You're listening to the back home network, presented by home-field apparel. What about the Crimson cast Galen? Clavius? Got Caulfield joining you. Once again, it's Monday night, January, 3rd, 2022. Scott, Happy New Year, Happy New Year to you, too. How was the celebration or was there a sellout? Did you stay awake for the new year? I guess. That's what everybody wants to know. I'm sure everyone's asking all the inquiring minds.
Yes. So real quick for those who want to know we booked a trip to Tucson. We've canceled it three different times because of covid and we almost can't do it again because the weather in Tucson was awful. It was colder there than it was here and it rained. But every day we were there. We stayed at the hotel but had a water slide. We never got to use it. Went to the desert.
I told my two boys, like enjoy this, there's not many times in your life going to come with the Tucson desert and get rained on. But we flew back on New Year's Eve. We landed 11. My eight-year-old son. We told him he could stay awake for the ball.
Drop. He fell asleep in the car will come up. We got we got home at like 1157 he watched it. So yeah, it was nice to ring in the New Year. And then I went back outside like to get stuff out of the car and I'm like, this feels better than it felt the entire week of the week. We were in Tucson. But not going to complain. We got the trip. We had a great time. I saw a Titan missile, silo at a great time. Hey, I mean anytime you can you know, relive Fallout 3 or
whatever. I guess that would be Fallout New Vegas. If you're in Tucson, that would be a bit closer or Wasteland but it was like war games because they talked a lot about the guys with the guns like you do shoot the other guys in turn the key. And yeah, okay. Well, hey, I'm glad you had that experience. I did about you. Well, we have the with the mat blasko wedding on New Year's Eve that which did not go all the way. It could have gone all the way.
Midnight, but my mom was babysitting the kids. So we had to get back and spring her and then I did not actually stay awake for New Year. I was exhausted. I fell asleep. I like 11:20. Honestly, I've come to the conclusion. I think New Year's is maybe the most over that was say, overrated. But it's the least consequential of all of the potential holidays that are out there. Like, I've, as I've gotten older, like nothing about New
Year's is great. Eight, once you're past like age 26 and you're not out partying with people in the middle of I mean you could certainly do that when you get older than 26, but every year that you do that over the age of 26 you start to lose a bit of the respect of your fellow human beings. And so you end up with this situation. There's nothing on TV because the CNN stuff is horrific and you know, most of the stuff on the other networks isn't very
good either. And there's no like good alternate New Year's programming that Found. So you just end up, unless you've got people at your house. You're just kind of sitting around waiting for a time on the clock, that maybe you make it to on a normal night. I normally don't fall asleep till like 12:30 or 1. So, like being up at midnight. It's no big deal to me. But of all the other holidays versus New Year's night.
It's just it all kind of feels like, it doesn't amount to a whole lot the big scheme of things and and I don't know. Honestly, I you I was thinking for a while that that was me being old and Only, but it's instead. I realized I felt that way for a long time. Like, of all of the celebratory moments. Like, I'll take like, Thanksgiving dinner coming out or Christmas when everybody starts, unwrapping presents or the Fourth of July, when the fireworks start to go off or
really the whole day. Before that or Memorial Day like any, any one of a number of different options and above New Year's. At this point is really low on my list. It's low enough that. I mean, for us to that we decided to travel on that day. I was like, all right, like what? We'll come back on New Year's Eve, two other quick things. New Year's Eve related. We had some friends neighbors who were having a party on our street and they waited for us. I can do. We got back.
I was, let's have a drink and they like they said they pause the countdown. So I had a fun moment where he walk in like always pause the countdown as they start playing with like two minutes to go and I'm like, oh so you guys don't know what happened to the ball. Look at me. It's like, just feel like I just really had a great moment. You're a jerk. I just want to say that. So It's a good moment. I will let everybody know this. And anybody who wants to join, is welcome to me.
My favorite part of the New Year's Eve day experience is for me. I've always loved watching the Rose Bowl Parade. I just I love watching the Rose, Bowl Parade. I've always said, you know, if I you makes a Rose Bowl I'm going like I just I want to experience all of that. And as I'm getting up in age with you, sit there watching with my wife, my kids. I'm just like f it, like we're going to the Rose Bowl. Parade, like I we are like I'm not going to For IU football
team. After they've I gave him 40 years, there have been waiting for 43 years, there might not know there might not be a California. If we wait let alone a Rose Bowl Parade. Like there's a chance that whole thing could just like, you know, get get taken by the Sea at some point here soon. So I think you're thinking is valid here. My wife is a teacher. So it's like next year. The first is on a Sunday and they start school on the Monday
the next day. So I think that's undoable the week after I think it's on a Wednesday or Monday, which means they might start. On Wednesday, so New Year's Eve, New Year's Day is on a Wednesday in January 1st. 2025. I'm going already put my calendar. I know this sounds crazy. But only three years old. So 20, 25 January 1st. I actually have a friend who he lives out in California. He'll it steady.
He listens to this pod. He married a beautiful sweet woman, but she was a queen at the Rose Bowl. So she's part of like, she knows the parade. So I have an inn on tickets. I hope II texted him today and I was like, we're coming through. Fear, as he's like great, that's that's planning at. I'm going January 1st 2025. Anybody who wants to join, by the way, Tom Allen. If you're listening, feel free to win to 11 games and join me to like, you're more than welcome to join me.
Yes, that's my plan. Say this. I like this. I like this methodology because it's like, instead of waiting for IU football, to take us. There you go. And you bring IU football with you. I think this is, this is really the fact that nobody's thought of this up, to this point is actually kind of surprising to To me, so I good on and home field making sure like, let's make a shirt January 1, 2025. Let's go. Well, we'll get them on that.
Speaking of home field. They are that's gonna be awful watching Ohio State play Oregon. Like there you go. Speaking of home-field. Yes. They are the presenting sponsor the back home network, which is what we're a part of along with assembly, call along with Coach's Corner, with Tony and Rania. And they are also the home of dynamite Apparel in the Collegiate ranks and sometimes even Beyond Actually wearing my men in. Blazers, courage, crewneck
sweatshirt. Here. You've got your Marshall hoodie on and we didn't plan this. This is just what we wear around the house, you know, when when I'm making, you know a know and my wife is wearing her vintage crewneck. I you like 50s logo shirt. So yeah, this is what we do. We loud planning. We're both going to the IU game. This Thursday. What can I wear the Bison? Like, what are you youth? The bison and the divorce? You take sweets, not a It's a
trial separation. Stop. But no, you, you can have the Bison. I won't wear the Bison this week. I'll wear something else. But yeah, no, hope the Bison down and say, who do you want to live with? Wow, no, no, but the whole field apparel place to go for great College apparel throwback vintage wear shirts, crewnecks, long sleeves, three-quarter, sleeves. What have you? They've got a bit of all of it? It's all comfortable. It's all stylish. You will be the hit of, you know, what?
