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Welcome back to Crimson Cask ale and clivia Scott Caulfield here.
It's Monday. The 20th of March they before
spring as the season about to turn over and The season is
over, at least for Indiana Men's Basketball Hoosiers fall in the
second round of the NCAA tournament last night. 85, 269
the final score to the Miami Hurricanes.
The season ends at a record of 23 and 12.
We're going to dive into all of that and talk about the game,
talk about what happened and talk a little bit about the
offseason will have some time to go into that.
In a lot more detail is the next few weeks role in.
As I think there's going to be Be a lot to talk about.
But for today, we're going to mostly focus on the end of the
season and try to put everything into a little bit of
perspective. Scott, good to see you again and
thanks for joining me. This this afternoon.
How are you doing? You're muted, first of all.
So I can't even hear you at this point, man.
If there's a bad, if there's a metaphor for the way that I use
game went yesterday that might have did, how are you?
Officially, yes, I'm doing great now.
It's funny. I hear that on pods my come on
man. You just you're better than
that. I'm doing the exact same thing
that it's doing. Well I will because people seem
to enjoy the the the neighborhood events that we do.
I've seen I've seen the things on Twitter.
It's great. My friends.
Enjoy it. My neighbor's.
Enjoy this Saturday. One of our neighbors hosted a
Seltzer tasting party. Oh wow.
They bought. They bought like white claws,
truely's High Nunes Budweiser Kirkland and so we did like a
blind taste testing of like all the mangoes, all the black
cherries and we rank them. It was fun.
It was Wow's, a lot of Seltzer. Did some like blind flavor
testing, but, you know, group of, you know, eight impartial
people high noon and white cloth.
Ranked the highest? We all, we all were hoping
Kirkland. We have a good run because you
can get right, double the Kirkland for the price of a
white claw, but no white cloth, high noon one, it, but that was
a, that was a fun night on Saturday watching basketball
getting ready for Sunday. Clearly, they don't need focus
groups in Corporate America. They just need Scott's
neighborhood. In Westfield like, that's just
not just the test. Every single, every this week
you you, this is, if you're like, the Nielsen family for
America. This is your like, you're a
little cluster of people. That's amazing.
Oh wow, just a reminder, folks were part of the back home
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So I got something coming there, which I'm excited about and more
good things coming down the pike as well.
They just dropped a Xavier script hoodie, which Kind of
looks like the Creighton hoodie but it's not.
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don't play Xavier that often which is a shame.
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So anyway, Scott, let's dive in talk about this game.
Indiana, it felt like three games honestly that happened in
one and it also felt to some degree like the season in
miniature Indiana came out. And immediately was on the back
foot, really looked like they were going to be outclassed and
and out shot and out effort, 'add row, and it was really
concerning Miami had a brilliant defensive game plan.
It was kind of like Fairleigh Dickinson's game plan against
Purdue but on steroids and Indiana.
Really just looked adrift for really about the first ten and a
half minutes of the game, was Twenty Eight to 15 and then
Indiana. Made a nice run.
A 10-0, run got themselves. Us back into the game, got with
him three but couldn't quite get over the hump and it really kind
of went back and forth. Their Miami pushed it back out
to 10 and Deanna scored a couple of buckets toward the end
closed. Got it to within five at half
time and I think most of us sat around and said, wow, as bad as
that first half went, it seems like Indiana weathered the
storm. A five-point deficit at half
with the momentum going Indiana's way.
I'll take that 100 times out of 100 Indiana then strings
together. Over the course of the end of
the first half in the beginning of the second half of 13-0 run
takes a lead. They're up by three and it's
just kind of like wow like Miami literally hasn't scored in five
and a half minutes of game time Indiana's done it.
They figured out a way to take this game back and re-establish
themselves and that lasted for a while.
And it really, you know, I would say right up until the point
where Indiana had a couple of unfortunate possessions in a row
where they Felt rightly that they were fouled on shot
attempts, tray Galloway's, layup attempt, where the ball is, arm
got hit and the ball went out of bounds.
Race Thompson, got fouled on a shot attempt that didn't get
called. It's funny.
Like as much Scott as we talked about how the officiating in the
NCAA tournament was going to help Indiana because all those
fouls that should have been called in the Big Ten and
weren't. We're going to get called in the
NCAA tournament. This crew DJ Carstensen and his
buddies made sure that no actually We're just going to
basically allow Miami to play, like, Rutgers for this period of
time. Indiana should have weathered
that storm. This is not an excuse, it's just
an observation, they didn't and it allowed Miami to tie the game
at 49 and then go on a 16-2 to run that put the game Out Of
Reach. Indiana took some bad shots,
made some bad decisions and really just kind of felt like
the The Verve left them in this game like they just they lost
the initiative. They lost the plot.
Miami. Read themselves.
And from there it basically was over.
I mean, it went from being 4947 Indiana, 285 69 Miami by the end
of the game, I mean, you can do the math, that's a 38 220 run to
close the game and that was it for IU.
So there's a lot of different things we could talk about with
this but I want to get your overall impressions of the game
first. Yeah, it's interesting.
Doing this the next day, the immediate reaction people seem
to be pissed online. There are some interesting
reaction to that and I listened assembly call them, seems those
comments. People are pretty fired up.
Like, you know, Doyle had the article today like in the team
quit and the genie of the team quit, like I see all that and
like I am unhappy, we lost will talk about the end of the season
to me. It's like, if you've been
watching this team Throughout the year.
This was not surprising that again.
I don't want to lose but I like I wasn't pissed.
I wasn't shocked. And I think it's honestly BS to
come out, you know, and say this team quit they didn't.
It's just like this is what this team has done multiple times
this year and a lot of times it happens when another coach or a
team puts us in a position where our option A or B, you know, b
and a half or a and a half doesn't work.
And we just don't have a lot of, we don't know.
A lot of, you know, depth to go with other Options.
We have a lot of ability to do other things and when things
aren't working, they just aren't working and things kind of fall
apart. And we put ourselves in bad
positions were able to call out of it.
But sometimes it's too much and you know, like you said, it's
kind of a microcosm of the season.
This is a microcosm of one of those games like Penn State game
in the Big Ten Tournament, like numerous other games this year,
where the team just didn't have it and the other the other team
had a better plan, our defense wasn't great.
And you know, it's so I'm kind of surprised at some of The
anger and annoyance that people are having toured this game.
It's like it sucks. I would have loved to have won.
But you know I honestly kind of felt like this was how it was
going to end for this team and I felt that way since like January
and it's no knock on this team. It's just this team cannot
outside of that one little run of eight of nine which was
awesome. Since then they've not been able
to consistently put multiple games together where they were
able to play. Like they did against Kent State
and I was hoping they'd be Be able to do it and and things
would kind of work out and they'd get locked in.
