You're listening to the back home network, presented by home
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ale and clavius got Caulfield joining.
You here. It is the 20th of November at
about 10:30. In the morning, we're recording
this the morning of Indiana's, next basketball game, as they're
getting ready to take on Miami of Ohio later today.
So, we're recording this before that.
So if you happen to catch, H it afterwards, don't be confused
but we wanted to talk. We had a chance to get on and
give both of our thoughts on what we saw in that Xavier game
that Indiana played on Friday. So we're going to talk about
that. Scott is with me, Scott, how you
doing doing great? Great, awesome.
Before we get to that, just a reminder that we are part of the
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Friday. All right, Scott, Indiana wins
their first non-conference road game.
Since November 30th, 2011, they knock off the Xavier Marsters
tears, 81 to 79 in a game that was quite a sight to behold in
the arena and I can only imagine what it looked like on
television. They've already the listeners
have already heard my preliminary thoughts because I
came back and recorded a podcast that night.
I want to hear your thoughts go. Okay, well wow, here we go.
So I was watching it with family in Dallas.
Shout out to my family, let me get the big screen TV and Fox
Sports 1 and it's like, I had that moment where like we go up
whatever like, you know, go up like 722 or something.
Like, all right, this is nice. I can hang with family and watch
the game, kind of in the background and then it becomes a
really tight game. And then, you know, I'm more
intently watching not hanging with family.
But then in the second half, you know, we get up by like six or
seven or eight. It's like, all right, even my my
cousins cousins. Go.
You guys got this game? A come on and have a drink and
it's like yeah and then all of a sudden to come back to go, you
only helped by what they what happens if everyone stopped like
this. Like I really wish I really want
a. I shouldn't be wishing for easy
wins and it would have been nice.
Anyway, I Echo a lot of what you said in your and then you called
me actually. Sorry I was with family but I
did answer. We talked a couple minutes, it
looked on TV, like a great atmosphere.
Like you could just tell the fans were into it.
You could tell that Say that was a really a true Road game
against a team that probably going to make the tournament.
I had this thought that I mean to it's like it's great that the
NCAA is around so they can take care of guys like Sean Miller
and really give them penalties a stick.
But I was wondering, you know, Archie is coached a lot of the
players on this team. I do wonder how much of, you
know, if there is a call for between Archie and Sean.
Who's like, hey man, like I really like FIU like Archie.
It gave all the info out and I wonder if Sean had like a bunch
of info on IE of just, I wonder, that's a weird mix.
It's like hey we're your brother who he fired.
Two years ago is going to be coaching the opposition team
this soon. In any way you talk a lot about
Trace Jackson Davis. He was great.
He was efficient to me, it's like Xavier Johnson is the one
who won that game. He is so important.
You know, there's moments in that game in the second half
where it's, you know, for lack of a term.
It's like, it just nut crunching time.
Like, it is just We got to do something.
And for as great as Tracy Jackson Davis, is you have to
get him the ball and he can still sometimes just kind of be
down in the post waiting to do something and they're these
moments where it's like everyone's kind of looking like,
alright we really need a bucket here.
What's going to happen? And Jalen Hood?
Should be no, we can talk about him.
He's been very good, but he he doesn't have that mentality.
That Xavier Johnson has. And as you said in your post
game drive, like there are times that he goes over.
The Edge but it's it's getting better and I'm okay with that
because more often than not, he initiates something that needs
to be initiated you know he has an edge to him on this team that
I think this team really needs. It's very akin to me of like,
Draymond in the Warriors like you just, you need somebody on
that team who has that edge and Xavier has it and there's going
to be some times he might drive us batty but you know having
something it's really like a Man, who's like, I'm not scared,
I'm not nervous and I think we're going to see that a lot
this year where there's moments and big ten games and in
tournament games where you know things are slogging down,
everyone's getting tight and the one guy who's not going to be
tight as they've your Johnson. Who's also our hasn't missed a
three point shot this year. He's 343 you know doing well on
free throws like for a guy who shot looks a little funky, he
may be one of the best Shooters on our team.
