@iunorth Yep, smart coaches adapt to their roster and players' strengths, especially early when they haven't had time to build their system. Pace of play was never a worry for me, only winning. But, I like good D more than most. Still, pile up the Ws and I'll cheer for the Paul Westphal pace, or Bo at WI. Wins are way more important and exciting than pace of play.
Yes, but if I remember correctly, he didn't want to leave the state of Iowa.
@auburnhoosier I never read that. It certainly could have been true. But I very strongly believe had IU not locked up DeVries, when they did, Iowa would have jumped on him. And at that point, what other schools in the state of Iowa was McCollum going to go to? And I have to think coaching at a basketball school, like IU, in the midwest, RMK's DNA... with an AD and Admin that were openly on board with allowing him to run the program how he saw fit... he would have jumped at the chance. Heck, he coached outside Iowa for years before the Drake job... the Emporia State job was multiple hours outside Iowa, not too much further away than Bloomington is...
Annnyyywayyy... doesn't matter now.
@auburnhoosier I never read that. It certainly could have been true. But I very strongly believe had IU not locked up DeVries, when they did, Iowa would have jumped on him. And at that point, what other schools in the state of Iowa was McCollum going to go to? And I have to think coaching at a basketball school, like IU, in the midwest, RMK's DNA... with an AD and Admin that were openly on board with allowing him to run the program how he saw fit... he would have jumped at the chance. Heck, he coached outside Iowa for years before the Drake job... the Emporia State job was multiple hours outside Iowa, not too much further away than Bloomington is...
Annnyyywayyy... doesn't matter now.
Maybe it was just the prevailing theory. I was definitely in the BM camp at the time. I wasn't too down on DD. I think his tenure is going to hinge on this next portal class. Hopefully it will be much better with Dolson saying that they just needed a roster for this year, and the signings will be much better.
Takes two to tango. I've been told he didn't have any interest in the job and was set on taking over Iowa.
I wanted him above everyone else, but we've got a coach for the next couple years at least.
I do not really believe that it sounds like Dolson was sold on DD long ago and I wonder if he even looked at anyone else. I highly doubt Ben would have turned down the 5 million salary at IU. People can say of he plays to slow or he will never win a championship but the fact of the matter is he went further in the NCAA in year one than IU has since 2016 so its not like we have any room to be talking about championships.
@auburnhoosier I never read that. It certainly could have been true. But I very strongly believe had IU not locked up DeVries, when they did, Iowa would have jumped on him. And at that point, what other schools in the state of Iowa was McCollum going to go to? And I have to think coaching at a basketball school, like IU, in the midwest, RMK's DNA... with an AD and Admin that were openly on board with allowing him to run the program how he saw fit... he would have jumped at the chance. Heck, he coached outside Iowa for years before the Drake job... the Emporia State job was multiple hours outside Iowa, not too much further away than Bloomington is...
Annnyyywayyy... doesn't matter now.
Your statement makes it sound as if Devries came to IU with some sort of limitations on him imposed by Dolson. But I see no evidence of that. Literally every bit of the basketball program was gutted after last year. No Calbert. No Jordy. No Garl or Rink. Literally no connection to the past, outside of Kenny Johnson returning. I guess I'm confused by what you mean about McCollum would've jumped at the chance to run the program as he saw fit. That seems to be exactly what Devries got.
For what its worth... not much, I know... On the old site, I was championing McCollum since early on in Woodson's last season. As soon as the Louisville game happened, I floated McCollum's name, and then consistently backed the idea of doing whatever it took to get him, after that.
One of the things I mentioned, probably three quarters of the way through the season or so, was that Dolson's approach with McCollum would determine if IU had a chance to get him, or not. I watched a McCollum interview where he was asked about coaching at bigger schools, the interview process, etc... He said basically that he had been approached by bigger schools, interviewed with a handful... and basically he would never consider any situation, regardless of the school, the budget, the tradition, if they didn't trust him to bring his own coaches, bring his own ideas, and run his own program. He's a young version of Cignetti, I'm convinced of it.
