1 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,080 You're listening to the Back Home Network presented by Home 2 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:21,800 Field Apparel. Welcome back to Crimson Cast, 3 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:25,080 Galen, Favio, Scott Caulfield joining you. 4 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:29,600 It is the 6th of December of the year 2023. 5 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,720 Good to have you folks joining us once again as we are back 6 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:38,120 after a bit of a hiatus, some holidays, some vacations, a 7 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:42,320 little bit everything going on, but we're back tons to talk 8 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,000 about in the IU universe. And Scott, that's how we like 9 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:47,800 it. We're on the positive side of 10 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:52,320 the changeover period here as there's room for optimism with 11 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,920 football. Again, there's room for optimism 12 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,760 with basketball. I feel like we're in a better 13 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,120 mental space than we were two weeks ago. 14 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,560 Yes, I I mean, I remember this is like maybe, but before the 15 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,400 2021 football season, I remember like thinking like, man, we're 16 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,640 about to have a great run of Indiana sports. 17 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,760 And like, there's some, like, I forget that was like the last 18 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,360 Oladipo Pacers year. But I I was thinking about that 19 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,800 today. It's like, you know, we coach 20 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,520 Sig has been great for football. And then we beat Maryland and we 21 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,080 win a road game at Michigan. And then I was at the Pacers 22 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:25,280 playing game against the Celtics there tonight. 23 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,400 And it's like, there's again, I've been hurt too much. 24 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:29,960 I'm kind of like this is too good. 25 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:31,400 Like there's too many good things in a row. 26 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:32,800 Like I don't deserve this. Like what? 27 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,720 What's next? Like something bad is going to 28 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:36,760 happen. I think last time we did this, 29 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,280 that's when you came to the game with me and then Oladipo broke 30 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,080 his leg. So it's like I maybe, maybe I 31 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:42,360 need to stay away from you. You might need. 32 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:44,640 To go back to Hawaii for a little bit, I might do that. 33 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,120 Well, I would go back anyway, as you know that would be a better 34 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,240 place to recoup. But no, it's it's been a, it's 35 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,360 been a great week. Yeah, it has been and we're 36 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,400 going to talk all about it. We've got football talk as we 37 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,800 kind of recap most of the first week of the Kurt Signetti area. 38 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,760 We're we're not a full week in, but we're we're close and we'll 39 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,720 also talk about IU basketball men's team doing some good stuff 40 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,320 out there and did something they haven't done in quite a while. 41 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,880 We'll talk about that and we've got some conceptual things we 42 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,160 need to discuss with both of these programs. 43 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:19,160 So we're going to get to all that. 44 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,200 But first of all, just a reminder folks, that we are part 45 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,120 of the Back Home network and the back home network is brought to 46 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,280 you by Home Field apparel, your place to go for the finest in 47 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,360 college fashions, the softest fabrics, the coolest designs, 48 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,080 the place to go during the holiday season. 49 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,280 Right now they're having their 12 days of home field 50 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:44,400 celebration and if you use the Code home team, you can get 20% 51 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:46,720 off Home field branded gear. Actually, that promotion's 52 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:52,080 ending today, so you you if you try it again in 364 days. 53 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,320 Yeah, right. Listen, you're if you're in the 54 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,920 room with us while we're recording, utilize that please. 55 00:02:57,920 --> 00:02:59,960 But no, just a ton of stuff going on. 56 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:04,200 Mystery box Tees. If you missed that yesterday 57 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:08,080 they had 40% off a random vintage inspired T-shirt, which 58 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,440 is always a big hit. You got to go to home Field and 59 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:16,160 subscribe to their newsletter because like, I'm just reading 60 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:16,920 these. These are not. 61 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:20,400 They didn't send me special copy or anything like that. 62 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,400 I'm just in my e-mail and Home Field has been sending me these 63 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:28,280 things so that we can see them and we can tell them to you, the 64 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,920 listener. If you would like to be added to 65 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:34,840 these, you can go to homefieldapparel.com and 66 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,800 subscribe there, Subscribe to them on their social media 67 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:39,160 accounts. They've got so much awesome 68 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,320 stuff and they had a a huge Black Friday sale that happens 69 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,200 every year that a huge Cyber Monday sale. 70 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,720 So get yourself some home field gear if you haven't already. 71 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,560 There's sure to be at least 20 things that you will want to put 72 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:54,960 on your body or the body of a loved one. 73 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,680 So again, home field apparel.com and if you are the first if the 74 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:03,640 first time you're using it use the code Home 23 get 15% off 75 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,440 your first order. Also just a reminder, Crimson 76 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,800 Cast is on sub stack and it's that's the place to be. 77 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,040 We're having some great conversations, some little chats 78 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,360 not just with us but also with our friends at the back home. 79 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:20,519 Network Assembly call is on sub stack as well. 80 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:24,240 We have been overwhelmed positively with the response. 81 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:30,760 642 people have now subscribed and you are getting free e-mail 82 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,440 that lets you know when we have our latest episode. 83 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:35,880 We've also got a paid subscription option. 84 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,600 It's very reasonable. 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It is a great place to go. 95 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,960 I think certainly the best place to go for Crimson Cast content. 96 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,920 We try to cover IU on a regular basis. 97 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,040 Hopefully you'll join us there and maybe a nice stocking 98 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,360 stuffer for the person in your life that loves IU. 99 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:24,400 You could always buy them a subscription. 100 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:29,080 So my plug to you folks. Anyway, thanks for joining us on 101 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,000 Sub Stack folks and be sure to subscribe to Assembly Call as 102 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,280 well as you'll see a lot of great reporting and a lot of 103 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:37,080 great content there also. All right, Scott, let's talk 104 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,280 football. To start with, as IU is almost a 105 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:45,800 full week into the Kurt Cignetti era, a lot to discuss. 106 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,920 I think maybe first of all, you and I did an emergency live show 107 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,200 when it was clear that Kurt Cignetti was being hired. 108 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,880 You've had a chance to marinate on this hire for the last six or 109 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,000 seven days. What is your overall reflection 110 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,120 right now on the hire? I love it. 111 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,840 I mean, it's great. Like he he's been a breath of 112 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:07,840 fresh air, the attitude that he's come in. 113 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,600 So I was at the Maryland basketball game and he came out 114 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:12,840 and, you know, fans were cheering. 115 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:14,600 And he's kind of pumping his fists and doing all that. 116 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,880 And you saw him just kind of interacting even before he went 117 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:18,840 out. And then he had just that moment 118 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:21,640 on the court where he, you know, says, you know, like I'm not 119 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:23,240 taking a backseat, you know, produce sucks. 120 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:24,720 Ohio State sucks. Michigan sucks. 121 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:27,320 I loved all that. My, my, my. 122 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,160 The funny part of the reaction to this, since I think you and I 123 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,080 have had similar thoughts, is like, I love, I love the little 124 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:35,600 bit of blowback about like, oh, I don't. 125 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,480 Should we say that to, you know, Ohio State, to the two parts? 126 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,880 Like, should we say that about Ohio State, Michigan, Like, what 127 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:42,480 are they going to do, beat us by more? 128 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:44,480 Like, I think you've said that it's like already going to beat 129 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:46,640 us. But the part that I love more 130 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:47,520 was. We. 131 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,720 We saw a couple I think you know hammer and rails like tweeted at 132 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:52,800 the Crimson cast account. A couple of the Purdue people 133 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,280 are like oh man. Like Sam Purdue sucks. 134 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:58,040 Like, is that is that should you do that I'm like you guys will 135 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,840 be playing like women's lacrosse against Northwestern and yell IU 136 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:05,520 sucks like you have kids born in the hospital and West Lafayette 137 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,240 and you'll yell yell IU sucks like now we do it once and oh 138 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,360 we're clutching our pearls like my God, how dare you It's like, 139 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:14,560 my gosh, like. No one. 140 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,200 No one, No one, No one, No one ever accused Purdue new fans of 141 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,800 self-awareness, OK? I I love it all and it it this 142 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,600 is what I mean. Again, you're winning the press 143 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:26,960 conference. You're winning the first week 144 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,480 like that. You know you do need to put some 145 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,800 of this into wins on the field, but that's nine months from now. 146 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,440 Like with there's nothing else to talk about. 147 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,200 The attitude is is so refreshing and so needed and I was thinking 148 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,960 you know we haven't, you know you're you're the better one to 149 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:44,960 ask. But as I go back like I can't 150 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:49,040 remember a coach that came in with this kind of edge like 151 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,600 Kevin Wilson kind of came in with like you know, Alan Alan 152 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,520 kind of came in under the cloak of darkness and then that was 153 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,600 that, you know, Wilson came in and was kind of like you know 154 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,280 this is not a real program. Like I need to show you got like 155 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:05,080 this is not big time football, but it wasn't really a rah, rah 156 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,320 type guy. You know, Lynch came in under 157 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,840 very unique circumstances. I think Hepner came in with kind 158 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,480 of a very positive attitude but not kind of the chippy like hey 159 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,720 man, screw them like you know they suck. 160 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,560 Like, I don't remember the last time we had a coach kind of come 161 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,400 in with that edge. And I like it because it's like, 162 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,080 it goes back to, I think what you had said is like, who cares, 163 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:27,680 man, what? Michigan's already beating us by 164 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,120 30. Like, let's go in and have some 165 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:30,360 edge. And it's the thing that you and 166 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,000 I have talked about ad nauseam for years. 167 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,640 Like, you have to be past a point where you know, those just 168 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,000 can't be chalked up as losses. Like you can't just say, well, 169 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,320 we're best we can do is, you know, 8th or 9th in the Big 10. 170 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:44,920 You have to have a bit of an edge. 171 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,880 So I'm. I like all of it. 172 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:49,440 So thus far. I agree. 173 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:55,160 First of all, I've already heard a few people who like, don't 174 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,480 like the bruskness of Kurt Cignetti. 175 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,080 These are some of the older IU football fans and I'm like, 176 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,880 you're you're you're you're rapidly verging on being the 177 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,080 problem if that's your attitude already. 178 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:12,320 So maybe just chill. I I love the the, the, the 179 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,320 statement of the Maryland game because what it did was it put 180 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,720 IU football back in the news cycle for another day. 181 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,360 And you know, the higher had been made and it died down a 182 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,120 little bit. And then you're boom, you're 183 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:26,960 back in the news cycle for 24 hours. 184 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:29,360 People are talking about it and that's what this program needs. 185 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:32,240 You know, I mean it's a different version of what Deion 186 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:36,480 Sanders did at Colorado where it's like you need to get 187 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,280 eyeballs. You need to get people paying 188 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,320 attention. And look, the you we talked 189 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:44,520 about it earlier. Well you mentioned it earlier. 