You're listening to the back home network presented by home field apparel, welcome back to Crimson, Cask ale and clavius got Caulfield joining. You it is the 27th of November. So we head into basketball season, full force. Scott, the IU Hoosiers, men's basketball, team at 6 and 0 on the season. And we're going to talk about what we saw in the last week, kind of an odd week largely
because of the holidays. And also, we're going to talk about what's coming up is Indiana really at the point now, where the rubber hits the road from a scheduling perspective and a lot to look forward to a lot of questions. But also a lot of, really fascinating aspects of this IU team to uncover, Scott, first of all, good, See you. How you doing? I'm doing great. It's this is I often joke. We got into this to do
basketball podcasting. I feel like we do our are the amount of football podcasting we do with the amount of interest. I'm having a football seems to be way out of whack so it's nice to now be staring down the barrel of nothing but basketball podcast. So let's go. I'm well, I'm with you on that. It's, it's going to be a fascinating, fascinating winter, and spring before we get to
that. Just a reminder that we are a part of the Back home, network here at Crimson cast, and the back home network, is brought to you by home field apparel your place to go for the finest in college fashion is the softest Fabrics, Great designs, plenty of IU basketball apparel. If you haven't checked it out already, it's it's all over the place on the website. You can't miss it. Go sir, jacket a lot of a lot of people were in the the IE jacket at games. I see it all over the place.
Yeah. It it immediately. I remember, I was actually I was up last week at the IU Miami of Ohio game and I'm at kill Roy's, you know, on whatever that is on. Ireland I think and there's a guy wearing the jacket. I mean I think he'd probably gotten it like three days earlier. So yeah there's there's plenty of cool stuff there that you should purchase from home field apparel use the code home.
Get 15% off your first order if you haven't been there before also check them out on Twitter at home field apparel. All right Scott, let's dive right into it. Indiana is 6 and 0 on the season.
They have one win of note thus far and that is the road win at Rutgers at Rutgers, she's at it again, looking at the ring, the name on the screen and I just comes right out, there are no at Xavier Big Win there, which was a lot of fun to be in attendance that I was able to go down and watch that game myself and then wins against a bunch of really poor teams outside of that.
Morehead State Bethune-Cookman, Miami of Ohio, A Little Rock and Jackson State. The most recent one was a pretty comprehensive Victory. I you defeats Jackson State by 39. Points. And then prior to that, they had a bit of a stodgy game in that
day, right? Before Thanksgiving as they played Little Rock, they ended up winning that game, 87, 268, some concerns erupted from some segments of the fanbase about, you know, they didn't play well against Little Rock this and that you, but that largely went away in that Jackson State game at least in the second half as the Hoosiers.
You know, while they didn't blow out, Jackson State in the first half, they definitely did in the second half outscoring them, 9:41 and The first 10 minutes of the second half and then 2713 over the final quarter of play, a big game for tomorrow Bates. In that one he scores 22 points against Jackson State and goes for 45 from 2446, from 34 assists.
I mean, really as about as complete a game, as we've seen from Tamar Bates in an Indiana uniform albeit against really week competition, but you got to tip your hat to him. He comes in and really gets more minutes than All, but one of the starters, I mean, Gentle Touch of pheno ended up playing more tomorrow Bates, played 24 minutes in that game and I'm really started to look comfortable Scott.
I thought in an Indiana uniform, that's a really key player for this Indiana team to get going, get some confidence in, especially in his offensive game because, you know, you're going to have games. As we've seen, were jailed Cioppino isn't hitting or Xavier Johnson's in foul trouble. And you know, having a guy like Tamar Bates who's a you know,
five star. Are you know top recruit guide it people were really excited about to have him really start to emerge and feel confident in what he's doing. Would be key. You know the next step is just getting him to do it against better competition than Indiana's played thus far. Yeah, I mean, I hear all that. It's tough to be like he's emerging like it's one game against Jackson State. Jackson state is where they rank now, you know, the three hundred and first team in can pom in the
country. And so, you know, I think it's great. Agree. If that version of Tamar Bates can play in spurts in bigger games than in, you know, even just regular Big 10 games that's going to raise the ceiling of this team but I need to see it in a with a little more regularity and I know it's not your sign up, but it's like that's that's the only thing is that that's where we need to pump the brakes a little bit. Like I got to Goodwin's. We looked really good.
We did one of them without you. No. Trace Jackson Davis. But you know, I'm getting excited now because now it's like All right. Now, we kind of get to take our toys out to play like now we're going to play against Real opponents. We're going to play them in a variety of settings. You were playing at home. We're playing a neutral site for playing a true Road game. You know, now we get to see how this fits up and now I think we get to see if you tomorrow.
Bates has a similar performance to that against North Carolina, you know. Now it's like all right maybe we can plug this into other games throughout the year. But there's also I mean there's also like, you know, last year you had robbed fantasy, do it once against Purdue and then
never do it again. Well, So I don't I mean okay I don't know if I totally agree with that because yes, obviously be great if tomorrow Bates scored, 22 points against North Carolina. But I think the big thing for me, you know, there's certain things. I think that you can take out of playing games against these sorts of opponents, which is, how are you taking care of the
basketball? How are you playing defense defense was a bit suspect against Xavier for tomorrow Bates. And certainly that is a bit of a concern against better competition. Especially teams that can punish View from outside. But you know, the big thing that I noticed with Tamar Bates, when you dig into the statistics is the following. I mean, last year he was among Indiana's, most inefficient offensive players. He he turned the ball over way too much, he didn't really do anything.
