1 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,640 You're listening to the Back Home Network presented by Home 2 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:22,440 Field Apparel. All right. 3 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:24,880 Folks, welcome back to Crimson Cast. 4 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,790 Scott here with you. I have Galen with me. 5 00:00:27,790 --> 00:00:30,150 We're kind of doing it like this is one of the few times. 6 00:00:30,150 --> 00:00:33,510 It's like, you know, you have a friend, they always drive the 7 00:00:33,510 --> 00:00:35,910 car and now I'm going to be in the driver's seat. 8 00:00:35,910 --> 00:00:37,950 So it's tough for Galen. He's like, you know, going to 9 00:00:37,950 --> 00:00:39,950 reach over a couple times trying to grab the steering wheel. 10 00:00:39,950 --> 00:00:43,430 But I'm running the board here. We had an I U schedule release. 11 00:00:43,430 --> 00:00:46,750 It happened quickly. We got on the the Crimson Cast 12 00:00:46,750 --> 00:00:48,750 Bat phone and we are getting this done. 13 00:00:48,750 --> 00:00:52,650 So, Galen, man, how you doing? I'm terrified. 14 00:00:52,650 --> 00:00:55,050 But otherwise, fine, you know, nothing. 15 00:00:55,050 --> 00:00:58,330 Nothing more terrifying than Scott on the steering wheel. 16 00:00:58,570 --> 00:01:01,810 But no, I'm kidding. It's good to see you happy to 17 00:01:01,810 --> 00:01:03,330 that we were able to jump on here. 18 00:01:03,570 --> 00:01:05,610 I shouldn't roll my eyes. I'm not sure I hit record yet. 19 00:01:05,610 --> 00:01:07,210 So it's like I can, I can. There you go. 20 00:01:07,530 --> 00:01:08,930 This is what terrifies, you know. 21 00:01:09,010 --> 00:01:11,210 I'm sure it's all all fine but no good. 22 00:01:11,250 --> 00:01:14,330 You know, I you. It's funny because like I was 23 00:01:14,330 --> 00:01:17,310 talking about this with some folks and one of my friends was 24 00:01:17,310 --> 00:01:19,670 like can we please not with basketball season. 25 00:01:19,670 --> 00:01:21,790 Like football season is still going on. 26 00:01:21,790 --> 00:01:25,190 And that's true. But look, that's the duality of 27 00:01:25,190 --> 00:01:28,670 doing I U podcasting. We got to take care of of all of 28 00:01:28,670 --> 00:01:31,110 the children, not just one of the children at a time. 29 00:01:31,110 --> 00:01:32,910 So here to talk about it. Looking forward to. 30 00:01:32,910 --> 00:01:35,590 It and the thing you'll notice a lot of the teams on the schedule 31 00:01:35,590 --> 00:01:37,790 are also available to be purchased through Home Field 32 00:01:37,790 --> 00:01:40,950 Apparel our sponsor here on Crimson Cast and the home 33 00:01:40,950 --> 00:01:42,390 Network. A lot of school. 34 00:01:42,390 --> 00:01:44,070 I mean, they have a lot of those schools I've. 35 00:01:44,630 --> 00:01:46,510 Not checked all of them, but they are there. 36 00:01:46,550 --> 00:01:49,070 And if you want to purchase, we have a new code. 37 00:01:49,070 --> 00:01:53,710 It's home 23. We'll get you 25 or 15% off your 38 00:01:53,710 --> 00:01:55,830 first purchase. Home field Apparel. 39 00:01:55,830 --> 00:01:58,590 I know I'm Galen's Laughing at me one one little slip up. 40 00:01:58,590 --> 00:02:00,350 We're still on the road. Just hit the rumble strips. 41 00:02:00,350 --> 00:02:01,750 We're back. We're back on. 42 00:02:01,950 --> 00:02:05,230 I've done reads before you I also need to correct you. 43 00:02:05,230 --> 00:02:08,190 It's the back home network, not just the home network. 44 00:02:08,190 --> 00:02:12,260 But anyway, let's move on. Hey, man, get in the back seat. 45 00:02:12,300 --> 00:02:13,540 You're right. You lost shotgun. 46 00:02:13,860 --> 00:02:17,700 You're in the back seat. I wouldn't be living up to 47 00:02:17,740 --> 00:02:19,220 things if I didn't do that right? 48 00:02:19,220 --> 00:02:21,100 Yeah. So I mean we're on a, we're on a 49 00:02:21,100 --> 00:02:22,660 first name base. It's just me and the home 50 00:02:22,660 --> 00:02:23,820 network. I don't need all of that. 51 00:02:23,820 --> 00:02:26,540 The back home network, Yes, with all of our friends at the call. 52 00:02:26,740 --> 00:02:27,940 You might call them assembly call. 53 00:02:27,940 --> 00:02:32,300 I call them the call. Yes, the work DD work. 54 00:02:32,300 --> 00:02:34,620 Anyway, schedule release, it's always a fun day. 55 00:02:34,620 --> 00:02:36,900 I just literally got done putting it into my Google 56 00:02:36,900 --> 00:02:38,460 Calendar like importing all of it. 57 00:02:38,460 --> 00:02:40,540 It's always fun. We're going to. 58 00:02:40,620 --> 00:02:43,340 Talk about it. I also it's we'll have these 59 00:02:43,340 --> 00:02:45,780 discussions then it'll be funny because I will be talking. 60 00:02:45,780 --> 00:02:48,740 We'll be talking in February when we'll be like right now 61 00:02:48,740 --> 00:02:50,620 we'll be looking at stuff like what was a nice little stretch 62 00:02:50,620 --> 00:02:53,020 there where, you know, you know, five or six games and then we'll 63 00:02:53,020 --> 00:02:54,740 get to February. And like all of that has 64 00:02:54,740 --> 00:02:57,220 changed, where it's like this stretch sucks now because these 65 00:02:57,220 --> 00:03:00,100 teams are bad, but you know the schedule is out. 66 00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:01,900 I think we knew a lot of the nonconference. 67 00:03:01,900 --> 00:03:04,420 We knew a lot of the opponents. We were playing in Big 10 just. 68 00:03:04,770 --> 00:03:07,970 Kind of not what when when we're playing them, how we're playing 69 00:03:07,970 --> 00:03:09,090 them. But at first glance, what are 70 00:03:09,090 --> 00:03:11,890 your thoughts on the schedule as you kind of had just digested it 71 00:03:11,890 --> 00:03:16,210 for 15 minutes? Well, look, overall, I think 72 00:03:16,210 --> 00:03:18,570 it's a favorable schedule for Indiana. 73 00:03:18,650 --> 00:03:21,970 You know, when I go through and try to tabulate what I think 74 00:03:21,970 --> 00:03:25,170 Indiana's going to do in any given year, I was taking initial 75 00:03:25,170 --> 00:03:29,370 run through and I always feel like I, you know, I'm like, wow, 76 00:03:29,740 --> 00:03:32,220 we're not going to be very good. And then I have to ramp the 77 00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:35,380 projection back up. This time I had to do the 78 00:03:35,380 --> 00:03:38,580 opposite. Like I I went through and just 79 00:03:38,580 --> 00:03:41,460 off the first glance I'm like this doesn't look that bad. 80 00:03:41,500 --> 00:03:44,620 I mean, you know, there's there's not that many like 81 00:03:44,780 --> 00:03:46,940 catastrophically difficult games. 82 00:03:47,460 --> 00:03:49,220 You know, you don't have to go to Michigan State. 83 00:03:50,220 --> 00:03:52,820 You know you've got a couple of things like that where it's you 84 00:03:52,820 --> 00:03:57,380 don't have to go to Iowa which thank God you know and and 85 00:03:57,380 --> 00:04:00,510 things seem really you know pretty evenly metered out. 86 00:04:00,510 --> 00:04:03,150 There's a couple of nice breaks there's an 8 day break in 87 00:04:03,150 --> 00:04:04,990 January. There's another eight day break 88 00:04:04,990 --> 00:04:08,430 in February and you know that's that's good. 89 00:04:08,430 --> 00:04:11,150 I think that helps A-Team get their legs back. 90 00:04:11,670 --> 00:04:16,750 It's tough because you know it's it's kind of we knew to some 91 00:04:16,750 --> 00:04:19,230 degree what we were getting without you basketball last 92 00:04:19,230 --> 00:04:21,149 year. They kind of exceeded our 93 00:04:21,149 --> 00:04:22,990 expectations. But you knew it's like well we 94 00:04:22,990 --> 00:04:25,990 got Frace Jackson Davis. We know how he's going to play. 95 00:04:26,310 --> 00:04:29,750 You've got Miller Cop, you've got Xavier Johnson. 