• BL4IU

    OG, wow! To get ready for Kansas, needs to spend the next couple weeks going head-to-head with JM. Hope they both start.

  • Arch Puddington

    I won’t repeat my lengthy comment from the Recap article, but I will say this: after watching them in person, my starting 5 is easy to pick: RJ, JBJ, JM, OG, TB. Big, versatile, strong defensively, great rebounding, all 5 guys can shoot. A ferocious team. We’ll have to hope that DD and McFly get bad stay healthy enough to provide quality backup minutes; if not, I might move JN into the starting lineup and bring JM off the bench just because without CH we are actually a bit deeper in the backcourt. I am certain that JM will get starters minutes regardless of where he starts the game, ’cause he’s really, really good.

  • BL4IU

    Thinking the same thing about POSSIBLY needing to go 3-guard until healthy.

  • VAHoosier

    JBJ’s crossover and finish against Juwan at :56 was sick. I think James looks a tick quicker out there…

  • I see Morgan as the 6th man, for some reason. Not that he shouldn’t start, but more that he will be more effective off the bench. 6th man of the year, playing starter’s minutes.

  • That’s what I like about JBJ’s game. And I don’t even think he’s actually quicker. He just sees things and has a super-smooth game that is really deceptive. It’s his timing not his quickness, in my opinion.

  • Ole Man

    Looked good!
    What I didn’t see in the highlights was TB touch the ball more than once.
    He scored.
    Was anyone there who saw the entire thing?
    If that’s all we use him, that’s a scary thought.

  • He was involved more than what the highlights showed, but since I can only use two minutes total, this is how it worked out.

  • Ole Man

    Thanks, Alex. I figured he was, but feel better having someone say it.
    Did see him make a nice pass out to a guard for an assist on another highlight tape. Always good to see the inside-out game.

  • SCHoosier

    I know these highlites are tightly edited..but James’ shot looks really good. OG is gonna be nightmare to guard if he fills it up from outside..looks like he can do it.GG do anything of note shooting wise?

  • BMusic

    Wow! OG’s release has gotten quick. Combination of confidence and mechanics, by the looks of it.

  • TomJameson

    JBJ looks really smooth, his shooting stroke is great … but his isn’t the only one. Don’t think we really have to worry about the offense this year. Those shooters will have the floor spread way out, and our inside guys, and slashers, should have a field day. A great defense could lead the way to a deep run! Come on defense!!

    Go IU

  • SilentBob

    Ah man, seeing you this optimistic is fantastic. You’ve never been the cynical type, but you have always kept it pretty “real.”

    On another note, I was previously in favor of actually having Rob be the sixth man, because of his versatility, but with Hartman out this is his team. He’s played the most minutes in the candy stripes, and he’s been a overlooked leader for a while. I’ve found it interesting, that ever since his freshmen year it seems, that whenever IU basketball is called on to present an award to an alumni or someone else, Robert has always been choosen. A small detail, but something I like none the less.

  • Arch Puddington

    We’ll see if my early enthusiasm is warranted, but it looks to me like this CTC’s most complete team (assuming everyone is healthy, of course). Got the big man in the middle, plus a backup. Got the versatile forwards who can guard multiple positions on defense and score both inside and outside on offense. Got a fleet of aggressive guards who should get better as a group as the year goes on. About all that it a lacks is that one player that truly anchors the team — an Alford/Cheaney/Zeller/Ferrell type — but that may emerge as the season progresses (my early pick: RJ), and it may not matter even if it doesn’t. The sense is that there is genuine team-spiritedness with this group, so I suspect they can lead by committee and do just fine.

    So yeah, I think there’s a lot to like. I’d like it even better if Collin Hartmann was healthy, but as long as no one else goes down, I’ll take my chances with this group.

  • ForeverIU

    OT … I just saw that Alex changed his Kris Wilkes prediction from IU to UCLA. Oh well, I guess Westwood is just too cool. I don’t blame him.

  • ForeverIU

    Folks, thanks to those who went to the scrimmage and offered their insights. But a 20-minute scrimmage with a break in the middle means very little. It is no test of endurance (half the time), and no test of mental resilience and toughness (such as when we play in hostile environments). And players already know each other, so their moves and styles of play are highly predictable. It’s fun for what it is, and I wish us nothing less than a championship, but we still have no idea where this team is heading.

  • ForeverIU

    Hi Tom. I come in peace, I promise, LOL.

    But for the life of me I can’t understand this thingy about good shooters spreading the floor. The floor is going to spread anyway, whether the shooters are good or not. It’s not like you allow average shooters to remain open for the shot.

