You're listening to the back home network presented by home
field apparel, welcome back to Crimson, Cask ale and clavius
got Caulfield joining. You it is the 27th of November.
So we head into basketball season, full force.
Scott, the IU Hoosiers, men's basketball, team at 6 and 0 on
the season. And we're going to talk about
what we saw in the last week, kind of an odd week largely
because of the holidays. And also, we're going to talk
about what's coming up is Indiana really at the point now,
where the rubber hits the road from a scheduling perspective
and a lot to look forward to a lot of questions.
But also a lot of, really fascinating aspects of this IU
team to uncover, Scott, first of all, good, See you.
How you doing? I'm doing great.
It's this is I often joke. We got into this to do
basketball podcasting. I feel like we do our are the
amount of football podcasting we do with the amount of interest.
I'm having a football seems to be way out of whack so it's nice
to now be staring down the barrel of nothing but basketball
podcast. So let's go.
I'm well, I'm with you on that. It's, it's going to be a
fascinating, fascinating winter, and spring before we get to
that. Just a reminder that we are a
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Yeah. It it immediately.
I remember, I was actually I was up last week at the IU Miami of
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All right Scott, let's dive right into it.
Indiana is 6 and 0 on the season.
They have one win of note thus far and that is the road win at
Rutgers at Rutgers, she's at it again, looking at the ring, the
name on the screen and I just comes right out, there are no at
Xavier Big Win there, which was a lot of fun to be in attendance
that I was able to go down and watch that game myself and then
wins against a bunch of really poor teams outside of that.
Morehead State Bethune-Cookman, Miami of Ohio, A Little Rock and
Jackson State. The most recent one was a pretty
comprehensive Victory. I you defeats Jackson State by
39. Points.
And then prior to that, they had a bit of a stodgy game in that
day, right? Before Thanksgiving as they
played Little Rock, they ended up winning that game, 87, 268,
some concerns erupted from some segments of the fanbase about,
you know, they didn't play well against Little Rock this and
that you, but that largely went away in that Jackson State game
at least in the second half as the Hoosiers.
You know, while they didn't blow out, Jackson State in the first
half, they definitely did in the second half outscoring them,
9:41 and The first 10 minutes of the second half and then 2713
over the final quarter of play, a big game for tomorrow Bates.
In that one he scores 22 points against Jackson State and goes
for 45 from 2446, from 34 assists.
I mean, really as about as complete a game, as we've seen
from Tamar Bates in an Indiana uniform albeit against really
week competition, but you got to tip your hat to him.
He comes in and really gets more minutes than All, but one of the
starters, I mean, Gentle Touch of pheno ended up playing more
tomorrow Bates, played 24 minutes in that game and I'm
really started to look comfortable Scott.
I thought in an Indiana uniform, that's a really key player for
this Indiana team to get going, get some confidence in,
especially in his offensive game because, you know, you're going
to have games. As we've seen, were jailed
Cioppino isn't hitting or Xavier Johnson's in foul trouble.
And you know, having a guy like Tamar Bates who's a you know,
five star. Are you know top recruit guide
it people were really excited about to have him really start
to emerge and feel confident in what he's doing.
Would be key. You know the next step is just
getting him to do it against better competition than
Indiana's played thus far. Yeah, I mean, I hear all that.
It's tough to be like he's emerging like it's one game
against Jackson State. Jackson state is where they rank
now, you know, the three hundred and first team in can pom in the
country. And so, you know, I think it's
great. Agree.
If that version of Tamar Bates can play in spurts in bigger
games than in, you know, even just regular Big 10 games that's
going to raise the ceiling of this team but I need to see it
in a with a little more regularity and I know it's not
your sign up, but it's like that's that's the only thing is
that that's where we need to pump the brakes a little bit.
Like I got to Goodwin's. We looked really good.
We did one of them without you. No.
Trace Jackson Davis. But you know, I'm getting
excited now because now it's like All right.
Now, we kind of get to take our toys out to play like now we're
going to play against Real opponents.
We're going to play them in a variety of settings.
You were playing at home. We're playing a neutral site for
playing a true Road game. You know, now we get to see how
this fits up and now I think we get to see if you tomorrow.
Bates has a similar performance to that against North Carolina,
you know. Now it's like all right maybe we
can plug this into other games throughout the year.
But there's also I mean there's also like, you know, last year
you had robbed fantasy, do it once against Purdue and then
never do it again. Well, So I don't I mean okay I
don't know if I totally agree with that because yes, obviously
be great if tomorrow Bates scored, 22 points against North
Carolina. But I think the big thing for
me, you know, there's certain things.
I think that you can take out of playing games against these
sorts of opponents, which is, how are you taking care of the
basketball? How are you playing defense
defense was a bit suspect against Xavier for tomorrow
Bates. And certainly that is a bit of a
concern against better competition.
Especially teams that can punish View from outside.
But you know, the big thing that I noticed with Tamar Bates, when
you dig into the statistics is the following.
I mean, last year he was among Indiana's, most inefficient
offensive players. He he turned the ball over way
too much, he didn't really do anything.
In terms of generating assists, his shooting was really bad,
and, and just in general, he kind of took a bunch of things
off the table last year, now this year, and yes, it's early,
but it's not that early Indiana's through essentially,
Fifth of their season. I'm going to play 31 regular
season games. They're already through six of
them and you look at it, he's shooting 39% from three on 18
shots which is not insignificant for, you know, six games, that's
three threes a game, he's shooting 79 percent from two,
which is among the best to point field goal.