In terms of generating assists, his shooting was really bad, and, and just in general, he kind of took a bunch of things off the table last year, now this year, and yes, it's early, but it's not that early Indiana's through essentially, Fifth of their season. I'm going to play 31 regular
season games. They're already through six of them and you look at it, he's shooting 39% from three on 18 shots which is not insignificant for, you know, six games, that's three threes a game, he's shooting 79 percent from two, which is among the best to point field goal.
Percentages in the country it's top 25 and his assistant turnover rate is almost one-to-one at this point and that is that is big because ultimately Mately even if that's not even, even if you're not going to get volume of numbers, if you can have Tamar Bates eliminating, a lot of the mistakes and a lot of the poor shooting that we saw basically through the entire year last year from him, even if it's only happening right now, in games against minnows, I think it's a
good sign because he's a lot more likely to make passes take shots. Do the kinds of things that are needed from a guy that's in the second unit. And really needs to play as hard out there. That these are the little things that I look for where I'm like, okay, there's something to build off of there, you know? And, and just extrapolating off of that.
It feels like he's more into being a college basketball, like regular this year than he was prepared to be last year, not just at this time, but throughout the course of the season, I agree with that and we can get off the microscope into our baits, but it's like, yeah. The the flip side to that is in the one game against A legitimate opponent on the road. He had 12 minutes of 0, offensive rating, in three, personal fouls, unquestionably. I'm so psyched.
And that was a week ago, so I hear all that. I want to see him do well, but it's like in the one real test, he didn't do awesome. So, that's where again, this next week and a half. These next two or three weeks are going to be fun for me. Because now you're going to have one, two, three, four, five, five games where you going to get a nice sample size to see what he does, is he could have
They're stinker in there. But if he has progression some of those games, I think we'll be able, we'll know more after December 17th. You look across the rest of the roster and there's a lot of really promising signs for this Indiana team that I think everybody should keep in mind. I mean, first of all, the three-point shooting this year and again through some not great competition. But three point shooting does tend to somewhat travel a little
bit better. It's a little more independent of defensive effort on the opposition. I mean, you know, last year Indiana had their best three-point shooting season in a while and they finished 33.3 percent from three. That was 200 in the nation this year. Through the first fifth of the Season. Indiana is 38.3 percent from three which is 37th in the country. And that's that's a really good sign you.
Take several of the players that people have had questions about in terms of their ability to hit from outside. Xavier Johnson through 6 games is 8. 12 from three, shooting 67% from the three-point line Miller cop through 6 games is 13 for 25 from three. He's shooting, 52% Tamar Bates. Who I mentioned is shooting 39% from three, and, you know, even George Geronimo, he's taken six, he's made two of them. That's a 33 percent, Mark, I look at that and I say to
myself. Yeah. Okay. You haven't gotten three-point shooting of? No, Doubt of race, Thompson. Jay Levine has been a little bit questionable, little bit. Pointing from long range. But the fact that Indiana is getting a higher level of three-point shooting already, even if it's not at the volume that some people would like to see. That's where you get that one or two possession difference based upon some of the results last
year. And again, I think the fact that you're see, I mean, I don't expect Miller cop to shoot 52 percent from three for the season. I don't expect Xavier Johnson to shoot that well from three for the season, but they didn't need to shoot 45 or 50 percent 13. They needed to shoot like 38 percent from three and they both look like that as well with. In range and that is a big game changer for what Indiana can do offensively.
If that carries through the rest of the season, that's been the issue with this team for five years is they just don't have that three-point shooting and you see it, it just it the ability to push things forward and you know extend leads and get little runs that is really the missing link for this team. I think you're hitting on it because we have a given and it's just there, which is if we're not hitting We are still one of the most efficient scoring teams in the country.
Just I'll be at it to with Tres Jackson, Davis with Malik renew with, you know, a little bit of Ray stops and like, just our front line down there is probably the most efficient scoring big men in the country. Like when you put all three of them together and I was thinking about this too, you know, I think Jalen Hood should be no, has shown a lot of talent. He's shown that he belongs as a college player, but it was interesting to start the year. All the talk was you've got is
the one and done like this. Is this guy, is you here for a year and it's like having watched five or six games again against different competition. I come away being like I think hoods Ruffino will be here next year. I think Malik renew could be gone next. You like watching this is like renew. Looks like he he's at a different level in a positive way you're already seeing like he's nationally.
Ranked for offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding, you know, blocks and steals that he is doing so many things and it feels like he has so Much room to grow. I've just been so impressed by him and it really provides this kind of like you have those years where it's like, you know, Purdue became the, you know, the Cradle quarterback. So you know, Penn State linebacker you. It feels like we're, you know, Frontline, Frontline, University or your power forward University.