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field. Apparel.com presenting sponsor of the back home network. Let's talk about IU, basketball, as the Hoosiers. Well, we thought we were going to have a couple of games to talk about between the last time we talked in. Now, one of the games got canceled and the other one should have been canceled as Indiana, traveled to Penn State. The weakest team in the conference by several different metrics. I think you could say, probably the most important one being
record. Well, I guess they weren't technically the weakest because Nebraska exists on the planet, but they were very ver down the list that and played in three weeks, three and a half weeks and they hosted an Indiana team. That seemed like they were on a bit of a role seemed like, they were playing decent basketball. And we got a very typical very ugly Road game in the Big Ten, a game that looked suspiciously like most of the IU basketball games.
We've seen in the Big Ten over the last five years and the Hoosiers end up losing the game by, you know, not an embarrassing margin, but you could make Argument that any loss to Penn State this year is a little bit embarrassing or not. You know, I think it's some narratives that came out of this game that were valid and worth talking about. I think there were also some narratives that were kind of over reacting a bit to the loss. But let's talk about it first and foremost.
The Hoosiers went into this game, and they were projected to win. It was one of those games where, you know, coming in, at the beginning, you're thinking to yourself. Well, not only is this a game Indiana should win? It's really a game Indiana needs to win because of the relative weakness of Penn State and the fact that Penn State is has been on a pause because it covid. We didn't know how many players are going to have available and they really haven't done a whole lot.
Particularly. Well, this year, you know, you look across at Penn State's overall numbers and they haven't been embarrassing, but they've been really slow. They've, you know, they've they've just done kind of a mediocre job on offense by and large their defense. Has been kind of, okay. Just a really blah team, their best wind coming into the game, was a neutral Court Victory against Oregon State, a team that I can tell you right now is not going to the NCAA tournament.
So you would have figured this was a game that Indiana needed to win, because there aren't a whole lot of quote-unquote, winnable on paper games in the Big Ten on the road and yet Indiana really came out and struggled from the beginning. It never looked like they had control of the game. The offense was a clogged basically the entire time and the defense wasn't good enough to make up for that. You know, Scott, it was a disappointing game and it was
certainly a frustrating one. What were your overall Impressions after having watched this thing? You hit a lot of them. I mean, it's just it sucks and it's just, it is. It's just God's. It's no fun being a fan right now. Like I remember a year ago, those like we're getting into the Glory Days. Like, we just had I know these things are totally unrelated, but it's like for kind of Indiana Regional sports fans. Like we just had an awful awful football season for a lot of reasons.
Like someday that, you know, the Colts lose a game that they could have one to make the playoffs. You have the Pacers who are just can't figure it out and getting last second shot at all the time. And it's like, all right. Well, at least you can watch Indiana, you know, beat up on Penn State and kind of make a As the sun shines, and they don't, and it's just, I hate being in this position. I feel like we've been in this
position a lot. It's, I'm not saying this as like anything on the woods, an era where this team goes. I think it probably still make the tournament via 6 or 7 seed, but it it it sucks it. Now. We're in a spot where we're already on January 3rd. Like we got to play a little bit of ketchup. Like we probably need to win the next two home games and one of his against Ohio state who's a really good team and you got to beat Minnesota who is also like, I'm not sure we're there.
Rat, but again, you have another, you know, first-year coach who has a team, what 11? And one with a win over Michigan? It is it's tougher than you also see, you know, in the same day you have, you know, Michigan State playing, you know, a lower tier team in Northwestern and then having a tough time, but winning. And then the other game was Nebraska and Ohio, State and same kind of thing. Like it's a tough game, but they find a way to win. And this is a game where there
was multiple times. Indiana could have found a way to win, but they didn't. Still see some of the same things like what the Penn State went in, like a 13-2 to run, you know, with with five minutes to go Penn State's up, 54 252, you know, and then it goes until what the like, the 3-minute mark that nobody scores for like two and a half minutes in really the big moments of the game. And I said it before, I'll say
it again. It's going to be a broken record all season, you know point guard play is going to hurt this team and you get to these points where we are as a team. Unable to get traced Jackson Davis the ball Either get him the ball period or get him the ball in a good position where he can score. We're not able to do that. And that that is the Achilles heel of this team.
I'm not sure we're ever going to get that solved because it's January and those things don't, you know, and so I don't see a way to get that solve with the roster. We have that's a bummer but that's the problem you saw again in this game. You saw it in the Wisconsin gave you see as much in the Syracuse game, but you had these two games Wisconsin and Penn State where you need to kind of just get a couple points and you're shutting them down.
You shouldn't Penn State down but you can't score because you really can't effectively get your best player the bowl. Yeah, I mean, I think it's more than just the point guard play is bad. And I think that this has been such a long-standing thing that frankly most of us have forgotten what good point guard play looks like a tie you and and yet it's you can't talk about point guard play without also acknowledging that it's handcuffed to the offense.
And while the offense of system has been Been better. And I think that certain aspects of it particularly shooting percentage have borne that out. The reality is this is still not a team that's wired to score. It's still not a team, that's wired to be great offensively. And we do, we talked about it earlier on in the season. It is this a situation where Indiana can get better over the course of the year.
And I think that most of us are hoping that it can and will But the reality is, this may just be a team that's permanently crippled on offense because it just doesn't have Personnel that can run offense effectively in the Big Ten. And the reality is you look at the last four or five years of Indiana basketball, and there's been something bad holding Indiana back in play during that whole time.
And, you know, you go back, obviously through the Archie Miller era and the offense always ended up being the problem child. When it came.
To try and figure out what was going on with this team and why they couldn't get over the hump, you know, there were times when the defense wasn't great either but the offense was always a problem and you know, I think Archie Miller certainly deserves a lot of the blame there but as much as the blame has been dealt to Archie as far as the offensive system, he ran which felt very Cro-Magnon in a lot of ways. Like it was just a very it was very retrograde offense.
