You're listening to the back home network, presented by home
field, apparel. Welcome back to Crimson, Cask
ale, and klaviyo joining you here as we are in the midst of
feast week. I really missed college
basketball. I didn't realize how much, but
it's been a great week for college basketball, and it's
really getting me primed up for next week when the Big Ten ACC
challenge. Starts and we get to see Indiana
at Syracuse. A lot of fun things going on
some fascinating games. I've got a great pair of
gentlemen, joining me here, Scott my co-host and co-founder
of crimson cast joining me and Tony had Rania also joining us.
One of our first back home network Meetup podcast.
I guess you could say, Scott. I'll start with you.
Good to see you and talk to you again and Happy Thanksgiving in
advance. How you doing?
I'm doing great. We're talking basketball.
We're not talking. I you produce.
This is Fantastic. Yeah, this is a we're going to
try to keep this as emotionally positive and unscarred as we
possibly can over the course of the the 45 minutes or so that we
talk, Tony always a pleasure to talk with you.
How has the last couple of months, been treating you?
Yeah, it's great to be back here on Crimson cast and as you
mentioned great to be part of the back home network.
So, super excited about that. Collaboration that we've all
have going on there, but last couple months have been great in
terms of Watching some some college hoops.
Like you said, that's been awesome.
And then I use starting out for know, certainly helps things as
well. Just a couple of notes before we
get started gents. I don't know what your apparel
situation looks like right now. But you know, I am feeling the
need for a couple of more items in my closet and home-field
apparel presenting sponsor here on the home.
Back home network has a great deal coming up on Friday.
The the Black Friday sale that extends all the way through the
weekend goes to And a 20 percent off everything while supplies
last. And, you know, if you've been if
you had an eye on anything, on the home field apparel website,
this is kind of the time to do it, you know, you Christmas
Seasons coming up and most of us have long since gone past the
time where we could use a promo code for our first order.
So this is basically like getting a promo code all over
again. We're very excited about that.
And again, it's for everybody it's not just there's no there's
nothing to type in just to 20% off from Black Friday, Cyber
Monday. Anything you guys have your eyes
on that, you're interested in getting here over the course of
the next week. Or so.
I'm looking at sweatshirts that aren't the, the hoodies and
definitely Slippery Rock every morning.
Wait. Are we going to occurs?
We're not losing you too big crew.
Neck. Are we Scott?
No. No, I'm just, I'm, I have a
bunch of hoodies. I'm going just the straight
sweatshirt. It's, they're so comfy.
All right, Tony, you, I'm all in on the crew.
Net game. Wow.
You know, about that, my hashtag take her.
Now. My wife's big on crew necks.
And that's the first time in our marriage.
I'm just kind of like, I don't know about you, you know, but
but now that'll be interesting though, but there's some good
stuff on there. Go check it out.
A lot of great IU stuff is normal.
We're also the crew necks and divorce.
Maybe maybe you know, I mean, I don't want any of them.
So if you know, worse comes to worse, we'll go that direction.
Anyway, let's dive in and talk about this IU basketball team
for a no. On the season.
Sadly. This is the longest winning
streak that I use been on in like three years.
I think, you know, they went into that game on on Sunday, on
a three-game winning streak, and that was the longest winning
streak. They'd been on what since the
last time they won three games in a row was from Tuesday,
December 10th to Saturday, December 21st of 2020.
So it had been it'll have a full season and then some and the
last time they won. In a row.
The last of those four games was that Florida State win in
Tuesday? December.
I'm sorry. I meant to say the 10th of
December, the 21st of December of 2019.
And the last time they won four in a row.
Remember they had that 8? No.
Start back in the 2019 2020 season that culminated in the
Devonte green game. So here we find ourselves
gentlemen, IU, 4, and 0 Scott. Let me start with both of you.
I'll start with you on this General feelings.
Like what? What, what impressions?
Ins maybe over a minute or so has this team left on you.
In what you've seen out of them so far.
I really do like the depth. We saw it a lot on the game
Sunday against Louisiana, where, you know, some of the starters
like race and traced in play as much.
And you saw guys like, you know, Parker Stewart and a little bit
of Anthony Leo come in and do some good things.
You know, I feel really good about where we're at because it
does feel like between Xavier Johnson Parker Stewart.
A little bit of Miller cop. And then, you know, Tamar Bates
kind of coming on because you're going to have like two good
games out of those for any one time but that you also have like
race and Trace or bolts just unbelievably stable and
consistent. So you kind of have that rock
and I feel like that's what even missing last couple years is we
didn't have like we needed one of those guys like we just
didn't have enough stable guys, and we need one of those kind
of, like Tamar Bates type to have a good game every game and
it's just not going to happen. Like he's a freshman same with,
you know, Miller cop. Like I put them on kind of that.
Category where you're probably going to get a good game out of
one of them, every four or five games, the nice think.
It's just like, there's four or five of them.
So, it's like, one of them can be that, that, that level of
game. I've also I've just enjoyed
seeing the fight with this team. CB seeming Xavier Johnson, kind
of Take the Lead, kind of handle things on the court.
And you're starting to see kind of the the Archie Archie dislike
this team kick away as they start to play a little more
free, a little more fun. Like this is something you
mentioned many times. I just that the joy and
basketball seems to be coming back.
They're not looking to the sideline as much like.
Again. The last thing I'll say is I
remember the play where, you know, race Thompson in the st.
John's game, like got a traveling call.
We was bringing the ball, inbounds like messed it up and
like moved and got called for traveling.
It's like Xavier Johnson went over, like got on his ass a
little bit and then it was like, it was over, and this kept on
going. Where's that feel?
