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 Sunday February 12th.
And Indiana coming up a big win. Last night, I guess you could
say, well, yesterday, evening, whatever.
It would be, as they go on the road knockoff, the Michigan
Wolverines and Scott one of those games that you looked at
on the schedule and it was like, gosh, that's going to be a tough
one. Maybe a bridge too far.
Certainly felt like it for a while for this Indiana team, but
they find a way to win and we're going to talk about all that.
And some of the implications that come out of that game First
of all, good to see you. How are you doing today?
I'm doing great. Good to see you too.
Good. Sunday morning, it's warm it up
till it cools down again. As we do in February every year
in Indiana. Now, that was a, we'll talk more
about it. Obviously is were only 12
seconds into the podcast. We normally run three hours long
here, right? But no, I mean that to me, that
game was kind of a key that unlocks, a lot of different ways
because I went into it kind of thinking, all right.
Like, you know, that's a tough one and then and then it's like
man, you know, then you got to win another tough road game at
Northwestern. And you're back to Illinois and
Michigan. State Purdue looks like to tough
road games. But, you know, as like, if we
could win this, I don't think that, you know, a team that
could win at Michigan could also win a Northwestern.
Can, you know, obviously win at home against Illinois.
It's like it kind of opens up a lot of things.
And honestly, now staring at the rest of the year, obviously, get
to this, but it's like, I'm kind of already mentally chalking up
the Michigan State, Purdue games as losses.
But now it's a lot easier to chop those up as losses, knowing
we might have You know, two more wins ahead of us.
So I know it's all, it's all really good and that was a, that
was a simple win. This is how psychologically
damaged Scott is. An IU fan is his reaction to a
win on. The road, is to immediately
chalk up two losses on the road that are coming already chalked
up. But I'm happy to talk them up.
So there you go. This is where if you can send
help to Scott he's he lives in Indianapolis area.
There's a professional there. We can get to him know, I've
been sending these balloons up to try and get help.
Getting shot down. Like, I don't know what's going
on, please let my balloons fly goodness.
Yes, before we get to all of that.
Just a reminder. We're part of the backbone
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Awesome. Stuff.
You saw the oval hat? I'm assuming Scott, did you did
you buy one yet? Or is, are you a hat guy?
I've seen you in hats before but I love hats.
I'm like, you, I have a of tough fitting on hat.
Yeah. So it's too.
I have the oval sweatshirt. Crewneck sweater that I wore
yesterday and that, that's what I rocked for the game.
Nice, I love the oval hat. I might need to, you know, get a
home field store, you know, a pop-up store and give it a try.
No, it looks good. I like that.
I like you, man. I'm, I don't get people.
I hate for the logo. Like it's something different
and we don't have a ton of Throwbacks, like, it is funny.
You watch. I, you play in their 87
Throwbacks and it's like, you can go half the game and be
like, wait, are they were in the throwback?
Like that's, that's not what an effective throwback shouldn't be
where I can watch you for 20 minutes, then like, have to
squint and like, wait, is that the throwback have?
No, it's it is very much I use kind of like a weight, is that
piping like a quarter inch? Thinner must be a throwback.
It is, it is, it would be great if one game.
Like you want to talk about like heads exploding, not just having
the fire on the game before the Purdue game.
Like, if I, you came out with just an oval basketball logo, oh
God. I got to just a uniform, like,
they come out and black oval, like the oval logos.
Like that would be bananas. And, you know, sponsor, I hope
field. Let's get a home field logo on
the low, on the uniform, just like the NBA.
If you'd like to save, 15% on your first order from home
field, use the code home, and you'll not only save money, but
you'll let them know that we sent you from the back home
network over there. So again, home field
apparel.com, be sure to check them out, certain to have some
excellent new stuff coming out here in short order.
They just released some ACC schools which I mean given the
acc's TV contract might be their only source of Revenue moving
forward. So I'm glad that the whole field
not just giving you great. But also acting as a charity.
For those poor schools in the ACC, let's talk about IU and
Michigan. Basketball happened yesterday,
the Hoosiers. One of those games where you
kind of go through the whole thing and even when Indiana
briefly takes the lead, a couple of times early on in the second
half immediately. Michigan responds.
And I know a lot of people felt this way.
It's just like, you know what? I don't see Indiana winning this
game. It just had all the earmarks of
games that we've gotten used to, with this Indiana team of a team
that or of a, you know, a game that this program would
ultimately fail to bring home on the road, really not getting
very good play out of anybody. Except for Trace Jackson, Davis
and Jalen Hood. Fino just mistake after mistake
and key moments. And yet, Michigan was also So,
prone to about of self-destruction, in this one,
and Indiana managed to figure out a way to win.
Again, very similar to what happened in the Minnesota, game
on the road, but this one felt like a more important game
because this was a Michigan team.
Unlike that Minnesota team, this is a Michigan team that is or
was, I guess Vic, you know, kind of fighting for their life, from
a tournament perspective, they're outside the bubble
looking in right now. They had shown the ability to do
some good things, they'd beaten Northwestern Twice.
They beat Penn State, they beat Maryland heavily earlier on in
the year. So you know you look at this
game and you're like well you know gosh it was not a great
game for Indiana against the team that probably isn't going
to make the tournament. And yet, Michigan has shown on
its best days that it can be a tournament caliber team.
They just fumbled down the stretch.
They didn't score for the last five minutes and Indiana scored,
just enough and made a boatload of defensive plays and somehow
found a way to win. Win at the end.
So I listened to your preview pot on the drive, up to Fort
Wayne. Spend some time with the inlaws
yesterday, watching the game there, it was nice watching game
with some family who also are you fans sprinkled in that my
wife's side of the family. Because in previous years, I've
been up there for games and it's like why are you watching this?
Like they're down by 15. And it's like, God but I like
doing this and this was like, oh it's a fuck.
He will come again after dinner. It was a fun game like people
are getting into it like oh yes, this is what it was to be like.
But on the drive up there to Fort Wayne.
Listening to your pod and I realized two things.
This is not only a tough road win.
But, you know, probably for the first time since 2016 and I'm
not even sure that I have to look at exactly the games we
played at the end of the season. You know, this is the first time
that Indiana is going to have a run where we're basically
outside of that Purdue game in Mackay were a scout for every
other team we play. And you could see it.
But you can see Michigan complying with that desperation.
Like, we've got to win this game to keep our tournament hope so.
Live and honestly that's a it's like tough road game.
Like that's another layer on top of it, playing a team that is
trying to scalp you. And we just haven't been there
for seven, eight years, and that's a learned skill as well.
And I was watching that thinking as you through most of the game,
like this is a game that Michigan's probably going to win
because they're just going to need it more.
And the amazing thing digging into the stats, we pull it up,
you know, with Five minutes to go basically.
Michigan is up 61 258, Michigan, finish with 61 points because
five minutes of just not scoring, not like well, did you
have a free-throw? Didn't give up a field goal, or
on the floor? Like, just no scoring now they
had some let's call it bizarre possessions and some odd
choices, but five minutes of just holding a team that is
desperate to not scoring at the end of the game.
