You're listening to the back home network presented by
home-field apparel. Welcome back to Crimson, Cask
ale and clavius got Colville joining you a Victorious,
Saturday here. The 18th of February Indiana,
knocks off the Illinois Fighting Illini.
They sweep the Rivalry. Series.
Whatever and they end up with a tenth win in the Big Ten for the
first time since the 2016 season a tough game, we're going to
talk through what all happened in it and how it played out and
just, you know, the importance of the game.
Because I think this was really a tremendously important game
for IU in terms of where they've gotten their season and what
they like to do with it. Moving forward.
Scott, great to see you. This is a rare T, we didn't wait
till Sunday morning. We're doing this.
Like right after the game. Essentially, how you doing?
I'm doing great. Yeah, I saw a tweet God, I
forget, I apologize. If somebody from the IDS was
like Indiana beach checks, his notes, their rival, Illinois
with the Joe from 131. We talked about Rivals, like I
wouldn't put. Illinois is like, I would say,
Obviously produce a number one rival.
Like I think Michigan. We've had a weird rivalry with,
like, they've been good and we've been good.
Like I'm Rutgers is way up the list.
Me too. It's like I would forget about
Illinois. I'd probably have, you know,
other people ahead of it's one of the weird thing.
It should be a great rivalry. I mean, for the, what happened
in the 80s and the fact that, you know, it's like, I think
it's, like, Purdue Indiana, and Illinois.
Like those are the top three winningest basketball programs
in the history of the league and Illinois, Indiana has gotten so
many players out of Illinois and yet the juice just isn't there?
It just it's never really been one of the, I mean, I feel like
Illinois and Purdue are bigger, right?
Also, you know, certainly Illinois, and Iowa are bigger
Rivals, and it's just an odd Quirk of things, even in
football, like, that should be a big football rivalry.
Indiana, Illinois. And it's just not there either.
So the Big Ten doesn't let us ever play lots of great Point.
Yeah partly what it might have been at one point certainly
isn't any more like you mentioned?
The Indiana. Purdue Illinois, one of my
favorite questions. My favorite trivia questions is
the winningest coach in Big Ten in the 1980s is who you know,
it's who had some yeah yeah it's wild.
They were a very consistent. Stunt team in the 80s and and
somehow managed to win almost nothing the entire decade.
It was very odd. That is very, very Illinois.
I mean if you think about it like the they had probably the
single best team from a talent perspective in the entire league
in the 1989 team and yet they they only won a share of one big
ten title and that was in 1984. And you know, so for all of the
success that they actually had they were always like second
place and It's kind of an interesting Oddity.
Anyway, Indiana wins, we're going to talk about that.
We're going to talk about the tournament selection committee
reveal that happened at halftime of the game or thereabouts.
And what all that means is well first just a reminder we're part
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All right. So Scott, Indiana wins this game
by three. They were favored by slightly
more in the computers and then As it turned out, they didn't
have arguably their best player in this game.
As Terrence Shannon had suffered a concussion against Penn State
was out for this game. A lot of people including the
betting line immediately were like, well in the end is going
to win this one going away. Not so fast.
My friend is Lee, Corso would say as Illinois came out loaded
for bear in this one, they were ready to play.
They were active. I think I was a little overly
critical of IU in the first half when I said that, they were
getting like severely outplayed by.
So annoyed or out effort it. But they were getting out
efforting and Illinois, like clearly came out and had a plan.
They made life hard on Trace Jackson, Davis, they got a great
first half out of Matthew Myer. And, you know, I honestly, at
halftime Indiana, had to feel really lucky to only be down by
three points, given how much in Illinois was playing it at such
a high level throughout that first 20 minutes.
So, from a high level, here's what I take away from this game
and I Breaking news. I'm kind of changing my tune on
this team. Oh I'm I'm getting rid of the
feeling of being anxious with this team.
Like I'm I think I've bought in I think it's like, you know,
we've made up for our past sins. I've, you know, did you cheat on
me before? I'll forgive you now and I'm
totally forgiven. This was just a great win in
the, it's like a game. You just have to win and they
found a way to win it. There are concerning things that
the starts not great summer. Moments where they're, you know,
not playing great to even great defensively.
Even the last play where Miller cop doubles and it's like Lisa
got wide open for a three but he missed it at me like and it
wasn't the best defensive play but you still put yourself in a
spot where your up three and Illinois had to hit a three to
wit to tie. They didn't do it and something
you and I have talked about so much this year's kind of this,
you know, having like I'm not sure I have the confidence to
fully trust this team again. And what has changed for me now
is like, I'm there because when you look at the totality of
They've done since that Penn State game, they lost two games.
And basically, you know, a month and a half and one of those
games the Northwestern game like, yeah, they started off bad
but they made a comeback. They did the same thing to the
end of their comeback. The Maryland game.
Yes, a stinker is actually closer than eleven point loss
but it was a stinker even go the rest of the year, the Penn State
game fine, it's a stinker Northwestern, they got
outplayed, but they still came back in that game, at the end,
made it closer than it should have.
Been the Iowa game, they were in that game.
They blew the doors off early. They kind of let go of, but they
played really well, Kansas, they got blown out of Kansas fight,
but 73 team in the country. You and I were at the Arizona
game they lost but they made runs in that game.
They got it within three to five and then yeah, they lost at
Rutgers fine, Rutgers stuff. Team like there's three games
there where it's like they just they lost all the other ones
they've had fight and they've given fight back and like I'm
kind of come to this realization.
Like this is the profile of a 325 seed in the tournament.
Like we're not going to go into Eat it.
We're not going to win out and we're a flawed team, but that's
fine. There's a lot of fun teams in a
lot of teams that, you know. But then I, I'm just so
impressed with the fight of this team.
And there's a lot of things that gets ugly, it's in the great
that they won. And you can say the same thing
for the Michigan game. You can say the same thing for
the Rutgers game at home, like they're finding ways to win
these games. And at some point, it's not just
luck. It is muscle memory at
something. This team has learned to do and
even in the losses outside of again, Rutgers Kansas and
Maryland, they've put up a valiant fight to come back or to
get a lead in those losses. And so to me they look at the
team in totality. It's like yeah they're probably
not gonna win the title. Probably going to the final
four, like, at some point we're going to be like really
disappointed with something. But this team has shown in his
earned, our respect to be like they are going to fight.
They're going to fight through everything and yeah they're
flawed, they have two good players, they don't really have
a great bench, maybe they get it at home sometimes.
But anyway, that's that was the big turning point for me is like
I'm now just going to enjoy the ride and know that.
Even if they get down there, they're going to mount some kind
of come back and find a way to claw grip.
Stop things and then push forward from it.