Like in years past it would have been like this big thing and
like you would have been brought down like it just was kind of
hey, don't do that again. What's it didn't even have to
engage in that, which is awesome.
So those are all kind of high-level things like this T.
Tony. I'll ask you the same question.
What has stood out? What have been the biggest
Impressions you've gotten off this IU team so far.
Yeah. Just kind of to Echo Scott.
I mean it's been so positive like almost too positive.
This team hasn't really since since Mike wasn't taken over.
There's pretty much been zero adversity, you know, at least
Public public facing adversity, you know, I'm sure they have
internal. Bubbles and things in practice
guys. Getting suspended, whatnot, but
everything's been so positive. Like I'm still kind of waiting
for adversity, to hit to see how this team responds because
that's when through the Archie years when adversity did hit
that was when, like, you end up losing 12, or 13 games, or
whatever. It was back, a few years ago.
So I'm not complaining. It's been so positive.
It's been a breath of fresh air. And then, you know, just in
terms of playstyle and things watching the guys like you said
free-flowing, almost a little too free.
Against Louisiana, in terms of twenty seven turnovers.
But again, my question goes in the press conference.
He kind of jokes about it. Like, what does that mean?
Means a lot of running tomorrow. Like, you know, it's, it's just
a breath of fresh air. It's not a, it's not a bunch of
like coach speak. Mike.
Woodson is just very, very open and honest and tells it like it
is and takes accountability. He's like look, you know today
it's on me. I got to get the guys better
prepared or better in those situations.
So I've Boyd thoroughly enjoyed the Mike, Woodson era.
To this point. I've enjoyed watching this team
play in four games and overall just a really, really positive
vibe. Yeah, I agree.
I think that I've been to three of the four games in person now
and what is stuck out in each of the games has been the vibe that
the players are giving off while they're on the floor and it's
not overwhelmingly goofy or anything like that.
But it's just there's there's a level of freedom of mentality
that did not exist at all. Under the Archie Miller and
frankly, I would argue didn't argue, didn't didn't belong,
didn't happen a lot under the crane are either.
I mean, a little bit in 2012, maybe not as much in 2013 and
certainly not in the last five years of the crane era.
There was a tightness to a lot of those teams that just doesn't
exist. So far, now obviously Indiana's
played four teams only one of which were he even has an
outside shot at winning, you know, their way into the NCAA
tournament, but even in non competitive games in the past
that I use played, it's felt different.
And there really is, I think a kind of a collective Maybe not,
maybe Joy is too strong of a word right now, Scott, but at
least this idea that what they're doing isn't life and
death. Every time they're going down
the floor. And I really felt like in Stark
relief to what we've seen out of the She Miller era that era.
It really did feel like guys were terrified of making
mistakes. They were terrified of making
mistakes on offense, on defense, whatever, and maybe they still
are. And we just haven't seen it come
out yet, but it doesn't feel that way at this point.
So go ahead one and taking it outside of just the players
because it will focus on some of the players.
Obviously, on this podcast, will talk about some of them, you
know, I've been to two of the games or wife.
Was it a third game, you know, the thing that I've noticed in,
you mentioned this on Twitter after the st.
John's game that At that positivity and feeling has
permeated the rest of the program and the fanbase in that
the st. John's game.
You know, again, this is kind of like I didn't fully understand
how an eye, you hire a former player would affect, you know,
the program until we have it. You know, I didn't fully realize
kind of how dead isn't the right word, but just had a kind of how
non Assembly Hall. Assembly hall turned into from
Levi perspective. Once that st.
John's game was like, oh, it was like almost a little spark of
electricity. It's like well, It's different
like the students feel a little more fired up.
Like the crowd felt more energized if you were there you
felt it. And as I you know, I think
that's palpable. I think the way the schedule
lays out. They're going to win a bunch
more home games. Like I look at the schedule.
They could theoretically have been based on Ken Palm.
They're only predicted to lose two home games this year.
It's that Purdue Michigan back-to-back weekend.
I've said for a while. I think they're going to catch
one of those in which could mean they go, you know, whatever.
It is losing one game at home this year, see feeling that
energy just for st. John's like a A nine o'clock tip
where there was a lot of reasons why it wouldn't be a great
crowd. It was makes me feel like
Assembly Hall is going to be back where it's it's going to
again, be that tough place to play that, you know, Galen you
and I remember in like the 90s just that's the way it was.
And it's going to probably in my mind lead to some wins at home
that maybe they shouldn't have. Like I said that that Purdue or
Michigan game, but that's the other piece just like it's kind
of its expanded outside the team where the fan base.
Just it just feels. Different if you're there, yeah,
Tony one of the things that is noticeable about this team is,
it's a very different style of play.
Then anything that we have been used to over the course of
really the last. I mean, yeah, quite a while like
somebody posted this and I feel terrible that I can't remember
who it was that. Posted it on Twitter yesterday,
but they noted that this is the highest Tempo in games that
Indiana has played, since the year 2000, the last Year that
bob Knight was the head coach that year Indiana average 71.5
possessions per game offensively.
The, you know, they've, they've certainly had fast offenses
before that, that last that crane year where they were not
very good. The 2014 year.
They averaged, they were 60 third in the nation in Tempo.
Basketball was slower back then by, you know, fairly significant
margin like three or four. Actions Indiana's only 150 in
the nation in tempo right now, but they're going faster than
we've seen them in a long time. And Tony.
I mean, I think, to some degree, you could attribute, the
turnover issues to moving at that faster Tempo and trying to
get things in their minds about where people are supposed to be.
But it is interesting that the this pot.
I mean, do you think the positivity that we're talking
about and the vibe thing is that flowing from this change in
approach, the basketball philosophies that are being put
out on the floor right now by Woodson and his staff.
