Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Crimson
Cast Women's Basketball Podcast. As always, I'm Amanda Foster
here alongside Kevin Barrett, bringing you all things Indiana
women's basketball related. Now, it's been a while since we
last recorded an episode. Kevin and I were talking like 2
1/2 weeks or so. It was right before then Indiana
went to go play Maine. Because of the craziness of
finals in the last few weeks of the school semester.
We haven't really had a chance to sit down, but we're here now,
both at home, so doing this virtually on our computers, Not
quite the same as sitting across from each other in the podcast
studio at the media school, but we'll take it.
And we're really at kind of the perfect point for an episode
because the non conference schedule is now over officially
and Big 10 play is about to start.
So of course, before we get into that, Kevin, I have to ask how,
since we always do in the beginning of every episode, How
have you been in the last few weeks?
How have things and since we last recorded our last episode
for you. I'm good.
It, it's like you said, it's
been a while. Apologies to all our dear fans
out there. I know you guys have missed this
very much in these past couple weeks.
But no, yeah, I mean, it's been crazy.
The semester ended for me, I guess a week ago now, a week ago
in a couple days. But I mean, it's that time of
the year for us. Amanda words, literally.
Basketball's in full swing. And I mean finals and
everything. And I mean, we got to also worry
about our families or whatnot. But I'm in Saint Louis now.
Good to be back here in the beautiful city of Saint Louis.
But yeah. How are you?
How are you, Amanda? How are you?
I'm doing well. My semester ended a little.
A while ago. A while ago, yeah.
So I came back. I I've been back at home up in
in New York for a while. I left like the first say no.
When did I leave? The week before finals week, So
whatever. I've been home for like 2 weeks
already because I didn't have any in person finals, which was
very nice. It's been great to be back home
as well. I did get questions from both my
mom and my sister about whether or not we recorded a podcast
episode last week. So they are two fans that are
going to be happy to hear this. They could probably hear me
recording this right now because I'm sitting in my bedroom, but
there are a couple people out there who who were waiting and
so now we are going to have a very packed episode, a long
episode to to kind of fill that need and fill that want, I
think. Yeah.
And I mean, look, again, apologies for the wait guys, but
I mean 2024 is coming. So we got 1000 more episodes on
the way, not 1000, but you get my point.
So we'll we'll we'll be back in in the full swing of things.
Yes. Well, so let's get into it.
A bunch of games happen that we should at least touch on before
we kind of really get going into talking about Big 10 play.
So let's start with a quick rundown.
Indiana had a close kind of unexpected win, close win over
Maine 67 to 59 that people were a little iffy about as it was
going on because that was uncharacteristic, not when
people expected quite so much. 7234 win over Stetson after that
6656 win over Rutgers, and that was Indiana's first conference
win, obviously. Then went on to beat Evansville
109 to 56 and that was when Garden Garzone dropped a 30
piece. And then the game right after it
was kind of the Sarah Scalia game at 8435 win over Bowling
Green. Sarah had eight three pointers,
scored 32 points. The the most points she's ever
scored in an in in an Indiana uniform.
Excuse me. So a very good couple of games
for Yarden and Sarah and Kevin. We don't have to talk about
every game individually since that would be going back a while
ago and that's a lot of games to talk about.
So what kind of stands out to you the most about this stretch
of games, about these few games? That's a good question.
Honestly, I think the biggest thing for me is Indiana's looked
a lot more Polish these past couple weeks, a lot more
comfortable in their own skin, especially offensively.
Offensively, it's kind of started to click for a few
players. Obviously Sarah's been the
biggest storyline these past couple weeks yard, and I mean
not every day you see a sophomore drop 30 points just
casually like Terry Morin said, a quiet 3030 points.
And I mean Sydney Parish as well.
She hasn't been lighting up the box score, but she's giving the
team a nice 10/12/15 points a night, you know what I mean?
And those performances add up and they definitely don't go
unnoticed to someone like me and obviously to someone like Coach
Morin. But I I think that's the biggest
thing is just simply they're finding a little bit of a
groove. They're a lot more polished
right now. They're they're playing good
quality basketball defensively. I think they're also looking a
little bit better. I mean they only gave up 35
points against Bowling Green, which is, I mean it doesn't
matter who you're playing that's, that's that's not a lot
of points. But yeah, I mean it's it's been
a good couple solid weeks for this team.