190 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:46,760 The idea that I mean Michigan and Ohio State are all were 191 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,760 already killing us in these games you you don't have 192 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,960 anything to lose and it's and no one can take seriously and first 193 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,360 of all it's December. It was you know with December 194 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,720 1st or December 2nd when it happened and it's like the first 195 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:02,920 game is in is in August or early September. 196 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:05,160 The first time you're going to play one of those two teams is 197 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:06,720 like October. Who cares? 198 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,640 It would be funny if Michigan loses in the, you know, BCS 199 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:11,680 quarter final or the semi final and they're like, you know, we 200 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:14,440 were just, we were thrown off by Indiana's comments here. 201 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:16,520 Their coach was talking and look, we're just, but you know, 202 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:18,920 we really were just kind of we we overlooked that game against 203 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:20,760 Alabama. We were too busy worried about 204 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,200 our game against IU in 2024. But, but it's. 205 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,200 But I also think there's there's a tone you have to set with your 206 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,840 team and it feels like that's happened with Signetti, with 207 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,040 some of the things that we've already heard him say. 208 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:37,240 It feels like that's something to keep in mind in terms of even 209 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,640 some of the decisions that are clearly being made about the 210 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,360 roster. You have to set a tone and and 211 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,640 your point is really well taken about there's there's different 212 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:47,240 ways to build programs and everybody. 213 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,520 I think the most successful people are going to hue as close 214 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:55,080 as possible to who they actually are as people and how they act 215 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,760 as managers and competitors. And this is Cignetti's style. 216 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,920 If you you watch that Pat McAfee interview, this is what he does 217 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:07,360 and there is an an aura that comes around with that. 218 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,760 It's not the only way to win. You know, Kevin Wilson, like we 219 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:14,320 said earlier, I mean that was, it was not a rah, rah guy, you 220 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:15,840 know, in public. And that was not a guy who's 221 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,160 going to galvanized people. But he could recruit pretty well 222 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:20,200 and he could develop players really well and he had some 223 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,400 interesting systems. Tom Allen was kind of all rah, 224 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,080 rah, and there wasn't a whole lot beyond that. 225 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:31,160 And it worked at times and then didn't work for most of the time 226 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,080 afterwards. But look, I think ultimately for 227 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,680 for this IU program, it's not just about getting people to 228 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:42,200 realize that yes, IU football can be relevant and is intending 229 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,440 to be relevant. It's also at this point you need 230 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,400 some bravado because you're going into the transfer portal 231 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:50,720 and you're trying to convince players that coming to 232 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:54,920 Bloomington to play football is a good choice, is a choice that 233 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,560 isn't just going to yield playing time, but could yield 234 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,160 not just a shot at Michigan and Ohio State, but a chance to 235 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,240 maybe win the game. And for the last few years, it 236 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,480 really has felt like that hasn't been a realistic option when you 237 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,520 come to Indiana. And so look, will it result in 238 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,200 wins against those teams? Probably not immediately. 239 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:20,240 But your team believing that they can win in those games and 240 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,240 that that's the enemy. And there is much of an enemy as 241 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,520 Purdue is. You know, that's the one thing 242 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:29,400 I'll say so much historically has been about the bucket game. 243 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,120 You know, that was Allen's whole thing was, you know, it was Lee 244 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,160 Corso's whole thing. Like, what have you done to win 245 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:35,280 the bucket? Mallory did that. 246 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:38,040 You need to win the bucket game far more than Indiana has 247 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:42,040 historically, but you need to win games occasionally against 248 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:45,040 better teams. And you know, beating Michigan 249 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:51,680 once in 35 years and beating Ohio State Nuns in 34 years, 250 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:54,640 like that's not acceptable. You've you've got to have 251 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,040 something to elevate the mentality before you're going to 252 00:12:58,040 --> 00:12:59,680 actually elevate the competitive level. 253 00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:01,880 So I loved it, thought it was great, thought it was a great 254 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:06,480 way to get the crowd excited. And you can see the results 255 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:10,560 already in terms of donations, in terms of, you know, nil 256 00:13:10,560 --> 00:13:14,160 donations are through the roof for for football in particular 257 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:18,360 the, the, the, I'm just fascinated at the huge 258 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:23,160 changeover in excitement about IU football in the span of a 259 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:24,760 week. I mean, this is this football 260 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,280 program went from being like something nobody wanted to talk 261 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,280 about to something that people are excited about and it is 262 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,760 still nine months away from seeing the first game. 263 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,160 When you that, you hit the nail on the head at the end there 264 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,400 because you were saying that you know he has to win over and kind 265 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,000 of, you know get his team excited. 266 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,280 I think he's got, he's got it. He did also get the fan base 267 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,440 excited because as you and I mentioned, there was a complete 268 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:50,200 apathy set in and that, you know, while it's one moment at a 269 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:54,000 basketball game against Maryland that fired up the crowd, it 270 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,440 fired up the student section. Like he has to win back the the 271 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,640 fans and get them excited again. And for me, it's like I saw that 272 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:02,520 I'm like, all right, like I like it like this guy's got some 273 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:04,640 edge. Like let's let's go And you, you 274 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:09,240 know, I I keep telling people go and you are the one who got this 275 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:10,680 in my head. So I'm parroting, you know, I'm 276 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:12,920 parroting looking into a mirror, parroting back what you told me. 277 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:16,000 But you know go look at the beginning part of our schedule 278 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,840 next year. It is a very easy beginning part 279 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,120 to our schedule and there's a world where we could be four and 280 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,040 one or five and two and you and I could be on the pod and be 281 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:27,320 like, I'm not sure if we're good or not. 282 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,240 We just haven't played anybody. But it's like we could be five 283 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:32,360 and two like there's a really nice way to lead in here. 284 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:34,680 So I'm, I'm excited. I would also say this to talk to 285 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:38,360 a couple people. One, my dad who I love, but he's 286 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,640 very, very older and having the portals tough for him. 287 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,400 He's like, man, you know, a lot of guys are in the portal. 288 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,280 I'm like well and but anybody who thinks, I would say two 289 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:50,200 things like First off, this is a team that won three Big 10 games 290 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:51,840 in three years. So it's like there is a world 291 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,000 where it's like, hey man, everybody in the portal is not a 292 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,080 bad thing. But the second thing that I 293 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:01,480 would say is, you know, this is coaches have had this ability 294 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,280 for years. Like now the players, dude, 295 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:04,920 don't get freaked out. And I've said this, you know, 296 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:09,080 every IU player should go into the portal right now because 297 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:10,880 they're getting a new coach, You're getting a new boss. 298 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,600 Like maybe Signetti doesn't like the way you play. 299 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:14,800 Maybe he doesn't have your style. 300 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,560 Maybe he's got a player he wants to bring in. 301 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:18,520 Like, you don't know any of that. 302 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,960 Maybe you could leverage to get more nil dollars out of IU. 303 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:26,360 It's like this is what having agency is all about and they all 304 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:28,680 should go in and a lot of them will go in. 305 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:31,040 I mean you know Trace Jackson famous win in the portal and 306 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,240 came back. So I just for people who are 307 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,200 concerned like Oh my God there, you know so many people in the 308 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,080 portals like I would expect 100% in the portal and then it's sick 309 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,360 Danny's job to bring them back or find other people. 310 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,640 So just a couple of those things that it's I've I've heard those 311 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,640 concerns. The last one that I've heard 312 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,280 too, just kind of hitting all my scarecrow arguments here was, 313 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,920 you know, some people are like, man, you know, you know, he has 314 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,360 experience building programs but not, you know, not a lot of, you 315 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:59,840 know, Power 5 experience. And part of me is like, all 316 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:03,120 right, well, there's also the reality that like we are not 317 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:04,720 Ohio State. Like at some point you're not 318 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,520 going to get all boxes checked. Like a guy who has great 319 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:12,120 experience building programs, is 38 years old, has experience at 320 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:14,040 a Power Five, has been to Abcs like. 321 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,440 Guess what? We're not hiring that guy. 322 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,920 So it's like not all the boxes get to be checked. 323 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,800 I would note that the last coach Ohio State hired had no head 324 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,120 coaching experience at the Power Five level. 325 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,680 This was, this was something during the coaching search that 326 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,840 we went through and and sequenced on Twitter, which was 327 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:35,960 that, you know, when you get down to it and I mean I think I, 328 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,440 I, I'll answer my own question from earlier. 329 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:40,360 I'm really excited about the Signetti hire. 330 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,520 I love the fact that he takes a picture of his office as he 331 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,000 walks in on Monday at 5:45 in the morning and it's like, you 332 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,640 know let's get to work and it's like that's that's what I want 333 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,920 to see. That's what IU fans want to see, 334 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,360 that level of work ethic. Not that it wasn't happening 335 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,760 before and I and I think that this is clear, I think any any 336 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:03,080 head football coach worth their salt is probably putting in a 337 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:08,079 tremendous amount of work. But this is, this is an industry 338 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:11,280 increasingly I think, where you have to be able to show what 339 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:15,640 you're doing to get people excited and it is such a mark 340 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:16,880 you. Have to have wins. 341 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,040 Like it's just if you don't show it, well then you have to have 342 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:20,520 wins. But, but to go back what I was 343 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,319 saying, like if you go through and look at the the coaches that 344 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:27,720 I think 10 teams have hired it and just go through all the ones 345 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,240 that have happened recently, it's, you know, you Michigan 346 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,120 State hired an Oregon State coach losing record with a 347 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:36,560 losing record, right. You know, Purdue hired A 348 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:38,560 defensive coordinator who hadn't been a head coach. 349 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,480 Northwestern hired a defensive coordinator. 350 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:44,080 Yeah. With, you know you had you know 351 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,080 Michigan State prior to that had hired the Colorado head coach 352 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:50,120 who had coached for one year. I mean, you can go down the 353 00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:55,160 list, the amount of Power 5 head coaching experience outside of 354 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,160 weird situations like Greg Schiano going back to Rutgers, 355 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:02,240 just that's not there. And so look, I I get, I I will 356 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:04,360 say this, I understand the skepticism. 357 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:09,080 And there, you know, I think that if you're looking at 358 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,880 Cignetti's experience and you're like, I need to see more at the 359 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,040 Power Five level, I get it. I also don't think Indiana was 360 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,640 going to find a whole lot of guys who had that success and 361 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,080 were willing to come and we're affordable. 