Yeah, no, I mean, it's it's a reliable shot and I think people
forget that. I mean it.
Xavier Johnson is probably going to end up graduating as one of
the most polarizing players in IU history.
And I think it's largely because frankly, I don't remember the
last time. Indiana had a player that was
quite like him. I mean, attitudinally speaking.
I guess we'll see. He is close enough but will she
was a different type of player? He didn't have the ball in his
hands all the time. He didn't really start until his
senior year. Ear.
And he wasn't this great question.
It's a I was I was thinking something similar.
Yeah, who mean more akin to late, they've got AJ.
Moyet was a little bit like him in terms of just the but but
again it's not a great comp because Moyet didn't have the
ball in his hands that often he didn't initiate things.
We never never seem to go out of control as much as Xavier can.
Yeah, I mean he really is it almost feels like player that
just I know this is what we're saying but it's like he's a
player that Just don't have a lot of in our history, right?
It's just he's very much a player that is on a different
team or I mean I know he came to the Big East like he feels like
a guy from a different conference which I know he is
and that's right. Refreshing Point like it's well
you're plugging him into Big Ten it's like this is really
different. Well, I think, you know, it's
clear that I think one of the first things that we saw with
the Woodson era was and we talked about this before.
There was a clear need to change the attitude of The players on
Indiana's basketball team it had to become more competitive, it
had to become more focused on fight and that's the thing.
It's like you go back and we talked about this in the last
podcast that we did together about men's basketball.
You look at Indiana's defensive performance under Archie Miller,
a defensive first. Coach a guy whose entire Rozonda
trois from a coaching perspective is having a great
defense. And they got progressively worse
in the four years that Archie Miller was at IU in terms of
conference defense and Mike Woodson comes in and they become
number one. Now, some of that scheme, but a
lot of its attitude and a lot of it really does flow from Xavier
Johnson and his like, he is intimidating.
Not just to opponents, but I think to some degree to his own
teammates. It's in a slightly different way
because it's like, wow, that dude is completely into the
game. And we need to match that
intensity. And that is honestly, I think
almost every good basketball team has somebody on the floor
that is able to do that because you just the likelihood of
getting five people who have that attitude individually that
just come together and happen to have that attitude is very rare
and so you really do need someone as kind of the I don't
think you could have five players like that on any right?
Not gonna happen. But it's like that doesn't.
That's like Being like the early Pate you, the 04-05 Pacers like
Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson's.
Like you just, you know many of those, it doesn't work different
re totally different reasons but no, he's, that was my main
takeaway from the game is, you know, we can talk about Trace,
he is awesome. I'm not minimizing it.
But to me, it's again because he has the ball in his hands, but
he Xavier to me is like the linchpin of this team and he
makes things go. And there's Just moment where
he's just like, I think intimidating is a great word
that you use that. He's just like I'm getting the
lane like I'm just like no one's doing anything.
I'm gonna get to the Lane with the ball and then we'll see what
happens. I call either drive it or I'll
pass it. But like, I'm just, I'm going to
make something happen and you can tell that like the IU
players know what's gonna happen.
But more importantly, like, you could see.
I'm curious, we were there, but, like, I could see it on TV
Xavier. The Xavier players were like I
can't stop this dude, the guy. It's like they almost do like
we're this guy is going to get where he wants to go, and he's
going to push around to get there.
It's It's yeah, he makes things happen so much.
Yeah, I mean. And and look, I said this on the
podcast couple days ago, but when he came back in after being
subbed out in the first half, it was like a switch flipped with
this Indiana team in the way that they approach things.
And that was really from that point forward, that was where
they started to get back in the game and really started to Take
Over Control of the game from Xavier now.
All that said, I bet you know I cannot Watching.
