Oh yea more than anything I’m liking the attitude of this team from what I’m hearing through twitter posts (or lack of with Yogi, Stan, an Co) and here on IH. Everyone knows you can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t possess work ethic and a good attitude you’re doomed.

For some reason which I cannot quit put my finger on, I think there are going to be a lot of surprises coming from the guys on this year’s roster. I’d put money on HMP’s being one of them on the + side of the ledger; however, I also recall something about a fool and his money….:)

Unfortunately we are both high on Hanner this year for some reason which sucks because I’m in need of payback lol

IU is going to be a defensive nightmare for opposing teams. Yogi will handle the majority of the reps, but absolutely the three you mentioned and I’ll add Stan will be initiating offense as well. Very tough to game plan for. Which is why I anticipate a lot of zone.

Other determining factors in the “Who gets minutes and how many” game will be the progress and adjustments made by each of the new AND returning players. I like the guys who “pencil in” projected starting lineups…I hope those pencils have big erasers on them because I think we’re going to see a lot of experimenting and changes throughout the year.

I believe that Hanner is going to have a great year for us. So sure that I’d be willing to make a slap bet with your older brother — if you’ll stand in as my proxy. Game on????

If he grows into the mold of Joe Dumars, we’ll be able to witness something really special…perhaps not seen since the days of a young Chicago baller who wore #11…

I’m prepared to give Crean a little more credit in Wade’s recruitment and development than you. He must’ve seen something that made him comfortable that Wade was going to overcome his academic woes. Crean also wasn’t afraid to bench his future star, and I think there is a bigger reason than Wade just liking Crean that keeps Wade coming back for advice and such every summer. Of course then you can look at Hollowell’s recruitment and development… The big knock on him was his attitude coming out of high school and what do ya know? That hurt me to watch. Literally that hurt me. I made a slap bet with my older brother he was going to have a breakout year last year (breakout defined as 10 ppg) after riding the pony his freshmen year. I am 5 ft 10 and weighed a buck 50 at the time and he has a Marshawn Lynch build. I couldn’t lay on the left side of my face for a week lol.

Maybe that will be the end result for Hanner? Probably not that good, but I do think Crean is trying his hardest to motivate the kid and we all know the kid has more to offer than he has shown. Patience friend.

If yogi does play 35 mpg, will yogi be directing everyone like last year or do you think JBJ, TW, RJ, perhaps others “take over” some of the ball handling and team leadership that yogi seems to think is now 100% his?

D league or overseas

…he’d be a draw overseas. The D league would be better than a senior year at IU (purely from his development perspective)

yes, and if it is known within the team that Yogi is going pro should IU then sit Yogi more and develop the obviously talented freshmen, perhaps as much or more for next year than this year.

If Yogi plays 35 mpg it will be interesting to see how the other minutes are passed around.

That was uncalled for.. tell me again how well that “restraint of tongue and pen” concept is working for you???

My timing may be off, but I think I only responded to your comments as they were posted…nothing more, nothing less. I truly enjoy reading the diverse range of comments posted here. More than a few of your posts reflect knowledge about the game, IU and its traditions which the average fan of another college team probably cannot fathom or duplicate.
As a positive from all our banter, I think I now have a better understanding of where you’re coming with your posts. Apology accepted but don’t believe that it is/was necessary–we’re only human and, as you said, sometimes we make mistakes. I’ve probably exceeded the quota for 1 man in 1 lifetime. I encourage you to stay active on this site…I’ll exercise restraint when posting. In the end I think we all want to be proud of the team which calls Assembly Hall their home. Be well & Go IU!

Dave, point taken…there was a time in 1981 when Landon Turner confirmed that he wasn’t “committed” but his pesky coach found a way to light the fire; end result = All-American and National Championship.

Appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Made some excellent points. No doubt that TC hit a home run with Oladipo. However, TC cannot be given total credit for Wade’s recruitment. Despite a stellar Senior year at Richards HS in Oak Lawn, only DePaul, Illinois State and Marquette offered him. Fact is, EVERY one of the D1 “Big Boys” avoided him due to known academic deficiencies. Those suspicions/fears were born out when he was sidelined via Prop 48 for his Freshman year. Wade prospered in TC’s program, but you cannot give him credit for “discovering” DW. He was a very well-known commodity–with a little baggage which he successfully overcame through a lot of hard work on his own. Kudos for that.
Why Gordon was recruited is up for grabs…little brother may not be the next great thing, but he just finished his Sophomore year, and those wizards & analysts often rely solely upon precision guesswork ( and Summer camp performances) when they try to rank outside the top 10-15 players nationwide. Jaylen Fisher, Braxton Blackwell, Seventh Woods, Justin Jackson and TJ Leaf have been all over the board. TC may not push hard for him, but EG already has offers from Painter, Miles and ASU, plus “interest” from Beilein and Coaches K and Cal. I wouldn’t suggest IU withdraw its offer just yet.
Finally, I don’t have insight to why Gordon or any of the others who are no longer around got minutes in lieu of others. The best I can offer is a guesstimation. Why he kept relying upon the same players time after time while perhaps expecting or anticipating different results is a moot point at this juncture. Did he learn anything from doing that or will he hit the “repeat” button again? Even if we were privy to his thought process at that time, it ain’t gonna change the numbers; 17-15 will remain the best he could get out of the 2013 team. I hope this year’s team can play to their collective level of talent. November 14th is not that far away…

Ok since you replied to like 6 of my comments Ill just comment back on here. You can stop replying to all of them.
Yesterday I apologized if I had been out of line on any of your posts. I am human , I make mistakes and I misread somethings that people write. I’m not the first one on here to do so and probably not the last. I apologized yesterday but didn’t seem to be enough for you. Oh well, did my part. In the end I’m just here to talk about my favorite basketball team with other fans. Sometimes our own opinions and biases get in our way. Don’t really have anything else to say in response to any of your comments on my posts.

I may be the one is so blind that he cannot see, but I don’t recall taking offense at being called out for a post. I am not “offended” by people like you who take partial comments out of context and then present a scenario or argument which cannot help but reinforce their own point. Same thing applies to those who presume they know what I was “trying to say”. I do take exception to those “twists”, but try to be respectful in so doing. However, I don’t always manage to stay within the bounds of propriety, and for that, I can only apologize and try harder next time.

No where did I EVER say that Zeisloft should not get serious minutes because the Gordon experiment went South. Nor did I EVER say that IU should move away from considering the recruitment/use of grad transfers. I responded to those who pumped up NZ’s “leadership skills” and his Canadian performances by saying that he played in mid-major D1 competition. The B1G plays a different game. While he can knock down the “3”, there are 5 other ballers on the roster who are at least equal to or better shooters than him. I stated that I preferred to take a wait and see approach with him…like the Man from Missouri (Show Me).
There is a level of potential, talent, player optimism, motivation, and, dare we say chemistry(?) which hasn’t been seen in B’town for quite some time. It is my fervent hope that TC doesn’t squander the opportunity to mold & develop another team he has built. I remain cautiously excited to see what TC can/will do with these players!