That's, that's defense. Like that's making a lot of good
moves on your end. Now granted we only scored you
No, on our own. We only scored, four more
points. But those are the four points
that mattered and you held Michigan.
I mean, and even go back to the 10-minute.
Mark, the game is, you know, 56 252.
I mean in 10 minutes, you hold a team that is at home?
That is desperate to win a game that has a lot of offensive
options. You hold them. 25 points in 10
minutes. That's, you know, I think those
the show up. Well, the metrics for your
defense though. So it is, it's a, it's a great
game and it's the kind of Skill. That's that's well-learned
because when you play Northwestern Wednesday, it's the
same thing. They are trying to scalp you and
win. When you play Illinois, you're
at home but they need you to win to get into the tournament.
So yeah, it was it was a great game.
Will I have a lot of notes here and tjd.
I want to talk to you about but no at the top level that was
great in the last thing I'll say is what was really nice about it
was there was moments where we'd get down, you know, six eight
ten or so right in that range we never let the Game get away.
You know that was the thing with Maryland.
Always felt like that was a winnable game but we kind of
just let it get past that break point where it's like we're not
within two or three possessions. We kind of let them put a little
too much distance there. That was a nice thing with this.
Michigan game is what he called timeout to the right time and we
just we never let them get the game away and then we just kind
of pulled it back close. And then when it mattered, we
stopped them from doing anything offensively.
It's interesting because the two games that you just referred to
the Michigan, Game in the Maryland game each of them
featured I use opponent on a 13-2 to run that 1:47 run for
Michigan happened. Much earlier in the first half
than the Maryland one did and it really felt to some degree like
you know in the Maryland game that that run gave Maryland
confidence to shoot. You know they ended up for them
not having a great shooting game but they put enough distance
between themselves and Indiana. Indiana couldn't recover.
And honestly Indiana got more even contributions in that game
from a lot of their players. I mean, you know, you had
Miller, cop had a decent game efficiency wise and that one
race Thompson scored 11 points, Miller cop.
But scuse me Trey Galloway was pretty efficient.
None of that happened in this game.
Instead, what you had was a situation where Michigan kind of
squandered, the advantages that they built for themselves in
this one and that was unlike Maryland, who I think is
actually legitimately good team. Michigan is really kind of just
a collection of talent that when they have everything going,
their way can beat you pretty handily.
And we've seen that so far this season and that's the type of
Team. Frankly, that was able to beat
Indiana pretty consistently over the course of the last five or
six years. There's something different with
this Indiana team where they can have bad games from a lot of
people, but there is an intrinsic level of quality of Of
kind of just a it's an intangible as much as it is, a
tangible that allows them in these sorts of games.
As long as the opponent is not just going nuts, which
fortunately Michigan. Wasn't, you know, they can
figure out a way to claw back into it and let to me that
sorry. The thing that's changed with
this team is, you know, Trace checks.
And Davis has taken another step up this season, but also the
emergence of jail Hood Cioppino. So, you know, you Have we can
rely on Trace, you know, we all know that we can rely on him
last year for you know, 80% of what we're getting now.
The problem was there was really no one else last year.
You could like consistently rely on Xavier was getting there by
the end of the year but no one else is like you stop that and
then the team flounders and you're hoping on Roll guys to
step it up. The difference here is you saw
it in this Michigan game, it's like, all right, when they
start, you know, stopping Tracer traces, you know, missing a
couple of shots, it's like, all right.
Well, Jalen hoof, you know is now somebody you can also rely
on Ion and having two guys that you can kind of rely on to
steady the ship in especially in the guard and you know, post
positions that's really good in college basketball.
I know people you know, you look at like tomorrow baits like some
guys, who are young consistence like, all right, well having a
team of three guys, you can rely on.
Like now you're you're 22 and what like that's a that's not a
team we're going to get to. But if you have two guys that
you can consistently rely on and then a bunch of role players who
kind of like we'll see if we can rely on them.
They are even in the next five or 10 minutes like that.
Again, that's a profile of a three or four seed in the
tournament. Like that's a really, really
most teams do not have that and to me, that's what I saw as the
difference here is like, oh it's like put your fee, no can come
down and steady the ship and we know, Trace can.
And that, that to me is what is really elevating this team and
that's something for hurt. Your fee, know that is happening
through this season, that he was not there.
The beginning of the year. So one of the things that I'll
know to on all of this right now, Oh is that I think to some
degree and we've talked about this a bit on the podcast before
when I see fan reaction to some of these games and I think we
need to reiterate to people that it is even when you were a good
team, it is legitimately hard to win on the road even against
teams that aren't as good as you.
And, you know, certainly, I think there is some PTSD that IU
fans still have regarding their, you know, the Hoosiers losing
games like this, all the time, over the last Several years and
I get that and certainly there's a lot of things that you can
point to in that Michigan game where you can say, well gosh,
they were just didn't play well at all.
But I would note that that's essentially what you see out of
almost every team and you saw it yesterday with a bunch of ranked
teams who, you know, did not have great days on the road.
I mean, Tina, even the teams that I you would consider
themselves kind of In conflict with four games, you know, for
seeding purposes like you know, the weather, Oh, that was, you
know, you had Iowa State losing yesterday.
You had Clemson getting blown out on the road yesterday at a
pretty bad UNC team. Yukon lost it at Creighton
Rutgers lost at Illinois. After leading for most of the
first 30 minutes of the game, they just completely collapsed.
It's it's not unheard of to have situations on the road where
you're not playing well and there's something about this
team where it seems extreme. And yet I use now for And five
on the road this season. So they're playing it at almost
500 clip, which is pretty good in college basketball unless you
are a truly Elite type of Team, like an Alabama this year or a
Purdue or Houston. You're just not going to win
that many road games and to some degree, it really is one of
those where you have to grind it out and just have more points
than the other team. At the end of the game style
points, don't matter, none of that matters.
That's really what this one was all about.
Its with the Minnesota game was all about and You look down the
stretch, you got three remaining Road games and you know, all
three of them, frankly are games that this IU team with the
combination of players playing the way that they're playing
that you just described could win all three of those remaining
organs. I don't think that they will
just because that would be if I you wins all three of their
remaining Road games I think you can look at this team and say
well something really special maybe going on.
Realistically speaking though, being able to pull even one of
the four remaining Road games, that A had out of the Hat coming
out of that sequence with Purdue and Rutgers at home is a really,
really good sign for this Indiana team because as we've
noted on multiple times, before Scott, there are no tournament
games that are played in Road venues.
So the next time, you know, in your in tournament, you're
playing a team, you're not on their home court, they're not on
your home court. And so, they're having as many
problems away from home, hopefully, as you are, in this
case, I think, you know India, Anna, even though I think a lot
of the concerns people had regarding, I, you were certainly
founded. There was some dumb plays,
particularly down the stretch, statistically speaking, it was
about even for both teams, both teams are just kind of in a funk
offensively. I noted a couple of things last
night on Twitter. This was a little bit of a
statistical Oddity. I mean, Indiana shot really
poorly. This was like Maryland level
poor shooting not as bad as that game.