A lot of the blame I think for Archie and his staff. It has to be on the players that they were recruiting because that is the core of the team that you've got out there right now. And yes, there's no question. Trace Jackson, Davis has improved even more over last year. I think as an overall offensive weapon, but you still have the core issue of. He doesn't have a lot of range. He's constantly like the whole idea of, we got to get him, the basketball implies.
We gotta get in the basketball on the low block and let him go and work, and it's like, well, you know what? That's a flaw in the system where If that's your offensive output, of course, teams are going to make that difficult. And if you don't have something in place that can break that down, you got some issues. And, you know, look, I think that there's two different ways. You could look at the offensive output from that Penn State game.
You can blame Mike Woodson for not having a better system. And, you know, certainly, I think that there's going to be growing pains with Woodson. And maybe Woodson felt like players, we're going to grasp what he wanted to do and work things out. Zout better faster, but I think you also have to look at the players on the floor and realize that a lot of these players as much as we enjoy them.
And as much as we respect them as players that put on the Indiana uniform just aren't able collectively to play on the offensive end in a way that's going to, you know, be impressive in a lot of these games, doesn't mean they can't win games, but you're going to get games like this, where everything just fails and Indiana comes up short and this is the DNA of Indiana. Basketball right now.
This is the DNA that Tom crean recruited at the end of his tenure and Archie Miller recruited throughout the course of his tenure. So you can blame Mike, Woodson certainly for not doing more with what he's got. But I think you also have to look at the players that are on this team right now, you know, least the ones that have been around for a while, because I think the younger ones, maybe you can't hold quite as accountable.
And say, this is pretty much a continuation of what we saw last year in the idea that a coaching. In change was going to wave a magic wand and will cause all that to go away was probably a bit overly optimistic. If not outright naive. Yeah. And you know, to talk about the players, they'll be enough talk about point guard, play between Xavier Johnson and finishing all that, but I will set you as, you know, Trish acts and Davis has been awesome and he's very good. I'm very happy.
He's here, but this is kind of what I was talking about at the beginning of the Season, kind of joking that he needs. I love to see you. Take two or three threes a game. It wasn't so much taking threes. It's just to your point. He's very limited in. Like you have to get him the ball in certain spots, and then it makes it very easy for the defense to double. If I don't know, if it's on coaching or on him, but I wish I would have seen some point in
some, of these early games. Some offensive possessions were traced takes the ball at the top of the key or outside the three, maybe there's a shooter three, but like try and break someone down on the dribble or you try and dribble drive and see what happens. You'll Race Thompson's done some of that. That, but we haven't seen any of that from Jackson Davis. And that to me, is part of the problem of this team is, you need to have some times where
it's like. All right, we have two minutes to go. I don't want Xavier Johnson running the show right now. I want to get the ball in the you. I want to get traced Jackson Davis the ball, even if he gets it 30, you know, 25 feet from the basket. I'd love for him to be able to try and do something or just see it again.
Maybe not in Big Ten play, but I wish you would have seen it at some point but now it's too late and so to your point he didn't have the most effective game, but that that is where I It, you know, Trace that if he did take a three, I was thinking of that, like, in the last shot was a three other. This would be a great making your first three as a Hoosier to at least send the Penn State game to overtime, but I don't
know. So, I think that needs to be looked at like, you just I think this is going to be something that is going to hamper this team because it you mentioned the Archie are like that was the, you know, Devonte, green drove, people nuts, but at times it was like, well, at least he's doing something click, at least he's That's kind of what you get with the Xavier Johnson versus fantasy.
A fantasy is very controlling, but nothing seems to happen and then you get Xavier Johnson, which is kind of like frenetic. But at least things happen. I don't know if I totally agree with that but I think I disagree with a lot of it but the but I'll but here's why you don't want to race tracks. In Davis, handling the ball 25 feet from the basket because he's not a natural ball handler and he also hasn't really shown an ability to pass more than about four feet in any
direction. If he's got the ball at the top of the key, where is it going after that? Because if he's just taking it and driving it, that'll work for one play, and then everybody will collapse on him and he won't be able to get the ball anywhere. The problem for me. Is that just real quick? I'm saying, like as he stands now, I agree. But what I'm saying is like, I wish you would have come into this season. Yeah, I'm making some of those skills were. It's like, I just don't think
it's part of his repertoire. Don't think it's, I mean, it might, it might be when he's a pro, but I just don't, I mean, even if he had worked on that aspect of his game, all All summer. He wouldn't have been able to do the array of things. He's doing in the post right now. I guess is my thought process. So you take a lot off the table to gain like C- to see skills in that area. The the other thing though, and then to me, this is the much larger issue, regardless of
who's handling. The ball, is that the the Indiana offense has kind of degenerated over the course of the Season. It felt like at the beginning of the year. You had better spacing, you had
players. You know, getting into position to take shots from outside and and those shots were more likely to go in. You know, it's weird to me because you look at the people who should be shooting the basketball and you have players like, for instance, Parker Stewart, who's hitting forty, seven and a half percent of his threes. He's 57 in the country right now and yet he barely shoots. Yeah. I mean, I was shot more threes than the rest of his teammates
have certainly. But for a guy who shoots Shooting at that level. You would think that there would be a greater effort to get him some volume in terms of the shots. But I mean, you look over the course of four shots against Penn State. Yeah, and and you know, and if you just take threes, he took to against Penn State to against Northern Kentucky for against Notre Dame and he have three of them and two against Merrimack, you know, it's so it's almost like that Wisconsin game.
He was on this stretch. Where, from Louisiana to Wisconsin. He took five. He's 53 is 5. 3 is 12 3 6 3 + 5 3 S and it's like in the last four games his outside shooting as just disappeared. And I don't think it's because, you know, part of it might be the offense, but part of it is you got to take shots when the ball is passed to you or you've got to be able to quickly redistribute the ball. Because if you're not open, it means somebody's probably over playing you based upon where the
ball can be inside. Meanwhile, you've got Miller cop. Well, so it's real quick. Your son Parker. It's like heat again. I'm not only me feel like he's, he has a hard time creating off the dribble as well. So he's a great catch and shoot guy and I but I think the book might be out on him. It's like, I just play him Titan.