96 00:04:29,950 --> 00:04:33,350 And then, I mean, granted, it didn't entirely play out that 97 00:04:33,350 --> 00:04:37,310 way, but this year feels very different in that we really 98 00:04:37,310 --> 00:04:40,630 don't know how these pieces are going to fit together. 99 00:04:40,910 --> 00:04:42,790 We don't know how the team's going to play. 100 00:04:42,790 --> 00:04:44,630 A lot of people are assuming the team's going to be. 101 00:04:44,630 --> 00:04:48,390 Working in progress, they're losing all of that scoring with 102 00:04:48,390 --> 00:04:51,630 Trace Jackson Davis leaving. But I'll say this, as a 103 00:04:51,630 --> 00:04:55,360 Tottenham Hotspur fan, you know, everybody was predicting doom 104 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,400 and gloom offensively for for the Spurs after Harry Kane left 105 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,000 for Bayern Munich. And they're off to their best 106 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:06,440 start in literally 50 years. So it doesn't have to mean 107 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,720 anything because every team is going to be a little bit 108 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:11,480 different. So when I look at this schedule, 109 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,640 I think overall the way that the games are metered out, you know, 110 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:18,280 the fact that you're you don't have to end with Purdue, you 111 00:05:18,280 --> 00:05:22,040 don't have to, you don't have a road game to close the season, 112 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:25,320 you've got Minnesota twice. There's a lot of positives there 113 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,600 that I took out of it, and it's just kind of nice to see how all 114 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,840 the pieces fit together. What were your thoughts? 115 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,320 Yes, Similarly, I think it's a pretty good schedule. 116 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,840 I mean, I I think, you know, as you look at the Big 10, there's 117 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:39,120 probably 2 clear teams and then and then a big drop off and you 118 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:40,840 have, you know, Purdue in Michigan State and you're only 119 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:42,860 playing. You're playing Purdue twice, but 120 00:05:42,860 --> 00:05:45,780 we've played them well and then you know you're only playing 121 00:05:45,780 --> 00:05:48,660 Michigan State once and it is at the last, it's the last game of 122 00:05:48,660 --> 00:05:49,860 the season. So it's kind of like you 123 00:05:49,940 --> 00:05:52,380 basically don't play them until obviously the very end. 124 00:05:52,820 --> 00:05:55,100 I was kind of taken aback just looking at it when I got it in 125 00:05:55,100 --> 00:05:59,300 my calendar, the the breaks, there's two kind of long 8 game 126 00:05:59,300 --> 00:06:02,540 breaks and then when you look at it, so after we play Wisconsin 127 00:06:02,540 --> 00:06:06,380 January 19th, some of the teams are tough, obviously Purdue, but 128 00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:09,980 you have a week off and you're at Illinois, home for Iowa, home 129 00:06:09,980 --> 00:06:13,980 for Penn State and then. At Ohio State and at Purdue, I 130 00:06:13,980 --> 00:06:15,860 like those home games, but also the road games. 131 00:06:15,860 --> 00:06:18,700 It's also not a lot of travel. I mean for all the talk we've 132 00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:20,980 had about travel and all the stuff about travel coming up, 133 00:06:20,980 --> 00:06:25,660 like that's basically from you know January 19th and then and 134 00:06:25,660 --> 00:06:29,900 then sorry, after that Purdue game, you are off for a week and 135 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:34,140 then you're home for Northwestern on February 18th, 136 00:06:34,140 --> 00:06:37,520 you basically have a month. Where you're either at home or 137 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,880 you're traveling no more than maybe 2 1/2 hours away from you 138 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,480 know where you're at. So that's that's really nice for 139 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:46,800 a young team that might be at a point is trying to figure things 140 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,800 out where it's kind of like you basically have for lack of 141 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,320 better term like a month homestand understanding. 142 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,080 There's three Rd. games, but it's not like Rutgers or 143 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:56,440 Minnesota or something like that. 144 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,880 Now there's a couple of things like that that I think are worth 145 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:03,320 noting in the schedule. I mean the toughest games to me 146 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,280 are those quick turnarounds where you're at home and then 147 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:07,920 you got to go on the road, right? 148 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,760 You know, so you know those are not great. 149 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,520 I mean you got a three day turnaround and you're at Rutgers 150 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,000 which you know Indiana's played so well at Rutgers historically 151 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,320 you've got a three day, you got Purdue on a Tuesday and then you 152 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,640 got a three day turnaround and you got to go to Madison and 153 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:26,560 play in the coal center against Wisconsin. 154 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:27,880 That's not great. You got another? 155 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,360 Another place We've played great over the years, right? 156 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:35,030 You got another one. You know February 6th, which is 157 00:07:35,030 --> 00:07:39,510 a a Tuesday, you're you're at Ohio State and that's following 158 00:07:39,510 --> 00:07:42,310 up a game at home versus Penn State three days earlier. 