And I'll just finally say this like Trish Jackson, Davis is
just amazing to watch me. You, you tree tweeted something
ESPN, tweeted out. Like I'll just read it out that
he recorded his fourth. Career game with 25 points, 10
rebounds and 5 blocks. Just take a moment to enjoy that
but no other player. Of the Big Ten is done that one
such time in the last 25 years. In fact, the rest of the Big Ten
is recorded five. Only five such games over that
span like it. You're you're getting to a point
where you can have the conversation without being crazy
that he really might be the Big Ten Player of the Year in the
National Player of the Year. Anyway, that's those are
high-level thoughts and then just a quick tjd thing.
Look, honestly, who knows? I mean on the tjd part it's he I
think. Look, I'll just say he should be
the She'll player of the year. He should be the Big Ten player
of the year. He's a more versatile player.
He is both I think he's a more impressive overall performer
than Zach Edie even though exact.
He does is awesome. So much of Zaki.
These statistical contributions. Come down to two things, his
ability to finish, and his ability to grab offensive
rebounds. And those are very, very
important things but for Trace tracks and Davis to put up the
types of performances. He's Putting up, I mean, as good
as a key D has been this year, we've seen players do that in
scoring and offensive rebounding before.
I don't think we've seen a player in the Big Ten and quite
a while have quite the filled out.
Bouquet of statistical contributions that Trace
Jackson. Davis has been able to get out
there on a nightly basis. It's just, it's insane.
So, anyway, that said, I'll go back to some things that you
were talking about. We were talking about them on
assembly call, and I think it's really important.
That I you fans, chill as Scott has decided to finally on this
team because look join me, it's great.
It's and I've tried to talk about this a little bit on the
podcast, I've tried to talk about it on Twitter, it is hard
to win, basketball games, basketball games are 40 minutes
and at the end, somebody wanted somebody lost and we've had some
really good teams that people have forgotten how close the
games. That they won along the way
actually were, you know, that I always the 87 teams, a great
example of this, that team only lost four times, but that team
like they only beat, you know, Minnesota.
I think they went to throw it was that they beat Minnesota by
one. They do.
Go to three overtimes to beat a terrible, Wisconsin team.
They beat Northwestern by to this happens.
Even two really good teams now. I don't think Indiana.
This year is anywhere close to what that team was.
But this team has Both the kind of grit that you need to win
close games against teams that are relatively similar
talent-wise, which I think that was the case today and they are,
there are fascinating team to watch because they they do
things in a way that doesn't really allow them to blow
opponents out. They don't have a lot of really
highly athletic players on the wings that are going to score a
lot of points in transition. They very much have to play a
set style of offense and the whole purpose of this is the
offense is to get the ball on the post, because they are so
good. Good scoring within four or five
feet of the basket. So they're very efficient team.
They're just a very different look from what most people are
used to. And I think the problem that
Indiana fans are dealing with is twofold one.
They're used to seeing teams that are a lot more athletic,
not at IU, but in other places and that becomes the Avatar.
Like you watch this, Iowa State, Kansas game that I'm watching
right now. They kind of want to see that
sort of play where, you know, you have four guys who can make
a play at any one time. Indiana is not really guilty.
That way and yet I don't think it even has any less effective
for that Indiana's. Got the up the ability to have
amazing offensive stretches amazing defensive stretches.
They don't always happen at the same time but a lot of are you
fans? I think are so they're so
mentally beaten down by the lack of success.
That Indiana has had over the last seven years that their
first reaction to Indiana. Having a bad half or having a
bad 10 minutes is like well, same old Hoosiers.
They suck this through that. The, you know why?
Why did we buy into this team when it's clear?
They don't have it and yet they keep coming up in either winning
or almost winning these games. At the end it's time to give
them a break. As Scott has decided to do.
It's time to just be like look this team is going to have some
games that aren't a whole lot of fun but winning is fun at the
end of it all and you'd rather be sitting there after a not so
fun game and saying well 19 and 8 and and what?
10 and 8 in the conference, I mean or whatever the numbers are
it's it's a good spot to be in. And if you're looking for a
Picasso out of IU, on a nightly basis, you're going to be
disappointed. Maybe stop looking for that.
Well, it's just, it's nice to have a team that has fight and
comes back in games and you know, earlier versions of
Indiana and previous years would have probably lost the game
today. But after 12 point questionably.
Yeah we're done with this and and I think it's a good time for
fans to chill. Join me on the show bus lots of
seats because we're probably going to have a rough week like
we're going to Michigan State. We've never played.
Well there and as you've mentioned on assembly called
today and many times before, like it's just nobody's winning
on the road and nobody wins the road, the Big Ten, like we're
probably going to lose their. We're probably lose the Purdue
but you know I was listening to you as an assembly call.
Like the other thing too is like we played ourselves into a
position with what we've done and winds like today that those
two losses like it's not going to help.
We're not going to jump a seed line, but we're kind of locked
in where we come home and can can hold serve at home, which I
think that we In, we're firmly, looking at it for five seed and
I think that's where you need to take a collective breath and and
yeah like you know in a way the next two games are kind of gravy
like and it's like if you get your doors blown off at one of
them in a weird way and I'm going to come back to the
Illinois game. It's like you could use that.
It's time to sit sit, you know, jack shit, you know, Jackson
Davis or Hutch features. Give him some rest times your
down 15 emissions. Have all right, you know
whatever. Like and let's say you give away
his games but that's I think it's a great time to chill.
Especially going into the week ahead.
Because we're probably going to lose two games and not that
losses don't matter but in this reality it kind of doesn't
you're definitely playing with house money and look, it's I get
that it's frustrating. It's frustrating for me to like
I was very frustrated in the first half because there's just
little things that Indiana was struggling to do.
But again, it's a 40-minute game and this team has proven that
there are few deficits that are too big for them to overcome and
get themselves back into the game.
And a lot of it starts on the defensive end and this is a
tired. It's a team that is relying.
So heavily on two players to carry, basically the entire
offensive burden that you're going to have some lulls and
this is what happens in February and this is something where
because Indiana is not been irrelevant team on the national
picture. I think people forget this like
everybody struggles in February and, you know, the question is
not, are you going to struggle in February?
The question is, are you going to allow it to negatively affect
the way that your season goes? I mean, if I'm Illinois, I'm not
too worried about losing this game and losing two in a row
because at least in this game, you showed fight you showed the
ability to come back. If you don't make as many
mistakes as Illinois made particularly the second half,
they probably win the game. If I'm Indiana, I don't look at
this and say, well, gosh, we played bad.
I'm like, well, we played a 40-minute game and we played a
team that's a solid single digit NCAA tournament seed.
They, they came out with a lot to prove because we kick their
ass and champagne a month ago and they came out and Like they
had something to prove and yet we were able to sustain off of
that and Come Away with the Victory.
