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today for you. On the show will be joined
obviously. Scott a little bit later is,
we're going to recap that abomination of a game that
Indiana played against Iowa, this past Tuesday, and just kind
of talk through what all happened there and why?
And what it all means, if anything, why don't, we don't
really know, we're just kind of spitballing at this point but
we'll talk about that and also talk about what's going to be a
very interesting next few days for IU as they get ready for the
season finale and senior night as they take on Michigan.
We've also got Tony had Rania joining us here.
He talked to me earlier on today as we got to talk through some
of the issues. I you had in that Iowa game,
some of the larger issues that are still around with this
Indiana team and just, you know, just some things, some
statistical items. Some other things that were
notable that we wanted to touch base on, we always enjoy having
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Are they hold that distinction. So Tonio a lot going on right
now with IU basketball that we wanted to talk about?
First of all, you posted about this a little bit on Twitter and
it's certainly been Kind of a point of conversation with
everybody. Like what the heck happened with
IU on Tuesday against Iowa. They come out and just are flat
from the get-go and it turns into one of the most
embarrassing losses, not just of this era, but really of any era.
In terms of I you playing in the sembly hole.
What did you see in this game? That led to that kind of an
outcome? Yeah, to me.
It was, you know, I you got punched in the mouth pretty
Quickly and just never recovered.
You know, Iowa came out strong to their credit and they got
confidence in Iowa's, a team that if you give confidence,
they're going to take it and run and you know, they they ended up
what shooting 60% from the three-point line like to me it
was that start. And unfortunately that's kind of
been a little bit of a Achilles heel for IU recently for sure is
slow starts and this time they got off to a slow start and I
will really showed no sign of letting up.
They got confidence and, you know, they made like you said,
they may die. You look kind of silly on their
home floor, and an opportunity. When I, you had pretty much
everything to play for, you know, outside of the Big Ten
title, you know, they're playing for that, double by.
And, you know, just laid an egg, it was quite stinker.
Yeah. It was just, and I was there at
the game, I could tell right away, like, even before the game
started like the vibe. I was wrong.
The crowd was not into it. It felt like a crowd that had
just watched their team, you know, sweep their rival and been
play. Maybe their best game of the
season there. Just wasn't even even the
Illinois game. You know, from a couple of weeks
earlier at home that hadn't been a great Vibe.
But everybody kind of got into it as the team went along and
the I thought that the team itself just looked flat all the
way around. They had a couple of Moments One
when they got the lead to 23. Money in the first half.
And then again, right at the beginning of the second half
where there was Verve, it was just kind of surprising to watch
them, get back to down out of that.
So quickly when Iowa just came down and started hitting shots
and it opened up kind of something that we probably need
to be thinking about with this iut moving into the postseason,
which is that? So much of this team's ability
on offense, seems to flow directly from how they're doing
on defense and when the other team is hitting shots and having
success it, it It just kind of puts them in a funk offensively
where they start taking bad shots.
They start doing what were they do, it like there were three
running right-handed hook shots in the lane during those Iowa
runs, like, what is that that's causing?
I you to have that kind of psychological response in those
circumstances. Yeah, to me it's it's it goes
back to kind of that confidence and just flow and you know when
Indiana's forced to play kind of in a half-court game and and you
know like say a team like Iowa Kind of put some token pressure
full core so then you're down to like 20 seconds.
We get into your offense and I you just it takes time to
develop and flow sometimes in their offense and when they're
out of sync, boy, are they out of sync as you mentioned.
And yeah, that's good. That's kind of what happened.
The other night is just a seeing.
I mean it's not like I used some or Iowa, some World beater on
the defensive end that, you know just really hunkers down and
prevents you from scoring the basketball.
It's actually quite the opposite with them.
And so, Yeah, just just the flow and like you said, the vibe just
was off, you know, guys weren't cutting hard or, you know, just
getting to their spots like just the team.
You saw Saturday night in the team, you saw Tuesday night were
quite the contrast, you know. That's I don't think I'm going
out on a limb saying anything that everybody doesn't already
know. But, you know, and I've
mentioned this, I think on Twitter, maybe in this simply
called post game show, but sometimes when you're playing,
you just you think you're playing hard and then you go.
The film and you're like oh wow, like no, I wasn't playing harder
door. No, we are team wasn't playing
hard or whatever the case may be and I think that was a case.
Like I don't think that Gavin Hood pheno intentionally went
out there and was like, you know, I'm gonna half-ass it
today. It was, you know, he goes out
there and he thinks he's playing hard and he thinks he's properly
positioned. And then he goes and watches the
film with his coaching staff and like, yeah, that was
unacceptable effort. Like, it's not necessarily a
conscious thing, that you understand all the time when
you're out there on the floor and then when you can see it
from, At forty thousand foot view you're like, oh wow, yeah,
that was bad. Yeah, it's it's really
fascinating and it feels like this shouldn't be that much
variation from one game to the next.
Like, it feels like okay if your you can replicate your
performances to some degree, obviously, there's some
variables in terms of who you're playing against and what their
levels of motivation are. It does put I you in an
interesting quandary because you know a lot of the conversation
around the Purdue game and Aftermath of that was wow this
is an IU team that has another score that they can rely on in
jail and Hood fee. Know when things aren't going
great for Trace Jackson Davis and when he doesn't have it
traced Jackson Davis will have it going and everything before I
will Trace Jackson Davis. Actually, a really good
statistical game against Iowa, who Cioppino was not a not in
have a great shooting night, but he wasn't like a no-show and
yet. No one else showed up in this
one and it really hits it. The mercurial Nature of this IU
team. And, you know, the as much as
I've told people to not have that kind of automatic negative
reaction with I, you like, this is a different type of team.
I still believe that to some degree, but the flip side is,
there are just games where we've seen The Supporting Cast, not
show up, and I'm curious. Like, do you get extra warning
lights? Going off in your head when that
still happening at the end of February.
Beginning of March. Arch.
This feels like something that should have been out of their
system by now and yet it obviously hasn't been to me.
It just speaks to you know, where I use that in the greater
landscape of college basketball. And that's a top 15, the top 25
team, you know, four to six, seed range, whatever.
The case may be. Unfortunately, for I, you like,
that's what all the teams in that sea lion are doing like,
putting up stinkers losing to teams you shouldn't.
Even Maryland, last night, you know, goes and loses double
digits, Ohio State and they've been playing very well.
So, you know, unfortunately for. Are you like, they just don't
have the dog yet that can produce on a consistent basis
where you just know that you what performance you're going to
get? You know, Trace Jackson Davis.
We're pretty, pretty certain, what he's going to give you most
nights, you know, Purdue kind of being an anomaly.
But most nights, you know what Trace Jackson Davis is going to
give you, you know, jail had, you know, being a Freshman
guard. He's good very good.
NBA talent but you're still going to have off nights and
inconsistent play. You know, I think it was, I
can't remember who tweeted it out today, but it was the top
100 recruits of 2020, the class of 2020 to and the top 100
transfer portal players. I think like 20 players in the
top 100 are averaging double digits for freshmen, recruits 66
in the transfer portal or averaging 10 plus points per
game. So it just goes to show.
I show you that the older you get, the more mature you are as
a player, the more your game expands and you're better
essentially at scoring the basketball.
So to rely on a freshman kind of as that, that second guy, that's
really going to kind of take you to the promised land can be a
little bit, nerve-racking to be frank.
It's, you know, I use guard play is pretty much.
What is dictated where the team is gone.
Like Trace Jackson, Davis, is that consistent presence, you're
going to have them, but when the guards play, well Indiana,
typically wins big games. They don't play well, it's a
stinker one thing. I noticed in looking at the
individual statistics for that Iowa game.
First of all, that was, if you want to go by straight up points
per possession, allowed, that was actually not the worst game
that they've had all season, which is frightening.
The marginally, not as bad as the game at Penn State Penn
State scored. Basically, 130 Point 3 points.
Per 100 possessions, Iowa scored a hundred and thirty point one.
I'm so it was essentially as bad.
But the other thing I noticed that I'm curious to get your
take on, is this is now, if you look at the last three games IU
has posted, its lowest tide for lowest and third, lowest
offensive rebounding percentage numbers of the entire season.
This is a team that certainly hasn't been great on the
offensive glass this year, but it seems like over the last
three. Is in particular, and really,
over the last five or last six. Illinois, game at home.
Kind of being the one exception they just aren't going to the
offensive glass to try to get offensive rebounds which is
putting a tremendous amount of pressure on them to hit the
shots that they're taking and you know against like Purdue
they did. And it wasn't that big of a deal
against Iowa day, just didn't and it became a huge deal.
You know, obviously it's not something that Woodson is
putting a lot of emphasis on because if you look at the
overall, ER all on the season, I use offensive rebounding.
Percentage has, I think pretty low all things considered I
think on the season they're about 180, it's in the country
in grabbing offensive rebounds the percentage of overall
possessions. But they look like they've just
kind of abandoned it completely here lately, What like, what's
the thought process there and do you think this is a good idea as
they move into the postseason era that of the Season?
Sure. Yeah.
With Iowa, you know, they're, they're a team that wants to get
up and down the floor really quickly, so I could see Being
more of a point of emphasis to get back rather than attack the
glass and you're getting beaten transition.
But obviously, you know, produce not a team that plays
particularly fast. I don't think offensive
rebounding percentage was anything to write home about
their, it was the same in the two games in both Iowa and
Purdue games. It was it was, what was it?
16.7 was the offensive rebounding percentage, and that
was tied for the lowest on the year.