But, you know, this, this was kind of how the season felt
like, it was going to end and it ended this way and I'm, I'm
bummed, I'm sad, we'll talk about that.
But I'm not angry or unhappy at the team at all.
So I agree with a lot of that, there's some parts.
I don't let me try to. I've been trying to work out how
to how to think about this because I look I think I think
Doyle's column was was over the top, but it's a column its
Doyle. I mean, all, and you know, no
offense to Greg, but that's just what he does.
You know, whatever. I think it was, it was unfair to
say, the team quit. I don't think it was unfair to
say, the team got out worked and, and, and that was honestly,
it's fascinating. Well, you know, when you watch
this team and you look at the the effort levels in certain
games, and you're like, this team could beat anybody in the
country. Country and, and the effort
levels like that it's, you know, why they beat Kent State by 11?
They they played at a high enough level.
They worked more than Kent State did.
It's why they beat Maryland in the first round of the Big Ten
tournament. It's why they beat Purdue twice.
Sorry about the dogs in the background.
Everybody that's that's, Stuart, guess that's Stuart doing is
police, dog bark. But then this game, honestly,
reminded me a lot of Arizona, it reminded me a lot of Kansas.
It reminded me a lot of Rutgers it.
Find me a lot of the game at Penn State where this team will
get into certain games where they just.
It's like they're shocked at the level of output that's coming
from the other team and it's very hard for them to pick
themselves back up off the carpet when they're in those
sorts of situations and you know, it's to me, I look at it
and I say to myself, This team as you said, has shown this
enough times that this sort of outcome shouldn't have been a
shock. I think it's a disappointment
given what was on the line given that despite how athletic Miami
looked? I still don't think they're that
good of a team and their results from the whole season
demonstrate that they're not as good of a team as they looked on
on Sunday. And, and that really comes right
back to this idea that Indiana didn't play as hard.
Hard or as well as they could have.
And that's ultimately why they lose and that?
I find disappointing. But I don't think the team quit.
I know, you know, it's like you look at the the stat line and
you know I you had an OK game defensive or offensive ly you
know? I mean Trace Jackson Davis,
finish it, you know go 7 for 10 from the field 9 for 11 from the
the stripe. It's got eight rebounds, he's
got 23 points. Even jail.
A new trophy know who's had bad first half's and then it's just
disappeared for entire games. Came back in, And at least did
something in the second half, but they just struggled.
There were too many people that struggled into many areas and
the defense just was not up to the challenge.
Whether it was in defending 20 to 25 seconds worth of
possessions or in grabbing rebounds.
And that's where the effort issues came in.
But again, you can say, like, part of it was Talent, part of,
it was Drive part of. It was fatigued, there were a
lot and part of it was just roster Construction.
Oh, and these are the sins of the Archie, Miller era still
visiting themselves upon us to some degree.
I mean, just in terms of there was no depth and there was, you
know, even the, the pieces that were starting weren't
necessarily able to execute in this town of a game against
these types of players and it, at the end of it all to me,
highlighted that while this team made amazing.
Strides, there's still a big gap.
In terms of athleticism, and in terms of energy between what
Indiana basketball is right now, and what a team like Miami is
right now. So I'm not mad about that
because I think we all kind of knew that that was likely
perhaps the case, but it is still kind of a slap in the face
to have it happen. So like definitively in a game
like this, that you feel like Indiana's got at least a
puncher's chance like you're expecting.
You lose by two or three that sucks.
You lose by 16 and Like, well, God were we that bad and I don't
think we were that bad but it's ER sure felt that way
immediately afterwards. I agree and I'll now go kind of
on the other side. Like I'm I'm not happy and like
the you mentioned like the offensive rebounding was a sauna
shaming for Miami to get 20 offensive rebounds when you were
going into a consistent one percent offensive rebounding
rate. That is that's that's absurd
like Arizona did that to Indiana and Purdue did it because that's
what Purdue does but that's that's absurd.
Third level, go ahead, sorry. Well, no, and especially when
you're going into the game being like, you know we got to worry
about their guards. Like you know, the advantage.
We have is height and size for them to outrebound us.
That much was was pretty, pretty alarming, the 20 things that
were kind of, I take away from this game is that, you know, it
should never be at a game. One of all the players, the guy
who shoots the fourth, most shots is Trace Jackson Davis on
both teams, you know, I don't know.
He I you shot 28 field-goal attempts trace on.
We had 10. Yeah that that's something
you're going. Back and be like, you know,
we're going to sing, his Praises are going to talk about the end
of his career but it's like in the last game where he's healthy
and ready to play and is one of the taller players on the court.
He didn't shoot the most on our team is kind of mind-boggling
will be a weird thing. Now Miami was doing a ton of
things to make it really hard to get him the ball and it was
found listening to like, you know, some simply call and
they're talking about, you know, who Cioppino did not have a
great game. He had a hard time starting the
game and they were, you know, they were talking, you know.
Well, yep. Listen, sits them down.
You gotta like, you know sitting down and kind of take them out
and seeing like, but to your point on the roster construction
is like your kind of a spot like when you take him out, now,
who's your point guard like that?
Now, what are you doing? That's where like Woodson's in a
tough spot where it's like you can sit down Hood should be no
for like a minute and be like hey man, get it right but then
it's like now go get it right, right?
Like we like by the time I'm done telling you that you've got
to come in and do that. And this is where I do think,
you know, I was talking with a friend this morning about this.
I don't think it changes the balance of this game.
I We lose this game either way, but this is where you just
really see how much you're missing Xavier Johnson because
Xavier Johnson, is that point guard and this again is where I
think for his greatest pitch. If he knows Ben and you see
this, the silky smooth shooting and he goes nuclear against
Purdue. This is a guy who's been playing
out of position as hope this whole season.
Like, he really should be the two guard.
He's not, he's done a great job as a facilitator, but you see
it, I think Ryan on assembly called mention this perfectly.
Like, you know, a a real point, a true Point guard.
When he knows he doesn't have it.
He gets the offense going. Not trying to get himself going.
And you saw kind of hoods Ruffino trying to get himself
going. Well, you should have gotten the
offense going, but I mean it's the end of the year is like he's
not a freshman year. I don't want to totally fault
him at. This is where you do see like if
you have Xavier to run the offense and then Hood if itõs
not having the shots like maybe he finds Miller cop a couple
more times, maybe he gets it more to trace Jackson Davis,
like, you know that's but anyway.
Those are some of the other. Those are the things that did
come on. Last thing I'll say to is just
the cop thing is, like, it is frustrating, where he's just
like I'm open. Every time like you seem
yelling, I got that every time and it didn't seem like they ran
a lot for him. And it did seem like Miami's
deal was like, hey, we know we're not going to pass the cop,
so go ahead and just double off a cop for everything and we the
times that we pass the copy, hit a three but we didn't pass them.