Trace Jackson Davis up close in person in a foreign Arena going
up against a 69 guy and a 7-foot guy and just maneuvering through
them. Like, they were traffic cones.
Leo like he was driving a cab between skyscrapers was poetic
to watch Indiana in this game. Hit 26, two-point, shots, Trace
Jackson, Davis hit half of those himself.
He had 13 of the 26 total makes that Indiana had from M2 and 13
of the 30 total makes that Indiana had from the floor, you
know, to score 30 points and pull down six boards on the
road, only turn the ball over three times, only pick up one
Foul Play. 37 minutes was just, I tip my cap to trace Jackson
Davis, and, you know, the I've thought about this.
It's like, you know, with Trace Jackson Davis, like, where was
he going to get better in terms of his game?
Because he had been a pretty steady player off.
Sensibly in terms of efficiency, in terms of rebounding over the
course of the first three years. Now, it's very early, but I'm
noticing two things. Very, very specific about Trace
Jackson Davis, a his touch around.
The rim is Sublime now. Like, it was pretty good last
year, but whereas, there were a lot of close up shots and
contested shots that were bouncing off the rim and out.
Those are rolling in right now, like he has figured out how to
take like eight percent velocity off of what he puts up.
There. And that's just enough to keep
it in the cylinder and put it in right now, through granted three
games to against Bad competition.
His offensive rating, which is essentially a points per
possession for an individual player is 150 .5, like that is
one and a half points per possession, used.
That is nuts, Scott like that? Is that is not human and if he
can and he's not going to keep that up, I'll be.
That would be very, very shocked if he kept that up.
But you think about last year and you think about the, the
top, Players in the game and the number of people who had an
offensive rating that were that high, you know, was just very,
very minimal. I mean, you look over the course
of the Season Keegan Murray had the highest individual offensive
rating in college basketball last year, and that was 130. 1.2
Zack Edie was second and he was a hundred and twenty two point
six. Train tracks and Davis was no
slouch last year. You know, I think he was in like
the top 60 or something. Like, That in offensive
visually. But if he can be that efficient
scoring the basketball, that's going to make a huge difference
for Indiana in terms of what their actual ceiling is.
And that would be a huge leap forward for his game.
I'm gonna go back to what you said about like the traffic
cones in the downtown. Like to me, I came away from it
being like he, it's an eel. Like he is just so slippery.
So so easily moves around in a tight space with and making
space for himself to move. You're right about the touch.
He is now perfected. The I'm going to go up and under
the basket and just do a reverse layup and it looks Unstoppable.
I mean he's also continuing to play these.
Guess it goes without saying, we talked about it, a good amount
last year, but I mean, this was a tough Arena.
You had a crowd with with officials that you mentioned
were calling, kind of weird things.
You had a tough front line for Xavier.
He had one personal foul he's playing in the post, he's doing,
you know, blocking shots like he's Not playing passively at
all and he gets away with women, not get away, but he comes out
of the game with one personal foul, it's bizarre and you know,
for as much as I've been on me, like he needs to shoot farther
out and expand his game. I will change my tune a little
bit and say this like he's he's now playing very much like a
guard in the post and what I mean is like when you think
about like he meant he was a key to your, with your Kofi cockburn
from last year, like Jew. Timmy on Gonzaga, think the
other post players in college basketball, The ball.
They play very much a back to the basket style and even early
on Trace did that you passed him and kind of, you know, go up
with a left hand and do a little Skyhook or trying to make a
play. Now, he's very much kind of he's
getting the ball. A couple couple feet out and
he's facing and then he's finding like, you know he's
finding that way around with its Up and Under or over like he is
attacking like a guard. He's just doing it from the post
and if you're doing that that's a different it's a different way
of playing the post. He's just he's not Playing it
like Zack Ed at all and it's it's so it's so great.
But I mean, it is so nice to just have that we know what,
he's going to provide every single night.
It's not always going to be an offensive rating of 198, but
what we just talking football about things not being
replicable, like everything he does is going to be replicable
in almost every situation and his ability to get to the basket
and get good looks is just, it's awesome.