159 00:07:42,310 --> 00:07:46,110 Now all that said, the back-to-back Rd. games that 160 00:07:46,110 --> 00:07:50,190 Indiana has, they get at least a decent amount of rest. 161 00:07:50,190 --> 00:07:53,270 I mean they they go to Purdue after that Ohio State game, but 162 00:07:53,270 --> 00:07:55,990 that's a Saturday game. So they get, you know, when you 163 00:07:55,990 --> 00:07:58,110 know, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday basically to rest up. 164 00:07:58,510 --> 00:08:02,270 They go to Illinois after that Wisconsin game, but they get 8 165 00:08:02,270 --> 00:08:05,920 days off before that. You know, the only time in the 166 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:11,720 whole schedule where they've got a road back-to-back that is, you 167 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:15,760 know, less than three full days of rest is right at the end of 168 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:17,640 the season. Unfortunately, it's really long 169 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,920 travel. They got to fly to Maryland and 170 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,800 play there on the third on a Sunday and then they got to fly 171 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,720 to Minnesota and play there on a Wednesday. 172 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,350 That's not going to be a lot of people in class on Monday and 173 00:08:30,350 --> 00:08:32,230 Tuesday. I think with all of that that 174 00:08:32,309 --> 00:08:34,390 that that's fine. Who who cares really. 175 00:08:34,710 --> 00:08:38,230 But no, look overall, I like the way that it fits together. 176 00:08:38,230 --> 00:08:41,070 I agree with you. I think that there's there's a 177 00:08:41,070 --> 00:08:44,230 lot of spots in the schedule where Indiana can kind of if 178 00:08:44,230 --> 00:08:47,870 they need to hit a reset button and get back into the swing of 179 00:08:47,870 --> 00:08:50,350 things. And really, I mean, you know, 180 00:08:50,510 --> 00:08:52,750 it's it's, you know, you're looking like, you know, you got 181 00:08:52,750 --> 00:08:55,590 Minnesota and Purdue back-to-back. 182 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,600 That's a nice game to lead into that Purdue game at home. 183 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,120 Minnesota is not liable to be that great again this year. 184 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:05,920 You got another one of those where you have Iowa followed by 185 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,040 Penn State at home. Iowa's probably not going to be 186 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,040 as good. There's no Murray's on the team 187 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:14,640 as far as I know this year. And Penn State is probably going 188 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,040 to be real bad. I mean, you know, Penn State, no 189 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:20,600 Shrewsbury, you know, no picket. I mean they're really starting 190 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,390 from scratch and then you got Northwestern and Nebraska 191 00:09:23,390 --> 00:09:25,950 back-to-back at home in the middle of February. 192 00:09:26,310 --> 00:09:30,110 I think those sorts of windows are important down the stretch, 193 00:09:30,270 --> 00:09:34,710 particularly for a young team, a team that doesn't, you know, 194 00:09:34,710 --> 00:09:36,790 hasn't really played together yet. 195 00:09:37,310 --> 00:09:39,670 You know, then you're going to have to, you're going to 196 00:09:39,670 --> 00:09:45,070 integrate where you're going to integrate in Bakpo, you've got 197 00:09:45,070 --> 00:09:47,190 to integrate Gabe Cups, you've got to integrate all these other 198 00:09:47,190 --> 00:09:50,070 folks. And so you know, hopefully by 199 00:09:50,070 --> 00:09:51,510 that point they're hitting their stride. 200 00:09:51,510 --> 00:09:55,030 But that'll be nice to to be able to say, look, you know, we 201 00:09:55,030 --> 00:09:58,310 got to play our best in these games, but it's nice to have 202 00:09:58,310 --> 00:10:01,710 these in tandem with each other because it's tough when you're 203 00:10:01,710 --> 00:10:03,550 doing like, oh, we're going to play Northwestern. 204 00:10:03,870 --> 00:10:06,710 That becomes a trap game because you're playing, you know, 205 00:10:06,710 --> 00:10:09,310 Michigan State at home immediately after or you're 206 00:10:09,310 --> 00:10:11,110 going to Purdue immediately after. 207 00:10:11,390 --> 00:10:14,110 And I, you know, that's really where in I use kind of gotten in 208 00:10:14,110 --> 00:10:15,750 trouble in terms of looking ahead. 209 00:10:16,140 --> 00:10:18,420 There's at least some games on the schedule where that's not 210 00:10:18,420 --> 00:10:21,140 liable to happen. The the other stretch we knew 211 00:10:21,140 --> 00:10:23,460 that all the non conference pieces that the stretch that I 212 00:10:23,460 --> 00:10:26,740 look at that is tough which is going you know this is the new 213 00:10:26,740 --> 00:10:29,540 reality for I U basketball fans which is a good thing that we're 214 00:10:29,540 --> 00:10:30,980 playing a tougher non conference. 215 00:10:30,980 --> 00:10:35,020 But that stretch from November 19th to December 16th, you know 216 00:10:35,020 --> 00:10:38,340 you're going to have UConn and then either a mix of Louisville 217 00:10:38,340 --> 00:10:40,380 and Texas and I think we're keeping this Louisville one on 218 00:10:40,380 --> 00:10:41,700 the schedule. That's a joke. 219 00:10:42,990 --> 00:10:45,310 As my phone rings in the spam, phone rings in the background. 220 00:10:45,310 --> 00:10:47,190 Thank you spam. So you have UConn and then 221 00:10:47,190 --> 00:10:50,670 Louisville, Texas in the Empire Classic, your home for your home 222 00:10:50,670 --> 00:10:53,670 in Indianapolis, for Harvard. And then now we do know you have 223 00:10:53,670 --> 00:10:55,710 Maryland at home and then you're at Michigan. 224 00:10:56,310 --> 00:10:58,110 It's that's not one of those Penn State games. 225 00:10:58,110 --> 00:11:00,390 Those are kind of mid, you know right in that midlevel tier and 226 00:11:00,390 --> 00:11:02,490 then? You have Auburn and then and 227 00:11:02,490 --> 00:11:04,210 Atlanta and then you're home to Kansas. 228 00:11:04,210 --> 00:11:08,530 That is a a very rough stretch for a a really young team. 229 00:11:08,530 --> 00:11:11,410 Now I think they can make some, hey, I think we saw it just like 230 00:11:11,410 --> 00:11:14,970 we did last year against you know our our three or four major 231 00:11:14,970 --> 00:11:18,210 premium games, you know the Arizona, Kansas games last year 232 00:11:18,530 --> 00:11:21,610 North Carolina. You can lose a good number of 233 00:11:21,610 --> 00:11:23,850 those and your season can still be just fine. 234 00:11:24,490 --> 00:11:26,810 Same with those two two big 10 getting losing all. 235 00:11:27,090 --> 00:11:30,650 You know 1234 is all seven of those would not be ideal but. 236 00:11:31,410 --> 00:11:33,610 You know, I do think that's going to be a really interesting 237 00:11:33,610 --> 00:11:37,210 stretch because you only have you know basically three games, 238 00:11:37,210 --> 00:11:40,410 you know Florida, Gulf Coast, Army, Wright State leading into 239 00:11:40,410 --> 00:11:43,930 that stretch where you're going to be able to make some real hay 240 00:11:43,930 --> 00:11:46,570 or see where this team is. But I just, I look at that 241 00:11:46,570 --> 00:11:48,690 stretches that's going to be really interesting for this team 242 00:11:48,690 --> 00:11:51,770 just kind of that where we don't really know and I think I've 243 00:11:51,770 --> 00:11:54,050 heard this somewhere else. It's like you seen Indiana pick, 244 00:11:54,050 --> 00:11:56,490 you know, fourth in the Big 10 and 9th in Big 10 and it's like. 245 00:11:56,990 --> 00:11:58,670 They all could be right and they all could be wrong. 