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You guys are putting a lot of faith in Eric Gordon

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Abugabby

Senior
Jun 1, 2001
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I have never ventured over here to post that I can remember, but I wanted to discuss something that I have been seeing pop up over and over on this board.

I just read a thread (the DJ Byrd thread) that mentioned how IU is building a team around Gordon and Ebanks.

It would seem that the consensus is that Gordon will be one and done, correct? If so, how can you hope to build a team around him? Are there seriouly IU fans who believe that Gordon will lead you to a national championship this year? If so, how numerous are you? Do they pipe Kool-Aid through the city water system in Bloomington?

I am not saying that it wouldn't be nice to have a kid of his ability to play at Purdue, if for no other reason than to get exposure for the program, but if it is a foregone conclusion that he will be headed to NBA after this season then I don't honestly see how you as IU fans can be so excited about his impact on your team.

It would seem to me that his legacy at IU will be one of unfulfilled promise and unmet expectations.

Finally, just to get a good read on your faith in his ability to make a big impact, I would like to know how many of you if any think he will accomplish any one of the following:

1. Big Ten Player of the Year
2. Lead IU to a Big Ten Championship
3. National Player of the Year
4. Lead IU to the Final Four
5. Win a national championship.
 
Thanks for venturing over. VBG.

I think all five are possible. You act as if Gordon is the only kid on this team that can play. We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

What's a Purdue fan bringing up the words "national championship" for? What would you know about that?
 
The excitement around the program, for me at least, is that we have a good coach with a plan, and he appears to have us back on the road to being a threat in the Big 10 every year and to being a "player" on the national stage. How do you build a program around a guy like Gordon? By establishing IU as a destination for kids of that caliber and blending them with great talent around them. I don't think the excitement is just about this year, but that we may be able to get top players on a regular basis (Gordon, Ebanks, Zeller, etc...). That way, year after year, a top rated recruit knows he can come to IU and compete for Big 10 and national titles, much like UNC, Duke, AZ, UCLA, UK or KU.

My expectations for this year are to compete for a Big 10 title, and do better than last year in the tourney. I think this is a team that, if things fall right, could make a F4 run, but that to me is pie in the sky and too early to talk about. I think Gordon is one of 2 of our players with an excellent chance to be Big 10 POY.
 
Because he's possibly a "one and done" were we not supposed to get excited about him and turn him away ? First and foremost rebuilding Hoosier nation takes time and the Gordon recruitment jumpstarted it. Do you think the Ebanks recruitment and others wasnt helped by Gordons recruitment ? EJ is a good kid, who was a Hoosier at heart and because of the coaching change followed his heart, but because he's got NBA lottery potential, we shouldnt get excited about this guy ? Not to mention the way the whole thing transpired with Bruthie and the Orange Twerps across the border. Have you noticed the rest of the recruiting class that KS was able to bring in after only a couple of months on job, or what he has going for 08 and 09 ? Was there excitement in W Laf when Big Dog committed to PU, knowing he was only going to be around 1 or 2 years ? Of course there was, there was even that pipedream of you guys maybe making a Final Four ! Much as Painter is trying to rebuild the Keady breakdown, KS is doing the same after MD, and both are doing well. Just sitback and enjoy the rivalry get back to full strength (MD ate you guys for lunch)and dont worry about Bloomington, we'll be just fine, and maybe you guys can get to Madison Square Garden for the NIT finals, that would be a step up for your program.
 
Just think..If EG is one and done...

he won't ever have to watch the overweight PU alumni try to stuff themselves in those tiny Mackey arena seating spaces. Or watch the prison bus pull up and let your team off to play. Or see the heifer cheerleaders or the world's largest drum with the world's biggest beat offs. Or see the juicy fruit twins. I think Eric is the real winner here.

I know you have never had one but this is the kind of player you DO build a program around and they bring results. And, no one knows if he is one and done or not. Who cares? We are the winners to even get to have him a year. I think you need to concentrate on Bethune-Cookman, your top notch opening opponent.
 
Re: Just think..If EG is one and done...

kkott, point taken about excitement about the program and thank you for the intelligent response to my legitimate questions. However, my question is more focused on the excitement around Gordon specifically.