362 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:25,840 You know, there's a lot of elements that go into that. 363 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:29,800 The other thing though, I'll say is, you know the I heard I was 364 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,520 talking to somebody and it's like, well, they're more 365 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,600 concerned about the assistants coming in because they, you 366 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:36,880 know, it's like basically he's brought his entire James Madison 367 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:38,680 staff with him, with one or two exceptions. 368 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:40,680 And that is going to be interesting to watch because 369 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:46,280 there's a lot of really interesting looking, promising 370 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,160 young assistants. And most of that staff, you 371 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,800 know, I think is they graduated from College in the last 20 372 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:54,040 years or so. You do have a little bit of 373 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:57,800 concern like how well will those folks translate up to this 374 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,680 level. I I am less concerned about that 375 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,240 then maybe I would be otherwise because of the fact that 376 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,240 Signetti coached for so long at the Power Five level. 377 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,760 He knows what it's going to take. 378 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:11,560 I doubt he's going to put himself in a position where he 379 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:14,120 hire somebody that he knows can't do the job. 380 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,120 Not that we have any experience with that here at Indiana, but 381 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,360 the, you know, I I think it to some degree we'll have to see 382 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:24,360 when the rubber meets the road how these folks do. 383 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,760 But I like the idea that he's comfortable with the staff and 384 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:28,720 he's putting them in position. But I understand why people 385 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,200 might be concerned about that. I want to get to what you 386 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:35,480 mentioned though about the the portal and transfers. 387 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:38,760 And I'm seeing a lot of angst on Twitter especially but elsewhere 388 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,240 as well about all the names that have hit the portal. 389 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:46,400 Because it's not just the brand names like the Donovan Mccully's 390 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,520 and the Jalen Lucas who was in the portal today. 391 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,320 Brendan Soresby, who's already committed to Cincinnati, which 392 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,120 was the worst kept secret, I think in nil for about a month. 393 00:19:54,760 --> 00:20:00,200 But it's also guys who are either younger players or 394 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:02,840 players that were, you know, look like more depth pieces that 395 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:04,880 we're going to build. And a lot of people are like, 396 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,880 wow, isn't this concerning? And I think it's important to 397 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,520 differentiate. Hey, you're going to get a lot 398 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,840 of Exodus regardless. Whenever there's a coaching 399 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,920 search, and you know a lot of that is there's differences in 400 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:21,840 philosophies as far as who can play at this level, how 401 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:25,120 effective they can be. You know what system you're 402 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:27,000 using. We still don't know what system 403 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,840 on either side of the ball that Cignetti's planning on using. 404 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:32,600 It might be similar to what we saw at James Madison. 405 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,520 They seem more flexible than Alan, who was a very inflexible 406 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:37,920 coach when it came to his defensive system and 407 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:39,760 increasingly his offensive system. 408 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:44,960 So I'm not surprised, nor am I really that worried about the 409 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,200 huge amount of changeover that's happening on the roster, because 410 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,600 A, we don't even know if those pieces would have fit with what 411 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,360 Signetti and his staff have in mind. 412 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,680 And B, as you said, it's a team that won three Big 10 games in 413 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:03,480 three years. And frankly, and some of this is 414 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,520 OK, maybe there's a changeover in coaching staff where they 415 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,600 could get to this point, but the previous coaching staff really 416 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,000 struggled to develop players over multiple years. 417 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,520 It's hard to say whether that was a problem with development 418 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,840 or whether they were getting guys who maxed out in high 419 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:22,560 school and didn't have a lot of room for development. 420 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,400 Either way, I think a fresh started a lot of these positions 421 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:30,200 and for a lot of these players is a good thing because I think 422 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,040 it was clear that they had a hard ceiling in many cases on 423 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:35,720 what they were going to be able to accomplish here. 424 00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:40,400 For every, you know, for every, you know, Micah McFadden or 425 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,640 Aaron Casey or whoever who really did blossom, it felt like 426 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:47,840 there were five or six IU players who just never quite got 427 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,040 anywhere close to where you wanted to see them get to. 428 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:54,480 And you know, again, whether that's a talent cap or whether 429 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,960 that's a development cap, either way there is going to be some 430 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,320 changeover. Now in addition to that, it's 431 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,640 also nil. And as you said, players, if 432 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:05,640 you're going to, if you're going to try to maximize your 433 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,240 potential, find a good spot for yourself, you're going to go in 434 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:10,640 the portal and there will be some people and we've already 435 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:12,480 seen some people that have gotten pulled back. 436 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,200 But it's also recruits, you know, not just the recruits that 437 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,560 have been signed that some of them have announced that we're 438 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:22,160 not, you know, the the the scholarships not being honored. 439 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:23,640 So now they're free to go elsewhere. 440 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:26,280 But it's also looking at the next recruiting class and trying 441 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:28,400 to figure out how does this tapestry come together. 442 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:33,040 So for those who are panicked about the exodus of IU players, 443 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,960 this would have happened anyway under a change in in regime. 444 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:42,560 It is actually easier to fix now because of the portal, and it's 445 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,960 probably better for all parties rather than making the coaching 446 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,800 staff and the players each deal with a situation that isn't 447 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,120 ideal for either party over the course of another season or two. 448 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,920 Yep. I want to hit one more thing and 449 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,120 I'm kind of I'm piggybacking off something that you had in one of 450 00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:03,160 the the VIP posts. But I I noticed it at the 451 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:08,000 Maryland game and it's, it's also another good sign, I think 452 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:12,480 of Indiana University having kind of their things aligned for 453 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:14,560 the first time in a while and taking it seriously. 454 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,480 And that is, you know, you mentioned, you know, Pam Witton, 455 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,160 the president of Indiana or Indiana University. 456 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:21,560 You know, I was thinking about it. 457 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,760 You know, you were talking about, you know, maybe IU 458 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,920 doesn't put the resources and be as aggressive under the old, you 459 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,360 know, Mcrobbie regime. And I was thinking, you know, 460 00:23:31,360 --> 00:23:33,680 that I go back to that that game, the Iowa game that you and 461 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:35,600 I went to before the 2021 season. 462 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:37,720 You know, we were in the student, we were in the IU 463 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:38,840 section and Pam Witton was there. 464 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,240 And I remember thinking like, wow, like that's our new at the 465 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:42,240 time. Like, that's our new president. 466 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,000 Like, she came to Iowa. She's in a football game. 467 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,760 Like that's that's odd. And then you and I were in New 468 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,680 York just, you know, a couple weeks ago for the the the game 469 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:52,200 against Connecticut and then Louisville, she was there as 470 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,320 well. And then, you know, I, when you 471 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:57,080 saw Cignetti come out during the Maryland game, you know he's 472 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,960 with with Dolson, but Pam Witten's there and she gives him 473 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:01,880 a hug. And I I see that and I hear you 474 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:04,160 talk about it and I think it is it. 475 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,640 It's nice to know that we do have kind of synergy all the way 476 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:12,360 up the chain of command because I, I, I do think this allows 477 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:15,440 this gives Dolson the ability to do the things that he's needing 478 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,040 to do. It allows us to kind of push 479 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,040 forward to get the like. It's just it is a nice feeling 480 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:23,520 at a high level to be like, hey, we are all focusing on this and 481 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,880 we're all taking this seriously. Whereas you know under MC 482 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,400 Robbie, I never saw him at any athletic events. 483 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:31,560 Not that I'm saying I need to see the present there all the 484 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,240 time, but it's like this is you know, when you think about it, 485 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,240 you know whether they like it or not. 486 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,080 You know your football and your basketball coach in Indiana are 487 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,920 two of the most public facing people that the university has. 488 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,560 And so, you know, as much as you want to talk about academics and 489 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,960 research university, which is all true, your football coach is 490 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:54,240 a huge hire for the university from a public perception. 491 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,960 And the fact that I, I don't ever remember seeing Mcrobbie at 492 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:01,160 the Allen hiring or the Wilson hiring, like seeing Pam Witton 493 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,880 so involved, I think is a really, really good thing. 494 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:05,400 So I'm just kind of parroting what you said. 495 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:07,440 But just seeing, you know, kind of thinking back as I was 496 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:09,320 listening to you talk about it, like, oh, she's in New York. 497 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,880 She's at this gate like she's at a lot of athletic events. 498 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:13,400 I think that's a really good thing. 499 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:18,480 Yeah, Look, and obviously I the VIP post is there for people 500 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:19,800 that want to go back and watch it. 501 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:21,880 But it's it's not just the appearances. 502 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:26,160 It's the whole the whole sequence of events, the hat, the 503 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:30,960 fact that IU administration has decided to really embrace this 504 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:34,000 process, take it seriously. I think it's really important 505 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:38,040 for the university. And it's this is where I think 506 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:42,080 this is where as as a guy who does this for a living, it's, 507 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:45,560 it's funny sometimes when I talk with, you know faculty 508 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:49,120 colleagues and whatnot and try to explain why all this is 509 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:52,800 important. And you know most, most people 510 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,520 who work as professors don't they, they actually go out of 511 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,920 their way to act like football and basketball are. 512 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:02,680 They're just diversions. Maybe not even that. 513 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:04,480 They're not everybody. And, you know, and they're. 514 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,880 And I think there are some folks that really do get it. 515 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,040 And I understand the academic perspective because we've been 516 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,200 told over and over again both inside and outside universities 517 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:14,760 that, you know, it's about academics. 518 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,600 You know, the whole NCAA thing, student athlete, like that's the 519 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:21,160 whole, whole conceit, right. But realistically, from a 520 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:26,120 marketing perspective, it is the most effective way to mass 521 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:29,720 market your university and to keep it relevant in the minds of 522 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,800 not just college athletes or potential college athletes, but 523 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,520 of high school students and parents. 524 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,720 Well, no. Well, yes, alumni, yes, donors. 525 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,680 I'm talking about the next generation of students who are 526 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:42,440 thinking about where they're going to go to college and 527 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:44,120 whether people want to admit it or not. 528 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,480 A huge number of undergraduates choose where they're going to go 529 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,240 to school. Based upon have I heard about 530 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,640 the institution? Does it seem like a good place, 531 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:57,680 a fun place to go? I've I know a lot of kids who 532 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:01,000 went to Alabama and and actually transferred after a couple of 533 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:02,400 years and came back to the Midwest. 