They only took six three-pointers.
The whole game, which believe it or not.
A few as three point attempts, that they've had all season, not
the fewest, makes they only made one in that Wisconsin game which
they won, because of course they did, and it was the game where
they got the fewest offensive rebound.
So there was almost no possession stretching throughout
the course of the game. And yet what really won the game
for them was their defense. And this is the thing, this is
the thing. Archie Miller always said he was
building and never did was a defensive culture that could
survive a bad offensive game on the road, I mean, this team held
Michigan. Into a raw offensive,
efficiency, rating of 91.9, which is awesome.
It's that is as a raw number. The best that they've done.
Since that Wisconsin game, when they held Wisconsin to 71.7,
they only allowed Michigan to shoot 25% from three.
Now, I allowed should be in really like big scare quotes
there because Michigan did a lot of that themselves but still on
you know that's your biggest fear and and especially early on
in the game it felt like Michigan was going to hit every
three that they took and Indiana.
Some Found a situation where they were able to get out play
good defense and not allow Michigan to beat them from the
three-point line. It instead was a situation where
all right you're going to have to beat us going to pointer for
two pointer and ultimately that wasn't enough that to me is the
sign of a team that's got some juice.
You know that's it. That's a team that you know,
okay. Will shut down what we are.
Most afraid of let's see if you can actually beat us just going
back and forth. Knowing we have traced Jackson
Davis and now Jalen Hurd Shafi know.
Able to go in and score when we need to.
I want to take a moment here and talk about Trace Jackson Davis.
So I feel like we haven't talked about him a lot rightfully.
So just because it's like oh he's gonna get, you know, twenty
eight and nine or Twenty Eight and eleven.
It's like, all right and and not that I've forgotten how good
that is. The couple things I want to say
is this that you know, when we talk about having that, you
know, leap in, you know, playing ability, it's like everybody
goes to Oladipo between his sophomore and Junior.
Here is like that's the gold standard when that guy really
improved in the offseason, maybe a little bit of OG and an OB and
one of those years I think quietly and I'm as guilty as
anybody on this thing. A trace got to hit more threes,
like you're saying. All the things he needs to add
to his game. The leap Trace has made from
last year to this year, is really staggering, but it's and
he was already really good last year and that's what to me is so
amazing. Is he's added, you know, so much
more post moves, the ability to kind of run the offense at
times. Such a good passer, he's
bringing the ball up. I'm at the point now where I was
telling people yesterday in the morning, like I would love to
see him play more Point, Trace like have him honestly you know,
take the ball and pass him or he's making great decisions.
You saw it last night, it gets hundred Dickinson, a guy who has
seemingly gotten to his Hugh Hunters, gotten in the traces
head over the years and Trace would get blocked.
And then we'll just come back and come right at in the next
possession. And I think it's hard to notice
how much better he's gotten because he was so, Would the
last three years but Trace really came back with a lot of
extra pieces to his game. This year.
The other two things I want to mention and then get to a
question for you. You talk a little about the
tournament. Obviously, yes, they're played
neutral sites games but I was thinking this driving home last
night that, you know, the last three games, his numbers have
it, you know, it's tough to be like it was numbers or kind of
Dipping off because you can get one point.
He was hitting offense of efficiencies, like, 137, 150
120. Like you can't keep that up.
All the The time. But the last three games he went
for twenty five and seven against Purdue 20 and 18 against
Rutgers and twenty eight and 11 against Michigan.
And I was thinking, you know, when you think of the tournament
who Indiana is going to face my saying, we're gonna win it all.
But, like, in three games, he just faced arguably, the best
big man on the country and Zack ET arguably, one of the toughest
defensive schemes to play in Rutgers.
And Another you know, another seven foot big man, that's been
in his head and he put up really good games.
I don't think you're going to see three three situations like
that back-to-back, times interim, like, I don't know
behind EV and Dickinson, maybe Drew Timmy like there's nobody
else. In college basketball hoop,
prevent who presents those kinds of issues for a trace Jackson
Davis and he cut through them doing, like twenty five and
twelve, the averaging 25 and 12 against them.
You know, if your Trace you can sit down and back.
All right, well, there's there's Not going to be a three-game
stretch harder than what I just went through for me, like
everything else here is going. I mean, I got to play Purdue
again like Michigan State's not easy, but it's like, when I get
to the tournament I'm not facing Zack ET three games in a row.
I'm not facing hundred Dickinson and so I think that's good.
The thing. Well, let me pause there and
I'll get to my question but that's just I want to give some
Trace Jackson Davis, Lo look and let you chime in look last year
and he was a great offensive player last year.
Actually had a miniscule. Larger offensive rating last
year versus this year, but last year, in all of Big Ten play
including the tournament. So, 23 games, I guess, Trace
Jackson Davis had six double digit rebound games, which is
pretty good this year. He's already got 10 and there's
still what, you know, with seven games or 60 of those red lines
up right? Getting more and more right now.
Yeah. Six games left to play in the
regular season and then You've got whatever Big Ten tournament
games, so that you know, to me what Trace Jackson Davis is a
slightly. He's about the same level of
efficiency as he was last year. What's really picked up about
him and what I find? So remarkable is, how much
better? He is a rebounder and how much
more conscientious he is as a passer and really hasn't had a
huge increase in turnovers to go along with it.
You know, I mean last year he was essentially the Seaver here
he's a lot of times acting like the quarterback that normally
leads to a lot more turnovers than what you get.
And you know, you his turnover rate is, you know, it's in the
top 500. Barely in the country as far as
being good. So that that's where I look at
Tres Jackson, Davis is contributions and, and it it may
not show up as being a lot different in the points per
game. But everything else he's doing.
He's become such a more complete player and I just that's easy to
lose, because In are the way that most people look at
statistics, they look at the points and then they kind of
stopped at that and rebounds feel kind of arbitrary.
But I do think it's important to point out how abnormally good
this statistical season has been for Trace Jackson Davis, and
it's what's winning games for Indiana.
This is really what is winning them games on the road games at
home against Purdue and Rutgers. It's not just that he's scoring
in the, the officially like the announcers.
Talk about that all the time and understandably.
So but it is all of the other things that he does.
To extend possessions to get the ball to the right, persons
hands, or the person that's open to make smart decisions most of
the time. And, you know, he's he's playing
pretty good defense to like, he's not playing great defense.
I don't know if you'll ever get great defense out at racetracks
and Davis, but you're getting enough and you add that to
everything else that he's doing. It really is a remarkable
remarkable season so asking you the the basketball encyclopedia
brain, you know, it sucks. It does really Lee seok that
like you have, Zach Ed having the season.
He's having a semi great for Zach, ET, but like it sucks.