Some these type of performances are the type of performances you
want going into Big 10 play. We we saw it yesterday across
the landscape of college basketball that this week can be
somewhat of a dangerous week for programs just because it's
you're coming off the finals or you're finishing up finals and
and you're you know you're going into the holidays.
So I think Indiana should be very happy with where there are,
where they're at right now. And yeah, I mean, you just got
to carry in the momentum. Yeah, I was.
I was thinking that right after the Bowling Green that that's
kind of the best scenario Indiana could have had going
into conference play in a way. Because like you said, you only
give up 35 points and then you have somebody like Sarah Scalia
come on and play the best game that she's played in an Indiana
uniform. And she was talking about just
the confidence that that that brought her.
And you could, you could tell as we were watching.
She like she started smiling on the court after she made some 3
pointers which we know doesn't happen very much.
And she was like smiling on the bench and she was taken out and
it was a very good game. Because you you also need
somebody like Sarah to be as confident as she possibly can be
kind of when you're going into Big 10 play for that exact
reason. And I think she is feeling that
and I think she's also established herself.
This is one thing that has stood out to me as they played in
their non conference games that she's established herself as one
of the top three-point shooters in the conference.
By far she's shooting almost 48%, which leads the Big 10.
And if she can continue doing that, I mean like that's kind of
indispensable. That's you.
You can. It's hard to put into words kind
of what that can do for a team when you have somebody shooting
like that willing to shoot the ball whenever and then also
who's going to make it almost, you know, 50% of the time?
Yeah, and look, I I got to be careful with with this next
statement because I don't want people to take it out of
context. But I think it's fair to say
that Sarah's been Indiana's best player this year.
You know, I think, look, I mean, obviously Mackenzie's right
there. You know, Mackenzie is Mackenzie
Holmes and she's the All American.
But I I, I, I'm confident in saying this that Sarah's been at
least Indiana's best offensive threat this season and we're
sort of seeing that now. I mean, she's coming off a
couple few weeks where she's really sort of found herself in
the game. You know what I mean?
The conversation in this season, in this offseason was, OK,
Sarah's had a little bit of a down year in her first year with
Indiana, right? Can she sort of turn things
around and be that type of point guard that we saw when she was
playing over at Minnesota? And look, I mean, there's still
the entire conference, late, left to go in the tournament,
the conference tournament, and then obviously March Madness.
But I mean, right now, Sarah's been Indiana's best player.
Yeah, and I did. So I kind of noted some other
things to to talk about. In the last stretch of games
that we've seen, you mentioned the defense improving a lot.
That was evident in the Bowling Green game, especially Chloe
Moore. McNeil has been doing a lot, not
in terms of things that are necessarily going to show up on
the stat sheet, kind of like Sydney Parish in that way, other
than the the double figures that Sydney's often, more often than
not putting up. But Chloe is everywhere
defensively, but then she's also all of her off fall movements
that she's been doing like Terry Moore and talked about that's
where she excels and I feel like you've been able to see that a
lot more recently, which is also just as important for this team
heading into Big 10 play. One thing I did want to touch
on, You mentioned Mackenzie Holmes the last two games to me
at least, and again like this is something that I feel like you
do have to be careful saying. But she she's looked a little
bit off in terms of like she had a couple turnovers against
Bowling Green last night. She was missing some free
throws. She wasn't necessarily making
lay UPS. That seems like she would have
made or she is able to make. I like Indiana had two players
in two separate games score 30 plus points.
So that says a lot about the team and the makeup of the team
itself that they don't need Mackenzie to be putting up, you
know, double figures every game. But I think it is something to
kind of just keep an eye on maybe as we head into Big 10
play, just to see obviously don't want to make like
assumptions about anything or or speculate at all.
But to me at least, she's looked kind of a little bit off
recently. So I just wanted to kind of
bring a little bit of attention to that.
But also like, there's no need for an overreaction.
There's no need to, you know, freak out about anything.
Yeah, I I mean, I think bringing that point up is very fair,
especially after Terry talked about it.
I mean, Coach Bourne talked about it after the Evansville
game. I actually, I mean, you're
smiling because I shot you a text right after, she said in
her press conference after Evansville saying, hey, I just
need Mackenzie to be better. There was some things that make
or that Coach Morin saw that she didn't like about Mackenzie sort
of getting beat down the court. I remember that was one of them.