I mean, he's just amazing and and I still say when I see him
live, I'm not seeing him live this year.
But last year for me, the thing, when you see him live, that
honestly blows me away more is his jumping ability.
His second jump and his defense like the way that he plays
defense protects the rim without fouling is is unbelievable.
I go down. He is the best post defender in
the country. The other thing, I'll note that
I think it's kind of slipped under the radar just slightly.
And again it's very early in the season but offensive rebounding
has suddenly become a thing that this team is really focused on
doing. And again, Trace Jackson Davis
like if you look at the early returns he's made a big jump in
terms of his offensive rebounding numbers.
You know, last year his offensive rebounding.
Percentage was, you know, as respectable was 8.3, it was, it
was a little bit higher in his first two years, but it wasn't
that big of a focus for Indiana last year this Our Indiana Trace
Jackson Davis with an offensive rebounding percentage of 20.7
which is ninth in the country so far.
And it was a huge part of why Indiana won that game versus
Xavier. And it's been something that
they've done in two of the three games.
I mean, they rebounded really well off offensively against
Bethune-Cookman and they think their offensive rebounding,
percentage is a team against Xavier was 36.4% overall on the
season their offensive Rebounding percentage is about
35% right now which is almost top 50 and that's a big leap
forward. And you know, we talked a lot
Scott about what was this team going to do to up their game?
Like they would need to to increase their overall approach
to things and it feels like offensive rebounding has become
an emphasis on both sides of the Court where they are really
focusing, their post players on looking for offensive boards and
then they are also really focusing on keeping their
opponents off the Offensive board.
So they were doing the ladder last year, but they really were
not doing much offensive rebounding, as a team last year
or the year before. And, and that has, that's a big
change. And I think that could be a huge
thing for IU. Because as most of, you know, if
you can get boards, especially if you're shooting a lot of
two's. Now, you're giving yourself
immediately and extended possession and a chance to score
again on that possession, which ends up increasing your
efficiency. And that's what Indiana really
needs to do, if they're going to be a team.
That isn't going to shoot great from outside and I think the
jury is still kind of out on that, but it does feel like this
is still not a team that has a lot of reliable consistent
outside Shooters yet. They're going to have to figure
out a way to extend possessions and if they can pick up
offensive boards now, suddenly that becomes less of an issue
because you can still get a point or two out of a position
even if you miss a shot. Yeah, and I think this again,
goes to some smart schematics by Woodson.
Because you look, So far this year.
Indiana shot. 47, three-point shots.
When you look at a team like Texas, who has a higher
offensive rating, they've shot 69 three-point shots, having
three similar games to Cupcakes one tough game.
You know, not only is Indiana, not shooting the three
phenomenally. Well we're also just not
shooting a lot of Threes And if you're not going to do that, you
have to get multiple shots at to you know, two-point shots of
possession. So it's it's good that they're
doing that that's going to have to consider.
We need to see that. Continue to keep up because that
that's I still think the Achilles heel this team.
You saw the Xavier game without that ability to, you know, have
two or three possessions or you could just, you know, hit a
three. Make a stop, hit a three, make a
stop, hit a 3 or a 2 and like get a six or seven point
cushion. Just like that.
You're going to need to find another way to kind of get some
space between teams because that was there was moments in that
second half where Xavier. I feel like if Indiana had just
gone on a run, they could have ended the game earlier and give
themselves a smooth. Half the victory.
It just doesn't seem like the offense still has that ability.
The thing that I want to take a, take a lap off.
Sorry, go ahead. No go, no, go ahead.
Please. There's a I want to take a lap
on is I feel like I'm the the you know, mr.
Downer in the offseason as we talked about this and we start
doing, you know, preview pods and it's like man, you know, God
this team is deep and you how are we going to find minutes for
everybody and all of this, it's like rounds into shape really
quickly. I know it's early, but, you
know, there was basically seven players.