That Trace any other years winning Big, Ten Player of the
Year, my twin National player of the year he probably isn't going
to win it all though. He's starting to like Indiana
wins out like this is also a case if the rest of the team you
can look around like, hey could we if we went out.
Do we get traced the player of the year and like that's
something you could fight for to, as well as again, being
something special. But my question to you, You is.
When's the last time you saw an IU player just run through the
Big Ten and put up these kinds of numbers.
Like I was looking at Yogi my initial thought was that Yogi
Ferrell and 2016 like DJ white one big, ten Player of the Year
in 2008, like Jared Jeffries had a run but I don't remember any
of them. Having these kinds of runs where
it's like like last night. It keeps on last night as kind
of the game that it sticks to because it's like he had twenty
eight and 11 and you know shot 11 423.
It's Kind like all he had a, you know, not a great night Like
Duty and twenty eight and 11 and played 40, you know, but they
play the whole time. 39, yeah. Played 39 minutes and did
basically everything needed to be done and guarded hundred
Dickinson, like it. He's having just this unreal
stretch, the Big Ten, I'm just wondering and it's going to suck
that. You know, when you look back
historically it's like, you know, he's not, you know, he
didn't win the Big Ten player of the year and he probably
shouldn't maybe they'll KO win it, I don't know.
But it's my question to you is that who is run that?
Um and yeah, go for it. Oh I mean it's hard to compare
what Trace Jackson. Davis is doing right now,
because there have been very few Indiana teams that have so had
to so consistently rely on one player to do everything.
I mean it gets overlooked because the team was so stacked.
But Cody Zeller had a really awesome season all year in 2013
and it to some degree. I almost feel like Cody has
become underrated in terms that are very fair and it's a A
similar thing where it's just like you expected.
Cody, Zeller to go out and see more like 18 and grabbed eight
or nine rebounds. There's like that's just what
Cody's doing and it was Who's Gonna Fill in around.
But, you know, I look at it like this on the MVP thing, Sometimes
you're just unlucky until, you know, it's, you can go back and
look at the history of like Indiana, mr.
Basketballs. And you can find a bunch of guys
who won mr. Basketball, who were not the
best player in the state, or maybe didn't even have the, you
know, the most impressive statistical season if you looked
at it through one lens. But because most people look at
it through a different lens, they're like, well that's you
got to give it to the guy. Who's the most efficient score
in college basketball. It's like on the one hand.
You you don't want to, you don't want to punish Trace Jackson,
Davis. But you also don't want to
punish Zack Edie. Yes, Zack Edie is 74.
But as I keep trying to remind people, we've still got a
basket. We've seen lots of guys who were
72 73, 74 and most of them are not scoring at almost, you know?
They're, I mean, they're not shooting 63% from the field,
they're not only turning the ball over on 15% of possessions,
they're not leading the country in offensive, rebounding and
Bowl played college basketball. So you know as much Chaz, I want
Trace Jackson Davis to pick up some silverware this year.
I have a hard time saying, well, I think it's clear to me that
with through the, the assists and just the overall way that
Trace Jackson Davis is is playing.
He is more versatile than exact ET pezzini is so efficient at
what he does, you can't really begrudge him the successes.
And so, I look, I think a lot will depend on what Down the
stretch. I mean, the one question for me
on Purdue. As you know, you look at what
happened. I mean, they came back and they
smashed Iowa. Last week.
I think a lot of Zach ETS campaign is going to depend on.
How does Purdue finish if /? Do you know if they go forward
to the rest of the way? And they finished 16 and 4 in
the conference, which is what they're projected to do, you
know, that's that's pretty impressive.
If you look at individual games on can Palm, then are projected
to lose any of the six remaining games that they've got.
So, you mean, you could look at To 17 and 3 or 18 and to team, I
think at that point. Yeah, Zach he's going to be Big
Ten Player of the Year Zack. He's probably going to be a
national player of the year because this Purdue team was not
expected to do anywhere close to what they're doing this year.
So that's where the rub wise, unfortunately, for IU, is that I
just don't know if there's a route right now and it's a shame
because I, you know, this will go down.
Historically I think is one of those Seasons where you look at.
You look at the Top Line. CED winning MVP.
Your kind of forget what happened outside of that,
because that's the nature of things and yet, realistically,
when you go in, and look at the numbers, someone's going to be,
like, I don't, I can't believe this this season the trace
Jackson Davis had, I mean, you're talking.
This is like, you know, it's like, you know, any time you had
a great player in the Big Ten that was just slightly
superseded by another great play.
It's happened a couple times with IU.
It sky mean it's probably how. Well, it's probably a like Chris
Webber Felton. In 1993, you know, where he has
this, you know, really remarkable statistical season,
but Calbert cheaney sets the Big Ten scoring record and ends up
winning National player of the year.
I mean, sometimes it happens and there's not a lot you can do
about it, but tip your cap and say, well gosh, it was just the
fates of the times, it'd be a fun experiment to go back and
look and see like what years Trace Jackson Davis would have
won that Big Ten Player of the Year and like is there any year
where maybe he would have also run into this?
The two things I'll say with the Ed thing is that on one hand, it
also sucks. He's like the exact same
position, because, at least if he was a guard, you can be like,
all right, well, least it in the National level.
They'll break up all the awards and like, you know, who hit when
player the year, but like it's like, you know, all the big
posts, you know, all the awards were probably gonna go Jackson
Davis, could end up with nothing because he's like plays.
The same position on the flip side.
It does show how special those Indiana Purdue games.
Are like it's, it's also mind-boggling to think.
You have the two best players in the country.
Both playing the same position. Mission both in the same
conference at each other's rival and we get to see them.
Not only played the teams to get.
Like, we can just see 38 minutes where they're guarding each
other and they're playing each other and to your point.
I'll just end on this. I do think there is a narrative
path for Indiana to help. Trace Jackson.
Davis get the player of the year in the Big Ten Player of the
Year and that this is not easy. I'm not saying they're going to
do this, not saying they have to do is not saying it's even
something. They like if they beat In West
Lafayette. And then if they meet again in
the Big Ten tournament and they beat Purdue again.
And Trace Jackson, Davis has similar games, not saying, again
not saying have to going to, but it's like, then you do really
have a narrative where it's like, all right, man.
Ed puts up all these numbers, but they've met three times and
Jackson Davis has that team has won every single time.
And then, I do think there's a real narrative case that could
get him, the Big Ten player of the year, but again that's
really hard to do. We're getting ahead of ourselves
Alright. That's but just that would be
well, the path you go down but that's you're asking a lot and
well I'm not sure you even need to do that.
I've heard it. Do you mentioned it earlier?
If heard the talk about? Well what if they what are they
were Co Big 10 players of the Year, believe it or not, that's
only happened. Three times in the history of
the award and I you players have been part of two of those
instances. The first time it happened was
1989 when it was Co players of the year with Glen Rice at
Michigan. Who set the all-time Big Ten
scoring record that your and J Edwards.
