You're listening to the back home network presented by home
field apparel. Welcome back to Crimson Cass
Galen. Klaviyo joining a here.
It is Tuesday, the 29th of March as we're about done with.
This month and Indiana basketball, both men's and
women's with do a lot of news that's happened here, over the
course of the last week and we're going to talk about that a
little bit later on here. We got a couple of our favorite
guests. Joining us a little bit of a
recap before we get started with everything.
Of course, the IU Women's season, unfortunately ended a
little bit earlier than I know everybody wanted it to, they
lose in Connecticut to Connecticut.
Don't know what the NCAA selection.
I was doing there exactly. But Hoosiers gave it their best.
They ran into a very, very good UConn team at UConn team that
has since booked a ticket to the final four, but a tremendous
season for the Indiana Hoosiers, Women's Basketball team, and
certainly our congratulations to that whole roster, and coaching
staff and everybody involved with the program.
Also, Indiana, Men's Basketball with some additional turnover.
Both on the coaching front. They add an assistant coach,
Brian Walsh who'd been serving in more of an administrative
role taking over as a full-time assistant and congratulations to
him. And then some players getting
into the portal Parker, Stewart recently, announcing that he has
entered the portal, not really a huge surprise there and then a
couple of other players as well, which we're going to talk about
here in just a minute. We're going to have Father,
James Pierce, and Tony had Rania both joining us on the show
today to talk about not just what's going on right now, but
maybe what to, Look for over the summer and some things to think
about in terms of IU men's basketball in particular, before
we get to that, I wanted to go ahead and remind you all that
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We'll go ahead and dive into the interviews here.
One programming note for you all, we will have a couple of
other podcast coming up here over the next week or so and in
the expansive all of that. We're getting ready to talk a
little bit about IU football as well.
I know, we've got a lot of OU football fans in the listening
group. So, if you've got questions
about IU football, go ahead and hit us up on Twitter at Crimson
Cask, or you can hit me up at dr.
G c on Twitter as well. I'm always happy to log some
questions and get those dropped into the Podcast chat.
So, we'll do that coming up here relatively soon.
All right, joining us on the show, two of our favorite
guests. Tony had Ronnie a member of the
back home network and all-around good dude.
He's been podcasting with us for over a decade in one form or
another joining us. Tony.
How you doing again? Doing fantastic.
Thanks for having me. Always a pleasure and back
again. After last week is triumphant
return to the IU podcasting. Seen, Father, James Pierce
joining us. I know I've had both of you on a
podcast before. For, I can't remember the last
time that it happened. But this is exciting for me to
see both of you on here. My money is on 2011 Galen.
Wow, likewise. I think the, the Hoosier hotline
is giving Jimmy at the time in myself.
Did I think I'm like, Thursday, nights on BlogTalkRadio.
Yes. I miss BlogTalkRadio.
That would my wife did the commercial voicing for that.
That was great. And Blog Talk Radio, I believe
still works and sounds exactly like it did in 2011, which is
why we don't use it anymore, but man what an experience that was.
But now, great to have both you gentlemen back and there has
been no shortage of news and updates about IU basketball.
Let's kind of recap. What's happened since we last
talked. I mentioned this a little bit at
the top of the show, but we have had some additional IU players.
Put their names into the It'll or just announced that they're
leaving the most recent one, of course, being Parker Stewart.
Who, which I don't think that was a particular surprise, to a
lot of people that he would be looking to move elsewhere.
Rob, fennessy has entered his name in the transfer portal as
well, which was a bit of a surprise.
I think to some observers who just assumed that Rob would
automatically be coming back. Michael dirr entered his name in
the portal, which I guess was a mild surprise like in the same
vein of It rained today when it was actually supposed to be
sunny and then and then Christian Lander, of course
entered the portal as well. Tony that I miss anybody.
So far as of recording at least know, so I guess maybe.
Let's start off Tony. I want to hear your overall
impressions of those four moves and then James, I want to hear
yours as well. So so Tony, let's start with you
on that. Like your your overall reaction
to who's in the portal right now and What kind of impact that has
on the IU roster moving forward? I guess to be kind, it's kind of
like a man, you know, like it's it's not anything where it's
like, oh, how will this program move forward without these guys?
And to be quite Frank, you know, I you had to lose three, guys,
no matter what to bring their sign or they're signing class in
recruiting class in for this year.
So, you know, we knew that there was going to have to be some
roster attrition in the grand scheme of things.
Your Rob fantasy. You take away.
