ESPN don’t claim to be IUBB fans. They have their own agenda. Weak excuse on your part. Regardless no one should do it.

I manage 50 people. You demand an effort and have rules that will be followed. Those who don’t follow the philosophy and rules don’t play in the game. The talent is there gentlemen, the discipline to follow the rules is either not there or they aren’t very good rules or it’s not a very strong philosophy. Starts at the top.

It’s not about heart or skill. If the coach demands you play defense or you will sit the bench, you play defense. Bobby knight won with less talented players because he demanded a certain method to be followed or you didn’t play. Period.

We’re just not getting a complete game from this team. I thought we did better in the half court defense and on the defensive glass tonight. But the turnovers and missed free throws, especially in front ends of one and ones, have been murder

I was disappointed, too. We gamble way too much on defense. John Crispin called one of our early games and mentioned that IU needed to play more “safe” on defense, which I interpreted as playing with more discipline. I agree completely. And, unfortunately, I think this is a CTC issue–I think he coaches his teams to play defense for deflections, which causes them to over-commit and, at times, gamble in order to get a hand on the ball. We do get plenty of deflections, but our defensive fundamentals are completely whack.

VAH, for me, I’m now watching the first half of the UNLV game. When I watch the “leader” of the Hoosiers, YF, turnover the ball and then trot back down the court with his head down, completely missing the play, I just can’t relate, win or lose. When YF jacks up a well guarded step back 3 at the end of the WF game, likely because he wanted to keep a personal record going, I just can’t relate. Even the announcers are talking about IU penetrating and jumping, then looking for someone to pass too. That generates TO’s and is a losing long term strategy. I just can’t relate. There was no play to finish the first half, just YF dribbling out the clock and going one on one. He is supposed to be a senior PG. I just can’t relate.

I want to relate to IU bball again.

BUT I loved the closeup of Bryant yelling at YF nose to nose.

The word that strikes me here is gravitas. CTC has none. Not really his fault — I don’t think you can easily cultivate these hard-to-define leadership and teaching traits if you don’t own at least the root of it naturally. I see why the players don’t seem to take him seriously, and based on his press conferences, I can see why they probably tune out much of what he has to say.

Charisma, charm, ability to get people to buy in and believe — it’s all part of the package that some people have, and some don’t.

It’s pretty obvious but that’s just my observation.

Actually my numbers are off on the opponent offensive rebounding but I don’t feel like going back doing it again. I’ll just say it needs to be better

Tell that to ESPN now. It’s out.

Turn on ESPN lol they are talking about it now

We’re a minus three in the overall turnover battle. We have forced 81, which is actually 22nd best in the nation, but have turned it over 84 times. That’s 337 best in the nation. Or to make it easier, the 14th worst. That’s also an average of 17 a game! Two more than that ugly team two years ago averaged on the season.

Then second chance oppurtunities. We’re getting beat bad enough on first chance oppurtunities, and now we’re allowing opponents to rebound 32% of their missed shots? For contrast Michigan State is only allowing their opponents to rebound 19% of their missed shots thus far. Some of that has to due with Thomas only playing 23 minutes per game thus far. A lot of it has to die with our other “bigs” just not being effective on the defensive glass. This is an area where we will sorely miss the long arms and first class instincts of Emmitt Holt.

Finally we’ve only attempted the 206th most free throws. And if that wasn’t inexcusable enough, were only converting 64% of them thus far. That’s the 268th best free throw shooting percentage in Division one. With the amount of shooters we have that is just puzzling to me. These are three areas we absolutely need to get MUCH better in to go along with this awful defense. A very very long climb that needs to be made.

I watch the games, and sometimes parts of them, and sometimes none at all, or only check out real-time stats … only because my better angels ask me how can you not follow kids dressed as Hoosiers and playing ball. But like you I’m feeling increasingly apathetic, even about that. But I am doubly sad, because I don’t think a coaching change is enough, and let’s not even go there right now. LOL. Oh, and I love you guys and gals, and what would I do without the collective shoulder to cry on?

I wouldn’t have believed it, but I see TW, JBJ, and Yogi as very selfish this year. Yogi’s ill-advised three late in the WF game seemed very much a gambit to keep his streak alive, and missing it was costly. TW seems intent on generating as many ESPN highlight videos as he can. And JBJ doesn’t seem to want to break a sweat–unless it’s scoring, and he hasn’t even done much of that lately. And the sad thing is they’re not helping themselves at all–the pros would be much more impressed with each of them improving their defense and team play, and demonstrating a drive to win.

I’ll pass on watching any CTC coaching videos. I can just watch the games. And after finding myself really apathetic after yesterday’s game, I’m really fearful that this is going to be a long and disastrous season ending with a coaching dismissal, transfers, and an ugly rebuilding process. And I don’t know how much longer the Colts can win without (or with, this year) a healthy Andrew luck. So, sports sucks this year, after I spent all that money re-enlisting with DirecTV. Should have cut the cord.

Seriously, my path from reluctant supporter (or maybe neutral, non-opposer) of CTC is becoming really short. That’s an uninspired and uninspiring group of players, and while I can’t blame CTC for TW’s mom’s tweet, that didn’t bode well for any hard work on at least his part to improve the team. So, I’ll watch today’s game half-heartedly, like I watched yesterday’s game, and expect more of the same.

To your point, Crawford gave Vanderbilt problems as well. I’m not sold WF as good team overall, but we will not be the only team he cuts up.

But even allowing for that, WF and even St. John’s both ran through our perimeter defense like we were standing still. Yes, it could have been mitigated with better interior help, but I just don’t see how we can succeed when not one of our perimeter defenders is capable of staying in front of his man. Every one of them struggles, and one or another gets beaten on almost every possession. Even if TB gets better, which I expect he will, there is only so much one player can do to stop a tsunami of dribble penetration. I liken it unto a football team with a bad defensive line that allows 7 yards every time the offense runs the ball. No amount of scheming or support from the linebackers will help if the front guys are getting pushed back on every play.

All we can do is hope for progress, and lots of it. There are much, much better teams waiting for us than we have seen so far.