my take is
regardless of so called talent, tourney prospects, etc
as the season progresses, they seem to be getting better.....which is a welcome change vs the last few editions of IUBB. this is definitely encouraging and we hope it continues
@drjb "as the season progresses, they seem to be getting better.....which is a welcome change vs the last few editions of IUBB. this is definitely encouraging and we hope it continues."
100% agree!
If the team can win out this week (beat USC & Wisconsin), many others will jump on the improvement train.
@drjb "as the season progresses, they seem to be getting better.....which is a welcome change vs the last few editions of IUBB. this is definitely encouraging and we hope it continues."
100% agree!
If the team can win out this week (beat USC & Wisconsin), many others will jump on the improvement train.
i'll admit to being guardedly optimistic......we still make way too many poor decisions/bonehead plays
we need to at least win the rest of our 50/50 games, make the tourney and establish a firm culture for success going forward
do that and i'm solidly on the DD train.
don't and.....?
I've been a very harsh critic of DD. Still not there by any means. However the last 3 games what I've seen different is:
1. Hustle and effort .. controllable by players.
2. in game adjustments by DD3. between game adjustments.
4. animation and emotion from DD.all of this consequently comes with the absence of TC. He to me was the most head hanging of them all and inconsistent. So I think he comes off the bench. Go with the folks that have spiked this run.
I'm pleasantly surprised by the last 3 games. Hopefully they aren't an aberration
and some of it is timing related ... Dorn comes back ... TC is out?? Have to ask the question. Have to
I don't see issue with hustle and effort. The team is average which is slightly better than mediocre which is where I thought they were a couple weeks ago. Physically it is soft so struggles to keep up for 48 minutes without wearing down. It's not just the lack of bigs. Depth helps them so hopefully miles can give minutes when TC is back playing.
I've thought all year why are they playing both TC and Enright so much. I had thought early on that sisley should start but the real answer is Dorn. Having 3 players who space the floor on the court makes it tough for D's to concentrate on just Wilkerson and Devries.
So bring one of TC or enright off the bench. I don't think it matters which one. Enright has made some big shots but TC is a lot better offensively overall. I expect DD sticks with Enright because of past familiarity. I'd probably go with TC starting because Enright brings a ton of energy and that is good to have off the bench.
What I haven't liked about DD so far is lack of screens to get open shots. That might be related to personnel but they struggle to get open shots when opponents take it to next level on defense.
I don't know that DD is going to recruit the portal much differently. I think he will certainly take a plus talent xfer if the player fits his system. If not, then I don't think he show much interest. Seems his focus is maybe on building the backbone of the team from the HS ranks. Clearly the 2 serbs are for the future. What is the story on Harris? I know he is recovering from injury but are they holding him out for redshirt.
I don't really agree about the lack of adjustments. You have to have players who can handle the adjustments needed. IMO, this team can only play one way so what adjustments are you wanting?
After the Purdue and UCLA games which are huge drains emotionally, a letdown or flat seems on the table. Unmfortunately, they should not have gone through that UCLA meltdown. A couple of missed FTs and not having TC really hurt them closing that door. Let's see if they handle it at USC. If they do then they cannot exhale because Wiscy game is at home. So maybe having 6 seniors will pay off.
Seems his focus is maybe on building the backbone of the team from the HS ranks.
He has stated that this is his preference.
@hoosiers94 ya I’ll never get excited over mediocre and celebrate being on the bubble. Woodys teams had high high ceilings with god awful coaching. This team has to play its best to make the tourney. That is not fun for me. Max effort to be a 10 seed is cool if you are northwestern.
What did you expect. Took too long to get a staff together but he got who he wanted. Had some turndowns from players he wanted. He got what he could. If it is not fun then don't watch. That is what I did at the end of Miller and Woodson teams. I guarantee you will feel better not watching. Thus less bitching on this forum.
@drjb "as the season progresses, they seem to be getting better.....which is a welcome change vs the last few editions of IUBB. this is definitely encouraging and we hope it continues."
100% agree!
If the team can win out this week (beat USC & Wisconsin), many others will jump on the improvement train.
Really they won't. For decades the same people bitch no matter what.
@sig I think consistency in effort and focus is the issue. They don't lack the ability to be good in those areas. The last few games show they can be really good at them. And when they are, they can play with anyone, and beat most. The problem is they don't always play with effort and focus.