Purdue game had a really bad season by the numbers and just
really never could get it going. Once he did in the Purdue game
to get injured again. And then you look at them,
Michael dirr again. You take away the Purdue game,
really not much of an impact on the season and then Christian
land or just a guy that you know, his body never filled out
to be a Big Ten guard, which is fine, you know, that happens.
And then with Parker Stewart, you know, really unique
situation for Him and and you know, that's a kid that's been
through a lot and his you're talking about a kid whose role
at his last school was pretty much can shoot the ball at will,
you know, it was almost a 20 point per game score at UT
Martin. And then having his role scaled
back to what it was. Pretty much is a spot-up
shooter, you know, it's tough to deal with and, you know, he
joined the IU program under a different regime, you know,
that's just the guy that's had a really, really unique and kind
of unprecedented college career and, you know, Wasn't a shock to
see him. You know, he originally just
said, I'm done with. I you he didn't answer enter the
portal right out of the bat and then eventually after kind of, I
think exploring some possible professional options.
He did in his name in the portal.
Once he kind of he tweeted that, like, you know, mentally, he
doesn't know that he can handle like going overseas next year,
which is where his Pro Prospects would be.
So, in the grand scheme of things.
There's gonna have to be roster attrition at the grand scheme of
things. I use roster and has to be
better. And so, all these moves in a
vacuum. I don't think are a bad thing
for the forward progression of Indiana basketball.
Father James, your overall observations on this.
What are you thinking? Maybe like the one thing that
catches my love, just looking at the numbers is that you know,
from giving everything ton of you're talking about you.
There wasn't space for everybody.
Everybody who's left. They decided to go in terms of
three-point shots. That is a third of the team's
attempts on the ear. Just term that you to invest in
terms of like volume, like kind of trying to figure out Where
these shots are going to come from and how effective are they
going to be? Is it too early to say, or you?
Just because it looks like a lot of the back court is more or
less set. There's some I'm sure we'll talk
a little bit, the front Court, there's some question marks,
kind of how that's going to shake out.
But in terms of the backcourt, it's like you've got, you know,
you will see kind of a savior Johnson decides to return but
you know, you've basically got your back court more or less.
And so the, a lot of the three-point shots are going to
have to come. They're you're missing the third
of them. So I wonder, you know what, that
looks like. That's kind of my biggest
question from how that check out.
Yeah, that'll be interesting and it's kind of funny because the
last two off Seasons it has been I use got to get better shooting
and then so far the last two offseasons I use best shooter
from that team has entered the portal or last year was both
their best Shooters in Armand Franklin and Alder mm both
entered. They were you know, 2020 ones
best Shooters, enter the portal Parker Stewart percentage-wise
was I use best shooter now enter the portal.
So it's been funny that you know, Trying to try to find some
Shooters in the Indiana program and the best percentage guys
keep leaving. Now.
I'm not saying they should have stayed or are you should work to
keep these guys, but in terms of shot volume, I do think I use
going to hit the portal to try to find another shot maker.
Possibly a small guard, especially with Jalen Hood.
Should be no coming in and you know, projected to probably play
20 plus minutes a game now that can change and things can shake
out in different ways, but I think you'll see a lot.
I've shot volume coming from him.
Xavier Johnson. And then I really do think
Miller cop. They're going to try to get a
bigger role for him next season, you know, Brian Walsh talked
glowingly about him about Miller, cop and particular and
how in practice, he never misses a shot and all kinds of things.
So I really do think they're going to try to find a bigger
role for Miller cop next season. Now that could be depending on
who you are a good or bad thing, but It.
I do think you're you're going to see a more concerted effort
and sets run to try and get Miller.
Shadow Miller cop open. It's interesting, Tony because
we looking at where the rosters at right now.
It's Johnson hood shit. Pheno, Galloway gun Bates, and
Leo, that's basically the six guys that you would count the
back. What if you want to throw Miller
cop in there, I guess. Maybe for the purposes of this,
you would. So there's seven players.
It's interesting because you would assume I guess that that
Johnson would start at the point.
I mean, I think he's earned that position but Given what we know
right now. What do you do with the rest of
that line up? Like, how do you set everybody
up? Yeah, it's hard because you
know, especially when you don't know what your front court is
going to be because you know, if you start you start up bigger
Duo, let's say it's raised Thompson, Trace shacks and Davis
both decided to come back. Well, I mean if you want to try
a Miller cop, they're out at the three.
I think he's more of a stretch for type of guy.
You know, I think Jordan Geronimo would be a great
stretch for type of guy and then you could slot Bateson at 3:00.
