RockRaines

DeShaun Thomas outscores every player on the first team. Outrebounds them as well I assume (without looking).

thread killer Rex.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Mar 13, 2013 -> 03:04 PM) Welker to the Broncos with Thomas and Decker? Holy s***. 1. That is an awesome receiving corps. 2. That is the whitest receiving corps I've ever seen with Welker, Stokley, and Decker (you can throw in Dressen and Tamme too). They should go get Brian Hartline and Kevin Walter too. Have you seen Hartline's new deal? Nobody is going to touch that

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 13, 2013 -> 10:59 AM) I'm not a scout, I know nothing, but if we ended up with Barrett Jones, I would be happy. Versatile and possible C replacement, or potential guard. +1. He would be very good for several positions.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Mar 12, 2013 -> 07:40 PM) I think the Raiders just released all their players. Except Carson Palmer. And Pryor

QUOTE (Rex Hudler @ Mar 12, 2013 -> 05:13 PM) I won't argue with any of that. I don't know what other coaches look for when they recruit so I cannot speak to them. From the very beginning, I distanced myself from the comment that Crean was one of the best developers of talent. My argument was when someone else replied that he is not good because none of our guys other than Oladipo have shown any improvement (and that was just a fluke), which is just assinine. I don't know whether Crean is better than any one particular coach, but I can say with zero doubt our guys have improved during his tenure and from last year to this year specifically. You are correct in that this proves nothing for down the road. My guess is the Bruce Weber is a good head coach and is good at developing players, but it seems he lost control of the culture. It can happen to lots of programs. A typical way it happens is a small senior class with a lack of senior leadership and a few players that don't put the work in or think their way is better than the coaches. It can take time to rebuild a roster with the right guys, especially if the malcontents (for a lack of a better word) stick around and in essence don't allow the right kind of leadership to develop. I can tell you from playing sports, that no matter what the coach does, without internal leadership, a team will never reach its potential. Again, my argument is not to laud Crean as the best coach, the best developer of talent or to say that he will always have Indiana at the top (though unless he starts cheating and gets us back into trouble, we're not going back to doormat status!), just defending the idea that he is not good at developing talent based especially on this year's team. Thank you for having a civil discussion and having an open mind. You have your moments of homerism but this isnt one.

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Mar 12, 2013 -> 02:29 PM) The point I disagree with here is that Crean is any different than any other coach in this regard (and maybe that wasn't your intention), or that Crean is somehow doing it differently than other coaches. Every coach in the country recruits and offers guys that they think are going to be good college players. Every coach in the country misses on guys. Maybe those guys don't put in the time. Maybe those guys didn't develop the way the coach thought they might. Every coach is recruiting "winners." Every coach is also recruiting talent. Sometimes the talent doesn't pan out (see Jereme Richmond), sometimes it does. Sometimes you have a special player or group that put in the time and get better. Sometimes you don't. Frankly, the guy in college basketball who is the best in the business right now at "developing talent" is Calipari. If your kid is a 5 star recruit, send them to Calipari and see them get drafted in the first round the next year (even this year, Noel, Poythress, Goodwin and Cauley-Stein are showing up in first round mocks). EDIT: The best a coach can do is try to create the right culture and bring talent into that culture. Crean did an excellent job with this group at Indiana, but it is WAY too early in his tenure to say whether or not he will have the same success with different players (see Weber, Bruce). Alot of us believed that until this year. Even he misses on guys apparently.

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Mar 12, 2013 -> 10:37 AM) "The Following" has really jumped the shark, although Kevin Bacon tosses out a few good one-liners each week. Eh, I dont agree with that. I really like it so far.

This was Mattas finest coaching performance I've seen in years. I hope he at least got some serious consideration.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 09:06 PM) You must really want to drive Hoosier fans nuts today if you're bringing up their scholarship situation. It's a valid question. That's a scholly they probably want to bank.

QUOTE (Rex Hudler @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 08:17 PM) Considering the message and content of the camps, I'm not too worried about that. Mr. Zeller as I understand it is the head of a Perdue Chicken Processing plant. Luke was playing basketball professionally overseas before half an NBA season this year. Tyler is in the NBA. Two of the three were class valedictorians and the other was 2nd in his class. Money does not seem to be the driving force behind the family, yet they don't seem to be hurting. They are teaching kids life skills with a Christian message. Not thinking they will be a problem. If Zeller came back (not likely) what happens to the schollies they were hoping on banking?

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 07:38 PM) 04 was the game I was at too, where Illinois clinched the outright title to end the season. It definitely has the size of a large arena like the UC, not a cozier college arena. We used to have St Johns which was smaller but they then built whats essentially an NBA-type arena. Before they moved the students it was silent.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 04:41 PM) They might not tell the whole story but improvement generally shows up in the numbers whereas Zeller's assist rate has gone down and his assist to turnover rate from last year is also worse. He is also scoring less efficiently than as a freshman while not seeing his usage rate go up much at all. I agree he has improved on defense though and he has also improved on the glass. He's kind of what he is in the college game at this point. IMO the NBA is alot less physical than the college game especially the Big Ten. He'll have a little more freedom for that jumper and his post game.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 14, 2012 -> 10:57 AM) Indiana surely has some talent to compete in conference, and possibly the tourney, but uk has a TON more and better coaching. I think IU fans are going to be surprised how different it is with the target back on your backs. It's a tough road through the Big Ten. There are so many of us that missed on UK this year. LOL

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 04:36 PM) We can usually give you a run for your money. Half our A section people are rich idiots who don't show up. One thing they talked about yesterday Rock, did they move the student section away from behind the benches? There were games this year I swear it was like MSU, Michigan, etc where they were behind the benches. Luckily, we'll get more students towards the floor with the new renovation project. If you haven't seen it, here's a look: We moved them to behind the benches a few years ago and its made a huge difference, HOWEVER, its not for ALL games.