And so look ultimately, this is not a perfect team.
It's not a top five team, this Indiana team, but it doesn't
have to be because there aren't any perfect teams.
And there's even the top five, I don't think anybody's really
sure who the actual top five teams are in this country.
Indiana has ingredients when they play well, that make them
as difficult to beat as anybody in the country.
Tree and today was an example of that.
And I understand I you fans want perfect games and this and that
this is still a 15 that's got a lot of flaws.
Got a lot of young players having to play major minutes.
I'm just excited that for the first time in what feels like
forever. It feels like this.
Indiana team can compete in these sorts of games down the
stretch and I think as recently as a month month and a half ago,
Scott, we were kind of convinced of the opposite and it's really
heartening to see Indiana in such a tough stretch.
Coming up with victories, albeit, you know, being at home.
But even that Michigan Road game, it's like you look at that
game. That's another example of a game
that I think Indiana losses in the last five or six seasons
completely agree. And the thing that is also
Shield me out more over the last couple of weeks, it's just come
to the realization that, you know, we're getting that fight
again. Today is just like, in capsulize
this, they, they fight back and find a way to win a game that
they frankly, were felt like they were out of it.
Point your times the second half and the other thing too is the
the issues with this team are kind of unsolvable like they
just are like and you're going to have, you know, fits and
stops. You're going to have moments
where the offense can't run. And that's because there's like
there's just two really good players in this team and there's
not a lot of bench. Guys, you can reliably count on
like Miller cop is starting to play more reliably and I think
that's what's been helping in this 8-game win.
But Trey Galloway is hit and miss a little more hit than
this. You know, tomorrow Bates is
hit-and-miss. Thompson's rookies way back into
shape. And I, you know, if you played
well today but an ABO, they play better at home worse on the
road, but it's like that's just not going to be solved.
Like you're just not going to solve that.
And what's this doing? The best he can.
But he could only there's not, you know, another Trace.
Yesterday was the fence, you can pull out.
So, you know, in a way, it's kind of like not that we can't
lament some of these issues, but they are just these are flaws of
the team that are going to be. They're moving through the
important thing is we're able to stop, you know, realize the Is
make adjustments and then find ways to win these games and
again and not getting too high but it's just you you're going
to have these moments in, you know, the tournament where you
get down by, you know, seven, eight, nine points like we did
today and it's like, all right, what are we going to do it?
Let's change things up and let's find a way to break it and and
let's go there. I want to Circle back to the
Illinois, game real quick. That like a play that in
capsulize. Has this for me, is something
that Jalen Hood should be no did at the end of the game.
So, There's the ball out of bounds which is like off.
Illinois's got like ten minute review for no reason.
We get the ball and then you know, we come out.
I got we finally got the got the ball and then hook your feet of
just makes a lazy patch of stupid pass.
It's a layup, it's like great. He made a mistake.
What does he do? Immediately comes back and just
little curl screen, goes up and hits a shot.
Kind of almost like my bad. Like let me fix my mistake and I
just thought that was such a cool to play moment.
Where? Yeah, he made a mistake.
He's a freshman people make mistakes, but he didn't Wilt
from it, but he honestly came back as with the, with the
intention of like, not only am I, okay?
And like I'm gonna forget it like, I'm going to make up for
it and get us back to a tied ball game.
And it was almost like it was like 20 seconds then we're back
to time. It's like none of it mattered.
In the first place it was just, it was a great play.
I gotta say. The the amount of negativity
surrounding Jalen Hurd Jaffe know.
From some aspects of the IU fan base, On the one hand, I
understand on the other hand I think people are nuts.
He's got it. He's well look I think I think
the problem is people, he's so good individually at making
plays and he's also still trying to figure out the full extent of
what he can do. And what the timing is on things
that I think for a lot of people, they love to focus on
the problems that he occasionally creates for IU
while. Ignoring all of the good things
that he's doing for the team. And it's interesting because
like, as much as people complain about say his turnovers, you
know, I always like to remind people that, you know, Yogi
Ferrell who people consider an old-time player at IU. 12 Big,
Ten titles Yogi, Ferrell had a turnover rate of 25% in his
freshman year. Jalen, atrophy know, is less
than that. He's a 22%.
You're going to get if you put a freshman in charge of the All
you're going to get some passes that aren't great.
You're going to get, you know, ideas that aren't fully formed
because they're still trying to develop their role.
And this is a guy who's had to step in overcome a back injury
that kept him out for most of December, take over as the
starting point guard, right out of that and figure out in the
middle of Big Ten play how to be a starting point guard and and
he's had to be essentially the second scoring option during
that time as well with. Lee only one offensive play to
go off of in the first place, which is let's pass the ball to
trace Jackson Davis. While also being the defensive
stopper of the best point guard in what what he is doing right
now is just I think that you're going to get a lot of people
that will, they will leave this season thinking will Jalen Hurd
your fee? No, kept I you from reaching X Y
or Z, no, Jalen. Atrophy knows.
The reason, Indiana is winning a lot of these games now, was he?
You know, when you look at what he did today, this was not one
of his best games, but the fact that he's Jerk-off, a 14-8
shooting performance in the first half played as well as he
did in the second half. It overcame mistakes down the
stretch. You just don't get that out of
those types of players that often.
It's very rare to have a freshman who's capable mentally
of processing things that way. And so I love what he brings to
the table. And I think with so much on his
shoulders, the fact that he's able to do as much as he does,
you take some of the bad because there's so much good and so
much. That props, this team up, you
know, on the perimeter and with where everything's supposed to
go and he's done all of this essentially being pressed into
service because they don't have the guy who was supposed to be
doing that job and they haven't had him since the middle of
December. I also love his play, I think
after that score, it's just so telling after the Northwestern
game, were buoys able just to push off to create a bunch of
space. And then how the guy for
Illinois is driving down. It's like so we have the
opposite were jailed Hutch, vetoes.
Just going to I'm going to play very tight but not You and then
block the shop, but that's a foul on me.
It's like, it's got it, we can't have it.
I know, I know I, you know, and honestly, I mean, I didn't think
the officials had a bad game today.
They had a couple of bad calls on Illinois.
That Indiana benefited from the Hawkins technical foul that not
calling a travel on renew, when he fell to the ground with the
basketball in the lane but that was a terror.
I mean, it just, it just no consistency and you know, it's
like that's a foul in the closing seconds, but the buoy
thing wasn't a foul. The closing seconds, I make a
whole lot of so it didn't matter if he The end of the day in this
game, but it is really annoying. So yeah, no.
I mean, look, looking at the rest of the players on the team,
a couple of the things to note, you know, first of all, this was
a, whose a sneaky good game from Trey Galloway in that he didn't
score normally, you know, you and I have talked a lot about
how offensively aggressive. Trey Galloway is normally the
best trade Galloway for what this team needs.