Percentages in the country it's top 25 and his assistant
turnover rate is almost one-to-one at this point and
that is that is big because ultimately Mately even if that's
not even, even if you're not going to get volume of numbers,
if you can have Tamar Bates eliminating, a lot of the
mistakes and a lot of the poor shooting that we saw basically
through the entire year last year from him, even if it's only
happening right now, in games against minnows, I think it's a
good sign because he's a lot more likely to make passes take
shots. Do the kinds of things that are
needed from a guy that's in the second unit.
And really needs to play as hard out there.
That these are the little things that I look for where I'm like,
okay, there's something to build off of there, you know?
And, and just extrapolating off of that.
It feels like he's more into being a college basketball, like
regular this year than he was prepared to be last year, not
just at this time, but throughout the course of the
season, I agree with that and we can get off the microscope into
our baits, but it's like, yeah. The the flip side to that is in
the one game against A legitimate opponent on the road.
He had 12 minutes of 0, offensive rating, in three,
personal fouls, unquestionably. I'm so psyched.
And that was a week ago, so I hear all that.
I want to see him do well, but it's like in the one real test,
he didn't do awesome. So, that's where again, this
next week and a half. These next two or three weeks
are going to be fun for me. Because now you're going to have
one, two, three, four, five, five games where you going to
get a nice sample size to see what he does, is he could have
They're stinker in there. But if he has progression some
of those games, I think we'll be able, we'll know more after
December 17th. You look across the rest of the
roster and there's a lot of really promising signs for this
Indiana team that I think everybody should keep in mind.
I mean, first of all, the three-point shooting this year
and again through some not great competition.
But three point shooting does tend to somewhat travel a little
bit better. It's a little more independent
of defensive effort on the opposition.
I mean, you know, last year Indiana had their best
three-point shooting season in a while and they finished 33.3
percent from three. That was 200 in the nation this
year. Through the first fifth of the
Season. Indiana is 38.3 percent from
three which is 37th in the country.
And that's that's a really good sign you.
Take several of the players that people have had questions about
in terms of their ability to hit from outside.
Xavier Johnson through 6 games is 8. 12 from three, shooting
67% from the three-point line Miller cop through 6 games is 13
for 25 from three. He's shooting, 52% Tamar Bates.
Who I mentioned is shooting 39% from three, and, you know, even
George Geronimo, he's taken six, he's made two of them.
That's a 33 percent, Mark, I look at that and I say to
myself. Yeah.
Okay. You haven't gotten three-point
shooting of? No, Doubt of race, Thompson.
Jay Levine has been a little bit questionable, little bit.
Pointing from long range. But the fact that Indiana is
getting a higher level of three-point shooting already,
even if it's not at the volume that some people would like to
see. That's where you get that one or
two possession difference based upon some of the results last
year. And again, I think the fact that
you're see, I mean, I don't expect Miller cop to shoot 52
percent from three for the season.
I don't expect Xavier Johnson to shoot that well from three for
the season, but they didn't need to shoot 45 or 50 percent 13.
They needed to shoot like 38 percent from three and they both
look like that as well with. In range and that is a big game
changer for what Indiana can do offensively.
If that carries through the rest of the season, that's been the
issue with this team for five years is they just don't have
that three-point shooting and you see it, it just it the
ability to push things forward and you know extend leads and
get little runs that is really the missing link for this team.
I think you're hitting on it because we have a given and it's
just there, which is if we're not hitting We are still one of
the most efficient scoring teams in the country.
Just I'll be at it to with Tres Jackson, Davis with Malik renew
with, you know, a little bit of Ray stops and like, just our
front line down there is probably the most efficient
scoring big men in the country. Like when you put all three of
them together and I was thinking about this too, you know, I
think Jalen Hood should be no, has shown a lot of talent.
He's shown that he belongs as a college player, but it was
interesting to start the year. All the talk was you've got is
the one and done like this. Is this guy, is you here for a
year and it's like having watched five or six games again
against different competition. I come away being like I think
hoods Ruffino will be here next year.
I think Malik renew could be gone next.
You like watching this is like renew.
Looks like he he's at a different level in a positive
way you're already seeing like he's nationally.
Ranked for offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding, you know,
blocks and steals that he is doing so many things and it
feels like he has so Much room to grow.
I've just been so impressed by him and it really provides this
kind of like you have those years where it's like, you know,
Purdue became the, you know, the Cradle quarterback.
So you know, Penn State linebacker you.
It feels like we're, you know, Frontline, Frontline, University
or your power forward University.
It's like betray sex and Davis with race Thompson down renew.
It's like, we have this great, this great power line that we
have. I mean, I yeah, I agree with the
last part, I don't think renew is a danger to leave.
After one year because we'll have less things between those
two. Well, well I think you know what
I mean? Hold, your fee.
No, is still old more likely candidate.
I mean, he's still in second round mock drafts, you know, so
it's but there's a couple of things at play.
And we're really early on all this obviously.
But one of the things to keep in mind is that there are a lot of
players that are like Malik renew.
There's a lot of 6 67 to 69 guys who have that skill set, you
know, but he's not a he's not a lights out, outside shooter.