Yeah. And I think the other thing is,
you know, Trace like you said, traces Had really good game, you
know, statistically speaking, the other night against Iowa,
but, you know, has looked at bit off for a few games, you know,
fatigue possibly wearing maybe a back issue flaring up, you know,
that's completely speculation. I don't know, could be nothing.
But, you know, with that, like, traces, your number one
offensive rebounder, if he's fatigued, or he's, you know,
some sort of back issue or whatever the case may be,
whatever is kind of hampered him the last few games, like, you're
pretty much Think that Firepower Me Trace is one of the you here
announcers, talk about all the time, he's one of the best
second Jumpers in college basketball meaning.
As soon as he hits the ground, he's springboard and back up
like a pogo stick and able to get that offensive rebound.
And you know if he doesn't have that spring or that bouncer that
energy to be able to do that, you're pretty much losing your
soul offensive rebounding. You know you've got Malik renew
and Ray Stomps on The Thinker and the eight percentage range.
But Trace is getting the bulk of those offense board so that and
then if you just This wildly sometimes to we're not which I
use doing. You're going to have a worse
chance, as well. You know, a lot of I use mrs.
I feel like, come around the rim, like a, somebody coming
over to protect the rim and then Trace is able to go behind that
and kind of clean up the mess there.
So if you're shooting a bunch of 17 Footers and things like that,
and not putting pressure on the defense, they're in better
position to blocks out box out and rebound as well.
You had posted might have been Twitter, might have been on The
chat that we're on a couple of things that you want, I you to
do or not do as they move forward through the remainder of
the season. I wanted you to share those with
the audience because the first one I've been talking about for
a while and that's stop throwing the ball forward on fast breaks
because it feels like IU loses like three or four possessions
every game because of that The transition offense when they
have numbers. Like it's actually weird when
they when it's like three-on-three they find a way
to get a bucket when it's like a two-on-one situation.
Whatever reason we think it always needs to be a lob and
typically those labs like get lofted into the sixth row, or
yeah. So yeah.
Number one was stop. Lobbying the ball on breaks
where you have the numbers because it just, I mean it's
insane. I would love to See a
statistical analysis of Indiana, just on transition breaks, where
they have the numbers. You know, I've got the numbers
on their transition offense and it's about 50th percentile in
the country. Not great, not terrible.
But I, you know, when you have the numbers, you should be
scouring every time as a high level basketball team and
Indiana just has not done that. It just feels like there's
sometimes it's because it's Trace Jackson Davis and Trace
thinks he's a better passer moving than he actually is.
Times. But it's also like when he's on
the receiving end will see jail and rufino's actually kind of
bad at this still where he's just got way too much juice on
the ball and I don't know the whole thing's frustrating
because it does feel like I you throws away like 8 to 10 points
every game. Whether it's stepping on the end
line because the pass is off or or, you know, they don't put the
shot up when they need to or the pass is bad to begin with and it
just feels like, you know, I've watched a bunch of other teams
with, you know, With high-level talent and you do see these
things occasionally, but I you sticks out as a team that just
does not seem to be able to pull off those situations
particularly well right now. Yeah, and I think some of it is
trying to hit that home run, you know, especially when you're in
a simile Hall. Like, you're you're trying to
blow the roof off that place and I get it like, you know, it's
assembly halls and advantage. And, you know, you're on that
brake. And sometimes that that Lobby,
you just can't help yourself and you throw it and then yeah,
you're all excited. I didn't like you said, you
throw it too high, you know, I think back to my time in the
Northwestern game we're jamming. Hey chief, you know, to a flop
and it hit the top of the backboard.
Yeah. You know, I kind of said it
tongue and cheek but I was kind of serious to like, hey, maybe
we should just slow it down and go run our half court offense.
I mean, you know you think I'd loved I would love to see that
same breakdown. I'd also like to see kind of a
Supercut of the video of all those different situation
because I think you would see the same thing.
A over and over again with that. But you think about it.
I mean pulling it back and not trying to force the action even
if it doesn't have to be a la. But even if you're getting down
there and it's now it's a three-on-three as opposed to a
two-on-one, you've still got a better chance of at least
getting some points, but it's not just that they're throwing
the ball away. It's a lot of times where the
passes received when it isn't thrown away, there's all you can
do is try to put the ball up. You lose the chance at drawing a
foul. You lose the chance at it.
Resetting, if, if the option is not Not there and that is kind
of frustrating to watch and I, you know, it's one of those
things that's happens, consistently throughout the
course of the year. It's like it just has not gotten
better at any point throughout the course of the year and I do
find that a little bit peculiar. It is.
Yeah, it's fresh. You know, as a coach it's not
nothing is worse and not converting a fast break because
it's, you know, should essentially be two point.
I should be a two points per possession.
Maybe three. If you're a coach that, you
know, allows three pointers in transition and yeah, just the
conversion rate for IU. Just has not been there at the
clip and needs to be something else that was pointed out with,
you know, which is the lack of three point shots, you know,
Indiana. As we keep talking about is one
of the best three-point shooting teams by percentage in the
country and even going to for 11 in the game against Iowa, their
19th in the country, they shoot 38% from three.
And yet they only took 11 threes in that game, and it just really
wasn't part of the offense, overall, and I'm curious your
thoughts on like, why, why that is.
I get it in the normal flow of an offense, where the game is
going normal. They clearly want to get The
ball into the post, they want to give it to trace Jackson, Davis.
They want to show Trevino driving, you know, to either
side and drawing Defenders, that all makes sense.
And if you can get kicked out some threes, maybe it's not a
huge percentage of your offense. But in a game where you're down
by that much and you have to get some offense going, they just
don't even look at the three-point line.
And that is really bizarre to me, like, what's the, what's the
thought process there? Why would they fall into that
rut in those sort of circumstances?
it's a great question, you know, I was actually re-watch the game
and I saw It was it was double digits.
The amount of times that a shooter actually got a good look
like Miller cop, right? Where you wanted to, catch the
ball, passes it up like you said, for a running hook shot or
something along the line. So it's not even the weird part
of it is is that it's not even a case where Indiana can't get a
look. It's like they're not looking
and with good Shooters. You know, Galloway did it a
couple of times to. It's like sometimes Indiana
passes up a wide open three for a contestant to which I'll never
understand. Yeah, it's that one's kind of
mind-boggling because I don't, I don't quite get it myself, you
know, especially in situations. And that was what I wanted to go
back and look like, okay. They even have opportunities to
shoot these. Or was it just the offense was
predicated on feeding trays and nobody could ever.
And I was just taken away the perimeter that wasn't the case
like they were doubling down sometimes or Indiana would run a
pick and roll and they would they would help on the roll and
somebody would lift and be open for three.
Like they just weren't shooting and it was somewhat Our it feel
its philosophical like it has to be, there's no way that guys are
just turning down those shots and it's just in those sorts of
circumstances. It doesn't make a lot of sense
and that's the one thing where, you know, I look at it, it's
like that has got to be something that they change
because there's gonna be games where they get down in Big Ten
tournament NCAA tournament and they can't be afraid to leverage
their three-point shooting. Yeah, you might miss a couple
more than you would miss under normal circumstances but missing
a to and missing a 3 and that case count for exactly the same
number of points, like one isn't what better than the other
because you're just, you know, you're caught slightly closer to
the basket. The other thing and this is more
of a general question. Maybe we'll kind of get you out
on this. It's not even necessarily an IU
thing. I you a certainly struggled on
the road Purdue game accepted, but everybody has struggled on
the road will leave Iowa out of the equation and yes, Penn State
managed to pull off an unexpected win at Northwestern
last night but by and large. Judge Road teams have really
suffered in the Big Ten. Maryland who looks like a
national champion at home losses to Ohio State handily.
Last night, it's one of 100 of examples that we could give from
the course of the Big Ten season.
How do you see this playing out? When all of these teams are
playing on neutral courts. I mean, everybody's got to go to
the United Center next week, I have no clue what to Divine from
this season. Like, I don't know if Maryland's
actually a good team on a neutral court and just terrible.
On a road floor, I have no idea. But I you with that being in
that case, how do you try to judge the team's relative
strengths knowing that we really haven't gotten a chance to see a
team dominate, both home and away.
Sure. I think it really comes down to
two Talent evaluation, like, I think neutral core is where, you
know, you see, like what teams are talented and which one's
kind of feed off that home energy a bunch or or you know,
you could talk about the officials kind of feeding off
the A home energy as well and given the home team calls and
things like that, you know, I think that that's really what it
comes down to is, you know, who has the more talented players
that are put in spots to Showcase that Talent.
Like, to me, that's like the anti Rutgers.
It's why I've said from the beginning that I thought Rutgers
even when they were like, projected as a 45 seat, I
thought they would lose in the first round of the tournament
because of the style of play that they play now.
Granted, you get They can officials, you never know what
they might may or may not call in in the Big Ten Tournament.
But yeah, it's, it's perplexing because, you know, to me, I
still think Indiana and Illinois have the most talent in the Big
Ten, and but we also know how India typically has performed in
the victims and I get it. It's been different, regimes
different coaches for whatever reason, you know, Indiana
program, Illinois for that matter, same product, but, you
know, yeah, Yeah, so yeah, it's it's perplexing.
It's a it's a weird one to try to get your head wrapped around.
I mean they're there are certain teams.
It's kind of like Michigan. The last few years has performed
pretty well in tournament settings, when they haven't
necessarily performed well, in conference play and yet, it's
even they've struggled a bit at home versus on the road.
I mean, it's just, it's and it look, it's not just here.