246 00:11:58,670 --> 00:12:01,990 Like there's a real high ceiling, a real low. 247 00:12:02,470 --> 00:12:04,430 I just don't think we know. And I think they're they're 248 00:12:04,510 --> 00:12:06,590 going to get thrown in the fire really early, which I think will 249 00:12:06,590 --> 00:12:09,070 help later in the year. It may not look great during 250 00:12:09,070 --> 00:12:11,470 that stretch. Yeah, it's going to be 251 00:12:11,750 --> 00:12:14,470 Maryland's are really fascinating opponent to start 252 00:12:14,470 --> 00:12:16,150 with. I mean, that's a team that you 253 00:12:16,150 --> 00:12:20,590 lose to by 11 on the road midway through the Big 10 season last 254 00:12:20,590 --> 00:12:23,430 year. And then you turn around and 255 00:12:23,430 --> 00:12:26,030 beat that same team by 10 on a neutral floor in the NCAA 256 00:12:26,030 --> 00:12:27,910 tournament or excuse me, the Big 10 tournament. 257 00:12:28,310 --> 00:12:32,030 I mean, that's, that's good. I mean, obviously, you know, you 258 00:12:32,030 --> 00:12:34,910 don't want to go in with your only game having been a loss to 259 00:12:34,910 --> 00:12:37,470 them. And look, I think Maryland could 260 00:12:37,470 --> 00:12:40,150 very well be a contender. They bring a lot of pieces back, 261 00:12:40,430 --> 00:12:42,630 more than I thought they would. I mean, Jamir Young's coming 262 00:12:42,630 --> 00:12:44,830 back. Julian Reese is coming back, 263 00:12:45,470 --> 00:12:48,070 Doctor Scott is coming back. I mean they they've got a really 264 00:12:48,070 --> 00:12:52,450 nice nucleus returning, but it's a nucleus that Indiana's beaten 265 00:12:53,050 --> 00:12:55,890 on a neutral floor and they'll get them at home to start. 266 00:12:55,890 --> 00:12:59,330 And and so I, you know, I like that as an entry point and then 267 00:12:59,690 --> 00:13:02,930 it's hard to say what to make of Michigan, you know, but I'm but 268 00:13:02,930 --> 00:13:05,890 I'm glad. I don't think Indiana, if, 269 00:13:05,890 --> 00:13:08,410 unless I'm mistaken, I don't know that Indiana since they 270 00:13:08,410 --> 00:13:11,810 went to this format where they're playing Big 10 games at 271 00:13:11,810 --> 00:13:15,600 the beginning of the year or at the beginning of December, I 272 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,560 don't think they've ever had a stretch where they won both of 273 00:13:18,560 --> 00:13:20,280 those games. In fact, I'm going back and 274 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,760 looking right now. They did once. 275 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,120 I'm sorry. In 2019, they beat Northwestern 276 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:30,480 barely at home, and they beat Penn State barely on the road. 277 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,920 And you know, every other time they've gone one and one. 278 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,160 Great. A great Big 10 season for us 279 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:38,520 that year. Yeah. 280 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,280 Yeah, no, really. So. 281 00:13:41,550 --> 00:13:43,510 So look. But, but look, I think that 282 00:13:43,510 --> 00:13:47,310 combo, Maryland at home and at Michigan, that's a winnable 283 00:13:47,310 --> 00:13:50,110 combo of games. And you know, with all the 284 00:13:50,110 --> 00:13:53,390 upheaval at Michigan, it's hard to say exactly what that team's 285 00:13:53,390 --> 00:13:55,110 going to look like. I think that team could be fine 286 00:13:55,110 --> 00:13:59,270 down the road that they tend to get all right as time goes by. 287 00:13:59,590 --> 00:14:02,710 I'd rather play that team at the beginning of the year on the 288 00:14:02,710 --> 00:14:05,630 road than play them later on. And so I like where that's at. 289 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,360 But yeah, overall, I mean you look at the schedule, I think 290 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,120 it's actually metered out pretty well. 291 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:14,200 You know you you've got. I'm really surprised. 292 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,800 Those breaks, like the the two, eight day breaks was kind of 293 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,360 just surprising to see both of those in there well and and 294 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,880 you've got you, you really got 3/8 day breaks because you've 295 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,760 also got the Christmas break from the 21st to the 29th where 296 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,000 they're not playing. So you know they get they get a 297 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,880 lot of time and for a team that's struggled with injury 298 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,000 issues you know some of the major some of the minor, I think 299 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,640 it's good you'll you'll get players rest back up again. 300 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,400 They'll be a little more you know game ready and informed by 301 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,120 the time those things were rolled around and I think that 302 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:44,720 that's going to be very, very useful. 303 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:47,920 I also like the fact that you know they're testing themselves 304 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,520 in the non conference. It's it's not a world beater 305 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:55,080 schedule but you know they're going to get to play UConn and 306 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,840 you know I'll I'll be surprised if they beat UConn. 307 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,080 I'll just be honest. I mean, that UConn team is real 308 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,440 good and maybe better this year than they were last year and 309 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,080 they won the national title last year. 310 00:15:04,510 --> 00:15:07,790 I'd love it if they did win that game because they get to play 311 00:15:07,790 --> 00:15:10,270 Texas in that next game and I'd love to see that. 312 00:15:10,270 --> 00:15:12,630 But you know, even if you just get one of those two, you're 313 00:15:12,630 --> 00:15:14,110 still playing them on a neutral floor. 314 00:15:14,350 --> 00:15:16,390 Auburn's a great addition. That's going to be a big 315 00:15:16,390 --> 00:15:18,670 challenge. Kansas is going to be obviously 316 00:15:18,670 --> 00:15:22,810 a great game and and Kennesaw State is it, you know that we 317 00:15:22,810 --> 00:15:24,970 all kind of snickered at that one a little bit last year. 318 00:15:24,970 --> 00:15:26,330 That was a good Kennesaw State team. 319 00:15:26,330 --> 00:15:29,090 That Kennesaw State team, you know they they were a 14 seed in 320 00:15:29,090 --> 00:15:30,530 the tournament. I think they finished like top 321 00:15:30,530 --> 00:15:33,730 125 in Ken Palm. So well and that's and that's 322 00:15:33,770 --> 00:15:36,650 the thing you and I've always talked about is I mean we needed 323 00:15:36,650 --> 00:15:39,970 to up our high level scheduling no question and we're starting 324 00:15:39,970 --> 00:15:42,330 to do that. But it's like the the Kennesaw 325 00:15:42,330 --> 00:15:45,250 state type games like you're you're going to win those. 