@middawg With regards to one of your points... I think there's still something "off" at times with the flow between Wilkerson, Conerway, and DeVries.  All 3 of those guys have spent their entire basketball lives being THE alpha, ball dominant, main option for whatever team they've been on.  I think we see the ball dying in their hands for stretches, at times... mostly Wilkerson and DeVries.  When it doesn't, and we're moving off the ball, getting ball reversals, etc... there aren't many teams that can slow us down on that end of the court.  But none of those 3 are effective one on one, ISO players, at this level.  Actually, Conerway might be the best of those 3 at creating with the ball in his hands...and I'd say the ball stops in his hands the least of them... at least it has the last handful of games.  

As for winning 3 or 4 on the road... tomorrow is a must win to reach that many wins, I'm sure.  Rutgers is obviously winnable, the LA swing could be an opportunity.  OSU the last game of the year, depending on how they're playing, is winnable.  The rest... yikes.  

@iunorth Maryland, Rutgers, OSU, USC and UCLA do look to be the road games where IU has the best chance. I wouldn't bet against the likes of Illinois, Purdue, MSU and Michigan. Count me pleased if they can come off with 4 Big 10 road wins.

@iunorth 

Agree 100%

It's maddening watching the ball stick, especially in those three losses and those three players.   

The more we push pace and tempo, the less likely we get a ball sticking in quicksand possession.  

IU bball is a nice distraction from the inappropriate amount of energy amd money I'm spending on Cig's rampage of college football. Regardless, I keep going to the Hall for hoops.

Is Bailey the Carlyle portal bust of this team? Does he have baby hands? How much better would this team if that money was spent differently?

I'm at peace with mustache mullet and his role. And I think Alexis would be effective if he could play an appropriate position and role. Bailey is the hole.

See you all in Atlanta. 

@hozo4ultimate If Bailey wasn’t playing as a “5”…with no other tall people on the court, he’d be a lot more valuable.  He does a lot of things well, but there are roles he has to play for this team that don’t suit his game, at all.  We’d all hate Tucker playing the 5 too, if that was the sole role he were playing.

I think with how we have to play him, we’d have been better suited to get more of a physical big.  But I’m sure when CDD signed him, it was with the intention to play him at a forward spot, not to have to play exclusively as an anchor big.  

He was actually a pretty highly rated, forward, in the portal.  So it’s hard to question his value.  But I guess for how we have to play him, he probably wasn’t worth the money.  

Per tonight’s B10 games.  Evidently it’s pretty difficult to win on the road in the B10.  Even for the vaunted Wolverines.  They pulled it out, but they came close to not…and PSU was without their best player.  If IU wins by 2 tomorrow night there will be jokers on here complaining about it, I’m sure.  

DeVries is too slow. 

Wilkerson is too weak and won't get separation consistently against stronger faster more talented teams 

Conerway is an enigma.  Hes got some speed and quickness but seems as though his strength is an issue once he gets into a crowd. 

Alphas on mid major teams don't equal Alphas on Big teams.  

Maryland is definitely a must win and on paper we should win 

@hoosiers94 what are you babbling about?

 Tucker is averaging 15-5-4, for a top 30 team.  

Wilkerson is averaging 19-3-3.

Conerway is averaging 13-3-4.

They’re all fine.  They just aren’t nearly as capable of dominating games like they were at their smaller schools before.  Doesn’t mean they aren’t good high major players.  They just need to keep adapting and play within the confines of CDDs VERY effective offensive system.  When they all are moving the ball, and cutting and screening,  our offense is dominant.  Partly because CDDs system is so good when ran well.  But also because those 3 are really, really good college basketball players.  

Posted by: @iunorth

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@hoosiers94 what are you babbling about?

 Tucker is averaging 15-5-4, for a top 30 team.  

Wilkerson is averaging 19-3-3.

Conerway is averaging 13-3-4.