I mean, this is actually something happening all over the
country. You're seeing teams really
struggle away from home, A lot of cases and I am, I think this
is probably the year where I felt the law like the least
amount of confidence. In what I've seen in the regular
season actually translating over to what I'll see in the
tournament, all the way up and down the line, like, even even
teams like Alabama and Kansas, I don't really know what we're
going to get out of them in a tournament setting it with the
Big Ten teams. It's like I could see two or
three of them making it to the second weekend and Beyond.
I could see all of them losing in the second round.
Or before and it just does not. I don't know what to make it all
about. This Big Ten Tournament
partially because we don't even know what the seedings going to
be at this stage is what anywhere from a variance of like
second tonight? Yeah, with one game remaining?
Yeah, and I mean, you could have like a six way tie for second
place in the conference and everything's on the table.
Still at this point. I mean, some of it'll get
cleared up a little bit with the Illinois, Michigan game.
That happens on Thursday night. Depending on, when we post this,
it may have happened already but it's Yeah, it's just a weird
conference. It's a weird setup and I'm with
you, I think the talent thing matters, but I also we've seen
so little independent, like, examples since like the season
really got going in Earnest. Certainly, we saw some teams
play well on neutral courts, back in November and December,
but I don't even know. We can take much out of that at
this point. Yeah, I always, I always say
November basketball to crapshoot.
Like the teams now are so much different from from then, but
yeah, it It to me, it this Indiana team reminds me of
Michigan last year. Now better record but has a lot
of talent has had some ups and downs, but can kind of put it
together. I think Michigan was what like
17 and 14 in the regular season last year, but they had talent
and they were able to get to that second weekend.
That's maybe I'm just talking myself into it well, but I do
think there's some correlation there.
Yeah. It's Amin Michigan.
Last year was an interesting case because the kind of barely
made the field and largely made the Because they won at Iowa,
they won at Ohio State, you know, and that kind of that got
them over the hump even though they lost to Indiana in the Big
Ten tournament in the first round.
But yeah, I mean, I think there's some, there's some areas
to be made there. Even statistically like that,
that was about a top-20 offensive team from Michigan,
and it was about, they were 74th in kampong defensive efficiency
and Indiana's. Not quite that bad but they've
been so uneven defensively that, you know, that I think they're
ranking right now their 50th to Offensively.
And that's a surprise given. How good the offensively they
were last year? But maybe that's just kind of
that. Maybe that is the best analog.
I don't know. We'll have to wait and see how
they perform defense. Even got their doors blown off
of them by Iowa home in the last week of the season.
That's right. See all kinds of this what we
wanted to be compared to Michigan under Juwan Howard?
That's perfect God. Anyway.
Well, we'll get you out of here with that and appreciate you
taking the time to join us and looking forward.
To chat with you as we find out who Indiana is going to be
playing here over the next couple of weeks.
Awesome. Appreciate it.
And now joining us. Scott Caulfield back.
Again, it's been a little bit. We've let we let things cool off
a little bit. After that Iowa game.
We weren't sure what we were going to podcast immediately
after the Iowa game or wait a little bit.
I'm glad we waited at least from my perspective because it's put
things in a little more perspective.
But what about you? Where are you at with things?
Yeah, I've it's probably best. We did podcast that night.
You know. Definitely things are not, I'll
get to like like Five Points here.
I'm not going to use them all in the first open.
Let me get two of them and then we'll kind of pitter-patter back
and forth. By this is a whole new Leaf
being turned over by you. If you're not going to throw all
five points into the beginning here I'm trying I'm you know 40
years in I'm trying to got went to his third podcasting lesson
and and he's learned some things.
Things that he didn't. He's like, oh wow, you need, I
can separate my points out. Oh okay.
Yeah, this is. This is great.
I'm excited. The training was worth the money
that we spent. This is great, by the way.
I haven't done it yet. Led by Tony, like I'm not gonna
do that. But the one thing that really
bugged me about that game being there, you know think of
something you couldn't obviously couldn't see if you weren't
there is there is like two times in the second half where Woodson
called timeout was obviously pissed and just sent the team
out and you know with liked he took like 20 seconds the time
out and my joke is and I get it like you're probably like I'm
telling you guys figure it out yourself and I always joke like
you know you probably could talk about something.
Else, there's still a lot of time out left and you're down by
15. But I understand it's probably a
message like you guys figure it out and it was really a bummer
to see the team. Just everyone went in their
positions to in like, cops on the far end.
Inbound the ball. No one's talking to each other,
they're just standing there. The the cheerleaders are like,
you know, dancing around them and there's a part of me.
It's like, where's these two points coalesce?
Where's the leadership of somebody to pull?
Like, all right, who's going to pull the team together?
Just the Five Guys who are out there and just bring them
together even just that. Hey, we are not Let this happen.
Let's get it down to 12. Like everyone just seemed
comatose that bugged me and I also you know you look at this
team. It's like you have two guys who
played five years income or six years in college.
You have a guy who's played five years, you've got a guy who's
played three years on your starting lineup.
It is, you know, next year, when we're a young team and we're
talking about man, missing you can't, you can't expect the team
to come back and play. Well after a lot, you know,
after a big win with this kind of, you know, an experienced
team, it's like well, it doesn't happen.
Two with experienced teams either.
And that's kind of really frustrating to.
Those are the kind of the two main level things that I left
the game with, but it was really that those two timeouts.
Again, it's one little thing, but just that body language
really, it was just kind of alarming that it felt like.
After that sect, we talked at halftime.
There was like a one minute span where people seem to care and
then it seemed like everybody kind of checked out.
I'll just end with this is like 12 minutes to go during one of
those timeouts and I'm like Tell me the podium with them.
Like I've never, I've never left a game this early.
Like I just I'm good, we should leave, but I've never lost a
game. This early, this nice old guy in
front of me. Who been talking though games
kind of turns around. He's like son, you're excused
and I guess like a minute. Thanks Dad.
Yes, what's it? Got the tacit.
He's like see coach. Don't want to be here.
Either, is it? So I did leave at the Under 12?
Let's so it's hilarious. Like Scott and I have this thing
when we're both at a game. Game generally with a couple of
exceptions, we always meet at the same spot in the arena and
you know, sometimes it's Scott and his dad sometimes it's Scott
and a random friend. I sometimes think Scott has like
a friend Factory just for IU games that he'd like who will
generate, you know, it's almost like a character creation thing
and like Madden where, you know, it's like oh, you know, if I'm
gonna go with someone who's like 63 and you know, loves Michigan
State this time or something like that.
But no in all seriousness, you just Headband.
Yeah, right. Yeah, sure.
She's wearing that during the neck.
Roll. Yeah, number 99 Jersey.
Right? Yes, but, you know, Scott and I
are talking at halftime of this game and there's other people,
my wife's, there's some other people with us and Scott loves
to pick up, on, whatever my vibe is.
And we talked for about two minutes and he looks at me like,
you're freaking me out because because, like, I had at that
point, I had pretty much long since decided that the game was
over and I stuck around. I was like, well, we'll see.
Hey, maybe they just had a bad half, they'll come back and like
you said, like the beginning of that second half, it looked like
they gave a shit for about a minute.
And then, you know, they got the lead down to, I think eight,
they had a chance to get it down to 6.
The out of bounds play goes off of race Thompson allegedly and
then Iowa comes down and then immediately pushes it back out
to 18. It felt like they didn't.
One-possession, I know they didn't, but it felt like it.
And I looked at my wife and I'm like, we're getting out of here
at the Under 12 And I felt, I never even wavered in that
decision not because I, you know, I'm like a bad fan.
I don't think and not because of anything other than you could
tell. At least, I could tell from the
moment you walked into the arena, that it was a bad Vibe.
Like the crowd was absolutely dead.
The players looked absolutely dead.
There was no energy. Everybody was I think still kind
of drunk on the Purdue Victory and that was Fortunate.
Because, you know, the few times that I, you really look like
they were going to do something noteworthy in the game, Iowa
just was just came down, hit some shots.
And, you know, the lack of attention to detail that I you
had in the game was laid bare, consistently, you know, I'll say
this, the day of the game. I was more like shell-shocked
than mad. It was.
It's kind of like, you know, there's a difference between
the, the kind of mad you Yet when someone like constantly is
like annoying you and in your face, and eventually you just
kind of erupted at them and the kind of mad when like, you know,
you're you're moving overseas and the shipping company, you
know, you're watching them, bring your car off the ship with
like a crane and about halfway to the water.
They just drop the whole thing into the ocean.
I mean, you're mad, there it relatable, very relatable now,
but you don't know what to do about it at that, what say, you
know, we're like, you know, or like you come home and you
discover that like, Do a random, like, you know, gas line
explosion is like, taking out your garage.
Like what are you gonna do? If you're mad.
But it's like, I don't know how to react to this and that's
essentially how I felt in the moment in.
I don't know, I haven't lived it through either of those
experiences just to clarify with the audience but this is called
metaphor like we're trying to, you know, get get some kind of a
of a of a relatable situation here.
I will say, I got a lot matter the day after the game and I
think a lot of it ties into this idea of Don't know exactly what
to expect out of this group and I think that that is is honestly
the case with a lot of people where you get that, we're kind
of an interesting era of fandom where there's it's just this.
It's this constant flow of positivity.
Everybody has to be nice to the players.
Nice to the coaches. Nice to everybody, everybody's
trying their best, everybody's putting out, you know, doing the
best that they can do. And you celebrate when Teams win
and when you lose, you're not supposed to get upset or at
least not unreasonably. So you can be slightly critical,
then games like this happen, where it's just like no one
showed up as you pointed out with the timeout, think?