You know, a combo guard. We know that what would you
like? What do you like to length you
like speed. And he wants guys that can
create a shot. That's tomorrow bait.
So I think tomorrow base has to find the slot and that starting
lineup based on what would he likes?
That's JLo, bitch. Fino.
I think that he's going to find a spot in that.
Starting lineup. You know, if J 100, Fino plays a
small role next year to me. It's going to be hard to to get
guys from those prep Academies. When back-to-back years
tomorrow, Bates and Jalen which Fino both come in is five-star
recruits in Place, Mall rules on.
I don't know what next year's team is going to be obviously,
but smart Bates. What didn't play a very big role
in. I'm not very good team.
And so, you know, you have to look at it from that perspective
to a little bit. If you're Woody just from a
sense of you built great relationships with these prep
programs that produce these you know, their five-star factories
basically. And so I think hoof Enos Watson,
so yeah and then You look at guys like wheel and and who else
do we tell CJ gun? I guess or yeah gone.
And, you know, gun was a shot-maker all season in the
High School season, you know, I don't know what that looks like.
Moving forward and how that translates to the college game
for him. But yeah, there's there's a, I
think it's a good problem to have, but I still think that,
you know, if a solid point guard / shooting guard, combo guard
comes in and says, hey, I want to go there.
You know, to name names that let's say it's a Nigel pack from
Kansas state. Who's an 18-point premium score.
All-big 12 performer from City of Indianapolis.
You know, I think you have to take him and you figure it out.
And so it really, it's just getting good guys, in.
And then letting the chips fall, where they may from there.
Got a backcourt question. So like it does seem stick in
there that a lot of what the priority was with Parker.
Stuart Miller cop playing so much.
This year would be the desire to have at least the threat.
So you have spacing but it also seems like the kind of defensive
expectation. Was a lot in terms of maybe this
is a question my hypothesis. Why Galloway play?
A lot more than tomorrow Bates did when he had the chance was
that they seem to like what he brought defensively and that
smart Bates is a freshman still trying to figure that stuff out.
I just wonder how like that looks.
Just in terms of trying to figure out what some of the
things were that might had Galloway slotted over Bates.
A lot of playing time this year. Yeah.
I think he was a playmaker, first and foremost, you know, he
was just a guy that every time he was in he was high energy,
but Do you think you make a good point and it's not necessarily
the individual defense, like keeping your guy in front of you
is important but I think Stewart and cop had really bought into
the team defense of Concepts and how Mike Woodson wanted to
operate defensively, in terms of ball screen coverages and things
like that. Because I mean if you look at it
individually, Miller cop and Parker, Stewart are not
world-beating Defenders by any mean.
Any means, you know, that was there both of their biggest
knocks coming into this season. And I, you had a season where
both of them are in the starting line up the majority of the
time. And we're number one in terms of
adjusted defensive efficiency in the big Ted.
You know, I think that speaks volumes to Woody's defensive
system for number one, but number two like that was that's
always been unique to me. Is everybody like a Parker?
Can't got a chair Miller. Can't go to chair yet.
They were part of the lineup. That was the best defensive
lineup in the country or in the country in the conference.
And so I do think to get back to your question.
I do think that's Why you saw those guys and starting lineup
and why you saw Galloway? Galloway slotted.
More minutes in Bates is based on a team defense.
And then Galloway was just such an energy guy that he impacted
the game. The second he stepped on the
floor and just to jump one worrying because that's where,
like hearing that there is the idea of looking at another
guard. It's kind of like because I do
think that you'd want to have feeling Hood, should be no play.
And if you're taking Nigel pack, then you're trying to find
minutes for Xavier Johnson and atrophy.
No, and Tamar Bates and Trey, Galloway and die.
Pack it because Michael Packy can't play the three.
He's six feet tall. And also, if you're talking
about a bigger role for Miller cop, it's like you also have no
matter what that frontcourt, permutation looks like, Miller
play if he's here. And so there, you've got those
two backcourt spots, really, and you got to find places to play
talented, guys, people feel good about but Tony is it possible
that Woodson with his desire for athleticism?
Is MM in length. Just decides to go small and
with the idea and we're going to get to this in a second that
maybe you don't have one of Trace Jackson Davis or race
Thompson or Jordan Geronimo, you're playing essentially three
guards and a swing man with one post player.
I mean, does that make sense based upon what it seemed like
Woodson was trying to do this year, I think so.
I mean, I think, I think, what's in, from a big perspective based
on what he had in the NBA and coming from the NBA.