I don't dispute that IU has seen a resurgence on the national recruiting scene, and I don't begrudge you your excitement about the direction of the program. Kudos to IU for righting the ship so-to-speak. I was always a big fan of Coach Knight, I guess I still am in a way, and I hated the way he was victimized by the PC Police.

sfchoosier, I didn't mean to imply that you shouldn't be excited. My point was that I would think that excitement would be tempered against the fact that he may play only one season. I find it a stretch to think you can "build a team" around a guy who is in it for one season. Maybe as kkott says you can start to rebuild your program, but I dispute the "team building" angle.

To be honest, I haven't followed IU in some time since they have dropped of the national scene so I can't speak intelligently about the recruitment of your incoming players.

Big Dog was at Purdue for three seasons, but only played two. And he was surrounded by guys like Matt Waddell and Cuonzo Martin...good guys and good college players but hardly the stuff of Final Four runs.

How far did IU go in the NCAA tournament last year? Seems to me that if we are talking about recent success then you should cut the hyperbole and look at IU's recent finishes. As they say in the sports world, you're only as good as your last game (or in this case last season).

While I have no delusions of grandeur regarding this year's Boiler squad, I too am excited about the direction of our program and hope we realize the kind of success that our recent recruiting classes promise.

IU_musicman87, Nicholls St. ring a bell? And I don't have to focus on Bethune-Cookman at all. You see, I can differentiate the line between reality and fantasy. The Reality is that I don't PLAY for Purdue, I am a fan. Fantasy is what you have to do when you graduate from IU...you fantasize about landing a good job.

I will let the PLAYERS focus on Bethune-COokman, while you continue to look for a job that pays more than minimum wage.
 
Re: Just think..If EG is one and done...

Aren't you guys putting a lot of hope in 4 4-star recruits???????????
 
I'm excited about Gordon because it sends a huge statement to the entire state and conference. Indiana is back on the map and in the minds of the best in Indiana and if guys like Matta and Izzo want to come in and recruit Indiana kids they better be prepared to go up against Sampson (and Painter, too).

Do I think he's going to lead Indiana to a National Championship...no. But I do think Indiana has a legitimate shot at an Elite Eight or Final Four, and from there anything can happen (see 2002). He has energized this program and this fanbase, and landing a big recruit like him definitely opens up doors with other big recruits that might not have been open had something like that not happened. Under Davis we had big-time kids on our list, but we were generally not on theirs. Now, it's starting to go the other way.

To answer some of your other Qs, I do think he can win the B10 POY and lead IU to a B10 title this year. Unfortunately, that would mean he is 100% one-and-done.
This post was edited on 9/6 8:16 AM by indianajdp
 
Re: Just think..If EG is one and done...

2002 Final Four (Championship Game) even under MD, that wasnt too long ago was it ? Thanks for waking the board up, its been a bit slow recently
 
The funny thing is, you pretend it's just IU fans

Try checking out the preview magazines, articles, espn predictions. Everyone in the country thinks Eric Gordon will make a massive difference and be a huge part of a successful, top 10 IU team this year.

Don't be all bitter because despite what you guys falsely perceived as a fab 4 you're still picked 8th in the b10....
 
He said recruiting classe"s"

So he must be referring to all the recent 3-star recruits too. I guess he wants to get the program back in track to finish 4-5th in the b10.
 
Have we been rude?

Sorry man. You come over to our board to post a totally innocent non-flaming post asking just how many homer kool-aid drinkers there are who think that EJ will have any sort of serious impact at IU...and we take shots at you. You poor thing.

I think most of us are excited about the POTENTIAL of this year's team. We've got one of the nation's best big men coming back, a shooting guard who would be an NBA lottery pick if he could have entered the draft this year, last season's JC Player of the Year, and a solid cast around them. I haven't seen too many posts here claiming we're a lock to win anything, but I think even a PU fan can see what the fuss is about. We're one of a couple of teams with an inside chance at winning the Big Ten (along with MSU) and, yes, a couple of our guys have a good shot at Big Ten POY or FOY.

Shocked! Shocked I say!!
 
Have you ever heard of Carmello Anthony? He was one-

and-done, yet he led his team to a national title.

It will not surprise me if Eric Gordon is Big Ten Player of the Year this season, leads IU to a Big Ten title and even helps the Hoosiers make it to the Final Four. Once a team gets to the Final Four, anything can happen.

Any team is just an injury away from making it to the Final Four. If you don't believe me, ask the players on the 1974-75 IU team.