534 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,240 Why did they go to Alabama? Because that looked like the 535 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,840 place to be because of how successful their football 536 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:11,440 program was. And but you you saw it when Bob 537 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:13,520 Knight passed away. A lot of people like friends of 538 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:15,120 ours and like Matt Zimmerman, like people who are like. 539 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:18,080 I knew of Bob Knight and I kind of wanted to go to IU because of 540 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:19,480 that. It's like that that was for a 541 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:21,680 lot of people. It was like Bob Knight was 123 542 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:23,240 reasons to go to IU. Sorry, no. 543 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,600 And but I know I think it's a that I I remember meeting a girl 544 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:31,480 at Briscoe during orientation and she was from California and 545 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,440 we got to talking and I was like why do you, why are you here? 546 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:36,840 And she's like, oh, because of the basketball program and that 547 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:41,960 was not uncommon And and and I think for Indiana in particular, 548 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,080 so much of the university's national reputation among 549 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:52,160 students has been has started because of the athletic 550 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,920 successes that existed and those just haven't been around very 551 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:57,040 much over the course of the last 20 years. 552 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:02,560 And some of that has been due to a variety of factors, but a lot 553 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,840 of it's been the the higher up, the upper level administration 554 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:12,440 at the university didn't really bring athletics front and center 555 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,120 as a part of how everything was marketed. 556 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,600 It was nice to have, but I think what we've seen over the last 557 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:23,640 couple of years has been a real refocus on this as being central 558 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,000 to the not just the the marketing arm of the university, 559 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,720 but like this is part of what Indiana's brand is and I don't 560 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:31,920 think there's anything wrong with that. 561 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:33,920 In fact, I think there's a lot of things right with that 562 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:38,280 because a lot of the success that Indiana had as a nationwide 563 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,880 brand in the 70s and 80s and 90s was specifically because of the 564 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,680 basketball program. And a lot of the waning that's 565 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:51,440 happened since the Miles brand era started has been due to, for 566 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,680 a variety of reasons, athletics kind of being pushed further and 567 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:58,360 further away from the circle. And so to see Pam Witten, you 568 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,560 know, front and center talking 1st at the at the coach press 569 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:07,080 conference when he's hired and to see her with the the, the 570 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,160 coach at the basketball game, I mean, the other things matter at 571 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,280 at the very least, it indicates that you have a president who is 572 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:19,120 conscious of of those things And whatever else people might think 573 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,120 about the university, it does appear like there's an 574 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,560 investment there. And that doesn't have to be it. 575 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,440 It can live at the same time with being a great academic 576 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:30,640 institution. These don't have to be separate. 577 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:32,720 Yeah, these things don't have to be separated. 578 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:35,320 So that I think is a a good point and I'm glad you brought 579 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,360 it up. A couple other things I'll say, 580 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:42,600 we're not like there's a ton of of offers going out and there's 581 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:46,280 going to be just a tremendous amount of changeover and I'm 582 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:47,760 really fascinated to see where it goes. 583 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,240 Certainly they've been offering receivers left and right, which 584 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,360 kind of makes me think that Donovan Mccully is not going to 585 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,760 be here. You know, he's got an offer from 586 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:59,200 Penn State. Now he's got like, I think he's 587 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,280 kind of, when I was looking at the Crystal Ball projections, 588 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:05,480 they've got Mccully either like Penn State or South Carolina or 589 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:08,160 there was a third school that I don't remember what it was 590 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:11,440 Matthew. To Penn State, he just continues 591 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:13,600 to want to lose to Michigan. And there you go, there you go. 592 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,720 Matthew Bedford I think just announced going to Auburn. 593 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,160 Carter Smith is 100% projected to go to Ole Miss, which is 594 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:21,560 unfortunate. That's a guy you would have 595 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:23,800 liked to have kept Jalen Lucas in the portal. 596 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,680 One of the things I I want to just and I'm going to do a 597 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,640 larger podcast, I think Taylor Lehman's going to join me on 598 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:32,520 this one where we kind of talk about this. 599 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:34,360 But one of the things I think it's important to keep in mind 600 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,720 is that it's not just about talent coming and going. 601 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:41,560 It's also about resource management as it comes to name, 602 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:44,040 image and likeness and the money that you've got there. 603 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:48,360 And the idea that now, I mean Cignetti went on the on Kevin 604 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:52,440 Bowen's show and and jQuery show, I think it was either 605 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:56,520 yesterday or the day before and seem satisfied with the the war 606 00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:58,640 chest or the Kitty that he's got from nil. 607 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:01,560 It's not inexhaustible and certainly it's not going to be 608 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,640 at the same level of an Ohio State or a Michigan or even a 609 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,680 Penn State. So Indiana to some degree has to 610 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:10,880 play money ball with the resources that they've got. 611 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,920 And that is going to require some different types of 612 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,640 decisions, some hard decisions about what you're willing to 613 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:21,400 expend resources on. And this is where if you're 614 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,960 familiar with the concept of Moneyball and Scott, I know you 615 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:27,840 are, but the audience may not be, it's really about, you know, 616 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,000 can you find inefficiencies in the marketplace? 617 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,880 Can you find distressed assets And can you develop those assets 618 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:37,280 into something that is above the level that you got them for? 619 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:39,880 Can you be competitive with those assets? 620 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,200 And can you figure out like where's the money to be spent? 621 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,240 And so I'll use someone like Jalen Lucas as an example of 622 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:46,440 this. You know, that was, if you 623 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:49,440 remember last summer, Jalen Lucas. 624 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,800 It felt like the focal point of nil in a lot of ways. 625 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:57,640 It was him and Deson McCullough and you know, McCullough I think 626 00:31:57,760 --> 00:31:59,840 wanted to leave, like he wanted to go to a bigger football 627 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:01,360 brand. Can't blame him there. 628 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,400 But Lucas, you know, there was this big struggle about Jalen 629 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:08,160 Lucas getting enough nil money and Tom Allen even in a press 630 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,880 conference, you know, kind of whined about, well, we know we 631 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,440 got him a good deal, but we didn't get him the life changing 632 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:17,080 money that he, you know, deserved basically, or that we 633 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,000 would need to keep a player like that around. 634 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:24,920 And then this season happened and Jalen Lucas really struggled 635 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,040 to do anything but contribute in special teams and he did a good 636 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,920 job of that. But for a school like Indiana, 637 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,480 that's almost a luxury as opposed to a necessity and to 638 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,000 spend a huge amount of money in nil on a player who can 639 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:43,800 contribute in the kicking game. But that's, you know, that's an 640 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:45,480 irregular thing that you're contributing. 641 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,600 You can kick away from him or, you know, not give him the ball. 642 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:52,280 In a lot of cases it certainly helps, like certainly he was a 643 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:55,520 key part of that, that game against Purdue where Indiana was 644 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:59,160 able to keep it close. But the coaching staff, I think 645 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,600 this coaching staff seems to be a bit more savvy about where to 646 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:07,920 focus the money. And rather than a spending a 647 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,520 bunch of money on a player who may be able to only contribute 648 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:14,640 in a limited way, maybe you take that money and distribute it in 649 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:17,400 a way that you can get players that are contributing regularly. 650 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:20,720 Whether that's line play, whether that's receivers, 651 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,960 whether that's every down backs, whether that's a quarterback. 652 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:25,640 I mean, there's a bunch of different ways you could do it, 653 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,440 but I think that's the mentality that Indiana fans have got to 654 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,120 get into because that's what's going to have to happen. 655 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,560 And for a school like Indiana, who if you're just going 656 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:37,560 straight on recruiting is going to take several years to get 657 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:40,960 their talent levels up to a competitive level, you're going 658 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:44,520 to have to be clever with how you allocate the nil money just 659 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:46,960 as much as you're trying to figure out what talent you want 660 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,040 to have on the field and how you're going to. 661 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,120 Use that talent. No, I I completely agree. 662 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:54,480 I think the Moneyball example is is very apartment. 663 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:56,440 And I mean the other piece too is, you know, with Moneyball 664 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,520 it's it's about finding the inefficiencies but also finding 665 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:02,360 the inefficiencies that work for the system that you're going to 666 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:03,560 use. You know, like the IT was, it 667 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:05,680 was written about the Oakland A's but they had, they had a big 668 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:07,560 thing about, you know trying to just get on base and that was 669 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:09,360 their whole thing about, you know, on base percentage. 670 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:12,920 And Lucas is a really interesting example because you 671 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,960 know, I I don't know how Signetti what his offense is 672 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,080 going to look like. I hope it doesn't look like a 673 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,360 lot of runs up the middle. But you know that was the other 674 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:24,239 thing with with you know Lucas is a talent but it's like is he 675 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:26,520 going to fit the offense of signetti wants to run cause 676 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:30,280 Lucas is good but he it it showed this year was hard to get 677 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,480 him involved in either running or the passing game just because 678 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:35,719 of you know inability to do that. 679 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,719 So it becomes one of these like he might be a distressed asset 680 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:42,520 but if you can't use him in the system you're going to use it 681 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:44,880 doesn't make any sense. And so this is where, you know, 682 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:46,719 Signetti has to look and be like, all right, like you said, 683 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:48,960 maybe it's a lot of line play and then you know a lot of 684 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:50,520 receivers and they're going to pass a lot. 685 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:51,880 You know, it's it's this is again. 686 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:53,960 With this coaching change, you're going to have the system 687 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,520 change, but I think everything you said is is dead on an 688 00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:58,760 apartment. And look, yeah, I think it's 689 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:01,720 going to be a painful one for a lot of IU football fans because 690 00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:04,560 there's there's names of people that you've grown accustomed to 691 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:08,040 who have been the best players. And it's like they may not fit 692 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,480 into this and it may not just be a talent thing. 693 00:35:10,720 --> 00:35:12,480 I think this is a thing with Donovan Mccully. 694 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:14,800 Like that's clearly a talented player. 695 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:18,840 But there's so many receivers and you know, I mean, if you 696 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:21,720 look at the players Indiana got out of the portal this year, I 697 00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:24,720 mean the couple of them were really functional receivers. 698 00:35:24,720 --> 00:35:28,200 Camp camper's in the portal and and it's like what you'd need to 699 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,080 keep those guys around. It's like it may not be worth 700 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:32,520 it. It's actually, if you go back to 701 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:34,720 the Colts situation with Jonathan Taylor, it's a very 702 00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:36,840 similar thing that the Colts ended up paying Taylor. 