326 00:15:45,250 --> 00:15:47,610 But it's different when you're playing a team that's, you know, 327 00:15:47,610 --> 00:15:50,690 200 or you know, 175th in Ken Palm, that's going to make the 328 00:15:50,690 --> 00:15:52,930 tournament versus. Kind of what we were doing for a 329 00:15:52,930 --> 00:15:55,810 while is that slot would be a team that's you know 330 now 330 00:15:56,090 --> 00:15:59,810 everybody has those you know sub 250 teams but it's like we seem 331 00:15:59,810 --> 00:16:01,210 to load it up on too many of those. 332 00:16:01,210 --> 00:16:03,290 I'm with you like Florida Gulf Coast is is in that realm of 333 00:16:03,290 --> 00:16:05,650 like a a better you know better low level team. 334 00:16:06,530 --> 00:16:09,850 Well, I mean really I think you could make an argument the only 335 00:16:09,850 --> 00:16:13,250 there's not there's no awful team on the schedule this year. 336 00:16:13,490 --> 00:16:17,810 They're the the lowest rated team that from Ken Palm at the 337 00:16:17,810 --> 00:16:20,090 end of last year that's on the schedule. 338 00:16:20,090 --> 00:16:24,740 This year is North Alabama and they were 256. 339 00:16:24,740 --> 00:16:27,900 They were not bottom, I mean they were barely bottom 3rd. 340 00:16:27,900 --> 00:16:30,140 But you know they you're not talking about a team in the 341 00:16:30,140 --> 00:16:33,860 three hundreds that was a team that was 18 and 15 last year. 342 00:16:34,460 --> 00:16:37,020 You know they were ten and eight in the Atlantic. 343 00:16:37,020 --> 00:16:40,820 Sun Army was right around there. They had a winning record last 344 00:16:40,820 --> 00:16:43,820 year. Morehead State was 22 and 12 345 00:16:43,820 --> 00:16:47,980 last year they were two, 137th. Florida Gulf Coast was in the 346 00:16:47,980 --> 00:16:52,970 top 200 in in Ken Palm. I mean so I I think Mike Woodson 347 00:16:52,970 --> 00:16:56,450 and the crew deserve a lot of credit because they really did 348 00:16:56,450 --> 00:16:58,450 upgrade the bottom of the schedule which we've been 349 00:16:58,450 --> 00:17:01,170 pleading for them to do. And I think that maybe this is 350 00:17:01,170 --> 00:17:04,730 just the first year that the contracts ran out for what had 351 00:17:04,730 --> 00:17:07,010 already been signed. And now you're able to really 352 00:17:07,010 --> 00:17:09,690 kind of integrate, you know, some of the teams in there that 353 00:17:09,730 --> 00:17:12,650 that are going to help your overall thing. 354 00:17:12,650 --> 00:17:14,970 Even you know, Harvard who was only 500 last year. 355 00:17:14,970 --> 00:17:19,190 But that was a team that was in the top 160 of Ken Palm and and 356 00:17:19,190 --> 00:17:21,190 a team, I mean, you know, those Ivy League teams, they play 357 00:17:21,190 --> 00:17:23,790 really good defense. Each of these teams, if you go 358 00:17:23,790 --> 00:17:27,150 through and look at what they bring to the table brings some 359 00:17:27,150 --> 00:17:30,510 kind of an interesting aspect which is a very Bob Knight like 360 00:17:30,510 --> 00:17:33,390 approach where you know, sometimes I remember back in the 361 00:17:33,750 --> 00:17:37,110 in the 80s and 90s would be like why are they playing, you know, 362 00:17:37,110 --> 00:17:39,750 this random team And then you find out, well that's actually 363 00:17:39,750 --> 00:17:42,630 the, the team that's best in the country at shooting 3 pointers 364 00:17:42,630 --> 00:17:44,430 in five percentage or something like that. 365 00:17:45,390 --> 00:17:47,470 So. So yeah, I mean, look, peace, 366 00:17:47,820 --> 00:17:49,220 piercing, all these things together. 367 00:17:49,460 --> 00:17:52,900 I like the schedule. The Big 10 schedule almost 368 00:17:52,900 --> 00:17:56,180 seemed like it was missing some things. 369 00:17:56,260 --> 00:17:58,980 I can't put my finger on it. I mean, there's no trip, like we 370 00:17:58,980 --> 00:18:01,820 said, no trip to Carver, Hawkeye, there's no trip to the 371 00:18:01,820 --> 00:18:05,700 Breslin Center. And man, I mean, we got to go to 372 00:18:05,700 --> 00:18:07,740 the coal center. So it's not perfect, but not 373 00:18:07,740 --> 00:18:10,220 having to go to those two places, I'm really pleased 374 00:18:10,220 --> 00:18:12,460 about. And I think it's a schedule that 375 00:18:12,460 --> 00:18:16,890 if Indiana can grow up early and learn how to play comfortably 376 00:18:16,890 --> 00:18:19,570 with each other under whatever new system they're going to be 377 00:18:19,570 --> 00:18:22,410 playing under, I think they've actually got a really high 378 00:18:22,410 --> 00:18:25,050 ceiling in terms of what they can accomplish against this 379 00:18:25,050 --> 00:18:26,530 schedule. Yeah, I agree. 380 00:18:26,530 --> 00:18:29,690 I'm I'm kind of looking right now like what is you know 381 00:18:29,690 --> 00:18:33,490 probably the craziest home game is normally you know I would 382 00:18:33,490 --> 00:18:36,650 assume it's going to be that Purdue game on January 16th is a 383 00:18:36,650 --> 00:18:39,580 Tuesday night there's there's four. 384 00:18:39,580 --> 00:18:44,220 So we do this with our we do. I've split tickets OK with with. 385 00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:48,260 I split tickets with my sister, with Matt Blaska and Jay Horry. 386 00:18:48,260 --> 00:18:49,740 You know, all friends of the pod. 387 00:18:50,060 --> 00:18:52,260 And So what we've gotten in the habit. 388 00:18:52,260 --> 00:18:53,420 Of we're doing it now, live on the pod. 389 00:18:53,420 --> 00:18:55,660 You just going to be like, well, we're doing we're going to draft 390 00:18:55,660 --> 00:18:57,780 the tickets right now, no. And they're not on. 391 00:18:57,780 --> 00:18:59,300 So, Blaska, you there. All right. 392 00:18:59,380 --> 00:19:00,820 Blaska gets army. All right. 393 00:19:00,820 --> 00:19:06,020 Next, I tend to split all of our home games into tears, OK? 394 00:19:06,020 --> 00:19:11,060 And so I think there are clearly 4 tier one home games this 395 00:19:11,060 --> 00:19:13,460 season. They are Maryland on the 1st of 396 00:19:13,580 --> 00:19:16,660 December. They are Kansas on the 16th of 397 00:19:16,900 --> 00:19:21,060 of December. They are Purdue on the 16th of 398 00:19:21,060 --> 00:19:24,140 of January. And then Michigan State to close 399 00:19:24,140 --> 00:19:26,980 out the Big 10 season. And then I would say there's 400 00:19:27,140 --> 00:19:30,660 there's 4 clear Tier 2 games, which are Ohio State, Iowa, 401 00:19:31,020 --> 00:19:34,380 Nebraska, who's a tricky team these days to play against in 402 00:19:34,380 --> 00:19:37,120 Wisconsin. So you know, I would say 403 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:40,480 probably I think that all four of those tier one games, 404 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,400 Maryland, Kansas, Purdue and Michigan State are going to be 405 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,840 really fascinating to watch for different reasons. 