For the IU fans, are they the real deal this season? Can they live up to those lofty expectations? Can they even win the B1G with OSU, MSU, UM, Minnesota, and Wisconsin looking tough?
For the IU fans, are they the real deal this season? Can they live up to those lofty expectations? Can they even win the B1G with OSU, MSU, UM, Minnesota, and Wisconsin looking tough?
That's a good question bucksfan.
There's nothing to lead me to believe they should be anything but the B1G favorite. But it also wouldn't surprise me if tOSU, Michigan, or even Michigan State win the conference title.
Essentially I'd say IU's a 40% chance at winning, the Buckeyes and Michigan are 30 and 25% with Michigan State needing a lot of things to go right.
I'd probably say the same for the NCAA tournament. I'd put IU as a slight favorite over UK and/or UL, but not so much of an overwhelming favorite as say UK was last year.
It's in articles about the subject...
the actual amount (that we know about) is between $6-8,000 per guy.
This whole A-Hope thing with Mark Adams and then hiring his unqualified son has been shady from the start. If I was IU, I would take the punishment the NCAA has offered and hope they don't keep digging...
http://instagram.com/p/RyxpUVmo0z/
Oh LAWD!!
The $185 I was referring to was the amount given by Mark Adams to the university. Actually by his ex-wife but who's counting. That's what make Mark Adams a booster.
All of the money given by Adam's to the players was deemed to be perfectly legal and legit by the NCAA if he hadn't been a "booster" 20 years ago.
You've mentioned that IU hired Adam's "unqualified" son a number of times. I'm not sure either of us is in a position to debate the necessary qualifications to be the video manager of a D1 basketball team. Is there anything which makes you believe that he was particularly unqualified or unworthy of such a great job?
It seems like one of many small steps on the coaching steps which Adams has continued to ascend after his year of exemplary work in the IU film room.
As for A-hope and Mark Adams, again, it's a hell of a conspiracy theory, but when a program has been in existence for over 20 years and placed dozens of players in college programs other than Indiana. I'm not sure why it's all of a sudden shady that three players decide to go to Indiana. There have been a lot of guys who decided to go to Indiana recently.
Did the NCAA order IU to disassociate itself from Adams and A-Hope?
I'm a much bigger believer in IU's title chances than UL. (As someone who dislikes both schools.) UL still can't shoot. Can IU play credible defense?
IU didn't impress me enough last year to say "Wow are they going to be good." I thought Watford was slightly overrated and thought that Zeller needed to toughen up. I know little about their recruiting class but most of the projections have them relying on their returning starters.
I thought IU would be good, just surprised to see them the overwhelming #1 pick by most pundits across the nation. I think the B1G will be too much of a dogfight for IU to retain that ranking for a while.
I am not trying to downplay IU just a little surprised thats all and I wanted an IU fans reaction.
What about the defense part? Is Indiana going to be able to stop anybody this year? Their offense should be pretty deadly...
I think the goal is going to be to run teams out of the building and let the cost benefit of the pressure defense prevail. As in IU will likely give up some easy baskets, but the pressure created by a very efficient offense and whatever transition baskets they get will allow a lot of leads to snowball as the defense is able to take more chances, which leads to more transition baskets etc..
Individually, there's no one guy who will completely stop the opponents, but as a team I imagine they'll be top 20 in terms of defensive efficiency.
NCAA basketball, by all accounts, is seriously down this year in terms of talent. Everyone, it seems, has lost a bunch but IU and UofL.
As to defense, they'll need it in the Big 10 and NCAAs. And the jury is out right now, but Crean's good enough, IMO, to get them better. Whether that's good enough is anyone's guess. (And one reason why this year should be just about impossible to pick come NCAA time.)
One team no one's talking about that I think is underrated is Kansas. Length, shooting, defense, better decision-making at PG, a veteran-led team, a fairly easy road which should turn into a number one seed-- what's not to like?
Barry On Baseball Also blogging at Banished to the Pen.
Barry On Baseball Also blogging at Banished to the Pen.
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