I think that's a big part of it. I think some of it is just
overall coaching philosophy and style in terms of building
players up and not breaking them down.
I mean, Mike, what's in his talk over and over and over again
about the confidence that he has to instill in guys.
And you know, he's not going to put players in a box and he's
not going to tell him you can't do this, you know, so confidence
boosting is a big part of what he's trying to do, which I think
we saw it. Throughout the Archie Miller
error, guys did not have confidence.
Whether that be shooting the basketball, whether that be
taking care of the basketball. You know, you're just not,
you're not seeing that this year.
I mean, I think of Christian Lander is a prime example of a
guy that came in struggled early on like a lot of freshmen do and
then his confidence was gone and he never regained it.
And so, I think some of it permeates from, from coaching
philosophy and then just how the team is playing in terms of
style, like, that's A fun style to play, you get up and guys
stuff on the defensive end. You're denying passing Lane,
you're creating turnovers. So that's that's a huge
difference from the Archie. Miller era is they're creating
turnovers on the defensive end and that's turning in the quick
offense. Right?
And, and so, that's, that's a big part of it.
Too is. That's, that's a fun style to
play. You know, when you can steal the
ball and throw a lob up, the tray, shacks and Davis for a
dunk and assembly Halls roaring. Like, that's a lot of fun.
Whereas, with the are Tiara defensively, you're in that pack
line your Hoping they milk, the shot clock, they end up shooting
a bad shot. You get the rebound.
You go. Well, now you're up in passing
Lanes, Europe. And, guys, junk, you know,
trying to trying to create havoc and they're doing so those far.
Now, you know, opponents have been a little more inferior in
st. John's has been prone to
turnovers with the style they play.
So it's yet to be seen if that style will translate to like big
10 opponents, but thus far the style on defense I think is
Translating that tempo as well as the defense of quick to Tony.
You got to put a dot Her in the swear jar.
You said pacline? We don't talk about pack want
any more. So Dollar in the swear jar,
please, I got you. That's hilarious.
Never want to hear it again. It isn't that you're going to
make put a dollar in the swear jar for saying I was getting
some of these junk. Well, no.
No, that's getting drunk is good.
Pacline his bait. Wait, what?
No, but it is I do think it's also interesting.
What before we get into individual players.
I do think it's fascinating how through four games.
We already have. Hands on social media, trying to
point out what's going wrong with IU and there's a lot of
people have pointed out the turnovers or they pointed out
that they've only know the couple of games.
They only won by a small. Margin.
I've heard a lot of well, this is the same old team.
I, here's the thing. It's easy to get mad at those
people and I understand where they're coming from.
I think a lot of the issue is, there's we are so programmed
from 20 years of this team being inconsistent letting people
down. That I think a lot of people are
afraid to love again. And and what's happening now is
you've got people who are constantly looking for what the
next problem is going to turn into rather than just
understanding that even in the Heyday when Indiana was really
good. Most of the time you had bad
games. You'd lose games at home.
You'd occasionally lose a game to an opponent that you
shouldn't those things happen in basketball the time.
But you don't have to necessarily point to I'm
constantly and say we are going to fail because of this thing
that I saw or because we turn the ball over too many times.
You know, Tony, I think you can speak to this as well as
anybody. It's amazing to me that you've
got all these things going on at once.
You've got a new coach, really new coaching staff.
You've got one holdover from the previous era.
You've got a brand new offensive system, a brand new defensive
system. You're starting what two guys
three guys who weren't on the The team last year and I mean
Parker Stewart was kind of half on the team, but he wasn't
really wasn't, certainly wasn't starting.
He wasn't playing for the semester that he was here.
That is a lot of change for any basketball team, especially the
college level to deal with to some degree.
We should be looking at the results so far and saying this
is surprisingly good. Like, we're seeing more
well-put-together programs like Michigan, for instance, or
Illinois who have lost games already early in the season.
Yes. A better competition, but the
fact that Indiana is winning these games and the fact that
Indiana has no culture of winning at this point.
Not just the guys that came back, you know, the fantasies
and the race. Thompson's, the Tricia action
Davis is, but like we brought in two guys who played it pit.
Not exactly an icon of success in college basketball.
There's a lot of losing in the DNA that kind of has to get, you
know, out of the system and has to be replaced with a
consciousness of how to win. I've been really impressed so
far with Woodson's. Me to manage that and put this
team in a positive mentality, despite them not knowing what
that actually means. 100%. You know, everything you
mentioned is so hard. I, I go back to coaching high
school basketball, you know, you start the season and you get
like five practices in and you know, that you've got a game
five practices later and you're like, holy crap.
Like, how are we going to get everything in?
Like how you know, there's so many situational things and
Baseline out of bounds and defensive strategy, offensive
strategy. Your guys are taking you off
because they're not running. Things right?
Like that. Beginning of the season is so
stressful as a coach because there's no way you can get all
of your philosophies instilled in your guys by that point.
So you're trying to pick and choose.
All right, where do we want to hang our hat on?
Alright, this seems like this team.
They want to hang their hat on the defensive end at least the
start and then they're going to let things flow from the
offensive end from there. So I think, what's in the done a
masterful job of picking his battles figuring out.
All right, what are our core values of the basketball team?
And as a program, let's hang our hat on those.
From the outset and then we'll let the other stuff take care of
itself as the season progresses. I think that's exactly what
we're seeing with the defensive side of the ball.
That is Indiana's identity right now.
They're offensively. He's letting them play free and
flow free and that's going to be the philosophy.
But as they learn each other's game learn what's in spacing and
all that. And then he learns where guys
can score the ball on the floor and start running sets for that.
I think we're going to continue see the offense be more
effective, but I think what's in?
