IU Basketball 2023

[Bball]

It's 2 games in, and there are some concerning trends.
But, it's also only 2 games in. A lot of new faces, and we still don't have a handle on how Woodson will handle things as the games start mattering more. Is he throwing some players to the wolves to see who sinks and swims in game conditions, and what they learn from it?... Or is it just a flawed team, lacking in experience (as a team)?

Is the team underestimating their opponents and overestimating their own ability to win when they need to do it? Because if that's the case, someone is going to show them it's not a switch they can flip on and if they let an experienced team pull away from them, they probably won't be able to flip that switch and reel them back in playing like they have.

[clownskull]

well, i wanna feel hopeful and optimistic but, i'm getting a bad feeling we could be in for a long season. i hope the army game was just a fluke and all but, army looked like a team that despite lacking the talent and athleticism of iu, kept it much closer than i'm comfortable with. when i watch iu, i don't see a team as much as a collection of guys wearing the same jerseys.

[clownskull]

54-49 iu at half vs Wright state. This team simply isn't very good. The uconn game will get ugly quickly. I fear this will be a long, tough season.

[Trader Joe]

Hard team to peg, but I'm just not a big Xavier Johnson guy and I know that maybe makes me in the minority.

I know the games have been ugly but we've also avoided the "bad" loss that other teams have already had so who knows.

[clownskull]

37-30 uconn at half. The hoosiers have kept it closer than I expected. Will see how they handle the 2nd half.

[Sollozzo]

37-30 uconn at half. The hoosiers have kept it closer than I expected. Will see how they handle the 2nd half.

Looks like your expectations were accurate…

[clownskull]

They managed to keep it closer than I thought for most of the game. Only when Malik fouled out did it truly get away.

[Bball]

I get the feeling Woodson needs to delegate more, and there needs to be a unified vision for the team that he needs to chisel out. And that includes unique responsibilities for the assistant coaches. Everyone having a role. And a role that matters. Rely on them more for the overall vision he crafts. And Woodson holding them all responsible for their parts in that overall vision. It's like he's bitten off more than he can chew, but doesn't want to share the load. So there's no ultimate cohesiveness from the top down with the team.

If he's going say players aren't coming to college basketball with fundamentals, then make that SOMEONE'S role to work on fundamentals. And play the players who are working on it and getting it. Although, it begs the question: How about recruiting more players with better fundamentals? Some guys to use as examples and to better balance the team.

The same goes with defense... shooting... offense... etc...

Of course, I've never been thrilled with the Woodson hire and have said so. I think he's too inexperienced in the modern college game and too old to be put into that role where he needs to be a teacher as well as a strategist. And a strategist that understands college players and the modern college game. I'm not even saying he can't get it... but then maybe I am... By the time he might start figuring it out he might be too old to do much with it or sustain it.
He's brought some energy to the program. But some of that is just because the older people think he's a Knight protege and reconnects the program with Knight. Younger people know of Knight as the hanger of 3 banners and that brings some synergy to them and the Woodson hire. And his NBA pedigree probably helps with recruiting. BUT he still has to pull it all together and GROW the team.

Right now, IU looks like a poorly coached team. Who do you blame for that?

[Sollozzo]

TJD was responsible for a lot of wins the last couple years. Life without him is rough

[Trader Joe]

Still think this team can be fine, but I can't help but feel they would be better making two tough, but IMO necessary changes

1.) Simplify the defense, and perhaps even play zone. I know this is very against Woody and his NBA and Knight influenced backgrounds, but this team is begging to play zone sometimes I think and at the very least, some of the switch just needs to go away.

2.) The Reneau/Ware frontcourt is statistically very good, but they are very bad at a lot of other things. Woody even said early last year he didn't see us running two big lineups after TJD and Race were gone. However, I feel like the Ware commitment changed that calculus and maybe concerns about our guard play, I'm not sure. But I also wonder if the team would be overall better if they split up Reneau and Ware more and ran more time where only one of them is the solo big man.

In general, gang rebounding also has to improve. Ware can't be the only guy every game getting more than a couple boards.

Our guards are very bad at this and Reneau in general is just often floating in no man's land when it is time to get defensive boards. This leaves Ware fighting his guy and frequently another rebounder for boards.

I disagree with Bball that we look like a badly coached team. I think our systems are good, but I'm not sure we have the guys to play this. If Woody doesn't adjust, then it will be on him which as usual in his post game comments after UCONN he acknowledged he's gotta figure it out.

Finally they gotta figure out a way to unlock Mgbako and I'm wondering if playing some small ball 4 would help him. The guy's jumper is pretty but not going in, we gotta get him going or this season is capped hard.

Also, your 6th year point guard can't be making the dumbest decisions on the team consistently and X did a lot of that against the Huskies. His turnover when it was 50-43 and IU had just gotten a steal, but then X coughs it up after pump faking the long pass and then immediately dribbling towards traffic with his off hand and having it stolen which led to the foul and 4 point possession for UCONN and made it 54-43, fundamentally ended the game IMO.

[clownskull]

Ok, we beat Louisville. It's a win!

[Bball]

I disagree with Bball that we look like a badly coached team. I think our systems are good, but I'm not sure we have the guys to play this. If Woody doesn't adjust, then it will be on him which as usual in his post game comments after UCONN he acknowledged he's gotta figure it out.

.

That's agreeing with me but saying you disagree.

[Trader Joe]

That's agreeing with me but saying you disagree.

It's not. You're blaming Woodson, I'm saying Woodson is taking the blame proactively, working to achieve a solution. That's good coaching actually, not bad coaching and it's the exact opposite of what we always saw from Archie and frequently saw from Crean.

Woodson isn't the one out there missing wide open 3s. At some point IU's supposed talent has to come through and win some games. Every single win they've had this season has been because Woodson has made a lineup change or coaching adjustment in game to get the W.

[clownskull]

Any conference road win is a big win in my book. I'll take it!

[Bball]

It's not. You're blaming Woodson, I'm saying Woodson is taking the blame proactively, working to achieve a solution. That's good coaching actually, not bad coaching and it's the exact opposite of what we always saw from Archie and frequently saw from Crean.

Woodson isn't the one out there missing wide open 3s. At some point IU's supposed talent has to come through and win some games. Every single win they've had this season has been because Woodson has made a lineup change or coaching adjustment in game to get the W.

They have looked much better after UConn rattled their rafters.

Watching Ware get that late Kareem Skyhook and then seal the game with a defensive play was really good to see.