He's certainly more physical. We'll have to see how he
measures up in the Big Ten, because from a physicality
perspective, I think he'll be able to handle himself, but we
haven't really seen him against that level of competition.
It'll be really fascinating watching him.
In this, next run of games against North Carolina's
interior against Rutgers interior on the road.
So on and so forth. But also you've got an IL,
you've got g-league, it's a lot harder for a player.
Like, Malik renew, who doesn't come in heralded to work your
way up. Uh, draft boards.
When there's better options in the g-league, or there's better
options that are playing overseas, which is good for
Indiana. Because to be able to bring
players of the athletic caliber and talent of Jalen Hood Ruffino
and Malik were new in, and not have them leave immediately to
some degree, that's been one of the big elements that's been
missing out of IU basketball for the last.
I don't know ten years essentially.
So that, anyway, moving on, the other things that have stuck out
to me, this far, From Indiana, especially as it relates to the
broader landscape of college basketball.
Is that this is a pretty balanced team and, you know,
even more so than we thought, we spent a lot of time in the
preseason asking does this. Indiana team have what it takes
to elevate their offensive, efficiency into the top 30.
Last year, as we talked about Indiana was 95th in the nation
in offensive, efficiency. And that was barely enough to
get them into the NCAA tournament, the previous year.
Here they were 70th and offensive efficiency.
The previous year, they were 65th and so they have been for a
while a team, a program where the offense is simply not
measured up this year again, early, but they are 15 in the
nation and offensive efficiency, their 14th and defensive
efficiency, which also represents a step forward again
early, but still a step forward when you look around the
landscape at the kind of, you know, the mishmash of by games.
And neutral site tournaments that other teams of cobbled
together, you see, a lot of teams whose weight is on one
foot or the other foot and Indiana is one of the few where
they're playing both sides about equally.
I mean, you look at Arizona, who India is going to play in a
couple of weeks, that's the top-rated offense in the
country, from an efficiency perspective, their 50th
defensively the ago, the other direction like Tennessee is 48th
in the country on offense, their second and defense.
And you know, whether you look at Ken Palm or Indiana's 15th
and 14th, or whether you look at, you know, torvik, where
Indiana, because that takes more of the current Year's statistics
into play is twentieth and twenty second either way, I
think it's really exciting to see a really balanced Indiana
team. Who's able to rely on both sides
of the ball and is an over-reliance on one of the
other. That's a that's kind of a rarity
when it comes to IU basketball, in general, even had a whole
team whole lot of teams that have felt balanced in both
phases of play. That's a great point.
And then, you know, you're looking around the larger
landscape. These look at the Big Ten.
Hold on. One second.
Yeah, give me five minutes. All right?
More like 90. Okay, wow.
Yeah, that was just a just Scott.
Just absolutely refusing to get back down in the post by his
kids. That's awesome.
Yeah. No, I'm a pro.
I'm not, I need to buy one of those like, you know, on are
lights and put on my phone, like, I'm sure I'm sure you're
getting having, your kids are see the all they're like, oh no,
we couldn't possibly bother Daddy because the, yeah, you
know, it's so Kevin. I want, I can't think like that
Trump's all. No, no.
Your the That you made is I'm looking at just in the Big Ten
you know / do you have some teams have better offenses and
you have some T's a better defense has but Purdue as a
seventh ranked offense. But the thirty eighth ranked
defense have Ohio state with the fifth offense 63rd defense Iowa
with the six offense. But 68th defense.
You have Northwestern with the 8th, ranked defense, but the
151st offense. So your point is valid in that
when you look across the Big Ten landscape, you know, Michigan
state is, 26 offense, 35th defense or there.
They're kind of on even footing but both of those are lower than
where Indiana is like Indiana. Would you look at that doesn't
have the best offense in the Big Ten does not the best defense
and again we don't know the full competition of everybody what
they played. But your point is valid within
the Big Ten, we look to have the most balanced team and it's just
I mean you know this doesn't predict success but definitely
when you have one of those that's not in the top 50 in can
Palm, you're going to have issues with either your defense
or offense. Mele teams, you know, I don't
expect us to finish the season in the top 20 in both.
But if we're somewhere in this range in that top 20 range in
both offense and defense, that's the harbinger of a team that's
going to have a very successful year, one would hope.
And certainly we're going to learn a lot about how this team
handles things over the course of the next couple of weeks.
And you know, when you look at this schedule it's a really it's
a fascinating set of games because I don't know that Any of
them with the possible exception of Nebraska at home are games
where you could definitively say that, you know, how things are
going to go. I mean, North Carolina, went
from looking like, they were to be the number one team in the
country, coming into the game against Indiana to.
I don't even think they've looked like a top 20 team, thus
far, I mean, they have really struggled they, I was saying all
the way up at, like we win Xavier.
We have a great matchup. Like I didn't think North
Carolina would be the one who wouldn't right and bring it to
that game, but yeah. We're we might be ranked higher
than them in that game. Well, what's interesting about
this? North Carolina team is they're
just not playing defense. I mean their 50th in the country
thus far in defensive efficiency.
They're not turning opponents over and they're you know,
they're essentially the kind of weirdly offensively this North
Carolina team, looks a little bit like Indiana did last year
where they're not hitting threes they're doing almost all of
their damage on the inside and they're doing a lot of
individuals stuff. Like they're they're not there's
not a lot of Cysts being doled out.