I mean a plus really on these this you Up through mid-november
or late November. I guess it is now on how he's
kind of managed all of these things and kind of mesh them
together into what we've seen is the product on the floor.
Scott, I think it's time to go inside the numbers.
Don't you think? Yes, and and what I do is, I
would, I would say this, like you mentioned the the, you know,
what he had, what since doing with, you know, a lot of
transfers from non great schools and things like that.
Like, if I'm Woodson I'm like, hey, you know, Dolson, you know,
Mel Tucker did the same thing. He had a lot of transfers.
He also had a guy from Wake Forest doing well, like, he's
getting 95 million on very little track record, like time
to talk, huh? Ready to go.
She a shit. I mean this, it seems like time
to strike while the Iron's hot though.
That's, that's hilarious. But now it, we're, let's go
inside the numbers, talk a little bit and just a, reminder,
were sponsored by the power rank, where our friend, Ed Fang
uses data, and analytics to make accurate predictions on both
college football and college basketball.
He also writes a March Madness guide, every year and Tony.
We may actually be able to read that this year and have it
matter as I, you fans, which I that talk about.
Out stuff. I don't know anymore.
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AC be sure to check that out. So let's dive in the numbers
Scott. Let me start with you.
You know, you look at the stats on can Palm or on torvik, and
it's clear Trace Jackson. Davis really hasn't lost a step
in. And what he's doing.
He has come out and has really been a, I would eat.
I think I'd probably argue a slightly better version of
himself with, with fewer possessions utilized, then what
he had last year, you know, you look at it.
I think was probably been the most impressive for me is how
much more he seems to be active on the defensive glass and how
he's dropped his turnover rate like three percent so far, which
that's a big deal for Now a part of it I think is tjd.
I still we still haven't seen him shooting from three.
We are seeing him shoot from like 17, 18 feet though, and
that feels like a bit of a precursor to what he's hoping to
get to by January. No, he's starting to take that,
you know, top of the key jumper, which is good that he has down
for having attempted to three. Although people said like that
wasn't a 3 in the game. So we'll see what the stats show
him taking 13. Like, I still would love to see
him, just attempting to or three threes a game just to help his
draft stock. I got it.
It's not the best analogy. But in the mid-90s, the NBA,
Dennis Rodman. Went to the Spurs and David
Robinson, then won the MVP. And have I just a phenomenal
year partially because just when you're a, when you're a center,
having a stud for at the power forward position, just opened so
many things up for you again, not the Perfect Analogy here.
But to me, it's like, I think the growth of race Thompson is
also helping to trace Jackson, Davis a ton as well, because
race. Looks like the two of them are
just fantastic interior. Defenders Jackson Davis does
stuff like he's able to get blocks on.
Recoveries where it's like, how do you get up there?
But, you know, race Thompson, you know, against st.
John's with you Shemp, any good pronunciation?
Scott, put AA, take a dollar out of my pronunciation dark, you
know, he shut him down most of the first half when chimp any
really went nuts and second half is when race wasn't playing
defense on him, race has been just a stellar Defender.
So I agree. You.
I would like to see continued more outside shooting from Tres
Jackson Davis, but I think races races ability is really helped
race. And I also I've said this for
almost all the games. I know the competition you I'm
excited to see the competition step up on this, but sorry, I
got a phone call coming in. It's all right, but you know, I
have been saying this for all these games that you looks like
Jackson Davis can get whatever he wants whenever he wants.
Like and again, I know the competition has been sub part of
what we'll see in the big. 10. But to me, that's also a really
good precursor that. It feels like any time.
At any point during the game. If they give him the ball, he's
able to get a move, he's able to position himself, whatever he
wants. He can get kind of great
position. Like it feels almost like like I
said, in the Eastern Michigan game, they were just trying some
different stuff out and kind of went away from a little bit too
much and then kind of go back to him, but it does feel like
whenever they need two points, they can just get it to him and
get to my think. That's also why, you know, we
have the the highest effective. One of the best effective field
goal percentage. Percentages in the country right
now. What has stuck out to you about?
Trace Jackson Davis so far, Tony, I mean, maybe it's all of
those things. But are there any other things
that you've noticed that have been like?
Wow this there's there's some Eeveelution here.
It's alright. Yeah, out there for you Tony.
Oh, no worries. Sorry.
I'm giving him a question later too.
So don't worry about it. I think the big big difference
that we see is him coming from the help side, the block shots.
That's that's been something that Mike Woodson has taken.
Kind of, from the NBA game of your a rim protector things.
Be funneled to you. You can cut.
You can literally come off your man and go try to block a shot
and it's no longer your responsibility to block that guy
out. It's the help side.
Defender is guy. So I think that's a big thing.
And you know, we see his block percentage is is top 40 in the
country right now. I think last year he was in like
the top 200 but I think that's a big evolution of his game.
Is him being able to come over from help side and be able to
block those shots? And then on an offensive
standpoint, I think he's been so efficient and effective.
As Scott mentioned, you know, with race being very efficient
and good basketball himself, that helps.
But I also think the spacing on offense is so much better for
Tricia X and Davis to, to operate.
He's not constantly like I pulled a clip in the film room
from the Louisiana game because Trace caught the ball on the
left block and he makes a move and he pivots and he ends up
shooting a reverse right-hand layup.
Whereas, last season race Thompson is parts right on the
other block. But in this season, he's now up
top, he spaces and spacing the floor at the top of the key.
There's two Shooters in the corner.
There's one on the opposite wing, and he's got all that room
to operate. And there's guys that he can
throw to that, are keeping the defense honest that are actually
going to knock down a shot. It was a Tony can Woodson coach
in college though? I mean, see Gonna understand the
college game almost as well as he can recruit.
