You're listening to the back home network, presented by home field, apparel. Welcome back to Crimson, Cask ale, and klaviyo joining you here as we are in the midst of feast week. I really missed college basketball. I didn't realize how much, but it's been a great week for college basketball, and it's really getting me primed up for next week when the Big Ten ACC challenge. Starts and we get to see Indiana at Syracuse. A lot of fun things going on
some fascinating games. I've got a great pair of gentlemen, joining me here, Scott my co-host and co-founder of crimson cast joining me and Tony had Rania also joining us. One of our first back home network Meetup podcast. I guess you could say, Scott. I'll start with you. Good to see you and talk to you again and Happy Thanksgiving in advance. How you doing? I'm doing great. We're talking basketball. We're not talking. I you produce.
This is Fantastic. Yeah, this is a we're going to try to keep this as emotionally positive and unscarred as we possibly can over the course of the the 45 minutes or so that we talk, Tony always a pleasure to talk with you. How has the last couple of months, been treating you? Yeah, it's great to be back here on Crimson cast and as you mentioned great to be part of the back home network.
So, super excited about that. Collaboration that we've all have going on there, but last couple months have been great in terms of Watching some some college hoops. Like you said, that's been awesome. And then I use starting out for know, certainly helps things as well. Just a couple of notes before we get started gents. I don't know what your apparel
situation looks like right now. But you know, I am feeling the need for a couple of more items in my closet and home-field apparel presenting sponsor here on the home. Back home network has a great deal coming up on Friday. The the Black Friday sale that extends all the way through the weekend goes to And a 20 percent off everything while supplies
last. And, you know, if you've been if you had an eye on anything, on the home field apparel website, this is kind of the time to do it, you know, you Christmas Seasons coming up and most of us have long since gone past the time where we could use a promo code for our first order. So this is basically like getting a promo code all over again. We're very excited about that.
And again, it's for everybody it's not just there's no there's nothing to type in just to 20% off from Black Friday, Cyber Monday. Anything you guys have your eyes on that, you're interested in getting here over the course of the next week. Or so. I'm looking at sweatshirts that aren't the, the hoodies and definitely Slippery Rock every morning. Wait. Are we going to occurs? We're not losing you too big crew. Neck. Are we Scott? No. No, I'm just, I'm, I have a
bunch of hoodies. I'm going just the straight sweatshirt. It's, they're so comfy. All right, Tony, you, I'm all in on the crew. Net game. Wow. You know, about that, my hashtag take her. Now. My wife's big on crew necks. And that's the first time in our marriage. I'm just kind of like, I don't know about you, you know, but but now that'll be interesting though, but there's some good stuff on there. Go check it out. A lot of great IU stuff is normal. We're also the crew necks and divorce.
Maybe maybe you know, I mean, I don't want any of them. So if you know, worse comes to worse, we'll go that direction. Anyway, let's dive in and talk about this IU basketball team for a no. On the season. Sadly. This is the longest winning streak that I use been on in like three years. I think, you know, they went into that game on on Sunday, on a three-game winning streak, and that was the longest winning
streak. They'd been on what since the last time they won three games in a row was from Tuesday, December 10th to Saturday, December 21st of 2020. So it had been it'll have a full season and then some and the last time they won. In a row. The last of those four games was that Florida State win in Tuesday? December. I'm sorry. I meant to say the 10th of December, the 21st of December of 2019. And the last time they won four in a row. Remember they had that 8? No.
Start back in the 2019 2020 season that culminated in the Devonte green game. So here we find ourselves gentlemen, IU, 4, and 0 Scott. Let me start with both of you. I'll start with you on this General feelings. Like what? What, what impressions? Ins maybe over a minute or so has this team left on you. In what you've seen out of them so far.
I really do like the depth. We saw it a lot on the game Sunday against Louisiana, where, you know, some of the starters like race and traced in play as much. And you saw guys like, you know, Parker Stewart and a little bit of Anthony Leo come in and do some good things. You know, I feel really good about where we're at because it does feel like between Xavier Johnson Parker Stewart.
A little bit of Miller cop. And then, you know, Tamar Bates kind of coming on because you're going to have like two good games out of those for any one time but that you also have like race and Trace or bolts just unbelievably stable and
consistent. So you kind of have that rock and I feel like that's what even missing last couple years is we didn't have like we needed one of those guys like we just didn't have enough stable guys, and we need one of those kind of, like Tamar Bates type to have a good game every game and it's just not going to happen. Like he's a freshman same with, you know, Miller cop. Like I put them on kind of that.
Category where you're probably going to get a good game out of one of them, every four or five games, the nice think. It's just like, there's four or five of them. So, it's like, one of them can be that, that, that level of game. I've also I've just enjoyed seeing the fight with this team. CB seeming Xavier Johnson, kind of Take the Lead, kind of handle things on the court.
And you're starting to see kind of the the Archie Archie dislike this team kick away as they start to play a little more free, a little more fun. Like this is something you mentioned many times. I just that the joy and basketball seems to be coming back. They're not looking to the sideline as much like. Again. The last thing I'll say is I remember the play where, you know, race Thompson in the st. John's game, like got a traveling call.
We was bringing the ball, inbounds like messed it up and like moved and got called for traveling. It's like Xavier Johnson went over, like got on his ass a little bit and then it was like, it was over, and this kept on going. Where's that feel? Like in years past it would have been like this big thing and like you would have been brought down like it just was kind of hey, don't do that again. What's it didn't even have to engage in that, which is awesome.
