Are these games really beneficial to developing the team? This team is interesting though. And don’t want to start chatter to early in the season; but watching OSU and Louisville makes me again question why we are continually in “ rebuild” mode. I’d be interested to know if either coach was even contacted. Anyway , wishing the team well this year. But if we miss the NCAA again , I’m off the CAM train.
Why the Continued Cupcake Games
- Thread starter Kyser123
- Start date
It sounds as if you never were on it. But, I apologize if my perception is not accurate.
Its a fair criticism though about the schedule...and one that Crean was bashed about as well...to the point that Archie had contract incentives for improving the schedule.
The B10 bailed him out by increasing league game requirements - but Archie and A.D. have done absolutely nothing to improve the schedule on their own booking.
It’s definitely a risky strategy. Yes, a chance for the team to become more cohesive, gain experience and get more W’s. But if the B1G struggles and is weaker than expected the easy non-con might be held against us at tournament selection time. We might very well need to get more than 20 wins overall and do no worse than say sixth in B1G to get in.
Why do you guys constantly confuse your feelings as being interesting basketball topics? This post is about about how you feel as a fan.
Who cares ..
B1G is hard enough, therefore ranked teams constantly in the B1G schedule.
i agree with you on the schedule. i don't mind a few cupcakes to begin the season but 8 in a row is a bit much
I love IU basketball, but hard for me to pay much attention though with these cupcakes. Now, schedule Duke, Nova, or UofE and I might be more interested.
Although, overall its not an atypical schedule, its just that the cupcakes are frontloaded rather than being a little more distributed. Generally teams schedule 2-3 cupcakes in the second half of December. Swap dates of North Alabama and Troy with ND and Arkansas, and its a pretty typical schedule
Because scheduling involves 2 programs, this team needs time to play together, things like the ACC-B10 challenge are tough to predict matchups, and oh, most of the teams we play are decided well in advance with adjustments for date and time? Your attitude is reminiscent of the "Fire this coach because he wasn't my first choice and it makes sense to fire coaches after 2 years of a rebuild!" crowd. UL and OSU were loaded with talented, complete teams when their respective coaches took over. See how that doesn't compare to having Morgan, no PG, no shooters, and no height? Apples to oranges? Just go away....
Well, seems you have at least 2 good options: 1. Don't watch, like most who claim to be fans do. 2. Work hard enough to get a job in the AD department to work mostly on men's bb scheduling. Which you will find to be more long term and more difficult than you understand with the fact multi year contracts are involved for any non-cupcake team...
No, playing 7 cupcakes to start the year isn't the best way to develop the team. It's a pathetic schedule, but not surprising (Glass put together some turds for Crean). I'm sure fanboys love it and will justify it.
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The first three to four games are a guage for the coach to evaluate team chemistry, defense and offensive capabilities and substitution patterns. All teams do this. A few will schedule big timers right off to boost fanbase but revert back to playing[cupcakes]. Remember some cupcakes have potential[Evans. vs UK][Eastern Washington,Indiana St.vs. IU]. REMEMBER AFTER FIRST 10-11 GAMES COMES bIG 10 SEASON. SO CAM NEEDS TO FIND WEAK AREAS AND WORK ON THEM.
Did anyone pay attention to what quality wins vs. wins got teams in? IU has as many quality wins as anyone last year. Didn’t help. Why not be 10-0 going into the conference schedule? The selection committee has spoken and it’s going to be mostly cupcake city for most.
Not being invited to the Gavitt Games was a big letdown for the schedule. IU drew a pretty weak ACC team for the B1G/ACC matchup which usually doesn't happen. Also, IU also got a weaker opponent in UCONN (as compared to TT & Louisville) in the Jimmy V classic. A lot of this easy schedule this year is random and like other posters have said are scheduled years in advance.
I don't have any insight into why the Gavitt Games didn't pick IU but that would've added a good Big East team to the schedule instead of what we got instead.
We'll have plenty of chances to face good teams in the B1G regular season. If we don't win those we don't deserve to be a tournament team anyway.
I don't have any insight into why the Gavitt Games didn't pick IU but that would've added a good Big East team to the schedule instead of what we got instead.
We'll have plenty of chances to face good teams in the B1G regular season. If we don't win those we don't deserve to be a tournament team anyway.
You might have missed the joke, and it was probably delivered poorly. Anyway, for most games, I enjoy just listening to Fish on the radio while turning wrenches on our old car with my son. Fans come in all varieties thank goodness. Just like this motley Crew of misfits on here. We have been to a couple football games this year and hopefully make a couple b-ball games. But we like to attend games anticipated to be competitive. If that makes us some sort of lesser fan, then I can live with it.
Too early to say FSU is a weak team. We were tied for 8th in conference last year and they were pretty highly ranked much of the year last year, I believe. This year they barely lost at Pitt and beat #6 FL, who many think highly of, pretty handily on the road. Won't surprise me at all if they end up a top 20 team during the season.
the first 8 all look like exhibitions to me.