Who Had that insane string of shots that he hit the help
Indiana. When the Big Ten title it
happened in 1999 when Mateen Cleaves and scoonie pain.
There's a name for your blast from the past and up winning.
Go Big Ten Player of the Year and that it happened again.
The next year with AJ Guyton from Indiana and Morris
Peterson. And you know it's that to me
that's kind of a similar Dynamic right now.
It's like Michigan. State was the better team in
terms of like what? What they were doing on the
court and AJ gaytan was offensively, what made that?
Indiana, teamwork. And so you know I think you hit
the nail on the head though it's almost easier in a lot of cases
to justify co-players of the year.
If the players are very different position wise here,
it's like, well, who is the better Center?
Even though I look at Trace Jackson, Davis, a look exact ET
and it's like, well they're they technically play the same
position but they're like, 7 inches apart.
And they, you know, Trace Jackson Davis is definition of
what he's doing. In his position is entirely
different from what Zach 80s doing.
They're both effective. I just I would be surprised
mostly because the people that vote on these things tend to be
so obsessed. In a murdered with, you know,
how easy does that player? Make it look and that is
essentially what Zaki does and that's probably going to lead to
him winning player the year and look, well, well received on
that front but just It for Trace Jackson Davis, that that ends up
being the year that he has this kind of a breakout season.
Yeah, last question, this was going to be an after pod
question when I asked it now because you are my resident
historian, I'm looking at it. Now I don't know the answer to
this. Why is the Big Ten Player of the
Year first given out and 8485? Why do they not give it out
before that? I mean that's a great question
and I don't entirely know. I will say that you know a lot
of these scuse me. Sorry that's a that's a very I
recently. Well you got to keep in mind
that a lot of what we think has been around.
Forever hasn't been around forever.
It's like the NCAA tournament up until the mid 70s.
Only took one team from each conference that there were not
at-large bids. So, you know, the even the idea
of a top-25 has only really been around for about the last 35
years. I mean, there was a top 20, but
there wasn't a top-25 until you started.
To get into the bowl Coalition era in the early 90s.
And so I think a lot of it is like in the 80s when this really
became a business and and there, you know, conferences wanted to
Market their teams and their players and they realized that
there was some valid the validity of that, that's when
that really got going. And, you know, it's like the
makes for a great trivia question.
Like I would have been a hundred percent wrong on this.
Like who's the first Big Ten Player of the Year from Indiana?
What's like the Naismith award only goes?
Bachelor pay Edwards, you be like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sorry. The Naismith award only goes
back to 1969 and it's like, what you'd have thought that had been
around for a while? It has a.
So that's why I think ultimately all of these conferences, the
80s, transformed what they were doing.
And so that is where we're at with this and it is interesting.
How you can probably retroactively go back and figure
out who the perspective player of the year would have been, but
it does matter. I think that you know at least
now we've got almost a 40 year. Sample size of Players of the
year. It is kind of odd that they
weren't doing it before then though, go.
Alright, let's off that. It would be fats, a fun podcast,
we go back and retroactively, do they'll 40 years previous of big
10 players the year. So, As Indiana looks forward.
You know, I think what's interesting about where they're
at right now that win was very important in that.
Now they are alone in second place in the Big Ten.
They're you know, they're a solid three games behind Purdue
and it really is hard to Envision Purdue being caught,
but it's not completely out of the realm of possibility there,
you know, I you will almost certainly end of the weekend and
sole possession of second place and less Northwestern pulls the
upset. At home against Purdue, which is
entirely possible. Like it's, you know, but I mean
people forget that Purdue team was in overtime at Nebraska
earlier this year and has struggled in certain Road games.
But I would, you know, I mean it's it's one of those things
where if Purdue loses that game they're 12 and 6 Indiana's 9 and
5 now it's like hmm. Well the you got up you get to
play Purdue again and now suddenly if you win that now
you're within a game and a half of a breeze, right?
12 and 3. Yeah, that's are 12 and 3 Yeah.
But you know realism, yeah, it's produced got to lose to and we
got to beat them, but the rest, but I am.
But the flip side is if Purdue goes ahead and wins and there
are 13 and 2 and Northwestern losses and there at 8 and 6.
This is where it gets interesting because then you get
to play Northwestern next. If Indiana is able to go into
Evanston, has not been easy for them or many other teams and win
that game. Now, you're ten and five in
conference and you've really put some separation between
yourself. And one of the team's, that's
chasing you for a double. I, you know, the schedule for
the other team starts to come into play here because, you
know, Maryland's, next game is at home versus Purdue Rutgers is
leaking licking their wounds a bit.
They really had a struggle on the road and Rutgers is only one
two Road games all year. This is something that people
aren't aware, of like Rutgers has not been good away from the
the New York Metroplex. Illinois has to go to Penn State
and we know you think that Illinois would just go in and
win that game. But the way Penn State's been
playing, who knows? I mean, you Could get a game
where they hit 33s and they end up winning the game.
So, this is, you know, this sequence right here is where
Indiana gets Northwestern on the road, they get Illinois at home.
That's their next two games. You know, we talked a lot about
these little sequences of games. A couple of weeks ago, we were
talking about this home sequence against Purdue and Rutgers and
it's like gosh, could they win one of those?
Could they win both? What if they lose both then?
It was like, well, there's this two-game, road sequence.
Next at Michigan at Northwestern.
Can they win one of the two you've won?
One of the two? Can win that second and then
come back home and take care of business against Illinois.
Now you've really separated yourself, you're an 11 and 5 in
the conference and that's we're going back to what you said at
the beginning. It becomes less important you
know, to win those remaining games.
But the flip side is you're getting more confident in your
ability to win those games. And this is, this is almost the
exact inverse right now, for Indiana of what we saw in, you
know, in Archie's first. Season certainly in Archie,
second season, even last season and Archie's career will be
well. But also last year in Mike
Woodson's first year like this team would lose a game and then
they lose another game. And then it was just this like
doubt long downward spiral of crisis of confidence, and it
would take them to three weeks to get back on their feet.
And I almost feel like what we saw yesterday was the result of
a team going the opposite direction, where it's like,
yeah, well we've won seven of eight and If we're not playing
well, we feel like we can actually get ourselves together
and figure out a way to win this game tonight.
And so that's where you'd want to be Indiana in this case
because Indiana has momentum going for it now.
It's not one of those things. That is something I'd go and you
know, bet the bank on and I certainly think that they're
going to lose at least a couple of the six games that they've
got remaining in the regular season.
But the everything's rolling in the good direction for Why you
when you consider that, they didn't even have race Thompson
in that game. Yesterday, they only played
seven players, they somehow figured out a way to make it
work, that's a good sign and that really bodes.
Well from my perspective, in terms of a team with that kind
of mentality is very, very difficult to play against.
And while you're right, this Indiana team will be a scalp for
everybody remaining on the schedule and as tough as the
schedules been, it actually lays out in a way where they're going
to be able to put the right kind of distance between Themselves
on the team is behind them. If they are able to go out and
win on a regular basis, if we win one of our next to I know
you're thinking a little higher aspirations, I just want to get
very realistic about some real aspirations.
