I like what I've seen from this team, considering they are woefully short on athelticsism. Kind of the opposite of what we had forever... Which was a bunch of athleticism, that lacked BB IQ, that was poorly utilized and poorly coached.
If DD can up the recruiting a notch or two, I think we'll be in good shape. I've not looked at this team and seen stupid (or uncreative) basketball being played.
@openwheel I think you saw a tired (either physically and/or mentally) team, being out west after the double OT game @ UCLA.
Conference play at this level is a grind and we don't have players, for the most part, that are used to it.
We had a nice 3 game win streak, a letdown.. let's see if we can't bounce back with two winnable games at home.
@iubhounds I was not expecting much from this yr's team because it was a completely new team and the players were not considered the best of the best in the portal. Now I will say that I have completely enjoyed the style of play. When they get better talent we are going to be very good imho.
While I regarded God as a tyrant I thought my sin a trifle; But when I knew Him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against Him. When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good.” C. H. Spurgeon
@scam-likely I am actually happy Coach Devries is a regular guy. I think when he gets better players he will really have a better record at IU.
While I regarded God as a tyrant I thought my sin a trifle; But when I knew Him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against Him. When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good.” C. H. Spurgeon
@openwheel One of my high school buddies was an Air Force recruiter in Oklahoma. When we talked about KS as the new coach he said to me, "Van, this guy is very shady. They talk about him a lot in Oklahoma".
While I regarded God as a tyrant I thought my sin a trifle; But when I knew Him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against Him. When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good.” C. H. Spurgeon
but if your underlying fear is a Greg Gard type of run or Crean type of run then why not cut bait and run ..: that's been my point. Now if you're thinking that's a small possibility and his upside is much better than that ... I don't see it being any better than Greg Gard at this point. They aren't going to fire him after one year unless some sort of come to Jesus moment or some candidate appears like Lazurus
I think the Gard comparisons aren't valid when looking at the circumstances. Bo Ryan built that program and Gard was his assistant for like 25 years. He's coasted on Ryan's fumes since then. I highly doubt he'd be capable of building anything starting from scratch.
If DDV is capable of creating that kind of consistency (something IU hasn't seen in 30 years) then I would imagine he's a pretty decent coach and when paired with IUs resources he'd be able to elevate that kind of success and consistency with superior recruiting. I'd also imagine he'd be getting plenty of donor support at that point.
I think the point is it's been a ho hum run. Not terrible just decent enough to keep his job for this long. Dont win big don't lose big. Meh. You get into to tourney and it breaths hope. So they put up with it another year. It's better than our last 8 years but again not at all what any of us are hoping for.
I think the point is it's been a ho hum run. Not terrible just decent enough to keep his job for this long. Dont win big don't lose big. Meh. You get into to tourney and it breaths hope. So they put up with it another year. It's better than our last 8 years but again not at all what any of us are hoping for.
Yeah, I understand that, but I think my point is that IF DDV is capable of building a consistent team/program like that (essentially top half of the conference and safely in the NCAAT every single year) then I find it hard to believe that recruiting would not be going well and he'd have enough talent to elevate some of those seasons into the kind of runs we all want to see.
We haven't had anybody capable of building and maintaining consistency and momentum for 30 years. Crean was high season or 2 and then drop off a cliff for a couple years. IF he had been more consistent, then he'd probably still be coaching here and every few years we'd have a conference contender and a team likely talented enough for a FF run. He was incapable of having any consistency, though. Woodson/Archie just stunk, they were only consistently bad.
That's an awful lot to assume. But IF he were able to do what you say and his success was only commensurate with that of Greg Gard are you satisfied with that. I'm not...
you'd be satisfied with 1 S16, 2 2nd round exits, and 3 first round exits in 8 years? With the S16 coming is first year. The last 2 years have been 1st round exits. No progress being made as you said coasting on Ryan's coattails but that aside if DD only gets those results in 8 years I'm not happy
if that's all he achieves in 8 years he's either not so good of :1. A coach 2. A recruiter. Take your pick. He's stable but not a Winner
like Doug Collins with the Bulls.