You mentioned the lack of screening. That's a great example of what I'm referring to. When they're running what seems obvious is CDD's desired offensive system, they ARE cutting, screening, moving... the ball and people are popping around and inside and out, and its VERY effective. Unfortunately, we go away from that for stretches, too often. My guess is guys like Conerway, DeVries, and Wilkerson are so used to having the ball in their hands throughout their prior career stops, that when teams start getting really physical, its natural for the ball to die in their hands. Things get tough, all three of them, I'm sure, feel a responsibility to carry things. Unfortunately, none of them are suited to do that against good P4 level defenses.
And then defensively, we have too many stretches where we lose engagement with our ball pressure. Its probably connected with our poor offensive stretches, but when we pressure the ball well, are physical with our rotations and help, we're a VERY good defensive team despite not having a rim protector. But when we're not as engaged on the ball, not as aggressive on screens and cuts, we give up some easy stuff for a few minutes, and all of a sudden we've given up a 10-0 run.
USC has been playing pretty solid ball, of late. Similar to, if not better than, UCLA. We'll have to play just as well as we did for most of the game Saturday, to win tomorrow night. I'm sure none of them were thinking anything like "a split out there is a win"... but I know I would have taken it before the UCLA game. I hope they have a greedy mentality though, to go get both of them, and that it'll be a disappointment if they don't. Its a pretty big game for our at large hopes, I think. The math gets a lot more difficult to get to that 11 win conference mark, if they lose to USC. Thye'd have to win 5 out of 6, in the Wisky, Oregon, NW, MSU, Minny, and OSU games. Good news is, 5 of those games are home. But with 2 of them being Wisky and MSU... man, that's not a lot of margin for error for a team like ours.
Maybe you are right but I don't see this team as a strong screening team even when focused. TBH, I don't even buy the focused vs not focused. That just sounds like an excuse to mask their issues. I think this team is always focused but they just get beaten down and wear out as the games move forward. I don't think they are really close to anyone in the top 10.
IMO, this is a tourney caliber team whether they make it or not. Navigating thru the conference is just tough as compared to going the mid-major conference route and going 28-2 or something like that and this is a mid-major all star group. I like that he has 6 seniors because maybe they find a way in and you never who you might draw in the tournament. They certainly are making it interesting. So far I am on the side that they found a coach but his rosters have to improve going into future years.
@iunorth USC isn't that good. Lost to NW at home less than 2 weeks ago. Just beat Rutgers at home by one basket. We should be favored.
@sig They run A LOT of rubs and pinch post actions, when they're actively moving off the ball. TV announcers have touched on the difference in how good they are when they run their actions, than when they don't. Moving, cutting, running the stuff CDD wants them to run, IS more difficult when physically superior teams ramp up how physical they defend IU. And I think that's ONE cause for their stagnation. But they 100 percent, at times, also just stop doing it, after long stretches of running beautiful open, cutting, screening, inside out basketball. Its happened at ends of games recently, when the physicality was likely no different than the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half. It happened against teams that shouldn't be capable of causing it, physically.
And did you mean to say, this is NOT a tourney caliber team whether they make it or not? What you said before and after that sentence seems to indicate that's what you meant to say. I guess I don't know what that means, if so... like the committee will put them in just because they're IU? I guess if they're one of the last couple in, and are in one of the play in games... I'd get that. But if they aren't a play in game, and make it... then they were safely an NCAA at large team. And for them to do that, this year, they'll likely have to have beaten teams like Wisconsin, Michigan State, on top of Purdue and UCLA...and finished above .500, to have made it safely. Not sure the logic of them "not being an NCAA team" if that happens??
@dbmhoosier they also won at Minnesota, and at Wisconsin, and very nearly won at Iowa, during that same stretch. And Vegas opens with USC favored by 1.5... If IU wins, it'll be a good win. If they lose, depending on how it'd happen, its not the end of the world.
At this time last year we wanted to blow up Woody's Cigar Emporium and force Quinn to see the dentist. I may not love DeVries right now, but my god is this a better feeling ... my Bigfoot PTSD has subsided considerably.
I think this game is important b/c the Whisky game is spooky. Game won't be over until Wednesday. Then they have to get back home. Jet lag, time zone thing. Not much time to adjust before Saturday. Purdue was a win we "weren't supposed to get". I think we need a couple more. We played MSU even at 53-53, then the wheels came off. I look for it to be different in Assembly Hall.