So those are all kind of high-level things like this T. Tony. I'll ask you the same question. What has stood out? What have been the biggest Impressions you've gotten off this IU team so far. Yeah. Just kind of to Echo Scott. I mean it's been so positive like almost too positive. This team hasn't really since since Mike wasn't taken over. There's pretty much been zero adversity, you know, at least Public public facing adversity, you know, I'm sure they have
internal. Bubbles and things in practice guys. Getting suspended, whatnot, but everything's been so positive. Like I'm still kind of waiting for adversity, to hit to see how this team responds because that's when through the Archie years when adversity did hit that was when, like, you end up losing 12, or 13 games, or whatever. It was back, a few years ago. So I'm not complaining. It's been so positive.
It's been a breath of fresh air. And then, you know, just in terms of playstyle and things watching the guys like you said free-flowing, almost a little too free. Against Louisiana, in terms of twenty seven turnovers. But again, my question goes in the press conference. He kind of jokes about it. Like, what does that mean? Means a lot of running tomorrow. Like, you know, it's, it's just a breath of fresh air. It's not a, it's not a bunch of
like coach speak. Mike. Woodson is just very, very open and honest and tells it like it is and takes accountability. He's like look, you know today it's on me. I got to get the guys better prepared or better in those situations. So I've Boyd thoroughly enjoyed the Mike, Woodson era. To this point. I've enjoyed watching this team play in four games and overall just a really, really positive
vibe. Yeah, I agree. I think that I've been to three of the four games in person now and what is stuck out in each of the games has been the vibe that the players are giving off while they're on the floor and it's not overwhelmingly goofy or anything like that. But it's just there's there's a level of freedom of mentality that did not exist at all. Under the Archie Miller and frankly, I would argue didn't argue, didn't didn't belong, didn't happen a lot under the crane are either.
I mean, a little bit in 2012, maybe not as much in 2013 and certainly not in the last five years of the crane era. There was a tightness to a lot of those teams that just doesn't exist. So far, now obviously Indiana's played four teams only one of which were he even has an outside shot at winning, you know, their way into the NCAA tournament, but even in non competitive games in the past that I use played, it's felt different.
And there really is, I think a kind of a collective Maybe not, maybe Joy is too strong of a word right now, Scott, but at least this idea that what they're doing isn't life and death. Every time they're going down the floor. And I really felt like in Stark relief to what we've seen out of the She Miller era that era. It really did feel like guys were terrified of making mistakes. They were terrified of making mistakes on offense, on defense, whatever, and maybe they still
are. And we just haven't seen it come out yet, but it doesn't feel that way at this point. So go ahead one and taking it outside of just the players because it will focus on some of the players. Obviously, on this podcast, will talk about some of them, you know, I've been to two of the games or wife. Was it a third game, you know, the thing that I've noticed in, you mentioned this on Twitter after the st.
John's game that At that positivity and feeling has permeated the rest of the program and the fanbase in that the st. John's game. You know, again, this is kind of like I didn't fully understand how an eye, you hire a former player would affect, you know, the program until we have it. You know, I didn't fully realize kind of how dead isn't the right word, but just had a kind of how non Assembly Hall. Assembly hall turned into from Levi perspective. Once that st.
John's game was like, oh, it was like almost a little spark of electricity. It's like well, It's different like the students feel a little more fired up. Like the crowd felt more energized if you were there you felt it. And as I you know, I think that's palpable. I think the way the schedule lays out. They're going to win a bunch more home games. Like I look at the schedule. They could theoretically have been based on Ken Palm. They're only predicted to lose two home games this year.
It's that Purdue Michigan back-to-back weekend. I've said for a while. I think they're going to catch one of those in which could mean they go, you know, whatever. It is losing one game at home this year, see feeling that energy just for st. John's like a A nine o'clock tip where there was a lot of reasons why it wouldn't be a great
crowd. It was makes me feel like Assembly Hall is going to be back where it's it's going to again, be that tough place to play that, you know, Galen you and I remember in like the 90s just that's the way it was. And it's going to probably in my mind lead to some wins at home that maybe they shouldn't have. Like I said that that Purdue or Michigan game, but that's the other piece just like it's kind of its expanded outside the team where the fan base.
Just it just feels. Different if you're there, yeah, Tony one of the things that is noticeable about this team is, it's a very different style of play. Then anything that we have been used to over the course of really the last. I mean, yeah, quite a while like somebody posted this and I feel terrible that I can't remember
who it was that. Posted it on Twitter yesterday, but they noted that this is the highest Tempo in games that Indiana has played, since the year 2000, the last Year that bob Knight was the head coach that year Indiana average 71.5 possessions per game offensively. The, you know, they've, they've certainly had fast offenses before that, that last that crane year where they were not very good. The 2014 year. They averaged, they were 60 third in the nation in Tempo.
Basketball was slower back then by, you know, fairly significant margin like three or four. Actions Indiana's only 150 in the nation in tempo right now, but they're going faster than we've seen them in a long time. And Tony. I mean, I think, to some degree, you could attribute, the turnover issues to moving at that faster Tempo and trying to get things in their minds about where people are supposed to be. But it is interesting that the this pot.
I mean, do you think the positivity that we're talking about and the vibe thing is that flowing from this change in approach, the basketball philosophies that are being put out on the floor right now by Woodson and his staff. I think that's a big part of it. I think some of it is just overall coaching philosophy and style in terms of building players up and not breaking them down.