Gordon isn't the whole team, either. DJ White is vastly improved and totally healthy, Stemler apparently has recovered from his knee injury, Mike White and Bassett have a year of major college basketball under their belts and then there are the newcomers. Ellis does the intangibles and blue collar work every team needs to be successful and many of the other new players have the potential to become contributors to this team. Team chemistry is a major issue and I hope this team has it.

If everybody remains healthy and academically eligible (i.e. AJ Ratliff), this team has the potential to win the National Championship. A Big Ten title probably will give the Hoosiers a #1 Seed. After that, it's a matter of them bringing their A game to every game.
 
We could ask the same thing about your 2007 class...

Do you really think any of them are going to be Player of the anything? How many Big Ten titles are you expecting from that group? Do you really think they are going to be National Title contenders when I can name 3 programs in the Big Ten alone that consistantly recruit as good if not better than Purdue? How is the Kool-Aid in West Lafayette.

As to your 5 questions I think the answer to all of them would be "possibly". I think if everything were to run almost perfect this season that we'd have a shot at the title. However, I'm not expecting this team to win the Championship...it is just good enough to know right now that our coaching staff and many of the "experts" think we are a top 10 team and that we COULD compete for the title. However, like any team, we'll have to see how the year shakes out. Also, we're not pinning all our hopes on Gordon as many of us believe that we have one of the better returning big men in the country this year in DJ White and that our supporting cast is strong enough to make us a potential contender.

Here's a question for you: Mike Conley and Greg Oden only played one year for Ohio State and they didn't win a national title; do you think that picking up those two players hasn't been beneficial to Matta? Do you think the perception of that program has changed drastically in the one year they were there? Sometimes a player doesn't have to stick around to make an impact...just something to think about.
 
If you want to flame...take it to the women's bball board

Purdue's "great class" will never have a year as good as this years IU team.
 
nice flame. ever hear of Carmelo Anthony? to answer
your flame,uh i mean question, I think he can do all
those things. His impact at IU will be felt much longer
than just the one (or two) year he is here.
 
The excitement is about far more than Gordon. 08 is looking great.

We have players like DJ White here already. I think you just came here to flame though. Your "Kool-Aid" comment pretty much took any chance at an intelligent conversation off the board. Your actually pretty stupid for thinking you could put that in your original post and get anything but venom back. Now run along and head back to your board before your Natural Light gets warm or the other folks at the trailer park lift them from the kiddie pool you use for a cooler.
This post was edited on 9/6 8:30 AM by Triplebogey
 
The benefits of having EJ, will go beyond 1 year, whether he

leaves or stays after 1 year. Because he will be seen and young kids will watch him play for IU and become interested in IU. We had a similar benefit with Isaiah Thomas. Purdue had the same with Glenn Robinson. Good national exposure to have those kind of kids in your program doing well.
 
We've put no more "faith" in Eric Gordon

than the PUkes have put in their 4 Indiana recruits being able to put them over the top. The "faith" that we've put in Eric Gordon comes from our belief that he's a perfect compliment to an already strong and potential Big 10 POY in DJ White. Out "faith" that we've put in him is in that he's a player that other players might want to come to Indiana to play alongside. Can you say the same about your 4 recruits? Nice players, but strong enough to convince others to come as well? Doubtful.

Considering the play of Gordon alongside the rest of his team in the Bahamas, albeit against less than stellar opposition, tells me that this "faith" that you speak of just might become realized. Furthermore, if Gordon only stays one year, I can honestly say that I'll be glad to have had him for one year than none at all.

Will the Hoosiers win the Big 10 championship? Possibly. Eric be POY? Doubtful. National Championship or Final Four? Better chance than the PUkes have and certainly a much better chance with him than without him. The best team doesn't always win the championship, but you have to get there to at least have a chance. He provides a piece of the means to possibly get there.
 
Really, go back to my trailer? That is the best you can do? Just to show you how ridiculous and off-target your "insult" was, here are some pics of my apartment. We just had it painted so I took pics a couple of days ago:









And here is one of my kids playing in their "kiddie pool". You will find it on a map of the world...its called the Red Sea. I know the average IU grad never leaves the trailer park in Bloomington, but Purdue grads have passports and are assigned to jobs in exotic locales. (btw, the diving in the Red Sea is world-reknowned...if you ever leave Indiana you should try it)


This post was edited on 9/7 11:31 AM by Not Fade Away
 
Carmello wasn't a 2 guard

It's pretty rare that a 2 guard has that drastic of an impact. A big man or point guard can have that type impact, but not generally the 2 guard.
 