  • ForeverIU

    He actually scored twice! Quit worrying. LOL. TB will be a star this year; kid accepts nothing less.

  • ForeverIU

    OG actually played at guard before he started playing inside. He’s a versatile player.

  • ForeverIU

    I think he also won the 3-point contest in Hoosier Hysteria? LOL.

  • TomJameson

    The better the shooter, the closer you guard them on the perimeter. The average to poor shooters get “hedged” a little and the defense doesn’t always go out as far to them.

    When there is only one or two good shooters the defense can collapse to the middle a bit more.

    With the shooters IU has this year defenses have to guard everyone. Leave somebody open on the perimeter this year and they are likely to hit a three.

    IU just has a ton of shooters. That’s why TB is going to score a lot this year also. Defenses can’t afford to sag in on him this year.

    Sorry for the book. Lol. But there you are! 🙂

  • Outoftheloop

    Wrong! We have early and incomplete information! This is not politics, no one needs the overstatement “no idea”!

  • Outoftheloop

    Alex can be as wrong as any of us.

  • ForeverIU

    Okay, “I” have no idea. I know we have lots of talent.

    Let me put it this way:

    In a scrimmage, when a player scores, do you attribute it to good offense or poor defense? Ha ha, don’t think too hard about this one.

  • ForeverIU

    He can, but he’s more right more often.

  • ForeverIU

    Maybe an average defense has to make these trade-offs, but average defenses are not the ones we’re concerned about anyway. But thanks for the explanation. LOL.

  • ForeverIU

    It’s hard to imagine that DD will not get starter-worthy minutes. Maybe he won’t start, but he might get more minutes than some of our starters. He will work himself into a role as a Hartman substitute, sooner than we expect.

  • ForeverIU

    Yes, I think we will give DD more minutes.

  • TomJameson

    I assure you that every defense has to make those same adjustments. The really good defenses just do a better job.

  • BeatDuke

    Troy Williams got to play for Memphis last night! In 9 minutes he had 3 points (took 2 shots), 2 steals, and 1 assist! And, wait for it, ….. zero turnovers. The team was plus 10 while he was on the floor, which bodes well for more playing time.

  • ForeverIU

    I think we can agree to disagree. I’m not saying teams don’t spread the floor, just that you can be an average shooter and go farther out to draw out defenses, because your man will always follow. Maybe good shooters are just more confident playing farther away from the inside, and thus draw defenses out more.

    Life is good. I’m having a “civil” discussion with Jameson. LOL.

  • TomJameson

    I don’t know the average shooting percentage from three, but say there is a guy taking threes with an average of 28-30%. His man will not always follow him out because he’s more likely to miss. The defender can hedge a little to the inside which closes off some passing lanes and makes it more difficult to get to the middle.

    Now take a shooter that’s hitting 44-48%. That guy needs to be guarded pretty close because he’s going to be hitting a bunch of shots. And for a shooter that good, uncontested shots makes that shooters’ average go up.

    Not all shooters are treated the same by a defense … good defense or otherwise. That’s just the way it is.

    But you are right, we can agree to disagree. 🙂

  • Outoftheloop

    It sounds like you are describing Juwan Morgan not Deron Davis?

  • MarkHoltzHoosier

    2013-2014 with Noah Vonleh comes to mind as an example of what you’re trying to highlight. With an absence of multiple shooters averaging over .400 from 3PT (in order of season 3PT shots attempted, leaving out Vonleh himself who actually averaged .485–Ferrell: .400, Sheehey: .333, Evan Gordon: .333, Hollowell: .219, Williams: .207, Etherington: .238) Teams were able to sag on Noah and made his life so miserable he went pro!

    That 3PT shooting team (176/512 less Vonleh’s 16/33) shot 160/479 or 33.4%. (Take out Ferrell’s 88/220 and you get 72/259 = 28.0%)

    So I think that is a perfect example of this phenomenon… I think we can all agree defenses were able to focus very heavily on Vonleh limiting his offensive capacity.

  • norsboz

    Can’t wait to see what CTC can do with what appears to be a team full of capable shooters and size! But man, OG seems to keep on confirming that he’ll be the key if IU manages to reach/exceed expectations.

  • ForeverIU

    Don’t put words in my mouth. Do I need to restate what I said for you to get it?

  • TomJameson

    Exactly, Good example Mark.

  • HoosierStuckInACCCountry

    All that money well spent on Assembly, and these boys are just going to shoot the lights out… 😉