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[Sticky] Portal Kombat (Basketball Edition)

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Hoosiers94
(@hoosiers94)
Noble Member

Posted by: @iugradman

I don’t get how Dolson could hire Cignetti, who is full of confidence and swag, see how big he won in his first season, and then go out and hire a timid beta in DeVries.

couldn't be any different from one another 

 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 1:42 pm
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Robert Olson's avatar
(@arioznahoosier4554)
Noble Member

Posted by: @iugradman

I don’t get how Dolson could hire Cignetti, who is full of confidence and swag, see how big he won in his first season, and then go out and hire a timid beta in DeVries.

 

It is really mind blowing but I think somehow he got massive tunnel vision on DD and that was it. 

 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 3:36 pm
GThomas's avatar
(@gthomas)
Noble Member

Posted by: @mushroomgod

The 3 top assistants are all said to be recruiters.

If that's their strength, I'd hate to see their weaknesses.


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Posted : 03/17/2026 4:23 pm
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Hoosier Clarion's avatar
(@hoosier-clarion)
Reputable Member

@iunorth 

I too was at 1 of the meet and greet gatherings.  Nothing like doorknob was present in the room around him and I got about a minute to banter with he and his wife.  Most engaging with a subtle aggressiveness was apparent.  I left with the believe his feet were firmly on the ground and he was most comfortable in his skin.  I still observe that in his sideline demeanor.  Doorknob is an awful good way for anyone to beat their chest.  I'm still  all in. 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 4:30 pm
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IUNorth
(@iunorth)
Noble Member

@hoosier-clarion I chatted with him for a bit at an AAU event in Chicago.  He was watching Branham, at the time.  He was funny, personable, firm handshake, eye contact... and then he remembered the group I was with a couple hours later when we walked past him.  We have a mutual acquaintance from his days in Iowa high school, and then Drake days.  I form my opinions of his demeanor, personality, etc... from that encounter, from watching him coach on the sidelines, from listening to people he's worked with talk about him, and from accounts from some of the people I know from the Iowa basketball world, that have spent alot of time around him.  My opinion, which seems well informed, is he isn't timid, far from it.  He isn't milk toast, at least not all the time.  And he isn't any level of soft.  In the end... I don't really care about many of these personal traits he might or might not have.  I just want him to win basketball games.


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Posted : 03/17/2026 4:48 pm
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ams66's avatar
(@ams66)
Prominent Member

Maybe we should talk about portal prospects on this thread, as was emphasized earler today. Anyone got any nicknames for any of them?


This post was modified 4 months ago by ams66
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Posted : 03/17/2026 5:31 pm
Mushroomgod's avatar
(@mushroomgod)
Prominent Member

Posted by: @tjinman1987

For what it's worth...Trent Sisley's father does not agree with the rumor. He says Trent will be returning to IU. I'd trust him over any rumor (including ones I post, particularly when I include the RUMOR disclaimer).

Hope so...

 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 6:16 pm
GThomas's avatar
(@gthomas)
Noble Member

Posted by: @ams66

Maybe we should talk about portal prospects on this thread, as was emphasized earler today. Anyone got any nicknames for any of them?

Sitting ducks.

 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 6:41 pm
Mushroomgod's avatar
(@mushroomgod)
Prominent Member

Posted by: @tjinman1987

IU's season is over and the rumor mill will now kick into overdrive. I'm not going to repeat everything I see/hear/am told but I will post things that I am able to verify have some credibility. This post serves as a recap for potential outgoings and guys that there COULD be mutual interest as incomings:

OUTGOING: we know that Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries, Tayton Conerway, Reed Bailey, Sam Alexis and Conor Enright are out of eligibility. I think Trent Sisley is returning but that is not a guarantee. There is a possibility that one or two others join him but at most, I think the number is three returning players (I'd set the betting total at 2.5 and take the UNDER).

INCOMING: we know that Trevor Manhertz, Vaughn Karvala and Prince Alexander-Moody will be joining the program (three top 80 recruits). I think it is VERY likely that IU adds another freshman and it will come in the form of an international big man. Sayon Keita is one to know and he's fun! Narcisse Ngoy is another in-demand big fella. Having two international guys brought in (of a much higher level than Ristic and Acimovic) would not be a surprise but we'll go with one for this exercise. That leaves 4 freshmen and 2 returnees meaning there would be 7 portal spots to fill to reach 13 scholarship players.