It's like betray sex and Davis with race Thompson down renew. It's like, we have this great, this great power line that we have. I mean, I yeah, I agree with the last part, I don't think renew is a danger to leave. After one year because we'll have less things between those two. Well, well I think you know what I mean? Hold, your fee. No, is still old more likely candidate. I mean, he's still in second round mock drafts, you know, so it's but there's a couple of things at play.
And we're really early on all this obviously. But one of the things to keep in mind is that there are a lot of players that are like Malik renew. There's a lot of 6 67 to 69 guys who have that skill set, you know, but he's not a he's not a lights out, outside shooter.
He's certainly more physical. We'll have to see how he measures up in the Big Ten, because from a physicality perspective, I think he'll be able to handle himself, but we haven't really seen him against that level of competition. It'll be really fascinating watching him. In this, next run of games against North Carolina's interior against Rutgers interior on the road. So on and so forth. But also you've got an IL, you've got g-league, it's a lot harder for a player.
Like, Malik renew, who doesn't come in heralded to work your way up. Uh, draft boards. When there's better options in the g-league, or there's better options that are playing overseas, which is good for Indiana. Because to be able to bring players of the athletic caliber and talent of Jalen Hood Ruffino and Malik were new in, and not have them leave immediately to some degree, that's been one of the big elements that's been missing out of IU basketball for the last.
I don't know ten years essentially. So that, anyway, moving on, the other things that have stuck out to me, this far, From Indiana, especially as it relates to the broader landscape of college basketball. Is that this is a pretty balanced team and, you know, even more so than we thought, we spent a lot of time in the preseason asking does this. Indiana team have what it takes to elevate their offensive, efficiency into the top 30.
Last year, as we talked about Indiana was 95th in the nation in offensive, efficiency. And that was barely enough to get them into the NCAA tournament, the previous year. Here they were 70th and offensive efficiency.
The previous year, they were 65th and so they have been for a while a team, a program where the offense is simply not measured up this year again, early, but they are 15 in the nation and offensive efficiency, their 14th and defensive efficiency, which also represents a step forward again early, but still a step forward when you look around the landscape at the kind of, you know, the mishmash of by games.
And neutral site tournaments that other teams of cobbled together, you see, a lot of teams whose weight is on one foot or the other foot and Indiana is one of the few where they're playing both sides about equally.
I mean, you look at Arizona, who India is going to play in a couple of weeks, that's the top-rated offense in the country, from an efficiency perspective, their 50th defensively the ago, the other direction like Tennessee is 48th in the country on offense, their second and defense.
And you know, whether you look at Ken Palm or Indiana's 15th and 14th, or whether you look at, you know, torvik, where Indiana, because that takes more of the current Year's statistics into play is twentieth and twenty second either way, I think it's really exciting to see a really balanced Indiana team. Who's able to rely on both sides of the ball and is an over-reliance on one of the
other. That's a that's kind of a rarity when it comes to IU basketball, in general, even had a whole team whole lot of teams that have felt balanced in both phases of play. That's a great point. And then, you know, you're looking around the larger landscape. These look at the Big Ten. Hold on. One second. Yeah, give me five minutes. All right? More like 90. Okay, wow. Yeah, that was just a just Scott. Just absolutely refusing to get back down in the post by his kids. That's awesome.
Yeah. No, I'm a pro. I'm not, I need to buy one of those like, you know, on are lights and put on my phone, like, I'm sure I'm sure you're getting having, your kids are see the all they're like, oh no, we couldn't possibly bother Daddy because the, yeah, you know, it's so Kevin. I want, I can't think like that
Trump's all. No, no. Your the That you made is I'm looking at just in the Big Ten you know / do you have some teams have better offenses and you have some T's a better defense has but Purdue as a seventh ranked offense. But the thirty eighth ranked defense have Ohio state with the fifth offense 63rd defense Iowa with the six offense. But 68th defense. You have Northwestern with the 8th, ranked defense, but the
151st offense. So your point is valid in that when you look across the Big Ten landscape, you know, Michigan state is, 26 offense, 35th defense or there. They're kind of on even footing but both of those are lower than where Indiana is like Indiana. Would you look at that doesn't have the best offense in the Big Ten does not the best defense and again we don't know the full competition of everybody what
they played. But your point is valid within the Big Ten, we look to have the most balanced team and it's just I mean you know this doesn't predict success but definitely when you have one of those that's not in the top 50 in can Palm, you're going to have issues with either your defense or offense. Mele teams, you know, I don't expect us to finish the season in the top 20 in both.
But if we're somewhere in this range in that top 20 range in both offense and defense, that's the harbinger of a team that's going to have a very successful year, one would hope. And certainly we're going to learn a lot about how this team handles things over the course of the next couple of weeks.
And you know, when you look at this schedule it's a really it's a fascinating set of games because I don't know that Any of them with the possible exception of Nebraska at home are games where you could definitively say that, you know, how things are going to go. I mean, North Carolina, went from looking like, they were to be the number one team in the country, coming into the game against Indiana to.