And you look at what it North Carolina is done thus far on the
season. They struggled a bit against
Wilmington. They struggled a bit against
Charleston, they struggled a lot against Gardner-Webb.
They, they won by sick, 14, 16 points against James Madison.
And then they really struggled with Portland.
Now, with against Iowa State, I actually thought they played
fairly well and they got a bit unlucky because they ran into a
player, this was kind of like, you know, that that Legendary
game against was it Rob Wilson. Was it Rob Wilson for Wisconsin?
That Indiana played against in the 2012, Big Ten Tournament,
where you just like, scored 35 points and hadn't done anything,
like Caleb grill, for Iowa State in this game.
I mean, this is a guy in Caleb Grill who is, you know, not his
previous season high this year was 11 points and he had hit for
total 3s All Season. He hit seven in that game
against North Carolina on the day after Thanksgiving.
And but you know, All that said, it's not the North Carolina is
an untalented team, but they just not look, tremendously
impressive. Thus far, and this was always a
question mark with this North Carolina team because they
weren't that good last year either.
And they essentially got hot at the right time, you know, they
were 18 and 8 and 10 and 5 after losing to Pitt on the 16th of
February last year. And we're in real danger of not
making the NCAA tournament and then went on a big run at the
end of the season. And in a big run in the NCAA
tournament, that's what led them to the ranking that they had.
But they were they were a flawed team last year.
They look like a flawed team this year.
I think this game looks a lot more winnable for Indiana than
it did when the ratings came out in the schedule came out and
everybody's like, ooh this could be a fascinating one at this
point. I'll be disappointed in Indiana.
If they don't win this game and cover the Ken Palm spread which
right now is Five Points because I think right now, looking at
the statistics, Looking at the Players involved, I think
Indiana's and objectively better team and when you add in, what
should be the Assembly Hall advantage that day?
It would be a disappointment at this stage of Indiana didn't
come away with a victory. Yep, II agree.
You look at beyond that and then it's like, you know, the game at
Rutgers, you get a tough, you get a tough first game at
Rucker, they really do it's not nothing is a must-win in
December but you know Rutgers is a team that, you know, 34th and
Ken Palm but we pull them up real quick.
They They're one of the again the defense really good at 21st
with our offense 106 in the country but that's a game where,
you know, if you're going to compete for a Big Ten title, you
kind of have to win those games at Rutgers because there's going
to be tough games against Illinois against Michigan State.
You know that that's one of those games where it's not easy,
it's not a given, but those kind of midweek, you know, midweek at
Rutgers. Those are the games that teams
that win the Big 10 win. It just sucks.
It comes as the very First game of the season of The Big Ten
season, but it's like that is that's a big game.
Like that's a big game and like I do think if you're going to
win the Big Ten, starting off to an do is, you know, one in one
is okay, but 2 and 0 is really where you need to be.
So you're you're in the spot where I'm with you, like the
North Carolina game. Now feels like a game that we
should win with the home team, but you went with the home crowd
but then it's like going into those Rutgers Nebraska games.
It's like I'm kind of looking at.
Like I'd love to see a 3 and 0 stretch over the next.
Well, the big thing for Indiana with this game being on the
road, is, you know, the what happened with Indiana a lot last
year in the games that they played poorly in on the road was
that their offense, basically abandoned them, you know, it
happened in, you know, it happened in the in several of
the games that we saw Indiana, struggle in where they just
weren't able to score. Efficiently enough to give
themselves a chance and sometimes that even came and
went in the game itself. I mean, the there was the second
half of the Wisconsin game. Sure, which I know everybody
remembers with not so fond. Recollections was a case of
that. So this is the kind of game that
Indiana if they are. As you said a legitimate
Contender for the Big Ten title, this is the kind of game that
you have to win. Rutgers is clearly still getting
their feet under them. You know, they're playing very
good defense. There they are the best 3-point
defensive team in the country which I think could hurt a bunch
of teams. Ironically, I don't think it
hurts Indiana nearly as much. Because Indiana doesn't have to
be reliant on three in order to be successful.
It also might be that because, I mean, Rutgers has played a bunch
of really bad three-point shooting teams thus far.
They have not had a murderer's row from a scheduling
perspective, you know? But look Rutgers is head
Indiana's number over the course of the last few years.
You know, Steve pikul, I think is an excellent coach and even
without the name, brand players that we are used to seeing you
know whether it's Ron Harper, jr.
Or Geo Baker. This is a team that's going to
play a very compact style, a very energetic style and
Indiana's. Watch these games get away from
them before. So it's like, that is quite a
double whammy in a week to have to go from what will, if it goes
right? Be a huge emotional high at
North Carolina. I'm all that to some degree.
I'm really glad from the perspective of The Narrative of
Indiana season that North Carolina is assuredly, not going
to go into that game as the number one team because now it's
it's just going to be a game against a good opponent.
It's not going to be Indiana beat the number one team at home
assuming that they win. And now you gotta come down off
that emotional high and go on the road and play it Rutgers a
place where you haven't played well now, it's like, okay, maybe
they're going to beat the 8th ranked team in the country.
Well, that's still good but that, that you don't feel if
you're if Woodson and I think Woodson's very good at this, if
Woodson's doing his job, your team doesn't walk out of that
win. If they beat North Carolina
thinking, wow, we really accomplished Something, you know
they're not this is not like, I don't know like you know going
into halftime with the 7-3 lead your.