I don't remember all of them. But you know if if your coach is
right there criticizing you, I think it's it's it's if you're a
player like Mackenzie Holmes. I think the criticism is fair
coming from your head coach and look, you can get AI don't want
to say you can get away with it right now because you you got to
take every game seriously. You got to take every game one
game at a time, but you know you win.
It's not going to fly here come December 31st, right?
You can maybe get away with it against Evansville, maybe get
away with it against Bowling Green, Again, no disrespect
right there. But when you go up against
Illinois, when you even go up against the team like Nebraska
that they have and for their third conference game or 4th I
should say conference game of the year, you know that's not
really going to fly. And and look I don't think it's
something to worry about. I the thing that stirs my mind
is is there something we're not saying behind the scenes?
Right is is Mackenzie fully percent healthy is there
something in that sort of area that we don't know.
Look we're probably not going to get an answer to it but you
know, I don't I don't think there should be a worry of
concern. But I it it is I I didn't notice
it as much to be quite honest with you.
I mean I've watched this team this is my third season of
covering the team. I've watched McKenzie these past
two years and and I think McKenzie is in a similar spot I
would say. But I I understand the point of
concern from coach Warren but look I mean it's it's just
something that I I think we have to see sort of a few more weeks.
I just it it it's just the the thing that's interesting to me
about it and this is what I I told you is it's not so much her
on the field. It's more to her on the court.
It's more Terry bringing it up. Because I I had.
I have yet to see Coach Moran go out not go after but sort of
send a message to her top player in these past two years that
have been around the team 2 1/2 years.
That was what was really interesting to me.
Yeah, well, we've talked about it before.
Terry can be blunt. She's not afraid to to say
things in press conferences. And so, you know when she says
something like that, she means it and she's OK.
So that also shows that she's OK saying it, which means that
she's also already already more than likely talked to Mackenzie
about it. And it's like a well known thing
that like, hey, you just need to be better.
And it's not like it's not a knock on her necessarily.
It's just backs. It's just the truth in in their
mind. And so it is.
I mean it's a well, it's not OK, not like that.
But like they, you know, it's it's not like a point of
contention. If you're gonna bring it up for
Terry, if she's gonna bring it up in a press conference, like
that's not something that's like super crazy out there for her to
say. So your point though.
Yes. Yeah to your point is I mean
with Terry bringing it up us to the media and pushing that out
publicly or saying that saying that publicly that that that
shows you two things that shows you what the relationship that
Terry and and Mackenzie have. They both trust each other on a
level where with something like this popping up they can both
handle it in a mature setting, right.
You know, because it's not easy as a how 2122 year old.
Yeah. To I mean you're you're an all
American and then for your coach to criticize you against a knock
off, a knock off a non conference win that was 50 plus
points. You know what I mean?
And to it, it just goes to show you the the stability that Terry
has in that locker room, which is a very important factor.
And I mean you're right you said it that they've probably been
over this. They've probably had after
practice or before practice, had a moment between themselves of
say of Terry saying something along the lines of, hey, look, I
know the type of player you can be and for whatever reason,
whatever reason that may be, there might not even be a
reason. But you just haven't been to the
level that I've wanted you to be these past few games.
And I and I think if I was Mackenzie, if I was a player
like Mackenzie and I had a coach come up to me and and say that
to me in that sort of setting like she'd been in that press
conference, I think I would take it very well saying like, hey,
look, I I got to take it up a notch, you know what I mean?
I got to come on and and just simply be better.
Right. And yeah, it's we'll see how it
shakes out in the next two weeks.
I think, like you said, it is something that we're just going
to have to. It'll figure itself out because
she is Mackenzie Holmes at the end of the day and she knows
what she's capable and everybody else knows what she's capable
of. And it's not like that's just
going to go away and not come back or anything like that.
So just something to kind of keep an eye on.
We could keep talking about that probably for a very, very long
time. But we do have to kind of keep
things rolling a little bit. So we can now kind of get into
sort of the the core of this episode, which is Big 10 play.
And we've touched on it before obviously.
And I want to 1st talk about kind of just the Big 10 as a
whole, the conference as a whole before we get into who Indiana
will play starting out here. So in some ways, it seems like
the conference is shaping up kind of just as expected, and in
other ways, not so much Iowa at the top of the table.
So no one's surprise at all because Caitlyn Clark is making
headlines every single day, as she should.