Your grandmother has nice taste.

I know its a bit unusual seeing a house that's not sitting on cindeblocks and has milkcrate furniture, beer signs and blow-up dolls but this is what your place might look like when you grow up and get a job.
 
wow!! a freshly painted apartment close to the Red Sea. Don't
kid yourself pal, an apartment in a third world country = a
trailer in west laffy. douch bag
 
Classic!!

Send this post straight to the legendary threads forum!! We have a Purdue alum touting his school and his apartment, and then posts pictures like this!!!

I better get back to my fryer here at McDonalds since that IU degree makes it so tough to get a good job!
 
Keep telling yourself that. The table in that picture costs more than you make in 6 months. Big city life, while not really my thing, is the same in ANY big city. But then you wouldn't know anything about that. If you could hook up your home and tow it through Chicago you might understand what I am talking about.
 
So you're probably what, living in saudi arabia?

Sudan? Samalia?

I live in NYC right now, and there are a lot of beautiful places that I'd like to live in this world (and can with my job). But you know what, none of the places you might live sounds even REMOTELY nice.

So keep telling yourself that your country that is either war torn, or a muslim police state is "exotic". If that's what it takes for them to sucker you into moving over there.
This post was edited on 9/6 9:01 AM by Smeagel
 
We are excited about having a player of EJ's calibre and

quality, to go with the many other highly rated players CKS and his staff have recruited. I don't believe any of us believe he is superman, and we prefer that IU basketball remain a team sport. Most IU posters I've read are conflicted over whether he will be done after one year. Personally I think he is likely to stay for two years, barring injury.

But with that said we do expect alot of EJ, but we are really demanding our leadership come from our team captains (which I have no doubt we will get)--DJ and LS. But as far as your questions go, I will access a percentage of probability to each:

1. Big Ten Player of the Year: 25%
2. Lead IU to a Big Ten Championship: 80%
3. National Player of the Year: 5%
4. Lead IU to the Final Four: 33%
5. Win a national championship. 10%

I think Eric will grow in his leadership abilities, but DJ and Lance are the leaders of this squad.
 
Smeagle, regardless of what you see on CNN, there are countries in the region that are neither war-torn NOR Islamic police states.

Try opening a book.
 
I have a job and a house...

I just don't feel the need to play the game of "mine is bigger than yours" on a sports message board. Congratulations on living in the middle of terrorist central in your grandma decorated apartment, I'm happy for you. But your broad generalization that we're all a bunch of slack jawed yokels is way off base. This board is frequented by professionals--doctors, lawyers, business men and IU can point to quite a few movers and shakers in the business world and beyond. This whole line of discussion is just silly. Jane Pauley and Mark Cuban called and said "Really? IU Grads don't ever get out of Indiana and move on to bigger things? Really?!!"

Try and get back on topic you are just coming off as a loser right now.
This post was edited on 9/6 9:11 AM by IUCrazy2
 
Re: I have a job and a house...

IUCrazy2 says "This board is frequented by professionals--doctors, lawyers, business men "

Yes, they are Purdue grads trying to see how the other half lives.
 
Last reply to you:

If you are what is considered a "professional" and a "grown up" by Purdue standards then I don't want to be either.

I'm done replying to you and I suggest everyone else stop as well as this thread is going to get deleted and you'll probably be black listed because you aren't adding anything but flaming to the board right now. I hope you enjoyed your short stay...
 
The best part is you're a huge hypocrite

You complain about us being rude, but now it's clear all you ever intended to do was come over here and flamebait, being rude yourself.

Get a life.

And by the way, I realize you're not in the states, but you might want to check what school had higher admission standards this year. In fact, I'll save you some time, IU had higher standards than Purdue.
This post was edited on 9/6 9:09 AM by Smeagel
 
Do they breed stupidity in West Lafayette? Or is it just

the Kool-Aid being piped through the system in WL? Now really, for your first post on a rivals board, you choose to flame? Brilliant! Try your best to put 2 and 2 together and figure out why a person like Eric Gordon is good for a program. It really isn't difficult, so I'll leave that to you to figure out.
 
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