I don't even think they've looked like a top 20 team, thus far, I mean, they have really struggled they, I was saying all the way up at, like we win Xavier. We have a great matchup. Like I didn't think North Carolina would be the one who wouldn't right and bring it to that game, but yeah. We're we might be ranked higher than them in that game. Well, what's interesting about this? North Carolina team is they're
just not playing defense. I mean their 50th in the country thus far in defensive efficiency. They're not turning opponents over and they're you know, they're essentially the kind of weirdly offensively this North Carolina team, looks a little bit like Indiana did last year where they're not hitting threes they're doing almost all of their damage on the inside and they're doing a lot of individuals stuff. Like they're they're not there's not a lot of Cysts being doled out.
And you look at what it North Carolina is done thus far on the season. They struggled a bit against Wilmington. They struggled a bit against Charleston, they struggled a lot against Gardner-Webb. They, they won by sick, 14, 16 points against James Madison. And then they really struggled with Portland.
Now, with against Iowa State, I actually thought they played fairly well and they got a bit unlucky because they ran into a player, this was kind of like, you know, that that Legendary game against was it Rob Wilson. Was it Rob Wilson for Wisconsin? That Indiana played against in the 2012, Big Ten Tournament, where you just like, scored 35 points and hadn't done anything, like Caleb grill, for Iowa State in this game.
I mean, this is a guy in Caleb Grill who is, you know, not his previous season high this year was 11 points and he had hit for total 3s All Season. He hit seven in that game against North Carolina on the day after Thanksgiving. And but you know, All that said, it's not the North Carolina is an untalented team, but they just not look, tremendously impressive. Thus far, and this was always a question mark with this North Carolina team because they weren't that good last year either.
And they essentially got hot at the right time, you know, they were 18 and 8 and 10 and 5 after losing to Pitt on the 16th of February last year. And we're in real danger of not making the NCAA tournament and then went on a big run at the end of the season. And in a big run in the NCAA tournament, that's what led them to the ranking that they had. But they were they were a flawed team last year. They look like a flawed team this year.
I think this game looks a lot more winnable for Indiana than it did when the ratings came out in the schedule came out and everybody's like, ooh this could be a fascinating one at this point. I'll be disappointed in Indiana.
If they don't win this game and cover the Ken Palm spread which right now is Five Points because I think right now, looking at the statistics, Looking at the Players involved, I think Indiana's and objectively better team and when you add in, what should be the Assembly Hall advantage that day? It would be a disappointment at this stage of Indiana didn't come away with a victory. Yep, II agree.
You look at beyond that and then it's like, you know, the game at Rutgers, you get a tough, you get a tough first game at Rucker, they really do it's not nothing is a must-win in December but you know Rutgers is a team that, you know, 34th and Ken Palm but we pull them up real quick.
They They're one of the again the defense really good at 21st with our offense 106 in the country but that's a game where, you know, if you're going to compete for a Big Ten title, you kind of have to win those games at Rutgers because there's going to be tough games against Illinois against Michigan State. You know that that's one of those games where it's not easy, it's not a given, but those kind of midweek, you know, midweek at Rutgers. Those are the games that teams
that win the Big 10 win. It just sucks. It comes as the very First game of the season of The Big Ten season, but it's like that is that's a big game. Like that's a big game and like I do think if you're going to win the Big Ten, starting off to an do is, you know, one in one is okay, but 2 and 0 is really where you need to be. So you're you're in the spot where I'm with you, like the
North Carolina game. Now feels like a game that we should win with the home team, but you went with the home crowd but then it's like going into those Rutgers Nebraska games. It's like I'm kind of looking at. Like I'd love to see a 3 and 0 stretch over the next.
Well, the big thing for Indiana with this game being on the road, is, you know, the what happened with Indiana a lot last year in the games that they played poorly in on the road was that their offense, basically abandoned them, you know, it happened in, you know, it happened in the in several of the games that we saw Indiana, struggle in where they just weren't able to score. Efficiently enough to give themselves a chance and sometimes that even came and
went in the game itself. I mean, the there was the second half of the Wisconsin game. Sure, which I know everybody remembers with not so fond. Recollections was a case of that. So this is the kind of game that Indiana if they are. As you said a legitimate Contender for the Big Ten title, this is the kind of game that you have to win. Rutgers is clearly still getting their feet under them. You know, they're playing very
good defense. There they are the best 3-point defensive team in the country which I think could hurt a bunch of teams. Ironically, I don't think it hurts Indiana nearly as much. Because Indiana doesn't have to be reliant on three in order to be successful. It also might be that because, I mean, Rutgers has played a bunch of really bad three-point shooting teams thus far. They have not had a murderer's row from a scheduling
perspective, you know? But look Rutgers is head Indiana's number over the course of the last few years. You know, Steve pikul, I think is an excellent coach and even without the name, brand players that we are used to seeing you know whether it's Ron Harper, jr. Or Geo Baker. This is a team that's going to play a very compact style, a very energetic style and Indiana's. Watch these games get away from
them before. So it's like, that is quite a double whammy in a week to have to go from what will, if it goes right? Be a huge emotional high at North Carolina. I'm all that to some degree. I'm really glad from the perspective of The Narrative of Indiana season that North Carolina is assuredly, not going to go into that game as the number one team because now it's it's just going to be a game against a good opponent. It's not going to be Indiana beat the number one team at home
assuming that they win. And now you gotta come down off that emotional high and go on the road and play it Rutgers a place where you haven't played well now, it's like, okay, maybe they're going to beat the 8th ranked team in the country. Well, that's still good but that, that you don't feel if you're if Woodson and I think Woodson's very good at this, if Woodson's doing his job, your team doesn't walk out of that
win. If they beat North Carolina thinking, wow, we really accomplished Something, you know they're not this is not like, I don't know like you know going into halftime with the 7-3 lead your. This is just like okay check that off. That was another challenge. Let's move on to the next one because we got more work to do. That's a great.