They are 12 and one. And interestingly enough, the
one loss came at home in Iowa City to Kansas State.
And that game was, I believe, in the like it was in the first
week of play and kind of shook everybody.
But then Iowa obviously bounced back and they've been perfectly
fine and Caitlyn Clark is getting triple double S and
double double S all over the place.
But it's also interesting because you know you do look at
their schedule the like Iowa's major non conference opponents
seem to have only been like for me when I look at it, Virginia
Tech and Kansas State and then they play sort of like middle of
the pack teams. Nobody else really jumps out.
Obviously, Iowa is very, very good, in large part thanks to
Kent and Clark. But something to kind of keep in
mind maybe just down the road as we get closer into March and
selection, whatnot comes into play.
Just something that I noticed when I was looking at their
schedule. Minnesota is also doing pretty
well. They only have one loss and
that's to U Conn and obviously UConn is is U Conn.
But again, they also haven't played a whole lot of other
major teams. Indiana has that one loss as
well to Stanford and then Ohio State is 10 and two with losses
to USC and UCLA. So you've got Iowa, Indiana and
Ohio State, which everybody was kind of expecting.
Minnesota was a wild card for me.
I didn't think they were going to start out as well as they
did, but I also didn't really have a grasp on what their
schedule was going to look like. So looking at that, it makes a
little bit more sense. Illinois, which Indiana, we'll
see Illinois very soon. Somewhat of a surprise for for
people because they're six and five and coming into the the
season and in the preseason people expected Illinois to be
pretty solid. They haven't been going up
against you know super high level opponents either like like
most of these teams because it is non conference play, they
lost to Notre Dame and Notre Dame is very, very good.
But it also seems like they just haven't been able to kind of
close it out and and come back in close games.
A lot of their their losses have been fairly close and Indiana is
Illinois or next opponent. So like I said, we'll get to
them more specifically in a little bit.
Kevin, I first wanted to ask kind of what, what do you think
about the Big 10 so far? What do you think we can expect
in kind of the whole of conference play?
What do you hope to see in the whole of conference play now
that we've kind of seen how some of these teams look and how they
play? I think it's Iowa's conference
to lose. I think it's clear cut that Iowa
is the top team at least going into conference play.
You know there were some conversations at the beginning
of the season about Iowa or excuse me Ohio State being
possibly the top team in the conference just because of the
sheer talent they were bringing back.
They were they're the most veteran roster in the in in the
Big 10 you could say. But Iowa right now because of
Caitlin Clark obviously, right. I think, you know it's it's
weird to say that Caitlin Clark took a step forward this year
because you can be like all right well how much better can
she get? But it's kind of seems exactly
it kind of seems like that right now.
But again we still have all of conference play to go.
We still have March. But I mean Iowa is the team to
beat right now. It's their conference to lose.
I think I would go, I think I would go Iowa, Ohio State,
Indiana. I think that's that's the route
or excuse me the the ranking I would go.
I think it could very easily be Iowa, Indiana Ohio State come
last week of February. But right now I mean we just
have yet to see how Indiana pairs up against a bit against
the Big 10 opponent opponent other than Rutgers obviously.
But look, I mean it, it should be a fun year.
Again, there's there's like you mentioned, there's a few things
that we knew what was going to happen with this team or I'm
sorry, with this conference. But there's also a few
questions. You know what I mean?
Like can like, I mean, let's just think of Iowa for a second.
Can Iowa hold it together this entire season with relying as
much as they have on Caitlin Clark?
I think the answer is yes. I think that is what's going to
be the case. But you know, there's a lot of
questions. That have yet to be answered,
but should be a very fun, fun season.
I think a little bit more surprises are going to come out
of the Big 10 than these past two years, is what I would say.
Yeah, well we've seen in the past.
Granted this is has not really been this year with the
exception of the Kansas State game.
I guess we've seen when Caitlin Clark doesn't play as well as
she, she usually does and she is shut down.
She's averaging 30 points per game, which is crazy when you
when you think about it, that's just ridiculous.
But there are going to be teams out there that are just going to
have the physicality or the capability probably to limit
her. And so it is going to be
interesting like you said with the way that that Iowa plays and
and they kind of they're relying Caitlin Clark and Caitlin Clark
is the one like she can pick them back up and give them
momentum with those ridiculous 3 pointers that she makes.