703 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:41,040 But there were the argument against paying Taylor was, is it 704 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:44,440 worth that amount of money for a running back when you're 705 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:49,160 probably going to get 90% of the production, maybe even more than 706 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:53,360 that if you combine two players for half the salary. 707 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:57,360 That's just generally how these things work out if you're being 708 00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,760 smart about it. And so we'll see. 709 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:02,240 I think, you know there's going to be some head scratching among 710 00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:07,440 IU fans and we can trust, we can say we're going to trust 711 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,920 Signetti and his coaching staff in terms of what they're doing. 712 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:11,920 We kind of don't have a choice. We have to trust them at this 713 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:16,040 point and it might all turn out to not be immediately positive 714 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:18,080 or work. But that's essentially the 715 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:21,280 business I think IU is going to have to be in if they're going 716 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,040 to get the roster up to a point where it can not only be 717 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:27,520 competitive, but can you maximize the resources that it 718 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:30,720 has at its disposal? When I I know that I agree with 719 00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:33,960 you on the trust thing, and I think you know for this is where 720 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:36,640 it's tough. But I will defend us on our own 721 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:38,560 pod. You're in our turf now, baby. 722 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:41,760 You know, we we were very critical of Alan the last couple 723 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,600 of years because the results were not matching what we were 724 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:48,280 hearing and what we were seeing. But if you go back and and 725 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:51,560 listen to our pods when Wilson was hired or even when Alan was 726 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,480 hired, you know we we were both kind of you know puzzled by the 727 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:57,680 Alan that that whole process. But go back and listen to us and 728 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,680 I'm sure you will hear like we we it's like all right let's see 729 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:03,680 how it goes like we we try and like those first year or two. 730 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:05,880 Like I remember it was tough with those first years of Wilson 731 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,080 was like hey he's got to rebuild a program like this is going to 732 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,160 take some time you know and unhappy to go like whatever it 733 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:15,680 was 111 that first year. But you know I do think you know 734 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:19,840 I think that we are fair with new coaches and I think everyone 735 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:21,400 should be. And like you said, you don't 736 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:23,480 have a lot of choice but it's like you have to trust it for a 737 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:26,760 year or two and then you'll start to kind of see like all 738 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:29,720 right is, is the stuff that's coming out of the oven really 739 00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:32,000 what we're expecting to see. And then then you can start 740 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:35,080 making some decisions and then you know you and I can get if we 741 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:36,960 need to get critical and then we can kind of check out. 742 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:40,120 But I I think if you go back and listen to us from you know 2016 743 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:44,640 to 2020, I I don't think we were ever like as harsh on Allen as 744 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:47,280 we were at the end because we understood it was a process. 745 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,760 And so just defending us, I think you know this is kind of 746 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:55,120 this this cycle that we get into is we will now you know kind of 747 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:58,400 just blindly have I'll say blindly have faith because you 748 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:00,760 have to have faith with the process the first couple of 749 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,000 years. And even though we're going to 750 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:06,440 look at it with a critical eye, there's only so much you can 751 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:08,880 look at and see And it's like in the end it's going to be results 752 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:10,760 and it's probably going to take a year or two. 753 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:13,240 But again I'll go back to the beginning of that, the beginning 754 00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:15,400 stretch of the season. You know, yes, if we go out and 755 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,000 start O and six based on what we have as our schedule, I'm going 756 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,400 to be very concerned. But I don't think that's going 757 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:22,120 to happen. And I do have faith. 758 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,160 This is a guy who has been able to turn things around quickly 759 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:26,400 and when he. I got to James Madison. 760 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:28,600 There was probably a lot of turnover and there wasn't a 761 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:31,960 portal there. So yeah, I don't know any of my 762 00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:35,360 point of kind of rambling on no, no, no, these are all we won't 763 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:37,480 know. But yeah, this, I guess I I 764 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,120 wanted to mention it on this podcast and like I said, we'll, 765 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:44,200 I'll do a deeper dive on a future podcast about why all 766 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:46,040 this stuff works, the way that it works and what the 767 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,640 marketplace looks like. But I think for IU fans who are 768 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:52,400 puzzled by what they're seeing and worried about an exodus of 769 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:56,360 talent, there is a There's a method to this and it's 770 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:58,440 happening. It happens in a bunch of places 771 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,520 and it's up to the coaching staff to make the right 772 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:04,440 decisions, not just about who to bring in, but who to retain. 773 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:07,240 It's also up to the coaches to figure out which guys aren't 774 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:11,520 going to be important to the long term planning. 775 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:14,200 It's like there was a tweet today about the five star long 776 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:16,480 snapper saying that his scholarship offer has been 777 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:18,440 rescinded and my first thought was why? 778 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:21,480 Why did we make a scholarship offer to a Long snapper? 779 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:23,080 That's a luxury we don't get to have. 780 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,680 And that's the point. And so So we'll see. 781 00:39:25,720 --> 00:39:28,360 And who knows, maybe Signetti won't be any better than Allen 782 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:30,720 at this, but the track record would tend to indicate 783 00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:34,080 otherwise. Anyway, we'll stop on football. 784 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:35,880 Let's move over to men's basketball. 785 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:40,280 So men's basketball is 7 and one. 786 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaking of distressed assets, a hat tip to Mike Woodson for 787 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:48,680 going out and getting Khalil Ware, who, my God, man, like, 788 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:52,960 you want to talk about a player? I'm I'm, I'm already struggling, 789 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:57,160 Scott, to figure out mentally a player. 790 00:39:57,240 --> 00:40:01,840 That gives me the same kind of reaction that Khalil Ware does 791 00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:04,200 in terms of just watching him play and being like, I don't 792 00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:07,680 think I've ever seen an IU basketball player look quite 793 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:10,560 like he looks. In terms of how he plays 794 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:13,640 offense, in terms of how he rebounds, in terms of his 795 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:16,080 ability to I I don't. I've never. 796 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:17,920 I've watched basketball for so long. 797 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:19,600 I can't. I think I've ever seen a player 798 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:24,440 actually jump and break up a down the court inbounds pass at 799 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:27,160 the end of the game without really looking like he even 800 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:31,400 stretched himself out that much. I mean, the guy is, you know, 801 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:33,200 Zach Osterman of the tweet yesterday. 802 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:37,640 It's like with every game, it's really hard to explain or 803 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:40,280 justify how Oregon couldn't figure out a way to get him on 804 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:42,800 the court. He was a huge part of Indiana's 805 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:44,760 win last night as they knock off. 806 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:48,240 Michigan had a great first half scoring didn't have as great of 807 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:50,200 a second-half. The foul trouble hurt him a 808 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:52,960 little bit and got him out of rhythm, but made some key plays 809 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:56,160 down the stretch. And you know, for this Indiana 810 00:40:56,160 --> 00:41:00,560 team who a lot of people left for dead after the Army game and 811 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:04,400 certainly after EU, Conn and Louisville games to go out and 812 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:07,240 win at Michigan. A team that at the very least is 813 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:11,040 a pier for them right now in the conference in terms of talent 814 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:13,800 level and I think overall ability. 815 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:18,640 That's a huge positive step for this Indiana program and this 816 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:22,000 season in particular when it looked like things were going 817 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,640 off the rails. Not a perfect game, not a 818 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:27,200 perfect set of performances, but enough to get the victory on the 819 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:29,320 road. Yeah, I'm happy. 820 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:32,120 Let's start with Khalil Ware. He's been unbelievable. 821 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:35,480 A friend of ours, Jeremy Grey, had a tweet during the game 822 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,320 yesterday of like it was after that, that little that move with 823 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:41,760 like the crazy like side dribble than the kind of the sky hook 824 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:43,680 that was just like he's like, I can't. 825 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:46,280 His tweet was I'm paraphrasing and was like, I just, I don't 826 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:49,000 know what comp. I've never seen a player like 827 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:51,760 this before at IU and I was thinking about it today. 828 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:54,480 Like it. It's unfortunate that he comes, 829 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:58,000 you know eight months after Trace Jackson Davis because you 830 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:00,400 want to say this is one of the best big man I've seen an IU for 831 00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:02,520 you know 20 years. But it's like we did this have 832 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,680 Trace Jackson Davis for five years who is awesome. 833 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:07,320 But like the the again two things can be true at the same 834 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:08,440 time. Trace was awesome. 835 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:11,760 He was a unique talent. Like Clear Aware is 836 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:14,400 unbelievable. And like you said, I've not seen 837 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:17,560 that inbounds block like that should be a stat like that 838 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:19,400 should just count as a block or something. 839 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:23,440 That was unbelievable. At the end of the game, he does 840 00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:26,560 it with kind of like a dating myself reference like a Bjorn 841 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:30,120 Borg kind of icy coolness like, hey, I'm just going to jump like 842 00:42:30,240 --> 00:42:32,720 my wife was like whoa, whoa. Like she had a friend who 843 00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:34,480 doesn't have Peacocks. Like I'm going to like did the 844 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:37,320 filming of it on the TV and we're like he was like higher 845 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:39,320 than the backboard. And again look like he kind of 846 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:41,840 did half effort and gets the ball just kind of dribbles out 847 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:42,440 with the guy. We're done. 848 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:45,320 It's like like that was the coolest point I've ever seen. 849 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:50,480 He's he's phenomenal. He has a block in every game but 850 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:52,920 the Connecticut game. His offensive rating has been 851 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:57,040 over 100 in every game but the Connecticut game and he still I 852 00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:00,520 think played pretty well And he's he's one of those guys that 853 00:43:00,520 --> 00:43:04,280 if you're just looking at stats I don't even think the stats do 854 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:06,960 him justice, 'cause last night you know he got in a little bit 855 00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:08,600 of foul trouble when he was in the game. 856 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:11,640 He effects things on both sides of the court. 857 00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:15,120 You know you you see guys from Michigan drive, you see I mean 858 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:17,240 any whoever we're playing they drive in and they immediately 859 00:43:17,240 --> 00:43:19,440 like stop and turn around like they just he doesn't. 860 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:24,960 He gets probably 5 non blocks a game where guys would have been 861 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:27,640 putting up a lay up but just don't because they they see him 862 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:28,840 there. They know he's there. 863 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:31,160 His help defense is great. No, he is. 864 00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:35,320 He's so good. He is so good. 865 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:38,240 And credit to him for everything he's doing. 866 00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:41,600 Credit to the staff for finding this distressed asset and 867 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:44,160 bringing him in. And it's, you know, it's Alex 868 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,600 Bozich. And I had a podcast beginning of 869 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:49,880 the year talking about Cleo Ware and he brought up a point that 870 00:43:49,880 --> 00:43:52,240 thought was valid and it's showing true now that, you know, 871 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:55,480 this was kind of a make or break year for Ware because if he had 872 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:58,760 kind of a dud year, you know, he'd suddenly then be a junior. 873 00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:00,560 It's like, all right, well, now that now that things have kind 874 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:02,320 of passed, it's like it's going to be really hard to work your 875 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:04,240 way back up to a first round pick. 876 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:07,440 He's playing like a lottery pick right now. 877 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:10,880 I mean, the stuff he's doing, NBA scouts are just going to be, 878 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:14,600 you know, salivating to see this out of a 7 foot, 7 foot one guy. 879 00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:19,480 So, you know, as he goes, Indiana goes, he's phenomenal. 