Had Dolson approached McCollum's people with... "We're going to have an opening, we love what you're doing, would you have any interest in talking about the Indiana job? We'd love for Indiana to become whatever Coach McCollum can lead it to be, and he'll have all the resources and full backing of the Administration and athletic department to do it." He would have been interested, I'm sure. Also, its pretty well known Coach DeVries was their top choice, and had we not gotten on him as early as we did, he likely would have been hired at Iowa. So I have to think the combo of approaching McCollum as the THE number 1, would have led to DeVries at Iowa, and that threat eliminated. Dolson would have gotten McCollum, I'm sure.
I'm not giving up on DeVries being successful at IU, yet. I think he can be. But damn it... I posted this on the NCAA tourney thread last night... hearing McCollum basically call Todd Golden a bitch, in a live in game interview, then proceeding to beat him... with the guys and budget he has versus what Golden has... Damn it...
Same. He was my #1 choice of the realistic candidates followed by Shertz. Beard was #1 but was obviously never happening. As you said Dolson zeroed in on DeVries as the guy early on. What he saw or why he did god would only know. And if you believe the Iowa fans DeVries was the first choice of the Iowa administration. Had Dolson not been so clueless we'd likely have McCollum as coach but here we are.
@gros-louis I don't know that they didn't. I think a bigger part of it was they locked in on DeVries early enough, that McCollum probably never felt prioritized. The rest is probably more perception, than anything. DeVries didn't bring much of any staff with him, but Frazier was never coming, so that's a big part of that.
I think we got a guy that can probably squeak us into the tourney a few times as like a 9 or 10 seed but I fully expect us to be looking for another new coach in four years. Nothing I saw this year makes me think this guy can challenge for big ten titles.
@arioznahoosier4554 I do think DeVries, if given the time, would raise our floor to NCAA at large team. But I'm concerned about him getting IU to regularly competing for B10 titles. Its been a damned long time since we did that... so maybe that's an unrealistic standard, at this point. But I think that should still be what the Admin, AD's, fans, coaches, players...everyone... expects.
I think Medved is a better coach as well. I know Minnesota didn't set the world on fire, but he did pretty darn well with the resources he had.And imagine that , he did it in year one. Go figure. At Iowa of all places
Imo, IU got the runt of the Drake litter.
I think Medved is a better coach as well. I know Minnesota didn't set the world on fire, but he did pretty darn well with the resources he had.And imagine that , he did it in year one. Go figure. At Iowa of all places
Imo, IU got the runt of the Drake litter.
I have been saying all year Medved is a great coach. He literally played most of the year with six or seven healthy players and they do not have good NIL either. Yet he only finished one game worse than DD in conference. If we had that many guys out the excuse train would be off the charts. If medved has a healthy roster next year I would not at all be surprised to see him make the tourney.
- Jaylen Crocker-Johnson: Forward/Center out indefinitely and expected to miss the remainder of the season following a foot injury.
- Robert Vaihola: Starting center suffered a season-ending knee injury in November 2025.
- Chansey Willis Jr.: Starting point guard suffered a season-ending foot injury in November 2025.
- B.J. Omot: Backup forward/wing unavailable all season due to a leg injury/surgery.
- Chance Stephens: Reserve wing away from the team all season with a medical issue.
- Nehemiah Turner: Out since January 2026
@arioznahoosier4554 I do think DeVries, if given the time, would raise our floor to NCAA at large team. But I'm concerned about him getting IU to regularly competing for B10 titles. Its been a damned long time since we did that... so maybe that's an unrealistic standard, at this point. But I think that should still be what the Admin, AD's, fans, coaches, players...everyone... expects.
The big ten has alot of good coaches now including the new ones. Medved will have Minnesota in the tourny next year I am guessing. So DD would really have to elevate it big big time to get us in the top four of the conference on a regular basis.