He wants mobile bigs that can stretch the floor, a little bit
mean by mobile. Bigs.
I basically mean guys I can go out there set ball screens role
of the rim and catch Labs. Like we saw Trace Jackson Davis
do more towards the latter part of the year.
So yeah, I think that's certainly an option in terms of
playing three yards. You know, I think we saw that
that teams in the NCAA tournament.
Did that a lot, you know, kind of going small, if you will.
And it's, it's an approach that I Don't think is crazy in terms
of of IU, and in terms of just a different style of play.
Like, I know that the big Ten's of grind and, you know, all the
best big men come from the Big Ten, but in terms of how that
kind of translates into to march in tournament play, you know, we
kind of see that that might not be the best approach.
Let me before we get to The Bigs and the post players in general.
I haven't, we haven't had a chance to talk since the season
ended. You've had a chance to kind of
digest all of this. What was wrong with the offense
this year for IU? I mean, it's something that I
think to some degree. We got tied up in the defense
being pretty good and it was overall.
But the, you know, as much as the defense took some steps
forward in terms of efficiency, the offense took a big step
back. Even from what it was in
Archie's last year. And nobody was walking around
saying, wow, this Archie Miller offense looks really good, you
know, so what from your perspective was?
The biggest issue was at systematic, was it?
Accusation like where do you fall on that?
Yeah, I think it was twofold. I think the number one part of
it is is that guys struggled to shoot?
So you really couldn't stretch the defense super well and I
think the stat, I you produced the third highest number of open
three-pointers this season across college basketball.
Well, there's a reason for that, that, you know, teams wanted
them to shoot three point shots. So I think that it's too, To
fold in that didn't have a lot of guys that can knock down
shots. I think the second part is that
their offense was predicated on low, efficiency shots, post-ups
back to the basket, low efficiency shot.
You know, that we, the best post up teams in the country are like
one point per possession and that's if you're just extremely
efficient and you're knocking down your post Touches at a
really, really high rate, you know, that's but in the grand
scheme of things that's pretty low efficiency.
And so I think it's pretty Skated on that as well.
And then, I think when you saw how you get away from that
towards the latter half really kind of the, the Purdue game
leading into the Big Ten Tournament into the NCAA
tournament. You saw them go much more ball
screen heavy and I think the offense was more exciting to
watch and you saw just had a little bit more Pace a little
bit more flow. And then I think the third
aspect of that is that Xavier Johnson got much better as the
season went on. He ran that offense.
He ran that show and they kind of went as he he went and he
didn't start very well. And so as the season wore on, I
think we saw, I use offense, get a tad better just because
they've your Johnson had a really good handle on what the
team should be in. And then he made great reads
coming out of ball screens, whether he should find the
shooter, lifting up or find Tracy X and Davis with a lob to
the rim or pull up from 15 foot and knock it down.
So it's kind of three-pronged approach to me and that's why it
was bad. But I do think it got better,
the latter half of the season. Reason, can I give you one
number? You're going to love this?
I guarantee it. So I you this year, took 618,
threes and you've got robbed fantasy, Tamar Bates, Anthony
Lee oltre. Galloway Jordan Geronimo, and
race Thompson, combining to shoot 263 of those.
That is 44 percent of your team's threes and they converted
on those at a percentage of 28 percent.
That when you have, that's not good.
Ladies and gentlemen, I just want to get that out.
That's not a good percentage. And so there is something where
I'm thinking like, even though like, I mean, I did I did start
to feel bad for Mike. Once it at the end of the year.
When everyone, what's going on the offense against like guy, I
mean, he didn't say it. But if he said, like, guys, you
know, 44% of our three-point shooting is coming at a pretty,
some like 30% rate. There's only so much you can do.
Well, this is For whatever reason, people kept arguing
about this and Tony, please tell me if I'm wrong.
But there were open shots that were being taken by Miller cop
by Parker Stewart by brought fantasy and they just weren't
hitting them. And I'm watching people
criticize, the offense towards the latter half of the Season
like, well, those shots are rush and I fear not rushed like the
the, the there's a, there's a whole you read.
If you all read the book sprawl ball, some time, which I highly
recommend. It's a great look at the NBA and
the way that the offensive game has changed by the three point
shot, but they talk about release time on shots and, you
know, the how they always hold Kyle Korver up as like kind of
the the, the, the great Ace of release time.
He's got one of the shortest release times.
The release times on Miller cops shots on Parker, Steward shots,
when they did get them off, was always really slow and it kind
of just feels like fixing that to some degree could satisfy.