It's going to be interesting when if people are able, able to
shut that down, you know, Ohio State once again if they can.
And I was watching them play the other day, I don't remember who
they were playing. But that full court press is,
you know, that's the staple of their game.
Everybody knows that they've been doing it for so long, but
people have such trouble breaking it.
It was when they were playing UCLA and that's what stood out
to me because UCLA beat them and UCLA is very good.
But the chaos that that full court press causes is going to
be something that I'm excited for, but then also I'm not
excited for because Indiana has not been great at breaking those
full court presses. We saw that in the Big 10
tournament last year. But that's going to be something
for Ohio State. I think like if you're looking
at how Caitlin Clark controls the gate for Iowa, for Ohio
State, it's going to be if people can figure out how to
break their press or not. And then if they can't, then
Ohio State is pretty well set up to be very, very competitive in
the conference like you said. That that's the team that I'm
going to be very focused on this season.
It's just how well can because it kind of seems like if if
there's a year that Ohio State can come on top of the
conference, it's going to be this year just with with the
people they have on the roster, with the the veteran presence
they have on their roster. And I mean look it's only time
will tell. You know it's going to be fun.
It's going to be I mean Indiana also like like this is a very
like yeah, I mean Indiana as well is is a team filled with
questions come Big 10 play just because you're missing Grace
Burger and you you have a very young not even young but just a
very a group that has not played a lot together in environments
as chaotic as they're going to see come big time play.
And we saw it against Stanford and everybody knows what
happened against Stanford in that game.
But you know I mean look I mean Indiana could also very easily
take the top spot in the it's it's kind of AI don't want to
say a wild card because I think if I was a betting man if I had
to put money on it now December 23rd I would put Iowa wins the
conference. But all three of them could very
easily take that top spot. Right.
When we haven't, we also haven't even talked about like Maryland.
We barely mentioned Michigan. Like that's.
With this, with this conference, and you say it every year, but
it rings true every year, is that anyone can win on any given
day and anyone can go on a run and be like remember Ohio State
last year they were so good and then they completely dropped
off. And so it's just this, there's
so many questions. You could go down the line and
bring up questions for every team, but then also point to to
the possibility that almost every team could compete and and
come away with at least like a high-ranking spot.
Obviously not every team is going to have a chance to to win
the conference, but a lot of teams do and a lot of teams can
can impact that. And so it is just there are so
many things about women's basketball that make it so fun.
And I think the fact that you can raise so many questions
about teams and and point to so many teams that are capable of
winning makes it even better because you you never know
what's going to happen. And if you are a betting man or
a betting woman, you really are just kind of like throwing it
out there and saying please, like, I think, I think, but you
never know. Yeah.
There's there's a level of uncertainty that's that's pretty
cool coming into the season because we all know like the the
capabilities of these teams but there's little little factors
that sort of change these things which which again that should be
fun And and I'm curious one thing I'm curious is, is the
seating come Big 10 tournament is like who's going to be the
one who's going to be the two who's like where is that going
to fall off And and you know, I mean that that could have some
implications come Selection Sunday.
Look, I don't want to get too ahead of ourselves.
Look we're not even the 2024 yet.
It's still December. Yeah, exactly.
But yeah, should be very fun. I'm very excited for the for the
conference tournament this year or conference season.
Yeah, all of it. All of it's fun.
All. Of it exactly.
All of it, Yeah. You're allowed to be excited for
the conference tournament, I know I am.
But so let's get into to talking about Illinois a little bit more
specifically. Both teams get a nice holiday
break and then Illinois will come to Bloomington at 12:30 in
the afternoon obviously on December 31st.
So right before we we ring in the New year, like I said
earlier, Illinois will come in six and five and looking for
their first Big 10 win because I lost to Michigan 84 to 48
earlier in the season. They do have four players who
average double figures in scoring.
Genesis Bryant leads the team with 15.2 points per game.
They average around 75 points per game, but obviously have
been held to less than that in some of their losses.
And they make between 5:00 and 6:00 threes and most of them do
come from Genesis Bryant. I was watching, I believe it was
when they were playing Missouri, and I think I texted you about
this. Yeah, you did.
Where she was just, yeah, she every, it was like every time
she held the ball and she was on the perimeter, she shot it and
she made it, which was really impressive.
And Illinois ended up losing that game in the last few
seconds, I think, and that was kind of that goes back to what I
was saying earlier is that they don't necessarily seem like they
have all the capabilities of pulling out close games.