That's a, that's a great point and you saw it a little bit being different circumstance to be saw it last year, you know, where they beat Purdue at home and then turned around and just had an absolute cut against Michigan. And so I do think that's something that you have about the same kind of it's a Wednesday to Saturday, turn around. Yeah. Now, Course, that was home and home.
This will be home in the road. May, I think that also helps a little bit to that, you know, no matter how that I think your point is is a great point about the number one team. But I do also think is also nice having that game on the road where you beat North Carolina, if you beat North Carolina, it'll be a big win, but there's kind of a nice like alright,
let's leave all that here. We're gonna pack up, get on a plane, and go to New Jersey versus staying in Bloomington, and kind of reveling in it. I think being on the road for that helps Helps as well. But then you come home and it's like then there's, you know this again, this is a Nebraska team that you got to beat, but I have no concern about that.
I mean, they've shown against some of these, you know, the thing that I take away from some of these games against the Little Rock's and Morehead State's is this team has shown even without Jackson Davis, which was nice like they can handle and take care of bad opponents, which I know seems like a given, but that was something even under the Archie error, like the, some of these games against Bad opponents was touch and go into Ooh, the middle of the second half where
it's like why is this still? You know, the other team hit a couple threes and it's like suddenly a six-point game like what why are we still screwing around with this. Like this team has shown an ability to basically put these games Out Of Reach at a point in. You know, late in the first half Row in the second half for I'm I'd be shocked if you know Nebraska. Keeps that really close in the second half?
Yeah. No. I mean and look I don't want to overstate it too much because you know they did they put away Jackson State last year. They went by Big of a margin, the difference was like last year, you know, in those games. Indiana is last year in the, in the by games, to start the season.
I'm going to take the st. John's game out of it, because that was a Gavotte game and that was a much closer one, but Indiana, scored sixty, eight, against Eastern Michigan, 85 against Northern Illinois, 76 against louisiana-lafayette, 70 against Jackson, State and 90 against Marshall. But they had to, again, that game because Marshall was just going nuts from outside this year.
They've scored 88 101, 86 87 and Significant difference in terms of Indiana's ability to put points on the board. And this kind of goes back to my tomorrow. Bates Point earlier. It's like, I do think that will carry because I think it demonstrates how much better Indiana's offense is functionally, like, structurally, even versus what it was last year, let alone previous years. Anyway, you move forward. I mean, Nebraska really doesn't look like that much of a
challenge right now. And maybe that's, you know, that might be frightening to think about. But Nebraska's, got 3 wins. None of whom are against teams that are ranked higher than 306th in Ken pom and, you know, they lost by 20 to st. John's, they lost by 13 to Oklahoma, they lost by 12 to Memphis. They are glacial on offense. They really don't do very much. Well, at all in any phase of the game.
That's the kind of game, but your point where you're like a little bit nervous, like, yeah, this is where I think for IU fans. This is kind of like coming out of a bad relationship. Like, I know it's bad timing
because Ohio state is lost. When you look at Ohio State football fans, like they just go into everything like we should win by two touchdowns and there does come a point where you know, kind of as act as if like I don't want to get overconfident but if we're going to be back to that program, I remember you. And I grew up in the mid-90s. Like this was the version of a Wisconsin game at home. It's like Wisconsin was a dead in the water basketball program in the early 90s? Yes, kids.
Look it up. They didn't often always were good. It's like I never was concerned about playing Wisconsin, in Northwestern, it's like, well, that's That's like playing Jackson State like, you know, we'll put them away and I don't want to be overconfident a fan, but I do think, you know, if we keep on saying is if we're going to be a team competing for a Big Ten title and we're going to do that year in year out, there does come some arrogance with
that. It also means that you just you don't win a Big Ten title losing home games in Nebraska. And so it's like this is if that's what we're going to be then you kind of have to look at this as like all right that's a w. We're moving on. Not not to piss on your point. No. I mean, but I understand where you're coming from.
I feel the same. Same thing, but it's like, we almost need to move past that, but my point was actually going to be that, this feels like the kind of game that Indiana can cruise through try different things. Reset a little bit rest, some players in advance of Arizona. Now, some in the past, we have seen those types of games. Not work out, but Nebraska looks singularly, unsuited to being competitive in that kind of a game at this point.
And that, that's going to be a really fascinating thing to watch. And it's interesting because like, that's Lee, that's Northwest Nebraska's. First game, first Big Ten game because they play that Wednesday. And then they have to go back home to play pro do on Saturday, but proceeding that they've got Creighton on the road. So, it's, it's a tough turnaround for that Nebraska team in general, because they mean they've got Florida State today.