A lot of these issues that were talking about with percentages
just by getting them up a little bit faster.
Sure. Absolutely.
Yeah, a lot of its mechanical, you know, I looking at IU from
a, from a catch and shoot perspective, 36 percentile in
the season, you know, lower 3rd, basically, in the country where
it really gets kind of interesting is I don't, I'm not
exactly sure what's energy defines as guarded versus
unguarded, but from a guarded perspective on catch and shoot
shots. I you was in the 8th percentile
in the country, so, They had to be wide open and nobody around
them to even for it to have a shot.
Because if there's even a hand in the face approach during the
bottom, eight percent in the country, which is not great.
Something I would also like to note.
I've been talking about this with some other folks, but it's
just, it's still amazing to me and granted a couple of the
players were talking about nor cop Rob Fitness.
Excuse me, Parker Stewart were brought in specifically by Mike
Woodson, but you look at the players that transferred and
it's not like they left eye you and had particularly good
three-point shooting Seasons. I mean Al Durham as great of a
year as he had and congrats to Al, by the way, all region team
for Providence really deserve that.
But, but a foul shot 23.7% from three on 114 shots this year.
Armand, Franklin, at Virginia who also had a really good
season shot 29.6% on 179, three-point shots, and, you
know, the One dimension is Jerome Hunter who on 66
three-point shots for Xavier shot 21.2%.
I'm just endlessly. Fascinated at how I you managed
to get a collection of guys that can't shoot from deep in one
place at one time. It's really.
It's one of those weird accomplishments.
We may never see. Again in college basketball, at
least not at this level. And what's crazy is what our mom
was almost a 40% three-point shooter at IU.
Wasn't he? And Al was somewhere around
there as well. Yeah.
Ow, ow. When he was at IU, was 30, 38
percent both the last two years that he was there and Armand.
I think left at 42.4%. So if you got an explanation for
that, let me know. It's pretty crazy.
And that's where just because throw that out where it's like I
did something to me. This is kind of one of the
things I was curious about hearing you say, like, the
release time is one thing, but you got it seen in one way.
It's encouraging. Like a gale.
And I were talking at the enemy. Talking last time.
But you know, Victor Oladipo goes somehow from being a 24%.
Three-point shooter. He jumps like 20 percentage
points between his sophomore and junior year.
I don't know if that's a coaching thing.
I don't know. It's so much about coach Walsh.
What? You know, what?
He's gonna do with the other guys would do, but maybe just
two, in terms of like percentage differences.
Everybody's talking about Xavier Johnson, taking this big jump.
This was a neat thing to kind of see is that his sophomore year
at Pitt. He took exactly the same number
of Threes that he Did this year this year?
He had five more of them and it was good to take him from 33% to
38%. So all of this is stuff on a
margin. Just basically says so much of
this is one in the offseason. So how did it go?
How does somebody like Trey Galloway like tomorrow baits?
Like Anthony Lille who want to be a lot more successful hitting
the threes than they were. I don't know if it's appropriate
to like say it's like a what are some drills or whatever they're
doing. But this whole scene it seems
that a number. It's a kind of on a margin, you
know, jump the number of Threes you hit in the season by six or
seven and that does a lot to your percentage.
Yes, absolutely. And you know, I think I think
the biggest thing is repetition. Like it's it's really hard to
you can tweak mechanics, but you can't make change a guy's shot
in a college offseason. Like it's just, it's changing.
A shot is such a long long approach.
So it's like tweaking mechanics like with Trey Galloway.
Like he shoots flat. So I you can tweak that where
it's like, all right, let's get more more lift and a higher
release point in like that's You can drill and like I said,
repetition repetition repetition, but a lot of it
really, I truly believe it comes down to confidence like you
here. Miller cop can shoot in the gym
and make 99 out of 100, three-pointers around the arc.
I guarantee, if you go into I use practice and you watch them
shoot free throws. They'll make 80 80 to 85 percent
of their free throws, but then you get on the line and a
pressure situation, or you get in a game situation in the
lights are on then, where does your confidence?
Ago, are you confident making those shots?
You know, I think that Christian Lander in a you he was like a 45
percent three-point shooter in scoring 20 points a game.
He was confident as all get out. You know, he was he was the
number two ranked point guard in the country and he had all the
confidence in the world. He comes in my you doesn't
perform. Well as a lowest confidence
many, but I've seen and now he can't make a layup last season
confidence is huge. And in the more, that Woody and
his staff can instill confidence in these guys.