But with that being said, obviously they still do have a
great deal of talent coming and they were ranked highly in the
preseason. So with that kind of Kevin, what
do you think we should expect for this game, especially that
both teams will be coming in on a on a pretty hefty break where
they're all going to be, you know, at home with their
families and not necessarily maybe in the gym every single
day? First thing I mean I wish I was
there. I I I hate that this game is on
December 31st. I wish I could be there, but I
think you just got to expect a little bit of sloppiness from
the start from both sides. I mean the the break that that
students get this time of year in any sport really I think goes
unnoticed. I think the the the amount of
time off that they have is a good thing, don't get me wrong.
But I mean it plays a big factor come your first game off that
break. But look, I mean here's the
thing about Illinois is that at times they look like a top
three, top five team in the conference and then at times
they don't. I mean, just to put it
blatantly, they just don't look like the team they're supposed
to be. You know they that the loss
against Michigan. I understand.
Michigan's also in that conversation about what being
one of the top teams in the conference this year.
But that was a bad loss just simply because I was a near 40
plus point loss. You know what I mean it it's
just I think from here on out what I need to see from Illinois
is I need to see some sort of stability, some sort of
consistency I should say. Because when they're on their,
when they're on their game, they can be right up there with Iowa,
Ohio State and Indiana in this conference.
But when they're not you know what I mean?
They're towards the bottom. And and I I'm kind of going
around your question just simply because I don't know what the
Illinois team is going to show up to come December 31st, right.
You have to take in all these factors and the fact that they
haven't necessarily, in my opinion haven't played up to the
level that they have or that they can.
It's it's a little bit of a toss up right now because you know,
we're still more than a week away from from that game.
Yeah. Well, and I like that you said
kind of Illinois is not playing how they're supposed to or have
like they're not kind of doing what they're they're supposed to
because it shows the potential that they have to be a very
skilled, high level team in this conference.
And I I kind of wonder if that is going to play a role.
You know, you have this break and you kind of get your mind
right and you think like, hey, we should be winning some of
these games and you know, we need to start winning some of
these games. And you know, why not go play a
top 15 or top 20 team in Indiana and make that kind of, you know,
like start out our run that way So it is.
And then on the flip side, obviously Indiana has that break
and there's a lot that they have to work on to, to prepare for
Big 10 play as well. Given just kind of the the
difference in the the level of the the play and the
physicality. And you know, all that stuff
that you can talk about about how the Big 10 is different from
non conference opponents. But there's going to be a lot
that I think both and all of the players in both teams can kind
of sit with with this break to prepare themselves for this
game. Well, people got to remember
with Illinois is they were one of four teams that were in the
AP pool start the season. Look, I understand the AP pool
is it doesn't matter at all in the first week, right.
You know what I mean? Like it doesn't matter if you're
the number one team in the country.
It it plays a little, very little factor in in your season.
But it was Iowa, Indiana, Ohio State, right.
I'm sorry, one of five Iowa, Indiana, Ohio State, Maryland
and then Illinois was #25. So there is some expectations
there for this team, right? And and you got to realize that
they just haven't been playing that well and and look in
Indiana's favor it's it's it's a good thing that it's going to be
at home. I think there's going to be a
very I was very surprised by the crowd that showed up against
Evansville. I was on the call for that game
on the radio good for Hoosier nation to show up.
I I It was very surprising to see to see a nice crowd, Terry
Moore and talked about it too. But I think that's going to play
a big deal. But yeah, I mean, it's just, I'm
curious what team we're going to get from the Illinois side come
that game. Yeah, well I will say I think
this game has the potential to be played a lot from the
perimeter if both teams, if they're 3 point shooters, can
can get hot and stay hot. Like if Sarah comes in and she
shoots even, you know, half as well as she did against Bowling
Green, you know, puts up four or five three pointers and Genesis
Bryant does the same thing. You know that that drives a lot
of the game and so that and that's also obviously going to
change a lot of the inside game, especially for Indiana.
So I think that's another thing is that you don't even know how
the game's going to be played because it just depends on who's
feeling it that game and who comes out and who is the most
ready and the most prepared, I guess, which is, you know, it's
just a whole other thing of you just like you said, have have
really no idea what's going to happen.