Can't really drive. And it's like, again, you have all these pieces that are kind of good at one thing, but they're Limited in other areas and it makes it tough that like parkour, can't drive and get his own shot. But see, I don't, that weird thing is, is in the one year that he was at, Tennessee Martin. He used, he took up twenty eight and a half percent of possessions, which is a lot like that was about 100 in the country that year this year. He's taking up 12.6% of
possessions. He's just not I mean, he's just not he's got a very limited usage rate and it's very, very confusing because he's shown the ability to score, and you would think that if Tennessee, Martin's offense, could get him open enough to take that many shots and utilize that many possessions that somehow that would work its way into what Indiana is doing. Now. I think a lot of that is the point guards, and I think that the point guards in the way that they're playing, and they both
present particular problems. Xavier Johnson can have great Court Vision, but then he can also have possessions where he doesn't look at anybody else on the floor. Except race Jackson Davis. If, if he even looks at Tres Jackson Davis, sometimes he just looks at the basket. It says, I'm going to run towards that thing with the bowl and we'll see what happens. Rob fennessy. Kinda has the opposite issue were robbed overthinks
everything. A lot of times when Parker Stewart has been open or Miller copper whoever in the perimeters been open. The ball doesn't get there in time. And so then they're no longer open and the offense stagnates. As we've seen it, do the last few years. And so, you know, when I look at Stewart, when I look at Miller cop who again is shooting 40%
from three. But is not using that many possessions cop isn't as big of a surprise, because even though cop was a cop's having from an offensive rating perspective, his best to testicles. Season. But he's also using fewer possessions. He's not shooting as well from to. And, you know, he's he's out there and sometimes he makes plays, but I'm always surprised when Miller cop makes a play, because it feels like he's so far in the background, like
everything revolves around. Whoever the point guard is Tres Jackson Davis and then race Thompson, but only because race in many cases inserts himself into the play with hustle, which is great. Now the other thing I want to touch on offense We that is problematic. So I just mentioned Parker Stewart, you know, needs to shoot more. Like he just needs to get more shots out. I would say, Miller cop does as well, you know, who does not need to be shooting as much from outside. Despite.
What commentators have said in the last three, basketball games that Mike Woodson said he wants to see race Thompson, needs to stop shooting from three. Do you know why? Because race Thompson so far on the season and I love every other part. Erases game racist, 3418 from three. He is shooting 16.7%, you know, we I'd love to see him have that part of his game is something where you can knock a couple down a game.
I don't think it's going to develop at this point and you have to yes, he hit a three against Penn State. Can you tell me without looking Scott the previous game where race Thompson? Hit a three point shot. Marshall. That's exactly right. That was the last time for the guess. That's a complete. Get us. But yes, it was, it was Marshall.
It was the 27th of November and it's not like he hasn't shot a huge amount since then, but the fact that he hasn't like made a basket from three since then should tell us any, you look at his overall numbers. That's just a bad percentage. He has dialed back on it a little bit but he, you know, he's 1 for 3 in this game. I'm not seeing that as As being something that needs to regularly, be happening out
there. I feel the same way frankly about, you know, some of the other guys shooting out there, you know, on occasion. Now, Rob fantasy has gradually climbed back into a position where his shooting numbers aren't like threatening worst all time, but he still only shooting 30% from to, and 31 percent from three. He had some shots in that Penn State game and I tip my hat to him on that, but there's just, I see possessions Used in an
inefficient manner. A lot of times by this team and earlier on in the season and frankly still, now, to some degree, a lot of that's come through turnovers just carelessness with the basketball bad passes, you know, things that aren't directed the way that they should be, but bad shots or Shots by guys, who shouldn't be taking them are not much better than turnovers as far as I'm concerned.
I mean, you lose the chance that an offensive rebound, but you're still pretty much just as likely to have The Possession and right there. I don't know if that's fixable. Oil with this group. I really don't, you know, but it's going to be interesting watching this coaching staff, try to dial it back in. So I've got one last point, but I wanted to see if you had anything else to say on that front. Before I moved on. No, I've another point to, but I'll let you go.
And then I'll staccato back. One thing. I will say is, you know, it's tough to separate the past from the present. And I think that all big problem that a lot of people myself included, just even the last thing that I said. There. How do you parse out who this team is?
Internally versus what's the effect that the coaching staff and Mike Woods. And in particular are having on the team and a lot of people off of that game yesterday were like, you know, different coach exact same results that I Tada, you know, I'd someone text me and be like, look, I don't understand. Why are you fans are so upset. It's a first-year coach. It's a relatively. You got two, three new guys in the starting lineup essentially
like games. Like this are going to happen, especially on the Road. And yes, it was a Penn State team that has not played well and doesn't really have any significant wins on its record. But you also have to look at the team as an internal mechanism that is essentially being reworked. And this is the kind of, you know, thing we talked about a couple of weeks ago. And I think I mentioned it on my New Year's Eve podcast. Or it's like, there's going to be some games where Indiana
plays way above their head. And you're like, wow, this is what it could be. Like if this team really, you know, dialed in and I'll play It on the same page and then, you know, you saw that last year remember that game at Iowa, which now, I guess, famously on Big Ten Network is the last Road game than Indiana, one of the conference tied up, but that Iowa team at the time, was considered to be one of the top four teams in the country and Indiana win and beat them by 12.
And I remember thinking, wow, look at, look at this IU team. Look at what they're suddenly able to do. Maybe things are finally coming together. And then, of course, Indiana turned around and lost at home to Rutgers the next. Name, you know. That's so this is where it's like it's a, it's a new coach, you're going to get these wild swings as this coach and this these players try to dial in with each other. But this is also essentially still the DNA of this Indiana
basketball team. And yes, you've got some new pieces, but the core like veteran pieces of this team. This is essentially the performances that have been turned in over the last four to five years. So, in that sense, I don't find it that surprising nor do I even
find it that panic-inducing? Yeah, I would just say that, you know, it's frustrating where it seems like we are always and don't, don't construe this into like Panic or anything, but it does seem like in other places first-year coaches. Are able to make a little bit of change, like oh I see what they're trying to do. And it's it's frustrating seeing a lot of the same issues and it it's like we're always the program that's like you need a three-year resets.
Like, oh, we got to recently, new coach can expect anything different and like all the same bad, habits are all still there. That's the Frustrating part I'll speak for kind of some of the other fan base where you know, it's just that that's frustrating. It is. I just want to see some of the Improvement the other. The other point from this game that I thought was interesting,
that is interesting. Maybe worrisome is, you know, I say this every beginning of the Season that people tend to unfortunately, look at like everybody on the team having the best possible offseason and you know, their rating going from, you know, 84 to 97. And you know and say a video A game parlance like everyone's just going to have a good offseason, the you don't see that and it's always funny.