They’re all fine.  They just aren’t nearly as capable of dominating games like they were at their smaller schools before.  Doesn’t mean they aren’t good high major players.  They just need to keep adapting and play within the confines of CDDs VERY effective offensive system.  When they all are moving the ball, and cutting and screening,  our offense is dominant.  Partly because CDDs system is so good when ran well.  But also because those 3 are really, really good college basketball players.  

 

you keep living in that dream world you're in.  We are champs of the Sienas and Bethunes. Only problem is we are in the Big Ten.  And you once again just reinforced my point.  They are no longer Alphas.  Just in their own heads maybe.  Alphas besides the psychological, produce.  Look at Tucker and Lamar's game logs against teams outside of the cupcakes.  And we've only played 2/3 decent teams so far , and before you mention. Oh but Tucker had 27 against Louisville. Rewatch the game.  
they are no more than role players on a Big Ten team yet we have to call them our studs.  Sorry not buying it.  DD offense is theoretically a current system. But you act as though no one else runs it.  And hence no one else can defend it.  Again sorry that dog don't hunt. Our horses aren't thoroughbreds but we will start to play against some.  Maybe that will shed more light on it for u. 
so as you "babble" on here as you do as some sort of "expert" compared to the rest of us with your "wordy" posts the rest of us will live in reality.  

As you so eloquently stated, it's lazy to not truly examine and evaluate the talent and how it's performed on a game by game basis and taking into consideration the opponent. When you do that the reality is glaring. Come out on the AAU circuit with me. I'll show you talent vs  pretenders.  Indiana basketball talent vs Ball St talent.  

@hoosiers94 Oh I'm fully aware of what we are, and what we aren't.  And I've posted about all that plenty of times.

But... and I know this is pointless with you, but here are some numbers to point out that you're wrong... In their games against "high major teams" (B10 games plus Marquette, LVille, and UK)

Rounding up and down to nearest whole numbers (down just as much as up, for what its worth)

Tucker... 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists

Lamar... 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Conerway... 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Shooting percentages all pretty good.  Tayton has turnover issues.  Tucker has had a clunker or two.  In 2 of our losses, Lamar has had 0 assists.  Which is statistical evidence of the point I was trying to make, that you started babbling about and expanding where it was no longer valid... When the ball sticks in Lamar, and even Tuckers, hands... we're not as good.

But the problem IS NOT that they're not talented, or good enough to compete with the high major teams.  They are.  And they'll show it, I'm sure, more often than not throughout the rest of the year.  Just like they've already shown.  We'll still lose a decent amount to teams like Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, etc... But I doubt it will be because those 3 aren't good enough.  And we could beat some of those teams, if those 3 share the ball well all game.

Posted by: @iunorth

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Per tonight’s B10 games.  Evidently it’s pretty difficult to win on the road in the B10.  Even for the vaunted Wolverines.  They pulled it out, but they came close to not…and PSU was without their best player.  If IU wins by 2 tomorrow night there will be jokers on here complaining about it, I’m sure.  

But why is it so much harder to win on the road in the Big Ten vs the ACC or SEC?  The stats say it has been for decades. 

@dbmhoosier Good question... more parity?  Our (B10) lack of tournament success leads me to think our top teams, while often highly ranked...maybe in reality aren't creating the same levels of separation from the rest of the pack in the B10, like the other conference top teams are?

Beyond that... the general style is probably more conducive to slug it out, rock fights... which, might often favor home teams, because of the added emotions drawn from the crowd?

Some possibilities.  Not sure though what the real answers are.  Whatever it is... its pretty established that winning on the road in the B10, usually, is very difficult against anyone.  So a win is a win tonight.  1 point or 30 points.  

Is Ben McCollum some sort of bum now because his team lost at Minny last night?  Is May less of a superstar because the team we beat the absolute hell out of in Assembly Hall (we could have beaten them by 60 I bet on that night, with their best player playing)... was a couple good possessions at the end of that game away from beating him?

Or going the other way... do these other games open up peoples minds to the possibility that CDD has his team and program in better shape than they might be letting on?  

@iunorth 

I disagree.  They aren't talented enough no matter how well they move the ball. The only chance we have to beat any of those teams is if they beat themselves.  Which is possible.