Yeah. I thought it was fascinating in
the Louisiana game. Tony like when he wasn't, the
one Trace wasn't in the game. They just went, they were going
full five out on most of those possessions.
They were, there was nobody anywhere close to the basket and
it didn't hurt. Now, granted Louisiana at like,
their soul had been reaped at that point.
Like they no longer were functioning being at that point.
But if that's a taste of what's to come, where it's like, all
right, you know, so Trace is out there.
We're going to give him the spacing to do and need to do
offensive ly and then when he's not out there we're just going
to essentially abandon the idea that we have to station somebody
in the the low block. Block, I mean we've been asking
for that for a long time, but it's shocking that it's actually
like watching Indiana players in Indiana.
Uniform is running that offense. It's like it's like being on the
moon, you know, it's just a very unusual thing and we talked
about race like and we talked about the transformation from.
Yeah. A new philosophy like that guy.
His his offensive game has had to change so much and how we
utilize. I mean that was you he was the
guy was going to ask you about. Like he's always been a pretty
off efficient offensive player. But you know, he's also used
very few possessions. I mean he was he got more into
the flow of things last year, certainly, but the way that he's
being used now is just he looks so much more natural in what
he's doing and so much of it comes from being in a position
where he's triggering, you know, kind of the secondary movement
on offense with his passing. And, you know, he's not really a
shooting threat from outside, but he's not afraid to shoot it
and he's He's yet to miss so many shots that people are just
going to back off and completely, you know, but but
his passing while I think it still does need to get better
has triggered a lot of the offensive flow for this IU team
and that was a key piece. That just was just not present
in the offense last year. Absolutely.
And you know, and what sins motion offense, they're
essentially setting a UCLA screen and then that big popping
to the wing, the guards hitting that big on the wing and then
the offense is flowing through that, the that big Decision,
whether they want to do a dribble handoff where they want
to go set a pin down screen or something.
So his, yeah, his offensive Evolution has been so vital to
this team and I think it's funny because you go back and watch
his high school highlight tapes and that was the player.
He was, he was, he was beating the break with the dribble.
He was shooting from the outside.
He was very much a dual threat if you will.
In terms of being able to shoot inside and outside and and
what's in this kind of been able to unlock that in now, like you
said, he's I think he's what What 148 from the three-point
line but he's keeping defenses honest.
Well, yeah, they have to have to guard that and it's interesting
because he's, I mean, his three-point shooting wasn't
great last year either. But he's shooting 81% from to so
far on the season, which is really interesting to think
about. Because I mean some of those
have been jump shots and he's been knocking those down but
some of those have been him, get being able to get into position
to make point-blank shots, or be able to take point-blank shots.
And again, that, that just wasn't Happening for him last
year and I think a lot of it is, is he just exudes?
This almost gravitational pull like he is as much as Trace
Jackson. Davis is the key offensive
player. Race Thompson is essentially the
sun around, which the rest of the offense is orbiting right
now and his, his like, Vitality out there shows through on that,
it shows through on his rebounding.
Percentage is like, he's one of the top 50 rebounders in the
country right now on the defensive end.
And Just because the guy is going out there with an
expectation that he's going to grab every ball, that comes his
way. And it kind of goes back to what
we talked about, at the beginning, Scott like the
confidence levels, in some of those returning guys.
That's what I'm I guess the most surprised about, I thought there
was going to be confidence, it was going to be coming out of
some of the newcomers who hadn't been wrapped up in the
negativity that it existed internally over the last few
years, but it's really been a race chance to race time Senate
race tracks and Davis not just with their their stats.
But with their Tattooed on the court.
That's been the most infectious thing and this is where I don't
want to keep harping on the you know, the people who said woods
and couldn't coach in college, but this is you have to insanely
effective players and we saw it last year.
We saw it, you know with the season with I think about Romeo
and Juliet on Morgan where it was like that was and I want to
keep pissing on Archie, but it's like it looks so rudimentary.
I get Romeo the ball anywhere just and back.
It's like you look at the, you know, the number of the
percentage of possessions that Those two guys used it was like
they were pushing 30 percent of peace.
And the rest of the team was like zero.
What's amazing here is you have these two guys who are so
effective and yet, you know, race Thompson is only getting 20
percent of effective possessions.
Like he's not even in the major contributors factor of Ken Palm,
but I don't think he feels like he's not being utilized like
galen's your point on the five out.
Like I love seeing these all these different styles from
would seem like he's trying things out and to me, you know,
somebody doesn't again, I don't want to get into recruiting
that's like this is A solid Boom for recruiting where you can
kind of almost sell any style to any recruit.
Like hey, man, you play low as we can get you the ball at hey,
you play outside, we can do this.
It's just it's really nice to see, you know, in years past
we'd have two very good options on offense and our offense was
basically get those guys the ball and everybody else stand
around and wait and then figure something out where now it feels
like we have a very functional offense.
That's honestly, it's really cool to have race Thompson.
I think probably our number two offensive.
Option, not be number two. In a, you know, percentage of
possessions used. Let's switch gears a little bit.
Tony. I don't know where yet
completely what to make out of the guards on this IU team.
Like this is a very odd group. In terms of what they bring to
the floor. You've got Xavier Johnson.
Who's you know, his assist rate is awesome at 30.4%, but his
turnover rate is also 30 percent and he just The vibe you get off
that guy is he's going to win games for you.
And he's also going to like do Insane things that are going to
make you question, why he's on the floor.
You've got Tamar Bates, who obviously has a ton of skill but
is obviously also still learning how to play at this level.
You've got Christian Lander, who was kind of Left, 4 Dead there
for a while and then has really popped up and looks like a
functional college basketball player and even more.