They got the points. Elsewhere Miller cop was the one
that was able to do the scoring. You know, but Galloway to have
five assists. No, turnovers in 31 minutes.
Play pretty good defense the whole time.
Really. Did make a big difference for
this team offensively because they had to have Jay Lamont
Ruffino in the second half and more of a scoring mode and trade
Gala was able to shoulder the burden in terms of distribution.
That was really good to see and we talked about this on the last
podcast. It be great if you didn't have
to play tray, Galloway 30 some minutes.
But the fact that you are and against the team I going Oh,
he's so athletic and and so like mid-sized, like you can't really
play three, Biggs you know, you've got to play a guy like
like Trey Galloway who's 65 66 can defend in that area or 64 I
guess he is. That was really an important
aspect of the game that will kind of get lost when you go
back and look at the stat sheet. No, I agree that they got think
about what Shay Galloway. We know he's good at it from
being an Indiana fan but his little floater shot.
It just it does look so bad what he misses like he had Today
where it's like, it's a little floater.
It's like it's like, wow, it's not a great job.
No I agree. And you and this is where we
talked about it last time. Let's not get our hopes to
pinned on Xavier Johnson just being the Superman because we
don't know what Xavier Johnson were getting back.
I just know knocked him. It's just too mean the guy's
been out for three months or two and a half months, it takes time
to get back from injuries. Takes time to get back to
playing Guess takes time to now he's got to figure out his role
like jail would be no took Israel all that but all of that
said if We get Xavier Johnson back kind of at the same level.
We're getting with race Thompson.
Now, there that is the real upside to this team is.
Now, more importantly, you can move tray, Galloway's minutes,
down to like 25 May and not an effort thing, but maybe try
Galloway can like, even go. I don't want to say harder is
not the right word but just like, no, like I can go
completely balls to the wall, but I'm not saying he's not
doing that but it's like, you can go really hard, like, renew
is now down to 13. Working like that.
To me, that's what really Xavier Johnson.
Brings is if he can give you 13 or 14 very quality minutes, it
just pulls everyone else minutes.
Load back to kind of where it should be.
And then I will say, well, we're talking about individual
performances race Thompson is rounding into form.
Like today, he was finishing at The Rim, he's starting to get a
little more lift, 22 points. I'm sorry. 22 minutes, but 10
points on 47 shooting and if he can continue this trajectory
Victory. It just, it gives Trace another
another point and it gets us back to where, you know, we
thought we were going to be and we never really got the season
where you have this, you know, three headed monster so to speak
of Trace Jackson Davis and then race Thompson.
And Malik were knew where you can play all three of them as
like, what does the other team do defensively or you can play
you know Hood Shafi. No and Xavier Johnson and Trey
Galloway and give them some guard problems.
Like we've never had all those pieces together and a weird way
maybe it is all going to work out because was renew wasn't
ready to do that at the beginning of the year and now he
is but it's nice to see race Thompson coming back into form
and be able to be that post presence that you know.
And again it just it shows what having that you know 60 or
senior does he's in the right places, making the right plays.
And again last thing I'll say just you're getting a lot of
positive Scott here but You know, when you look at the
profile of a team like this, I'm not saying it guarantees
anything in March. But these are the types of teams
that over the years would be doing well in March.
And I'm always like, damn why can't we have a team like that
where you have great guard play and you have really good,
veteran players, who were able to just to, you know, they've
been through the battles. Like, we have that with race and
Trace Jackson Davis. And then we have the stud guard
with Jaylin. Cioppino.
And if we get Xavier back we have a 50 or guard their like we
have experienced. We have youth.
Like we have all the pieces of a team that normally does pretty
well in March. Yeah, I mean look ultimately,
this team has all the pieces, the big question mark is just
going to be, you know, can those pieces contribute in tandem with
each other, when the games are on the line and that's what is
left to be determined, you know? But I think that the fact
Indiana can get these sorts of games out.
And look, I think I think To some degree underestimated
Illinois, because of how well Indiana played against Illinois
in the first game. And we've seen that so many
times. You blow a team out on the road
and it's hard to take them seriously mentally when you play
them the next time, particularly when they're missing their best
player, but what matters at the end of the day is like, okay,
you're going to have bad games, can you win those games?
And can you do it down the stretch?
I mean, one of the things that's interesting about Purdue right
now. As a comparison point, is that
Purdue won a bunch of games. Like this earlier on in the
season, that's really how they built their lead in the Big Ten.
You know, they one by one at Michigan State.
They won by three at home against Maryland.
They won by two on the road against Ohio State.
There's several other games like that, you know, part of what
made everybody in ambered with them was their grittiness and
their ability to pull games, like that out.
And then, once the game is done, nobody goes back and says, well,
you know, produce, not very good, because they're doing, you
know, doing it that way. I think for Indiana going down,
the stretch, showing an ability to do that.
Demonstrates that you have a mental fortitude that frankly
just Indiana teams. Haven't had recently and I think
that ultimately that does matter in March, there's other factors
matchups are so important, you know, hitting shots is
important. But ultimately, if you have
those things, but you don't have the mental tenacity to handle,
adversity and bad situation. I think about, you know, I you
falls behind by 22 to Northwestern, they almost come
back and win the game. They're down by nine.
And this game a couple of Times they're able to come back and
when they were down by, I think eight or nine against Michigan,
they're able to come back now. You'd rather they not fall down
like that and I do think that there's some things in the
enemies to do to figure out how to get into the game from the
get-go. Not let themselves get into a
position where they have to come back.
But the fact that they're able to come back, you're going to
have games like that in a season unless you are the most dominant
talented team in college basketball, you're probably
going to have multiple ones like that and how you respond in
those games especially in. A really does tend to tell the
tale of how you are as a basketball.
Team one other Trend that I just want to want to point out is,
you know, Miller cop is shooting, get 46 percent from
three this year on 108th attempt.
So not not a small sample size, but the thing that I really like
is since the game Mission emission steak and he goes oh,
41 43. And that that followed a stretch
where you had, you know, to attempt 02, attempt 02, attempt
to kind of just doing to and One three-point attempts and, you
know, you and I were kind of, sorry, 112, 112 for attempts and
you would, I kind of threw out this kind of hit, you know, just
would love to see him shoot more, be a little more
aggressive starting at the Minnesota game, the road game
here, his three-point attempts, seven, three, four, three, six,
three, four, five, like you've seen a shift, he's taking now,
three, four, five, three point shots a game.
And I think that's also helped Indiana during the stretch.
If you wanted a, he goes for 45. I mean, Again, I'll go back to
it, he's shooting 46% for Billy. This is the Miller cop that we
wanted last year that we thought we were getting.