I mean, Mike, what's in his talk over and over and over again about the confidence that he has to instill in guys. And you know, he's not going to put players in a box and he's not going to tell him you can't do this, you know, so confidence boosting is a big part of what he's trying to do, which I think we saw it. Throughout the Archie Miller error, guys did not have confidence. Whether that be shooting the basketball, whether that be
taking care of the basketball. You know, you're just not, you're not seeing that this year. I mean, I think of Christian Lander is a prime example of a guy that came in struggled early on like a lot of freshmen do and then his confidence was gone and he never regained it. And so, I think some of it permeates from, from coaching philosophy and then just how the team is playing in terms of style, like, that's A fun style to play, you get up and guys
stuff on the defensive end. You're denying passing Lane, you're creating turnovers. So that's that's a huge difference from the Archie. Miller era is they're creating turnovers on the defensive end and that's turning in the quick offense. Right? And, and so, that's, that's a big part of it. Too is. That's, that's a fun style to play. You know, when you can steal the ball and throw a lob up, the tray, shacks and Davis for a dunk and assembly Halls roaring. Like, that's a lot of fun.
Whereas, with the are Tiara defensively, you're in that pack line your Hoping they milk, the shot clock, they end up shooting a bad shot. You get the rebound. You go. Well, now you're up in passing Lanes, Europe. And, guys, junk, you know, trying to trying to create havoc and they're doing so those far. Now, you know, opponents have been a little more inferior in st. John's has been prone to turnovers with the style they play.
So it's yet to be seen if that style will translate to like big 10 opponents, but thus far the style on defense I think is Translating that tempo as well as the defense of quick to Tony. You got to put a dot Her in the swear jar. You said pacline? We don't talk about pack want any more. So Dollar in the swear jar, please, I got you. That's hilarious. Never want to hear it again. It isn't that you're going to make put a dollar in the swear jar for saying I was getting
some of these junk. Well, no. No, that's getting drunk is good. Pacline his bait. Wait, what? No, but it is I do think it's also interesting. What before we get into individual players. I do think it's fascinating how through four games. We already have. Hands on social media, trying to point out what's going wrong with IU and there's a lot of people have pointed out the turnovers or they pointed out that they've only know the couple of games. They only won by a small. Margin.
I've heard a lot of well, this is the same old team. I, here's the thing. It's easy to get mad at those people and I understand where they're coming from. I think a lot of the issue is, there's we are so programmed from 20 years of this team being inconsistent letting people down. That I think a lot of people are
afraid to love again. And and what's happening now is you've got people who are constantly looking for what the next problem is going to turn into rather than just understanding that even in the Heyday when Indiana was really good. Most of the time you had bad games. You'd lose games at home. You'd occasionally lose a game to an opponent that you shouldn't those things happen in basketball the time.
But you don't have to necessarily point to I'm constantly and say we are going to fail because of this thing that I saw or because we turn the ball over too many times. You know, Tony, I think you can speak to this as well as anybody. It's amazing to me that you've got all these things going on at once. You've got a new coach, really new coaching staff. You've got one holdover from the previous era. You've got a brand new offensive system, a brand new defensive
system. You're starting what two guys three guys who weren't on the The team last year and I mean Parker Stewart was kind of half on the team, but he wasn't really wasn't, certainly wasn't starting. He wasn't playing for the semester that he was here. That is a lot of change for any basketball team, especially the college level to deal with to some degree. We should be looking at the results so far and saying this
is surprisingly good. Like, we're seeing more well-put-together programs like Michigan, for instance, or Illinois who have lost games already early in the season. Yes. A better competition, but the fact that Indiana is winning these games and the fact that Indiana has no culture of winning at this point. Not just the guys that came back, you know, the fantasies and the race. Thompson's, the Tricia action Davis is, but like we brought in two guys who played it pit.
Not exactly an icon of success in college basketball. There's a lot of losing in the DNA that kind of has to get, you know, out of the system and has to be replaced with a consciousness of how to win. I've been really impressed so far with Woodson's. Me to manage that and put this team in a positive mentality, despite them not knowing what that actually means. 100%. You know, everything you
mentioned is so hard. I, I go back to coaching high school basketball, you know, you start the season and you get like five practices in and you know, that you've got a game five practices later and you're like, holy crap. Like, how are we going to get everything in? Like how you know, there's so many situational things and Baseline out of bounds and defensive strategy, offensive strategy. Your guys are taking you off because they're not running. Things right?
Like that. Beginning of the season is so stressful as a coach because there's no way you can get all of your philosophies instilled in your guys by that point. So you're trying to pick and choose. All right, where do we want to hang our hat on? Alright, this seems like this team. They want to hang their hat on the defensive end at least the start and then they're going to let things flow from the
offensive end from there. So I think, what's in the done a masterful job of picking his battles figuring out. All right, what are our core values of the basketball team? And as a program, let's hang our hat on those. From the outset and then we'll let the other stuff take care of itself as the season progresses. I think that's exactly what we're seeing with the defensive side of the ball. That is Indiana's identity right now.
They're offensively. He's letting them play free and flow free and that's going to be the philosophy. But as they learn each other's game learn what's in spacing and all that. And then he learns where guys can score the ball on the floor and start running sets for that. I think we're going to continue see the offense be more effective, but I think what's in?
I mean a plus really on these this you Up through mid-november or late November. I guess it is now on how he's kind of managed all of these things and kind of mesh them together into what we've seen is the product on the floor. Scott, I think it's time to go inside the numbers.