That's an awful lot to assume. But IF he were able to do what you say and his success was only commensurate with that of Greg Gard are you satisfied with that. I'm not...
you'd be satisfied with 1 S16, 2 2nd round exits, and 3 first round exits in 8 years? With the S16 coming is first year. The last 2 years have been 1st round exits. No progress being made as you said coasting on Ryan's coattails but that aside if DD only gets those results in 8 years I'm not happy
No, I wouldn't be satisfied with that but thats not what I said at all. IF he's capable of building that kind of consistency, though, I can see no way that he's not ALSO having individual seasons be a lot better than that. Recruiting will be going well and we'd have talented teams that could and would make runs.
Even our past bad coaches have shown the ability to have an up year with enough talent for a run. None of them could maintain it. IF we had a guy that was more consistent and the program was more consistent then I think the rest would take care of itself.
I think its probably moot, though, as I don't see us needing 10 years to know one way or the other.
I mean I see what you're saying... and it'd have to be done in way less than 8 years and you'd be wanting a trend going upwards not downwards. But after 8 years if that's all we have to show for ...no thanks. For 8 years , just spitballing here ..:I think I'd want to have 6 tourney appearances minimum .. Gard has that.
3/4 S16 minimum. 1/2 E8/FF runs.
Ultimately 1 title minimum and it could be in year 8 as long as we kept moving forward
that to me is a program that means business and is going places. He does that I'd agree we have a coach. I don't see it but time will tell. And I surely hope I'm wrong. I'd like to see them make runs in March again before I leave this Earth.
@surjay I think you're probably right... if he gets Indiana to be that solid, he'll have the ability to attract better players than Gard gets at Wisconsin. My theoretical concern is whether or not he'll choose to fish in those waters, or not.
After looking back at all the reported guys he's went after, portal, HS, and foreign kids... he has at least attempted to fish in some elite, NBA kids waters. I gotta think if he gets to the NCAA's this year, and then a little better seed next year, that he should be able to bring in some difference maker kids to bridge that talent gap, at least, by years 3 and 4.
But my hypothetical concern was based on him not being able to land elite players, or not even trying. And if we go through this portal season, and he doesn't even try to get in with elite portal kids, elite foreign kids, and/or elite spring signee HS kids... then we have a big problem, in my opinion.
@surjay I think you're probably right... if he gets Indiana to be that solid, he'll have the ability to attract better players than Gard gets at Wisconsin. My theoretical concern is whether or not he'll choose to fish in those waters, or not.
After looking back at all the reported guys he's went after, portal, HS, and foreign kids... he has at least attempted to fish in some elite, NBA kids waters. I gotta think if he gets to the NCAA's this year, and then a little better seed next year, that he should be able to bring in some difference maker kids to bridge that talent gap, at least, by years 3 and 4.
But my hypothetical concern was based on him not being able to land elite players, or not even trying. And if we go through this portal season, and he doesn't even try to get in with elite portal kids, elite foreign kids, and/or elite spring signee HS kids... then we have a big problem, in my opinion.
agreed. It means we own the over the hump
@hoosiers94 He might need to land one or two of them this offseason though, to improve the team for next year. Finishing the year strong, making an NCAA, then hopefully having a little more NIL money and flexibility to land a couple NBA level guys, and the willingness and ability to do that... That's how it needs to go. Less than those things happen... not fire able, but flashing warning lights should start flickering.
@surjay I think you're probably right... if he gets Indiana to be that solid, he'll have the ability to attract better players than Gard gets at Wisconsin. My theoretical concern is whether or not he'll choose to fish in those waters, or not.
After looking back at all the reported guys he's went after, portal, HS, and foreign kids... he has at least attempted to fish in some elite, NBA kids waters. I gotta think if he gets to the NCAA's this year, and then a little better seed next year, that he should be able to bring in some difference maker kids to bridge that talent gap, at least, by years 3 and 4.
But my hypothetical concern was based on him not being able to land elite players, or not even trying. And if we go through this portal season, and he doesn't even try to get in with elite portal kids, elite foreign kids, and/or elite spring signee HS kids... then we have a big problem, in my opinion.
I think if he can afford elite players, he'll target and land them. It was a terrible year to grab 13 players from the portal. Prices went up exponentially on elite talent when rev share kicked in and we had less donor support. We went from top 5 under Bigfoot to more like top 20.
The portal was also fairly weak last year.