This is the only correct answer. Nothing to see here. A little odd with how it builds up, but nothing to see otherwise.
I believe UL had 1 returning player that played significant minutes for Pitino...and the rest only played for Coach David Padgett (Padgett who parlayed the UL gig into now being a volunteer coach at North Oldham Middle School)
The assertion was that UL was a talented, complete team, not that all those guys played for Pitino.
not about bball.
about $$$$$.
good teams want at least a home and home.
for those we can just buy games with and don't have to play a return game at their place, the lessor the team, the cheaper they are to get to come here.
Fred is who he is.
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i don't care how you spin it. we should NOT be playing this many cream puffs.
FSU isn’t a cupcake. Everything leading up to that game is. I’m amazed at how many fans must not know how good IU used to be. The great defenders - and if we tank this year I’m sure we’ll hear more of the same. Facts are facts and OSU and Louisville made great coaching hires and are solid again. We’re still “rebuilding”. We have a super soft schedule. Good teams want tough games early.
You're absolutely right. This is only abnormal in that all of the more challenging games are in December. It's normally spread out. People want to pretend this is new. Go back and look at those Knight era schedules of the 80s & 90s. We averaged between 5-8 cupcakes per year and that was when there were fewer games allowed. It's like in the last 20 years people want to selectively forget we used to play the two "Classics" for 4 guaranteed wins.
Facts are facts, not all the facts are in yet. Lol. I like both those guys but they and Archie all walked into different situations (i.e. watch Crean win 4 conference games this year at Georgia). You seem to throw the word “great” around like candy though. I mean, for a guy who feels fit to talk about what IU was and how high are standards should be now. Sheeeesh. .
No he is not. During the Knight era the preseason schedules were not this easy. You might be able to find one or two, but on average they were much more difficult. There were also fewer D1 schools (cupcakes today can be a lost easier than cupcakes 30 years ago). I had this same discussion when people tried to justify it when Crean was coach. Lastly, the 4 challenging games aren’t really that challenging. The preseason schedule this year blows.
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Mack didn’t inherit a talented, complete team.
UofL lost 4 starters from the year before Mack arrived, 17-18. Adel, Spalding, Snyder, and Mohmoud. Not to mention 2017-18 was a mediocre year with Padgett as interim coach. UofL was far from complete last year. Mack patched holes with grad transfers and got the most out of what he had.
IU and Miller definitely had challenges in personnel with his first IU team. UofL and Mack had challenges in his first year as well.
I can’t speak for what Ohio State had when Holtmann started.
Every situation is a different. I am supporting Miller until he proves he can’t get it done. This is a big year for him.
This is no doubt a soft non conference schedule. It is what it is.
Newsflash, Indiana is a project. That’s why we are playing cupcakes. Archie has his work cut out for him.
Take it up with the guy that asserted otherwise. I just pointed out that cryano was offering a red herring.
Yes, he is. And since you didn't bother to look, here's a little snapshot:
86-87:
Montana State
UNC Wilmington
East Carolina
Morehead State
Princeton
Illinois State
87-88
Miami (OH)
James Madison
Washington State
East Carolina
Penn
88-89
Miami (OH)
Illinois State
VCU
Santa Clara
Little Rock
UTEP
St Bonaventure
Utah State
89-90
Miami (OH)
Kent State
South Alabama
Long Beach
Utah State
Wichita State
90-91
Northeastern
Santa Clara
Niagra
San Diego
Western Michigan
Do I need to keep going? 5-8 cupcakes every year has been typical for this program for a long time.
86-87:
Montana State
UNC Wilmington
East Carolina
Morehead State
Princeton
Illinois State
87-88
Miami (OH)
James Madison
Washington State
East Carolina
Penn
88-89
Miami (OH)
Illinois State
VCU
Santa Clara
Little Rock
UTEP
St Bonaventure
Utah State
89-90
Miami (OH)
Kent State
South Alabama
Long Beach
Utah State
Wichita State
90-91
Northeastern
Santa Clara
Niagra
San Diego
Western Michigan
Do I need to keep going? 5-8 cupcakes every year has been typical for this program for a long time.
A couple points (sorry for the all the edits and previous snark). I don’t mind playing 5 cupcakes a year (you might be able to talk me into 6). Those Knight teams also played more preseason games (I wouldn’t mind playing 6 cupcakes if we played more games). Also, notice the difference between those cupcakes and the current ones. Lastly, compare Knight’s challenging games against our challenging games. You might notice a difference. So, it looks like your left with one year.
Also, IU’s 1990-91 preseason schedule was a very good schedule. IU played 13 games (instead of 11) and 2 of their easiest games were from Maui. They also played Syracuse, Kentucky, ND, Louisville, @ISU, and @ Vanderbilt.
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