Don't you think? Yes, and and what I do is, I would, I would say this, like you mentioned the the, you know, what he had, what since doing with, you know, a lot of transfers from non great schools and things like that. Like, if I'm Woodson I'm like, hey, you know, Dolson, you know, Mel Tucker did the same thing. He had a lot of transfers. He also had a guy from Wake Forest doing well, like, he's getting 95 million on very little track record, like time to talk, huh? Ready to go.
She a shit. I mean this, it seems like time to strike while the Iron's hot though. That's, that's hilarious. But now it, we're, let's go inside the numbers, talk a little bit and just a, reminder, were sponsored by the power rank, where our friend, Ed Fang uses data, and analytics to make accurate predictions on both college football and college basketball. He also writes a March Madness guide, every year and Tony.
We may actually be able to read that this year and have it matter as I, you fans, which I that talk about. Out stuff. I don't know anymore. But if you want sports betting, advice with a PhD Edge. Check out the power rank at the free newsletter. It is the go to the power rank.com /. AC, you can subscribe. That's the power rank.com /. AC be sure to check that out. So let's dive in the numbers Scott. Let me start with you.
You know, you look at the stats on can Palm or on torvik, and it's clear Trace Jackson. Davis really hasn't lost a step in. And what he's doing. He has come out and has really been a, I would eat. I think I'd probably argue a slightly better version of himself with, with fewer possessions utilized, then what he had last year, you know, you look at it.
I think was probably been the most impressive for me is how much more he seems to be active on the defensive glass and how he's dropped his turnover rate like three percent so far, which that's a big deal for Now a part of it I think is tjd. I still we still haven't seen him shooting from three.
We are seeing him shoot from like 17, 18 feet though, and that feels like a bit of a precursor to what he's hoping to get to by January. No, he's starting to take that, you know, top of the key jumper, which is good that he has down for having attempted to three. Although people said like that wasn't a 3 in the game. So we'll see what the stats show him taking 13. Like, I still would love to see him, just attempting to or three threes a game just to help his draft stock. I got it.
It's not the best analogy. But in the mid-90s, the NBA, Dennis Rodman. Went to the Spurs and David Robinson, then won the MVP. And have I just a phenomenal year partially because just when you're a, when you're a center, having a stud for at the power forward position, just opened so many things up for you again, not the Perfect Analogy here. But to me, it's like, I think the growth of race Thompson is also helping to trace Jackson, Davis a ton as well, because
race. Looks like the two of them are just fantastic interior. Defenders Jackson Davis does stuff like he's able to get blocks on. Recoveries where it's like, how do you get up there? But, you know, race Thompson, you know, against st. John's with you Shemp, any good pronunciation?
Scott, put AA, take a dollar out of my pronunciation dark, you know, he shut him down most of the first half when chimp any really went nuts and second half is when race wasn't playing defense on him, race has been just a stellar Defender. So I agree. You. I would like to see continued more outside shooting from Tres Jackson Davis, but I think races races ability is really helped race. And I also I've said this for
almost all the games. I know the competition you I'm excited to see the competition step up on this, but sorry, I got a phone call coming in. It's all right, but you know, I have been saying this for all these games that you looks like Jackson Davis can get whatever he wants whenever he wants. Like and again, I know the competition has been sub part of what we'll see in the big. 10. But to me, that's also a really good precursor that. It feels like any time.
At any point during the game. If they give him the ball, he's able to get a move, he's able to position himself, whatever he wants. He can get kind of great position. Like it feels almost like like I said, in the Eastern Michigan game, they were just trying some different stuff out and kind of went away from a little bit too much and then kind of go back to him, but it does feel like whenever they need two points, they can just get it to him and
get to my think. That's also why, you know, we have the the highest effective. One of the best effective field goal percentage. Percentages in the country right now. What has stuck out to you about? Trace Jackson Davis so far, Tony, I mean, maybe it's all of those things. But are there any other things that you've noticed that have been like? Wow this there's there's some Eeveelution here. It's alright. Yeah, out there for you Tony. Oh, no worries. Sorry.
I'm giving him a question later too. So don't worry about it. I think the big big difference that we see is him coming from the help side, the block shots. That's that's been something that Mike Woodson has taken. Kind of, from the NBA game of your a rim protector things. Be funneled to you. You can cut. You can literally come off your man and go try to block a shot and it's no longer your responsibility to block that guy out. It's the help side.
Defender is guy. So I think that's a big thing. And you know, we see his block percentage is is top 40 in the country right now. I think last year he was in like the top 200 but I think that's a big evolution of his game. Is him being able to come over from help side and be able to block those shots? And then on an offensive standpoint, I think he's been so efficient and effective. As Scott mentioned, you know, with race being very efficient and good basketball himself, that helps.
But I also think the spacing on offense is so much better for Tricia X and Davis to, to operate. He's not constantly like I pulled a clip in the film room from the Louisiana game because Trace caught the ball on the left block and he makes a move and he pivots and he ends up shooting a reverse right-hand layup. Whereas, last season race Thompson is parts right on the other block. But in this season, he's now up top, he spaces and spacing the floor at the top of the key.