The beginning of the year, you're doing some of these previews of I'm guilty of this as well. You're like my God, we're so deep. Like there's so many people and then you get to a point where in this game yesterday. We played six guys Furniture, atomo played nine minutes, Tamar Bass played six, Leo played, five Dura played five, you go to the Notre Dame game.
You basically played, you know, seven guys, with Lido, playing 16 minutes, you know, the Wisconsin game, same kind of Get dressed a little bit more you maybe, you know, Toronto with eight, ten minutes, you have eight, guys, but you kind of have a core of six or seven and that's but it was really noticeable against Penn State, you five guys.
Like and so this is I'm concerned, you know, Leo had some minutes and legal didn't have minutes that, you know, where are we going to solve any of these problems? Because it seems like this is the Tito in Hoosiers movie speak. It's like my team is on the floor, my team, you know, I'm not sure where the solutions are going to come and I would I'd love to see more out of Tomorrow bait, but it didn't, you know, six minutes.
No points. You're going to have games like that for freshmen to. But I would just say that's the frustrating part is it always feels like we're always in the spot where not you but it's like just being told like well, hey, it's a first-year coach, you know, these are problems as like but you look around like other teams, you know, Chris holtmann at Ohio State. Just I know he took over.
It's like everything is always different but so he took over his first year and like things just changed. I just I wish we could see little bit more Improvement on some of the issues. Is that we had for the previous four years. Well, but I that again, I think the problem is you've, you know, coach that IU has hired literally since well brilli ever.
Maybe I think the last, I think the last coach that really took over a fully stocked Indiana program and was able to do things effectively with it was probably Branch McCracken who took over for Everdeen and that was 1938. I mean it This is the problem. Like, people forget this bob Knight took over a program that was in complete decays repair. Mike Davis, took over a really well stocked program. I guess maybe he was the last one.
People didn't think it was well stocked, but the core of that team, you know, was a four seed that year in the tournament and then made the national title game the next year. But Calvin, Samson certainly didn't take over that well-stocked of a roster, you know, Tom crane took over no roster. Archie, Miller took over a roster that had been so horrific lie. Recruited that a guy got bounced from his job a year after
winning the Big Ten title. And Mike Woodson is taking over for an Archie Miller team that didn't make the NCAA tournament in for, you know, where three of the four years and barely would have made it in the fourth year. So, you know, I think the problem is you look at because I know what you're talking about and everybody's like, well, why does it take so long?
It's because frankly Indiana hasn't had the Graham building that you've needed to be successful over the course of really the last couple of decades, you know, Chris holtmann takes over from Thad Matta. And yes, that was a disappointing last year for model, but that was still a really well-built program. You know, you look at Michigan. It wasn't like Juwan, Howard came in and took over from from Tommy Amaker.
He came in and took over from John beilein who had been incredibly successful during his time there. So I think for a lot of the programs that Hannah looks at an Indiana fans, want to say, well, why can't they be us? It's because a lot of shortcuts have been taken in or just bad decisions. Have been made in terms of recruits, in terms of the way things have been structured inbuilt. I'm not necessarily saying that Mike Woodson's the answer on that front, but we're that's a
different thing. Like in three or four years. We can judge how Woodson built the program, but I think expecting Woodson to come in snap his fingers and have the kind of turnaround success that people wanted to see. See as much as I was hoping that was going to be the case. I don't think it's the case and you know that said I think Woodson's actually gotten a lot better defensive performances overall out of this Indiana team.
They were actually pretty good on defense and that Penn State game Penn State was hitting some shots that are not going to go in for them in most other games this year. And with all that are some wild three, you know, they barely average to point per possession, even with those shots going in, I mean, Indiana, they did default back to their defense and it almost Won the game for them. It was their offense. That's the issue but that's been
the issue across the board. And so, you know, look, I think people people are very frustrated. I get that and I'm look certainly was frustrated with the outcome of the game, but I also not surprised by the outcome of the game because I think it's just going to be a bumpy road as we go through this season. And I still think even with that bumpy road if this team can figure out how to limit the mistakes that they're making, and then figure out how to play offense.
Effectively again, they've still got a chance at winning 12 games in conference. Like I still don't think that that's gone in. They were even with the loss to Penn State. Yeah. That's a, that's a road when you would have liked to have had. So it means you win won another game at home or you nip somebody on the road that maybe you weren't expecting to. So, you know, look, it's it's not to excuse the loss.
But we tend to forget that these kinds of losses happen in pretty much every season like even during the good Years under night and, and crane, you'd have these head-scratching games where you like? I don't understand why the team played like crap. Today. Does that mean that something's wrong, and a lot of times it just means they came out and played like crap that day.
And there's not there's not a larger meaning to it other than they're not talented enough to, you know, be able to overcome the bad days simply by the fact that they're so talented. And you know, the one thing I will say and again, I don't think this is something that Woodson can change. There's just this team. Still lacks a controlled. Killer Instinct to go in and try to grab games. I mean, I will say they fell behind by 9 with about what 10 minutes to go in the second half.
And you were like, well, this is it. This team is not going to come back and they did come back at that point, but they couldn't finish the game off. It's very similar to what happened at the Syracuse game. Now, last year. I don't even know if the team comes back even to that level like not even to get close enough to lose it at the end. But this team really has a mentality issue where they still don't look like they belong.
Believe in themselves, and they don't believe that they should be able to take control of a game and win. I don't know how you fix that other than bringing in players that do have that mentality. But that was one of the big things that seem to be missing from our cheese era. And those are largely, the players that you're seeing on the floor right now for Indiana. Still. No II. Completely agree with that.
There are these moments in the game you could feel or Penn State went on that run where it's like, oh, they're they're they're trying to win this game. Like they're there. This is the time you got to do something and we don't do it. Here, all you said what concerns me that everything you said is valid, but what concerns me is like, you know, quoting the very relevant, quote, quoting Yogi, Berra. Look, it gets really gets late, really quick.
Now, you know, you got to almost go 1 and 1 or 2 and 0 against Ohio State and soda at home because then you have two Road games against Iowa, Nebraska and then your home for Purdue in Michigan and then your home for Penn State, a team. You did just lose to that, you think you should win at home, but I thought we'd win at Penn State, so it the road. Ed gets tightened by the way, the back half of the Big Ten schedule is also not like super easy.