This is just like okay check that off.
That was another challenge. Let's move on to the next one
because we got more work to do. That's a great.
That's a, that's a great point and you saw it a little bit
being different circumstance to be saw it last year, you know,
where they beat Purdue at home and then turned around and just
had an absolute cut against Michigan.
And so I do think that's something that you have about
the same kind of it's a Wednesday to Saturday, turn
around. Yeah.
Now, Course, that was home and home.
This will be home in the road. May, I think that also helps a
little bit to that, you know, no matter how that I think your
point is is a great point about the number one team.
But I do also think is also nice having that game on the road
where you beat North Carolina, if you beat North Carolina,
it'll be a big win, but there's kind of a nice like alright,
let's leave all that here. We're gonna pack up, get on a
plane, and go to New Jersey versus staying in Bloomington,
and kind of reveling in it. I think being on the road for
that helps Helps as well. But then you come home and it's
like then there's, you know this again, this is a Nebraska team
that you got to beat, but I have no concern about that.
I mean, they've shown against some of these, you know, the
thing that I take away from some of these games against the
Little Rock's and Morehead State's is this team has shown
even without Jackson Davis, which was nice like they can
handle and take care of bad opponents, which I know seems
like a given, but that was something even under the Archie
error, like the, some of these games against Bad opponents was
touch and go into Ooh, the middle of the second half where
it's like why is this still? You know, the other team hit a
couple threes and it's like suddenly a six-point game like
what why are we still screwing around with this.
Like this team has shown an ability to basically put these
games Out Of Reach at a point in.
You know, late in the first half Row in the second half for I'm
I'd be shocked if you know Nebraska.
Keeps that really close in the second half?
Yeah. No.
I mean and look I don't want to overstate it too much because
you know they did they put away Jackson State last year.
They went by Big of a margin, the difference was like last
year, you know, in those games. Indiana is last year in the, in
the by games, to start the season.
I'm going to take the st. John's game out of it, because
that was a Gavotte game and that was a much closer one, but
Indiana, scored sixty, eight, against Eastern Michigan, 85
against Northern Illinois, 76 against louisiana-lafayette, 70
against Jackson, State and 90 against Marshall.
But they had to, again, that game because Marshall was just
going nuts from outside this year.
They've scored 88 101, 86 87 and Significant difference in terms
of Indiana's ability to put points on the board.
And this kind of goes back to my tomorrow.
Bates Point earlier. It's like, I do think that will
carry because I think it demonstrates how much better
Indiana's offense is functionally, like,
structurally, even versus what it was last year, let alone
previous years. Anyway, you move forward.
I mean, Nebraska really doesn't look like that much of a
challenge right now. And maybe that's, you know, that
might be frightening to think about.
But Nebraska's, got 3 wins. None of whom are against teams
that are ranked higher than 306th in Ken pom and, you know,
they lost by 20 to st. John's, they lost by 13 to
Oklahoma, they lost by 12 to Memphis.
They are glacial on offense. They really don't do very much.
Well, at all in any phase of the game.
That's the kind of game, but your point where you're like a
little bit nervous, like, yeah, this is where I think for IU
fans. This is kind of like coming out
of a bad relationship. Like, I know it's bad timing
because Ohio state is lost. When you look at Ohio State
football fans, like they just go into everything like we should
win by two touchdowns and there does come a point where you
know, kind of as act as if like I don't want to get
overconfident but if we're going to be back to that program, I
remember you. And I grew up in the mid-90s.
Like this was the version of a Wisconsin game at home.
It's like Wisconsin was a dead in the water basketball program
in the early 90s? Yes, kids.
Look it up. They didn't often always were
good. It's like I never was concerned
about playing Wisconsin, in Northwestern, it's like, well,
that's That's like playing Jackson State like, you know,
we'll put them away and I don't want to be overconfident a fan,
but I do think, you know, if we keep on saying is if we're going
to be a team competing for a Big Ten title and we're going to do
that year in year out, there does come some arrogance with
that. It also means that you just you
don't win a Big Ten title losing home games in Nebraska.
And so it's like this is if that's what we're going to be
then you kind of have to look at this as like all right that's a
w. We're moving on.
Not not to piss on your point. No.
I mean, but I understand where you're coming from.
I feel the same. Same thing, but it's like, we
almost need to move past that, but my point was actually going
to be that, this feels like the kind of game that Indiana can
cruise through try different things.
Reset a little bit rest, some players in advance of Arizona.
Now, some in the past, we have seen those types of games.
Not work out, but Nebraska looks singularly, unsuited to being
competitive in that kind of a game at this point.
And that, that's going to be a really fascinating thing to
watch. And it's interesting because
like, that's Lee, that's Northwest Nebraska's.
First game, first Big Ten game because they play that
Wednesday. And then they have to go back
home to play pro do on Saturday, but proceeding that they've got
Creighton on the road. So, it's, it's a tough
turnaround for that Nebraska team in general, because they
mean they've got Florida State today.
They've got Boston College on Wednesday in the ACC, Big Ten
challenge at home and then they're at Creighton and then at
Indiana they may be a no. Mental shape to do anything, let
alone physical shape. When that game rolls around the
last two games. I wanted to tackle since we're
kind of, this is like the second fifth of the season.