So in Is exhibiting a lot of hustle and then you got robbed
fennessy who is injured but is obviously giving a lot of
defensive effort, but still seems to be very lost on the
offensive end and I guess we got to throw Parker Stewart in there
as well. A guy who's been really
efficient. He's the third most efficient
score. Sorry the second most efficient
score, I think on this team depending on how much you want
to give credit to Miller cop, but Stewart's also like been
hesitant to take shots up to this point.
So give me your overall diagnosis of You back court and
what what? You're thinking after four
games? Yeah, it is an interesting
backcourt. 100, like 100%. It's because he mentioned
Xavier. He's kind of Jekyll and Hyde,
you know, and that st. John's game.
It was evident how how much he was needed until Lander came on
the floor. You know, when Rob came in to
back him up. It was like gosh, man.
We got to figure something out here.
We need Xavier in the court, don't get in foul trouble.
But they've your kind of is what he is.
At this point, you know, he's a guy that's played a lot of
college basketball. I don't think we're gonna see a
ton of shift in his game. He's a guy that that's going to.
He's going to be able to score the ball at The Rim.
He's decent enough from an outside perspective to where
he's going to keep defenses honest and he's the floor really
well, but he's gonna a couple times a game.
He's going to make a boneheaded past where it's like, you don't
need that home run or he's gonna dribble off his foot, trying to
go around the back or something. So with him, I think he's
Consistently inconsistent if that's a thing.
And so the rest of the Guard pool is kind of interesting to
me though because you get different things from different
guys, you know, with a Parker and Miller cop starting at the
two and three, I think you get definitely more offensive
prowess from those guys in terms of shooting but defensively
probably a lot to be desired. They're from a different
perspective. Now Parker, he's really
impressed me actually, with how he's defended this season, but
then like you mentioned, you've got a And or who may have the
most upside of all of the guards on this entire roster, in terms
of what he may become. And he seems like he's kind of
growing up right before our eyes right now, but still, I don't
think he's a guy that's gonna be able to win you a game right now
or anything like that. So yeah, it's an interesting
pool of guards and it's like they all have something they do
really well, but none of them is just like a well-rounded just
like I'm going to get you everything and be like,
level-headed about it, because I think Xavier can be a very, very
high level card, but you just don't know if he's gonna give
you that night after night like the other night, you know, you
getting a shoving match with a guy.
It just unnecessary. Get you a technical napkins,
your second personal you're sitting down like, right?
It's hard to rely on that. Yeah, he's the thing with the
thing with Xavier. Sorry, jump in like the thing
that he brings and I'll meant this was mentioned on the
assembly call after the post game and st.
John's, you know, Know what he did.
At the end of that game, is he just had the ball and he broke
his guy down and got to the Lane.
Which, like, when was the last time we had a guard at IU, able
to do that? Like, you can just give him the
ball and it's like on your own break a guy down and get there.
And I think that's that's I think what he can bring.
I agree with everything. Tony said, to me the cop, I've
always I've kind of put together in my mind for Xavier Johnson.
Is he kind of looks like him. Do is he reminds me of Stephen
Jackson from the Pacers? Like just he has a lot of
talent. Can do a lot of good things, but
you're probably going to have three technical This year, we're
like, dude, like seriously, but it just well gonna come with the
territory. I look at him.
I'll use it on you example, he's like an evolutionary verdell
Jones in a way, a guy who's never going to be an efficient
scorer at the point guard position, but a guy who can, who
will make passes that are going to lead directly to buckets.
And you're going to have to deal with turnovers because if he's
the triggerman as Tony said like he's going to see things that
other players don't see. Which We'll leave the baskets.
But he's also going to see things that aren't there that he
thinks that they are and that will lead the turnovers.
And I mean, you go back and look at, you know, what frustrated
about verdell. So much was his turnover rate
the last two years. It was over 20% both times, but
his assist rate kind of got overshadowed.
And I blame myself as much as anybody for not focusing on that
more. He was you know, a pretty good
guard. Overall in terms of being able
to be a trigger man Johnson's significantly better like John,
Had the, you know, one of the top five assist rates in all of
college basketball last year at Pitt, the question I guess is
going to be Tony in this kind of an offense.
Does that does that approach? I guess is the offensive flow
going to bring out the best in what he does or is it a
situation where? Because it's set up in the way
that it is with so many options and things being passed around
that the need to have somebody initiating offense like that
isn't as As necessary as it was under, maybe a system that was a
little more structured. Yeah, I think I think where he
becomes extremely valuable. Is that shot clock, you know,
you run to your initial actions that shot clock gets down to 14.
You just face the floor, call for a ball screen, and then let
them create from there. I think that's where he becomes
extremely valuable, because he is a playmaker.
He's a shot Creator, whether that be for himself or his
teammates. So I do think the skill set that
he brings his valuable to this system, but more so think it's
like it's not the initial action member, even the secondary
action. I might be the tertiary action.
Like. All right.
We're going to late shot clock situation.
Let's face the floor, call for ball screen, and let X create.
So I think that's where his value becomes really, really
necessary in this kind of open Flow style system that I think
will pay dividends down the line and we kind of saw it in the st.
John's game where it's like, all right, get him the ball, see
what he can do on these ball screen actions and toward the
end of the game. He got to the Rim.
Yeah, it's Scott. You know the when you look at
these other guards, and I guess I get a throat.
Ray Galloway in there as well, and he's out with the broken
wrist. Obviously, it'll be interesting
to see what happens when he comes back.
Obviously. This team needs a player that
can establish themselves as a shooter that is going to be a
pressure valve release for the rest of the offense draw
defenses out. Stuart certainly looks like the
guy who can step into that role, but I also I'm really becoming
more and more curious about what Tamar Bates is going.
To be able to bring to the table and how much all of this evolved
because I just keep I keep watching this team on the floor.