The rest of the time who played right into their hands.
Well, yes, now part of the issue though, is Did the game is
played on both ends of the court and you know I think and this
ties back into the Xavier thing but we'll start with.
I mean cop was really struggling to deal with how much movement
Miami had on their end and Indiana.
Really didn't do a great job of properly canvassing Miami and
figuring out. I mean cop was not the most
abused of the players. Jail,' no, was Jalen Hurd.
Rufino was getting obliterated on back doors and You know, cuts
at the top of the key where he was just losing his guy every
single time. And it's, again, he's a younger
player. He's still learning the game and
it kind of ebbed and flowed. But Woody had to sit him down,
sometimes not even because of the offensive struggles but
because he couldn't play defense.
And, you know, that's but then you bring in tomorrow, Bates and
Bates goes over seven, you know, I mean Bates, even according to
shock quality, which still thought Miami should have won by
a pretty significant margin. They should have had at least.
Six points off the shots that he took and, you know, he ends up
finishing the NCAA tournament. Having gone a grand total of
over 13 in the two games and he had a couple work.
I'm telling my wife were watching the game.
It's like, you know, Tamar just brings the ball up and like
shoots a little, you know. Yeah, 17 Twitter.
It's like you gotta hit that like, you're going to take that
shot. You've got to hit it.
Yeah. Well, she got an audition at the
offense. He had like multiple shots like
that, where it's at, you got to hit them.
And, and, and so, this is where I talk about raw socket.
Ha and look Bates. Bates was a Woodson recruit.
But Bates has had to play minutes in part because there's
nobody else on the roster to come in and do a whole lot
there. You think about the way that IU
IU as a bunch of ill-fitting pieces that Woodson was able to
kind of duct tape together and create a top 30 offense out of
and a defense that held together enough in key moments that
Indiana, one significantly more game, And they lost but that,
you know, and at times it looked like it meshed together.
Well, but as you mentioned, you take Xavier Johnson out of that
mix. And now, you know, now instead
of three players who will go get their own shots, you've got to
instead of two players who can distribute the basketball,
you've got one and that one doesn't have a whole lot of
experience at the Collegiate level, instead of, you know,
essentially to seniors who can lead You've really got one and
that's Trace Jackson Davis. And that's you put all that
together. And it's like, look, I look at a
guy like race Thompson and you can, you can be critical of race
for getting like just consistently beaten on the, on
the glass and leading to a lot of those offensive rebounds.
But Trace Jackson Davis had the same issue race.
You know at least hits a three-pointer, and hit some
shots and scores in double figures and and get grabbed
seven rebounds in a game. Where he was clearly the slowest
player on the floor for both teams at least.
He's he does something there notable and does something to
keep Indiana in it. And, you know, my contention was
not, you know, it's like you talk about a team not playing as
hard as the opposition and it's immediately interpreted as well.
We didn't play hard enough, I think Indiana was playing hard
but Miami played a lot harder and that's that I think a key
thing to keep in mind here is that I just don't know that it
was in this team to be able to keep up with a team like Miami,
who went to the elite eight last year, who's clearly, very, you
know, and didn't have a great game on Friday, but clearly has
a reservoir of energy and focus and a system that they're able
to adapt to the opponent, you know, to the point that a
larranaga said in the postgame press conference, like they had
an idea how they were in a plane.
Anna. They decided on something and
then the next day they threw it out and put something else in
and that ended up being what they were using like that kind
of flexibility. I don't think Indiana's had that
with this roster, you know. And if you want to argue that
Woodson, should have figured it out again, I would remind you,
like, you look at the players that are on this roster.
You've got two guys who Woodson had to grab out of the portal
essentially, right at the beginning to try to put
something together that would work while he figured out what
he, what he Had he didn't know who he was going to be having on
the roster when he first took over and everything.
Since then has essentially been what we have a generational
offensive talent in Trace Jackson Davis.
We need to build around that person and take advantage and
it's you can't do that. And then also like, oh, we're
going to bring in like X, Y and Z players that are automatically
going to upgrade every spot on the roster.
Like you brought in those guys your first year, like you're not
going to be like, well, we used you for a year we're going to
have We've and so I think to a large degree, what we saw in
this game was that this team? We do we all we wanted the whole
season. Like what is the actual ceiling
for this team without Xavier Johnson?
And we found it. It was this kind of a game and
with all that said, I will always wonder if Indiana gets
the calls on the Galloway. Layup, attempt on the two
possessions that followed it and they're suddenly up eight.
Eight there and Miami starting to press does Indiana maintain
control of that game because it felt like there was that awkward
moment? It was really best summed up by,
you know, Miller cop, stripping the ball at midcourt Driven
during the floor and firing up a heat check 3.
I mean even if that had gone in, I don't think it was a great
decision. I don't blame cop for trying it
per se because there was no flow to the game at that point but it
was illustrative of how discombobulated that sequence
Indiana. He had bad that that sequence,
it made Indiana and so it was clearly a team from my
perspective that was frazzled early, kind of put it back
together and then got frazzled. Again, I don't think that this
was this clearly wasn't representative of Indiana's
best, but I think it was probably representative of what
Indiana was going to deal with in a game where the other team
had both a coherent plan and the athletes to make it happen and
frankly if If it hadn't happened here, if they had squeaked this
game out, they would have gotten crushed against Houston because
Houston is this on steroids essentially and you know you
want to talk about Tres Jackson Davis not getting you know,
taking the 4th most number of shots in this game.
I shudder to think of what would have happened.
If Houston had just been like, you know, we're going to shut
you down completely done. So I mean it really would have
been a really almost and I think a significantly uglier ending
than this was given what we know the limitations of Steam were so
this probably all sounds like excuse making I'm sure there's
people who are like, I don't understand, I can say all this
but look realistically speaking. If a team is going to commit and
effectively commit to not letting Trace Jackson, Davis,
get the ball and Indiana is going to shift their whole
offense. So the trace is getting the ball
in the corner and having to dribble in or get in the bowl 16
feet from the basket. Like that's going to wear on you
because you don't really have the team to do that.
That's not how your setup and then you combine that with you,
your Playing 20, 25, 28, second, defensive possessions, and then
you're giving up offensive rebounds in your playing.
Another set of defensive possessions after that.
I don't know that Indiana necessarily had either the
horses or the innate talent to be able to handle that in this
situation. Because I think if they'd had,
you know, if they had people to bring in, Off the Bench to fix
it, they would have. They tried pretty much everybody
and it really never got significantly better for any
extended period of time. I was I was way wrong about how
I thought this game was going to go.