So, that that's, that is where I am concerned is, you know, you've got to, you gotta now, make some hay and you're right. You can pick some of these games off, but you kind of got to do it on Thursday and Sunday, like, it's like, it's yeah, I kind of turn around and do it sooner rather than later, because you can't, you can't lose your next three games. And then when Nebraska, and then lose Purdue Michigan me, there's
there's a tough road ahead. If you can't start picking some of those games off, like, Now before January 23rd, well, maybe I don't know. I look, I feel like every year we analyze the schedule and then we're completely wrong at the end of the year and we never acknowledge it because we don't go back and talk about what we were really wrong about that stretch. I mean, last year.
We, you know, I think a lot of people thought, well, then, you know, the schedules kind of, it's a little bit easier down the stretch, especially since Michigan state was so bad last year. And, you know, you had Anyway, you lost both games to Michigan State, down the stretch last year and you almost lost to Northwestern last year. You know, I'd go to double overtime to beat them in Evanston. Like there's there's a there's a
bunch of different. No one expected, Indiana to sweep who Iowa last year and yet they did. Yeah, and so I hear what you're saying and I think ultimately the big issue for Indiana right now is they need to pick up some
Road wins? Preferably against teams that are relatively Good, not great necessarily, but I mean but a teams that that you know, Penn State, frankly fell into this category, like the tier two teams or things like that and you know, you've got some of those left on the schedule. So it's not the end of the world.
I mean Nebraska they have to win that but you know, Maryland on the road that's a game that they probably need to win the game at Northwestern the game, you know, the app Minnesota like those three right there, give you opportunities to pick up the kind of Road wins that just helped stabilize.
Belies. Your, your, your resume for the postseason and that's where the Penn State lost to me hurts the most, but it's not like the committee is not going to look at that loss and say, will you lost a Penn State? That's a bad loss. That's not just, that's not how the committee works on these things. It's it's a marginal top hundred team and you lost to them on the road. Well, guess what? That's what most teams do. Against top hundred teams on the
road. So I'm with you, they need to win games against Superior competition. But I think a lot of opportunities to do that if they knock off the bat offense and and they start figuring out ways to score and be effective. By the way, while we're taping this, we've got Wisconsin and Purdue playing watching this. Yeah, and I'm wondering like if you're choosing to root for either, Purdue or Brad Davidson, like, that's basically, like,
how do you make that decision? That's, that's like the Sophie's choice of bad things to root for, is it not? Like, who you leave behind there? I know. Wisconsin right now with the minutes when he left is up five at Purdue, which is I guess kind of proving my point to some degree. I don't think a lot of people were looking at this Wisconsin team and saying, yeah, they're going to go in and knock off this top five Purdue team in Mackey Arena. So the you're going to get games like this.
And you mentioned, the Ohio, State game on the road. You mentioned the Michigan State game on the road. And yeah, those teams were able to take care of business at the end, but they've Easily could not have you're going to get
these back before? They did what they did know and and there's no question that they have DNA that says we win these games and Indiana doesn't at this point, but that is a player thing with the coach and right now we don't know about the coach, but we do know about the players for Indiana because we just haven't seen enough evidence that they can win those
games regularly. And I hope that changes but thus, far we haven't seen it with what you seen thus far and where we sit to you as making the NCAA. Tournament still the goal. Yeah. Well, of course, the still the goal and it should be. That should be your Baseline expectation. I think not making the NCAA tournament. This year should be considered to be a really bad thing. Now. I don't think it's it's by no means a. Well. The Mike Woodson higher was a mistake if they don't win the
NCAA. Because again, I think, as I've said, the first year coach with this particular group of players who has not shown an ability to get to the NCAA tournament at all. At least not more than just the fringes and we still don't know for sure.
If that actually would have happened that, you know, it just to me, it would just demonstrate that there was a larger hole that had to be dug out of with this Indiana basketball program that, you know, wasn't at the level necessarily of of when Tom crane took over or even when Archie Miller took over, but there was still a hole to dig out of yeah. Anyway, speaking of the NCAA tournament. It's time to go inside the numbers.
And look at Indiana's, NCAA tournament set up right now and what they need to be thinking about and just a reminder that when you want to go inside the numbers for college sports or pro sports, check out the power rank, our friend, Ed Fang uses data, and analytics to provide you with an Insider. Look, a PhD level. Look at how stuff works and it helps with your own edification of sports. It can also help you with wagering. If you're into that kind of thing.
I know you are as well. Preview is great. Yeah, it's both. We did. You did it work out for you at all. It did I? Well, it's virtually being out of town for a little bit. It was, it was more my scheduling. But yeah, a lot of his picks were dead-on and he helped me on the other two national championship games. Or semifinals. That's good. Pretty easy. It was a tough one this year because a covid, but no, add to
always is a great job. You can check out the power ranks free newsletter, which you should certainly subscribe to another goodies. They are go to the power rank.com / AC and you'll find out all the information that you need. Again, the power rank.com., And that said, Fang who runs the power rank. Be sure to check about they are a sponsor of the back home network. We we did enjoy having you check them out. We've certainly enjoyed it.
It was we've looked at it throughout the course of the year for both football and for basketball. So let's talk about Indiana's tournament status right now. Obviously, you want to go check out a me bottoms and is bracket analysis. He does a great job. He's one of the top bracket ologists coached on Sony and his group up, but at Delphi High School, do a great job every year, you want to check them out at Delphi Bracketology. They're going to give you in the moment projections, because
that's how Bracketology works. And I can tell you, you know, you look at the bracket Matrix right now, Indiana at least going into this year is, or this year. This week was rated somewhere in the 9:51 seed range. They, if you look at the, the collaborative bracket at the highest seat. I've seen the mat as a X, the lowest have seen the mat is not in the tournament but by and large, I'm seeing them around a 9 or 10, maybe in 11 and that sounds about right. Indiana.
Right now on the season with one win away from Assembly Hall. Of course, that being the victory against Notre Dame, and while that's not the most impressive win. It's still a win away from home and will probably help them overall, in terms of their resume down the line. And, you know, On that you've got a home win against st. John's that's probably not going to count for a huge amount as you get into the regular season here of the Big Ten.
There's going to be a lot of opportunities for Indiana to pick up victories and where Indiana is really going to need to focus on is again picking up Road and neutral Court wins because ultimately when you think about the NCAA selection committee, that is one of the primary things that they focus on along with certainly Power Rankings and things like that, on the power ranking front. Still doing fairly. Well, you know, in can pom, they are 30. Second right now, in Bart torvik.
They're still 24th. And its overall, I think a pretty good setup for Indiana as you go into into the the stretch of Big Ten Play. Because ultimately, what you're trying to do is keep those power ranking somewhere in that somewhere in the 40, or above range because that is essentially, Where most of the at largest come from and then give the committee, some things that they can look at that where they can say. Oh, yeah.
