Comments on: Good, Bad and Ugly: George Mason

By: West Coast Hoosier

West Coast Hoosier — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:56:52 +0000

Simply shoot free throws decently and we would have won at least one and maybe two or even all three of those games! Make those guys shoot free throws in practice until they're green!

By: plane1972

plane1972 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:33:12 +0000

Kelin, you're the man! Great post.

By: BGleas

BGleas — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:47:44 +0000

Good point Stephen. Creek looks like the real deal and VJIII should be even better next year. Not saying we shouldn't continue to recruit wings to add depth or that I don't like VO or Sheehey, but the glaring weakness of this program right now is at PG and in the middle.

Unless Crean lands Selby, which looks less likely if IU continue to struggle, then there is no help on the horizon at those spots.

By: eville

eville — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:11:53 +0000

So far Hulls has not impressed me.I think Moore plays just as well as Hulls.

By: stephen

stephen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:34:16 +0000

pieces? what about a center?

By: ronb

ronb — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:34:12 +0000

Correct

Life is too short so Laugh insanely, Love truly, and Forgive quickly.I hope everyone is happy in your head… We're all doing great in mine!Love Ron/Dad/Pappy

By: cooper

cooper — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:30:26 +0000

I'd go super small and start Jones and take out Pritchard. I think he is clueless this year and his size adds nothing because he can't jump and he can't play uptempo

By: Kelin Blab

Kelin Blab — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:27:17 +0000

HD that is a good point as to Crean putting pieces together….you look at the athleticism of Ole Miss and the one thing this team lacks to an extent…then you look at Victor O and SHeehey coming in next year, two super athletic wings…..You look at a strong combo guard like Carlino coming in in 2011 and the pieces will be there……

By: cooper

cooper — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:26:42 +0000

I'm fine with Crean as the coach but until someone proves Calipari did something wrong at Memphis then to me its a bunch of sour grapes. I'm not saying he is innocent but he hasn't been proved guilty. He may have a shady relationship with Wes, but a lot of coaches have shady relationships. Most of the top coaches walk a fine line. He surely is no Kelvin Sampson. If Cal was here, IU would probably be fighting for a Final 4 spot in Indy this year.

By: cooper

cooper — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:20:31 +0000

We agree then, my main point was Moore should not be in the game.

By: HoosierDavey

HoosierDavey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:43:07 +0000

Right on, we are further along. Only reason we won anything in Maui last year was because we played D2 Chaminade…and we didn't kill them. Crean is putting together a puzzle. He's got some pieces in place, has some others close to being ready to install, others he needs to find. It will take time to get this right. I'm as bummed as anyone about the weekend, but we've got to hang in there with these guys.

By: Ryan C.

Ryan C. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:38:00 +0000

Yeah, you're right. When IU switched to man in the first half, the bleeding stopped a little bit.

By: Diesel

Diesel — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:57:43 +0000

Reality Checks:

1. We have 3-4 freshman in the game at a time with freshman bodies making freshman mistakes, it's like a magnifying glass
2. Crean does not miss block outs, pass the ball to the other team, or miss the front end of one and ones. He made a decision early in practices to establish a style of play over installing sets which will help with recruiting. There is only so much time and these guys have a lot to work on. Fundamentals aren't learned in the 3 weeks prior to the season nor in AAU ball. So, work on help side defense or set plays? Again, only so much time. They will get better.
3. The guys who should be providing leadership - Dumes, Rivers, Pritch, VJ3 - are not doing so
4. We are rebuilding and it will take time, 1 win would have been a successful trip to PR. Not many people are predicting a winning season.
5. The team did make some nice adjustments between BU and GMU, namely getting to the foul line AND converting, as well as rebounding the ball
6. We are further along than we were at this point last year. Patience IU faithful, patience.

By: ronb

ronb — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:53:20 +0000

I think in these last 3 games Watford was the key. He played poorly allowing the other team to crash the boards because Watford was not in position to help rebound after his missed shot. If he can hit those shots on a regular basis it will open up the middle. He played like a freshman away from home and not like the kid we saw in the first 2 games. The good news is he will learn to play at a higher level away from home with experience. We are asking a lot from our freshman. I would also like to see Rivers,Dumes and Jones kick the ball out to an open man when the middle is not open. This would open up the middle because the defense would be forced to stay on their man. I saw numerous times when Hulls,Creek,Elston and even Capo were wide open but no one kicked the ball out and in many cases the man forcing lost the ball and made lots of turnovers. Hopefully
coach will show them the game films.

By: Kelin Blab

Kelin Blab — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:35:10 +0000

Smitty with Bawa Crean said what the issues is, and it is 50% Crean 50% Bawa….he said bawa is not there yet, but he is working EXTREMELY hard with the coaches and at some point he (Crean) is going to have to trust him and put him out there…..I think it is more Crean's trust level than anything, but that doesn't jive cause if he considers Bawa as 'not there yet' how does he determine Tijan as 'there yet”…..

Love Tijan, but he needs to be the garbage time player we all love and nothing else.

By: ronb

ronb — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:24:00 +0000

I agree. Moore brings not much to the table

Life is too short so Laugh insanely, Love truly, and Forgive quickly.I hope everyone is happy in your head… We're all doing great in mine!Love Ron/Dad/Pappy

By: HoosierSmitty

HoosierSmitty — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:20:34 +0000

If we had another option at the 5, I'd suggest it. I don't know that Bawa or Capo can handle the position as a starter. Prtichard, as bad as he's played, is probably our best option there. At the very least, we let him have his chance to perform or watch him get some early fouls and then go to other options

Watford has to be on the court, and I too would love to see him in the 3 spot. Bawa needs experience ON THE COURT if he's going to be successful down the road. Something has to be up with him that we don't see. I wish Crean was asked about Bawa in press conferences, but I don't know that he'd be entirely forthcoming with what is holding Bawa back.

By: JerryCT

JerryCT — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:16:52 +0000

Just returned from PR and most of what everybody says has merit to it including some of the coaching. My quick reactions are these :

1. GM had Nova down by 16 in the 2nd half so we hung tough against a very good team today

2. Our up tempo offense is clearly not effective enough to win games. We MUST get into a half court scheme. Every other team in the tournament played better than we did in the 1/2 court

3. Hulls, Watford, Creek and Capo are not yet ready to face B10 players but they will be. Creek has the offense but at times is really bad on D. I think it is correctable

4. Defense is our biggest aichilles heal and needs to be job #1

5. If TP and DUmes donot start scoring they do in fact need some intervention. TP almost refuses to take the short jumper or go hard to the bucket

By: BGleas

BGleas — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:33:14 +0000

The situation IU is in now is nowhere near where Florida and OSU were at, and our talent isn't near what theirs was. First, we don't have a single player as talented right now as Oden, Conley and Cook when they were freshmen. Second, those guys came into a team that had established players on it. OSU wasn't 6-26 or whatever we were.

Crean is working with a far below avg '08 class, a mid-major transfer, a transfer that averaged 2ppg at Georgetown, and real good freshmen class and walkons. He really only has one class and those guys are freshmen without a real super-star in the group.

By: Kelin Blab

Kelin Blab — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:21:11 +0000

Smitty I am somewhat with you on the starters, I am not sold on TP playing the 5, but would love to move Wateford to the 3, not the 4, and elston is a solid 4 man……I have NO idea why Bawa can't get some time on the floor when Tijan does…that one blows my mind. I like Creek, VJ, and Rivers, they are a potent attack but I want Wateford out of the 4 spot, he is not big enough yet….