Be one of the next two. We guarantee us a 500 record in
the Big Ten, we win Northwestern Illinois.
We guarantee a above 500 record in the Big Ten, which again it's
you know, that's not what we're shooting for here.
But we haven't made that shot in quite a number of years so it is
nice. To be able to say before March,
we've solidified a, you know, guaranteed a above 500 records
milk and that's good. But no, you mention about Vibes
and kind of the feel the team, I completely agree.
And while it sucks, you know, I one of my really good friends on
the street, here is a Michigan State fan to keep them looking
at their schedule and like, oh, they have, you know, on Earth,
Western at home and now they're playing, you know, Wisconsin.
It's our Minnesota. It's like everybody else seems
to have these. Just like, I look around the big
Ten's and everyone sees you playing Minnesota are every
other game. It's like we have the toughest
schedule that said. I love how it breaks for us,
because I do think that, as Road games, go Northwestern while not
easy is the easier, you know, that's easier than a Michigan
State, or Purdue. I like that matchup Northwestern
Illinois. And like I said, I'm nervous
about going to East Lansing, going to West Lafayette, but I
like that, it then rolls up with two home games after that.
So you kind of can To your point, you can win the next to
you. Could you lose Michigan State
and Purdue by, you know, 10 15 points?
Each you can come back, lick your wounds, kind of reset.
And now get ready for the push of March.
It's much better to have it that way than reverse it.
Where you'd have Iowa Michigan at home and then you go into the
Big Ten tournament on two straight losses.
Maybe you then have a crisis of confidence and I know it's been
mentioned a bunch of times but you know you at some point here
we're getting really close. I think you're going to see
Xavier Johnson. Coming back and that's an all
Big Ten player. He's not going to come in at a
hundred percent. But with the way we're playing
in the way that he plays the way he shoots, he could, like I've
said before, he could be a spot up to like I think there are
ways to we've him in that are going to be helpful.
I think race is going to continue to get better.
I think you look at like, Jordan Geronimo, he's going to continue
to get healthier. You know, that's the other
positive. This team has, is there playing
with confidence, the kind of playing with house money, so to
speak. And they have a lot of pieces.
That are going to be coming back and or should be getting
healthier moving forward. The only concern you have is
right now to get through that to you get to that point where the
guys are healthy. You're putting some serious load
Management on guys like Trace Jackson Davis and Jalen Channel,
hit Ruffino. You know the last couple of
games. You know, when you look at the
number of minutes for Trace its 40 39, 39 38, 33, 39 39 3533
it's is one of those things. Where it's like you mentioned it
but it's also like you got to do it.
Like I don't know what else you do?
You got to play them and you're at a point where you hope, you
know, he's 22, 23 years old, you have basically another, you
know, six weeks of hard basketball and it's like we're
just going to kind of run this and hope we don't hit e on the
tank before we get to, you know, whatever our end of the season,
is it would be nice to have some easy games that you could sit
racetracks and Davis town in or so to be nice at home right
here. Look at all of that, right?
But I mean, Look, that's, it's not likely to happen and you do
have, I mean, Trace Jackson Davis while he was injured.
I mean, being able to not play for three of the game so far.
This year does take a little bit of mileage off.
The odometer that would be there.
Otherwise, I do think that what you're saying though, brings up
a point that's worth mentioning, which is that I you like it,
what's going to separate? I, you, they do from a great
season in, in 0, is going to be can trace Jackson.
Davis is teammates. It's come in and do things and
take over games. I do think Xavier Johnson's a
big piece on that, because that's really, you think about
this team, like the ability that what we saw at the very
beginning of the year. What God has so excited was
traced Jackson Davis playing at this level, Jalen Hurd, Shafi
know, being able to play in an off the ball roll, get the ball
and do things, and Xavier Johnson acting as a primary
ball-handler. Like, that was really hard to
stop for a lot of different teams that we saw Xavier had a
hard time with North Carolina had a hard time with it, then we
race. Good, never saw that again
because then Jalen Hurd, Ruffino got injured, then Trace Jackson,
Davis, got injured, then Xavier Johnson got injured.
I don't know if we'll get a full strength, save your Johnson
back. You know what's nice about this
stretch is that Jalen Hurd Ruffino is coming to his own so
much, and Trace Jackson Davis has been so steady that even
when Jalen Hurd chiffino's having a bad shooting day.
He's normally able to contribute now at least in some way and
that's different from What it was even like a month and a half
ago? Yeah, with this team though they
really have to have someone else step up and maybe it's not the
same person every game. But somebody you know I think
Miller cop deserves a lot of credit.
He's really raised his defensive game significantly from what it
was a month ago. He played jet Howard last night
and I think Jan Howard. Hey what like 12 or 13 times
only thing. That's a tooth of 248 from three
and that's that's still a cop is probably not going to play a lot
of time in the NBA jet Howard. And Miller played him amazingly
well and I'll say this sorry I'm just jumping on Miller cop like
what he's able to do that. That is a very nice skill.
Is, he's able to stay locked in. He's a three-point shooter and
as we've said many times, they don't want a ton of sets for him
but, you know, he's getting better now just shooting and not
pump faking, but I got to give him credit on this.
He's fantastic at he'll go seven, eight, nine minutes
without really touching the ball offensively but he stays locked
in defensively and at bat it's a skill.
You see a lot of guys like tomorrow bait Strega like they
have issued troubles sometimes staying you know they get they
don't play well all offensively, it seeped in their defense if
you don't see that with cop at all it's very much.
That's a fifth-year adult in the room where it's like I can be a
professional at this level and I can do what needs to be done
even though they're not running a lot.
For me offensive, I could still say locked in defensively and
I've been very impressed, see that no more.
So in the last night against a guy, like, Howard, ya know,
it's, it's a good point and it's one of those things.
Our Miller cop. That's the probably the quietest
part of his game. It's gotten better over the
course of time and I do think he deserves a lot of credit for my
larger point is you have to have offensive contribution, it's not
just defense. Like it feels really with maybe
one or two quasi exceptions everybody's bought in and really
into it defensively. Now, they didn't start the game
like that, but they finished the game like that last night.
I think that, that really is one of the key differences and
there's a couple of guys who I just don't Think they just don't
know where they're supposed to be defensively and that's
created some problems. But offensively this team, the
difference between this team like making a Deep Run in the
Big Ten tournament or NCAA tournament and just like you
know, winning a game is when they go through these offensive
stretches where they can't score having somebody be able to step
up and put some points on the board and you know where they've
been successful. In this last night's game was
kind of unique in this regard where they you know they didn't
get That essentially, in last night's game, they got 28 out of
tjd, they got 21 out of hood. Should be no they got four
points out of the next leading scorer.
Like that's probably not going to get it done.