I'll admit that I thought Indiana was going to be able to
really abuse Miami in the post and as it turned out he didn't
matter What mattered was focus and I think Indiana was out of
focus in this one and I think that that was more a matter of
how well Miami played rather than necessarily something that
Indiana could have done to change it going in.
Yeah no I think height didn't matter because Miami was
pressing the hell out of us. Just pressuring our guards and
double-teaming him and just making it really hard for us to
even get comfortable. And, you know, they, they sped
us up. I text you in the game, we had
one of those again, you know, crazy, long Outlet passes, that
leads to a turnover and only one.
Fortunately, but yes. Look what it's like that was
indicative of like us continually being sped up and I
even the cop 3. So we're kind of like we're
playing into their game. We're not a high-power potent
offense. We should we need to slow it
down but we got we got rushed into what they wanted to do.
So yeah, I feel like in the end I'm with you, it's just, it's it
felt like this was how it was going to end always and it was,
you know, it's tough when you see a team like Miami, who's
not, not like a Houston where you're just like, man, they just
have so many more athletes on the court.
But you're seeing that across all the Big Ten team, finally,
I've had to Michigan State and that kind of dovetails with the
larger point and you know, and this is where I look at this.
I look at Indiana's roster and I look at some of the other people
like the other teams that are out there and it's no
coincidence to me that Michigan State's the only big 10 team
that's in the sweet 16 because they're the only team that's got
the assemblage of athletes and an appropriator and shot
creators in an approach to the game.
That feels like it's compatible with the way basketballs being
played, you know, there was this clip floating around, Jerome
Tang, the Kansas. State coach.
I think it was in the locker room.
Maybe you're marrying a press conference was talking about it
like the old the old guard you know all those guys that went to
Kentucky they're not playing now and you know you've got a sweet
16 there's no Duke there's no North Carolina, there's no
Indiana. There's no Kentucky you know
UCLA is the only of the the Blue Bloods historically that's in
there. Now that happened a couple years
ago as well but it's an illustration that the error were
in right now. It's not just an automatic
You're going to collect Talent. Indiana, unfortunately has been
an Exemplar of that for much longer than those other programs
and to look at a the underachievement Indiana had
under Archie Miller with players that are going in winning, you
know, going to sweet 16s. Whether that's Justin Smith that
Arkansas last year or Jerome Hunter Xavier, or any know that
was kind of a special situation or Al Durham at Providence last
year. Or you know, and then you look
at The con the, the way that I use roster was assembled, and
how you've had to make these little changes in it because
what wins in the Big Ten doesn't necessarily win beyond the Big
Ten? I think Indiana right now finds
themselves in a really fascinating spot but that yeah,
okay I want to jump in because that for I don't want to get too
far, I want to get aware. This was just something that you
know just kind of like an aside go on please though.
Well but it does. It's a point that I wanted to
hit we come like I've also hit it now.
You I this is where I do look at this offseason as I'm very
curious what we're going to do and I think this is a really big
offseason for Mike Woodson in two respects and that the Slate
is clean and we're going to need some guys in the portal or else
we're going to have a lineup of guys who really aren't producing
now, so but I look at that as like, there's that should not
and cannot be an excuse for next year because that is the way the
game, that's where the assembly works.
Now is like, it's, you can read You your roster in a year, there
is no more. I need three to four years to
build my roster. That's why I shuffle, you know,
cringe a little bit like the he has, aren't you guys.
I don't want to get sidetracked it, you know.
So Woodson has the ability to recreate the roster this year
and I think how what he does is going to be very interesting.
The other is the thing. I'm interesting to see, is, if
you had some postgame comments, but how you he created this
offense, based on who we had on the team, you know, in Trace
Jackson Davis and I would say that we're, you know, there's a
You meant to be made that I would agree with that.
He Woodson might have maximized the potential for this team with
Tres Jackson Davis and ran an offense that maximize what we
could do with this team. That's off the table now.
And so if we come back and run the same type of offense next
year and really forsake threes and look like a non-traditional
functional, you know, moderate offense, I'm going to be very
concerned but if we come back and it's like next year, we're
running some Nothing like a pen stages, we're running a
different looking set that they we can look back at, like, okay,
you know, what, actually, what's it was pretty awesome.
Like, he looked at these pieces. Like, I'm gonna put together an
offense that features this generational Talent, whose
unique, and I have to run something different in the way
college basketball is being run, but I think it's say this is
going to be a great Bellwether on Woodson is like a, does he
really have a competitive and, you know, future running offense
for the NCAA and be, can he compete in the way that you have
to create rosters today? The idea of we're going to get a
guy and build guys and you know you know get guys for years.
That's you have to be able to do it on the fly in the portal and
luckily he's gonna have the opportunity to do both this
offseason. Yeah, well and look, I think
first of all, what you said is really key.
And a lot of people have criticized Woodson's offense and
and how its structured and I get the criticism.
I mean, there's times I've been pretty disappointed in it and
individual games are against individual types of opponents.
The end of the They though, I will, I will, again remind
people that this was a top 30 offense in college basketball,
that barely shot threes like to be able to have an offense.
That is that efficient. That doesn't shoot threes.
Well and was only 206 than the country in free.
Throw percentage is a major accomplishment and if you're
going to argue that I you shouldn't have played that way.
I would say two things. First of all, the roster was not
there to play. Different way.
I think it might have been with Xavier Johnson because now you
have both a Creator and a shot maker and a guy that can go and
get his own basket. If he needs two or all three of
those things, you didn't have that.
So you got to reinvent on the moat on the Fly.
You also you again, I'll remind you, you have a generational
Talent offensively who was able this season to be what 18th in
the in the conference in Topeka. Point field goal.
Percentage be in the top 200 in offensive rating in the country,
be in the top 125 in the country and effective field goal
percentage. I mean his and then, you know,
be a top 200 guy in assists. I mean, my God, like, I, you had
a special talent here in Tres Jackson Davis.
The idea that you wouldn't maximize what you were doing
around him, is kind of silly to me and the, you know, and the
the notion that you would Voluntarily be running a bunch
of stuff elsewhere because you think it's going to get him more
shots. I would again just point to the
rest of the roster and say who was turning in the reliable
performances that you would want to lean on and build directly
into your offense and then the offense always look great.
But to go this season with essentially one reliable
offensive option, And be able to finish 27th.
I think is what they are right now in defensive efficiency on
Ken pom. That's a major accomplishment.
I don't think that that's how they're going to play moving
forward. I've said that for a while now
because they won't have that they won't be able to.
And so that's that's my that would be what I'd say on that.
And again, the proof will be in the pudding.
Just like the portal activity additional recruiting activity.
This is going to be a significant amount of change
that will see. And we're at it.