No one cared. Like there's no one trying to
rally the troops, you know, Woodson is doing what you, what
we've seen like, bob Knight people worship the ground that
bob Knight walks on, Bob not used to do that all the time.
You know, it'd be like well I'm not even going to call timeout,
you jerks figure it out for yourself.
Woodson in this kind of a game is like look I can't if i Can't
motivate you. Coming out of the locker room.
I'm not going to be able to motivate you standing on the
sidelines when we're down by 18 points.
So you guys got to come up with something because if you don't
believe if you don't care it's not going to matter.
I think where I get the most irritated with this team is.
Why are we still doing this on the 27th of February or 28th
February whatever day? That was?
Why is that a thing with this tea with this this veteran team
you've got guys like Trace tracks and Davis and Miller cop
who have started you know for Years worth of big, ten games,
and Trace Jackson Davis at least offensive ly did some stuff out
there. But he was just as guilty as
everybody was from a defensive perspective, and that's really
what lost Indiana the game. And it's like, it makes it so
that I feel foolish because I'm out here on the podcast saying,
look, this is a different IU team.
I know you've got PTSD from past years.
This looked as bad as any Archie team looked in just shrinking
from the moment and acting like, They couldn't be bothered and
when the other go on, yeah, sorry sorry that they also did
things like I remember with right around that 12-minute
timeout when you left eye but I was thinking like we have maybe
like 15 more possessions. Yeah it's like we can and and
the fact that you know, we took we took five threes in the
second half but three of them were garbage times.
We took two threes, you come out, you're dead.
You'll Iowa took that 18 point. They made six threes.
I think they took like six of eight or six of nine in the
Second half they're up by 10 and they tripled our output in
threes. May they scored 18 more points
on three pointers in the second half and that's that's the part
that's frustrating me the most going out of this as like in the
second half, obviously, whatever you did in the first half isn't
working. You know, if your Woodson, why
aren't you running some plays four?
Threes, but to your point, like if your capri and you guys just
take some threes like who cares? Like they came down?
They were running. Like, offensive sets of what the
hell are you doing? We're down by 24 points.
It just Chuck some three. Well it can only help it.
Can't get worse, this was something Tony.
And I talked about earlier not so much like, I mean, it was
partially the so the selection, but just like this team when
they get down, as those of you who have been listening of
already heard me say on this podcast it's like they have to
go back to their security blanket and their security
blanket is apparently taking contested twos.
That's what makes them feel like the best.
And that's a large part of the offense is built around this
idea that you're going to get the ball in the post.
The problem is in a game like this, you have Shooters who can
hit threes, if they're thinking about hitting them, but the
mentality is not there. And that is where I think
Woodson in this kind of a game deserves criticism because
ultimately, when things break down and things are going to
break down, particularly you get to the NCAA tournament, getting
the Big Ten Tournament, you're not going to have home court.
You're not going to have crowds, you're not gonna be able to feed
off that energy, and there's going to be stretches as we've
seen all season with this IU team, where things don't work.
Way that you're thinking that they're going to work.
So what do you do? You can't keep doing the same
thing that you're doing. Now that said in this game, I
don't think it would have mattered because Indiana's
defense was so terrible. You go back and you look through
this season. There's only been one game where
Indiana had worst defense and that was that game at Penn
State. And as I mentioned to Tony
earlier, it's real close like Penn State.
Shot almost. 70% effective field goal, percentage had 18 3s had
an offensive rating of one 30.3 in this game.
I was shot 68 percent had 13 threes and had an offensive
rating of one. Thirty point one, so the go
ahead. Oh, I know.
And that's, you know, something I'm not picking on as listen to
the assembly, call the drive home, after the game and
rightfully, so after the game you can I get, you have to know,
coach coach Tucson. He was kind of saying, you've
got to just, you know, put us out of your mind, but you gotta
just put it out and get rid of which I understand that thought.
But this is the thing that's been bugging me as you look at
the number of losses this year, and some of them have Reasons,
they're like the Kansas game. That's a tough game, but let me
just read through it. You know, the idea of like, well
this just it's a one-off. It's a bad fuel kids have bad,
night's whatever. Okay, we lost your Rutgers by
15, we lost to Arizona by 14, we lost to Kansas by 22, the
suspense 8 by 19, we like the game, you're mentioning loss to
Penn State, 19, Maryland, 11, oz bad, but like just 3D a week
ago, Michigan state, that was a 15-point loss.
And in this Iowa lost 22, that's a lot of ass kickings, like
that's just a lot of double digit.
Losses. And it's so the idea of like
this is just one this year that, you know, just, you know, you
flush it out and move on. You have the team has to do
that. But for a fan, like, this is
something where this is a feature of this team that they
can just get their doors blown off at any time.
And they've done it in a variety of situations at a variety of
points. This season they have, I will
say this. I'm that dumb, I think for teams
like this IU team. Who have some flaws but that are
very clearly apparent. You're going to get that.
I mean, TCU is a good example, TCU, they want hat Kansas,
they've won at Baylor, but they also lost by 11 at Iowa State.
They lost by 21 to Kansas State. They lost by 92.
West Virginia. I mean, they've had several
games where they got, they lost by a pretty significant margin
and I think you're going to get that sometimes with teams that
don't have like, Aunt, players and depth.
It's and that's not an excuse, but it is just something that
happens to those sorts of teams. And so I look at it and I say to
myself, that is very frustrating because there's been other games
where Indiana's this season, you know, they've been close,
whether that was the Northwestern either, the
Northwestern losses, the Iowa, lost the first time around, you
know, it's not like, every time they lose, they get destroyed.
But yeah, it does. A lot of them out there, but it
does You think that you bring up a really good point and it's
that this team is oddly fragile mentally and they're not all the
time, fragile, mentally. And that's why I say oddly like
it's not like this is a mentally, fragile team, you're
not going to be mentally, fragile team and when you know,
11 of 15 games which is what this team has done since mid
February and that includes, you know, two wins against Purdue, a
win against Rutgers, a win at a low.
Two wins against Illinois, including a 15-point win there.
Or whatever that was 15. Yeah, but it's like, when they
get mentally fragile, they get really mentally fragile.
They just they fall to pieces. And I think that's, it's one of
those things that's hard to get, like significantly angry about,
because it doesn't happen every time.
But it is something to get concerned about, and I think
what I feel now and and of kind of felt a little bit on and off
is it's the end? The unpredictability?
Of knowing when that's going to happen.
And what's going to trigger? It really is hard to get your
head wrapped around. And I think for IU fans, you
should overall I think probably Embrace this season and it's and
its overall successes and say, wow, this has been great.
We've had a competitive relevant basketball team for essentially
the entire season despite injuries, despite a really tough
schedule in the conference. And yet, it's hard to get really
comfortable with this team because they've had just enough
of these types of losses. Has where you're just like, I
don't trust you and I want to trust you and I want to like
fully Embrace what you're doing and I want to believe every time
you go out onto the floor, that things are going to work out.
And yet, it doesn't happen that way enough times to really ever
be able to fully feel that way. So I'm getting Vibes of and, and
honestly, this is where, you know, it's a little bit
different because the let me get my the full like thought here
out. But you know, 2013 had different
expectations but I didn't I didn't say it.
I think on the podcast at that point, I might have mentioned it
2016. I will mention what I'm feeling
now now, but in 2013 I had a very similar feeling.
We're that team was on a roll. And then, you know, they won
that game at Michigan State. Like oh, People stole it,
inbounds pet inbounds pass, like, had a layout arms.
Like this is a different kind of team that team went on to lose
your to of the next four. They lost the game at home
against Ohio State, they, you know, struggled in the
tournament. They lost to Wisconsin.
And then they really mean quietly, struggled a lot against
temple in the second round, didn't really blow out James
Madison, the first round. And then, as we all remember,
lost to Syracuse and it was that stretch right after the
Minnesota Ohio State loss for, I'm just like something feels
wrong. Like, this doesn't feel like The
team. And what was frustrating about
that year was they had it all in their hands.
They had the big ten, they could lock it up at home on senior
night and probably get the number one seed in the midwest,
which was the Indianapolis region at that time and they let
Louisville have that region. Not not that maybe would that
change anything but like that. But I had that feeling at that
point at the same time you know in 2013 I will also look at 2016
as an example. That's a team where you and I
famously do. Really buy in for most of the
year that I remember, you know, they win the Big Ten and it's
like they have that win at Iowa and I'm like, okay I'm in like
I'm in a buy-in on this team and then all of a sudden, it's like,
okay now we're going to lose the Michigan.
The first round of the Big Ten tournament and it's like that's
another kick in the teeth of that team.
Probably did what it was supposed to be.
They be Kentucky in the tournament but then got their
doors blown off by North Carolina in the sweet 16 and
maybe that's the fate of this team.
But it's like that's now where I feel like we're at where this
team will. I'll do something but it's like
this is going to come up and bite Us in the ass at some point
in the next three to four weeks. I mean, it might have anyway,
that's the thing. And this is this is where yeah,
again, I think to some degree, it's like this team has the
talent and the ability to make a final four.
Like they just they do they do. But they also brought almost
certainly will not because of how inconsistent they are in
effort and an execution. And I think that that is
something that, you know, they can be much better than they
have been with. They are, they can be relevant
where, which they are in, which they have not been, they can
have two first-round draft picks, which they do and they
haven't in the past and they can still be a team that you just
need to guard your heart with because you just don't know what
you're going to get now. It's like both of the times that
you, you know, they're both the things you mentioned earlier,
those Seasons, you know, 2013 like that was a bona fide top
five team and you know, it kind of mentally and physically.