But now he's shooting at a very high percentage.
And we're now we're adding, you know, three, four, five, six
shots a game for him. I think that's a really nice
wrinkle and this will I think this will continue to come into
play as teams have less and less time to prepare for Indiana.
When you get into the Big Ten Tournament may be less because
they know the T, well, defeat such getting the be escalator.
Element is like you start prepping for this.
Like, all right, well, there's a guy who's shooting 48 percent,
fuel, 46 percent, from three is taking five.
Again, we've got a, you can't leave him the double.
So then it's like, maybe Trace doesn't get doubled as often,
you know, it's it, it's just a nice thing to see him, taking
more threes and consistently. Getting three, four, five threes
a game, because he has shown this year.
He's easily going to be shooting over 40% from three, which is
what we need and what we've been asking for.
But it's, I was talking a lot about this with Taylor Layman,
on text after the game. Like you just would love to see
this team, take some more threes and it's clear that they have
been coached to turn down threes and dribble into the lane and
actually, Robbie Hummel, even mentioned it on the broadcast
today. Like Indiana turns down.
Open threes for contested twos. It's not good policy.
Like it's a bad statistical decision.
I will I will I will argue that till till I'm blue in the face.
It's not a good idea and that's what made Miller.
Cops game today. I think so.
Orton for Indiana because maybe it will open their minds a
little bit to the idea that catching and shooting is fine.
Now some of the problems that Miller cops had have been poor
passes out, you know, and we've seen that, I think kind of
throughout the season, but we saw Miller cop with a bona fide,
catch-and-shoot on the fourth three-pointer that he made in
this game. And it was a really, really key
three-pointer. They've got to get more of those
up and I would sacrifice, I think to some degree, my, my
guess would be that Woodson's. It was not just, let's practice
threes and lets, you know, be better at making them which they
had been. But let's limit the number we're
taking until we're really sure that it's a good shot and that's
fine. But I think that at this point
Indiana is to some degree being left so alone on some of these
threes that they just need to let them fly because they're not
always getting good shots Inside by passing them up.
And it's one thing if you're Passing up a shot and then are
able to get it back down to trace Jackson, Davis for an
efficient to, it's another if you're passing it up, dribbling
in you know three feet and then taking a 17-footer like that's
always a terrible shot. Tomorrow Bates did that we're in
an open three. That's a 41% shot for tomorrow.
Bates dribbles in to the Elbow takes what is only a 45 percent
shot from to and misses it and it's like that's a bad neck me
you know? Mathematical trade-off.
Don't do that again. But yeah, I think I think cop
Bates Galloway. Jalen Hurd should be no, all of
those guys have proven themselves to be able to shoot
at least 35% from long range. If Indiana were to ever just let
it fly from long range and just be like, this is going to be
part of our offensive game. I think it'd be fascinating but
they are very it's weird. There's almost like a discipline
to the way, Indiana plays where we can't argue with the success
too much, because they've been able to survive this long and
have a top 25 offense, essentially by being so
disappointed, as much as we. We ask for these threes.
We may want to be careful what we're actually asking for
totally totally agree. I have a larger question for
you, okay. So this is one of the it's right
about this time in the season. You know the NCAA came out with
their, your early projection. The top four seeds Indiana was
the number 14 seed. I do love this time of the
season because up to this point it's all been about the top 25.
Yeah, so your weight on Monday, you refresh the ESPN.
Paige what's the top 25? Like you read set, Davis's
ranking, everyone's just myself included like where we rank
2014, 14, 13. And then it's funny because you
get to today and it's kind of like all right, who gives a
shit? What RC like it from here on
out. It's like all you care about is.
See like we could drop the 18th and 21st of all.
If we could be unranked, it's like we're still a four seed,
don't care. Like you're not do not care.
It's just, it's funny how it matters.
So much that all the sudden, like it just doesn't matter.
Now anyway, I think you said that some assembly call but I
want you to expand Don it this win.
It does kind of narrow it, where it does feel.
Like, I think you said, like, the the floor for this team, it
does feel like it's set at a five seed now.
Explainer, expand on that. Yeah.
So you know the the tournament committee there, I have a lot of
criticisms of them over time for inconsistency and for just kind
of being unnecessarily vague in terms of what the seating
procedures are going to. Because it's a little different
every year. It's one of the things about
Bracketology people don't entirely Grasp is that it's not,
it's not the same criteria applied equally, every single
time out, and that does, that's what makes it fun, but it's also
why it's frustrating. But anyway, they started doing
this thing about 10 8, 10 years ago, where right now, basically
the Daytona weekend, they'll release the like, where the
committee has the top 16 teams in the s-curve.
So we find out who the ones the twos, the threes in the fours
are. And I did a bracket before that,
the This morning and what I do with the bracket, as I rank, all
the teams won through 68 that are going into the field and
that's that's called the s-curve.
I had Indiana 14th in that ranking and I was thinking I'm
probably over rating them, A bunch of people didn't even have
them in the top 16. Indiana was ranked 13th by the
committee so they actually one spot better than me.
And what I always do in that situation is try to figure out.
Okay? What is the committee really
privileging in terms of resume? And I think what we can deduce
from this is that Indiana is in a great spot for a couple of
reasons. One, they have 12 wins right now
against teams that would be estimated to be in the field.
And that's a huge number compared to some of the other
teams that are out there. Even some of the teams that
they're slightly behind like Iowa state has seven wins
against a field and they were not going to pick another one up
because they just lost to Kansas State.
You know, the teams at the very top like Kansas only has 13 wins
against the field. So So Indiana has done a lot of
work against teams that are going to be in the tournament.
And I think that that is something that they're not going
to lose a lot of ground on. They've got a chance actually
gain some more ground on it, because they get to play Iowa,
they get to play Michigan State, they get to play Purdue.
They'll play probably at least one NCAA bound.
Team in the Big Ten Tournament. The other thing that I think is
important, to keep in mind is that Indiana?
Has played put Michigan as an inbound.
And so they're not like Michigan, is neither not in?
I mean, that's the thing. It's like Michigan.
His they had opportunities, and they blew it frankly.
But the other thing I think is worth noting, is that the
committee does seem to be leaning heavily on what's your
overall resume? There's several different
metrics, whether it's Sor, which is strength of record.
Is what that stands for, or kpi, or the the, the nitty-gritty
report that the jobi Fortson puts out Indiana in the
aggregate of those about 20th in the country.
But you combine that with the overall number of wins that
they've got and The fact that they've got five wins away from
home, all of that together is pretty impressive.
You know, they're, they're the only team that's won Xavier all
year, they're one of only two teams.
That's wanted Illinois all year. They've swept Illinois, they
beat Purdue, they beat Rutgers, they beat Michigan State.