They've got Boston College on Wednesday in the ACC, Big Ten challenge at home and then they're at Creighton and then at Indiana they may be a no. Mental shape to do anything, let alone physical shape. When that game rolls around the last two games. I wanted to tackle since we're kind of, this is like the second fifth of the season. The the second 20%, you got Arizona and you've got Kansas.
And I think most people myself included went into the season thinking, well they got a real shot against Arizona. And the Kansas game is going to be a bridge too far flip and it feels wet and I don't and I don't think Indiana doesn't have a shot against Arizona but I am incredibly. Fascinated by the matchup that is shaping up because clearly, this Arizona team is really good. Like they are, they are the third most efficient offense in
the country. They have the highest effective field goal percentage, Indiana. Second by the way, an effective field goal percentage. Its these are the top two teams and effective field goal percentage, which for those of you who don't remember that is counting three point shots as one and a half as opposed to one, you know, Arizona we're goes real fast, they turn the ball over a bunch of And they
don't care, they're shooting. 45% from 360 7.4% from to, and they have been a Marvel to watch especially over these last few games. They end up winning in Maui and they're you know I mean certainly you get you you're impressed by how well they played against San Diego State, who a lot of people think is a good team. You're less impressed by the fact that gave up 93 points to Cincinnati. Who's not very good. You're less. That they let Creighton come back at the end. Cratons, a good team.
I don't know what to expect out of an Indiana. Arizona matchup on a neutral floor because it's like, does Indiana's defense. Get overrun by a team that goes that fast with the quality and caliber of athletes. That Arizona has I mean, Arizona's got Omar below, who's a 7-foot 260-pound guy, you know, that, you know, two Bella's has played really well, he's 611 they've got good guards or does Indiana's defense fine. We put up an obstacle that
Arizona can't run around. I really that game might be low-key shaping up to be one of the best non-conference matchups in all of college basketball, because of how diametrically opposed, those two forces are Indiana's abilities on defense and Arizona's ability to run the ball and score. Yeah. And considering how teams have lost and where it's gone. I mean, that could be we could both be ranked in the top five at that point. Yeah. It could be like, you know, two
verses for matchup like this. This could One of the Premier non-conference games. Yeah, because I mean Arizona, I mean they've only got two games between now and then they play Utah on the road, which probably gonna lose that angry, that big of a challenge and they get cow at home Cal is the Nebraska of the Pac-12, you know? So. And they're going to get a significant amount of rest. They've got a whole week off, leading into that game.
Whereas Indiana has to play against Nebraska where, you know, we'll probably see a healthy dose of Caleb Banks. And CJ gun, I'm guessing in that game but you know, but it's, it is going to be a fascinating matchup and you're Right? I mean if Indiana beats North Carolina and they beat Rutgers, there's a real good shot at that point that they start getting full levels of respect from the voting public, not that it matters. I mean, the rankings at this
point don't matter that. It's just it's just window dressing but that is a really exciting game now even more so than it was before now that we see how Arizona is actually going to play and that their pieces mesh really well together. Yeah, well and this goes back to I'm so happy that we're doing this. I hope that we continue like I would have Up to seen us in a
preseason tournament. I think that will come next year, but this is something that you've always said, like, no matter what happens that game, assuming we don't get, you know, just boat race by 30, that game a game against Arizona on a neutral site, that is going to hold up. Well, when it comes, tournament time, honestly whether we win or lose like winning would be great, but even a close loss, like that's a game that holds up so much better than a win
against Jackson State at home. Like having these games against top, tier opponents, is just going to help. Our resume so much more. So I'm I'm so happy, we're getting that. And also, you know it helps supercharge your program because if we both come into that undefeated, the winner that game is going to get first place votes. Again, doesn't matter like none of this matters but it also doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. If Indiana gets me. Right. Third, and get some first-place
votes, like that stuff. I will go get just do a 180 right now. It doesn't matter. Like it does getting that kind of press is nice and it helps you no matter what. I have a hard time seeing us, you know? By the end of December, 17th. We're going to have a loss or two. I just yeah, even as much as good as I think Indiana is I have a hard time seeing us winning neutral site against Arizona, going into Kansas and winning their but I'm with you.
I think that Arizona game I'm super excited I'm going it's going to be a fun, you know, matchup. And I also think it's a nice neutral Court game in that, it's going to be a fun fun Arena. I think you're going to have a lot of Arizona fans there, so it might even be a pseudo Road game in Arizona and Vegas. Really close but I think I'll be a good Indiana contingent as well.
But yeah. No. It's I'm with you. It's funny how that everyone's kind of focusing on the North Carolina game is like that's going to be the premier matchup. And really, it looks like the Indiana. Arizona matchup is going, is
going to be that. Well, and then I think you also have to take into account the last game that we'll talk about before we wrap up, which is that Kansas game, which I think a lot of people looked at that and said, well they're not going to go into, you know, Lawrence and beat Kansas. And yet this Kansas seen us look. Pretty good right now. In there they have the win over Duke Duke itself, does not look great.
They, they struggled against a pretty good NC State team in Atlantis. They got taken to overtime and needed a wild, like, very improbable weigh in, at the buzzer in overtime to beat Wisconsin, and then they lose decisively to Tennessee. They always score 60 or 50 points in that game, they lose by 14. This is a Kansas team that is does not look like previous. Use of Kansas teams and of any size.