Ali fell apart for them and they ran into exactly the wrong
opponent and they didn't do themselves any favors.
But let's give you said there were signs leading up to that.
That it wasn't necessarily going to be a cakewalk to the final
four in 2016. It's like you don't even know
what to expect because, you know, as you said like you can't
it's hard to get your head wrapped around where you can
lose to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament, you lost to Penn
State earlier that, you know, in February who wasn't a very good
team, you're going to beat Kentucky.
And Kentucky was like legitimately good that year and
then you just get destroyed by North Carolina, it's like hard
to get your head wrapped around what exactly do expect there.
But Indiana I think this year is almost coming at it from the
opposite side. They're not coming at it there
almost there. More of a hunter in that they're
they're not on top. They're not being chased by
other teams there in this morass of of teams in the Big Ten, all
of whom have had similar issues and some of it is, as we've
talked about on the Podcast trying to get over the mental.
Hump of the, you know, just the extended season and all the
games you play. And the kind of just, you know,
the the The NeverEnding slog of the Big Ten in January and
February. We've seen a lot of good moments
when this team is properly motivated.
Like they were against Purdue where you're like, this this is
why this team was ranked in the top 15 to start the season and
why this team was projected to be the Big Ten Champion.
But then you see games like this, Iowa game and you're like,
alright, what am I getting? AR are we really going to get
the game that they played at Purdue or the game?
They played at home against Purdue if they're not playing
Purdue that seems unlikely. So I worry in the Big Ten
Tournament if this team draws against a team that they don't
get fired up by or a team like Iowa that just for whatever
reason seems to give Mike, Woodson fits.
It's funny. Like he's, he's three-in-one
against Purdue and he hasn't beaten Iowa so far.
It's been his time as head coach.
It's I got to make a lot of sense, you know?
But that's that's kind of how things have set up.
Same thing with like, he struggled against Northwestern,
but he's beating Michigan regularly.
Now, I don't totally understand what works and doesn't work in
terms of Woodson in this era of IU basketball, but I do know
that it's, if you're frustrated as an IU fan, you know, might 11
against Michigan but yeah. Sorry.
We know, they, they want to they won last year in the Big Ten
Tournament against Michigan as well.
Did they not? Okay.
Yeah. The two in a row.
Hey, come on, let's give them some credit.
But ultimately, I think that it's a team that you should be
excited about watching because they could put on a great
performance and yet, they've struggled so much as they've
slog through this season to maintain that and build on it,
and really grow into something bigger than what they were a
month ago. Like they're about the same team
that beat Purdue the first time, and I don't know, That that's
necessarily going to change. I also don't know what it's
going to mean in the Big Ten Tournament.
I don't know what it's going to mean in the NCAA tournament
because all of the teams in the Big Ten, I have no clue what to
make of them away from their home floors.
You know. It's just it's a it's the
strangest thing to try to parse out is Indiana.
Actually good is, is you know, Northwestern actually good is,
you know, any of these teams actually good?
Or are they just like good at home with the exception?
Of course of Indiana playing Iowa.
This week, like, are they act? Where are they?
Good or not. How is that going to fare?
And at this point I have no clue and this is kind of, you know,
my final thought but I kind of you know, final thought on this
is that you know as I was driving home today thinking of
what we're going to talk about that, you know, really this next
three weeks were really important because it's going to
be about Legacy and it's kind of guy, you know, shit.
But what I mean by that is that right now we're all having these
discussions under the assumption of what you said is, like this
team could be a final. 40. And it's probably not but it had
that cement is still wet. Like it hasn't happened.
Yet. We don't know.
And, you know, the legacy of I don't get deep on like, tracing
the legacy of this team is really going to be set by what
happens next couple weeks because like, you know, last
year is like, oh yeah. We beat Purdue.
And then we kind of chalk up like we lost the st.
Mary's. Because of a lot of factors that
you know, travel and that be we want to game.
We kind of did all that great. If you know there's scenarios I
was thinking like imagine if we go like you know, we beat
Michigan, we go 10. One in the Big Ten tournament
and then we lose the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Like I think the season takes a much different Hue than we have
right now because right now, it's like we're under the
expectation of we're going to be a protected seed and I think,
like, many people are thinking, right?
At least, you know, we have a matchup in the, you know, around
the 32 maybe Swing Low, Sweet Sixteen.
Like we're kind of assuming a lot of different things.
If we go 1 and 1 and then 1 and 1 in both, the next two
tournaments, is that going to be thought of as a success if we
get blown out by the 5 seat, We have one of these type of
performances against an Iowa against you like Iowa state in
the second round and we just lose my 22 how and I'm not I'm
not I don't know the answer but I'm just saying that's going to
radically change how we reviewing things when as we sit
here right now myself included you look at this team and the
Specter of a final four is out there for the first time in
probably like 12 years words like this team could make a
final four. It probably most likely won't
but every other year It's like, well, we know they won't because
they're not in the turnaround. It's like at least this year,
like you're protected seed, that's a great place to start.
And I think that's allowing people to not like, you know,
Iowa. All right.
Push it off. Like they're still there, still
more ahead. We're getting real close to the
end here. And but I'm just saying, like
the legacy of this team Legacy of Trace.
All these things are going to be set real quick, and that's what
does concern me is like, if they put in one of these, in a round
of 32, Game or God forbid the first round the tournament.
I think it's going to sting a lot more and it's going to
retroactively kind of change how we view all of these things
because that 2016 season changes a lot more if you just replace
that. And I know we won but like let's
just say that team lost by 15 to Kentucky in the second round of
the NCAA tournament. Suddenly It's like, well, that
was to be one of the Big Ten title that year but it's like
you lose the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
You get me a boat race. The second is like, anyway, that
Is my thought is like, and obviously, if they do the
reverse, they go to the final four, all of this as a moot
point, it's just like, all right.
Well, that was you know, we were wrong and things broke our way.
But it's, there's a negative aspect to this where things
could turn poorly. Yeah, and really change the
Legacy. And that's the thing is like
that's on the line here and it's what's concerning is, there was
so much on the line and that Iowa game, like, you had
everything in your hand, you controlled everything.
You could really help positively help your own narrative and help
you push yourself into. Buh-bye territory into a three
seasons, like you just, you pissed all that away.
You didn't seem to fight for it at all and that's what's a
little bit concerning here. Like this, these next, two to
three weeks, you're going to have moments where it's all in
the line. The legacy is on the line and
how much you're going to fight for it.
It's one of the, it's an odd psychological Quirk of this
group of players. And you know, it's partially
Mike Woodson's players and it's partially Archie Miller's
players and it's just been part of The way that this program is
operated, I mean it last year's a great example.
So last year, Indiana is staring at nit bid in the face and they
somehow find it within themselves to Rally in the
second half of that, Michigan game.
They come back and they win. They play this area the face and
they come out flat, like that's why are they there staring in
the face and they come out like this flat for 10 minutes, right?
Right. Well, it kept 30 minutes really
25 minutes and but then they rally, they beat Illinois.
They almost beat Iowa and Then they beat Wyoming in a game, you
know, in a play-in game that they had to have and then
they're leading st. Mary's 1814 with 10 minutes left
in the first half. And then, I mean, you know, that
the, from the end of the first half to the middle of the second
half, they a lot of 34, 25 run and it just feels like paper bag
well in full sun. But I think it's fascinating
because it's like this team, it does feel like and I think the
parallel can be drawn with what happens with the Purdue game.
You know, they go over to Purdue not everybody's giving them a
chance. They haven't wanted Mackey in a
decade. They'd they slay that Dragon,
they win. You know, they beat Purdue, and
it's like we accomplished something and then they just let
their guard down immediately. And that is essentially what set
the table for the Iowa performance where they just came
out and looked like they had nothing left to play for.
Whereas they very much did like they win that game and there
with what happened earlier this week, they're sitting in the
driver's seat for a 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament without
any question and It instead and that's the thing is like that's
where it's like again, I go back to that time out.
Sorry to interrupt like it's like at some point somebody
should have let him know like hey it's not realistic but like
we went out Purdue loses out. We win the Big Ten title, right?
Yeah like I'm like they like as of Tuesday night, we still had a
chance to get a CO Big Ten title as wild as that sounds.
It was like it was on the table. Sorry.
And it just felt like it is it seemed like the teams and I
again I don't know what their actual mental state was but
looking at their reactions. He's looking at their actions.
It was like, well, we've done what we need to do and that is
probably the one thing that would concern me the most.
I mean, it's almost to the point where it's like, if you want
Indiana to do well in the NCAA tournament, are they better off
losing on senior night? Or are they better off losing in
the first round of the Big Ten Tournament?
Because at least, then it's like, well, we got something to
prove and now, we're, we got our backs against the wall and
nobody believes in is like Sacramento or something and get
a succeed, you know, really screwed.
Don't I mean again you know on the one hand I think it's unfair
to be overly critical of this team for one performance because
you know coming back from being one and four in the conference
to where they're at. Has shown a lot of moxie and
they've won some games that you wouldn't have expected them to
win and they've done some things that I think belie the the
well-worn statement that this team is like soft, but I do
think that it's not so much that they're soft, but this team gets
incredibly. Be complacent sometimes about
themselves about what they need to do and about what they've
accomplished. And at the end of the day, they
haven't accomplished anything. They've made barely made one,
NCAA tournament in the last five years.
They've, they're going to end up probably not with a double by in
the Big Ten this year in a season.
Where? Yes, they dealt with injuries
but they also they gave away a game at Iowa.
They gave away a game against Northwestern at home.