But you look at the Rutgers game, you know, they got they
got 18 out of cop and and Jalen Trevino didn't put up a whole
lot of shots but he that wasn't really part of the game that
game and he still scored seven which was, which was decent in
the Purdue game, they get eleven out of tray Galloway.
You know, and you can go back and look at most of the winds
that Indiana has had in this stretch tomorrow Bates, you
know, as popped up and done things on occasion.
Malik renew had 15 again that Ohio State game.
So it doesn't have to be the same person every game.
I think it's probably unrealistic to think that it
will be, but this is where if you could get a full string,
Xavier Johnson, or even an 80 percent strength, Xavier drown,
some back, he has the ability to be that third scorer and he
opens up somebody else to be that third score.
If it's not him on that day because he can get them the
ball. Because right now is, you know,
Jane Lynch your fee. Know you might want to criticize
him for this or that, but he's having to be both a scorer and a
distributor, and essentially traced Jackson Davis is having
to do the same thing. So it's like, let's take some
burden off the guys, and that's where I think, especially on the
road that this, where it's tougher.
Indiana, because it almost has to be either tray, Galloway, or
Miller cop because Malik renew, you know, as well as well as he
played in. The previous two games, looked
completely out of sorts for most of yesterday's game tomorrow.
Bates. Look completely out of sorts for
the game and and you know woods and said afterwards that he
didn't even play Kayla Banks or CJ gun because he didn't want to
put the pressure on them. That was existing in a game like
yesterday, which is probably pretty smart.
You can definitely say it's markers.
They won the game. You know, men might not have
looked as smart if they lost, but I understand the mentality
there, but they've got to get more.
Justin see across the board, that's really the difference,
right? That's what produce able to do
like when produce having an off night from ET, you know,
someone's able to step up and score a bunch of points in his
stead, can Indiana get over that.
Hump between now and the time that the tournament starts,
that's to me. One of the big remaining
questions about this team, just sit with one final moment and
this Michigan game, because we went through so many of these in
the Archie Era, Michigan fans have got to be just kicking
themselves. They look at the stat line.
It's like that. You know, not only did, you
know, the second third leading scorer, had four points like of
takeout, Jackson, Davis and hoods Ruffino.
Everybody else who played for IU total, 12 shot attempts.
Yeah like you know each again tomorrow Bates had five of those
you take him out like everybody else only had you know six other
are sorry math. My head seven other attempts.
Like it's it's mind-boggling. How to guys just beat that you
mentioned, like they got to be Shooters and Distributors
they're basically Shooters our Distributors to each other.
Like it's You look at this game, you look at the stat line.
You look at the numbers, like Michigan fans have got to be
kicking themselves, like, damn, but we needed a win.
This one of the great win. It was sitting there.
How do we let Indiana beat us? Like it just we've been sitting
in that spot so many times, it's fun on a Sunday morning in
February to be in the reverse side.
So just take a moment and bask in that Glory but I'm with you
though, these kinds of games and those kinds of stats are not,
those are not going to be what you can consistently do to win
games and late February and Early March, but we're in a
great spot and we are. I love the way you say it.
The very elusive double by like we are so close to tasting that
double by and look again it's one of those where there's a
double by Banner go, it's a good quote, maybe it may be in the
lobby actually that might be the best spot for it.
It at all, I'll say this like Indiana, there was the stats
have changed a little bit but Indiana has Bottom four teams of
the bottom five teams in the conference.
They will play once this season. They're going to play if they're
playing Minnesota. Once they're going to play Ohio
State once they're going to play Nebraska, once they're going to
play Penn State once, and they're going to play Wisconsin.
Once that's the bottom. Five teams Indiana's going to
play each of them one time this season and, and you go down the
rest of the way. You know, they've got another
game against Michigan State. They've got another game against
Michigan. They got another game against
Iowa, they got another game against Northwestern against
Illinois against Purdue. So it is the Hard Road and it's
why, you know, it's just the way that sorry, this just in we're
playing Alabama, right? In Alabama they got added to the
Big Ten this for a while and play off and Houston, but for
fun but the, you know, the way that it breaks is the way that
it breaks. And certainly I think people
thought, Ohio, State and Wisconsin, we're going to be
better this year and people probably thought that Maryland
and Northwestern. We're going to be worse.
And so, that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
But if Indiana can pull a double by off at the against this
sketch, That to me is incredibly impressive and that bodes.
Well for this team's ability to do some things in March Beyond.
Just make it to the NCAA tournament and so we'll see what
happens. I mean look as we've talked
about now for almost a month, you could be the second best
team in the conference in terms of quality and end up with a
sixth or seventh seed simply because you end up in a five-way
tie and someone else got to play, you know, Minnesota twice
and you only got to play them once like that.
That's that's kind of the level of things that you're at right
now, so we'll see what happens with all that.
Anyway, let's wrap up any final. Thoughts from you before we move
on and finish things off here. No, I think you hit it on the
head, like, it is. This is where I think it's very
important. We can keep that space out of
that morass below us of just teams the middle because I don't
want us to be, you know, dependent on buys.
Sorry dependent on tiebreaks to figure out where we are in the
Big Ten Tournament because Like we mentioned, you're going to
have to ride Jalen hitch, a fee. No and Jackson Davis through
most of the rest of this. And so that's where not just for
who you play. And we'll getting that double by
in the Big Ten Tournament is key.
Just from a rest perspective. You know, we saw it last year
where you know the NCAA did us. No favors but by the time you
get to that st. Mary's game.
That was just a scheduled loss but it's you can't we put
ourselves in that position to have to play that many games and
to get jacked around by the tournament.
You know, if you get to a double by and you know what, Wait,
timeout. You say all this, but I would
like to remind you that last year, four teams had the double
by three of them lost their first game in the Big Ten
Tournament. So, just just, uh, because
Illinois, lost Indiana, obviously Rutgers loss to Iowa,
Wisconsin lost to Michigan State.
The only team that one that had the double by was Purdue and
even they struggled against the Penn State team that wasn't
particularly good. So you know, it's three to four
rest more than I agree. I would not, I would love it.
And it's like a status Because you get the double by and
particularly for Indiana who at that point will be at like 21,
22 wins. It's like, wow, that's a
clearly. Not just a tournament team, but
that's a team that could compete for a protected seed and that's
going to be the big question mark.
That's the last thing I wanted to hit on.
Before we wrap up, I haven't done Bracketology yet today.
Yeah, and I was going to lead you to that.
Just real quick. Go ahead has I'm listening to
you on the way up to Fort Wayne yesterday.
Talking about Bracketology you do a people in listen to it.
Go back. And listen to the last pot, it's
a solo Gala, but you do a great job of kind of laying it out,
and it's funny cause I'm driving back, listening to assembly
call. And one of the the chat mob is
like, well as this moves up a seed line and you don't Satya
coach tons on. He's like talking about it, but
it's like, you brought it up perfectly.
It's like these things are not in a vacuum and suck one win.
You can't just move up a line because other teams have to move
down to luckily those teams are losing right.