I mean, they're tallest player that gets regular minutes is 68 and that's Jalen Wilson. I mean, Grady dick is also 68 and he's largely on the perimeter. It's a relatively small team, they certainly got skilled players, but this is not a team that's played particularly great offensively. They seem to go through a lot of dry spells. And you know, again, I'm not predicting that Indiana is going to waltz in and win in Lawrence, but if Indiana plays to their Potential.
I don't think that games off the table and you know, that's another game where even if you lose it closely, there's it doesn't hurt you. And I think it really helps you to understand where you are from a measuring stick perspective against a team like Kansas that's gonna have a big home court advantage, but maybe isn't the world beaters.
We thought they were. It's weird that like Kansas North Carolina and Gonzaga look like they may be the three most over rated teams Kentucky to, I guess you could throw in there. But Indiana is going to play into of them and it, you know, the even just out in the first month or so. The way those teams have played have largely kind of changed the perception of where they are in the pecking order.
And so it's the whole thing to me is very fascinating because both North Carolina and Kansas could put it together down the stretch. But as of right now, I don't feel like they're playing basketball quite at the caliber that everybody thought they would. Yep. No I agree. Real quick going back to that. Arizona game is looking at. The numbers didn't realize that Arizona is the number one, ranked team and effective field goal percentage Indiana.
Second like it's a wild matchup of the first and second Crimson cash would tell you to bet the over on that game. Yeah. Well the over is probably going to be like a hundred and sixty five points or something and you know maybe not the team's never play. Well and weird, neutral site games, but now I agree. This is, I've been excited for this stretch because this feels like now we get to take our toys out.
We get to play with them, we get to see You know, has by all the eye tests Trace Jackson, Davis has taken a step up and become an even better player, but it's been against mostly subpar opponents. Like now, it's like, is it's, like, now being able to see it on a national scale and against large component. And this is where I want results, I want wins. But if we still look efficient, and we still look like, we're able to do what we want.
The offense, doesn't go through some of those swamps against North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas. I feel really good about our chances. Is in the Big Ten, the question, I'll ask you, I'm not totally concerned, but, you know, your thoughts on Trace Jackson. Davis with the back, you know, sitting out a game. I think for me, I'll answer my own question. First, I am very happy they sat him against Jackson, Little Rock. I think that was the right obviously.
They know what they're doing, but I think that was the right move having him play against Jackson, State makes me feel like, all right, he's ready to go. And, you know, if nothing else jacket racetracks and Davis has shown an ability to kind of be very durable.
I remember last year he had Like a funky leg injury against Syracuse, that kind of affected him for a couple weeks, but he plowed through and played and so while he might be a little bit, you know, in pain, I'm not concerned about his ability to play and I do think, you know, giving him that rest against Jackson State there sometime between, you know, Jackson State and North Carolina are a little rock and then some, you know, I think that this, this stretch of breaks and having a game off
work really well for him. Yeah. And I think it had to be that way. I think he had to play at least a bit against Jackson State, because if he does, You've gone essentially a week and a half leading into the North Carolina game where he wouldn't apply it at all and that wasn't going to do and I'm not concerned about it. I mean, I think if it was, there was a structural issue, we would have heard about it by now. I think he's probably just sore. Yeah.
You know. And so you're going to get that and I'm more concerned about Trey Galloway situation because I think Galloway, you know, the injury situation there.
That's unfortunate because Galloway played so well in that Xavier game defensively and as a tribute ER and setting everybody else up. I feel like that's a player that could really play a big role in these this next Spate of games coming up, and it was encouraging to see him out shooting before the game against Jackson State without a brace on, hopefully that will translate into him being back on the floor sooner rather than later. But no in his first race Jackson Davis is concerned.
I mean, I think the biggest thing that will be fascinating to watch, I'm not expecting him to continue to shoot at a 76% clip, which is currently doing. The one thing I'm really fascinated about though, with him is the one number that jumps out the most in terms of what he did last year, and the Brilliance of the whole three years. He's gonna die you versus now, is his offensive rebounding percentage right now. Is it like 21.7%?
It's one of the, like all modes, the third in the country right now. Now, granted, again, that's been under that's been against a lot of subpar competition athletically, but if getting offensive rebounds and using those to convert into possession, That score points can continue to be a major part of his game that that solves so many issues that Indiana's had in the past in terms of how they manage having to rely on shots, close to the basket.
Two-point shots, is a such a huge element of their offense. We talked about last year. How Indiana is offensive rebounding? Percentage was subpar, because it just wasn't something that they did. They really weren't oriented around that this year. It's a huge part of their offense there. B8 in the country in offensive rebounding percentage.
Thus far, and if Trace Jackson Davis can continue the clip that he's on with offensive rebounding, in addition to race Thompson, and addition to Malik renew, that changes the equation again much. Like the three-point shooting that we talked about at the beginning of the podcast changes, the equation offensively. So anyway, well I completely agree and it gives you multiple outs like that's, that's if you're not able to, you're not hit threes, you need offensive rebound but it's nice.