They gave away game at Northwestern.
They could be Big Ten champs. Right now, we're close to it.
If they had just taken care of business.
You know, the Devil by Big Ten Tournament is cracks me up
because it's like we talk about it as if like it's like put up a
banner, I know. No, it's like, no, it's so
alone. Oh no, it's true.
It's like, you know, it's like people used to make fun of our
sins anger, who was the manager of Arsenal, in the Premier
League because, you know, he one point that he in the Tottenham
even in the Premier League, when you finish in the top four, you
get a Champions League spot which means like a lot more
money and you're playing in the main competition in Europe and
what anger at some point said something along the lines of we
know fourth place is essentially a trophy which it's absolutely
not you know yes you get into the champions league but that's
not a trophy and that's kind of how like oh a double by.
It's essentially the top four finish in the Premier League of
the Big Ten. And yeah, I mean it's at least
something. But what what concerns me about
this team is I just don't think that you can count on them in
pressure spots and Really the last hurdle.
I feel like this particular group has to demonstrate that
they can overcome. Is this idea that when in bad
situations, where things are going against them that they can
Galvanize themselves to really perform, it's all pressure from
here on out. It is well that and then and so
maybe that's good, you know? Because last year the pressure
was getting into the tournament and you're getting into the
proper tournament like not being in the play-in game and they did
that. And so maybe, you know you but
that's where this becomes problematic with This Iowa game
because there's just, there's nothing that you could say about
the way Indiana played in that game that would excuse the way
that Indiana played in that game.
Just. Nothing.
And and that ultimately, the explanations afterwards were
weak. Woodson had nothing to say.
You could tell, he was incredibly frustrated and I
don't look, I mean, people want to criticize Woodson.
That's fine. I don't know what you're
supposed to do there in that particular situation as a coach
oh yeah. When your team just basically
pumps the whole game away from the get-go and and so Anyway, we
had some questions. I wanted to get to from the
audience that are in a similar vein here.
One of them was actually right in line with what you asked and
this was from from buff Komodo. Assuming a win versus Michigan.
Should Indiana fans be satisfied with this season.
So let's put the put. The will put put the tournament
aside if Indiana wins against Michigan, they will finish the
season 21 and 10 and 12 and eight overall.
Is that something that Indiana fans should be satisfied?
Getting all the variables in this Ezel.
That's a great question. I would say a very slight know,
like, I'm talking like 55% over, 45% knowing.
And I only say that because you could go back and look and say,
all right, you know, if we started the year, you know, I
would take, you know, tied for third in the big, you know, tie
for third in the Big Ten that record, you know, given the
injuries like you probably take that but the journey is Part of
it there. And there was you know, there
was a couple games that could have been wins couple games that
could have been losses but just as you mention as a lot of games
that it feels like, you know, I can't say like that, Iowa game
was close, but it's like felt like we didn't even show like
it's almost worse than a two point loss.
Where you're like, I love wish you could play that again
because I'd love to actually have my controller hooked up and
not be like pay playing, you know, Nintendo with my PS2
controller, just like nothing's working.
So I leave The season kind of being a little bit like, damn,
we were really close to doing something special in this team.
Probably could have done it, or had they just closed out at Iowa
or, you know, not gotten down so much at Northwestern.
So I are very slightly toward. It's a bit of a disappointment,
interesting. I mean, I look at it like this.
I think you have to take the injuries into account, not just
the Xavier Johnson injury. You have to take the jail and
Ruffino injury and in December into account as well.
You have to take the race Thompson injury into account.
I have a hard time seeing it as a disappointment given that
Indiana was projected to probably win at best.
Like let's say let's assume Indiana wins the Big 10.
Maybe, you know, the expectation would be what 14 and 6 in the
conference, okay? So if they finish 12 and 8,
they're going to finish two games under that, you know?
Maybe they would have been expected to win one more
non-conference. Game than they did.
I don't look at that as a disappointment, you know.
And I think that over why it's, that's why it's just slight,
right? I understand.
You know, but but overall I think Indiana fans should look
at this as a big step forward for the program overall.
And I know a lot of people probably don't want to think
about it that way and honestly, you know, of course, if they
lose to Michigan, that's, you're not going to get people thinking
that way. But I will say that, you know,
the way that I you Battled back after a tough, start in January
and got over 500 in the Big 10 which they're going to have
regardless of what happens in this Michigan game.
For the first time since 2016, you don't want a nest, you know,
we're Indiana, right? You don't want to look at those
as like accomplishments and yet they absolutely are
accomplishments because of how bad this programs been for as
long as it's been, you know, when you look at this roster, I
think the one disappointment I will have on the season and
again injuries have to be taken into account.
Account. The one disappointment I've got
in the season and this will basically be the case whether or
not any Anna wins or loses is how disappointing the bench and
the depth development of this team has been.
I mean it because at the end of the day Indiana and and Mike
Woodson have managed to pull this off with essentially six
players. They pull that.
You know I say to well two main ones but look I think you've got
to give. I think you can give Miller cop
credit for finally developing a new a reliable, you know.
Fourth option. Trey Galloway's absolutely
developed. I'm really excited to see what
he does in his last two years. Jalen's Ruffino has been
awesome. Tres Jackson, Davis has been
awesome and race Thompson. You know, despite the injury has
been serviceable to good in most cases, he's defended.
Well, he's picked up garbage stuff on the apis on the
offensive end opposite from Trace where I'm disappointed is,
you know, Malik renew, kind of had a weird up and down here and
then, essentially as Flatline, the last six weeks and Tamar
Bates has been essentially We a nonentity for the last two
months and you know, Caleb Banks has contributed a little bit and
that's been cool to see but he's still so young and he just can't
give a whole lot Logan dunk him. Never develop Jordan geronimo's
essentially not been on the team.
It feels like since that injury that he suffered earlier where
he just like his minutes have dropped so significant because
can't keep them on the floor and CJ gun.
Looks like he's a year and a half away from contributing and
and that certainly you can you can A you know, you can blame
coaches for that. You can blame players for not
developing, I'm just generally kind of disappointed that we
haven't seen more contributions from more people and I do worry
a little bit about that in terms of the context of the season.
But overall, I'm pretty pleased with what Indiana has been able
to accomplish given all of the factors involved.
But I think this is one of those things where everybody's going
to take have their own take away.
And for a lot of people, they're not going to be able to cut off
their thoughts on the season, based upon what happens at the
end of the Regular season, and I think it's understandable
action, but it's a great question, but yeah.
Like in the end, what happens in the next three weeks is going to
affect that answer. Just greatly csw.
Hoosier asks, what is the key to getting this team to performing
consistently? Is it on the coaches?
The players both? Is it an attitude thing?
Is it a fatigue thing? I'm just scratching my head at
this team, such a high ceiling but man, they love to find their
floor at Key moments. I mean, to me, the key with this
team is they They have to have that to be engaged emotionally
with what they're doing and they have to find some success on the
defensive end early, but those seem to be the two keys and I
don't know, I don't even think it's one of those things where
you can necessarily tell going in because I mean, honestly,
like I'm shocked this team beat, Purdue twice.
I really am. You know?
And I'm shocked that they dug in and beat Rutgers the way.
That that game was going. It looked like Rutgers was going
to pull it off at the end. Like they've accomplished
several things, this season the Illinois game at home was
another one where it looked like they might lose like they've.
They've found something deep within themselves.
It's been really impressive at times.
I don't, I mean, I think Woodson has done a pretty good job of
pushing buttons behind the scenes and getting performances
out of guys, that key moments. I think this is a largely.
It's a roster based internal thing and we saw this roster or
at least parts of this. Roster over the course of the
last two three seasons, just not show up when it mattered.
And the fact that they've started to show up when it
matters is really, really, really encouraging.
Even though a lot of those players are, probably not going
to be here next year. But the flip side of it is,
they're still not all the way there.
And, you know, from my perspective, when I watch so
much college basketball, when I watch teams that have a sense of
like the group and what they're supposed to do, and what their
mission is on a nightly basis, it just shows.
Rose. I think Kansas does a great job
of that. There's other teams.
I feel like do a great job of that.
Indiana does not when they when they're on.
They're among the best in the country at portraying that.
But when they're not they're just not.
And I don't think that's a coach thing.
I think that's a this group of players has not figured out that
you have to do that every single time.
I don't even think that, they know what that exactly is like
every single time, it's almost like they don't know themselves
until five minutes into some of these games.
I just think we just need to make sure we play no more Marie,
Brothers, the rest of this year because we don't do whether it's
Keegan Murray or Chris Murray. We just don't do well against
any of them worries. No, I'm with you because it's
funny because there's in all of those losses that I mentioned.
It's not like they didn't, you know, they have moments, they
don't show up because they're all different like, the Rutgers
one. They kind of, I would say no
showed most of that game. But like the Arizona, when they
fought back, they had Fightin They just couldn't get it done.
The Kansas game. That was that's really an
outlier. I'm not giving you that would be
like the Iowa. The loss that Iowa.
They came out blazing. They were, they were firing off,
they were engaged locked in, and then within that game, they just
weren't. They lost that, you know, the
Northwestern Road game, they weren't locked in and they were
locked in the Michigan State game.
They really never got locked in the Iowa game.
They just, you know, failed to get the ignition turned over.
So it's like there are games to your point where they start
locked in. You still can't feel like Great,
that it's not going to happen and even though they started
game unlocked and they can lock in.
So I think the answer is I don't think anybody knows.
I don't Woodson knows, I don't think Steve knows but I don't
think anybody knows what the answer is.
And that's kind of the frightening part.