406 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,480 I think that Michigan State game could be an awesome experience, 407 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,080 but I think all of them have a lot going for them in terms of 408 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:53,880 what what you'll experience in the crowd. 409 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,160 Yeah, and Michigan State is really the only weekend game 410 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,200 that's going to kind of bring it, because every other home 411 00:19:58,200 --> 00:19:59,440 game is going through. It's like. 412 00:19:59,990 --> 00:20:03,550 You know, Northwestern and Penn State just don't don't have the 413 00:20:03,550 --> 00:20:06,110 cachet yet. And the Michigan State ones 414 00:20:06,110 --> 00:20:07,910 going to be interesting. Although we could be at a spot 415 00:20:07,910 --> 00:20:10,750 where like Michigan State has their their spot locked up. 416 00:20:10,750 --> 00:20:13,510 We have our spot locked up and maybe it doesn't matter as much, 417 00:20:13,510 --> 00:20:19,110 which is kind of a bummer, but. One last thing I'll say 2 Friday 418 00:20:19,110 --> 00:20:22,070 night big 10 games on the schedule. 419 00:20:22,070 --> 00:20:26,750 They've got Maryland on the 1st of December, it's a Friday night 420 00:20:26,750 --> 00:20:28,950 game. And then they got Minnesota on 421 00:20:28,950 --> 00:20:32,200 the 12th of January, also a Friday game. 422 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:36,600 We've we've obviously seen some Friday games with I U, but I 423 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,760 just that always feels weird when Indiana's playing the 424 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:41,800 Friday. Game this just in we have Tom 425 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,360 Allen coming on the pod to talk about his thoughts on Friday 426 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:47,160 night college basketball games. Tom, what do you think about 427 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,520 that? Hey Friday Night by 5. 428 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,360 FLEOLE 0. All right. 429 00:20:54,360 --> 00:20:55,440 Sorry I had to do that. Wow. 430 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:56,320 OK. Wow. 431 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,940 All right. Anyway, why don't we get to 432 00:20:59,940 --> 00:21:01,660 predictions? Scott, what? 433 00:21:01,660 --> 00:21:03,420 What are you looking at as far as this? 434 00:21:03,900 --> 00:21:06,940 If you're looking at this schedule, how do you feel like I 435 00:21:07,020 --> 00:21:10,500 U fares? I I don't have a number yet 436 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:13,380 obviously I'm I'm still plugging it in and looking at I've you've 437 00:21:13,420 --> 00:21:15,900 got you're throwing me off. You already have Ken Palm 438 00:21:15,900 --> 00:21:19,030 numbers from teams. You have tears like, hey, hey, 439 00:21:19,070 --> 00:21:21,710 the schedule came out at noon, man, What have you been doing? 440 00:21:21,710 --> 00:21:23,590 It's 620. Do some research. 441 00:21:23,750 --> 00:21:26,550 No. Anyway, I'll go ahead and go 442 00:21:26,550 --> 00:21:27,590 then. If you don't have that, I don't 443 00:21:27,590 --> 00:21:28,910 want to put you on the spot, so watch. 444 00:21:29,390 --> 00:21:31,790 You over high level, but you give me give me yours first. 445 00:21:32,510 --> 00:21:38,790 My when I made my first run through on this schedule, I 446 00:21:38,790 --> 00:21:44,550 really was like I this they could go 22 and 9 and 13 and 447 00:21:44,550 --> 00:21:48,260 seven now I don't think they're going to and here's why I I feel 448 00:21:48,260 --> 00:21:51,260 like as I mentioned I mean there's there's youth on this 449 00:21:51,260 --> 00:21:54,900 team they are going to have to figure out how to play a 450 00:21:54,900 --> 00:21:58,060 completely different style from what we've seen them play. 451 00:21:58,900 --> 00:22:01,420 So I think it's going to be a little bit of a getting to know 452 00:22:01,420 --> 00:22:05,140 you process and I think that's going to manifest at times in 453 00:22:05,140 --> 00:22:06,620 ways that are not going to be pleasant. 454 00:22:06,620 --> 00:22:10,280 I think especially in January I see a real opportunity for I U 455 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,400 to like win a game, lose a game, win a game, lose a game and it 456 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,080 kind of feel like they're stuck in neutral. 457 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,960 But I think overall taking all that into account, I'm going to 458 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:25,280 say looking at this 20 and 11 overall and 11:00 and 9:00 in 459 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:29,960 conference and you know I think you could go probably one game 460 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,240 less or two games more either way. 461 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,740 But so wouldn't shock me if they won 12 or 13 games in the 462 00:22:35,740 --> 00:22:37,220 conference. Like I think that's completely 463 00:22:37,220 --> 00:22:40,220 on the table, just the way that this lays out and where the 464 00:22:40,220 --> 00:22:41,980 relative strengths of I U are this year. 465 00:22:42,260 --> 00:22:44,580 Yeah I I was working this afternoon man. 466 00:22:44,580 --> 00:22:47,660 I got stuff going on. I, I so I don't have a number 467 00:22:47,660 --> 00:22:52,300 prediction but I I, I do think this is a very favorable big 10 468 00:22:52,300 --> 00:22:55,220 schedule for us based on all the things that we said and kind of 469 00:22:55,220 --> 00:22:58,540 who we're playing. I, I I kind of stand by, I think 470 00:22:58,540 --> 00:23:00,750 you know. Not giving a number prediction, 471 00:23:00,750 --> 00:23:04,110 but I I think 4th or 5th place in the Big 10 is kind of what 472 00:23:04,110 --> 00:23:05,950 you should be looking and striving for. 473 00:23:06,150 --> 00:23:07,950 Only I have to put a huge asterisk on it. 474 00:23:07,950 --> 00:23:12,110 Like it's just it's I'm really fascinated to see what this team 475 00:23:12,110 --> 00:23:13,990 looks like and how this team grows. 476 00:23:13,990 --> 00:23:17,710 And I can also see this team finishing 6th or 7th in the Big 477 00:23:17,710 --> 00:23:22,630 10 but being way better in March than they were to start the year 478 00:23:22,630 --> 00:23:24,510 and they just they stumbled a lot. 479 00:23:24,710 --> 00:23:26,550 But they they're able to pull it together and I think. 480 00:23:26,990 --> 00:23:30,110 Honestly, that might be the real, like the real path of this 481 00:23:30,110 --> 00:23:32,670 team, because getting to 4th or 5th in the Big 10, you have to 482 00:23:32,990 --> 00:23:36,430 be pretty solid throughout. I I can see them having a lot of 483 00:23:36,430 --> 00:23:39,710 stumbles early, but being a much different team going into the 484 00:23:39,710 --> 00:23:43,070 Big 10 tournament than they were even in like January or early 485 00:23:43,070 --> 00:23:44,990 February. Just because I I think it's 486 00:23:44,990 --> 00:23:47,110 going to take some time for this team to gel and this team is 487 00:23:47,110 --> 00:23:49,470 really going to be young outside of Xavier Johnson. 