And I keep thinking to myself. I don't think that what we're
looking at right now and what we're going to be looking at the
end of January are going to be the same thing.
I think certain things like, you know, Trace Jackson Davis and
race Thompson, doing what they do.
Yes, but this backcourt really feels like a work in progress
because a lot of these guys are still kind of figuring out the
parameters of what they can and can't do on the floor.
Yeah, the thing with Parker. But that's funny is when you
watch the game just kind of passively.
It's like he starts and then he goes in the bench, then you
don't see him again. It's like that.
It's like he comes back with four minutes ago.
Like, oh, yeah, he's a starter. Like I do remember him playing
for like and the entire portion of the middle part of the game.
He always liked his game. Always comes out.
He'll hit two threes and it's like the homeless it for 28
minutes. I do, I'm with you.
Bates has shown moments where he's able to do things, where
it's like, oh, yeah. He's starting to put this
together, like, I See a scenario where when you get to January
late. January, Bates is starting in
place of Stewart. Like I think Bates is going to
help growth curve. Is it going to be in place of
Stewart? Or is it going to be in place of
Miller cop? Because like I keep going I
think a cop bring some interesting things.
He hasn't really. I've yet to figure out with cop.
Like what are you supposed to bring to the table with this
team? And you know, because if you
look at his track record at Northwestern, It's it already
looks very different statistically than what it
looked like they're you know, they're he was certainly he was
a less efficient player. He was taking a higher
percentage of shots. He was using a higher percentage
of possessions. He's kind of the, I don't want
to see the hidden member of the starting lineup, but you can see
a clear role for je veux Johnson.
He's clearly the point guard Stewart is clearly the guy
standing on the wing drawing defenses off and taking shots.
You know, what race does? You know, what?
Stars have yet to figure out exactly how cop is supposed to
ideally fit into this lineup. And what he brings that tomorrow
Bates might not at some point be able to supersede and because of
his athleticism and his ability to drive.
Yeah, now that's a fair point. I mean, I guess one of those two
spots but yeah, I mean bates's athleticism really shines
through. I love the Lefty piece of it.
He's able to do some things that honestly, you just don't see
anybody else on that starting line up able to do like he has
Ability that Stewart and cop. Just don't maybe Xavier Johnson,
does little bit of strength, the part that the other guard we
haven't talked about and because he doesn't play much.
But like again, you know, having been to a couple of games
watching him in warm-ups, understanding its warm-ups
butts, like, Anthony, Leo doesn't miss, he just doesn't
miss, he gets all his threes. I don't know what 142 of the
other night. I have, I still have a heart and
I trust in Woodson. I just like for a team that's
like needing some good three-point shooting.
It's still kind of boggles my mind how I was happy to see him
play against Louisiana. Hope we continue to see that.
It's just kind of boggled My Mind through these, you know
last year and a half that it's like can you not find five
minutes just to have him in the corner and kind of play that got
who is the guy of beginning? Part of the Korean Air who met
Roth? You'll just kind of play that
make you don't play good defense, you'll do anything.
You just nail threes and like it looks like he shouldn't be able
to do that. But it's like it must be in
practice his defense as badly as something is something is
causing him to not get time on the The court well, but is it is
that they need actually good. Defender.
Magic is a good Defender. I don't think it's that.
I just try to figure out what it is.
But if you can shoot the lights out, and this is an interesting
thing, Tony like the, the Anthony wheel question has been
not one that I've been interested in because he is
clearly way down in the pecking order right now.
And I was before the previous coach to, but he played more
minutes under under Archie. I mean, that's the thing.
I mean, a granted that was over the course of the season, but he
played even play a huge. A minutes, but he was in the
middle of the Big Ten season last year.
He was getting double digit minutes in a bunch of those
games. He kind of disappeared at the
end of the season. I don't know.
I mean Tony, where would you like?
Do you agree with the playing time that he's getting right
now? And why do you think there are
people ahead of him in the pecking order?
Yeah, I mean, I think it really just comes down to a numbers
thing and and what what's in values and in that kind of three
roll. If you will, you know with with
gout I kind of look at glial and Galloway in that same kind of
position if you will with that second unit and really with with
Rob fennessy struggling to run that.
Unit and he hadn't had a lot of trust in Lander yet.
He trusted Galloway to kind of run the offense with that.
Second unit. Saw a lot of kind of like point
forward coming from Galloway. Now, I know Galloway was out
last game and we didn't see as much of Lille, but I think he
kind of, he kind of got lost in a numbers game there with just,
in terms of what coach Wilson values with the second unit in
general, but I do think, Anthony Leo.
I think he's gonna get a shot. I think that, you know, between
injuries and you know, adversity hitting during the big Ten
season and whatnot. I think he's going to end up
helping I you when some games at some point this season, but
right now I think it's just what's in doing a filling out
period and he's got a deep team. I mean, he's got 13 scholarship,
guys at as of two games ago. Everybody was healthy.
It just kind of gets caught lost in a numbers game.
Well, I think that's a valid point and this is something
we've lost sight of a little bit.
I think as I you fans, which is that it's okay for players to
take a couple of years and not actually A lot of court time and
develop, that's how it's supposed to work.
And the there's been such a shallow depth situation with IU,
basketball for so long. And really, like the last was
the last really deep team that you felt like this Indiana hat.
I mean, what 2011 2012 because even that 2012 13 team, you
know, like when Remy Abell is like one of the first two guys
off the bench. It's like, we're not as deep as
we think that we should be here, you know, so Leo if he's able To
come in, pick a spots and hit shots when he's in there.