The guys, when you shoot these shots.
Going to make them and it's not easy to teach but I think
getting these guys confidence back and up is going to be just
as vital as anything. They do mechanically or from a
repetition standpoint in terms of jump shots.
Let's talk a little bit up about the post players or whatever the
actual term you would use in today's era of basketball.
So right now no announcements yet from Tres Jackson, Davis Ray
stops and Jordan, Geronimo. Logan dunk.
Mmm. So obviously, you know, Banks is
coming in as a freshman. So he's going to be in the mix
and then we've decided to kick cop out of the the post players
and put him with the guards. Everybody's been focusing on the
offensive aspect of things about Trace Jackson Davis.
How do you replace that scoring Tony?
You did a good job of explaining that I think on a previous show.
I'm more interested on the defensive side, Indiana,
obviously best, you know, per possession offense in the Big
Ten. As you mentioned, they finished
like 22nd overall, in Ken pom in your guy's opinion, how much of
that flowed from the play of the post players versus what you
were getting out of the guards? And if say Thompson, or Trace
Jackson, Davis or Jordan Geronimo leaves, like how does
that impact? What Indiana is doing
defensively, you know and what their what they would need to
change? If anything going in the next
year on defense. Yeah, I think it's going to be
interesting especially if Case Jackson Davis leaves because I
use entire defense was kind of we're going to put heavy ball
pressure on you. And if you drive by us, we're
going to let Trace Jackson Davis, leave his man and he's
going to go try to try to alter or block your shot.
You know, this was Trace Jackson.
Davis had his highest block rate.
This season. Was almost double what he did in
his sophomore season. And so that, you know, that was
what? What he did.
About Rim protection and Trace Jackson Davis, being able to
protect that Rim. Now, if race, Thompson, is the 5
because Tracy action Davis, isn't there?
Or they bring some in from the portal?
Is that guy going to be able to do that?
It will actually will be really interesting to see what they do
defensively because Tracy X and Davis, did a really nice job
this season of altering shots at the rim and kind of being that
rim protector that Mike Woodson want him to be he's got really
good like fast-twitch, instincts.
It's not really something you can teach in my opinion.
And so So I'll be interested if he leaves or race leaves like we
said, you know, there's a kind of a turnstile there that we're
not sure where it's going to fall.
It would be interesting to see if they try to get somebody in
the portal that kind of has those same instincts.
So that that can kind of Be the Anchor of that defense or will
it be more, you know, what would you see him different defensive
style? Maybe they play something
different because they've got different personnel.
Yeah, that was one thing I'm curious about because just,
you're just, you're talking about what Trace Jackson.
Davis brings her one. I was impressed at how Geronimo
wasn't blocking shots this year. During gerónimo did a lot more
of that than he did his freshman year, but with also the part
where he's committing a lot of fouls your compared to how many
shots each block and he in terms of rate he's doing You know,
twice as frequently as racetracks and Davis Creek,
Jackson Davis is able to stay on the floor.
Those might, because my initial thought is this goes that maybe
you can get Geronimo to you know, jump and block a lot of
those. But then can he stay out of foul
trouble and I'm curious about that but also just kind of
wondering what because of the race Thompson did a lot of
really good. Good defensive work.
I don't have so much the vocabulary of what you're losing
if you lose him because it would be it would be, it would be very
different defense. It also seems to me if you have
traced Jackson Davis and Jordan Geronimo, say you look say
hypothetically, you know, race Thompson moves on.
On the one hand. It's neat to have like more kind
of overt athleticism in the way that Geronimo is but at the same
time, They would be different players.
I don't know, what'll what that'll look like or even how to
think about it. Yeah, I mean, that one's a tough
one because a lot of Indiana's defensive effort and intensity,
really. It seemed a little bit matchup
dependent at times last year and race Thompson was so effective
because he fit into a bunch of different matchup dependent
defensive schemes. And I do think you lose that to
some degree. Now could, if Jordan Geronimo is
getting those minutes. I think he's just as capable of
fulfilling that role defensively and being that versatile.
And I think, especially You mentioned the foul thing.
He didn't foul as much as it seems.
I think he was averaging four fouls committed a little under
four fouls committed per 40 minutes, which is, you know, not
ideal but it's also not that bad.
It's certainly better than like Michael dirr who has a ticket
like seven fast for 40 minutes, but I am interested.
The one issue that you run into that.
You don't know with Jordan Geronimo.