There's two Shooters in the corner. There's one on the opposite wing, and he's got all that room to operate. And there's guys that he can throw to that, are keeping the defense honest that are actually going to knock down a shot. It was a Tony can Woodson coach in college though? I mean, see Gonna understand the college game almost as well as he can recruit. Yeah. I thought it was fascinating in the Louisiana game. Tony like when he wasn't, the
one Trace wasn't in the game. They just went, they were going full five out on most of those possessions. They were, there was nobody anywhere close to the basket and it didn't hurt. Now, granted Louisiana at like, their soul had been reaped at that point. Like they no longer were functioning being at that point. But if that's a taste of what's to come, where it's like, all right, you know, so Trace is out there.
We're going to give him the spacing to do and need to do offensive ly and then when he's not out there we're just going to essentially abandon the idea that we have to station somebody in the the low block. Block, I mean we've been asking for that for a long time, but it's shocking that it's actually like watching Indiana players in Indiana.
Uniform is running that offense. It's like it's like being on the moon, you know, it's just a very unusual thing and we talked about race like and we talked about the transformation from. Yeah. A new philosophy like that guy. His his offensive game has had to change so much and how we utilize. I mean that was you he was the guy was going to ask you about. Like he's always been a pretty off efficient offensive player. But you know, he's also used
very few possessions. I mean he was he got more into the flow of things last year, certainly, but the way that he's being used now is just he looks so much more natural in what he's doing and so much of it comes from being in a position where he's triggering, you know, kind of the secondary movement
on offense with his passing. And, you know, he's not really a shooting threat from outside, but he's not afraid to shoot it and he's He's yet to miss so many shots that people are just going to back off and completely, you know, but but his passing while I think it still does need to get better has triggered a lot of the offensive flow for this IU team and that was a key piece. That just was just not present in the offense last year. Absolutely.
And you know, and what sins motion offense, they're essentially setting a UCLA screen and then that big popping to the wing, the guards hitting that big on the wing and then the offense is flowing through that, the that big Decision, whether they want to do a dribble handoff where they want to go set a pin down screen or something.
So his, yeah, his offensive Evolution has been so vital to this team and I think it's funny because you go back and watch his high school highlight tapes and that was the player. He was, he was, he was beating the break with the dribble. He was shooting from the outside. He was very much a dual threat if you will.
In terms of being able to shoot inside and outside and and what's in this kind of been able to unlock that in now, like you said, he's I think he's what What 148 from the three-point line but he's keeping defenses honest. Well, yeah, they have to have to guard that and it's interesting because he's, I mean, his three-point shooting wasn't great last year either. But he's shooting 81% from to so far on the season, which is really interesting to think
about. Because I mean some of those have been jump shots and he's been knocking those down but some of those have been him, get being able to get into position to make point-blank shots, or be able to take point-blank shots. And again, that, that just wasn't Happening for him last year and I think a lot of it is, is he just exudes? This almost gravitational pull like he is as much as Trace Jackson. Davis is the key offensive
player. Race Thompson is essentially the sun around, which the rest of the offense is orbiting right now and his, his like, Vitality out there shows through on that, it shows through on his rebounding. Percentage is like, he's one of the top 50 rebounders in the country right now on the defensive end. And Just because the guy is going out there with an expectation that he's going to grab every ball, that comes his
way. And it kind of goes back to what we talked about, at the beginning, Scott like the confidence levels, in some of those returning guys.
That's what I'm I guess the most surprised about, I thought there was going to be confidence, it was going to be coming out of some of the newcomers who hadn't been wrapped up in the negativity that it existed internally over the last few years, but it's really been a race chance to race time Senate race tracks and Davis not just with their their stats. But with their Tattooed on the court.
That's been the most infectious thing and this is where I don't want to keep harping on the you know, the people who said woods and couldn't coach in college, but this is you have to insanely effective players and we saw it last year. We saw it, you know with the season with I think about Romeo and Juliet on Morgan where it was like that was and I want to keep pissing on Archie, but it's like it looks so rudimentary. I get Romeo the ball anywhere just and back.
It's like you look at the, you know, the number of the percentage of possessions that Those two guys used it was like they were pushing 30 percent of peace. And the rest of the team was like zero. What's amazing here is you have these two guys who are so effective and yet, you know, race Thompson is only getting 20 percent of effective possessions.
Like he's not even in the major contributors factor of Ken Palm, but I don't think he feels like he's not being utilized like galen's your point on the five out. Like I love seeing these all these different styles from would seem like he's trying things out and to me, you know, somebody doesn't again, I don't want to get into recruiting that's like this is A solid Boom for recruiting where you can kind of almost sell any style to any recruit.
Like hey, man, you play low as we can get you the ball at hey, you play outside, we can do this. It's just it's really nice to see, you know, in years past we'd have two very good options on offense and our offense was basically get those guys the ball and everybody else stand around and wait and then figure something out where now it feels like we have a very functional offense. That's honestly, it's really cool to have race Thompson. I think probably our number two offensive.
Option, not be number two. In a, you know, percentage of possessions used. Let's switch gears a little bit. Tony. I don't know where yet completely what to make out of the guards on this IU team. Like this is a very odd group. In terms of what they bring to the floor. You've got Xavier Johnson. Who's you know, his assist rate is awesome at 30.4%, but his turnover rate is also 30 percent and he just The vibe you get off that guy is he's going to win games for you.
And he's also going to like do Insane things that are going to make you question, why he's on the floor. You've got Tamar Bates, who obviously has a ton of skill but is obviously also still learning how to play at this level. You've got Christian Lander, who was kind of Left, 4 Dead there for a while and then has really popped up and looks like a functional college basketball player and even more.