Those are all really big accomplishments and literally
all of Indiana's losses have been two teams that are going to
make the tournament with the exception of, I guess, Penn
State. And so that all put together, I
think puts Indiana and a real A good spot moving forward because
even if they just lose the two Road games when the two home
games and go one-on-one in the Big Ten Tournament, not only do
I think that they will stick around as a four seed.
I think they've got a shot at moving up to a 3 because there
are some teams above them in this mix that are going to be
going the wrong direction. We talked about this a little
bit on the podcast earlier. You look at the, you know, like
Tennessee, being a great example, Tennessee lost today,
to Kentucky. That's a team that looks like
and feels like it's going the wrong direction and when you
compare Indiana, and Tennessee is overall resumes, there's not
a whole lot for Tennessee. Now, other than In their, their
predictive ranking, like what it looks like, they would do, like
their kin Palm ranking stuff like that, they'll still be
above Indiana in that, but not that much.
And then you look at the overall games that that there that
they've won Tennessee's, only 19 games against teams in the
tournament field. And the, so those are the kinds
of things where you look at it and you're like, what Indiana's
done in the sorts of wins that they've picked up as carried
pretty well with the tournament selection committee.
And there's not a lot unless they lose one or both.
Home games, the rest of the way that they can do to really
damage themselves. So, yeah, I agree, I think, I
think, right now would be a real surprise if Indiana fell below a
5, and I think there's a real shot for Indiana to move up to a
three. If they can win games, you know,
if they can pull out one game, they're not expected to the rest
of the way and when the games that they are expected to, I
think that's right there on the table for them.
Just curious one BRAC more. Bracketology question.
You mentioned teams that could fall.
What teams are you looking at that?
You'd be concerned could move up and Take take those spots away
from Indiana. It's interesting because, you
know, one of the big surprises to me was that Yukon and count
and Creighton. Neither of those two teams were
in the committee's top. 16? Certainly, those are teams that
I would look at and say they've both got a shot to make some hay
you know, because they're going to play some really good teams
down the stretch here. But I also don't know if either
team because of the losses that they've suffered is going to be
able to necessarily The exceed Indiana unless they win a bunch
of games on the road. You know, I certainly, you know,
if Marquette were to win out and win the big tent or the Big East
outright, I could see them moving up to the 3.
Line ahead of Indiana. You know, Gonzaga is going to
get a couple of cracks at st.mary's here and if they win
both of those that'll help their overall same thing with Xavier
but Xavier's got injuries right now.
So I'm not sure that they're going to really be able to
overcome so No, I don't see the thing about Northwestern is I
mean if Northwestern wins their games down the stretch, that's
one thing, but you know where Northwestern struggles exist are
as follows. They've got they've got three
losses that are going to kind of weigh them down a little bit.
Their predicted is really aren't great.
Like you know, you can look at Indiana and say their predictive
pretty good and they've got a good resume northwestern's got a
good resume but they played and won so ugly that like Ken pon.
Got them, 45th ppis got them 45th.
And while those things aren't weighing as heavily, you know, I
think Northwestern right now would top out at probably a six
but you know, look I mean northwestern's got an
interesting schedule. The rest away they got Iowa at
home at Illinois at Maryland Penn State at home and at
Rutgers now if they ran the table on that they would
probably have a shot at a protected seed but honestly, if
Northwestern runs the table there, they're going to win the
Big Ten which that's a whole nother thing that we think
about. But Is not.
I mean, you know, when I look at the, the board and the teams
that I had right below, Indiana, when I was ranking them earlier
today, by the way, with Western runs that table, like, we need
to have the emergency pod, like, are we living in a computer
science? Not that point, I think we just
might just want to shut down college basketball.
That would be that like, you, look at the whe with Big Ten
Player of the Year, just. Yeah.
I mean, I'm gonna so if we accept the idea that okay
Indiana was ahead of Connecticut and Creighton, and I had them
ahead of Creighton, but not Connecticut, but there are
behind Kansas State and Iowa State, the rest of the teams
before. Of them immediately on the
s-curve, our Saint Mary's who has a ceiling on what they're
going to be able to do. Because they just don't play
that many good teams, other than Gonzaga TCU who has
opportunities but that you're kind of stuck in the mire there
in the Big 12 Miami who's an interesting case.
But the ACC doesn't have that many good teams.
Illinois who just lost Arkansas who just really doesn't have the
profile and then Maryland who's the other team in the Big Ten
that I would be keeping an eye on because They do have the
opportunity off that Purdue win to really get a running.
Start into the rest of the season, you throw Northwestern
in there and then beyond that you're into that you're solidly
into the 789 range, the Iowa's, the Auburn's the Dukes to
Pittsburgh's to the Rutgers even though they won the day on the
road. So I like Indiana spot and I
think this is one of those weird spots where I don't think I, you
fans have properly valued their own team.
But the committee has seen what Indiana's done and I think what
Indiana has done is traveling. Really?
All compared to what other teams are doing.
And I just the you know would have been great if Notre-Dame
and knocked off Virginia today, that didn't happen, you know?
But I think that there's a chance for like a team like
Tennessee to kind of fall out of the sky a little bit and
Indiana's is as well. Positioned as anybody to try to
take over that spot. It's wild that we could be
looking at a three seed in the tournament but yet can't get the
double by in the Big Ten Tournament.
Well, that's that's unbalanced scheduling for you, right?
I mean it's tough like with the wind today Indiana's.
Section in the Big 10 is 12 and 8 but you know, as of now they'd
be in a tie for 12 and 8 with Northwestern who they've lost
twice to Maryland who they lost once to and won't get to play
again, Iowa. Who the best they can do is
finish 500 against on the season and Rutgers who they finished
500 against on the season. So it's why that Northwestern
lost pissed me off so much earlier this week, because there
was so many important tiebreakers wrapped up in that
game that Indiana lost out on and look it.
Happens, what are you going to do?
But the nice thing is, I will say, I would almost in the MMA.
Let's say you finished as the five seed in the Big 12 during
the Big Ten Tournament. You were going to play the 1213
winner, which at this point would be the winner of Nebraska,
Ohio State, you can, you can win that game.
Then you get to play whoever the for is and that's an opportunity
to potentially play Northwestern or Rutgers or you know or And on
a neutral floor, Iowa on a neutral.
Fluoride I take my chances in that game and if you lose that
game, it literally does nothing. They get it for you.
You know, if you win you maybe you move up a seed line but I
think what we saw last year is that the committee isn't that
interested in making a lot of fractional changes because of
what happens in the tournaments unless they have to like have a
team like if Ohio State goes out and wins the Big Ten Tournament,
they have to put Ohio State in the field and that that messes
everything up beyond that though.