880 00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:23,760 But I will also segue that you're also seeing, you know, 881 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:27,640 Malik Renew step up to a whole other level and his efficiency 882 00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:30,160 has been unbelievable. Like, you know, this is kind of 883 00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:32,680 like a hold my beer situation. Like, you know, when you look at 884 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:35,520 two of the most, you know, Khalil Ware is one of the most 885 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:37,680 efficient 2 point scores in the big 10. 886 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:40,360 It's like Renew's like hold my beer, 'cause I'm also up there 887 00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:43,000 And like, you know, Ted, like they together, they have been 888 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:44,840 awesome. And it's been really nice to see 889 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:49,640 Renew, who showed flashes last year of this, Just really take 890 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:51,320 on a workload. And I think he has, you know, 891 00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:54,760 he's handling the ball the most. Like he is basically the focal 892 00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:57,320 point of the offense. And as great as Ware has been 893 00:44:57,320 --> 00:45:01,240 renewed to me has also been as it's been as great to see him 894 00:45:01,240 --> 00:45:03,200 develop, you know, in his second year. 895 00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:07,680 I agree with all of that and Indiana's desperately need. 896 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:11,680 I mean, I don't know where they would be without Khalil Ware. 897 00:45:12,240 --> 00:45:15,200 I've had like five or six people text me that and it's true. 898 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:19,000 You know the Indiana. We need to, we need to take a 899 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:23,760 second and acknowledge that on Ken Palm this season, Indiana 900 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:30,360 has now reached dead last in Division One for the total 901 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:34,840 percentage of points off of three pointers compared to their 902 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:42,040 total amount of points scored. Only 12.6% of Indiana's points 903 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:46,840 have come off of threes. That is 360 second and it's 904 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:52,440 actually 6/10 of a percentage point behind 360 first, which is 905 00:45:52,440 --> 00:45:56,400 Houston Christian. Now where else, folks, he's 906 00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:58,720 shooting 50% from thrilling. He should be shooting more. 907 00:45:58,720 --> 00:46:01,320 It's pretty wild. But, but Indiana's fifth in the 908 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:04,760 country in percentage of points that are coming off of twos. 909 00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:09,400 And what I think is fascinating about this team right now is. 910 00:46:10,520 --> 00:46:13,200 They clearly. For whatever reason are not 911 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:15,200 hitting threes. They're not really able to shoot 912 00:46:15,200 --> 00:46:17,320 them. And we saw some potentially 913 00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:21,880 positive signs from CJ Gunn last night where he finally hit his, 914 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:24,720 what, 1st and 2nd? Or I think it was his first and 915 00:46:24,720 --> 00:46:28,240 2nd threes of the season in that game against Michigan. 916 00:46:28,240 --> 00:46:33,200 But it's right now it's like trying to get water from a dry 917 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:36,840 well with the three-point shooting and it's just wild that 918 00:46:37,240 --> 00:46:39,920 you know Indiana, this was their five and O under Woodson, I 919 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:45,080 think was the stat that I saw now with shooting less than 10 920 00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:48,600 threes. And they have really feasted on 921 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:51,440 teams that they can exploit in the paint. 922 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:55,280 They did that against Michigan yesterday and the fact that, you 923 00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:58,360 know, you look down the line as far as the threes it, you know, 924 00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:00,120 Trey Galloway missed three of them. 925 00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:04,560 You know, But you've seen like they the guys that are think 926 00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:09,000 they can hit, which is at this point just gun and Mbako are not 927 00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:10,760 afraid to throw them up when they're there. 928 00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:13,240 But they're looking to drive more often than not. 929 00:47:13,600 --> 00:47:17,720 And as much as people understandably complain about 930 00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:22,280 the offensive system, Indiana is such a dominant post team right 931 00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:25,640 now because of Khalil Ware. Especially because of Malik 932 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:29,520 Renew, who doesn't look like he should be as unstoppable as he 933 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:32,320 is. And yet just he's got a set of 934 00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:36,280 post moves that, while different than Trace Jackson Davis, are 935 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:38,800 really, really hard to stop unless you double him. 936 00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:43,120 And now, with the emergence of both Ware and Imbaco as regular 937 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:47,320 scoring options, you can't effectively double renew because 938 00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:50,280 he's such a good passer. And yes, he makes some mistakes, 939 00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:52,080 he throws some turnovers here and there, but he is. 940 00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:55,920 He's one of the best passing big man I think I've ever seen in an 941 00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:59,160 Indiana uniform. And you know that. 942 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:02,040 I don't think anybody expected it to go the way that it's gone 943 00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:07,000 so far this season, but I will say that I looked at that 944 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:09,200 Michigan game last night. I didn't think Indiana was going 945 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:11,640 to win up until the last minute of the game. 946 00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:14,600 And the fact that Indiana pulled that out, playing the way that 947 00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:17,800 they did, playing defense significantly better than they 948 00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:19,080 have. There was that staff that I 949 00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:22,520 printed I I tweeted out this morning, Indiana over the last 950 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:25,520 five halves of basketball, second-half of Harvard, and then 951 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:27,960 the four halves versus Maryland and Michigan. 952 00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:31,760 They've only allowed opponents to shoot 7 for 42 from 3:00 953 00:48:31,960 --> 00:48:34,400 during that time. That's stellar like that. 954 00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:38,840 You'll take that, you know, 10 times out of 10, you know, this 955 00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:41,360 team has improved so much since the start of the year. 956 00:48:41,600 --> 00:48:43,000 They still have a long way to go. 957 00:48:43,200 --> 00:48:45,640 They still really have a lot of struggles in the backcourt that 958 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:48,040 are incredibly concerning. And it's at this point I'm like, 959 00:48:48,040 --> 00:48:49,840 where is the fix going to come from? 960 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:53,680 But the fact that Indiana has survived, they've lost the game. 961 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:55,800 Everybody thought they were going to lose anyway and that's 962 00:48:55,800 --> 00:48:57,840 it. They haven't played great in all 963 00:48:57,840 --> 00:48:59,440 of the games. They haven't been dominant, but 964 00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:02,400 they keep winning these games. Like that is going to matter if 965 00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:05,080 they can continue to get incrementally better in each 966 00:49:05,080 --> 00:49:07,520 game. And it kind of feels like under 967 00:49:07,520 --> 00:49:09,760 Mike Woodson, they've got a better chance of doing that than 968 00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:13,200 not at this point. Yeah, I mean that win last 969 00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:14,960 night, you know, there was a point. 970 00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:17,040 There were both teams were trying to give it to each other. 971 00:49:17,040 --> 00:49:18,640 You know, Michigan kept turning it over. 972 00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:23,120 We kept having an inability to kind of take control of the game 973 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:26,120 when it was being given to us and then vice versa. 974 00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:28,880 But, you know, after after the game we won, I thought to 975 00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:32,240 myself, like, that's one of those games where, you know, I'm 976 00:49:32,240 --> 00:49:35,400 not not the best corollary, but we're like, you know, when, 977 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:37,640 like, you know, Rutgers is like fourth in the league. 978 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:40,480 And, you know, last year in, you know, in February, you look at, 979 00:49:40,480 --> 00:49:42,160 it's like, oh, yeah, well, they. But they won those two games in 980 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:43,280 December. It's like one of those just 981 00:49:43,280 --> 00:49:45,360 going to continue to provide dividends. 982 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:48,080 Like this is one of those, like, games that feels like maybe not 983 00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:50,360 this year, but like in previous years, this feels like a game. 984 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:52,920 Like Michigan State always wins. Like they're always in the top 985 00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:54,680 three in the Big 10 because like, they just have all these 986 00:49:54,680 --> 00:49:57,160 games where it's like, yeah, but like they, you know, Michigan's 987 00:49:57,160 --> 00:49:58,760 kind of having a bad year, but they pop up and down. 988 00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:00,560 But it's like Michigan State beat them then and Michigan 989 00:50:00,560 --> 00:50:03,320 State took care of them then. And it's like how often have we 990 00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:06,560 looked at teams that's like they get those two wins in December 991 00:50:06,560 --> 00:50:09,360 and it's like those just provide dividends throughout the 992 00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:11,160 throughout the Big 10 where it's like you're already two. 993 00:50:11,160 --> 00:50:14,680 And oh I don't I I feel like we're always one and one coming 994 00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:16,600 out of these games. I can't remember a time we were 995 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:19,080 two and oh and this is great. It's a road win. 996 00:50:19,600 --> 00:50:22,960 You know, it doesn't solve all of the problems, but it it's 997 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:26,480 it's unlike games that we've won in the past. 998 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:28,840 You know, normally those are the types of games where it's up for 999 00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:32,520 grabs and we either don't take it or we end up making the one 1000 00:50:32,520 --> 00:50:37,200 more extra mistake and we didn't and we, you know, we closed it 1001 00:50:37,200 --> 00:50:38,480 out. You know, like that was kind of 1002 00:50:38,480 --> 00:50:42,560 what was cool is it wasn't just like that we didn't make the 1003 00:50:42,560 --> 00:50:45,480 last mistake. You know, we hit a shot and then 1004 00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:47,680 we made the smart. You know, we we hit our free 1005 00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:51,160 throws and then we fouled in a smart manner and then they 1006 00:50:51,160 --> 00:50:53,520 missed their free throws and we hit our free throws again. 1007 00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:57,120 They missed and then we stopped the inbounds play from having 1008 00:50:57,120 --> 00:50:58,840 the the game daily. We made five. 1009 00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:01,800 We basically closed it out there at the end with smart plays, 1010 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:04,200 smart coaching and hitting free throws. 1011 00:51:05,640 --> 00:51:07,400 I'm with you on all of that. I'm also. 1012 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:12,440 It's frustrating that again, we look to our backcourt and it's 1013 00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:15,320 like that's where our leadership is, That's where all of our 1014 00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:17,280 years of experience. I understand Xavier Johnson has 1015 00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:20,680 been hurt, but to be fair, he hadn't been playing at a stellar 1016 00:51:20,680 --> 00:51:22,720 level up to that point. I hope he can get healthy and 1017 00:51:22,720 --> 00:51:25,120 get back. But you know that that's where 1018 00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:27,640 you look at Trey Galloway. And you know, this is something 1019 00:51:27,640 --> 00:51:29,360 I'd brought up, I think in a previous pod. 1020 00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:32,720 But you know, this is we're getting into kind of very very 1021 00:51:32,720 --> 00:51:35,840 concerning regression territory where it looks like his junior 1022 00:51:35,840 --> 00:51:38,000 year may have been an aberration. 1023 00:51:38,600 --> 00:51:40,720 There's still a lot of time to get it back, but his numbers 1024 00:51:40,720 --> 00:51:42,920 look very similar to his freshman and sophomore year and 1025 00:51:42,920 --> 00:51:45,880 that's just not going to cut it. And then to to your point, when 1026 00:51:45,880 --> 00:51:48,200 you kind of like, you know, you look at, like, all right, well, 1027 00:51:48,480 --> 00:51:49,880 you know, Gabe Cups is a freshman. 1028 00:51:49,880 --> 00:51:51,360 CJ Gunn has had struggle shooting. 1029 00:51:51,360 --> 00:51:52,680 Hopefully he can get himself out of it. 1030 00:51:52,680 --> 00:51:54,000 Will he shot. But it's like you look around 1031 00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:56,600 like it's not a lot of other options and like it's going to 1032 00:51:56,600 --> 00:51:59,880 be a lot of time out of those guys if unless Trey Galloway can 1033 00:51:59,880 --> 00:52:01,360 really step it up to the next level. 1034 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:03,720 So I'm, I am concerned about that. 1035 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:07,880 But you you once again have this rock in the post and now you 1036 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:13,560 have like the double post presence of wear and renew that 1037 00:52:13,560 --> 00:52:16,640 you didn't have last year. I mean Reyce Thompson was a good 1038 00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:19,240 compliment, but he wasn't always able to be leaned upon. 1039 00:52:19,240 --> 00:52:23,080 I mean, we are at a point now where I really feel like you're 1040 00:52:23,080 --> 00:52:25,920 going to get. A pretty solid performance every 1041 00:52:25,920 --> 00:52:28,040 time out out of Renew and wear. Yeah. 1042 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:31,560 And and look, I think, I mean, let me touch on the Galloway 1043 00:52:31,560 --> 00:52:34,920 thing first. He's clearly pressing and he's 1044 00:52:34,920 --> 00:52:37,800 clearly affected. I mean the the numbers just 1045 00:52:37,800 --> 00:52:39,440 don't make sense. He's down. 1046 00:52:39,440 --> 00:52:41,840 He was a 64% free throw shooter last year. 1047 00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:44,320 He's at 56% so far on this season. 1048 00:52:44,960 --> 00:52:48,720 He's actually shooting the ball from 2 better this year by a 1049 00:52:48,720 --> 00:52:52,160 pretty significant margin. He's gone from a 48% shooter to 1050 00:52:52,160 --> 00:52:55,920 a 58% shooter from 2. The problem is he's dropped from 1051 00:52:55,920 --> 00:53:01,600 a 46% three-point shooter to a 13 1/2 percent 3 point shooter. 1052 00:53:01,960 --> 00:53:05,680 His his turnovers are up marginally and he's just not a 1053 00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:08,760 very efficient player right now. His efficiency numbers dropped 1054 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:15,240 by almost 2/10 of a point that's that's just you know someone. 1055 00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:18,960 There's been a lot of commentary on the discord about this and 1056 00:53:19,560 --> 00:53:21,440 you know, some people have said well he's not meant to be this 1057 00:53:21,440 --> 00:53:23,400 kind of primary offensive option. 1058 00:53:24,040 --> 00:53:26,720 Someone compared it to what happened to Will Shee Hee 1059 00:53:26,720 --> 00:53:31,680 between Shee Hee's junior year, which was the 13th season when 1060 00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:35,000 he was essentially the 6th man kind of add on could come in and 1061 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:39,040 do damage at times versus his his senior year where his 1062 00:53:39,040 --> 00:53:41,720 minutes jumped. And clearly there was a 1063 00:53:41,720 --> 00:53:44,040 regression with Shee Hee offensively a little bit in 1064 00:53:44,040 --> 00:53:46,200 terms of his efficiency. His turnovers got, you know, 1065 00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:48,080 jumped up. He was still a pretty good 1066 00:53:48,080 --> 00:53:49,760 shooter. His shooting really never left 1067 00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:52,800 him, but he tried to do too much because I think he felt 1068 00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:54,720 compelled to. And if everybody remembers that 1069 00:53:54,840 --> 00:53:58,640 team from 1314, you could see why he felt that way. 1070 00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:04,520 And I feel like Galloway is. He clearly misses Johnson 1071 00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:07,840 because Gabe Cubs is still learning the game of basketball. 