We'll save that for future podcasts to talk about, but I
think IU basketball is going to look radically different.
And I think what this what we see here and actually Trace
Jackson Davis, I thought really did a good job in his postgame.
Press conference of putting a bow on everything you know where
he referenced like. You know two years ago we were
getting booed off the floor in Indianapolis and to go from that
to being a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament winning a game
in the, in the real part of the tournament, you know, finish.
In 12 and 8 in the conference. I mean doing everything that
Indiana was able to accomplish this year with essentially, a
seven-man rotation and of those seven people.
You know, generally only four of them were actually contributing
in any given night. If you were lucky, if you got
that a team that wasn't as good defensively.
As they were last year for a variety of reasons.
I think that this was a great like send off to the last
remnants of the Archie era like Like, chances are you're going
to have one player on the roster.
Next year, who has any significant ties to that era and
now, you essentially become a brand new different type of
program and we don't know what that's going to look like, but I
think it'll look different from whatever it is right now as that
transition starts to take place, I would hope so.
Yeah. Yes you can't play this way.
I mean it is, you know it, I do hope it's different in an odd
way, you know. If we my words here like Woodson
was handed an interesting, you know, hand in poker.
So if you took this job is like he had to recruit Trace Jackson
Davis back but he just had to take that opportunity.
And but he's given this hand where, you know, you look at
teams that are primarily led by very, very good post players,
you know, they just don't have tournament success.
Whether it's, you know, Chet home G last year, new two years
is a key. T unfortunately, you know, Trace
Jackson Davis, you know, even Oscar.
If she waits Kentucky, they haven't had a ton of success.
You're the only, the only person I can think of it's like a
traditional post players had successes Drew Timmy but even
they didn't do well last year and I would say, gonzaga's
construct of their team is just fascinating different than a lot
of other teams were discussing here, but teams that are like
post Centric are just not doing well.
So I I hope we see something different next year.
But you know, again everything's on the table here.
And this is where Woodson is going to and I I want to wait
and see and I have faith. It's like this is where, you
know, he has the ability to get two three guys in the portal.
Really remake this roster, but that's where that's the way
college basketball is today. And I'm interested, I'm excited
to see what we do. I'm excited to see the offense
rerun next year but, you know, in the end people are asking
today. It's like to me like this is a
good season like I leave happy and like, you know, in a weird
way, it's not that much different then, you know, 2016.
I know we didn't have a Big Ten title but it's Like that year,
we got completely shellacked in the sweet 16 by North Carolina.
I know we didn't make the sweet sixteen this year but it's like
it's only a difference of one game and maybe that sounds like
a team that's been in the dumps too long, but it's like, we move
into back-to-back tournaments. I think something that you said
before is like to me now, you know, as you look ahead, all of
you offense portal guys, that that's all, that will be all
figured out to me. That the thing is like, you
know, we made the sweet 16 in 2013 and then we fell off a
cliff. We made the sweet 16 in 2016 and
Fell off a cliff and we just got back like to me now.
It's like now, you need stability next year.
Probably the team will not be as good as this year.
I don't know. I don't know who's going to be
on the team will discuss that later.
But to me, like that's the goal is like, you cannot now fall off
a cliff again for two or three years if you have to now, right?
Continue to find ways to stay relevant to stay good.
And there really is no reason why you shouldn't be able to
other rosters remake it. Illinois, they get a whole bunch
of portal guys, because I was good, they're still in the
tournament a seat. And like, I was talking, Nobody.
This morning's like if if I give you next year, you're in the
tournament as an 8C. Do you take that right now and
like yeah, I take that, that's a good season, like, that's that's
what you need to be looking to do is like now, you're starting
to be there every single year and now you're just trying to,
you know, get the higher Highs. But you've got to create that
floor. That's where again, next year to
me is key. Just, we cannot go to three
years again, without making the tournament.
Oh, I mean, I think I would hope that goes without saying and I'm
sure our listeners. Owners would say, well, of
course that goes without saying, you know, I look at it like
this. I think that ultimately it's
it's a step along the way, and we talked about this a little
bit on assembly call, you know? I think it was I forget who I
was specifically addressing or talking about is like, well, how
do you judge this season in retrospect, you know, part of
part of what I would look at it as is this it we are IU fans.
Forget how much time has elapsed?
Since I, you was last good we do and it really because it feels
like it was yesterday, but it was actually, it was more race
Thompson committed here. It was like, that's how long ago
it was, that's right. Yeah, that's hilarious.
That that, that one year between Matt and over and race Thompson,
right? But, but now the, this this
will, I think go down in history and IU.
Basketball is a really important.
Portent transitional season because it showed that Indiana
could compete at a, not the top level, but that they could hold
their own. In terms of, you know, being in
the mix for being considered one of the top teams.
And when I say top teams, I mean like one of the top 20 teams in
the country, one of the top 15 teams in the country, you know,
there's a there's a certain element of we don't know how
good the season could have been because you lose your Point
guard, 10 games in and that completely Alters.
The trajectory of what you're going to do on both sides of the
bowl. But I also think that what we're
looking at right now is Indiana, you know, finally with a
coaching staff, that's going to be here for a while.
They've shown positive upward momentum and this is the first
coaching staff where you can say, hey there's positive upward
momentum in, you know? I mean even if you yeah, here
three go. Into year three and a long time
and and, you know, you that to me gives me hope.
And I think Woodson has got a handle on college basketball.
Now, I think his staff has a better handle on college
basketball. Now I think the portal as you
mentioned opens up a lot more possibilities and I don't think
there was anything that happened this year, that couldn't have
been explained Away by just the realities of will.
Here's who we've got, and here's what we need to do as opposed to
You know, Woodson is just too stubborn and only wants to do X
Y or Z. I think is in game coaching.
Got significantly better this year?
Yeah, you know, I think the way that the, you know, you look at
just even the shooting percentages like Indiana went
they, you know, the last year of Archie, they were 32.4 percent
from three, their 36.8%. Now the last year of Archie,
they were sixty six point five percent from the free-throw line
this year, they were seventy one point one percent.
The last year of Archie, their effective field goal.
Percentage was 48.5 Of this year.
It was 53.5, you know, even even defensively speaking, this
season was more on par with the last Archie year, but it wasn't
bad. It was a top 50 defense.
Like this feels like a good solid foundation to build on for
Indiana basketball. And so, it's tough because I
think that the way the season ended losing the Penn State game
losing, the Miami game it Highlighted flaws.
It highlighted shortcomings but I think honestly, the flaws and
shortcomings were in the composition of the roster and
there were just some hard ceiling limitations on what some
of these players could actually do in a game.
And in some games, in some games, they were able to
overcome them. But down the stretch, they
weren't able to consistently overcome them.