If you're looking at the game holistically is can Jordan
Geronimo come anywhere close over the span of The season to
providing the offense to go along with the defense that race
Thompson was providing you, and that was really what I think he
did. So, well, was that race times
ended up being like a B plus or a minus player on both ends of
the floor most nights. And I don't know yet for sure.
Whether Jordan Geronimo can develop into that.
I like the signs, but I don't know what the outcome would be.
Yeah, it'll be interesting, Jordan Geronimo.
I think has the highest ceiling perhaps on this entire roster,
in terms of his Pro prospecting. It's just, you know, when does
that come? He's now what 20s years old and
it's like, you know is next is his junior year like his
breakthrough season where you know, he's able to take somebody
off the dribble. He's able to back somebody down.
He's able to knock down. Wide-open threes off of a pick
and pop situation. Like it'll be, it'll be Resting
to see if he does indeed come back to IU in the ways that
Woody wants to try and use him because he can be an intriguing
matchup. You know, he's, I think he's
what, he's only, what six-foot-six, like he plays
bigger than he is, but surely in terms of size.
He's more of a three-man as a Pro Prospect.
And so it'll be interesting to see if that's kind of, like,
what would he's trying to sell him on is like, we're going to
have you played more of a three-step role, you might be
the for We, but you'll play on the outside.
You'll play on the wing. And then, if I have smaller guy
comes on you, then maybe we'll take you down and post or
something like that. But he's somebody that intrigued
me. That's what that's for.
Sure. He will actually be 21 at the
start of December of this upcoming year.
So, there you go. Interesting, so I'm not here for
many things but I'm here for birthdays.
I got that covered. Let's let's let's pull it out a
little bit. So the news came down last week
that I you was promoting Brian Walsh to the vacant assistant
coaching position that was vacated by Dane Fife.
No longer being with the program.
I don't know about how James His knowledge of Brian is but I
don't have a whole lot of that. So Tony what can you tell us
about what Brian Walsh has been doing?
And what he brings to the table? Overall.
Yeah, I mean being I use recruiting coordinator.
So I've got some coaching buddies at have some very very
high level prospects on their team than I used in reaching out
to. And and one of them told me in
particular that nobody has put in more work in the entire
country. On this particular kid than
Brian Walsh has and that was prior to him actually being able
to go on the road and recruit somebody.
So being that recruiting coordinator.
He was somebody that was first of all finding finding Hua
Prospect is. And, and you know what teams
they play for, in terms of a use school ball, and then,
basically, making connections with all those people, he was
the guy that made like first contact with so many prospects
and he basically brought in Gabe cups.
I mean, he was basically Gabe, cuffs like lead, recruiter
almost in terms of this without ever being able to go on the
road and recruit him, which I think speaks volumes, you know,
you got a great guard coming to town now, other guys in the eye.
You staff, certainly were able to help make that happen.
But in terms of Brian Walsh, what he's been doing for the
team the past, especially this past year, because it's his
title changed when he when Watson came aboard.
But I think you're going to be pretty impressed with the work
ethic that he has. Now.
He's going to have to he's young and he doesn't have the
connections that a guy like Kenya or yes, here has yet, but
he's going to work to make those connections and make them as
fast as possible. And Actually, I just mean
high-level AAU coaches, you know, these these guys that
produce these prep factories and kind of the handlers if you will
of some of these kids. So it'll be, I think will be
very impressed with what Brian Walsh brings to the table.
And then, you know, he's a guy that was a division, one player
play in the NCAA tournament, you know, he went to Xavier and then
transfer to Akron and so he's walked the walk, you know, with
some of these guys and he's able to kind of tell them what to
expect as a student athlete. Sleet, he's young.
So he's very relatable. I think he just turned 30 or 31
years old or somewhere in that range.
So super young and energetic and and, you know, he's not somebody
that he's a great recruiter and great at building relationships.
But he's also somebody that played in his learn under a lot
of big-time names to where he's somebody that I think you can
get behind in terms of being on the floor coach to and like I
said, you know, tweaking guys shots getting guy's confidence
things that he's not just a recruiting guy to, you know, he
The game, which is I think very very important, obviously.
That's really exciting. I mean that you look at the pool
of assistance now and you have Mike Woodson, he's just he's a
cool guy. Broad Ripple represent.
And then you have three assistants who are good at
recruiting, who can bring, you know, kids and families to the
head coach. And he can make a pitch and
they're going to be really energetic.
It sounds like, and I'm just really excited to hear about
that. Well said, Juicy Fruit looks
from that. Ya know what I mean?