Though, I don't know that it matters as much you know, as
long as you don't lose to a team that you absolutely shouldn't
lose to. I don't think the tournament
going to matter that much in terms of seating.
I agree one, by the way, we're just not going to do well in the
tournament because we don't that's right.
Let's just go ahead and assume we'll go one and one but in a in
a weird way and I'm not trying to get too far ahead of myself
but I now will you know, this is You know, it's like to me the
next two games on the road it's like whatever.
It's all gravy you almost just you gotta win your two home
games. You got to be told or Iowa and
Michigan on the road and then I'm with you to meet like the
Big Ten tournaments almost. I'd rather just go one and one
and not ride. The extra two games of 40
minutes for Trace Jackson Davis and jam with the Cioppino
because if you, if you go to the finals, the Big Ten tournament
and you play that game like winning getting their doesn't
really matter winning. It would be interesting and fun
but like you're going to have to you're not doing with a 40
minutes at a trace Jackson, Davis in jail, hit Ruffino for
three straight games. And I almost would rather just
not use those miles and give them time to rest, for they're
ready to go as a protected three or four seed, but it all comes
down to winning the home games against Iowa.
Michigan, you do that. Then I'm I almost think you can
go into the Big Ten tournament in a weird way be like hey
Miller just shoot a bunch of Threes that gets us there.
Great if not we're just going to sit back and rest and go be a
protected seed and The games that matter because I will say,
this is a team that well, I would love to win the Big Ten
Tournament, you know, at some point in our life time, like I
don't know, Rose Bowl or that with something's going to happen
first. But it's like, this is not the
year because to do that, there is no other way but writing
those two guys and writing them hard and as we've seen they are
looking tired, they need some rest, I don't think the best way
to get ready for the NCAA tournament, where we really want
success is to play them, you know, three.
Or four straight games at 40 minutes Eclipse.
So in a weird way, I think like this, the rest of between now
and selection Sunday, I look at it very much, like you gotta
just beat Iowa and Michigan at home and then everything else is
gravy. Yeah.
I mean, and the Big Ten Tournament almost like kind of
don't want to do well there. Oh, I'd love to do well in the
Big Ten Tournament. Now gimme, gimme, gimme doing
well in the mileage on those guys.
Like, even I look at the end of it all, I think this team needs
success. I think you've seen success
breeds success with the, you know, to some degree.
I don't think in the Ana winds, that probably not get into
tournament, but even if they had, I don't think they would
have won the Wyoming Game. If they hadn't won the Illinois
game and had that experience of doing something.
Now, if they lose in the Big Ten Tournament, I don't think that
matters because this team's got bigger fish to fry.
But I also think that this team is going to have some things to
prove in the Big Ten tournament and I don't think that having
success in the Big Ten Tournament is a bad thing.
You know, we've kind of conditioned ourselves to not act
like it matters, but it would be great to add.
Look because I do think that if Indiana were to come out, if
they got the double by and then they won their first game.
That'd be against a pretty good team.
That's that's the kind of win. That could demonstrate.
Hey, guess what Indiana, finished the season strong, they
picked up another quad one, win on a neutral Court, they deserve
a three seed, maybe you get out of having to, you know, be
matched up against an Alabama or Houston in the sweet 16.
Let alone having to be matched up against a five seed in the
second round. But I also as we talked about a
little bit on the last podcast, I don't think it matters that
much in terms of things because You know you just can't predict
what the matchups are going to be.
And ultimately though I my big thing with this Indiana team is
Success breeds success, this winning streak has bred them, a
level of mental fortitude, where they were able to go in and win
games that they wouldn't have won before.
And a lot of that is because they've already won some games
and that's giving them confidence in their own
abilities to play against these teams.
And so that's where I think it's a little bit of a different
vintage and we have to not look at it like we would
traditionally look at these sorts of situations.
Situations. I will also say from that
reveal. Today being in the South Region
looking at a sweet 16 in Louisville.
My kite, it done. Like I will take that right now.
Looks like done and done. Let's go and it'd be it'd be
nice like that. That's, it's like it's cool
having a 25% chance of basically a home game for a sweet 16 out
there. Yeah, well, it's, it's pretty
wild. The I mean that if you look at
the the draw today, I mean that's probably the thing that I
found the most fascinating. Was that, you know, Indiana was
in the what were they? The the bracket they got put
into was the South Region. I mean the idea that Indiana is
a four seed if they could find their way through the first two
games would be able to play in Louisville.
You know, I mean that's a home, that's a not it's not a home
court advantage, technically, but you want to talk about being
able to like it's shades of o2, you know, it's like, oh well
we're playing Duke but it's right.
Right down the road and you're gonna have a lot of IU fans
there. Now, again, cart, well, before
the horse lot to happen between now and then but I'm you think
does the committee? Will they look at that and try
and negotiate Indiana out of like as they or they they put
them in. They were the ones that put them
in to sell it today. How much do they actually look
at like, the geographic stuff when there is this, just kind of
like, well, here's how it works and I'm gonna here's the s-curve
like because that will come into play when they really see what
Okay, so here's the thing, the we're going to do a larger
podcast on the next bracket racket where I walk everybody
through some questions. So if you're listening to this
and you have Bracketology questions, tweet us or DM us and
I'll be happy to answer. I got this question in one of
the chats that I'm on and I'll answer it.
Now, the way that it works is this, the committee does the S
curve, and the top four seed, lines, one, through four in each
region. Those are called Protected
seeds. And the idea is that keeping
other bracketing rules in mind you place teams in spots that
are going to be the most advantageous to them.
And you know, it doesn't really factor in like well gosh we're
not going to put this for seed here because it might
disadvantage this one seed as long as it's not like egregious
like they wouldn't put Indianapolis in the Indianapolis
region as a four seed, if there was a team from further away
that was a one. But Louisville.
I mean that's not even Technically Indiana's region,
that's the South. There's this weird thing where
it's like the Ohio River, even though it's just a River cuts
off, a lot of the like the Big Ten teams from the SEC teams and
so if you look at what they did, they had Alabama in the south is
the one and then Houston was their number two overall.
So they took Houston and they put them in the midwest.
Purdue was their number three. They put them in the East
because even though Purdue would have been far better served
being in the Louisville Regional or the Kansas City.
You know, those were already, they were already taken and then
that left Kansas, who was the fourth number one seed out in
the west region and then from there they start placing like we
know what their next teams are. This is where it gets kind of
interesting because if you look at the list that was that was
put out. Let me let me call it up again
real quick because I think it's informative to think about how
all these things factored in together.
The total ranking 1 through 16 that they put out there today.
Was the fifth overall was Texas? Well, you know, most people
think, oh, the, the best to seeds going to play the worst
one. See, well that can't happen
because the worst one seed is Kansas and well, they're not
going to put Kansas and Texas up against each other.