I certainly think the ceiling is high and the reality is Avery
Johnson. Parker Stewart have more college
basketball experience. Tomorrow Bates has more like
innate physical talent and athleticism which is really what
this team needs. Because if you've got Parker
Stewart out there, and theoretically if you've got, you
know a Miller cop out there. You don't really need what
Anthony wheel provides because you need something.
That is more. I take the ball to the basket
and Draw The Defenders, and that makes the rest of the offense.
Go. So that's something to keep an
eye on. Anyway, I know that we've all
got some hard outs here. So to speak in terms of time.
So, real quick, before we wrap up, give me one thing that you
think IU basketball under the current regime needs to focus on
over the course of the next month of play understanding that
that's a mix of lesser opponents and opponents like Syracuse and
Notre Dame who aren't I'm going to be as good as like, Purdue
for instance, but are still going to provide some
interesting test. Particularly since both those
games are away from Assembly Hall Tony.
Let me start with you. Yeah, I I think the defense has
been tremendous. I think finishing a possession
with a box out. A rebound is something that I
would like to see more. I mean, I think 21 offensive
rebounds given up against Louisiana like that that whole
Louisiana game just from a statistical standpoint was such
a crazy thing. Like twenty seven, turnovers 21,
offensive rebounds given up. Trace Jackson.
Davis doesn't play very good game.
You win by like 40, but I would love to see them clean up the,
the defensive rebounding, because again st.
John's. And in the Louisiana game, I
think that their defense was phenomenal, but sometimes Miss
blackouts and guys, just turning and going to the basket and as
you get into Big Ten Play, It's Gonna kind of rear its ugly,
head more and more. So I'd love to see that myself
Scott. Yeah, I mean free throw
shooting. I love To see, get better, but I
think that's honestly all just meant.
I think it's just meant to him. That I think the positivity will
come for me. What I would like to see is a
know, you saw it against like Louisiana, but I think against,
you know, Syracuse Nebraska Notre, Dame against some of
those teams. What I would love to see is if
they get up by five or ten points, I'd love to see the
ability to put a team away because we saw it in Eastern
Michigan. We saw it against st.
John's do Eastern Michigan in the second half at a 14-2 to run
a 16. Rerun like these kind of bigger
runs which are reminiscent of. Those are the Archie error.
We have eight in it. It wasn't as bad.
But you had some moments at Eastern Michigan.
Where we went, you know, three or four minutes there.
We didn't score not as bad as St.
John's but you know, st. John's, we were up by almost 20
and then we let them get back in the game.
So, you know, if I would like to see that ability if we get up
and we're doing well, the ability to finish a game, you
know, mid second quarter and not let teams back in.
I understand. It's kind of based on, you know
being a head in the first. First place.
But that's something I'd like to see because I don't want to
start riding that razor wire where we kind of have these
games in the bag at halftime and suddenly, it's like, oh like,
what's going on? It's a, it's a tie game against
st. John's.
Like how do we get there? So I'd like to see that ability
to just kind of, you know, and then that's probably going to
come with time, but just seeing them work on that.
You saw it against Louisiana, which was good.
Just more of that. Yeah.
I think my big. I've got two things that I'll
say first. I think so many of the turnover
issues with this team right now or just based on familiarity
with the offense. And it's like learning how to
play an instrument where you get really good at playing an
instrument is when you stop thinking about the technical
aspects of putting, you know, your hands on the keyboard or
your hands on you know, what makes the sound.
And it just comes naturally and right.
Now a lot of these turnovers are guys passing the ball to places
where they think guys should be, but they're not there.
And it's hard to tell yet if that's the fault of the
initiator of the pass or the person who was supposed to
receive it, but that will get better as they get more game
experience with this. Think that'll help out a lot.
So I would that it's just, it's more like they just need to play
games, which that's what they will do.
And and realize that they're going to their, they are going
to probably get incrementally better with that and that's
going to help things out significantly.
The other thing, I'll say real quick is the shooting the
outside shooting. You know, I you women's
basketball plays on the same floor that I, you men's
basketball plays and you watch the women's games and there is a
confidence when they shoot the ball from outside.
I'd that is just absent from most of the players that play
for IU. On the men's side that will also
come with time. If they start to hit shots that
game that Parker Stewart had against Louisville against
Louisiana. That kind of game is Loki,
really, really important, because now he's had a good
shooting game in Assembly Hall. And historically, I use had the
best shooting games in Assembly Hall.
They've had players who have been able to go out on the floor
and, you know, just they know that the the Anna is their
friend. Essentially we haven't had that
in a long time out of a lot of these players.
So I think that's going to be the big question is, can we get
guys with individually good shooting games in these upcoming
contests at home. So anyway gentlemen, this was a
pleasure. I really appreciate you taking
the time to talk and we appreciate all you folks out
there. Listening in to Crimson cast.
We will have podcast later in the week, where unfortunately,
we have to preview the bucket game.
We will do that. We'll also have more basketball
talk as we move forward. Be sure to check out Tony.
How do they get In the film room, go to the assembly call
Community, which I believe is Hoosiers. .M n.com and sign up
for the Assembly Hall community and you can get access to the IU
film room from there and be sure to do that.
Folks some great breakdowns of games and some some great
insights into what's going on on the floor, from a basketball
mindset, to help. You better understand what's
going on. Scott, as always a pleasure
chatting with you, my friend, getting great plans for
Thanksgiving coming up. I just going up to the family
and wife's family and Fort Wayne and have a good time.
I saw see I love Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving traits like all
the, all the fun part of a holiday without all the extra
like buying presents and stuff. Satellite.
Scott, doesn't want to purchase you anything folks.
Anyway, thanks to thanks for listening to Crimson, cast for
Tony and Scott. I'm Galen will catch you folks
on the flip side, bring back the Bison.
So long, everybody.