while playing for Coach Knight at IU? Bailey? Charlie Miller? Chris Lawson? Jones? Anyone really thought a player who stayed and hung it out was really hampered by Knights style and the IU system? Tons of players who were really elevated from the system (Cheaney, Evans, AJ Guyton etc) What ya think?
Which player was held back the most from their potential
- Thread starter GeorgeStrait IU
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Bailey finished his career as a top 5 career scorer, T-2 in career assists, 6th in career steals, 6th in 3-pt%, 6th in FTM, won more games and more NCAAT games than anyone at IU, not sure that is being held back--if anything it was injuries that held him back some more than anything
Hard to tell difference between not reaching potential (IU has had their share of that), not figuring out the system, not able handle transition to college and being hampered by a coach. But one that always stuck out to me was Andrae Patterson - he sure had some dominating games, just not consistent, thought he was gonna make it in NBA. I think he's still with front office for the Trailblazers after bouncing around overseas when his NBA time ended.
Chris Lawson went on to have a decent college career after he left IU, but the obvious and correct choice has to be Larry Bird, right?
Hmmm...players that stayed all four years...
Honestly can't think of any. Hard one to say, very, very few players percentage wise end up even going to the NBA, let alone starring in the NBA. So its difficult for most players to know whether they could have been better, because their bball was over when they graduated.
Jason Collier was the first name that jumped to my mind, until I reread the criteria.
Tom Coverdale and Jeff Newton got quite a lot better after RMK left.
Honestly can't think of any. Hard one to say, very, very few players percentage wise end up even going to the NBA, let alone starring in the NBA. So its difficult for most players to know whether they could have been better, because their bball was over when they graduated.
Jason Collier was the first name that jumped to my mind, until I reread the criteria.
Tom Coverdale and Jeff Newton got quite a lot better after RMK left.
“I had no idea Coverdale would come out and get 30 points,” interim Indiana coach Mike Davis said.
Lol
My first reaction is Tom Coverdale. CBK just didn't see his potential. Secondly, I have to go with Delray Brooks.
Patterson was not near dedicated enough nor passionate enough to excel to the next level. He was much more interested in singing. Wasted talent never honed into skills.
I think Patterson is a great answer. Many guys mentioned here just weren't cut out for IU under Knight (Collier, Funderburk, Bird, Delray, etc...) but Patterson to me clearly had more talent that just never quite jelled.
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Held back or just wasn't as good as we thought? Charlie Miller was not as good as hoped. Coverdale is the only guy I can recall that RMK just didn't play for whatever reason. Maybe he was like a lot of young guys that would have waited for his time. He was very good under Davis and likely would gave been good under Coach Knight.
for years I thought Cov was indeed held back during RMK's last season (and CMD let Cov out of the doghouse to play), but looking back now, we had 2 very worthy senior guards (Guyton and M Lewis) on that squad who played a lot of minutes, plus Fife, so freshman Cov was never going to see the court much that season.
Collier was a 7 footer who wanted to play on the perimeter. Charlie Miller was a really nice guy but was not the next coming of Calbert.
My vote goes to Andre Patterson. For the last month of his Senior year, he was a 20/10 guy and an all american. The rest of his career (sans the Duke NYC game where he went ape shit), he was soft and just didn't play with a chip on his shoulder. From what I've read, he really drove RMK nuts because RMK could see the potential, but it just was not translating to results in the games.
Honorable mention: Ivan Renko
Collier was a 7 footer who wanted to play on the perimeter. Charlie Miller was a really nice guy but was not the next coming of Calbert.
My vote goes to Andre Patterson. For the last month of his Senior year, he was a 20/10 guy and an all american. The rest of his career (sans the Duke NYC game where he went ape shit), he was soft and just didn't play with a chip on his shoulder. From what I've read, he really drove RMK nuts because RMK could see the potential, but it just was not translating to results in the games.