So in Is exhibiting a lot of hustle and then you got robbed fennessy who is injured but is obviously giving a lot of defensive effort, but still seems to be very lost on the offensive end and I guess we got to throw Parker Stewart in there as well. A guy who's been really efficient. He's the third most efficient
score. Sorry the second most efficient score, I think on this team depending on how much you want to give credit to Miller cop, but Stewart's also like been hesitant to take shots up to this point. So give me your overall diagnosis of You back court and what what? You're thinking after four games? Yeah, it is an interesting backcourt. 100, like 100%. It's because he mentioned Xavier. He's kind of Jekyll and Hyde, you know, and that st. John's game.
It was evident how how much he was needed until Lander came on the floor. You know, when Rob came in to back him up. It was like gosh, man. We got to figure something out here. We need Xavier in the court, don't get in foul trouble. But they've your kind of is what he is. At this point, you know, he's a guy that's played a lot of college basketball. I don't think we're gonna see a ton of shift in his game. He's a guy that that's going to.
He's going to be able to score the ball at The Rim. He's decent enough from an outside perspective to where he's going to keep defenses honest and he's the floor really well, but he's gonna a couple times a game. He's going to make a boneheaded past where it's like, you don't need that home run or he's gonna dribble off his foot, trying to go around the back or something. So with him, I think he's Consistently inconsistent if that's a thing.
And so the rest of the Guard pool is kind of interesting to me though because you get different things from different guys, you know, with a Parker and Miller cop starting at the two and three, I think you get definitely more offensive prowess from those guys in terms of shooting but defensively probably a lot to be desired. They're from a different
perspective. Now Parker, he's really impressed me actually, with how he's defended this season, but then like you mentioned, you've got a And or who may have the most upside of all of the guards on this entire roster, in terms of what he may become. And he seems like he's kind of growing up right before our eyes right now, but still, I don't think he's a guy that's gonna be able to win you a game right now
or anything like that. So yeah, it's an interesting pool of guards and it's like they all have something they do really well, but none of them is just like a well-rounded just like I'm going to get you everything and be like, level-headed about it, because I think Xavier can be a very, very high level card, but you just don't know if he's gonna give you that night after night like the other night, you know, you getting a shoving match with a guy.
It just unnecessary. Get you a technical napkins, your second personal you're sitting down like, right? It's hard to rely on that. Yeah, he's the thing with the thing with Xavier. Sorry, jump in like the thing that he brings and I'll meant this was mentioned on the assembly call after the post game and st. John's, you know, Know what he did. At the end of that game, is he just had the ball and he broke his guy down and got to the Lane.
Which, like, when was the last time we had a guard at IU, able to do that? Like, you can just give him the ball and it's like on your own break a guy down and get there. And I think that's that's I think what he can bring. I agree with everything. Tony said, to me the cop, I've always I've kind of put together in my mind for Xavier Johnson. Is he kind of looks like him. Do is he reminds me of Stephen Jackson from the Pacers? Like just he has a lot of
talent. Can do a lot of good things, but you're probably going to have three technical This year, we're like, dude, like seriously, but it just well gonna come with the territory. I look at him. I'll use it on you example, he's like an evolutionary verdell Jones in a way, a guy who's never going to be an efficient scorer at the point guard position, but a guy who can, who will make passes that are going to lead directly to buckets.
And you're going to have to deal with turnovers because if he's the triggerman as Tony said like he's going to see things that other players don't see. Which We'll leave the baskets. But he's also going to see things that aren't there that he thinks that they are and that will lead the turnovers. And I mean, you go back and look at, you know, what frustrated about verdell. So much was his turnover rate
the last two years. It was over 20% both times, but his assist rate kind of got overshadowed. And I blame myself as much as anybody for not focusing on that more. He was you know, a pretty good guard. Overall in terms of being able to be a trigger man Johnson's significantly better like John, Had the, you know, one of the top five assist rates in all of college basketball last year at Pitt, the question I guess is going to be Tony in this kind of an offense.
Does that does that approach? I guess is the offensive flow going to bring out the best in what he does or is it a situation where? Because it's set up in the way that it is with so many options and things being passed around that the need to have somebody initiating offense like that isn't as As necessary as it was under, maybe a system that was a little more structured. Yeah, I think I think where he
becomes extremely valuable. Is that shot clock, you know, you run to your initial actions that shot clock gets down to 14. You just face the floor, call for a ball screen, and then let them create from there. I think that's where he becomes extremely valuable, because he is a playmaker. He's a shot Creator, whether that be for himself or his
teammates. So I do think the skill set that he brings his valuable to this system, but more so think it's like it's not the initial action member, even the secondary action. I might be the tertiary action. Like. All right. We're going to late shot clock situation. Let's face the floor, call for ball screen, and let X create.
So I think that's where his value becomes really, really necessary in this kind of open Flow style system that I think will pay dividends down the line and we kind of saw it in the st. John's game where it's like, all right, get him the ball, see what he can do on these ball screen actions and toward the end of the game. He got to the Rim. Yeah, it's Scott. You know the when you look at these other guards, and I guess I get a throat.
Ray Galloway in there as well, and he's out with the broken wrist. Obviously, it'll be interesting to see what happens when he comes back. Obviously. This team needs a player that can establish themselves as a shooter that is going to be a pressure valve release for the rest of the offense draw defenses out. Stuart certainly looks like the guy who can step into that role, but I also I'm really becoming more and more curious about what Tamar Bates is going.