This team is actually picked up some wins away from home because as the way they look at it you have to win games away from home. If you're going to be successful in the NCAA tournament. Now one of those metrics, we do know that the NCAA committee looks at his BPI Indiana's 36th right now in be Pi, which is that's ESPN's measure. These are still measures that are Be kind of dialing themselves into shape, but overall Indiana still in good shape. Despite.
What happened at Penn State, they're going to need to pick up some wins and we named a few of the games. That would be the most likely candidates. But if they can marry those winds with enough wins at home, where they can get to that 10, 11 12 win range in conference before they get to the Big Ten Tournament. They should be just fine. You know, if you're at, if you're below 10 still not the end of the world, but you're going to have to have demonstrated at that point that
you can win. Couple of games away from home, maybe even again slightly better competition than the names that I threw out there earlier on. Yeah. I mean that's the trouble is you said, you know, neutral site victories that would imply winning Big Ten tournament games which, you know, we haven't haven't been able to do and it'd
be really nice. You know, I think we're going to get out of playing on, you know, whatever Wednesday but it would be nice to have a protected a so-called protected seed on Thursday, where you're, you know, in the 5 or the 6 range, so too. Like that's where you'd like to get for the Big, Ten Tournament. Yeah, it's, I will say I'm frustrated and I'm looking ahead and I'm nervous or what I see. But this is the good and the bad of playing in the Big Ten.
If you're gonna have a lot of opportunities to get a lot of scalps. There's just a lot of games. And even if you hold serve at home, maybe lose one of the Purdue Michigan games, but you hold serve the rest of the way.
That's probably going to be enough because you're going to get some pretty big win, but Stanley Hall and you'll be like, you know, Nebraska And you know Northwestern like you got to win a couple of those garbage Road games like the Penn State which I thought was on that list, but you got to win those games, but, you know, I'm not saying you got to win at Purdue but as long as you kind of hold serve against, let's say Northwestern and Nebraska on the road and then you went all.
But one at home. That's probably enough to still make the tournament. If you can bang out, you know, one good game in the Big Ten tournament. That, that's the nice thing always about playing in the Big Ten is. It's a tough road, but like you said, teams kind of ebb and flow. Yeah, it teams it. Four times and you know, you're going to end the season. It's funny that they're showing all those replays of the Iowa game. I kind of maybe blocked out most of last year.
It's like, oh, yeah, that team last year that really annoyed. Me beat a top four. Team on the road. Yeah, like it's like one of the best teams the country with maybe one of the best players the country, they beaten by 12 and so it's, it is funny looking back at that. You're good at you said you're going to have some of those wins. It just you know, it's it's it's going to come up quick and your Before, you know, it in three weeks, we're going to have, you know, six or seven more games
under our belt. The the other thing to note, the NCAA and I haven't even noticed. I haven't quoted the net, which is of course what the NCAA uses internally. It's interesting. You mentioned the loss to Penn State because that dropped Indiana and the net from 42 to 49. The bit, the other big thing, besides the road, a neutral games. And the reason I haven't mentioned it here is because it
really matter that much. But wins again Squad 1 quad to opponents right now, Indiana's 0 and 1 again Squad. And to, again Squad to Alder wins have come again, Squad, 3, and quad 4, which are obviously the lowest to. But any, as gonna have plenty of opportunities to pick up quad one and quad quad key victories in conference play and they're going to have to do that mind you.
But if you win, you know, you figure that if you get to 11 or 12 wins in conference, that's an additional ten or eleven games. And I would say of those probably eight of them are going to be again Squad 1 or quad two teams, which is going to be more than enough. For Indiana and you know, if you're, if you're thinking, well gosh, that's just not that many wins again Squad 1 or quatuor. There's hardly any there. There's very few teams that have more than three.
In fact, the only teams I think right now that have more than three quad won victories total Michigan State's got four because, of course, they do, and Providence has for, you know, so, you're just, this is not a category that most teams have any wins in at this time of year. And I think a lot of IU fans, tend to just look in Micro at the team's situation and they think to themselves. Well, gosh, how terrible do we look? We certainly don't have any chance of getting to the
tournament? I saw a lot of that. It's like this team isn't going to the tournament his loss to Penn State. That's not the way that it works. Yeah. Now if the team is 2 and 7 in the Big Ten a month from now and they still don't have any quad one or quad two victories. Let's talk at that point. But as of now, I would say tap the brakes. I think Indiana still in pretty good shape overall. They certainly have to play
better as they move forward. Word, but even with that setback, I don't think it did too much damage to them. Anyway, that's a look at the NCAA set up right now for Indiana. We'll see how it plays out. So there's eight games between now and a month from now Gap. Where do you think we sit in the Big Ten a month from now? Well, I would say, Are, you know, I think Indiana honestly, could probably be. Let's say, seven and four.
I don't know where that would land them necessarily in terms of standings, but I think, I think seven and four or even eight and three is still very much on the table for this team in conference. That's a lot. I know you looking at me funny, but a lot of games at home, you know, in this stretch and, you know, Ohio State, Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan, Penn State. All those games, frankly are winnable games at home for Indiana.
If they can play solid, 40-minute games and that seems perhaps unlikely to a lot of people, but there's some games there that I think Indiana is going to be really fired up for an even if they lose a couple of those games. They've got some games on the road that aren't the most
daunting on the planet. I'm not overly frightened about Iowa. Certainly not frightened about Nebraska, and I'm no clue what to make of Maryland at this point, other than I look, Look at them, and I say that's a team that you should be able to beat with proper scouting. It's just going to kind of depend on how many lessons you've learned from losing at Syracuse and losing it. Wisconsin, and losing at Penn State in terms of how to handle
your business on the road. So I actually think this is where Indiana can make up a lot of ground and can really demonstrate what they're doing. They got to get themselves together. But, you know, again, you know, the fact that they came back in the Penn State game that didn't give up when they could have with about 10 minutes to play and even A really bad offensive game. They were in a position that they could have won the game on
the last shot. If they done anything worthwhile on that last possession, you know, I I look at it or not won the game. They could have tied the game and send it over time. But I look at it and I say that's about where I would expect them to be at this point seven and four eight and three you probably don't agree with me. Um, I 8 + 3 would be awesome. That would just you know, One loss and you have a, do you have a Purdue game in there that I think is going to be really
tough. So that's just assuming we're going to roll through. I mean, there's there's two ways to look at it. I'm probably leaning a little bit more on the on the - Wait the glass half-empty way to look at it in the glass half-full? Is that of the three losses? We really could have won all three of those games. I know you can always like but you know, you say I do this and that and this and that but nothing really, you know, the Syracuse is a double overtime game.
