Comments on: Open thread: Will IU win again this season?

By: JerryCT

JerryCT — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:20:17 +0000

KS State player elbows and slaps a player last weekend and gets 1 game so far. DUmes NEEDS to play if for no other reason than we need to see if he learned from sitting on the pine. We will not know until he plays.

We have improved but so has every other team in the league . We may have improved more than the other teams but still not enough to beat them. OSU to me has improved the most with UI 2nd.

By: cooper

cooper — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:47:38 +0000

I don't think I picked them to win 11 but I thought that was pessimistic so I'm somewhat suprised but I just don't think there are many even decent players. I think its obvious by the fact alot of mistakes don't improve where talented teams would improve with good coaching. I think maybe Wisconsin at home, they seem horrible this year, but IU isn't winning another game or coming close until Dumes plays. He is their best player, especially with how Pritchard has fallen off. A two game suspension was a joke, it should have been one at most.

By: aerialM

aerialM — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:44:44 +0000

I remember feeling optimistic at the season's start for 10/11 wins…until I read Pat Forde's “if they win 10 in Bloomington this year, they're going to hang a banner in Assembly Hall”bit and that brought me back to earth. Like most, I counted Lipscomb and Northeastern as w's but I also counted a loss against either TCU or Cornell, so in a way, “they are who we (I) thought they were.” I still feel we win one more, either wisc. or northwestern…and dumes plays thursday.

By: MikeyD

MikeyD — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:38:42 +0000

If he is back he should start. He is a starter. He has been through enough, I agree.

By: Ryan W

Ryan W — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:49:22 +0000

IU is still going to win 11!

By: jg

jg — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:38:52 +0000

I thought we would win 10 to 11 games as well. I mean c'mon 'it's Indiana!' I agree with what a few of you have already said. I go into every IU basketball season with the mindset we should win every game we play. Otherwise why would I care to watch? I do think we have underachieved a little bit, but its not because of coaching. The loss to Lipscomb was the low point this season. The loss to Michigan drained the last of the hope that this season and team wasn't that bad.
We have lost plenty of games this year by such a small margin and for all different reasons. I have never seen anything like it. I think in the end we all did not know what this team would be like this year. We are all use to kids coming to IU to play that have the required talent to be here. However, this year we have don't have a team that can combine the talent, put 5 guys on the floor at the same time, and the result is that they make each other better players. We have been without the correct puzzle pieces this year. But the fault lies with no one currently with this program. We have been trying to jam the pieces to fit all season. I think we beat Wisconsin and Northwestern. But lose in the first round in the B10 tourney.
Dumes will be back next game.
I can't wait for next season.

By: MillaRed

MillaRed — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:46:53 +0000

I'm sure many of us were clinging on to hope more than anything. I also expected a few more pre-season wins. After watching us thus far, I now realize the fact we are competing at all is impressive. How many 18-19 year olds do we have out there facing 22-23 year olds every game? Crean's done a great job. The nay-sayers were looking for 20 point blowouts every week and that didn't happen. I say we get one more win. Perhaps in the Big Ten Tourney.

Dumes has been through enough. Bring him off the bench tomorrow. That's two games served and one non-start. It's time to move on.

By: BFowler

BFowler — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:21:50 +0000

I voted as the 11 win area because I thought Northeastern and Lipscomb would be W's (which would take us to I did not believe in Bruce Weber's coaching abilities enough, so I penciled in a win at home (Sunday, which would have put us at 9). I thought we would win against NW at home (next week, 10), and I thought we could coax one more win (other than Iowa at home) at Assembly Hall that would be a surprise (i.e. – Wisconsin, Michigan [almost], or Ohio State [somewhat close], 11) or a surprise opening round win in the B10 tournament. That is how I got to 11. I would say that they have been awfully close (see NW at NW, Mich and home, etc.) to eeking out a couple more wins and I think everyone expected the two home wins non-conference, so I would say they have underacheived in the win column, but not on the floor neccessarily, and certainly, not in the effort area.

As Coach Crean has said all along, Dumes suspension is an internal thing, but I would expect to see him on the floor tomorrow.

By: Hoosier_Hound

Hoosier_Hound — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:41:43 +0000

I always have an expectation of IU to win, even this year, otherwise why even watch the games? The NU game at home is obviously a prime opportunity, but tomorrow's game against Wisconsin is a good chance, too.

As far as the poll goes, I don't remember how I voted. But I would guess that I assumed the team could beat Northeastern and Lipscomb. I also have been hoping that they win 3-4 Big Ten games, which I figured would all be at home. But lastly, it's not like they aren't a few breaks and made free throws away from that record. So many of the losses have been by such slim margins.

After the Michigan State game I said it would be a two game suspension if I was coaching. So to me it would all depend on his attitude over the past week as to whether or not he plays against Wisconsin. If he's straightened up then bring him off the bench, if not then sit him in street clothes again.

By: Hardwood83

Hardwood83 — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:35:24 +0000

I think IU wins one more game, most likely UW or NW at home. I also thought 11-12 wins was realistic. I assumed wins against Lipscomb & N'eastern and a couple more B10 wins. That wasn't too far-fetched but I guess they have underachieved some, but it was a shot in the dark since no one knew what we had. I think 2 games is enough for Dumes- if he's got the right attitude about it. They have improved and I'll be content if that continues.