That played in the game against Xavier, You Know, Tamar Bates
looked, you know, 12 minutes but really no, no real connection
there, you know, Jordan Geronimo did not look, do not look ready
to play. He's not look, he's ready to
contribute at that level. In that game.
It's very early but it is it's funny in the preseason we're
always looking at this as like, oh my God, you got the second
line you're going to get a ton of minutes out of this like
Suddenly It's November 20th and we got 27 million rotation and
even That you have race Thompson.
Who seems like he might be struggling.
Your Miller cop has moments, you know it's funny you Malik renew
only played 16 minutes. There's were very very impactful
16 minutes and I hope those numbers.
Go up side, note about renew, I think it's obviously his
personality, but I love that. He's getting a year with Xavier
Johnson. So I think some of that, you
know, doggedness Alpha stuff is going to pass off on him because
you can just see renew as why. Wired that way as well, but it's
just, it is striking to see as we talked about, you know, in
the three seasons like, well, you know, dancing, Leo, going to
play eight minutes or nine minutes like, no, we're gonna
have a set of a rotation and all these guys that we thought were
going to make huge contributions, like they still
might but it's just like, you know, let's not, let's remember
that. Next year, we start doing a ton
of you know, Logan dunk, mm deep, Dives like let's just wait
and see what the rotation looks like.
So I will say this I mean I think race.
Thompson did not have a great offensive game in terms.
Of the shots that he took, you know, he was 0 for 4 for 3, but
he was 2, for 3 from the field and he pulled out.
Eight rebounds three of them were offensive rebounds, which
extended possessions have three blocks.
May need to stop shooting the threes.
Well, we may need well but it down a little.
See, here's the thing though. I don't.
I don't agree because I think Indiana has to have a third
person who's, at least a somewhat of a threat to shoot
from three. And I look, race Thompson, has
not been very good from three so far this season.
He's 149. But I do think he's proven
himself to be, at least a better three-point shooter than that,
and these were open shots. I think you can attribute a lot
of the mrs. There, to being in a foreign
Arena. That was very loud and
everything being a bit unsettled by how jacked up the atmosphere
was there. Now, I think, You know, you take
that game, you put it aside and you hope, okay?
Over these next three games can race Thompson.
Find Confidence from three because I think the worst thing
that could happen is if various Thompson just says you know
what, I can't shoot the three anymore because then that takes
something that could help spacing on the floor.
Out of I use bag of tricks not much like Miller cop, where
Miller cop did not have a great offensive game.
He was 1 for 4 from 3, but the 13 he hit was a critical.
Three late in the game. When Xavier felt confident in
leaving him. Because they didn't think he was
going to hit the shot. And so you know as tempting as
it is and as much I think over the course of the last several
years to look at race Thompson, Missing those shots and saying
you got to stop shooting those realistically speaking.
I think you know, you look at the guys that took threes in
this game. Jalen Hurd, chafee, no.
Xavier Johnson Miller copper, he's Thompson and Miller, Malik
renew. And maybe you throw in one of
the guards Off the Bench. Like, those guys have to keep
trying to shoot, that's probably not going to be.
Indiana's, bread-and-butter, and most games.
And it shouldn't be, because they've got perhaps the most
efficient scorer this year in college basketball, in the post
and Trace Jackson Davis, but where you give Trace Jackson
Davis space is by, at least being willing to shoot from
outside and eventually having those go in.
And so look, it's always going to be a work in progress.
I think for this team and you put it in that respect.
It's like there really isn't a good third and fourth,
three-point option. I mean, who'd should be no, it
has not rounded in the shape yet his three-point shooting and I
mean Hitler. That was his third.
Game and he had a really bad offensive game.
He was 0 for 8 from to. He did hit that three which was
a shock but again, Jalen atrophy, no, it's easy to focus
on the bad shooting and not you don't.