1072 00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:10,560 And I think Cubs actually Cubs actually played pretty well 1073 00:54:10,560 --> 00:54:11,960 yesterday, all things considered. 1074 00:54:11,960 --> 00:54:14,880 I was. I was pleased with he's he's 1075 00:54:15,040 --> 00:54:18,200 he's taking less off the table and putting more on the table 1076 00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:22,320 every game now as he's I think starting to realize that he can 1077 00:54:22,320 --> 00:54:24,960 indeed play physically against some of these guys. 1078 00:54:25,800 --> 00:54:31,800 But Galloway I think, still like his ability to play as a fourth 1079 00:54:31,800 --> 00:54:35,320 or fifth offensive option like he was last year versus having 1080 00:54:35,320 --> 00:54:39,080 to be the initiator at this particular point is clearly not 1081 00:54:39,080 --> 00:54:41,800 working for him and and last night might have been the worst 1082 00:54:41,800 --> 00:54:45,560 game that we've seen out of him. Now I I'll be really surprised 1083 00:54:45,560 --> 00:54:48,200 if that lasts. But I also think like at some 1084 00:54:48,200 --> 00:54:52,880 point, this is a string of five games now and four of them have 1085 00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:55,640 seen him register an offensive rating under 100. 1086 00:54:56,040 --> 00:54:59,200 He played really well against Maryland, but he struggled in a 1087 00:54:59,200 --> 00:55:01,920 lot of the other ones. And you know, as we've said on 1088 00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:04,920 the show, I think everybody's rooting for Trey to do better. 1089 00:55:05,280 --> 00:55:08,720 If he doesn't, it really puts a hard ceiling on what this team 1090 00:55:08,720 --> 00:55:12,160 can accomplish because it essentially means that you have 1091 00:55:12,160 --> 00:55:18,160 to get 20 and eight out of renew and 15 and eight out of where. 1092 00:55:18,720 --> 00:55:20,560 Fortunately, they've been able to do that. 1093 00:55:20,920 --> 00:55:23,840 It just makes you think about, you know, what the ceiling of 1094 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:28,600 the team could be with a healthy Xavier Johnson, with a a Trey 1095 00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:32,360 Galloway that isn't feeling the pressure, and a rotation that 1096 00:55:32,360 --> 00:55:36,000 can include ACJ gun and a Gabe Cups playing at a level that 1097 00:55:36,160 --> 00:55:39,200 isn't damaging to the team when they're out there. 1098 00:55:39,200 --> 00:55:41,040 Because the rest of the pieces look there. 1099 00:55:41,040 --> 00:55:44,280 I've been, you know, I think Mike Woodson, you can real 1100 00:55:44,360 --> 00:55:45,200 quick. Yeah, Go ahead, please. 1101 00:55:45,960 --> 00:55:49,480 Trey, like I I would push not to you, but to those who are 1102 00:55:49,480 --> 00:55:51,040 sailing. I would push back a little bit 1103 00:55:51,040 --> 00:55:54,880 that you know he's he's having to do a slightly more bringing 1104 00:55:54,880 --> 00:55:56,840 the ball up and being a little more point guard role. 1105 00:55:56,840 --> 00:56:00,360 But you know last year when his numbers were very, you know, had 1106 00:56:00,360 --> 00:56:03,040 the best year of his career, you know, he was only using the ball 1107 00:56:03,040 --> 00:56:05,480 12% of possessions. You know this year it's 17% of 1108 00:56:05,480 --> 00:56:08,360 possessions, which is higher. But it's still in like the Ken 1109 00:56:08,360 --> 00:56:10,400 Pom world. He's still a role player and 1110 00:56:10,400 --> 00:56:14,400 it's still he's still not the primary option on offense like 1111 00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:15,760 this year you have where you have renew. 1112 00:56:15,760 --> 00:56:19,120 Last year you had TJD you know you had Hood Shapino, you had 1113 00:56:19,120 --> 00:56:21,800 renew like you know and in reality it's not like he has to 1114 00:56:21,800 --> 00:56:24,120 start every as a point guard just dump it into the post and 1115 00:56:24,360 --> 00:56:27,280 you know if that's if that the thing that I would you know if I 1116 00:56:27,320 --> 00:56:29,840 was talking to Trey Galloway is like look just your role is the 1117 00:56:29,840 --> 00:56:32,840 same as last year like you're maybe using the ball a tiny bit 1118 00:56:32,840 --> 00:56:35,560 more but nothing has changed. You know you still have two 1119 00:56:35,560 --> 00:56:38,560 great guys in the post like you're still getting the same 1120 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:42,040 you should still be getting the same types of looks you got last 1121 00:56:42,040 --> 00:56:44,040 year. You just need to kind of do that 1122 00:56:44,040 --> 00:56:47,360 And so I I I would push back against the fact like he's, you 1123 00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:48,800 know it's it's too much of A role for him. 1124 00:56:48,800 --> 00:56:50,600 It's like to to me it's like his role is the same. 1125 00:56:51,120 --> 00:56:56,080 Well he's having a really hard time hitting threes and and you 1126 00:56:56,120 --> 00:56:57,840 know, being efficient with what he's doing. 1127 00:56:58,200 --> 00:57:01,400 And and look I think that that's fair potentially as well it it's 1128 00:57:01,400 --> 00:57:05,040 tough because it's hard to say OK what are the which plays are 1129 00:57:05,040 --> 00:57:08,480 set up for him and he's not able to to capitalize on. 1130 00:57:08,760 --> 00:57:14,040 I will say I if he feels like he has to do a lot on offense, I 1131 00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:16,480 don't think he has to do nearly as much as he thinks he has to 1132 00:57:16,480 --> 00:57:18,800 do. But you you've he's you know 1133 00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:21,680 they got to get over the mental block of the threes because at 1134 00:57:21,680 --> 00:57:23,640 this point it doesn't make any sense. 1135 00:57:24,920 --> 00:57:27,680 Like one of two things is true. Either last year was an 1136 00:57:27,680 --> 00:57:31,280 aberration or this year is an aberration. 1137 00:57:31,800 --> 00:57:34,960 Statistically speaking, I think it's important to bring up like 1138 00:57:35,120 --> 00:57:37,240 Galloway's first two seasons at IU. 1139 00:57:37,840 --> 00:57:41,440 He shot 18% from three his freshman year on 6 for 33 1140 00:57:41,440 --> 00:57:44,960 shooting. He shot 21% from three his 1141 00:57:44,960 --> 00:57:50,280 sophomore year, which is 21%. Last year he shot 30 of 65. 1142 00:57:50,320 --> 00:57:53,840 That was 46% and now he's back to 13 1/2%. 1143 00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:57,600 And it's like, well, we'll see what happens the rest of the 1144 00:57:57,600 --> 00:57:59,480 year. But it's possible that he's not 1145 00:57:59,480 --> 00:58:03,360 a good outside shooter that had a great like aberration year 1146 00:58:03,360 --> 00:58:07,560 last year in terms of shooting. But you know, if that's the 1147 00:58:07,560 --> 00:58:11,280 case, then Indiana's got to figure something else out. 1148 00:58:11,760 --> 00:58:14,480 Whether that's, you know, putting him Bako in different 1149 00:58:14,480 --> 00:58:17,000 spots on the floor and teeing him up because he seems to be 1150 00:58:17,000 --> 00:58:19,920 getting into a rhythm shooting. And we know that he's got range 1151 00:58:20,240 --> 00:58:22,440 and he'd almost. It's like if you could get him 1152 00:58:22,440 --> 00:58:25,680 the shots that Galloway is missing from long distance 1153 00:58:25,920 --> 00:58:28,440 because Galloway's either got a mental block or just isn't 1154 00:58:28,440 --> 00:58:29,960 really that good of an outside shooter. 1155 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:33,200 At the end of the day, that changes a lot of what Indiana 1156 00:58:33,200 --> 00:58:34,920 could potentially do offensively. 1157 00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:37,880 I don't know. I don't know how that manifests 1158 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:40,160 itself or even if that's something that Woodson wants to 1159 00:58:40,160 --> 00:58:42,760 do, you know. But I've heard Woodson now on 1160 00:58:42,760 --> 00:58:45,640 like what four different occasions in a post game say I 1161 00:58:45,640 --> 00:58:48,200 got to get the I got to get I got to help the guards or I got 1162 00:58:48,200 --> 00:58:50,680 to help the backcourt or I got to get the backcourt up and 1163 00:58:50,680 --> 00:58:53,280 running. It's like I hear you coach, you 1164 00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:54,240 get. That's true. 1165 00:58:54,240 --> 00:58:57,520 You do. I'm I'm wondering if they just 1166 00:58:57,520 --> 00:59:00,400 need to completely junk what they've tried to set up up to 1167 00:59:00,400 --> 00:59:04,200 this point because it's not working and. 1168 00:59:04,200 --> 00:59:07,200 Or I also, I also wonder if you know, if Woodson's looking at it 1169 00:59:07,200 --> 00:59:11,440 at, you know, we look at the guards as, you know, Galloway 1170 00:59:11,440 --> 00:59:15,040 and you know, Xavier and Cubs. But you know, maybe he's looking 1171 00:59:15,040 --> 00:59:18,320 at it as like Mbacco, as a, you know, as a guard type position. 1172 00:59:18,320 --> 00:59:21,360 Because that's something I do want to highlight too, is just 1173 00:59:21,360 --> 00:59:25,680 Mbacco has started to show flashes of what I think we were 1174 00:59:25,680 --> 00:59:29,000 all looking for. It's like he almost left the bad 1175 00:59:29,000 --> 00:59:31,480 Mackenzie Mbacco in New York, you know, because up until that 1176 00:59:31,480 --> 00:59:35,200 point it looked like he was kind of lost in college basketball, 1177 00:59:35,200 --> 00:59:37,640 having a really hard time figuring out defense, his place 1178 00:59:37,640 --> 00:59:38,920 on offense. And. 1179 00:59:38,920 --> 00:59:41,640 And what's interesting is, you know, the the competition has 1180 00:59:41,640 --> 00:59:44,960 ratcheted up just a tiny bit since we, I mean not UConn 1181 00:59:44,960 --> 00:59:47,720 level, but it's like, you know, compared to Florida, Gulf Coast, 1182 00:59:47,720 --> 00:59:50,400 Army and Wright State, you know, Harvard, Maryland and Michigan, 1183 00:59:50,680 --> 00:59:53,520 Imbacco has come in and you know, offensive ratings of 125, 1184 00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:57,320 one 5129, you know, struggled a little bit, one for five against 1185 00:59:57,320 --> 00:59:59,440 Harvard from three, but then one for two, one for two, you know, 1186 00:59:59,440 --> 01:00:02,360 18 points, 13 points, 12 points like it looks like he's starting 1187 01:00:02,360 --> 01:00:03,440 to. To get his footing and starting 1188 01:00:03,440 --> 01:00:04,800 to feel like, all right, I understand. 1189 01:00:04,800 --> 01:00:07,920 I'm starting to see where I can fit in in college basketball. 1190 01:00:07,920 --> 01:00:11,120 And to me that's that's a real key to this team. 1191 01:00:11,440 --> 01:00:15,040 And it's possible that you can just get Imbaco going, even kind 1192 01:00:15,040 --> 01:00:16,880 of keep his growth potential going. 1193 01:00:16,880 --> 01:00:20,960 He could kind of play a pseudo guard position. 1194 01:00:21,120 --> 01:00:23,280 And if you're Woodson, it's like, all right, you know, you 1195 01:00:23,280 --> 01:00:25,240 know, I want Galloway to get better. 1196 01:00:25,240 --> 01:00:28,640 But it's like Galloway is, you know, a fourth year player like 1197 01:00:28,640 --> 01:00:30,240 this is. He might just be what he is now. 1198 01:00:30,240 --> 01:00:32,280 Like in Baco. There's room to grow. 1199 01:00:32,480 --> 01:00:35,040 Here's the thing, though. Much like Mike Woodson didn't 1200 01:00:35,040 --> 01:00:40,440 give up on Mackenzie and Baco after some bad performances, he 1201 01:00:40,440 --> 01:00:43,840 can't give up and won't give up on Trey Galloway after some bad 1202 01:00:43,840 --> 01:00:46,360 performances. And I, I I was thinking it would 1203 01:00:46,360 --> 01:00:50,000 be funny with all of the the fake angst from the basketball 1204 01:00:50,000 --> 01:00:53,560 experts about how the reason Mbako's playing badly is because 1205 01:00:53,560 --> 01:00:57,120 he's a four, not a three. You know, all that stupid 1206 01:00:57,120 --> 01:01:00,560 nonsense noise from earlier? It would be hilarious if 1207 01:01:00,560 --> 01:01:06,080 actually Mbako was a 2. That's the that's the Galaxy 1208 01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:10,720 braid stuff there. But no, look, I I I think the 1209 01:01:10,720 --> 01:01:13,120 biggest thing right now is Trey Gallo has got to play fewer 1210 01:01:13,120 --> 01:01:14,840 minutes, get him off the floor a little bit more. 1211 01:01:14,840 --> 01:01:18,240 He's playing 82 percent, 82 1/2% of available minutes so far 1212 01:01:18,240 --> 01:01:23,120 that's that is clearly too much. And you know when he's on the 1213 01:01:23,120 --> 01:01:25,880 floor doesn't need to do quite as much. 1214 01:01:25,880 --> 01:01:29,080 And I think a lot of that is going to be dependent on can CJ 1215 01:01:29,080 --> 01:01:32,680 Gunn contribute more along the lines of what we saw yesterday 1216 01:01:32,880 --> 01:01:36,960 than what we've seen from CJ Gunn in essentially any of the 1217 01:01:36,960 --> 01:01:40,720 other games this season except the right state game where he's 1218 01:01:40,880 --> 01:01:44,040 he's putting up shots, he's playing some good defense, he's 1219 01:01:44,040 --> 01:01:45,920 getting some. He had four steals yesterday. 1220 01:01:45,920 --> 01:01:48,200 He's had 7 steals in the last two games. 1221 01:01:48,920 --> 01:01:50,840 Yeah, he had four steals in the Connecticut game. 1222 01:01:51,040 --> 01:01:53,000 The problem is he had zero steals in the Louisville and 1223 01:01:53,000 --> 01:01:55,440 Harvard games. He's he is so feast or famine, 1224 01:01:55,760 --> 01:01:59,640 he is. He is such a key to this team. 1225 01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:03,880 Having the flexibility to sit Trey Galloway for a little bit 1226 01:02:03,880 --> 01:02:06,880 and collect himself and and put him in more strategic spots. 1227 01:02:07,360 --> 01:02:10,360 And you know what? He's in the Tamar Bates role 1228 01:02:10,360 --> 01:02:12,360 right now where it's like you just don't know which one you're 1229 01:02:12,360 --> 01:02:14,560 going to get right now. And it unfortunately, like I'm 1230 01:02:14,560 --> 01:02:17,920 happy now we have that because he was up to a up until like 1231 01:02:17,920 --> 01:02:20,200 last night, it was kind of like he was not even at the point 1232 01:02:20,200 --> 01:02:21,880 where you knew you'd get a great game out of him. 1233 01:02:21,880 --> 01:02:23,760 You were always, I was always concerned when he came in just 1234 01:02:23,760 --> 01:02:25,960 because there hadn't been a lot of production on the court. 1235 01:02:26,720 --> 01:02:30,440 You know, I I hope the the the Tamar Bates thing was tough 1236 01:02:30,440 --> 01:02:32,720 because like he just didn't know what you were going to get. 1237 01:02:32,720 --> 01:02:35,120 Like this is where if you're CJ, it's like just you've got to 1238 01:02:35,120 --> 01:02:36,640 find a way to level it off a little bit. 1239 01:02:36,640 --> 01:02:40,000 Like you can't have games of zeros, but you don't need, you 1240 01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:42,000 know, 3 threes and four steals every game. 1241 01:02:42,000 --> 01:02:43,920 Like just find a way to level it out and come in and be 1242 01:02:44,200 --> 01:02:46,600 consistent. Yeah, no, it's it's a good point 1243 01:02:46,600 --> 01:02:50,280 and look I've to the point I was going to make and we can kind of 1244 01:02:50,280 --> 01:02:55,880 finish off with this, but I I really love thus far what the 1245 01:02:55,880 --> 01:02:59,960 bench is developing into with with Mike Woodson in the way 1246 01:02:59,960 --> 01:03:04,160 that he's coached this group. I mean I'm, I am pleasantly 1247 01:03:04,160 --> 01:03:07,640 shocked at Anthony Walker being as good of a contributor, 1248 01:03:07,760 --> 01:03:10,160 especially offensively. That is not something that I 1249 01:03:10,160 --> 01:03:12,400 foresaw. I don't think anybody foresaw 1250 01:03:12,400 --> 01:03:14,760 it. You know, right now, I mean, 1251 01:03:14,760 --> 01:03:17,200 it's early, We're only eight games in. 1252 01:03:18,120 --> 01:03:23,520 But Anthony Walker's offensive rating is 113, which his highest 1253 01:03:23,520 --> 01:03:27,640 offensive rating at Miami was 97, and that was two years ago. 1254 01:03:28,120 --> 01:03:33,640 This is not a guy who has been a consistent contributor in in any 1255 01:03:33,640 --> 01:03:36,040 of the years that he's played basketball. 1256 01:03:36,280 --> 01:03:38,600 He's playing, you know, at a lot of minutes. 1257 01:03:38,600 --> 01:03:41,320 This year he played a lot of he played his most minutes as a 1258 01:03:41,320 --> 01:03:45,760 sophomore in that first year after COVID and it didn't really 1259 01:03:45,760 --> 01:03:48,040 contribute enough to stay on the floor, didn't shoot the ball 1260 01:03:48,040 --> 01:03:51,600 particularly well. What I'm seeing out of him is, 1261 01:03:51,600 --> 01:03:54,800 is really fascinating because he is so energetic and he's so 1262 01:03:54,800 --> 01:03:58,040 athletic and he seems to be picking his spots a lot more. 1263 01:03:58,400 --> 01:04:00,480 Caleb Banks I think fits into this category. 1264 01:04:00,480 --> 01:04:03,680 Banks clearly is still struggling with control issues, 1265 01:04:03,960 --> 01:04:06,560 but the fact that he's able to contribute offensively at all 1266 01:04:06,560 --> 01:04:09,920 right now is, is really impressive and he's doing so in 1267 01:04:09,920 --> 01:04:12,040 a lot more minutes than he was getting last year. 1268 01:04:12,040 --> 01:04:18,160 I think Peyton Sparks he's he's he's still struggles with his 1269 01:04:18,160 --> 01:04:20,960 physicality. He reminds me a lot of Larry 1270 01:04:20,960 --> 01:04:24,880 Richardson in the way that like his body just doesn't quite move 1271 01:04:24,880 --> 01:04:29,040 with a fluidity. But he is doing some good work 1272 01:04:29,560 --> 01:04:33,520 for IUI think especially on the defensive glass and it's allowed 1273 01:04:33,520 --> 01:04:37,480 IU to get Malik Renew out of there on occasion and just give 1274 01:04:37,480 --> 01:04:40,640 him a breather. And he hit a hit two free 1275 01:04:40,640 --> 01:04:43,560 throwers in a row yesterday. Scott, which is which is huge 1276 01:04:43,560 --> 01:04:47,000 news for him as that's a guy that it, you know he'll probably 1277 01:04:47,000 --> 01:04:49,200 get fouled quite a bit down the stretch and he's got to start 1278 01:04:49,200 --> 01:04:51,960 feeling some confidence there. So that that whole group of guys 1279 01:04:51,960 --> 01:04:54,600 off the bench and I think you can throw Gabe Cups in even 1280 01:04:54,600 --> 01:04:56,200 though he's hit. He's basically had to slide into 1281 01:04:56,200 --> 01:04:59,800 a starter roll. Like the fact that Indiana has 1282 01:04:59,800 --> 01:05:04,400 been able to insert Walker or insert Banks in key moments also 1283 01:05:04,400 --> 01:05:09,840 in the second-half and not lose that much is, you know if this 1284 01:05:09,840 --> 01:05:12,760 Indiana team ever fully blossoms, If they get a healthy 1285 01:05:12,760 --> 01:05:17,240 Xavier Johnson, if they get a a more in touch with himself, Trey 1286 01:05:17,240 --> 01:05:21,320 Galloway, if they get ACJ gun that's actually able to 1287 01:05:21,320 --> 01:05:24,920 contribute a solid 15 to 20 minutes a game and and put some 1288 01:05:24,920 --> 01:05:28,920 shots up and hit them, the I really like where the team could 1289 01:05:28,920 --> 01:05:31,480 go. It's just it's hard to say for 1290 01:05:31,480 --> 01:05:34,320 sure that they'll get there. They've got a fascinating test 1291 01:05:34,320 --> 01:05:37,720 coming up against Auburn, and it's a Auburn team that almost 1292 01:05:37,720 --> 01:05:40,320 kind of feels tailor made for this Indiana team to play in a 1293 01:05:40,320 --> 01:05:43,200 lot of ways. But, you know, I don't know. 1294 01:05:43,200 --> 01:05:45,600 I don't have no clue how they're going to perform on the road or 1295 01:05:45,600 --> 01:05:47,480 in a neutral court against Auburn. 