So instead what they do is they put Texas in the next best
region for them which is the Midwest and and that's normally
how it works. It's not just for versus five.
It's okay. If for the to Seeds.
Where does the next best to seed go?
And then they had Arizona out west that made sense.
They had Baylor in the South because that was best for them
and then UCLA despite very much not being in the Eastern time,
zone is placed in the East because that was the last
available spot. So for Indiana, if they were the
top four seed, they would get within bracketing, reason, the
best geographical spot. Like, if Perdue was the number
one overall seed they would be placed The South because that's
the closest one Indiana wouldn't be placed in the South there.
So that's, that's where it's all kind of a shifting thing when
Purdue be the Midwest. Then there were the overall
number 10 because it's about how close the geographical location
of the site is, and Louisville's a lot closer to West Lafayette
than Kansas city is in Kansas City's where the midwest regions
located got it. So it's like and I get it's
confusing. Like it's one of those where you
just assume. Oh Big Ten Midwest.
And he know let's like, think about it.
What if Maryland won? The Big Ten?
But it really be more advantageous for them to travel
all the way to Kansas City. No, in fact, Maryland wouldn't
even be placed in Louisville. If they were the 10 number one
seed, out of the Big Ten, they'd be in New York City because that
would be the closest site to them.
So, that's really that geographical proximity thing is
the thing that makes the most of the difference.
Well, I think, but again, going back to that.
That's why I think it's interesting.
If Indiana could get that for in the South, like, it really,
you're hurting Alabama, and helping Indiana.
Because it's like, that's but I think it also comes out.
I think, on that, for line, Comes a point to where it's just
like you can't protect everybody.
Well, go point, right? I mean that's the thing.
It's like you're not really hurting Alabama because if you
didn't put Alabama in the Louisville Regional where you
going to put them, is it more advantageous for them to travel
to Kansas City? You know?
And, and so, you put them in the closest region, but then it's
not like, you can say, well, Indiana's closer to Louisville
than Alabama is. So therefore, we can't put
Indiana and Louisville. That's not the way that it
works. And so, in less, it's a
situation where it's literally Really like we play games there,
it's in our backyard. You're not going to see that
kind of a situation transpire where they would move Indiana
out of the region simply because it might be slightly descended
hajus to the number one seed. Yeah no I like it.
I was I saw that and I'm like, and I'm like, let's go to
Louisville, we'll see what happens.
A lot of a lot of basketball left to play but Indiana took a
huge step today, knocking off, Illinois and putting themselves
in a position to maintain that spot and maybe even move up a
little bit and it's just it's so cool to take a breath and be
like, wow, We're talking about, you know, our floor being a 5 or
a 6 CD. We're here on February 18th.
Not talking about, you know, are minimal path to finding our way
amount tournament and you know, it's like we're not we're in now
we're just talking about seeds, that's great.
And we're in the spot where the next two games.
You know, if this is a great spot that we haven't been in
since like 2016 where and I'm not even sure we could say we
were there. At that point I could go back
and look exactly but we're in a spot where the next two games?
All we can do is help our cause and we really can't hurt our
cause I mean losses aren't great.
But as you've, as you've taught me with Bracketology like a loss
of Michigan State, a loss of Purdue even probably like a 10
or 12 point loss at Purdue. None of those things will really
hurt our resume where it's at. So like really the next week all
we can do is benefit ourselves. There's really nothing we can do
to hurt ourselves. Just keep in mind last year at
this time, Indiana was mired in the middle of a five-game,
losing streak. They Lost their fourth, in a
row, at home to Wisconsin. They had fallen to 16 and 9 and
7 and 8 on the season, they would go 7 and 9 with that.
Next loss now, they went to and to, in those last four games and
they end up winning two games in the Big Ten tournament in the
rest, we know was history. But the, the changeover in what
Indiana has been able to accomplish and how they've been
playing between last year. And this year, at the same time,
period is really incredible and even though the records aren't
insanely different, Aunt from each other, the vibe around the
team and what they've overall accomplished.
I mean last year at this point of the Season Indiana's best
wins overall were a road win at Maryland.
Who was not good last year, a neutral Court win vs Notre Dame,
a home win versus Purdue in a home.
Win versus st. John's, that's it.
That was and and you know, essentially they needed those
two neutral Court wins in the Big Ten Tournament to even get
themselves into the tournament. This year's teams on it.
Entirely different plane of existence.
And even though, I think some students some people out there
watching Indiana feel like they're just living last year
all over. Again.
It's a very, very different. So, just keep that in mind.
Try to enjoy it as much as you can, and we'll see what happens
with Indiana coming up on Tuesday, as they take on this
Michigan State team that I don't know what to expect right now.
Out of, I'm not expecting Indiana to win the game, at the
tough place to play. But, you know, we'll see what
happens. And, and certainly, I think the
way this Indiana Team has played overall so far in the Big Ten
season. You got to give him some what
the benefit of the doubt. So anyway, if lat we're sorry I
know you're about to wrap up last thing.
Just yes or no in. Let's go.
Completely optimistic. Indiana wins out Indiana.
But guess the Big Ten Championship do we is 3rr?
Absolute ceiling. Is there any way this team could
get to a two line? If they went out and make a run
in the Big Ten Tournament? That's an interesting question.
I mean right now Indiana is is 18 and 8 and 10 and 6 if they
went out they'd be 23 and 8 and 14 and 6 going into the Big Ten
Tournament, they would they would have a double by almost
certainly in that environment. And if they won three games they
would at least have to beat probably at least one of Purdue
Northwestern or Maryland and you know, now you're talking about
that's twenty six and eight. That's probably a two seed
caliber because you'd have three more neutral You're twins.
You have a win at Purdue, you'd be only the second team to do
that. You'd have a win at Michigan
State. And I think on the season, the
only teams that have beaten Michigan State at home, our
Purdue by one and Northwestern by 7.
So yeah, I think that at that point you'd be a to, I don't see
that scenario playing how beautiful I, that's just what
they do but the it is possible. Yes, you could potentially get
to a two-seat if all of that broke your way.
Yeah, so anyway, all right, I gotta run Scott.
Yep. Glad we were able to do this.
It was fun. Thanks to all you folks for
listening in always fun to talk basketball with Indiana's.
Actually, winning be sure to tune into the women's basketball
show with Amanda Foster's later on this week.
And he had a big game tomorrow. As they host the Purdue
Boilermakers can clinched a share of the Big Ten title in
that one. Also be sure to check out the
bracket bracket will be back with more podcasts on the
tournament. Selection process later on this
week for Scott. I'm Galen, thanks to all you
folks, thanks to our friends at the back home network and catch
you on the flip side. Bring back the Bison.
So everybody