And then you don't realize, you had five rebounds, he had four
assists, only one turnover, he had two Steals and you know, I
mean he was not the best point guard on the floor.
Last night. He that was certainly I think a
learning experience for him but that is the type of play he
didn't. I'll say this, I watched him a
lot in that game. He did not look scared.
He did not look intimidated. He did not look daunted by
having this all of those shots and that's what Indiana needs.
Like they say that you can't have frankly and no no offense
to him but you know, Rob fennessy would miss a couple of
shots and immediately crawl into a shell offensively.
And it was just like, well, we can't we're not going to see Rob
even try a layup at this point and, you know, that that's where
Indiana has to get over the hump mentally and realize that this
and this is where I Going back to your original point about the
rotation, I look at it. The opposite.
Having nine players who can contribute doesn't mean that
you're going to have nine players that are going to
contribute every game and to be able to survive bad offensive
performances by three of your starters and still win.
A tough road game against a Big Ten Or scuse me, a Big East,
like tournament Contender on the road.
That's a, that's a big deal. Like that's a flexibility.
And that's a that's a lineup thing that Indiana just hasn't
had the last few years where if they were getting a bad game,
offense will be from one of their starters.
They wouldn't have been able to win the game.
And so look, I I always say with these sorts of things.
It's November, you gotta wait for things to round into shape a
bit. But I'm really pleased with how
Indiana was able to have a game where everybody was not firing
on all cylinders. And, you know, they got me.
Renu to come in Off the Bench and play great.
They got tree Galloway to come in and even though, we didn't
contribute offensively from a scoring perspective, he got them
four assists right off the bench and gave them really steady
minutes. I mean played 22 minutes and was
was kind of secretly the other reason.
I think why Indiana was able to pull back and eventually Take
the Lead because he offered something that their original
lineup wasn't offering in terms of defense and in terms of
positioning that that's great, dad that Flexibility is really
really. It's buoyant to me as a fan and
as someone who watches this team because I just haven't felt like
they've had that kind of thing before.
And even the I take like a Jordan Geronimo who played five
minutes, frankly looked out of his element pretty much the
whole time. He was out there to, you know,
you don't have to have Jordan Geronimo having a great game
because now you've got another option who can come in and
spell. So that's where I will choose to
be optimistic on these things. And now they get three games
essentially. Subpar competition, with Miami
of Ohio, and then the two games following against Little Rock
and Jackson State to fine tune a bit more to let guys get
confidence and shooting before the really heavy stuff.
Starts the week after that. When you the thing that I want
to agree agreed and on a positive note to the thing that
really like about this team that's going to be fun this
year. Is we're coming from that era
with our cheese teams where the teams did always seemed like
they didn't know what they were doing.
Doing, but they seem tentative. And there was moments where it's
like, oh this this crowd is too much for this team and they're
just they're not, they don't have that Alpha mentality, and
this team is littered with it. Like we mentioned Xavier
Johnson, you mentioned like, you know hood cheffy?
No doesn't look scared. Malik were new, just not look
scared at all. Like Tres Jackson Davis doesn't
have that same kind of alpha that like Xavier does but he's
not scared. Like he doesn't come in and get
nervous like race Thompson. Like there's very few guys on
this team that I would say, you know, the moment doesn't freaks
them out. Tree Galway comes in, he could
start playing. And that that's something that
we haven't had in a while. A team of guys were I'm not
really nervous about any road game in the Big Ten, whereas
previous years, it's like, you know, the teams are going into
Michigan State Sakai. Well, that's that's a tough
environment that's got, you know, that's going to be really
tough for them to overcome that. That crowd it in a weird way.
It almost seems like this team thrives a little bit on.
It's almost like the Reggie Miller Pacers like they kind of
thrive on being the enemy like Xavier Johnson for damn sure.
Like, I think he really likes taunting.
The other crowd and like, finishes a layup, he's pointing
at them and like there's, but there's something to that, and
that's how you become a good team on the road in conference.