It's, it's really remarkable. And it's it is a lot like just
kind of your I don't even know how to describe it.
Like, it is really like it's almost like if you're managing a
band and sometimes they give the greatest performances in the
history of Rock, And roll and other times.
Like I can't even do these guys even know how to play their
instruments and you never know who you're going to get before
they take the stage. What band are we?
You're the bad guy. What bander we?
Um I got a you know what? Let's ask the audience that if
you've made it this far in the podcast like what band are we
talking about here? By the way?
This is I gotta say, it's not limited.
I you we're doing this podcast. It's 9:15.
You know what just happened, Rutgers just lost it.
Minnesota. I mean an Illinois and Illinois
is pissing away a possible window.
Michigan. By the way, I'd like to note
Juwan, Howard made direct physical contact with Larry's,
Corrado, didn't get called for a technical foul.
I was told that was not a mattock technical foul.
What the heck? Anyway, onward, let's talk a
couple of other things here. So, Maddie will mentioned, I
feel nervous about this whole tournament?
Can we pin our hopes on anything?
The Iowa game. Brought back some PTSD
understandable. I've also got Patrick in the
comments. Mildly taunting me over the we
need to get over the PTSD thing. I get it look.
You can still hang your hat on a lot of things with this team.
I I feel like at the end of the day you almost I'm almost to
some degree if this was going to happen and I we know that this
is in the DNA of this team, it can happen if it was going to
have to happen, I didn't want it to happen but if it was going to
have to happen I guess it was better to have it happen there
because they've been embarrassed in front of their home fans.
They've been Start national television and that is going to
be. I think a good motivator for
this team for at least the next few games.
And look, you still, you still have a top, level player down
low, and Trace Jackson Davis, you still have a borderline
lottery pick in jail and Ruffino.
Like you've got all of those that those things didn't go
away. One bad game does not, suddenly
make all of those players suck and you're still playing teams
that are flawed. Dad, just like you are but
you're going to be doing it on a neutral floor.
I think Indiana is going to be okay.
And I think that you can still Bank on the things that Indiana
has done over the course of the last month and a half by and
large. I think if you know if I the
things that I would be worried about right now are if Indiana
runs into trouble early, how will they mentally handle that?
And, you know, will there be lingering doubt.
So, I really feel like for this Michigan game coming up in
Michigan, looks pretty resilient.
Now they're on an 18. 24 run here.
As we watch this Illinois game, they're up by 7 in overtime.
Well now they're up by five little for type.
Anyway, I'm not gonna stop doing play-by-play on this, but I
think Indiana needs a good start.
They need to get out. They need to get a little bit of
the lead. They need to be able to play
with the lead, and they need to get some confidence in
themselves and that's really where it all starts.
And then from there, you know, at this stage I think as long as
Indiana beats Michigan, which is not a foregone In conclusion, I
don't think the Iowa game is actually going to hurt them that
much in terms of seating. I think it knocks them off the
three line, probably permanently.
But I still had them as a for and I tried my damnedest to move
them down and I couldn't like, I could not justify moving them
below. Miami Below, Virginia.
If you think you can do better, go go do the Bracketology and
tell me what your justification was because I really couldn't,
and I was actively, like, I really need to put Indiana on
the 5 line. Lest I be accused of home.
ISM. But realistically, everybody's
got Indiana there because their resume is still good.
Now, you lose another home game that may be changes, but right
now they didn't do themselves so much damage in that game.
So now, we see what they do with the, the, the response to that,
I guess. So, to answer that question,
like I would say, this goes for the Michigan game and honestly,
for the rest of the games this year, I think that this team is
thinking about this, on the drive back because you heard
like, I heard the Don Fisher. Postgame.
It's like, yeah, we just don't Eric.
Sir were saying we don't have anybody to guard, Chris Murray,
and it's like, that's very true. I saw that all night.
Yeah, Illinois is now only down to told you all the way up.
Let's go play by, this is great. Play by play podcasting, people
listening to five days later and it's true.
We I felt bad for Miller copter in that game because like he
can't guard, Chris Murray. But my flip side, the argument
to that is that we have no one to guard Chris Murray.
But guess what I was got. No one to guard jail, huh?
Chaffee know. And they have no one to Our
Trace Jackson Davis, right? And so, what we need to do, a
better job of is making teams uncomfortable and make them be
uncomfortable with the matchup matchup issues that we provide
because very few teams, I would say in the country are able to
match up with Trace Jackson, Davis, and with Jalen Hood
Ruffino. Just a most teams don't have an
elite level guard and an elite-level post player.
I know it's tied and I know you're busy but they don't have
those two things. Now a lot of teams like
Michigan, Ian has jet Howard. We have no one who can guard
him. Chris Murray, there's a lot of
guys in that position that were not able to guard.
What we have to do is not let those guys get comfortable.
Let's play to our advantage, let's do a better deal.
Bet. The thing with that Iowa game is
you know it's like it's ate nothing before you know it hit
Ruffino. Miss an open, three trig Alamos,
knoblauch to one of those two goes down.
Maybe it's a totally different. Feel probably knocked sir, we
just do showed but the point stands within the first minute
and a half, it's like Chris Murray is comfy.
And he's cozy and like they're not worried about the matchup
problems that we provide. So in my that's what we have to
do. The rest of this season is like
immediately put our stamp on the game and let the other team,
whether it's Michigan or whoever we play in the next two
tournaments know, like make them not be like, oh, who you know
who's gonna guard Chris Murray or the Chris Murray facsimile.
But make that other team say, who are we, how are we going to
guard these two? Who's regard, the god, who's
gonna guard Trace? Who's gonna guard jail me, like,
we've got to put the other. We've got to push the game to
the other teams. That that's my I feel.
Yeah, I think that's right. I mean look this team is much
better at being the the decisive one, but they also sometimes do
too much of it, like Tony and I talked earlier on the podcast
like stop lobbying on breaks, they've lost so many
possessions, do you know, just throwing passes, the didn't need
to be thrown because this team tries to do too much, but by the
same token when they're passive, they get steamrolled by and
large. And so it's a delicate balance
with this particular group. And I Don't know exactly what to
say about it other than they have got to do a better job at
figuring out what they're supposed to be doing overall,
you know, on the thing that's wow, you, uh, you know, it's
funny, we're here. Criticizing iu4, struggling with
brakes, Illinois. Just blew three on one with
three and a half seconds left. Where they could have won the
game. They didn't even get a shot off
because of a terrible path. So maybe we're just being overly
Critical with IU for no reason this.
Might be the most bizarre listening experience that our
listeners have had in a while, so I can grant what other guys
had an open three. He not only passed up an open
three to win the game. He then pass it to your
horrible. This is great.
I'm sorry folks. What you really should do is
like, it's kind of like director commentary for a movie that you
didn't have a ticket to Wizard of Oz in the wall.
Like you gotta sync up this way. Dark Side of the Moon, not the
wall. Warty hazards on the
soundtracks. Got no, no.
Okay, you obviously haven't, you got really stoned when you put
it that way. Anything matches up with dark
side of the moon, right? Wait, actually, just like that
way. I bet Michigan Illinois.
Like if you, if you start on the second lion's roar, right?
When that passed goes behind, Matthew Myer.
Yeah. Yes.
A podcast brought to you by Columbia Records.
Couple of other questions or comments.
Jen gone. Her comment all day.
Today, I've been thinking about the fact it's going to be traces
last home game. It's crazy to me.
How quickly these four years have gone by?
I just hope he has a great last game.
He'll buy, you fans give him an amazing send-off.
I do I mean obviously I agree with all that and I will say,
like, the you mentioned Legacy earlier with trace and you know,
it's tough because like I mean I you got blown out by Iowa and
lost him. That was you know the
statistical game that people wanted out of Trace to previous
two games. He had a 26 and 13 with five
assists and 4 steals. I mean, I don't know what else
the guy could have done at least, you know, I mean he could
probably get it aboard. Offensively.
But everybody could have in that game, he has been, he's gonna be
an interesting case. Historically, you know,
statistically he's unassailable, you know, and unfortunately he's
at a school where statistical unassailable Leti is only part
of the the kind of the Codex of your career.
And ultimately I think what people want to see out of Trace
is HIM lead the team to something.
No. Worthy and there's such a thirst
for that among this fan base understandably so that you're
going to see some harsh words if he doesn't do that.
And I think that's unfortunate. I mean I think this is a player
that's been a national leader in three of his Four Seasons.
Essentially, you know, in offensive efficiency, he's been
a national leader in a bunch of Statistics across the board
over. The course of his whole career
and he's not really been given and think until this year a good
Supporting Cast to do things with.
And I think that the you know one day we're going to go back
and look at this group of games that started with that,
Wisconsin game on the 14th of January and ran all the way
through to the end of the conference season.
And we're going to be like, how the what, how what he did, what
he scored. Many points and grabbed, how
many rebounds and they beat Purdue twice, and they beat
Rutgers and they beat Illinois twice.
I mean, the, the accomplishments in that stretch and the
accomplishments that he's had, in terms of some of the other
individual moments are a level of special, you don't normally
see with IU players and it's going to be.
As you said, it's a shame that so much of that Legacy is kind
of on the line in terms of like, where does he rank?
It's a little bit like I think about a.j.
Guyton in some ways where Guyton never until his senior year,
really had a team around him that could complement him fully
and then, you know, right? At the end of it, a bunch of
stuff happens. And essentially the bottom falls
out of the of the mental and emotional aspects of that team.
So it's hard to really like fully quantify what AJ Guyton
did. And I think Tres Jackson Davis
has made a far greater contribution overall, then
Guyton did. That's not any aspersions.