To be able to bring to the table and how much all of this evolved because I just keep I keep watching this team on the floor. And I keep thinking to myself. I don't think that what we're looking at right now and what we're going to be looking at the end of January are going to be the same thing. I think certain things like, you know, Trace Jackson Davis and race Thompson, doing what they do.
Yes, but this backcourt really feels like a work in progress because a lot of these guys are still kind of figuring out the parameters of what they can and can't do on the floor. Yeah, the thing with Parker. But that's funny is when you watch the game just kind of passively. It's like he starts and then he goes in the bench, then you don't see him again. It's like that. It's like he comes back with four minutes ago.
Like, oh, yeah, he's a starter. Like I do remember him playing for like and the entire portion of the middle part of the game. He always liked his game. Always comes out. He'll hit two threes and it's like the homeless it for 28 minutes. I do, I'm with you. Bates has shown moments where he's able to do things, where it's like, oh, yeah. He's starting to put this together, like, I See a scenario where when you get to January
late. January, Bates is starting in place of Stewart. Like I think Bates is going to help growth curve. Is it going to be in place of Stewart? Or is it going to be in place of Miller cop? Because like I keep going I think a cop bring some interesting things. He hasn't really. I've yet to figure out with cop. Like what are you supposed to bring to the table with this
team? And you know, because if you look at his track record at Northwestern, It's it already looks very different statistically than what it looked like they're you know, they're he was certainly he was a less efficient player. He was taking a higher percentage of shots. He was using a higher percentage of possessions. He's kind of the, I don't want to see the hidden member of the starting lineup, but you can see a clear role for je veux Johnson.
He's clearly the point guard Stewart is clearly the guy standing on the wing drawing defenses off and taking shots. You know, what race does? You know, what? Stars have yet to figure out exactly how cop is supposed to ideally fit into this lineup. And what he brings that tomorrow Bates might not at some point be able to supersede and because of his athleticism and his ability to drive.
Yeah, now that's a fair point. I mean, I guess one of those two spots but yeah, I mean bates's athleticism really shines through. I love the Lefty piece of it. He's able to do some things that honestly, you just don't see anybody else on that starting line up able to do like he has Ability that Stewart and cop. Just don't maybe Xavier Johnson, does little bit of strength, the part that the other guard we haven't talked about and because he doesn't play much.
But like again, you know, having been to a couple of games watching him in warm-ups, understanding its warm-ups butts, like, Anthony, Leo doesn't miss, he just doesn't miss, he gets all his threes. I don't know what 142 of the other night. I have, I still have a heart and I trust in Woodson. I just like for a team that's like needing some good three-point shooting. It's still kind of boggles my mind how I was happy to see him play against Louisiana. Hope we continue to see that.
It's just kind of boggled My Mind through these, you know last year and a half that it's like can you not find five minutes just to have him in the corner and kind of play that got who is the guy of beginning? Part of the Korean Air who met Roth? You'll just kind of play that make you don't play good defense, you'll do anything. You just nail threes and like it looks like he shouldn't be able
to do that. But it's like it must be in practice his defense as badly as something is something is causing him to not get time on the The court well, but is it is that they need actually good. Defender. Magic is a good Defender. I don't think it's that. I just try to figure out what it is.
But if you can shoot the lights out, and this is an interesting thing, Tony like the, the Anthony wheel question has been not one that I've been interested in because he is clearly way down in the pecking order right now. And I was before the previous coach to, but he played more minutes under under Archie. I mean, that's the thing. I mean, a granted that was over the course of the season, but he
played even play a huge. A minutes, but he was in the middle of the Big Ten season last year. He was getting double digit minutes in a bunch of those games. He kind of disappeared at the end of the season. I don't know. I mean Tony, where would you like? Do you agree with the playing time that he's getting right now? And why do you think there are people ahead of him in the pecking order?
Yeah, I mean, I think it really just comes down to a numbers thing and and what what's in values and in that kind of three roll. If you will, you know with with gout I kind of look at glial and Galloway in that same kind of position if you will with that second unit and really with with Rob fennessy struggling to run that. Unit and he hadn't had a lot of trust in Lander yet. He trusted Galloway to kind of run the offense with that.
Second unit. Saw a lot of kind of like point forward coming from Galloway. Now, I know Galloway was out last game and we didn't see as much of Lille, but I think he kind of, he kind of got lost in a numbers game there with just, in terms of what coach Wilson values with the second unit in general, but I do think, Anthony Leo. I think he's gonna get a shot. I think that, you know, between injuries and you know, adversity hitting during the big Ten
season and whatnot. I think he's going to end up helping I you when some games at some point this season, but right now I think it's just what's in doing a filling out period and he's got a deep team. I mean, he's got 13 scholarship, guys at as of two games ago. Everybody was healthy. It just kind of gets caught lost in a numbers game. Well, I think that's a valid point and this is something we've lost sight of a little bit.
I think as I you fans, which is that it's okay for players to take a couple of years and not actually A lot of court time and develop, that's how it's supposed to work. And the there's been such a shallow depth situation with IU, basketball for so long. And really, like the last was the last really deep team that you felt like this Indiana hat. I mean, what 2011 2012 because even that 2012 13 team, you know, like when Remy Abell is like one of the first two guys
off the bench. It's like, we're not as deep as we think that we should be here, you know, so Leo if he's able To come in, pick a spots and hit shots when he's in there. I certainly think the ceiling is high and the reality is Avery Johnson. Parker Stewart have more college basketball experience. Tomorrow Bates has more like innate physical talent and athleticism which is really what this team needs. Because if you've got Parker Stewart out there, and theoretically if you've got, you
know a Miller cop out there. You don't really need what Anthony wheel provides because you need something. That is more. I take the ball to the basket and Draw The Defenders, and that makes the rest of the offense. Go. So that's something to keep an eye on. Anyway, I know that we've all got some hard outs here. So to speak in terms of time.