488 00:23:49,470 --> 00:23:52,590 It's still a lot of young kind of unproven pieces at this 489 00:23:52,590 --> 00:23:56,690 level. Yeah, I mean the the big issue I 490 00:23:56,690 --> 00:24:01,650 think we run into is just you know how quickly will key pieces 491 00:24:01,650 --> 00:24:04,010 grow into the roles that they're going to have to grow into. 492 00:24:04,210 --> 00:24:07,370 And I, you know, I I do think that the schedule is set up 493 00:24:07,370 --> 00:24:09,570 nicely. It's not that you have to wait 494 00:24:09,570 --> 00:24:12,490 until the end of December for those pieces to come together. 495 00:24:12,490 --> 00:24:15,170 You get some early big tests and I think there's going to be some 496 00:24:15,170 --> 00:24:17,130 losses built into that. Like, I think Indiana's going to 497 00:24:17,130 --> 00:24:19,610 lose to UConn. I think they're going to lose to 498 00:24:19,930 --> 00:24:21,770 Auburn. I think they're going to beat 499 00:24:21,770 --> 00:24:24,450 Kansas because I think it's going to be a wild atmosphere. 500 00:24:24,450 --> 00:24:26,570 And I think I use going to be fired up, especially what 501 00:24:26,570 --> 00:24:30,250 happened last year. And then I think once they get 502 00:24:30,250 --> 00:24:35,010 into Big 10 season, things shift even more as we start to really 503 00:24:35,010 --> 00:24:38,290 figure out who's ready to play and what sorts of contributions 504 00:24:38,290 --> 00:24:40,290 they can really give. And you know, that's something 505 00:24:40,290 --> 00:24:43,810 that it's different. It felt like last year and the 506 00:24:43,810 --> 00:24:47,530 year before, a lot of it was about, you know, how how do the 507 00:24:47,530 --> 00:24:50,410 complimentary pieces fit around what Trace Jackson Davis is 508 00:24:50,410 --> 00:24:53,490 going to give you? And a lot of that last year was 509 00:24:53,770 --> 00:24:57,050 how will Jalen Hood Shafino grow into a role that he wasn't 510 00:24:57,050 --> 00:25:01,290 immediately ready to take on and when wasn't expected to take on 511 00:25:01,530 --> 00:25:03,850 and things had to be shifted. This year it's a bit different. 512 00:25:04,090 --> 00:25:06,490 You know. This year it's about, you know 513 00:25:06,490 --> 00:25:08,050 what? What is the focal point of 514 00:25:08,050 --> 00:25:11,730 Indiana's offense? Can Trey Galloway become 515 00:25:12,090 --> 00:25:15,050 consistent enough on both sides of the ball that you can play 516 00:25:15,050 --> 00:25:18,560 him, you know, more than the 62% of minutes that he got last 517 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,600 season? You know, does Indiana get 518 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,800 enough outside shooting? Can they play these young, 519 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:28,440 athletic big guys in, you know, essentially kind of, you know, 520 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:32,320 stretch roles at the college level? 521 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,920 And will that work defensively given that, you know, it's 522 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:38,360 weirdly enough like that's where Indiana has to do their work 523 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:40,880 this year, is get better defensively while also 524 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:42,640 maintaining their offensive efficiency. 525 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,520 So look, there's just a lot of that Will Malik Renew really 526 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,320 step in and sees the starting position. 527 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,000 There's there's so many things we don't know. 528 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:52,760 I think it'll work out. But like you said, I think it's 529 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,400 going to take a while and I think this is a team that is 530 00:25:55,400 --> 00:26:00,560 liable to be much better in March than they are in January 531 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,960 because you know the talent. I think it's clearly there. 532 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,710 It's just can they grow into their bodies, so to speak, 533 00:26:07,830 --> 00:26:09,990 within the confines of what they're going to do on the 534 00:26:09,990 --> 00:26:12,310 floor? I want to hit one more 535 00:26:12,310 --> 00:26:14,030 basketball talk if you topic if you don't mind. 536 00:26:14,670 --> 00:26:18,390 So it was I had the the guy who does my pest control here at the 537 00:26:18,390 --> 00:26:20,550 house. He's always big basketball guy. 538 00:26:20,550 --> 00:26:22,430 We always talk basketball. But he he said something that 539 00:26:22,430 --> 00:26:24,390 made me think of something that you said he was talking about 540 00:26:24,390 --> 00:26:25,430 like he was woodsing a turn around. 541 00:26:25,430 --> 00:26:27,590 He's like, well, hopefully he can like hopefully, you know get 542 00:26:27,590 --> 00:26:29,510 some recruits in and kind of like did the knock on wood and 543 00:26:29,510 --> 00:26:31,390 I'm. I was kind of like, well you 544 00:26:31,390 --> 00:26:34,870 know I went back to thinking about the the think you guys you 545 00:26:34,870 --> 00:26:37,590 and Coach Tossani talked about it in the post game of Indiana 546 00:26:37,590 --> 00:26:39,750 State. It's like I don't want to start 547 00:26:39,750 --> 00:26:42,710 becoming, you know just pure defender of Woodson here because 548 00:26:42,710 --> 00:26:45,190 you we've had concerns. I think there's legitimate still 549 00:26:45,190 --> 00:26:49,190 concerns but it's like let's give this guy some credit like 550 00:26:49,190 --> 00:26:51,910 he's doing a really good job. And you mentioned Hood Shafino 551 00:26:51,910 --> 00:26:55,030 like I go into this year, I look at you know Jalen Hood Shafino 552 00:26:55,150 --> 00:26:56,990 you have a player that's both player and coach. 553 00:26:56,990 --> 00:26:59,810 They both get credit. But he went in and kind of had 554 00:26:59,810 --> 00:27:01,930 to understand how to play college basketball. 555 00:27:01,930 --> 00:27:04,730 And then immediately it's like, Oh yeah, and everything you 556 00:27:04,730 --> 00:27:06,610 thought about like who you're going to be playing with with 557 00:27:06,610 --> 00:27:09,170 Xavier kind of being your your point guard tandem, like that's 558 00:27:09,170 --> 00:27:10,530 not going to happen. So now you got to change it on 559 00:27:10,530 --> 00:27:13,330 the fly and they were able to figure that out. 560 00:27:13,490 --> 00:27:17,010 So I just, I I think that there's a lot of kind of not 561 00:27:17,010 --> 00:27:19,530 credit being given to Woodson on the recruiting. 562 00:27:19,530 --> 00:27:21,930 And then with the same team, I think we're going to see a lot 563 00:27:21,930 --> 00:27:24,410 of that going into the season of like, well, can they put it 564 00:27:24,410 --> 00:27:25,770 together, can they do? And it's like. 565 00:27:26,330 --> 00:27:28,850 He's shown a lot of history of putting a lot of these things 566 00:27:28,850 --> 00:27:31,370 together and last season, just looking at it a little bit with 567 00:27:31,370 --> 00:27:33,810 a little bit of distance, it's like, you know, losing Xavier 568 00:27:33,810 --> 00:27:36,090 Johnson was huge. You got a freshman back there 569 00:27:36,090 --> 00:27:39,490 and they all figured it out. And it's like, again, it's on, 570 00:27:39,530 --> 00:27:41,370 it's on Huchafino, it's also on Woodson. 