Honorable mention: Ivan Renko
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Although I was thrilled to have them both, I do believe that both Damon Bailey and Keith Smart were held back by Coach Knight. I personally believed that we were better when Damon ran the point. I would have given him the ball on day 1 of his freshman season, and said that the team is yours. Smart was as good in the open court as anyone at that time. We had a lot of other options as well though. But had he played for UNLV at the time, I think he could’ve put up anywhere from 20 to 25 points per game. Of course all of this is merely speculation.
Yea Bailey graduating top 5 in scoring and top 2 in assists playing with guys like Calbert, Henderson, Evans, Graham, etc was really held back!!!!
I often wondered how Rick Calloway got worse after having a great previous season. I know he injured his knee but after he came back, it seemed he wasn't used the same way. He did good after transferring to Kansas. So something must of changed unless he came back too fast. Also Delray Brooks never played like he did at Providence. Maybe the same for Robert Vaden after he went to UAB. Not saying it was Knight's fault but these guys were good and something went wrong at IU. Miller was never the same after Harris smacked him in the groin at Midnight Madness.
Steve Bouchie and Kreigh Smith come to mind. Daryl Thomas would've had a better career somewhere else but might not have won a championship.
As far as guys that transfered, Funderburke staying would've hung number 6. Hendersons knee wouldn't have been an issue with Funderburke.
As far as guys that transfered, Funderburke staying would've hung number 6. Hendersons knee wouldn't have been an issue with Funderburke.
People talk about how much better IU would been had he stayed.
Its crazy to think during this time had some talented bigs would have stayed at their original school. UNC woulda have a Montross/Rozier from line and IU woulda had a Nover, Henderson, Fuderburke
Vaden, a MD recruit was given a green light at UAB. I always wondered how potent offensively IU could have been in 07-08 had Vaden stayed with EJ on the perimiter.
Calloway was a mystery as well.
That's a good one. I don't know if he was held back rather than he always played with someone who was a better option offensively. Having said that, BIG MVP is a pretty good feather in his cap.
i never thought Vaden was a good fit at IU from day 1.
Like Vaden, I wonder if IU would have beaten Maryland with Haston and especially Andre Owens, since they were light on guards in 02. Owen's went on to be an all American at Houston after he left IU.
But to the OP, Cov is the first player who comes to mind. Also Malcolm Sims, who only played thru December of 92 before heading to Cleveland State. He was Ohio Mr. Basketball I believe.
I also agree that Delray was better with UConn.
Vaden, at IU, was doing just fine. For sure he would have put up huge numbers as a senior alongside DJ White and Eric Gordon? Holy cow that's a formidable offense.
played with Donovan and was coached by Pitino. Made the FF but did not get the chance to face IU.
He did have a good career there, but he topped out at 2nd team All Conference in Conference USA
Wasnt Leary recruited to help get Montross? Leary had a good ability to hit a trickshot here and there.
memory is foggy, but it seems he was a high % shooter that could have been utilized more frequently. was the FF game an outlier?
I often wondered about Meeks playing as much as he did with all the other guys we had. But we were a pretty damned good basketball team there for a few years. Hard to argue with the results. I don’t think Leary was good enough all around to deserve minutes over guys like Graham or Bailey. And Reynolds impact was evident when they burnt his redshirt after that UCLA game.
In short…who was Leary gonna play over? I don’t think it was a style issue, as much as team talent issue for Leary.
Had Reynolds stayed with the redshirt and was therefore a senior in 93-94, he would have been a huge help vs those quick BC guards since IU's were injured and already without Wilkerson.
I don't think we make FF in 92 if Reynolds sits out. The way RMK used the 4 guards as a sort of platoon system was a killer to most teams. They were dogs.
He stepped up late when Meeks & Anderson were supposedly in the "dog house". I always wonder what Chris did wrong not to play more in that 1993 Kansas E8 game...
I remember BC coming out out beginning of the game, Like a 15 point lead 8 minutes into the game.
He wasn't big enough? I don't know. All I remember about that game is not having Henderson killed us.
