swinging. We have missed that for a while, and I remember a lot of Crean teams totally blowing many a lead and losing momentum completely
There were at least 2 times in the second half were FSU was making a run and IU was committing a turnover on almost every possession. At those times IU definitely looked rattled. However, each time there was a timeout and IU came out of those looking composed and made runs of their own. That's something that's been missing. Last year when the team lost composure timeouts didn't seem to help.
 
There were at least 2 times in the second half were FSU was making a run and IU was committing a turnover on almost every possession. At those times IU definitely looked rattled. However, each time there was a timeout and IU came out of those looking composed and made runs of their own. That's something that's been missing. Last year when the team lost composure timeouts didn't seem to help.
One word: Leadership.

The Coach can have the best plan in the world, but without a guy stepping up and taking charge it’s like a sip without a rudder - which is what we saw all too often last year.
 
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They looked good but the proof will be how they handle pressure on the road. They beat 6 cupcakes, 1 respectable LA Tech team, and a good FL State who played 3 games in 5 days. Play like this against Bucky in the Kohl Center, then proclaim them as the real deal.
 
I really enjoyed the game....fun to watch! The defense was great, Damezi has gotten so much better on the defensive end. The good shots that were mentioned earlier were only “good” because they went in. Was a little concerned that IU was playing a bit on their heels offensively. I realize that is what FSU forces you to do, but I am anxious to see how this team can exploit overly aggressive defenses in the future.
 
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I really enjoyed the game....fun to watch! The defense was great, Damezi has gotten so much better on the defensive end. The good shots that were mentioned earlier were only “good” because they went in. Was a little concerned that IU was playing a bit on their heels offensively. I realize that is what FSU forces you to do, but I am anxious to see how this team can exploit overly aggressive defenses in the future.
It seemed like everybody in that game was moving their feet, getting in front of their man so he could not go directly to the bucket. Damezi was one of them. Congrats on his improvement.
 
Previous teams would compound runs and loss of momentum because they were coached to get out of ruts by jacking up jump shots. This team committed to defend every possession, and live with the results. Indiana fans have been starving for this style of basketball. Last night we feasted.
Yes. It was glorious. It feels good to watch solid BB again. I watched a bit of the UGA game. I feel so sorry for all the Dawgs fans down here that don’t know any better when it comes to BB and Crean. I tried to warn many of them.
 
I did feel, as the second half wound down, that we were finally seeing the IU that Archie has been promising. A tough, cohesive defensive unit that plays through their big men down low on offense.

There was a long stretch in the first half and a shorter one at the end where we looked SIGNIFICANTLY better than the #17 team in the country.

But, there were also red flags. Another slow start. Bad defense coming out of halftime. Green carrying the team offensively with results he isn't likely to duplicate, and also with the same penchant for stupid turnovers he's always shown. He is mercurial. When he plays great, we can beat anyone. When he plays badly, we don't even look like a tournament team.

But, overall there's still a lot to like. Seems like we'll be a 15-30 range team, 4-7 seed. Smith, Durham, Franklin, TJD, and Anderson are all playing better than expected.

We need Phin back. Durham and Green are not great point guard options against significant ball pressure. Green has the handles but not the head for it. Durham has the head but not the handle.
 
I love that you pointed that out .. instead of the FT%. We are leading the nation currently in unadjusted FTR. That stat will win a lot of ball games even at 60%.....
Stats are only worth something if they truly reflect the impact on the game - as we (sadly) found out about deflections . . . ;):D

Having said that, we need to optimize that by doing a better job at the FT line. If we do this could be the start of something special.
 
I did feel, as the second half wound down, that we were finally seeing the IU that Archie has been promising. A tough, cohesive defensive unit that plays through their big men down low on offense.

There was a long stretch in the first half and a shorter one at the end where we looked SIGNIFICANTLY better than the #17 team in the country.

But, there were also red flags. Another slow start. Bad defense coming out of halftime. Green carrying the team offensively with results he isn't likely to duplicate, and also with the same penchant for stupid turnovers he's always shown. He is mercurial. When he plays great, we can beat anyone. When he plays badly, we don't even look like a tournament team.

But, overall there's still a lot to like. Seems like we'll be a 15-30 range team, 4-7 seed. Smith, Durham, Franklin, TJD, and Anderson are all playing better than expected.

We need Phin back. Durham and Green are not great point guard options against significant ball pressure. Green has the handles but not the head for it. Durham has the head but not the handle.
Even great teams rarely put together a perfect game. But that was an ass whooping of the #17 team. We have plenty of players who can step up, but it was clear that DG was feeling it, and the others simply got him the ball, which to me is the smart thing to do.

if he isn’t nailing his shots, he won’t force the issue from what I have seen of him this year. And that means somebody else is taking them or they are spread between other team members. It’s easy to say we wouldn’t have won had DG not gone off. But if he didn’t, who’s to say TJD wouldn’t have gone off. Or Smith. Or AD. Or DA. Or...
 
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