And it's just, it's refreshing because we haven't seen that at
Indiana in quite some time. Having a team full of guys where
it's like, I don't see a situation.
Any point this season, even in Kansas where they're going to be
scared, they might be overmatched and they might not
They might be the better team but I don't see them going into
like, fog Allen and going down, like, you know, 2:45 and like
having to have three timeouts to calm their nerves.
Like, I just don't see that. Yeah, I'm with you.
I mean look, I think we're going to learn a lot more about this
team in the next week and a half in terms of how players are
going to be able to establish themselves in particular roles.
And and again I think continuing to increase confidence.
Malik renew. I really feel like could be a
starter right now. If we needed him to be and we
don't and that's awesome. And and to allow a player like
that the ability to come in when we're needed.
So College ready, I know. It's not so good.
Both unreal, both him and hurts your fee.
No, just land. And I'll say this, I mean, a
couple people were noting, you know, Jalen is your fee knows,
likely, not going to be a lottery pick or a first-round
draft, pick with those. Types of shooting numbers in and
look, I think it's a long season but I will say I don't it's not
necessarily one of those things where both of those players are
only going to be here for a year because I do think they still
have a lot of growth in their games that that needs to happen
as they get ready to go to the next level.
They're both incredibly good college players right now, but
just because they look so much more ready for college than
freshman that Indiana's had in the past, doesn't necessarily
mean that they're automatically leaving.
After a season. And that change is kind of the
whole equation about how you thinking of Indiana basketball
over the course of this. 34, get both of those guys that for one
more year next year. That's yeah, that does change.
And we'll look at me, think the kid for Kentucky?
I mean, he was a great player, he came back.
I mean, Timmy for Gonzaga like I mean there's there's only it is
in the ni El era like you know, when I look at the jail own hood
should be, no remotely, grow new.
It's like those are 300 or 750 thousand to a million dollars.
Players in college? Yeah, they might, you know,
they're probably not necessarily that if they're not a lottery
pick in the NBA. Now great, if you're a first
round pick, you're probably going.
But the point is like it's no longer a complete foregone
conclusion with basketball that you're going to lose those types
of players and, you know, so that's we'll talk more about
that as we go along, but I do think that, you know, the the
jail and Hood Chaffee know, immediately to the lottery talk
can probably cool it for just a little bit and that's For
Indiana and we know we'll have to see how that works out,
obviously, but it's something to think about, you know, as
Indiana fans we haven't had enough lottery picks but it's
like there's only 14 of them. Yeah.
It's like and when Beyond has one and you scoot is second like
there's already three or four spots are already taken.
So it's really only like seven or eight Lottery spots that
people are even playing for this year anyway and there's a lot of
good players around the country so I'm with you anyway on that
note. Let's what are you expecting
real quick? I don't have like two minutes.
What are you expecting? We win that pods between now and
North Carolina besides wins. What are you expecting to see
between here through North Carolina?
Look, I really think that what I'm expecting to see is a
continued refinement of this rotation system that Woodson has
put in. There was interesting that he
had Jalen Hurd Jaffe, no leading that second unit for a while.
And he did that on purpose because hedig Esau who was going
to be. The more important player down
the stretch in that game and he wanted to give Xavier Johnson
little bit. Extra rest.
So, you know, I would love to see, Indiana continue to shoot
threes and I would love to see Indiana, create an environment
where they're not afraid to do that and they're going to have
the weak enough competition here where I think they can get away
with that and and try to get some guy some confidence.
So I should, I want to see race Thompson, take at least three
threes each game for the next three games.
I want to see the offense continue to try to pull the
defense out from underneath the basket because they're going to
obviously need to That against North Carolina.
And ultimately, I just, you know, more than anything else.
I want people to not get injured and, you know, that's the one
thing that I'm worried about with this team is like, let's
let's keep everybody healthy through the holidays because
that's a gauntlet of games that they start with, on the 30th of
November and run all the way through basically through that
Kansas game. I mean, you know, you're talking
about North Carolina at home, Rutgers on the road, Nebraska at
home, Arizona in Vegas, Kansas on the road.