And that's it sounds like a criticism of players.
I just think that a lot of the players on this roster, whether
it was race Thompson suffering. The Jury and and then having to
come back and play through that, whether it was Miller, cop, and
just not being very laterally, quick and not being able to play
a lot of great defense and not having a quick release.
Whether it was tomorrow, Bates, struggling with his shot going
in and his confidence, whether it was Malik renew struggling
with not knowing how to not foul at this level, whether it was
Jalen Hood, pheno going, you know, running really hot and
really cold and also struggling with focus on defense.
Like this was an imperfect I think Woodson did a good job of
bringing those pieces along as far as they could reasonably.
Go could they have one in this game?
Yeah, that would have probably been about it, and I think going
back to what you said, you know, I think with Xavier Johnson,
there's a different ceiling. I also think you're not a four
seed, if you've got Xavier Johnson, the whole season your
A3, your maybe a to. But this was about where Indiana
was going to end up. I think we were hoping that it
might be higher than that. We like the pathway and who
knows. If Drake ends up upsetting
Miami, maybe we're not having this conversation at all because
they're able to handle Drake and so it doesn't, but I'm glad I'm
almost to some degree glad that it did because I will look back
on this particular game and say there was your greatest
illustration of how fundamentally like far behind
the program is in terms of athleticism, and in terms of
shot-making, and those things have to be fixed, and I think
they will. Now that there is a clear need
to RECenter The gravity of this team because you won't have an
All-American playing Center, who really has to have things
structured around him in order to make it work.
And that's not a criticism of Trace Jackson Davis.
It's just a reality. It's like if you've got Zach
Edie, you're going to use that gt--.
You're not going to be like, well you know what, we want to
run a more modern game no, but now I think Indiana's got got to
change and I'm fascinated to see where that goes and I think
we've seen where it needs to go. No, I think you bring up a great
point that I did that. The idea that, you know, this is
Kind of a slap across the face and it does show everyone like.
All right. That's that's the next level.
It's not like you just played, you know Alabama this is Miami.
No naka Miami but it's like they're not.
They're not like they have been the top team in the country all
year. Like that.
That's a team. Who's a five seed in the
tournament who kind of blow your doors off athletically.
It's like you've got to continue to step up.
The thing I was going to say is you know, you're right, Had
Drake one like this is why you want to be in that position.
Is that sometimes it breaks? Well, sometimes it doesn't and
then you know, some point you have to place somebody you're
not going to play you know, 12C. All the way to the tournament,
which I know is like produce. Biggest nightmare playing double
bass, you know, it's not like, you're gonna play, you know, 12
all the way. At some point, you give that
team that, you know, the 2002 team they had to beat Duke, but
we had to beat some interviewed Oklahoma, but you have to win
some games. But they also, I think it was
USC. They didn't get in the second
round. I'm not saying they would have
lost their butts. Like they had an easier path.
Like you again, you gave yourself more of these.
Things are going to break right? Sometimes they won't sometimes
you'll find the right. T, this again was a bad.
Just an overall bad matchup that The thing that I would say just
Bears mentioning is it is you mentioned the defensive
efficiency, the offense, has she got better it is a little bit,
just a PIN to think that you know this is the worst defensive
efficiency since our cheese first year.
But my caveat to my own point is you know while Archie had good
defense has his offenses were you know, 50 to 60 ranking spots
were closer to to the, you know, to the hundredth ranking.
Like I think one of the years like in 2019, our defense was
30. The country and offenses 82nd
this year. Our defense was 45th, which is,
yes, it's not. It's, you know, it's not 30
second, but you're only sliding 10 spots up versus our offense.
Under Archie was like 50 60 spots off where it should have
been. So it's, it's around the edges.
But I do wonder if we were able to keep our defense in the top
25 if that would have helped either.
But again, I think that spot everything, you said its roster
destruction. I look at the roster thing is
it's less. And I just think that without
Xavier Joe, Johnson there and the way this roster is
constructed, you were just putting a lot of guys in
positions that was not beneficial for what their skills
provide and so everything you mentioned.
But you know, I could shift, you know, having to play more one
when you should be playing to, You Know, Tamar Bates, playing
15, you know, minutes and having to maybe create some of his own
shots. When he could have just been a
five-minute guy and getting a little more, you know, in the
flow of offense. So I that's the end of that
point. I really have a wrap up to that,
but that's, that's kind of the end of my My Talking.
Yeah. I mean, I'll just reiterate a
point I made earlier. Indiana was 95th and offensive
efficiency in 2022. They were 27th and offensive
efficiency this year. It's a huge leap for any program
to make and it's the same Personnel, they lost one player
off of last year's roster that contributed all and it was
Parker Stewart. And to make that big of a leap
offensively is was really impressive.
And yes, they did fall off defensively.
And I think that that's I think you could very easily point to a
bunch of factors on that front, not the least of which is you
lose your best on-ball defender and Xavier Johnson and you know
who had been your best post Defender and race Thompson ends
up having a major injury that almost takes him out for the
rest of the year in early January.
So again, I'm gonna give them some Grace on this.
And so anyway, I do think, what is funny.
As you mentioned, like, the shock of your this gaming is
finally, this is I think most of the old die-hard IU fans are
starting to we're starting to get kind of a more modern.
Base. But this, this is if we come out
and Woodson runs like, you know, a Penn State or, you know,
Alabama's type offense next year with a bunch of threes and we're
running it with, you know, a starting lineup that has Xavier
and four Dudes. We don't know, like, this could
be just a complete culture shock where you went from, you know,
basically, the weird old that this is like the way you and I
used to watch basketball or it's like oh, your race has been here
awhile. We do Trace like, you know, guys
who've been here year after year.
It's like, you know, the starting lineup.
You mention one guy changes and you're running this kind of post
out offense like there. Could be a complete culture.
Just a mean old fans systems where it's like all new guys
were just running a toy. The main system to make the
worst like, you know, like lame joke that normally gets made in
is like, we're gonna make a lot of money off of selling
programs, let next year because nobody's gonna know anybody on
the Tina's. Gonna be that kind of a thing,
but it could be, I mean, it would be hilarious if Indiana
came like immediately started running a 5 out and had nobody
starting over 67 and be like, what is this?
Why I haven't seen this in a while, you know, and actually
remember. but buddy, really remember seeing this But woke
the tournament but I, but I'll see that's the thing.
It's like, would you would you want that?
Because, you know, Penn State when we went 10 and 10 with that
sort of a style in, but they they they look pretty good in
the tournament both that, you know, about the Big Ten
tournament and then the, the big one.
So I am fascinated to see what happens and I'm fascinated to
see what the roster looks like next year.
Fascinated to see who stays it's a key.
It really is a key off. See like it really is.