Is on Guyton. I mean that's really more of a
huge compliment to trace Jackson Davis.
And so look, I hope Indiana goes out and wins handily.
I hope Trace Jackson, Davis gets a big Standing Ovation.
I hope he, you know, gets a chance to say what he wants to
say to the crowd. And I hope the crowds able to
give him the kind of appreciation that he deserves
over. You know, what has been a, an
exemplary career for an IU basketball player.
That's been unfortunately, marred by I you being in one of
the August doldrums periods of its program history.
Stole it from me. As you're talking, I'm looking
at the top 10 scoring list. It's like, every you skull.
The Guyton cop is just such a great call.
I will just expand on that. No, it's the, the top ten scores
of all time and IU basketball history.
You go Kent, Benson Damon, Bailey Alan Henderson Yogi.
Ferrell Mike Woodson, AJ Gaiden Trace Jackson.
Davis, Don Schult Steve Alford Calbert cheaney.
Everybody has either won a national title or a Big Ten
title in some cases. Both except for AJ Guyton, and
Trace Jackson. Descend, what's funny is you and
I went to the AJ Guyton is exactly the same age.
We had to school the exact same time.
I feel like he has a very high approval rating among the IU
fan. Nobody looks back.
And it's like, oh man, he was just all stats and no record and
he gets a little bit of end of night Sheen.
But you know, you look at his the teams that he was on 9 and 9
in the Big Ten, you know, his freshman year night and 7:00 in
the Big 10, 9 and 7 in the Big Ten and then 10 and 6 in the Big
Ten. 10 and he won, two, NCAA tournament games in four years.
I'm not knocking, AJ Guyton, but it's like, there's not a lot of
level high level success there either.
And so I'm with, it's not, this is not trying to knock AJ guy.
He's on my favorite players of all time, but it goes to show
that. I think Trace is also being
judged a little bit more harshly because he can basically match
all of those things, one more tournament win this year and he
can exceed them this year and his, you know, for his legacy.
Done being written. Like he leads this team to a,
you know, a hell of a game in the sweet 16 or the Elite 8.
That changes a lot of things. It takes seems to a final four,
that changes a million different things.
So it's not like that has to be said, it hasn't been written
yet. But I am with, you know, as it
stands for Sunday like this has been, you know, one of the most
influential IU basketball careers in the last 20 years,
you know, and and it's been a weird 20-year run, but this is
somebody who's put in a full four years, you know?
I would, I can't do have top my head, but it's like, since night
left, you know who were the most important players at IU, you
know, Yogi Ferrell is up there, you know, Zeller Oladipo or up
there and and Trace Jackson Davis is up there.
So it's, you know, well of the new new Central to its.
It's he's everyone should just cheer be happy, be happy.
He was here and you know, we can we can discuss Legacy in the off
season, but his legacy is going. Going to be up there.
It's just as you said it is, it is weird because there's a lot
of guys, you know, unfortunately a tie you guys who have a lot of
stats. Also have a lot of Team
accolades and unfortunately for a variety of reasons, it didn't
happen for Trace. But I'm with you, we will look
back on this stretch this year since J since January and be
like, what the hell did he do? Yeah, like really like that's
that's what he those are. What the numbers he put up and
he didn't win Big Ten Player of the Year.
Oh Edie had those numbers as well anyway.
So yeah. It's Yeah, it's go cheer.
I do wonder, you know, I will say this like you know, I mean
Yogi Ferrell ended up winning a Big Ten title is senior year.
Do we remember Yogi Ferrell the same way?
If he isn't a freshman on the team in 2013, it'll be Yogi
Ferrell to mean as much of an accomplished player as he was
was at a far better like structure.
In terms of Team around him then Trace Jackson Davis has had an
old, but his senior year. And even then I would take
probably Certainly two out of the four teams that Yogi Ferrell
had over this team. It just in terms of overall
composition and so I do think that you have to factor that
into the equation. A little bit with Trace,
Jackson, Davis, but we'll have time to talk about that and I'll
get a lot of. It will come down to what
happens in the tournament. Anyway, we've gone longer than I
thought we would on this one. So let me let me finish it off
with this. Like as we think about what is
going on, moving forward, you know we don't know what's going
to happen with with IU and the tournament.
You know, the even either, turn it.
What what number by do you think we're going to get to in the Big
Ten Tournament? Like we're going to have some
sorry. Not sorry, sorry sorry, not by
wrong word, what level? Tiebreak you think we're going
to get to in some of these well decisions.
Like are we going to get to a third time Break Forth tiebreak?
I mean I'll say it's funny right now.
Like, let's regardless of what happens in this Illinois,
Michigan game, which is still going on.
I was who the hell? What the hell does this look
like right now in double overtime?
It looks like Illinois is going to win.
Like to note, Michigan's already had like four players playing
over 40 minutes in this game, which bodes, well, since they
have to come to Bloomington and play in a couple of days.
But regardless of the direction that this goes with Rutgers
losing today, Indiana, if Indiana wins over Michigan.
If Michigan State beats Ohio state of Iowa, beats, Nebraska
of Wisconsin beats Minnesota. If Maryland beats Penn State,
and then if Purdue beats, Illinois and Rutgers beats
Northwestern Indiana's, the four seed.
In a three-way tie with Iowa and Maryland.
Indiana would finish fourth out of that but would still get the
double by because the tiebreak to both of them.
Yes. But we'd still be the fourth
seed because there were tied for second.
So it go. It would go pro, do it?
Yeah. It should be Purdue at 15 and 5
under that scenario, Iowa, 12 and 8, Maryland, 12 and 8,
Indiana 12 and 8, Michigan State, 11 8 and then Michigan 11
and 9 tied with Illinois. In Rutgers in Northwestern, you
know. Now, it could get crazier if
other teams lost and Indiana could actually improve their
ranking a little bit, not do anything that they would do
themselves, but more through, if other results went in a slightly
different way. But ultimately, you know,
Indiana, I think if they take care of business now is still
actually in relatively decent shape for that double by even if
they don't get it though, I don't know that it's the worst
thing in the world. If Indiana, Like, you know, has
to play on Thursday. If they're the five seed, they
play the 12, whoever they are the winner of the 1213 game and
then they get a chance to play a little bit, you know, against
the next T maybe they win that maybe they don't, they get a
couple extra days off, I don't think it's going to necessarily
hurt their seating. There's still going to be the 45
game. It doesn't matter really,
whether you're a four or five, I mean, it's like you might get a
slightly easier first round opponent as a five or is it for
is versus a five but who the hell knows?
Doesn't it kind of affect the ability to get the region like
the the Columbus Louisville? Well, you're not going to get
Columbus at this point. That's pretty much off the
table, so I would not worry about that.
I think the bigger question now is, can you get into a region?
That's going to feed into the South with the going to feed
into little? Well, that's certainly still on
the table so we'll see. Anyway, 45 matter for that.
No, it doesn't really because four and five generally will
play. They play in the same bracketed
region or sub-region. No, but you know, where it's
going to matter is just like where everybody else has fallen
in relation to things and that's that's going to be curious to
watch, I think moving forward. So look at this point, I think
Indiana's biggest thing is they've just got to win the game
in front of them when their first Big Ten Tournament game,
that's really all you got to do if you want to stay at that
level and then and honestly what happens in the turnip Big Ten
tournament at point doesn't matter.
Then it's About getting ready for the NCAA tournament.
This is like the one year where I would say punt the Big Ten
tournament. It's not going to significantly
help your seeding. I don't think and in and at the
end at the end of the day this team really needs the rest.
I think more than they need a couple of neutral Court winds
that may not even necessarily count that much in the eyes of
the tournament selection committee.
But we'll talk about that next week as we see who the actual
opponents might be. And that's the other way to look
at this glass. Half-full is You know, not
getting the double by everyone's at God's just more games, the
Big Ten Tournament. If you go one and one doesn't
really matter if you go one-on-one but you played on,
you know, Thursday and Friday. Instead of Friday and Saturday
actually gives you an extra day. Arrest.
Yeah. And I'm not saying you throw the
second game but it's like there is a world where if you're going
to go one and one I'd rather have that last game be Friday.
And then get an extra day of rest to your point.
And then you know because the chance of us running the table
and winning the Big Ten Tournament is prob probably
unlikely. And honestly with the way this
team it's like the More games. You go without having the dud, I
get nervous. So it's like I don't I want to
save all the good games. If we just ran the tournament,
the big tent. I'd be ecstatic if he cool but
then the there be a part of me, it's like, oh, like I the does
coming. I will say, I do Wonder
psychologically for the fanbase. How would you feel that?
Don't answer this. This is a rhetorical question,
this is more for the audience. How would you feel if this IU
team won? The Big Ten tournament and then
lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Think about that, will talk about it.
Next time. I don't want to hear, I don't
want her option. I want the other option.
No, I don't want to hear you. Want to hear your answer on this
but anyway, that'll wrap it up for us.
Thank you for sticking with us. I'm sorry.
This was a loopy podcast in a lot of ways but hopefully it was
entertaining to you. We're not going to finish the
play-by-play on the lll announce know you and I are going to
watch it on our own and then we'll talk about it next time.
How about that? Anyway, I you plays this weekend
Sunday? Senior Day against Michigan.
Be sure to watch that. We'll be back with more.
Thanks to home field. Apparel.
Thanks to our friends at the back home network and we'll
catch you folks on the flip side, bring back the Bison, so
everybody Apparel. Thanks to our friends at the
back home network and we'll catch you folks on the flip
side, bring back the Bison, so everybody