You know, all that happens basically within 18 days who and
a half weeks. Yeah, so it's it's it is
absolutely health is going to be like The prime thing and keeping
people's conditioning while not wearing them out too much.
You're fortunate, because you've got a pretty compact schedule
here. Three games in what six days and
then four games in eight days. But then you've got Saturday
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday off before you play that Wednesday
night game against North Carolina.
So, you know, I expect them to win all three of these games,
comfortably probably about 20, to 25 Point margins, in each of
them, And then it's just a matter of get guy's confidence
continue to work on defense. Continue to work on all
offensive rebounding and I think if you do that you're in pretty
good shape. Yep, that's all I got.
You got anything? Yep, that's no no I I think you
hit the nail. It's about being healthy but get
healthy through that and I'm, you know, the next couple games
just be healthy, work those things out.
I think getting a little more playing time for renew Hood.
Should be know some of the younger guys.
Like, I think getting guys like Tamar Bates, I get some of those
guys. A little more time, a little
more positive reps in those games would be good and then I
will know, I think we're, I think we're playing with house
money in that North Carolina. And I think, Gonna be a we
cleared the bar, we won the Xavier game.
I think it's going to be an awesome area.
You're going to have, you know, it's going to be a 20 to top 10
teams or at least you know, to top 12 teams.
It's going to be a insane atmosphere.
It's a late game that place is going to be rocking.
I can see us winning that game based on the Assembly Hall
crowd, but you know, I think the key is, well, that's a fun thing
to look at and a game to play. I do.
Look it. So, the key is those two big ten
games, right afterwards? Like it'd be really good to
start the season 2 and 0 like it's to me it's worse.
If we beat North Carolina would be in Arizona.
But we go go 1 and 1 or 0 and 2. And those big ten games like
that's that's more concerning. Like the Big Ten is what we need
to win. While the other games are kind
of nice, that's more window dressing.
I will say the one player. There's two, there's two other
players. I really want to see.
Get some major minutes and and continue to develop Trey
Galloway for shooting and and entry Galloway has yet to commit
a turnover through three games. And that's a really important
point and he's played 15, 19 and 22 minutes in those three games,
you know, for him, if he can be a guy who doesn't turn the ball
over who's able to distribute effectively who can occasionally
score, I would love to see him. Continue to develop his ability
to score and shoot and get some confidence there because if he
He adds that to his game. Now you've got a whole new
dimension for this. I you team and the other guys
tomorrow Bates because you know Tamar Bates, I look like he had
made some progress in those first two games and then he
didn't take a shot and frankly his defense was pretty shoddy in
that Xavier game. He had one very clear, missed
assignment. That led directly to a 3, he's
such an important potential player for this IU team because
I miss has a is a five-star recruit.
He's got the body, he's so long. He could be two to four.
Yeah he well maybe not too maybe one two three.
But yeah he's like he's got he's got so many dimensions that
Indiana needs but he's still not quite there mentally in terms of
playing the game and man getting him some minutes in these next
three games and getting him to the point where he can just
slide right in and contribute something and and be consistent
on both ends of the floor. Like, I love to see that develop
because I think they're going to need him and his contributions
in that stretch of games between the end of November in the
middle of December. Yep.
So anyway, we'll see what happens.
We'll be back. Probably later on in the week.
We'll talk some more basketball will also, certainly be talking
IU football. As they just established Indiana
as a 17 and a half Point Underdog to Purdue in the old
Oaken Bucket game. That's it.
That's a tasty line. Might want to jump on that one
but anyway, we'll talk about that later in the week Rhett.
Weird. Regret seven days.
Anyway for Scott, I've gala, this is Crimson cast.
Thanks to all you folks for listening.
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the flip side, bring back the Bison.
So on everybody.