1296 01:05:47,760 --> 01:05:50,160 But I love the development that a lot of these guys are getting. 1297 01:05:50,160 --> 01:05:53,320 I do think it will pay dividends down the stretch because Woodson 1298 01:05:53,320 --> 01:05:56,600 seems to be unlocking things in players gradually and that is 1299 01:05:56,800 --> 01:06:00,080 not something that we're used to seeing on the Indiana bench, at 1300 01:06:00,080 --> 01:06:02,000 least not over the last 10 to 15 years. 1301 01:06:02,760 --> 01:06:04,320 Yeah I mean I'll just highlight two of those. 1302 01:06:04,320 --> 01:06:08,200 I'm I'm also been very impressed with Walker for a guy who you 1303 01:06:08,200 --> 01:06:10,960 know that Miami team was was pretty loaded so he had a hard 1304 01:06:10,960 --> 01:06:13,240 time you know finding time to play. 1305 01:06:13,240 --> 01:06:16,520 But he had a lot of you know 6.0, you know 7.0. 1306 01:06:17,360 --> 01:06:20,800 He's been he's had that consistency that you want from a 1307 01:06:20,800 --> 01:06:23,200 bench player. You know unlike the Tamar Bates 1308 01:06:23,200 --> 01:06:25,320 type like he's one who just comes in and you're going to get 1309 01:06:25,320 --> 01:06:28,320 6-7 eight points out of him. He's not going to make a lot of 1310 01:06:28,320 --> 01:06:30,960 mistakes. But I I, I've actually been very 1311 01:06:30,960 --> 01:06:34,640 impressed with Peyton Sparks. You know, came in a guy who had 1312 01:06:34,640 --> 01:06:39,680 a lot of offensive load at Ball State has really taken a back 1313 01:06:39,680 --> 01:06:42,080 seat on offense for obvious reasons and and played a 1314 01:06:42,080 --> 01:06:45,000 defensive role. And like you, yes, he's he's 1315 01:06:45,000 --> 01:06:47,720 very physical. He sometimes has a hard time 1316 01:06:47,720 --> 01:06:50,520 moving, you know can't move laterally as fast as some other 1317 01:06:50,520 --> 01:06:52,160 people. But what's been really amazing 1318 01:06:52,160 --> 01:06:55,000 is he plays physical. He plays very physical on 1319 01:06:55,000 --> 01:06:57,080 defense. He's not getting into foul 1320 01:06:57,080 --> 01:06:59,680 trouble, which is like exactly what you want from that position 1321 01:06:59,840 --> 01:07:03,640 is someone to come in, you know, give renew or give, wear a 1322 01:07:03,640 --> 01:07:07,160 spell, play physical, give the defense, you know, the other 1323 01:07:07,160 --> 01:07:10,480 team's big man another look, but not get in foul trouble, you 1324 01:07:10,480 --> 01:07:11,840 know, And he's not playing a ton of minutes. 1325 01:07:11,840 --> 01:07:14,600 But last night he played 9 minutes, no fouls, you know, 14 1326 01:07:14,600 --> 01:07:16,400 minutes against Louisville, no fouls. 1327 01:07:16,400 --> 01:07:18,880 And it's not like Peyton Sparks is a wallflower. 1328 01:07:18,880 --> 01:07:20,360 I mean, he's out there being physical. 1329 01:07:20,360 --> 01:07:24,360 He bodies up and he's able to put some physicality in the post 1330 01:07:24,360 --> 01:07:27,360 without getting foul or without fouling, which I think is a 1331 01:07:27,360 --> 01:07:30,560 huge. It's a it's so nice to have him 1332 01:07:30,560 --> 01:07:33,160 where you can put him in and games like last night where you 1333 01:07:33,160 --> 01:07:36,480 know where is in foul trouble, you know you can put Sparks out 1334 01:07:36,480 --> 01:07:38,560 there. He's going to play some tough 1335 01:07:38,560 --> 01:07:41,560 defense but not get himself in foul trouble, which then kind of 1336 01:07:41,560 --> 01:07:44,000 really puts you in a tough spot where you got to play where with 1337 01:07:44,000 --> 01:07:46,600 more than you want to a foul. So I've I've been very happy 1338 01:07:46,600 --> 01:07:49,800 with what Sparks has been able to provide on the defensive end 1339 01:07:49,800 --> 01:07:53,760 from the bench. It's it's going to be 1340 01:07:53,760 --> 01:07:56,280 interesting to watch how these guys continue to develop cause 1341 01:07:56,280 --> 01:07:59,080 like you I like this team and I think it's growing and I I think 1342 01:07:59,080 --> 01:08:02,840 you and I were on it. I don't I don't like them yet I 1343 01:08:02,840 --> 01:08:07,560 I I like the pieces I that was AI mean I got to say that was a 1344 01:08:07,560 --> 01:08:10,520 tough watch that Michigan Indiana game was a tough watch 1345 01:08:11,000 --> 01:08:15,440 it it's a team that I I will I I give them a lot of credit. 1346 01:08:15,600 --> 01:08:19,640 As bad as they were in terms of turnovers in the first half they 1347 01:08:19,640 --> 01:08:22,520 had 10 turnovers in the first half they only had three in the 1348 01:08:22,520 --> 01:08:24,600 second-half. Now they replaced the turnovers 1349 01:08:24,600 --> 01:08:28,399 with just like bad shots at times or questionable decision 1350 01:08:28,399 --> 01:08:31,200 making. They're they're clearly still 1351 01:08:31,200 --> 01:08:34,200 kind of figuring out how to work as a unit and I'm still 1352 01:08:34,200 --> 01:08:37,760 concerned about the defense. But I I there's there's 1353 01:08:37,760 --> 01:08:40,800 promising signs and I'd rather they gave up twos than threes, 1354 01:08:40,920 --> 01:08:43,240 which that's kind of how they've switched things around. 1355 01:08:43,680 --> 01:08:49,359 And offensively, I'd rather they went with the more efficient 1356 01:08:49,359 --> 01:08:51,640 scoring options rather than try to force things. 1357 01:08:51,640 --> 01:08:53,319 And so I'm glad that that's all happening. 1358 01:08:53,479 --> 01:08:56,040 And they certainly look a lot more together and a lot more 1359 01:08:56,359 --> 01:09:00,560 coherent as a group than they did in those games that we saw 1360 01:09:00,560 --> 01:09:02,800 in New York against Connecticut and Louisville where there were 1361 01:09:02,800 --> 01:09:04,760 times where yours, like had these guys played together 1362 01:09:04,760 --> 01:09:06,160 before. And that's. 1363 01:09:06,560 --> 01:09:08,200 That's what I was you. You're right. 1364 01:09:08,200 --> 01:09:10,080 Because there was a time last night I said to my wife like, 1365 01:09:10,240 --> 01:09:12,600 I'm is this team fun to watch? I couldn't tell. 1366 01:09:12,840 --> 01:09:15,960 There's definitely good pieces, but I guess more succinctly what 1367 01:09:15,960 --> 01:09:17,560 I was saying, you know the beginning of the year you and I 1368 01:09:17,560 --> 01:09:21,560 both were on this team is probably going to be different, 1369 01:09:21,720 --> 01:09:25,200 hopefully better but different in February and March than it is 1370 01:09:25,200 --> 01:09:28,640 in November and December. And you know the last two games 1371 01:09:28,640 --> 01:09:31,800 against Maryland and Michigan was the first time. 1372 01:09:31,840 --> 01:09:34,040 It's like you I I'm starting to see that happen. 1373 01:09:34,040 --> 01:09:35,279 It's like, oh, this team is growing. 1374 01:09:35,279 --> 01:09:38,279 Like I'm seeing this team change from the team we saw in New 1375 01:09:38,279 --> 01:09:40,560 York. Something definitely changed. 1376 01:09:41,160 --> 01:09:43,439 It's not all going to be a straight line to you know 1377 01:09:43,560 --> 01:09:47,920 appreciate the tournament but you know I I'm excited in that 1378 01:09:48,120 --> 01:09:52,200 it feels like we are seeing this team grow in positive ways to 1379 01:09:52,200 --> 01:09:54,480 get to that point. Where as you and I said like I, 1380 01:09:54,920 --> 01:09:57,520 you know, I think this is going to be a much different and 1381 01:09:57,520 --> 01:10:00,400 hopefully better team in February and it feels like we're 1382 01:10:00,400 --> 01:10:02,200 starting to see that trajectory happen. 1383 01:10:02,200 --> 01:10:03,640 But it's it's not going. To be a straight line and 1384 01:10:03,640 --> 01:10:07,200 there's two, there's two things, a micro thing and a macro thing. 1385 01:10:07,200 --> 01:10:11,120 The micro thing is that you know they were AI think a six point 1386 01:10:11,160 --> 01:10:15,000 underdog to Michigan according to Ken Palm last night and they 1387 01:10:15,000 --> 01:10:20,200 won and that's that's what Indiana has to do. 1388 01:10:20,520 --> 01:10:24,200 Indiana right now because they have been so unimpressive in 1389 01:10:24,200 --> 01:10:27,120 terms of the margin of victory against some really bad teams, 1390 01:10:27,120 --> 01:10:30,960 including an army team that has been atrocious so far this 1391 01:10:30,960 --> 01:10:33,840 season. They have they're going to have 1392 01:10:33,840 --> 01:10:36,880 to win games that right now the computers say you're not going 1393 01:10:36,880 --> 01:10:38,520 to win because we don't think you're that good. 1394 01:10:39,240 --> 01:10:42,000 You know obviously as Indiana gets better they will grow ahead 1395 01:10:42,000 --> 01:10:46,160 of their computer profile and in the Big 10 I mean you they've 1396 01:10:46,160 --> 01:10:48,320 got a lot of very winnable home games. 1397 01:10:48,760 --> 01:10:51,280 They're going to have to pick some games off on the road 1398 01:10:51,560 --> 01:10:54,920 because they just A, they don't have. 1399 01:10:55,440 --> 01:10:58,440 They're not going to have enough of a non conference resume to 1400 01:10:59,080 --> 01:11:02,960 bolster them beyond the fact that the Big 10 isn't very good 1401 01:11:02,960 --> 01:11:05,520 this year. But also B, they're going to 1402 01:11:05,520 --> 01:11:08,440 have some games on the road against teams that the computers 1403 01:11:08,440 --> 01:11:10,320 don't like, that they're really going to need that to figure out 1404 01:11:10,320 --> 01:11:12,320 a way to win. I mean they got to play at 1405 01:11:12,320 --> 01:11:15,080 Minnesota, who the computers don't like, they have to play at 1406 01:11:15,080 --> 01:11:16,760 Penn State, who the computers don't like. 1407 01:11:17,160 --> 01:11:19,280 They've got games against both of those teams at home. 1408 01:11:19,360 --> 01:11:22,360 Those are all good for padding stats, but you're going to have 1409 01:11:22,360 --> 01:11:24,880 to pick off one or two other Rd. games. 1410 01:11:24,880 --> 01:11:29,280 Maryland on the road, you know there's there's other ones out 1411 01:11:29,280 --> 01:11:32,480 there that you look at. Rutgers on the road, Nebraska on 1412 01:11:32,480 --> 01:11:34,120 the road. I think those are all games that 1413 01:11:34,600 --> 01:11:36,760 if Indiana's going to put themselves in a position to get 1414 01:11:36,760 --> 01:11:39,960 into the tournament and right now it's very early, but they're 1415 01:11:39,960 --> 01:11:42,000 projecting is just outside the field. 1416 01:11:42,680 --> 01:11:45,760 You know they can't finish 18 and 13 and 10 and 10. 1417 01:11:46,040 --> 01:11:49,200 They've got I, you know, picking up one of these next two games 1418 01:11:49,520 --> 01:11:54,280 would be almost a certainty that you would need maybe a necessity 1419 01:11:54,280 --> 01:11:56,440 to pick up one of those two certainly would be great to get 1420 01:11:56,440 --> 01:11:59,160 both. But I think the thing about this 1421 01:11:59,160 --> 01:12:02,400 team that gives them a chance, there's two things. 1422 01:12:02,400 --> 01:12:05,320 A, they're still growing, then they're clearly getting 1423 01:12:05,320 --> 01:12:08,360 incrementally better in pretty much every game which is not 1424 01:12:08,440 --> 01:12:13,080 often what happens with IU teams it feels like, But B, they they 1425 01:12:13,240 --> 01:12:15,200 they care. They like, they look like they 1426 01:12:15,200 --> 01:12:18,560 legitimately care about winning these games. 1427 01:12:18,880 --> 01:12:22,640 And we saw it in the Louisville game, as bad as that game was 1428 01:12:23,640 --> 01:12:26,720 and you know it, Yes, it took IU switching to a zone at the end, 1429 01:12:26,720 --> 01:12:29,160 but IU then went out and made the plays that they needed to 1430 01:12:29,160 --> 01:12:31,200 make to win the game down the stretch. 1431 01:12:31,400 --> 01:12:35,360 This game last night that, I mean when when Indiana was down 1432 01:12:35,840 --> 01:12:38,600 late, you know, and left that little run in with about 6 1433 01:12:38,600 --> 01:12:40,200 minutes to go. And it's like this doesn't look 1434 01:12:40,200 --> 01:12:43,720 like it's going to go very well. And then they did what they 1435 01:12:43,720 --> 01:12:46,680 needed to do. I mean at at the what was it at 1436 01:12:46,680 --> 01:12:49,320 the 30? No, sorry. 1437 01:12:49,320 --> 01:12:58,200 At the IT was 60, two to 60 Michigan with about 6 1/2 1438 01:12:58,200 --> 01:13:03,120 minutes left and the the numbers didn't look great for Indiana at 1439 01:13:03,120 --> 01:13:04,520 that point. And just in terms of win 1440 01:13:04,520 --> 01:13:07,240 probability, they were at a 28% win probability. 1441 01:13:07,560 --> 01:13:11,840 And from there you know Indiana did what they needed to do down 1442 01:13:11,840 --> 01:13:14,600 the stretch. And I think Indiana's going to 1443 01:13:14,600 --> 01:13:17,040 be in a lot of games like that this year where they're just 1444 01:13:17,040 --> 01:13:19,440 going to have to gut out pipe games. 1445 01:13:19,440 --> 01:13:20,760 They're not going to be fun games. 1446 01:13:20,760 --> 01:13:22,640 They're going to be stressful games to watch. 1447 01:13:23,200 --> 01:13:27,840 But I I like the mentality that this team has, and you 1448 01:13:27,840 --> 01:13:31,200 mentioned, you know, some of the Michigan State, Rutgers, we've 1449 01:13:31,200 --> 01:13:32,760 seen Rutgers do things like this. 1450 01:13:32,760 --> 01:13:35,480 Northwestern does things like this where they just grid out 1451 01:13:35,480 --> 01:13:41,280 these games and the difference is Indiana's got legitimately a 1452 01:13:41,360 --> 01:13:45,080 lottery pick or a potential borderline lottery pick playing 1453 01:13:45,080 --> 01:13:48,280 for them and another guy who'll probably have a long career in 1454 01:13:48,280 --> 01:13:52,120 the NBA. And they've got another guy who, 1455 01:13:52,120 --> 01:13:55,160 if he can put together his offensive and defensive game, 1456 01:13:55,400 --> 01:13:58,760 could be a three and D type of player in the NBA for a while. 1457 01:13:58,760 --> 01:14:02,720 I mean, they've Got Talent that exceeds how they've played up to 1458 01:14:02,720 --> 01:14:06,640 this point. You combine that with some will, 1459 01:14:06,640 --> 01:14:08,360 which this team seems to be showing. 1460 01:14:08,560 --> 01:14:11,360 That's where I'm still optimistic about the season, 1461 01:14:11,640 --> 01:14:14,440 despite the fact that there's times when I want to feel very 1462 01:14:14,480 --> 01:14:17,240 pessimistic about the season. No, totally fair. 1463 01:14:17,240 --> 01:14:20,840 I would also think about last night, just to throw a little 1464 01:14:20,840 --> 01:14:23,080 sand in Michigan's faces. Like, dude, that was barely a 1465 01:14:23,080 --> 01:14:24,960 road game. Like that crowd sucked. 1466 01:14:24,960 --> 01:14:29,320 Like the the shots of the crowd. It's like every every section 1467 01:14:29,320 --> 01:14:33,160 outside of the student section had at least 40% open seats. 1468 01:14:33,160 --> 01:14:34,720 It's like there was nobody there. 1469 01:14:35,360 --> 01:14:39,920 Yeah, I mean it's it's but you know, I'll, I'll say this, I 1470 01:14:39,920 --> 01:14:43,040 think that happens more often in the Big 10 games than you'd 1471 01:14:43,040 --> 01:14:45,320 think and. I always had some really bad 1472 01:14:45,320 --> 01:14:46,320 crowds. Remember seeing on? 1473 01:14:46,320 --> 01:14:49,800 TVI Use lost at Minnesota when Minnesota's had terrible crowds. 1474 01:14:50,240 --> 01:14:55,200 I use the 2012 team lost at Nebraska when Nebraska was not 1475 01:14:55,200 --> 01:14:59,320 exactly a team that was packing them in, You know, so you're 1476 01:14:59,320 --> 01:15:03,200 right in as much as it certainly wasn't Mackie Arena. 1477 01:15:03,520 --> 01:15:05,880 But. It's still a big 10 Rd. win. 1478 01:15:06,480 --> 01:15:07,960 Totally with you. I'm just it was more just like I 1479 01:15:07,960 --> 01:15:09,800 was watching that like dude Michigan show up. 1480 01:15:09,800 --> 01:15:11,960 Yeah, it's it's pretty sad. They're all either. 1481 01:15:11,960 --> 01:15:13,960 They're all either maybe they're all scouting Alabama. 1482 01:15:13,960 --> 01:15:15,920 They're the whole the whole university is out scouting. 1483 01:15:16,440 --> 01:15:19,280 You know, this is, This is why. This is why the Big 10 needs 1484 01:15:19,280 --> 01:15:22,080 Indiana, because they care about basketball all season. 1485 01:15:22,160 --> 01:15:24,400 So anyway, all right, we've gone kind of long. 1486 01:15:24,400 --> 01:15:25,640 Any final thoughts from you, Scott? 1487 01:15:25,640 --> 01:15:27,440 No. No, no, no, man, not good. 1488 01:15:28,000 --> 01:15:30,400 Well, hopefully for those of you who are calling for a podcast, 1489 01:15:30,400 --> 01:15:33,360 this sufficed we. We as always enjoy chatting with 1490 01:15:33,360 --> 01:15:38,560 you folks and we will be back with more coming up soon. 1491 01:15:38,800 --> 01:15:40,120 I'm going. On the road. 1492 01:15:40,200 --> 01:15:45,880 The, the, the, the, the doctor GC Roadshow shows up in the 1493 01:15:45,880 --> 01:15:47,600 South as I'll be down in Atlanta. 1494 01:15:47,600 --> 01:15:49,440 So hopefully I'll see some of you down there. 1495 01:15:49,600 --> 01:15:52,600 Be sure to come up and say hi. Got to see a bunch of you folks 1496 01:15:52,600 --> 01:15:56,520 out in New York and that was a great thrill and looking forward 1497 01:15:56,560 --> 01:15:58,840 to hopefully seeing Indiana come away with AW there. 1498 01:15:58,840 --> 01:16:03,080 And either way, it's nice to see Indiana playing in these types 1499 01:16:03,080 --> 01:16:07,040 of showcase games in large metropolitan areas where more 1500 01:16:07,040 --> 01:16:09,920 people might become aware of the brand and maybe it helps with 1501 01:16:09,920 --> 01:16:12,600 recruiting or whatnot. But yeah, looking forward to 1502 01:16:12,600 --> 01:16:13,800 that. So we'll be back with that. 1503 01:16:13,800 --> 01:16:16,200 We got the Crimson Cast Women's Basketball Show coming up later 1504 01:16:16,200 --> 01:16:18,240 on this week. Amanda Foster, Kevin Vera going 1505 01:16:18,240 --> 01:16:21,640 to recap with the ladies have been up to and look forward to 1506 01:16:21,920 --> 01:16:25,960 the games that they have in the remainder of the month of 1507 01:16:25,960 --> 01:16:28,440 December. Be sure to check out our friends 1508 01:16:28,440 --> 01:16:32,880 at Assembly Call and we will be back with more podcasting in the 1509 01:16:32,880 --> 01:16:34,400 future. Be sure to subscribe to Crimson 1510 01:16:34,400 --> 01:16:37,200 Cast on Sub Stack. Thanks to our presenting 1511 01:16:37,200 --> 01:16:41,680 sponsor, Home Field Apparel. For Scott, I'm Galen, this is 1512 01:16:41,680 --> 01:16:43,600 Crimson Cast. We'll catch you folks on the 1513 01:16:43,600 --> 01:16:45,440 flip side. Bring back the Bison. 1514 01:16:45,720 --> 01:16:46,320 That's all everybody.