So after that, obviously that's going to round out the 2023
season for Indiana because Indiana well, then the calendar
year, not the season, the well, so the 2324 season, but the
year, yeah, So Indiana will play Michigan January 4th at home and
then they're going to travel to Nebraska on the 7th.
And so you're kind of, if if you can look at it from the
perspective of Indiana's not necessarily playing the toughest
teams in the conference to start out.
You know there's there's no Ohio State, there's no Iowa, there's
no Maryland. But like we said, The thing is
that anybody can win on any given day.
And Michigan and Nebraska are certainly teams that pose very
significant threats, I think especially as you get into Big
10 play and everybody gets a little bit more comfortable with
the way the game is being played.
Yeah. First of all, correction.
Illinois was 23 in the AP pool to to start.
The 1st 25. But I checked the 23, but yeah,
I I mean you you have a good point right there saying that
they don't start off. I mean they could have, I don't
know how easy it would have been, but they could have
started off with going to Columbus or you know having
their first game of the conference season.
But I think it's a good good couple games where we can see
where Indiana might be come conference play.
I think this is a good. I think the Illinois and
Michigan back-to-back is a really good test just because I
think those are two quality teams right there or teams that
can show Indiana a fight. You know what I mean if we, if
we look I I if any Michigan fans are listening out there, I I
apologize for this next statement.
But if you want to talk about an inconsistent basketball team
these past couple years, it is the Michigan Wolverines and and
May. I mean, we've seen that in the
past two. Years.
It'll hold that, Kevin. Yeah.
It it's it's just a team that has had so much potential but
hasn't been able to capitalize on it.
And this year they have a couple losses where it's like really
it's like Dang, like you you those are bad losses.
But to go back to what I was saying is, I think, I think this
is a good test. I mean, Nebraska is not a small
task either. Nebraska's got 2/2 of the top
players in the in the in the conference and you know that's
their first true away game of you know, to start Big 10 play.
Yeah you went to Rutgers. But right now you know come
January 7th, you know that's that's that's their true test.
And look it's not I've I've talked to a few a lot of people
in and around the Big 10 conference and they all say the
same thing that it's hard to go and play it in Nebraska just
simply because it's a long trip. It's and especially at this time
of year it's a long trip. It's cold.
You know getting there is not the easiest.
So you know it. I think these three games right
here to start the count to start 2324 Big 10 season is is going
to be a good spot for Indiana. See where they're at.
I think win or loss, Terry's going to take a step back and
and analyze, really analyze this team and and I have a feeling
that after these three games we might be able to see, I don't
want to say lineup changes, but maybe a new style moving
forward. It's somewhat, you know, you say
that and it's a little bit reminiscent maybe of the
Stanford game of kind of like a a litmus test, if you will, just
to see where the team is at. If they have the the capability
and the mindset to withstand the pressure that's going to come
with the the travel. Like you said, going all the way
out to Nebraska, the amount of games that you're playing and
the level of the teams that you're just going to play
back-to-back to back-to-back. You know, there there are a lot
of players on the team for Indiana who haven't really seen
that level of pressure in the group that they're in.
And that's what people talk about after Stanford.
It's just like you have to kind of get thrown into the fire and
figure it out, you know, and then the coaches will help you
figure it out. But you just have to go and you
have to start and I think this is kind of like you said just
it's that's what it's going to be in the in the beginning at
least. Yeah, and I mean, look, it's
going to be a again, we're going to have one or two more episodes
before this game. And I don't want to get ahead of
myself, but it's a quick turn around you, I mean you finish up
Nebraska and you have Penn State, who I mean, Indiana
should handle pretty comfortably, but then you have
Iowa, Iowa City, right. You know what I mean?
So it's it's going to be we're going to find out a lot about
this Indiana team after these three Big 10 games after after
Nebraska. You're going to find out a lot
about what this team is going to be not just capable of doing or
but where they can improve and sort of where they might be
headed and and it's going to be fun to watch.
Yeah. Oh, tons of fun.
Tons of fun. Very exciting.
So that'll just about do it for today's episode.
As always, thanks so much for tuning in.
We'll be back in the new year at some point.
To recap, Indiana start in Big 10 play and the start of what
they hope will be another Big 10 championship run, I'm sure.
As always, follow along with our coverage here on Crimson Cast,
over on X Twitter, whatever you want to call it, and on inside
the hall from Kevin and myself. Happy Holidays and Happy New
Year and we will talk to you in 2024.