QUOTE (Rex Hudler @ Apr 10, 2012 -> 10:29 AM) I agree again. Something must be wrong here. lol Conference will be too tough for anyone to walk through it even mostly unscathed. Rex, Here's me and you agreeing almost a year ago.

QUOTE (Rex Hudler @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 04:32 PM) What were your expectations of IU this year? I predicted them to lose 4 games. They lost 5. I'm a homer! Opposing teams not named Indiana this year went a combined 49-1 @ Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. Indiana went 3-0. The knock on IU was they couldn't win on the road. They went 7-2 on the road in the best conference in the country. They went 6-1 and teams ranked in the Top 10 of the final AP poll. They won the best league in the country outright. Did you really have us on par with the '76 team or are you selectively tossing around words like "disappointing" and expectations"? Seriously, what was your preseason prediction? IU guys on here, were you disappointed in this year to this point? My preseason prediction was exactly what happened if you go back and look at it. I would say most experts and IU fans had them losing 1 maybe 2 games in conference just like some of the more recent dominant B10 teams did. I dont get your 49-1 point though, is that backwards? Hey, at least we beat all other 11 teams in conference play though!

I dont see the "Hulls is a good defender" point at all. I see him as one of their largest weaknesses on defense. Hulls and Yogi make them incredibly vulnerable to teams with good physical guard play.

QUOTE (Rex Hudler @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 03:43 PM) Hulls has improved by leaps and bounds every year he has been at IU. Because he is a great shooter that's all he gets credit for. This team is better because the players work hard, they are more experienced and they are better players across the board. Period. Whether that puts Coach Crean as one of the "best developers of talent" as HE_Gawn said, I don't know. I don't think anyone on this board sees enough basketball, including practices, to tell which coaches are the best at it. Most will look at one or two players on a team and judge it from that, which is an incomplete picture. I'll tell you right now Matta is not a great "developer" however he surrounds himself with coaches that are. His talents are recruiting, schemes and motivation. The program in general has been pretty good at it overall though attrition has hurt it a bit these last few years. His staff turned a player like Terrence Dials into an all conference guy. That alone shows alot. I think Izzo develops his players.

Beanie's legs were toast when he was about 20 years old.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Mar 10, 2013 -> 11:13 AM) I don't think it sucked by any means, actually thought it was a good movie. That being said, in a normal year I don't think it deserves to be nominated let alone win best picture. I haven't seen Lincoln or Life of Pi so don't know how those compare but while I think silver lining playbook was good not really a best picture candidate either in a normal year. I thought Silver Linings was the best of the bunch.

QUOTE (farmteam @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 03:29 PM) The problem is they can do it when they want to, they're just not consistent. They way they played in Columbus? Fantastic. I wish they could play a half court game like that all the time. I really do think that Indiana at its best is better than any other team at its best this year. The problem is doing it for 6 games straight. Do you think its mostly defensively where that hole is? It seemed to me like that was the issue these last few games especially at the guard spot. If Oladipo doesnt completely overwhelm Burke yesterday UM probably wins that game.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 03:27 PM) I think next year will be a far better test for whether Indiana is "back" or not. This year they had a loaded team with experience. Next year, not so much. I have no idea what to expect from their frontcourt; there are a number of highly rated recruits but who knows what to expect in terms of production. If they can contend for the title leaning on Ferrell, Sheehey and a bunch of underclassmen, that'll be a lot more impressive. I think they probably have a tournament team next year but need things to go there way to get a bye in the BTT. Recruits are such a crapshoot too. I know this very firsthand. You have to hope they develop, stay, and produce. All three need to happen to keep a program at the top.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 03:23 PM) Not really. The kid also had a target on his back. His presence made the other guys better, and he came up huge yesterday. The Big Ten was as competitive as ever this year. If a team wins the Big Ten and still underachieves, Crean's recruiting is beyond off the charts, and that probably is the most important aspect of a college coach. Big Ten basketball is going to be really good for a while, and if expansion nets them UNC, it's going to be sick. Ok, I understand it now. You think he performed just fine. Maybe its me just remembering all the heat Sullinger took for his sophomore season and how it was a step back even though he outproduced Zeller. Maybe in both cases the expectations were unachievable.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 11, 2013 -> 03:16 PM) I mean, yeah, at some level, the Butler and Illinois losses shouldn't have happened, but man, that conference this season was absolutely grueling. There's a reason it almost came down to a 4 way tie, the #10 team in the conference could beat the #2 team on any given day. If you go back and look at my posts at the beginning of this thread I said exactly that from experience. But outside of IU being much improved the rest of the conference isnt all that much tougher if at all than last season. OSU is down compared to the Final Four team and yet will be the number 2 seed in the tourney, MSU is a little down and UM is very young. IU should have run away with this season if their talent level was really what was expected. Having a preseason NPOY and a guy who is in the running for it now should guarantee you a #1 seed and frankly should have made the title easy to win. After seeing them early in the season I expected a team much like my 10-11 buckeyes that had one or two stumbles but tore through everyone else. I was really surprised not to see that, especially late in the year. Personally I think they were either really overrated to begin the year or they underachieved in some way.