It is like it's a kiosk because you Have to keep momentum going.
And there's there's a lot is gonna be a ton of change and so
you've got to install a new offense or do something
different offensively, you have to.
Yeah, you got to get either recruits or portal guys, or last
second change guys that you've got to bring some more
athleticism and shooting and something to this roster and
you're going to. But again I will say I was
talking to, you know thinking about this today and talking to
a friend like we were you sampling Seltzer while you were
doing it. Always okay good.
Um yes, blind blind Blind. Faith is lemon lime.
Lemon lime until Pacino's, pretty good at a big Blackberry
guy. Sorry, good black night when you
don't know what it is, I know. But you know what's it?
Also you do he has a lot to offer here but so the idea that
he can't get guys, should be able to get some guys because
you can offer like hey you're going to have a 24 year old like
solid point guard, who can get you the ball, you're going to
have a five star Center. We have n IL money and by the
way I can offer three dudes, a starting role probably Maybe two
and a half like I have a I can get you starting on a team
that's going to be on national TV.
We should be making the tournament.
You're going to be playing in the Big Ten.
You have a point guard, you have a center, I can run an offense,
you know, it's like there's a lot to go there for him to be
able to get either portal, dudes or recruits and so I you know,
there's no reason why we can't come back with a solid lineup
for next year. Not going to probably win the
Big Ten but finishing in the upper echelons and the you know
654 you know double by next year.
Not be off the table for this team.
I agree. I mean, look it, I mean, I not
going to get that up to miss. I want to see who's on the
roster first, but well, yeah. But but your point is well taken
in that there's, I think Woodson is well-equipped.
And I think that Indiana has a program is much better equipped
now than it was a year ago. I mean, last year, it's like,
you know, what's it doesn't know when to call timeouts or what,
you know, what is, what's it doing here or there.
And I feel like a lot of those questions got answered, you
know, is out of bounds plays were Awesome.
For the most part this year, he, he managed to develop a lot of
players on this roster in terms of putting them in positions to
succeed didn't always work, but it did feel like they got a lot
closer to where they want to get to and, and having a new group,
having a new group come in that can provide a different kind of
energy and a different kind of skill set.
I'm really fascinated to see how that plays out.
And the last thing with development is your woods, and
you could tell You know, portal or recruit like, hey, I took
Trace Jackson Davis, who basically was not wanted by the
MBA, and we were able to Showcase him without shooting a
three in such a way that he is going to be drafted.
And oh, by the way, I took a guy in a freshman jail hoof Ito, who
was kind of off draft boards, to start the year, who's going to
be, maybe a lottery pick. He's going to be in the top 20.
He's getting a guaranteed contract, you know, and I think
that is going to speak volumes as well.
And so there's a and I think that's something we have to
remember to like we have a lot of positive advantage.
A lot of things going our way. And so the he shouldn't be able
to get some guys because there's a, that's a lot.
They're not a lot of coaches can say that.
I mean, having two guys. Drafted, like it sucks that you
couldn't do more in the tournament, but the fact that
you took two guys who it's not like they came into the year,
both being high draft picks, I think neither of them were
really on draft board and start the year and you finish with a
guy who's probably going to be bottom Lottery, just outside the
lottery and then Trace, who might be up, you might get to
first rounders I mean, it's it's really going to be fascinating
to watch all this play out. Because I think as we've talked
about a lot, I just I think there was enough positive press.
Doc Rivers is talking about, you know, the IU job and visceral
adipose. Talking about, you know,
Woodson's brought the pride back to IU.
I mean there's a lot of positive momentum for the program as a
whole and I know I was like you I was upset after the game but I
wasn't like furious. And I kind of just you know that
when Miami went on that run in the second half I was like, wow,
this looks like it's about it and It got me thinking a lot
about what, what does this mean? And I leave a lot more
optimistic out of this season than I can.
Remember, even being last year, even though I thought we would
be good going into next year. I, you know, there's always that
like, I want to see Indiana do something before I get excited.
And you can say, yeah, they didn't want a Big Ten title or
they didn't win the Big Ten tournament and they obviously
didn't get to the Sweet 16 and yet, despite all of that they
did things this year. You know, they they made their
mark on college basketball, they were relevant in the National
conversation and look I as much as anybody want to see this team
win. I want, I would like
championships. I would like to go, you know,
into the second weekend or Beyond in the NCAA tournament,
but we got, as I said on assembly call.
Last week, we got to take this in stages and as much as I'd
love to hit the accelerator button and get you know, into
everything immediately You know, it's all you're almost to some
degree blessed if you start with a completely blank slate because
you completely remake, everything that's not what
happened here and I think Woodson's done a really good job
of handling, all of the different things, and arranging
them in the best way that we can see them given what he's been
given and what he's gone out and gotten to make it work.
So, no. And to your point of we did
things that, you know, it doesn't not every year, has to
be a step forward to be a success as like.
So, next year, we don't have to make a sweet 16 or it's a
failure. But that said, like we advance
one step further in the tournament this year than we did
last year we got a protected seed.
We got a double by in the Big Ten tournament.
We swept Purdue, we swept Michigan.
We you know, got a winning record in the Big Ten like we
made a lot of steps forward this year from last year and that's
that is all good and important. I mean that's that's as you said
I'd love to also accelerate to a final four but you have to walk
before you run and so many of these years that you and I have
been doing this podcast, we're not even walking we're just
sputtering, you know? We We I can't I've not done it,
but outside of like the number one ranked here with Old Depot
and Zeller, I can't think. And that was kind of a
hypercharge, you know, that was hyper-charged getting good.
I can't think of a year we made, you know, back-to-back.
Here's we're just we're getting better and we're just knocking
off and we're just taking steps forward year after year and, you
know, so that's where I also again, leave encouraged This is
a larger conversation that we're probably too close to to talk
about now. But, you know, it's been a lot
of talk about Trace Jackson. Davis has Legacy, you know, and
where he fits within the history and the hierarchy of IU
basketball. Actually, I don't think this is
the right time to answer that question.
I think that there's you need to get some distance.
You know, there's been a lot of love for tjd rightfully.
So on social media and certainly you look at the way he ended
this. I mean and I'm not talking about
like last few games and over the last couple of months and it's
an unassailable resume of accomplishment and effort and
you know, it's going to be interesting or think with him in
particular trying to figure out exactly.
Like, how do you put them into context because a lot of people
will point to. Well, he hasn't won in when a
Big Ten Championship he never got past the second round of the
NCAA tournament. He also had maybe, you know, No,
among the worst runs of luck of neiu.
Good eye--you player. I mean, Walt Bellamy's right up
there in terms of like oh you go to IU like right?
When they go on probation for, you know, for other violations
elsewhere in the athletic department.