The the second 20%, you got Arizona and you've got Kansas.
And I think most people myself included went into the season
thinking, well they got a real shot against Arizona.
And the Kansas game is going to be a bridge too far flip and it
feels wet and I don't and I don't think Indiana doesn't have
a shot against Arizona but I am incredibly.
Fascinated by the matchup that is shaping up because clearly,
this Arizona team is really good.
Like they are, they are the third most efficient offense in
the country. They have the highest effective
field goal percentage, Indiana. Second by the way, an effective
field goal percentage. Its these are the top two teams
and effective field goal percentage, which for those of
you who don't remember that is counting three point shots as
one and a half as opposed to one, you know, Arizona we're
goes real fast, they turn the ball over a bunch of And they
don't care, they're shooting. 45% from 360 7.4% from to, and
they have been a Marvel to watch especially over these last few
games. They end up winning in Maui and
they're you know I mean certainly you get you you're
impressed by how well they played against San Diego State,
who a lot of people think is a good team.
You're less impressed by the fact that gave up 93 points to
Cincinnati. Who's not very good.
You're less. That they let Creighton come
back at the end. Cratons, a good team.
I don't know what to expect out of an Indiana.
Arizona matchup on a neutral floor because it's like, does
Indiana's defense. Get overrun by a team that goes
that fast with the quality and caliber of athletes.
That Arizona has I mean, Arizona's got Omar below, who's
a 7-foot 260-pound guy, you know, that, you know, two
Bella's has played really well, he's 611 they've got good guards
or does Indiana's defense fine. We put up an obstacle that
Arizona can't run around. I really that game might be
low-key shaping up to be one of the best non-conference matchups
in all of college basketball, because of how diametrically
opposed, those two forces are Indiana's abilities on defense
and Arizona's ability to run the ball and score.
Yeah. And considering how teams have
lost and where it's gone. I mean, that could be we could
both be ranked in the top five at that point.
Yeah. It could be like, you know, two
verses for matchup like this. This could One of the Premier
non-conference games. Yeah, because I mean Arizona, I
mean they've only got two games between now and then they play
Utah on the road, which probably gonna lose that angry, that big
of a challenge and they get cow at home Cal is the Nebraska of
the Pac-12, you know? So.
And they're going to get a significant amount of rest.
They've got a whole week off, leading into that game.
Whereas Indiana has to play against Nebraska where, you
know, we'll probably see a healthy dose of Caleb Banks.
And CJ gun, I'm guessing in that game but you know, but it's, it
is going to be a fascinating matchup and you're Right?
I mean if Indiana beats North Carolina and they beat Rutgers,
there's a real good shot at that point that they start getting
full levels of respect from the voting public, not that it
matters. I mean, the rankings at this
point don't matter that. It's just it's just window
dressing but that is a really exciting game now even more so
than it was before now that we see how Arizona is actually
going to play and that their pieces mesh really well
together. Yeah, well and this goes back to
I'm so happy that we're doing this.
I hope that we continue like I would have Up to seen us in a
preseason tournament. I think that will come next
year, but this is something that you've always said, like, no
matter what happens that game, assuming we don't get, you know,
just boat race by 30, that game a game against Arizona on a
neutral site, that is going to hold up.
Well, when it comes, tournament time, honestly whether we win or
lose like winning would be great, but even a close loss,
like that's a game that holds up so much better than a win
against Jackson State at home. Like having these games against
top, tier opponents, is just going to help.
Our resume so much more. So I'm I'm so happy, we're
getting that. And also, you know it helps
supercharge your program because if we both come into that
undefeated, the winner that game is going to get first place
votes. Again, doesn't matter like none
of this matters but it also doesn't hurt.
It doesn't hurt. If Indiana gets me.
Right. Third, and get some first-place
votes, like that stuff. I will go get just do a 180
right now. It doesn't matter.
Like it does getting that kind of press is nice and it helps
you no matter what. I have a hard time seeing us,
you know? By the end of December, 17th.
We're going to have a loss or two.
I just yeah, even as much as good as I think Indiana is I
have a hard time seeing us winning neutral site against
Arizona, going into Kansas and winning their but I'm with you.
I think that Arizona game I'm super excited I'm going it's
going to be a fun, you know, matchup.
And I also think it's a nice neutral Court game in that, it's
going to be a fun fun Arena. I think you're going to have a
lot of Arizona fans there, so it might even be a pseudo Road game
in Arizona and Vegas. Really close but I think I'll be
a good Indiana contingent as well.
But yeah. No.
It's I'm with you. It's funny how that everyone's
kind of focusing on the North Carolina game is like that's
going to be the premier matchup. And really, it looks like the
Indiana. Arizona matchup is going, is
going to be that. Well, and then I think you also
have to take into account the last game that we'll talk about
before we wrap up, which is that Kansas game, which I think a lot
of people looked at that and said, well they're not going to
go into, you know, Lawrence and beat Kansas.
And yet this Kansas seen us look.
Pretty good right now. In there they have the win over
Duke Duke itself, does not look great.
They, they struggled against a pretty good NC State team in
Atlantis. They got taken to overtime and
needed a wild, like, very improbable weigh in, at the
buzzer in overtime to beat Wisconsin, and then they lose
decisively to Tennessee. They always score 60 or 50
points in that game, they lose by 14.