Players with potential mutual interest IF they enter:

Guards: Colby Garland (San Jose State), Finley Bizjack (Butler), Darren Harris (Duke), Brett Decker Jr. (Liberty), Michael Cooper (Wright State), Adam "Budd" Clark (Seton Hall), Amari Evans (Tennessee), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon)

Wings: Tre Singleton (Northwestern), Sam Orme (Belmont), Elyjah Freeman (Auburn), Kevin Overton (Auburn)

Bigs: Owen Freeman (Creighton/Iowa), Oswin Erhunmwunse (Providence), Eric Reibe (UConn), Luke Wilson (Appalachian State), J.P. Estrella (Tennessee)

The portal officially opens on April 7 but you better believe that business is being done NOW. Darian DeVries faces a critical second season in Bloomington and there's a ton of work to be done to ensure IU is included in next season's NCAA Tournament bracket.

 

TJ:  Assume (1)All these players were in the portal and open to IU recruiting them, as well as Ngoy & Keita; (2) We have (only) 12M to work with; and (3)We need 7 portal players, who would you like to see us get?

 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 6:45 pm
Hoosiers94
(@hoosiers94)
Noble Member

Keep in mind many players once eliminated will enter the portal. 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 6:53 pm
GThomas's avatar
(@gthomas)
Noble Member

We all have different perspectives, but anyone who thinks posts on a freaking message board reveal a person's real life personality/situation is, well ... you get it.

I may vehemently object to someone's opinions about DD or whatever--and joke around more than I should--but it ends there; I don't know that person. I've been guilty of this on occasion, so I'm not on some high horse. At all.

Note: I'm not even reacting to something said toward me. In fact, it was said to someone with whom I often disagree. And, while there are exceptions--I'm an ass hole on here AND in real life, for example--you really can't deduce much more than what a person thinks about basketball. 

My apologies. When a writer has access to a keyboard, sometimes posts like this happen.


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Posted : 03/17/2026 6:58 pm
ams66's avatar
(@ams66)
Prominent Member

Posted by: @hoosiers94

Keep in mind many players once eliminated will enter the portal. 

Do most of these kids have agents now? And safe to assume that they've already communicated to their agent "I want to move" and the agents are talking to the coaches already?

 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 7:08 pm
BigMike's avatar
(@bigmike)
Prominent Member

Posted by: @ams66

Maybe we should talk about portal prospects on this thread, as was emphasized earlier today. Anyone got any nicknames for any of them?

I'm working on those player nicknames. To change the topic just a bit, Queens College in NYC (Division II) calls themselves the Knights. The person that dresses up in the mascot outfit has the name of Sir-Wins-A-Lot. (I did not make this up.)

A knight as a queen is interesting but I'm gonna bet the mascot takes plenty of harassment if the b-ball team finishes the season with a 5-25 record.

 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 7:34 pm
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Hoosiers94
(@hoosiers94)
Noble Member

Posted by: @ams66

Posted by: @hoosiers94

Keep in mind many players once eliminated will enter the portal. 

Do most of these kids have agents now? And safe to assume that they've already communicated to their agent "I want to move" and the agents are talking to the coaches already?

 

Likely. But folks like us or TJ don't know yet until they announce their intentions. So this board is a little premature without all the names in the mix 

 


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Posted : 03/17/2026 8:00 pm
BigMike's avatar
(@bigmike)
Prominent Member

With Matta gone, I was wondering if there might be a few guys on the Butler team that could help IU. One that came to mind is reserve point guard and former Lawrence North Star, Azavier Robinson. Robinson was a four star that had an offer from IU but decided to play for Thad. He averaged 18 minutes per game, 6.1 ppg, 2.5 assists and shot 43.3% on 3 pointers. Pretty decent stats for his first year of college ball.

I have no idea if Robinson has any interest in entering the portal or if the current Indiana staff has any connection to him. I'd like to see a couple Indiana natives on the roster to help with in-state recruiting and he fits the description as a solid 8th or 9th man. 

My primary expectation for the portal kombat is Indiana adds 5 players that can start at the Big 10 level and that 2 of those 5 starters are able to win some sort of all conference award (honorable mention, second team all conference, etc.).  From the current 10 players that are on the roster only 6 return (the 3 frosh recruits + 3 from this years team).  To get to 13, we have the 5 the starters from the portal + 3 incoming frosh + 3  players from last year + 2 quality reserves from the portal. If any less level of talent is added, I expect the Hoosiers to again miss the NCAA Tourney.

Other than possibly Finley Bizjack, I don't see any other player on the Butler roster that could possibly start for a Big 10 team.


This post was modified 4 months ago by BigMike
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Posted : 03/17/2026 8:41 pm
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