With our solid win at home yesterday afternoon over Illinois, we are 1/2 game behind Iowa for the conference title. Six more to go and two toughies at Wisconsin and Michigan State. Unfortunately we do not get to play Indiana or Iowa on our home court this season. BOO! Terrance Dials had a monster game yesterday, maybe the best of his career. Supposedly Clark Kellog pulled him aside and told him he did not have many games left. It certainly worked, assuming the story is true. Thadd Matta is an unbelieveable coach, getting the most out of his players. There are no real stars on this team, but they play well together and have a number of torid 3 point shooters. Jamar Butler has proven to be an excellent point guard, who can score and had out assists as well. Don
These kids are playing lights out right now....a strong win up north last week and a great, great effort -v- Illinois tells me they seem to be peaking at the right time. The extra bounce in Dials' step is particularly encouraging to me as I've always believed that those that live by the jumper, die by the jumper. I'd hate to see them hit a cold shooting stretch some time in March.... having a material threat in the paint is the best thing in the world for a jump shooter....and this squad has a boat load of jump shooters. Terry
Buckeye Terry, Oden & Conley had a terrific night Saturday evening at Welsh Ryan Field House in Chicago. (Incoming HS Recruits) Indianapolis Lawrence North They played before about 8500 fans against a number 6 USA team and won handily. Oden had 31 points and 11 boards. Conley had 24 points and 4 assists. Nice article also: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-060212mcgrathoden,0,2892779.story?co ll=cs-highschool-headlines
Don, Do the Bucks have a lot of Sr's on this years team? I know you have a big class of freshmen comming next year, including the kids mentioned above. Also now that Indiana and Mike Davis have parted company, I sort of expect that the new guy will lock down Indiana like Bobby Knight did in the past. Terry
Terry, Not really, but we will lose Dials at the Center spot, Foster at shooting guard and Sullinger at small forward. Foster is leading the NCAA in trey accuracy. Sullinger is very athletic, but runs hot and cold. When did Mike Davis depart from Indiana? I know he is under fire, but I am not aware of any news of his leaving. Don
Well I was just checking and I guess I've got him out when he's not really out...damn internet can't even generate a good rumour! Terry
Terry, Mike Davis was sick with the flu Saturday and could not coach. His assistant took over on a TEMPORARY basis. If you watched the game on ESPN and did not see him on the bench, you might have drawn the conclusion that he was gone. Also, you may have him confused with Quinn Snyder of Missouri. I'm sure all these midwest states look alike to you. :wink: There is a large contingent of loyal IU fans who are not happy with the direction of the team. They have no inside game and pretty much rely on the 3-ball for scoring. I expect Davis to continue to be under heavy fire. This could be his last season.
Terry, I forgot to add Matt Syvester, who is a senior. Actually we have four seniors in the starting rotation, but Matta substitutes a lot. We have more talent coming in on the surface. We will have to wait and see how they work out with the chemistry. Don
I'm looking forward to the new guys getting on board, but am a little concerned that teams full of "one-year wonders" often fail to meet their potential. And this years squad is playing great. stu
Regarding Mike Davis...this doesn't sound like a guy planning on staying around too long; T.J. King Peegs.com & Inside Indiana Associate Editor Indiana Head Coach Mike Davis has long made public the fact that he has never felt fully embraced by the Hoosier fan base during his tenure in Bloomington. During Monday's Big Ten teleconference the embattled coach went one step further. He suggested that the negativity surrounding his team is killing any hopes for a successful season and that he is running out of buttons to push to get his team to play hard. He also stated that the only solution to end the negativity may be to give the people what he thinks they want and need. "I just think Indiana needs to have one of their own," said Davis. "They need to have someone who has played here, so they can embrace him. And they need that. I'm not upset about it. I'm not disappointed about it. I think they need that, I really do. "These players deserve better. It's like I said before, it's going to affect…the people involved. They want our guys to play through it, but how can they? It was a puzzling comment from a coach that is fighting for his job, but after listening to his remarks Monday one has to wonder if Davis even wants to return to the IU bench next season. It sounds like he is beginning to question whether it is even possible for him to succeed at Indiana. This season the coach has faced some of the most heated criticism of his career as the Hoosiers once promising season has nosedived into a 13-8 record with the Hoosiers losing five of their last six games. Monday it was easy to see what Davis believes has caused the downslide--the atmosphere of negativity and speculation that has engulfed the program. "If someone walked into your job tomorrow and they said they were downsizing the company and you go home and tell your families there would be some families that would really be affected by that because now, they wouldn't know if their father would have a job," said Davis. "So our players have definitely been affected by it, and I've read a lot of things said about other coaches, but I've never walked into another arena and feel what our guys have to go through." Davis believes that the uncertainty surrounding his job and the constant stream of negativity directed towards the Hoosiers has caused some players to lose their resolve. He says it's a battle his players have been fighting since he arrived in Bloomington, but that recently it has gotten out of hand. "It's getting to the point to where the players…when it affects Marco Killingsworth, when it affects Robert Vaden, when it starts to affect your better players – and that's what it's done – it doesn't make sense," said Davis. "If we're in last place, have a complaint, but we've been one game out of this thing for the last couple of weeks and had a home streak going and you can just see it on their faces. It's not the same team. Because we lost one game or two games on the road, it was like it was the end of the year, and if you think about that, it doesn't make sense at all." Davis has maintained that he doesn't plan to resign and that he will continue to work to get his players to reach their potential this year. However, he admitted that the challenge has become almost too big to tackle. "It's hard – I can't explain how hard it is to get these guys going," said Davis. "They want to go, they want to play so bad. But does it make sense to anybody? That's the question. Does it make sense? "We have six games left, and it's my job to try to keep them focused and match the right buttons. But I think we may be getting out of buttons." "But we're still right there. We're 5-5, and we have six left. I think we're still there, but the players have to start believing that." It will be a hard task for Davis to get his players believing they can succeed. It may be even harder for Davis to believe that he can succeed at Indiana. When asked where he hoped the Big Ten tournament would be held next year, the sixth-year Hoosier head coach just laughed. "Well, it doesn't really matter to me," said Davis. That certainly sounds like a coach that doesn't plan on staying in Bloomington very long.
Stu, I like your Avatar! Have you had a chance to see David Lighty from Cincinnati? Talk about a fast small power forward. He makes Sullinger and Harris look like they are standing still! Don
Thanks, Don... The Boilermaker Special is the "official" Purdue Mascot...one of only three "vehicles" that are mascots (the Sooner Schooner being another one), and the only one that can (and does) legally drive the freeways of the country. It is claimed to be the world's largest mascot and weighs in at 10,800 lbs. and is built on a Navistar chassis. The "Purdue Pete" that lost to Huskerman's mascot in the ESPN contest is, I think, part of the cheerleading squad. Haven't had the privilege of seeing David Lightly. stu
Re Mike Davis article and possible resignation. I wonder if Steve Alford, coach at Iowa and former IU point guard, would take the job if offered? Don
Gee, Don...D'ya think they'll offer. :wink: Terry...what doesn't add up?...I said "another one..." not "the other one..." The primary reason is that I can't remember the third one...tried a little googling and couldn't come up with it...maybe someone in our crack Skybox Research Crew could...that is, if anyone cared. :roll: stu
Stu reading comprehension is obviously a problem for me!! . Just a thought but Georgia Tech is the "Ramblin' Wrecks" Don't they have an old Jalopy as their mascot? Terry