This is a Kansas team that is does not look like previous.
Use of Kansas teams and of any size.
I mean, they're tallest player that gets regular minutes is 68
and that's Jalen Wilson. I mean, Grady dick is also 68
and he's largely on the perimeter.
It's a relatively small team, they certainly got skilled
players, but this is not a team that's played particularly great
offensively. They seem to go through a lot of
dry spells. And you know, again, I'm not
predicting that Indiana is going to waltz in and win in Lawrence,
but if Indiana plays to their Potential.
I don't think that games off the table and you know, that's
another game where even if you lose it closely, there's it
doesn't hurt you. And I think it really helps you
to understand where you are from a measuring stick perspective
against a team like Kansas that's gonna have a big home
court advantage, but maybe isn't the world beaters.
We thought they were. It's weird that like Kansas
North Carolina and Gonzaga look like they may be the three most
over rated teams Kentucky to, I guess you could throw in there.
But Indiana is going to play into of them and it, you know,
the even just out in the first month or so.
The way those teams have played have largely kind of changed the
perception of where they are in the pecking order.
And so it's the whole thing to me is very fascinating because
both North Carolina and Kansas could put it together down the
stretch. But as of right now, I don't
feel like they're playing basketball quite at the caliber
that everybody thought they would.
Yep. No I agree.
Real quick going back to that. Arizona game is looking at.
The numbers didn't realize that Arizona is the number one,
ranked team and effective field goal percentage Indiana.
Second like it's a wild matchup of the first and second Crimson
cash would tell you to bet the over on that game.
Yeah. Well the over is probably going
to be like a hundred and sixty five points or something and you
know maybe not the team's never play.
Well and weird, neutral site games, but now I agree.
This is, I've been excited for this stretch because this feels
like now we get to take our toys out.
We get to play with them, we get to see You know, has by all the
eye tests Trace Jackson, Davis has taken a step up and become
an even better player, but it's been against mostly subpar
opponents. Like now, it's like, is it's,
like, now being able to see it on a national scale and against
large component. And this is where I want
results, I want wins. But if we still look efficient,
and we still look like, we're able to do what we want.
The offense, doesn't go through some of those swamps against
North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas. I feel really good about our
chances. Is in the Big Ten, the question,
I'll ask you, I'm not totally concerned, but, you know, your
thoughts on Trace Jackson. Davis with the back, you know,
sitting out a game. I think for me, I'll answer my
own question. First, I am very happy they sat
him against Jackson, Little Rock.
I think that was the right obviously.
They know what they're doing, but I think that was the right
move having him play against Jackson, State makes me feel
like, all right, he's ready to go.
And, you know, if nothing else jacket racetracks and Davis has
shown an ability to kind of be very durable.
I remember last year he had Like a funky leg injury against
Syracuse, that kind of affected him for a couple weeks, but he
plowed through and played and so while he might be a little bit,
you know, in pain, I'm not concerned about his ability to
play and I do think, you know, giving him that rest against
Jackson State there sometime between, you know, Jackson State
and North Carolina are a little rock and then some, you know, I
think that this, this stretch of breaks and having a game off
work really well for him. Yeah.
And I think it had to be that way.
I think he had to play at least a bit against Jackson State,
because if he does, You've gone essentially a week and a half
leading into the North Carolina game where he wouldn't apply it
at all and that wasn't going to do and I'm not concerned about
it. I mean, I think if it was, there
was a structural issue, we would have heard about it by now.
I think he's probably just sore. Yeah.
You know. And so you're going to get that
and I'm more concerned about Trey Galloway situation because
I think Galloway, you know, the injury situation there.
That's unfortunate because Galloway played so well in that
Xavier game defensively and as a tribute ER and setting everybody
else up. I feel like that's a player that
could really play a big role in these this next Spate of games
coming up, and it was encouraging to see him out
shooting before the game against Jackson State without a brace
on, hopefully that will translate into him being back on
the floor sooner rather than later.
But no in his first race Jackson Davis is concerned.
I mean, I think the biggest thing that will be fascinating
to watch, I'm not expecting him to continue to shoot at a 76%
clip, which is currently doing. The one thing I'm really
fascinated about though, with him is the one number that jumps
out the most in terms of what he did last year, and the
Brilliance of the whole three years.
He's gonna die you versus now, is his offensive rebounding
percentage right now. Is it like 21.7%?
It's one of the, like all modes, the third in the country right
now. Now, granted, again, that's been
under that's been against a lot of subpar competition
athletically, but if getting offensive rebounds and using
those to convert into possession, That score points
can continue to be a major part of his game that that solves so
many issues that Indiana's had in the past in terms of how they
manage having to rely on shots, close to the basket.
Two-point shots, is a such a huge element of their offense.
We talked about last year. How Indiana is offensive
rebounding? Percentage was subpar, because
it just wasn't something that they did.
They really weren't oriented around that this year.
It's a huge part of their offense there.
B8 in the country in offensive rebounding percentage.
Thus far, and if Trace Jackson Davis can continue the clip that
he's on with offensive rebounding, in addition to race
Thompson, and addition to Malik renew, that changes the equation
again much. Like the three-point shooting
that we talked about at the beginning of the podcast
changes, the equation offensively.
So anyway, well I completely agree and it gives you multiple
outs like that's, that's if you're not able to, you're not
hit threes, you need offensive rebound but it's nice.