So, real quick, before we wrap up, give me one thing that you think IU basketball under the current regime needs to focus on over the course of the next month of play understanding that that's a mix of lesser opponents and opponents like Syracuse and Notre Dame who aren't I'm going to be as good as like, Purdue for instance, but are still going to provide some interesting test. Particularly since both those games are away from Assembly Hall Tony.
Let me start with you. Yeah, I I think the defense has been tremendous. I think finishing a possession with a box out. A rebound is something that I would like to see more. I mean, I think 21 offensive rebounds given up against Louisiana like that that whole Louisiana game just from a statistical standpoint was such a crazy thing. Like twenty seven, turnovers 21, offensive rebounds given up. Trace Jackson. Davis doesn't play very good game.
You win by like 40, but I would love to see them clean up the, the defensive rebounding, because again st. John's. And in the Louisiana game, I think that their defense was phenomenal, but sometimes Miss blackouts and guys, just turning and going to the basket and as you get into Big Ten Play, It's Gonna kind of rear its ugly, head more and more. So I'd love to see that myself Scott. Yeah, I mean free throw shooting. I love To see, get better, but I think that's honestly all just meant.
I think it's just meant to him. That I think the positivity will come for me. What I would like to see is a know, you saw it against like Louisiana, but I think against, you know, Syracuse Nebraska Notre, Dame against some of those teams. What I would love to see is if they get up by five or ten points, I'd love to see the ability to put a team away because we saw it in Eastern Michigan. We saw it against st.
John's do Eastern Michigan in the second half at a 14-2 to run a 16. Rerun like these kind of bigger runs which are reminiscent of. Those are the Archie error. We have eight in it. It wasn't as bad. But you had some moments at Eastern Michigan. Where we went, you know, three or four minutes there. We didn't score not as bad as St. John's but you know, st. John's, we were up by almost 20 and then we let them get back in the game.
So, you know, if I would like to see that ability if we get up and we're doing well, the ability to finish a game, you know, mid second quarter and not let teams back in. I understand. It's kind of based on, you know being a head in the first. First place. But that's something I'd like to see because I don't want to start riding that razor wire where we kind of have these games in the bag at halftime and suddenly, it's like, oh like,
what's going on? It's a, it's a tie game against st. John's. Like how do we get there? So I'd like to see that ability to just kind of, you know, and then that's probably going to come with time, but just seeing them work on that. You saw it against Louisiana, which was good. Just more of that. Yeah. I think my big. I've got two things that I'll say first. I think so many of the turnover issues with this team right now or just based on familiarity
with the offense. And it's like learning how to play an instrument where you get really good at playing an instrument is when you stop thinking about the technical aspects of putting, you know, your hands on the keyboard or your hands on you know, what makes the sound. And it just comes naturally and right. Now a lot of these turnovers are guys passing the ball to places where they think guys should be, but they're not there.
And it's hard to tell yet if that's the fault of the initiator of the pass or the person who was supposed to receive it, but that will get better as they get more game experience with this. Think that'll help out a lot. So I would that it's just, it's more like they just need to play games, which that's what they will do. And and realize that they're going to their, they are going to probably get incrementally better with that and that's going to help things out significantly.
The other thing, I'll say real quick is the shooting the outside shooting. You know, I you women's basketball plays on the same floor that I, you men's basketball plays and you watch the women's games and there is a confidence when they shoot the ball from outside. I'd that is just absent from most of the players that play for IU. On the men's side that will also
come with time. If they start to hit shots that game that Parker Stewart had against Louisville against Louisiana. That kind of game is Loki, really, really important, because now he's had a good shooting game in Assembly Hall. And historically, I use had the best shooting games in Assembly Hall. They've had players who have been able to go out on the floor and, you know, just they know that the the Anna is their
friend. Essentially we haven't had that in a long time out of a lot of these players. So I think that's going to be the big question is, can we get guys with individually good shooting games in these upcoming contests at home. So anyway gentlemen, this was a pleasure. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk and we appreciate all you folks out there. Listening in to Crimson cast. We will have podcast later in the week, where unfortunately, we have to preview the bucket game.
We will do that. We'll also have more basketball talk as we move forward. Be sure to check out Tony. How do they get In the film room, go to the assembly call Community, which I believe is Hoosiers. .M n.com and sign up for the Assembly Hall community and you can get access to the IU film room from there and be sure to do that. Folks some great breakdowns of games and some some great insights into what's going on on the floor, from a basketball
mindset, to help. You better understand what's going on. Scott, as always a pleasure chatting with you, my friend, getting great plans for Thanksgiving coming up. I just going up to the family and wife's family and Fort Wayne and have a good time. I saw see I love Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving traits like all the, all the fun part of a holiday without all the extra like buying presents and stuff. Satellite. Scott, doesn't want to purchase you anything folks.
Anyway, thanks to thanks for listening to Crimson, cast for Tony and Scott. I'm Galen will catch you folks on the flip side, bring back the Bison. So long, everybody.