Um, but yeah. It's, I mean, you know, we're in
an odd spot where it's like, I think at best case, we can get a
three. But I think we're going to start
building a case for a four seed pretty quickly if we win the
next to. Ya know.
I mean certainly look that this is where like a loss last night
wasn't gonna hurt Indiana. I mean, it's a road game.
It's a tier 1 game. Even if you don't look at
Michigan and say, clearly tier one team but they are, I mean
Iowa state who's I think direct competition for Indiana right
now. For a four seed though, they've
got seven Tier 1 wins but one of them is at Oklahoma, they are
these 7015. Mmmmmm in the net, which means
if they drop one spot, that's no longer a tier 1 win.
So I hate the tier system. I think it's really stupid and
arbitrary in a lot of ways, but Indiana, like they've got
everything that you would want in a four seed but it's not in a
vacuum. And I look at it like this and I
haven't done the update today, so maybe my thoughts will
change, but you look above them and You've got essentially from
the middle of the three line down to where Indiana's at its
Gonzaga Xavier Marquette, Kansas State Yukon, Iowa State, and
Indiana, and it's easy to, you know, I hate the stupid
simplistic logic that a lot of basketball color commentators,
like Bill Walton last night where, you know, it's like we
will Pro do loses an Indiana. Nothing happens to them.
And it's like that. Yes, that's right.
Because you're allowed, this isn't like believe it or not and
the the tournament. This hen seed, the tournament
selection process is much in more intelligent than the poles.
Because the poles are like, oh, you lost, you have to drop even
if you lost to a team that you should have lost to.
It's the stupid. It's, you know, watching the
poles. Cause I have a couple of friends
of mine that vote in the polls watching their votes and talking
with them about it and watching the stupid reactionary bullshit
that you see out of a lot of Voters for games, stripped
completely of Text is just it's just it's mind-boggling to me
that we're still treating things like that.
We're still acting like we're getting scores by telegram, you
know, or sent To Us by like, you know, Western Union or something
like that or Pony Express, it's like oh wow though the
number-one team lost on the road to a top, 20 team.
I must drop them in my whole voting.
No, you know, it's so you anyway rant on that aside.
You looking at you look at Indiana and yes that was a A
nice win. It was a road win.
That's very important. I don't know that Marquette.
Kansas State Yukon, Iowa State. I don't know that what they've
done, might, you know, is necessarily going to drop them
below. Indiana.
The one team that I have to look at him and I'll just do it right
now. Since we're on the one team, I
think you can make a justification for moving,
Indiana above right now, might be Kansas State, you know, they
they lost that they had yesterday was not a good one,
they lost at Texas Tech but that's still a it's still a tier
1 loss and a lot of it just Depends on.
Are you going to weigh the resume heavily?
Because if that's the case, just looking at net rankings, Kansas
State's going to rank ahead of Indiana because the Big 12 like
eight of their nine. Other top 10 teams actually all
10 I think are in the top 75 of the net.
Where is Indiana? You know while they played a lot
of really good teams they don't have quite that level of
competition, those numbers kind of add up mathematically over
time and it just comes becomes hard for Big Ten team, any big
10 team, Indiana Illinois Rutgers to overcome the
statistical advantage. That the Big 12 teams are going
to have this year as well as the Big East teams.
I mean Yukon, even though they're not playing very well
right now. If you look at them straight
from a numbers perspective, they still look like a top 10 team
because they built such a huge efficiency margin in the first
part of the season and that's what the computer see.
So this is going to be interesting.
I you is going to be one of those teams that for, once in
our programs, We might benefit from the eye test as opposed to
being punished by the eye test. So that'll be kind of a curious
thing to watch moving forward. But certainly, I think a for is
well, on the cards, what I would tell everybody to do is next
Sunday. So what is that, the 19th, the
NCAA selection committee, chairman always comes on CBS
during that weekend and gives the update on here, are the top
four seeds in each region and that is about, The first and
sometimes the only window that we really get into what the
committee is preferring in a given year because it's not
always the same thing. It's not always what we're going
to prefer you know better you do better predictive squad one wins
Road wins, whatever. So you really get a sense there,
this is what they're thinking and you can normally figure out
from that point. What kind of a chance you've got
to get a certain seat. So like everything you see every
bracket that's being produced right now is essentially
educated guesses. Has based upon what the
committee has done which doesn't necessarily mean that that's
what the committee's going to do.
And we really don't know until that update what the committee
is likely going to do. All that said, I think Indiana
right now is probably either the first five or the last four.
I will let you know when I put the bracket together.
Sometime later on today. Sounds good.
All right, that'll wrap it up for us, folks.
We will be back later on in the week.
Indiana, with an unrelenting schedule.
As everybody has in the Big Ten right now, I can hear
unrelenting tip times again. Now, we got a 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday. Like let's say they should just
go all out and be like, hey, we're starting at 87 8:47.
Give us give us weird tip times the rest of your gonna be weird.
Be weird. It's do it.
And it's gonna get really weird. That's going to be a fascinating
game. Indiana plays at Northwestern
that will be Wednesday, February 15th, and so that'll be into
Thursday February 16th, maybe. Well, right?
Yeah, so if you're in the Chicago area you may want to get
out to that game. The get in price for that game
is $110. These are these are
profit-taking times in Evanston Illinois.
As far as the basketball, Teams can see specially when you
consider that for Alabama, Tennessee, a top-10 at least as
of today match up the get in price for Thompson-Boling Arena
is $15. So there you go, the getting dry
I would say the get in price for the rest of the year for Indiana
might be over a hundred because the Illinois game is going to be
over 100 right now, the get it at Michigan State, the be over
100, I mean at Purdue is going to be over 500 and then the
getting program games the get in price right now.
For Indiana, Illinois is $209. Dollars a ticket and the get in
price is not nearly as high right now for X.
If you want to go up to East Lansing on next Tuesday, not
necessary as the Tuesday after the 21st.
It's seven dollars to get in the arena, so I think yeah, I don't
know. Sparty fans are kind of down on
their team this year so we'll see what happens.
But anyway, I you plays Wednesday will probably be back
Thursday or Friday to talk about what happened in that game.
Be sure to come back for the, women's basketball podcast, with
a man to Foster the women with that.
Tremendous week this past week. They knock off Iowa in the big
Ten's first top five matchup since the 90s and there's going
to be more women's basketball coming up here in short order.
You know, this this women's team is just kind of at a different
level right now and they're going to have to stay at that
level because on the 13th, they traveled to Ohio State to take
on the Buckeyes. They beat Ohio State pretty
soundly a couple of weeks ago. Now we got to go on the road for
that. Just some some really
fascinating Games coming up here for the women's teams to keep an
eye on that anyway. That'll wrap it up for us, we'll
catch you folks on the flip side.
Thanks to home-field apparel and all the folks at the back home
network, my thanks to you all for listening, Scott, good to
talk to you. As always wish you a good Super
Bowl Sunday and a good start to the week.
Bring back the Bison. So long, everybody.