If the threes continue. To kind of scale up, we can see you too offensive rebound. Where the 8888 right country team in the country in offensive, rebounding percentage. And it does feel like that will translate against better teams. Because like I said I just don't see a lot of teams. Having the same amount of front-line skill and depth that we have with those three guys. So it's exciting and it's fun. And again, I love the fact that it's all happening. I think there's, you know, the
tournaments are nice. It is kind of that weird like, you know, three games and three days on a neutral site, if you're playing funky teams and there is something nice for it's like, you get a home game, you get a neutral site game, you get a road game, like, you get three, you get a little bit of everything against top tier opponents, and you can kind of, I think we're going to get a lot of information about this team and not to mention two, big ten games, we're gonna Farah?
Yeah, I know there's a lot that we're going to learn really quickly, and then it's like, you take a break because it's like, after December 17th, like I See you next year, like there's really well and for the stretch, it's like you get to nothing games. It's like they were back on the 5th. It's like you.
This is a run to the 17th and then it's based on you have a two and a half weeks off which is I think could be really helpful, especially if there's if there's a little Nicks and cuts were just Galloway situation, maybe that gives it time to turn around because you, you hit the ground running on January 5th. You gotta go to Iowa and it really doesn't slow down from there. And so, as you as you look at this, I you team. I don't know what. Exactly.
They're going to do over the next five games, you know, I think they absolutely they, you know, you go, I feel confident counting, that Nebraska came as a win. So what do you do in the other four? Can you go to and to is that successful? Probably. Yeah, you know, if you go three in one, you know, if the one is the loss at Rutgers and you win the other three, does that change your feeling versus? If the one loss, is the Kansas game but the other three are
wins. And so this is where I think that Xavier Game at the beginning or you know in the third game was important because it means that Indiana is going to step into a hostile environment against Rutgers already having been in a very hostile environment. It means that they're going to step into play. North Carolina at home knowing that, you know, they've already played a team that played Duke pretty tough.
I mean there, there's certainly things Indiana did last year that you can point back to. They've been in some big games. You know, it's no longer something that feels completely foreign and now, It's a matter of how do you string results together, and how to players string, good games together and how to players bounce back? I mean, you know, Xavier Johnson, you know, doing what he does, Miller cop doing what he
does. Tres Jackson Davis, being reliable race Thompson, they've done you know, everything they've done this year in terms of efficiency in scoring. And they've gotten kind of one good race Thompson game out of the whole thing. And so that these are they've actually been good despite not really ever firing on all cylinders. And yes, it's been against
subpar. Even for the most part, with the exception of Xavier, but I do think that that will travel fairly well as we've seen a lot of other teams who have had a similar cupcake Laden schedule. Go out and play in these holiday tournaments and look pretty good, you know, it like a lot of the stuff that was happening in those cupcake games actually did carry over to when they played real competition. So we'll see what happens. I'm excited should be fun.
We'll be down here for the North Carolina, game, walking around and out and about. So if You all are coming down. You know, if you see us on the street wave say hi and same thing in the arena. Should be a good game. Should be a little Assembly Hall. Even with North Carolina, likely not coming in at number one.
I think I you fans really get fired up for these games and I'm looking forward to seeing what the atmosphere is like Agreed, I still stand by my you can go and three against North Carolina, Arizona Kansas. I'm now looking at that, that Rutgers game is I don't want to put it must win but like to me
that's the most important thing. We have over the next couple weeks is everything else won't stick with you, but I do feel like when we get in the mid late, January, if we don't win that game we're going to be looking back and kicking ourselves like damn, like that's that would have been just nice to have that in our pocket as we're going for a Big Ten title, at least the top three and Seed. I mean, we'll see, you know, at this point I think IU basketball has earned a bit of the benefit
of the doubt and there's a lot of doubt I mean there's still a lot of Doubt even on the national scene and you know you look at what Purdue was able to do and has been able to do out west and they deserve a lot of credit. You know I would love to see Indiana pick up some wins here, that would bolster people's feelings about them both inside the fanbase and outside because I like everything I'm seeing statistically, the Far out of this team, it feels like it's
going to carry and travel. Well, both literally and figuratively is as the team goes through the next few weeks. But we'll see, you know? Then we may find that they have to go back to the drawing board. And if that's the case that disappointing. But that's also that's why you play these games. That's why you you test yourself
at this time of the season. It's why you don't play Butler every other year at game, you know, gain Bridge field house because that's it's not the same type of test as what they're going to face. With the combo of North Carolina, Arizona, and Kansas, not to mention throwing that game at Rutgers in there. So, so, we'll see what happens. But anyway, yeah, that'll wrap it up for us here. We'll be back later in the week, so be sure to keep it tuned to
Crimson cast. Be sure to subscribe to Crimson cast. We are available on Apple or available on Spotify were available on Stitcher. Several other places as well. I think we're available on Amazon now. Also, Scott is always a pleasure looking forward to the upcoming week. Eek. Thanks to all you folks out there. Thanks to our friends in the back home network. Be sure to check out assembly call after every men's basketball game.
Our thanks to own field apparel for Scott, I'm Galen, this is Crimson, cast will catch you folks on the flip side? Bring back the Bison. So long, everybody.