The, I guess I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that last
week, Kenny Hunter. And you see her Rosemond were
both promoted to associate. Head coach, which obviously
there's a pay bump there. There's a, I guess, kind of a
title bump. And that was important because I
think there was a lot of concern that you see Rosemond would be
and it would go to Louisville with Kenny Payne.
That least keep some stability on the staff.
I know that in the second year, you don't to have multiple
assistance leaving. So you do get some continuity
here, Tony, which I think has got to be a positive.
Huge, you know, extremely huge and, you know, you do.
I look at a guy like a Jacquard Newton who was, you know, we're
yes, here's kind of first big one that he brought to town, you
know, you run the risk of kind of losing that.
That momentum, you were gaining in the 2023 class, which is, you
know, going to be huge. I use got a lot of great inroads
there, you know, and this is what I tweeted this out I think
or I might have texted it to Friends, but Louisville is
willing to pay assistant coaches more.
That's just fact Among Us among other people.
But anyway, sorry go ahead correct, but they're willing to
pay assistant coaches more. Yes years, or I don't know.
Yes here. Yeah coach.
Yeah. He had the opportunity to go
work for his mentor here. You know, Kenny Payne has he's
not been quiet. That is his mentor for probably
more money and he chose to stay put it at you.
And so I, I think that that You know, you, I think you can draw
your own conclusions from that, but I think that speaks volumes
about the buy-in and the belief of what Mike Woodson is building
at Indiana to where, you know, all signs, you know, if you
looked at the Louisville boards, they were all confident that.
Yeah. I was coming with Kenny Payne
and he stayed put and so I think that you know, it's doesn't
exist in a vacuum and there's more factors certainly but I
think it speaks volumes of that. He stayed put and Truly believes
in buys into what Indians doing right now.
Well, we'll see what happens with everything.
Any final thoughts. As we wrap up here, guys,
anything that you're most interested to see here other
than the obvious of, you know, is somebody else going to
transfer, or will there be multiples or anything else you'd
like to mention? I've got one.
Yeah, go ahead looks, yeah. I'm excited to hear how excited
folks are about Miller cop because I was looking at, that
was the thing, like, when he came in, you're just what he
did. Last year at Northwestern, he
wasn't as effective from three. It was a lot more effective from
to, and you kind of look at those two, those seasons in
Northwestern, the last two that he had their, he had a really
good one from three, but he did a lot better from Two and a
third going to kind of it seemed like they designed more at My, I
like that for Parker Stewart this year than from other cop.
So if he's going to be kind of put an executive positions that
he's comfortable. It seems like it Northwestern.
He had pretty good usage. They, they needed to go to him
and he was able to deliver both outside and inside the ark at a
pretty high level. And so I'm excited to see if
that plays out because I think, really, productive Miller cop
makes this team a lot more dangerous, I agree.
And I went and actually watch every three point attempt from
Miller cop, the past two seasons on Synergy what our prior to his
eye, you tenure. So his last two seasons at
Northwestern and what I found interesting was that almost all
of his stuff didn't come out of sets.
It came out of spite of opportunities out of the ball
screens. And so I think it's going to be
important for Mike rutzen to design his ball screen actions
to basically have Miller cop being the guy that replaces the
screener. That's That's the guy that they
always use his help in ball screens is the guy kind of in
that short Corner that ball side, corner.
If you can have Miller, copy that guy and he's the guy
listing to replace the screener and then the point guard can hit
him. That's how Miller cop got.
The majority of his looks at Northwestern.
And so that'll be interesting to me is it's not necessarily about
running like pin down screens and things like that for Miller
cop and running sets for him. It's using him within the flow
of the offense, but putting him in the right spots within those.
Those flows and not just burying him in a opposite corner, which
is where he's to spend a lot of his time this season.
I think that will be important. Good stuff.
Well, guys, this was a wonderful reunions.
I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to doing it
again at some point here. Seven years in the making.
Yeah. That's right, you know,
everybody was waiting on it. We've this is this is the
Godfather part 3 of podcasts but much better.
I think in a lot of different ways.
So anyway my thanks to Father James P.
For joining us. Once again.
My thanks to Tony and Rania and my thanks to all you folks out
there for listening and we'll be back with more podcasting here
on Crimson cast over the course of the next couple of weeks and
months, and everything beyond that.
As we get ourselves further on into this offseason and get
ourselves, all excited for 20 22, 23 for Tony, and for James,
I'm Galen. Thanks for joining us on Crimson
Castle. Catch you.
Folks on the flip side. So everybody