571 00:27:41,370 --> 00:27:43,650 But it's like, I'm not sure that that that the staff's getting 572 00:27:43,650 --> 00:27:46,050 enough credit for that. They're not. 573 00:27:46,130 --> 00:27:52,490 And I'll just, you know, I think the mainstream traditional beat 574 00:27:52,490 --> 00:27:56,010 coverage of I U has been pretty fair in terms of evaluating 575 00:27:56,010 --> 00:28:00,210 Woodson. I think a lot of the radio and 576 00:28:00,330 --> 00:28:05,050 and podcast and and other sorts of coverage has been wildly 577 00:28:05,050 --> 00:28:08,490 unfair and unrealistic to Woodson on a variety of levels 578 00:28:08,530 --> 00:28:11,170 and and his staff in terms of what they've done thus far. 579 00:28:12,050 --> 00:28:16,200 And I I don't understand the mentality behind it. 580 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,880 I think I understand to some degree where it's coming from 581 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,120 but that doesn't make it good or right. 582 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:28,360 You know I I think that ultimately the you know and and 583 00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:30,200 look I think our friends that inside the hall have done a good 584 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,040 job of of covering pretty evenly on things. 585 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,680 But I just Woodson has gotten some levels of criticism that 586 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,880 just baffle me given the state of the roster when he took it 587 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:45,210 over and what he's done over a two year span and what he's 588 00:28:45,210 --> 00:28:49,570 dealt with in terms of injuries. Now you're getting audiences 589 00:28:49,570 --> 00:28:52,570 with recruits that Indiana only was dreaming about having. 590 00:28:52,570 --> 00:28:54,930 Think about them and now it's like, well, you better land some 591 00:28:54,930 --> 00:28:56,410 of them. It's like, well, yes, of course, 592 00:28:56,570 --> 00:29:00,930 but like let's let's celebrate some of the steps along the way. 593 00:29:00,930 --> 00:29:05,450 I I think a lot of this goes back to you know just how out of 594 00:29:05,450 --> 00:29:08,010 whack a lot of the way that people think about I U 595 00:29:08,010 --> 00:29:12,890 Basketball has gotten over the course of time where we it's 596 00:29:12,890 --> 00:29:17,690 funny like you know, Woodson is is significantly overachieved 597 00:29:17,690 --> 00:29:19,370 like a lot of the stuff that Cream did. 598 00:29:19,370 --> 00:29:22,970 Yet people got into this habit of like lionizing what Cream did 599 00:29:22,970 --> 00:29:25,050 and minimizing what Woodson and his staff have done. 600 00:29:25,050 --> 00:29:26,370 It doesn't make any sense and it's. 601 00:29:26,690 --> 00:29:30,730 Funny because it comes down to like a like I, I look at last 602 00:29:30,730 --> 00:29:32,810 year, think something you and I talked about a lot and we're 603 00:29:32,810 --> 00:29:34,010 going to wrap up here in a couple minutes. 604 00:29:35,020 --> 00:29:37,060 You know, last year we were protected see. 605 00:29:37,060 --> 00:29:39,060 Like we were protected see in the tournament, which to me is 606 00:29:39,060 --> 00:29:41,100 like that's you're giving yourself an opportunity. 607 00:29:41,100 --> 00:29:43,380 Like should we have played better against Miami Sherlock. 608 00:29:43,380 --> 00:29:45,060 But Miami was also red hot like you did. 609 00:29:45,060 --> 00:29:47,100 You caught the wrong team at the wrong No, no, Scott. 610 00:29:47,380 --> 00:29:50,140 Scott, you didn't hear the whole team quit with 10 minutes to go 611 00:29:50,140 --> 00:29:52,100 in the game. You didn't hear that you that 612 00:29:52,100 --> 00:29:53,940 didn't register with you. They just quit. 613 00:29:53,980 --> 00:29:56,020 They should all be taken off scholarship. 614 00:29:56,060 --> 00:29:58,060 That's that's that's the truth. Sorry. 615 00:29:58,060 --> 00:29:59,380 Go. On Oh no, it's because of NIL 616 00:29:59,380 --> 00:30:00,620 dollars. Like they were just mad about 617 00:30:00,620 --> 00:30:03,740 there too much travel. No, it's but it's like if they 618 00:30:03,740 --> 00:30:05,620 win that game. They're in the Sweet 16 and like 619 00:30:05,740 --> 00:30:07,780 I hear people talk about like, wow, you know, Indiana's got to 620 00:30:07,780 --> 00:30:10,220 get the Sweet Sixteens again. It's like, well last year like 621 00:30:10,220 --> 00:30:13,820 I'm fully aware they didn't make a Sweet 16, but it's like last 622 00:30:13,820 --> 00:30:17,220 year everything was in line for a like that to me was a Sweet 16 623 00:30:17,220 --> 00:30:19,380 type season. I'm not trying to make, you know 624 00:30:19,380 --> 00:30:22,420 excuses here, but like you, you were protected seed you did 625 00:30:22,420 --> 00:30:23,980 there. Like you didn't win that game. 626 00:30:23,980 --> 00:30:25,940 Like that happens. Like teams can have really good 627 00:30:25,940 --> 00:30:27,060 years and not make the final four. 628 00:30:27,060 --> 00:30:28,860 Teams can have bad years and make the final four like to. 629 00:30:28,860 --> 00:30:32,340 To me it's like you've got to be at a seat at the table and be in 630 00:30:32,340 --> 00:30:35,220 a spot where you are ready to take advantage of that. 631 00:30:35,220 --> 00:30:38,780 And I don't know, it's like I just, I get frustrated because 632 00:30:38,780 --> 00:30:40,900 to me it's like last year was like that was great. 633 00:30:40,900 --> 00:30:43,580 If we can do last year, every year, that's great. 634 00:30:43,660 --> 00:30:46,780 Like to me that's fantastic because not every year like last 635 00:30:46,780 --> 00:30:48,260 year, is going to end with a loss in the. 636 00:30:48,660 --> 00:30:50,140 Around 32, you're going to win some of those. 637 00:30:50,140 --> 00:30:53,740 Anyway, I'm it. It's just it it was funny having 638 00:30:53,740 --> 00:30:56,980 that conversation two days ago about like just again having 639 00:30:56,980 --> 00:31:00,060 that, but so we we shall see. But it's going to be an 640 00:31:00,100 --> 00:31:01,980 interesting year. I think it's a good schedule for 641 00:31:01,980 --> 00:31:04,580 us. I agree, yeah. 642 00:31:05,060 --> 00:31:06,420 All right. Well, I will get you. 643 00:31:06,460 --> 00:31:08,500 I know you have to go. We'll let you go. 644 00:31:08,500 --> 00:31:09,980 But want to thank everybody for listening. 645 00:31:09,980 --> 00:31:13,540 As always, this is the first of many basketball podcasts we will 646 00:31:13,540 --> 00:31:14,380 have. We're getting there. 647 00:31:14,420 --> 00:31:16,340 It's like it leaves. I'm looking at my trees right 648 00:31:16,340 --> 00:31:17,380 now. The leaves are starting to 649 00:31:17,380 --> 00:31:19,550 change. It's time to go to a home field 650 00:31:19,550 --> 00:31:21,430 apparel. Spend that, spend that money. 651 00:31:21,430 --> 00:31:26,030 Use promo code HOME 23. We want to thank you all, Galen. 652 00:31:26,030 --> 00:31:28,390 I'll let you say it because everyone else is stealing your 653 00:31:28,390 --> 00:31:31,910 tagline. Like, I don't want to say, bring 654 00:31:31,910 --> 00:31:33,190 back the bison there. We go. 655 00:31:33,190 --> 00:31:34,950 I'll let you finish off with that, but I want to thank 656 00:31:34,950 --> 00:31:37,870 everybody. So for Galen, this is Scott for 657 00:31:37,870 --> 00:31:39,470 Crimson Cast signing off.