The Wisconsin game, all three of those games. We just couldn't close it out. Like that was our problem is like, when Come to nut crunch in time. We could not close it out. If you can change that then, you know, this team could be 13 and 0 and really, you know, barreling down like a freight train. The more glass half, empty view, is the things we were talking about earlier that this team has systemic problem, you know, systemic problems. It has point guard problems.
It has a trouble getting a ball to it's, you know, best player. And the reason it can't close out games because it can't effectively really run its offense when it needs. He's too. And when it has to get Buckets, it has a really hard time, effectively running it offense when things slow down and they have to do it. Yeah, and I don't know what changes in the next six days. I mean, they're what makes me nervous is.
I don't disagree with you. This team could go on a run, but it's just that all has to change between now and January 9th. Like, well, you gotta, it's just it happened so quick. Here's so I and I realize some people are probably going to be like, what, what are you smoking Man by saying? But look, I also don't think basketball operates in a vacuum.
I just don't. And the all the problems Indiana's. Having I think you go around to every fan base in the conference including Purdue who just lost at home to Wisconsin. And you could, you could find people pointing their fingers at a whole bunch of things with their individual teams. And this is where I think you have to take the passion out of it for a little bit and pretty lots of Rutgers. Yeah.
I mean honestly, even if Indiana went five and five it was five and five at that point in the season at the halfway point. Point in the conference season. I think that would actually be
fine. I like I would look, I think they can go 7 & 4, & 8, & 3 or B, 748, and 3, once they get to that halfway mark, But even if they're, you know, if there was there, I guess they'd be six and five, not five and five, but like they could be, they could have that number of losses and I think they would still be on track to get to where we think that they should get to, which is the NCAA tournament.
I just, I look at where Indiana's at right now and I The pieces are there and the tougher games that they're going to be playing or going to be the games that they have at home, where I think they are going to have some advantages that are going to also relate to disadvantages that other teams have. Because we're just, you know, we're in a lot of cases, not seeing teams travel particularly.
Well. Now, you know, obviously like, you know, Purdue what do plays in Mackey Arena just lost at home to Wisconsin. Who knows, but I also think looking at the numbers looking at everything even with the Isms of the offense. I think that this IU team is still a top half of the conference team. I think it's still a team that gets to double digits in wins.
And while it's hard to process all of that coming off of a loss, to Penn State and feel any confidence in saying it looking at the way that the schedule generally plays out and hoping that Woodson's had enough of an impact on this team and that, you know, some of the players that are on the team are going to be able to have similar impacts and improve their games
a little bit. I think that they're going to hold Serve by and large and they're going to like I said before, they're gonna win some games that we don't expect them to at this point. Because even with the loss to Penn State like Pomeroy still has Indiana projected that 10 and 10 in conference torvik still has Indiana projected at
11 and 9 in conference. Well, you know, what, if they're going to be 10 and 10 or 11 and 9, they're going to win several of these games coming up. I mean, all those games we just quoted from Ohio State to Maryland. You think I'm being overly optimistic, but Pomeroy's got Indiana, winning six of those eight games, so that, you know, I know that people don't want to hear that right now because everybody's decided that they want to have a big bitch Fest about the, the program and I get that.
But the reality is statistically, that was a bad game against Penn State, doesn't mean it's been a bad season or that it's a bad team. Yeah. So anyway, I think I'll wrap it up as we're just about at the hour. Mark, any final thoughts. No, I'm happy. I got the Bison for Thursday are the are the students back for that game. Or is it solid breaking? Well, they'll be they'll be stew. I don't think it's in the student package because okay, students.
We don't start class until Monday of next week. So it will be an older crowd but you know, look those has been good, crowds have been good, crowds in general and I think that This particular game against in Ohio State team that certainly has had Indiana's number quite a bit. I think it'll draw a nice group of people out there to watch. And then from there point that point on, he got the students back, and I've got will certainly help the energy, but I think it'll be fine for this week.
Yeah. I'm excited. I think that's this is, you know, a great time to have two games in home, quick back-to-back. And I'd love to see obviously like a Muslim win, loves him, go to, and oh, but I, I do think that the Ohio State, Game looms large because that's a nice way to get a pretty nice to win. But at a pretty low bar, like you're not asking to beat Michigan State on the road. You're not asking to beat, you know, Purdue team, who I know, just lost tonight.
But, you know, it's a good name, but I don't think it's a bridge too far for this team and especially being at home a fired-up Assembly Hall. I think it could, you know, help turn things around. I mean, it would be a huge win. It's a win. Indiana needs to have, like, I don't think you can go out and lay an egg offensively against Penn State, the way that they It and not come back and respond.
And you know, look, I mean, this is where we start to see what kind of an effect Mike Woodson can have on his team in terms of. How does he motivate them. How ready, does he have them ready to play? How well, do they respond to playing poorly? And you know what, tweaks to see make in the way that he approaches things as we head into this game.
So well, or I would expect to see hopefully, a really big game from the bench because again, going back to that, you know, he had six, guys, play Penn State basically, so it's like if you're on the bench, if you're Geronimo, if you're Anthony, only love your Tamar Bates and those guys on the bench, you know, Michael dirr even. It's like, all right. Now, it's time to show up. Like, now's your time to really show up because basically showed like, all right.
I'm going to play without you, if you don't play. So, I think I would expect them to come up, you know, really fired up, or at least I hope so. Do it. Hope. So, now, we'll see what, the, what goes, what goes on here with this thing. It's it's going to be fascinating. As always. I you basketball can't just be boring, good. It has to be fascinating bad and that's we are the We are the the chaotic - of or what is?
I forget, that quadrant, whatever we come up with your own quadrant listing for IU. Basketball, at think, it'll probably be pretty descriptive of how everybody feels at this point. Anyway, we'll wrap things up. Scott is always a pleasure. Thanks for joining me and thanks to all you folks for listening in. As always. We'll be back. Probably over the weekend, will have some thoughts on that Ohio State game, since we're both going to be there. Say, hi. Have you see us?
And we'll hopefully it's my football news, although nothing seems to be on the horizon. Horizon right now. So for Scott I'm Galen. This is Crimson cast part of the back home. Network will catch you folks on the flip side. Bring back the Bison so everybody.