And there's a few other people Calbert cheaney and never won a
national title. But I mean he didn't cause Alan
Henderson's need a buckle, you know.
So it's one of those things where Trace watching him grow,
specially this yeer and watching him.
Become the reason why Indiana went as far as it did in the
compost. What it did.
You know, I'm looking forward to kind of getting a little bit of
a distance and really thinking about where he fits into the
big, the big, you know, picture with IU basketball.
But there's no question in my mind that what he did this year,
in terms of a single season's worth of effort and, and and
statistical accomplishment, and Leadership has to rank up there
with some of the best individual seasons and Indiana's hat, like
they've had Better players on better teams.
I don't know that they've had a player on a team that had as
many limitations do, as much as Trace Jackson Davis, did to drag
them over the finish line. And, and that to me is, that's
the thing. I'll probably remember most
about him, and I think that's got to be something that factors
into the conversation. When you think about like, where
he fits into the big scheme of things Without You basketball, I
agree 100% on all that. I'm not ready to do the the late
where he fits talk. I do.
No and it's going to take some time but he fits like he's there
he's somewhere. And yeah, the what he's done
this year, the growth he had from last year to this year in
his game was think I mentioned earlier podcast.
Like it's up there with that, you know, Oladipo jump from, you
know, sophomore to junior year like he really added so many
pieces to his game became such a huge part, the stats.
I never thought I'd see somebody a mass was kind of stats in
college again. He played in a in an odd time
odd, coaching thing, you know with Arch, it's just there.
There's a lot to unpack there and to those who say, you know,
well you can't be one of the greats without, you know, team
success at Indiana. It's like, well, maybe we need
to rethink some of those things. Like, I mean, we're just we're
no longer in the night are winning two titles, every 10
years and going to three or four final fours.
If we're just not doing that, that's not the way our program
is. So it's not fair to say that's
how we rank greatness. Because like, then we're never
going to have great players, and we just saw a great player and
he was fantastic. He was amazing.
And we are Going to miss him next year but next year is gonna
look different. We're gonna see different things
but there will be times when guys are driving the lane.
I'm like man, we just need someone to the post.
You can like block and like it is nice when you could just give
it to trace. And and now is like, I was, he's
a great free-throw, shooter not me, he improved so much to his
game. He was here for four years.
I'm with you, you know, I don't know where to put him, but he,
he is up there in that hierarchy, even though he didn't
get the title or the Deep tournament run or the Big Ten,
Title he is up there when you start talking about some of the
great players, he's in that first paragraph which to me is
where we started from there. We'll figure that out later.
But he has earned the right to be in that first paragraph which
to me is something. Yeah.
I mean, we'll talk about it more as we move forward.
And look, I think this whole senior group, you know, a we've
got our criticisms of all of them at one point or another,
you know, the end of it all we wanted Miller cop to being but
become a more consistent outside shooter and by the end of his
time here he definitely accomplished that he 44.4% from
three you know second best three-point shooter on the team
was the 44th most efficient In all of college basketball this
year. When I know you're trying to
wrap it like throw a quick like the race thing I look at, you
know, you talked about like what could have been with Xavier.
Like I look at race for his career like what could have been
because the moments that Kent State game, he is all over the
place, he's hustling. He's just going after.
Everything is hitting threes, and he's a guy who was just
snake that we're learning. Now, he had even more injuries
that he was dealing with him. He's a guy who just never was
fully healthy the entire time he was here and you have little
bursts and then you have a concussion Russian you get
injured or you know he just he always was kind of battling
something and I just wondering if you play his career 100 more
times and you have a couple Reese fully healthy, what could
he have turned into? Because he when he was right, he
was an amazing amazing piece to add to the team.
You know, this this IU program has has just.
It's felt like, you know, someone threw a black cat into
the room, like, you know, ten years ago and it's just, it's
been A lot of bad mojo and it's manifested itself in a bunch of
different ways and so, it does kind of fee.
I feel like this season again wasn't perfect.
It's just a, well, it Dove it, but, you know, it felt like a
cloud got lifted a little bit on IU basketball.
And I know there's going to be some fans out there who are
still very, you know, disenchanted or disappointed in
how things went or how things finish and I get that but, you
know, I think realistically people are going to look back on
this season and they're going to be like You know what?
That was fun. There were fun times that
happened. It didn't finish the way that we
hoped that it would, but it was a fun season overall with some
accomplishments not the accomplishments that people
want, not what we measure people on.
But again, as we said, this was the third time since the turn of
the century. Basically that Indiana had been
a protected seed in the NCAA tournament.
This is not a top-level program. This is a program that is trying
to get back to that level and it's a program that's trying to
do that in the midst of a tremendous amount of upheaval.
And change within college basketball as a whole.
It's a lot of moving parts and I I salute the seniors and the
coaching staff and the athletic department for putting the stuff
into place that allowed them to be a four seed in the NCAA
tournament, beat Purdue twice, have some other impressive
victories along the way and and give Indiana a I think a really
good season in the annals certainly I mean what this was
probably the The fourth best season of the entire Century so
far for IU basketball. Maybe the fifth best?
I mean, it's in the top five at this point of of 23 years of
basketball so far in this century and that's I will always
remember that and I will I will it made following the team more
fun than it has been in quite a while and Scott you and I
podcast about this twice a week. It has not been fun to talk
about IU basketball. It was fun to talk about IU
basketball this year ago. Agreed.
And that's the true measure of a team.
Do we in? Do we enjoy getting?
Is it something spat wants to bring up at his next cell sir
tasting? You know, that's, that's the,
that's the matter. What?
Again, this is not the measure, but this is, you know, I'm, I'm
only sad because I enjoyed watching.
As frustrated, seem could be at times, they're great, they're
highs were high and they were fun to watch.
And I enjoyed watching, you know, guys like race and more
cop and Trace Jackson Davis. And, you know, for the first,
you know, definitely, during some of those are Archie years
of those creamy years, like this point, the year, I was like, I'm
so happy to be done watching. Yeah.
See there's an ordeal those time.
I did not. I do not feel that today.
That the sadness I have is just that I don't get to see these
guys compete anymore. I know they're bummed too.
So yeah, it's nice to feel that at the end of the year where
it's like, I kind of, you know, want a little bit more, we'll be
back with more, probably not this week.
We're gonna take a little bit of time off, but as the roster
changes as it will will be, will be here to talk.
Be sure to tune in also tune into our Friends across the back
home network and be sure to check out what's going on with
IU Women's Basketball. They play Miami tonight and
hopefully win that game. Go on to the Sweet 16 and will
be on to talk about that as well.
Anyway, for Scott, I'm Galen thanks for joining us throughout
the course of the Season. Folks will catch you.
Folks on the flip side, bring back the Bison, so everybody