If the threes continue. To kind of scale up, we can see
you too offensive rebound. Where the 8888 right country
team in the country in offensive, rebounding
percentage. And it does feel like that will
translate against better teams. Because like I said I just don't
see a lot of teams. Having the same amount of
front-line skill and depth that we have with those three guys.
So it's exciting and it's fun. And again, I love the fact that
it's all happening. I think there's, you know, the
tournaments are nice. It is kind of that weird like,
you know, three games and three days on a neutral site, if
you're playing funky teams and there is something nice for it's
like, you get a home game, you get a neutral site game, you get
a road game, like, you get three, you get a little bit of
everything against top tier opponents, and you can kind of,
I think we're going to get a lot of information about this team
and not to mention two, big ten games, we're gonna Farah?
Yeah, I know there's a lot that we're going to learn really
quickly, and then it's like, you take a break because it's like,
after December 17th, like I See you next year, like there's
really well and for the stretch, it's like you get to nothing
games. It's like they were back on the
5th. It's like you.
This is a run to the 17th and then it's based on you have a
two and a half weeks off which is I think could be really
helpful, especially if there's if there's a little Nicks and
cuts were just Galloway situation, maybe that gives it
time to turn around because you, you hit the ground running on
January 5th. You gotta go to Iowa and it
really doesn't slow down from there.
And so, as you as you look at this, I you team.
I don't know what. Exactly.
They're going to do over the next five games, you know, I
think they absolutely they, you know, you go, I feel confident
counting, that Nebraska came as a win.
So what do you do in the other four?
Can you go to and to is that successful?
Probably. Yeah, you know, if you go three
in one, you know, if the one is the loss at Rutgers and you win
the other three, does that change your feeling versus?
If the one loss, is the Kansas game but the other three are
wins. And so this is where I think
that Xavier Game at the beginning or you know in the
third game was important because it means that Indiana is going
to step into a hostile environment against Rutgers
already having been in a very hostile environment.
It means that they're going to step into play.
North Carolina at home knowing that, you know, they've already
played a team that played Duke pretty tough.
I mean there, there's certainly things Indiana did last year
that you can point back to. They've been in some big games.
You know, it's no longer something that feels completely
foreign and now, It's a matter of how do you string results
together, and how to players string, good games together and
how to players bounce back? I mean, you know, Xavier
Johnson, you know, doing what he does, Miller cop doing what he
does. Tres Jackson Davis, being
reliable race Thompson, they've done you know, everything
they've done this year in terms of efficiency in scoring.
And they've gotten kind of one good race Thompson game out of
the whole thing. And so that these are they've
actually been good despite not really ever firing on all
cylinders. And yes, it's been against
subpar. Even for the most part, with the
exception of Xavier, but I do think that that will travel
fairly well as we've seen a lot of other teams who have had a
similar cupcake Laden schedule. Go out and play in these holiday
tournaments and look pretty good, you know, it like a lot of
the stuff that was happening in those cupcake games actually did
carry over to when they played real competition.
So we'll see what happens. I'm excited should be fun.
We'll be down here for the North Carolina, game, walking around
and out and about. So if You all are coming down.
You know, if you see us on the street wave say hi and same
thing in the arena. Should be a good game.
Should be a little Assembly Hall.
Even with North Carolina, likely not coming in at number one.
I think I you fans really get fired up for these games and I'm
looking forward to seeing what the atmosphere is like Agreed, I
still stand by my you can go and three against North Carolina,
Arizona Kansas. I'm now looking at that, that
Rutgers game is I don't want to put it must win but like to me
that's the most important thing. We have over the next couple
weeks is everything else won't stick with you, but I do feel
like when we get in the mid late, January, if we don't win
that game we're going to be looking back and kicking
ourselves like damn, like that's that would have been just nice
to have that in our pocket as we're going for a Big Ten title,
at least the top three and Seed. I mean, we'll see, you know, at
this point I think IU basketball has earned a bit of the benefit
of the doubt and there's a lot of doubt I mean there's still a
lot of Doubt even on the national scene and you know you
look at what Purdue was able to do and has been able to do out
west and they deserve a lot of credit.
You know I would love to see Indiana pick up some wins here,
that would bolster people's feelings about them both inside
the fanbase and outside because I like everything I'm seeing
statistically, the Far out of this team, it feels like it's
going to carry and travel. Well, both literally and
figuratively is as the team goes through the next few weeks.
But we'll see, you know? Then we may find that they have
to go back to the drawing board. And if that's the case that
disappointing. But that's also that's why you
play these games. That's why you you test yourself
at this time of the season. It's why you don't play Butler
every other year at game, you know, gain Bridge field house
because that's it's not the same type of test as what they're
going to face. With the combo of North
Carolina, Arizona, and Kansas, not to mention throwing that
game at Rutgers in there. So, so, we'll see what happens.
But anyway, yeah, that'll wrap it up for us here.
We'll be back later in the week, so be sure to keep it tuned to
Crimson cast. Be sure to subscribe to Crimson
cast. We are available on Apple or
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Eek. Thanks to all you folks out
there. Thanks to our friends in the
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Our thanks to own field apparel for Scott, I'm Galen, this is
Crimson, cast will catch you folks on the flip side?
Bring back the Bison. So long, everybody.