Ep 927 - A Five Game Winning Streak

You're listening to the back home network, presented by home field apparel, welcome back to Crimson, Cask ale and Claudio, Scott's Caulfield to joining you here. 900 29 of January is what it is. The 29th of January, almost done with January, which is hard to believe and Indiana basketball

is playing really well. Both the men's and the women's were in a focus primarily on the men's team today, as they have won their fifth in a row knocking up, Ohio State yesterday and where we were a few weeks ago, Scott talking about this team to where we are now. It's basically it's like a different book has been opened and we're still trying to figure out what chapter were in but this Indiana team is Absolutely playing among the best basketball in the country right now.

And that's kind of frightening to say. We're going to talk about what we saw in these last couple of games against Ohio, State and Minnesota. We're also going to talk about a very big week for I, you coming up here with two games against very good opponents, including one game against the probably, what's going to be the number one, ranked team in the country. Scott, how you doing? Good to see you. I'm doing great. You mentioned January 29th. I will, I got to give a shout

out. I'm really pissed. AccuWeather and their app because you got like little notifications on your phone and like, week and a half ago, I got a notification from AccuWeather. It's like, it doesn't matter what the groundhog says, like, there's six more weeks of winter coming. It's like why you gotta kill the dream. Like now, it's just a, it's a rodent that comes up and like, it doesn't. It's not like, it's like real science, the groundhog thing, but it's fun. I like it.

And like a week ahead of time, it's like, hey, like, you know, there's there's no Santa the Easter, Bunny's not really white Acuvue, why? You gotta do that to me. Anyway, that's because this is the time of year where I start. Like, I look at the three and a half week forecast, like you to three weeks out. It's like, are we are we over the hump, like, is this the end of winter? We had in the last stages, but it never is. I know we have another month left.

So yeah, it's here we go. It's funny because it's one of those things where as you said the groundhog is worthless as a forecasting animal, there's no science involved. It's the whole thing is, it's a marketing. Let me talk. Let me talk to Kyrie here. We totally believe it's real, it's a marketing Ploy. Put Together by this stupid town in central, Pennsylvania, that I mean would nobody would have heard of Punxsutawney.

Phil smart was right, but I was going to, I was going a different direction with that which is the whole thing highlights, The Power of Words because something with no forecasting ability, if it if they just come out and say the groundhog says, six more weeks of winter, everybody's mood goes through the floor because it's like, well, we got six more weeks of winter and Unfortunately even if that's not the case, people still are disappointed.

And, you know the the your seasonal affective disorder comes back. Whereas if you just came out and said, you know, nothing like just didn't say anything at all. Even if their work because there are technically six more weeks of winter from February 2nd, like winter doesn't end until March 21st, that it, that that you cannot get around that.

But by coming out and saying that there's six more weeks of winter, you kill the vibe of Everybody who doesn't like winter, which by this point, pretty much is everybody. And so yeah I'm with you. It's just the whole thing needs to be shut down because I think it's it's almost as dangerous as time change in terms of people's moods and just putting them in a bad mood for no good reason at this point.

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Indiana taking on Ohio State and, you know, this is an Ohio State team that is hard or we thought Was hard to get, you know, kind of a finger on in that, you know, they they they beaten Rutgers in Big quotes. They had kind of been gifted that game by bad officiating. They didn't really have a lot of other successful things on their schedule but they have been one of the best offensive teams in the country in terms of efficiency, largely because of the out-of-this-world play of

Bryce sensible. All the freshmen that it, you know, his was she shooting 47% from three and he's six foot six clear NBA draft talent but this Ohio State team that came into this game yesterday, having lost six of their previous seven, and you look at Indiana, you look at how they struggled against Minnesota earlier in the week, which we will talk about as well. A little bit. And you're like, this could be a little bit of a tricky game for

Indiana if they aren't careful. Well, they were careful and it was a tight game right up until I you absolutely hit the accelerator pedal on defense at the end of the first half, which led to a lot of offensive opportunities in the end of go. He's on a 12:43 run, that puts the game away. That essentially is the final margin. It really, never got a whole lot closer than like 13. The whole rest of the way. This was another really impressive performance from Indiana, you know, is it against

a top team in the country? No, but this is a, you know, an Ohio State team that is clearly has a lot of talent and is clearly played fairly well. And we've seen Indiana, struggle in games against teams like that before there was really no question. After that spurred at the end of the first half, and Indiana finds themselves. Now, six and four in conference will talk about the implications of that. But first got, what was your overall take away from watching this game?

Yeah, I mean, I know, it's it's, it's a good Ohio State team because had they beaten us? We would be saying like, hey, that's a team that, you know, their record may not really indicate how good they are in the kind of talent. They're well coached and, you know it, but on the flip side, it's like now it's like, you know is, hey, is holding a good coach? Is that a good? Hot, and I'll be there, they are in a tailspin.

What I love about, Ohio State game is, you know, you could see in the, in the, I had a fun game watching experience. The internet went down and all of Westfield last night and so whenever to we're friends are going to get together. Anyway, went over to the house, had my phone hooked up to a projector, they're projecting onto a wall and watching the game that way. So that that's how we watch the

game. So it's a little bit choppy here and they're getting it off a 5 G. But all that said, in the midst of The first half, it was cool because you could see I you kind of has this team like smelling blood like all right. Like they could sense like Ohio, state is ready to be put away. This is a team that's in a tailspin we're just going to clamp down. Like you said, they go on that run and then they just kept their foot on the throat and Ohio State was kind of dumb.

Like they look shook, they were making AA decisions in like I you never let up and let them back into the game which was really good. Yeah, for my high-level this is you know what I was wondering. Thing I wanted to say real quick on that, this is the third straight game at home that Indiana has done this. They did it against Wisconsin.

They did it against Michigan State and then they did it again here against Ohio State. And I think that that's really important because we have just not seen that level of decisiveness in games from IU. It feels like in Forever. Sorry, go ahead. I don't know. You're fine. No. And it's as you talk about like how the forever like I sent you

that text. If you tweet it out and I appreciate it like this is the first time and you know, only so many Years. We've had a five-game winning streak, but I was looking at, you know, looking at that, like, could we win all the way to that, Purdue game. And if we got to a six or a seven game winning streak, could only be the, we've only had 17 game winning streak since 2002, but I did, I will say, I went back and looked at other teams like Purdue in Illinois. Michigan State, like a

seven-game winning streak. In the Big Ten is actually not very common. So you were starting to hit rarefied. Air that said I have to feelings of the team right now. Like on one hand, they're playing texting, some other friends.

It's like they're playing some of the best basketball that I've seen out of Indiana team since probably 2016 that Yogi Ferrell team or maybe 2030. And we're talking about some of the best basketball I've seen in the last 10 to 15 years out of an Indiana basketball team, like they are just playing at a high level. There are athletes everywhere. As with my friend, who's not an IU friend IU fan. He's watching the game and he's just like they got a ton of

athletes like they like that. They got guys all over the court, they do and this is what Geronimo out, maybe one of our better What did not play. So there's all that and they've looked great. They've turned it on since with Scott. You know, since I started at Wisconsin game, they basically just blown the doors off of every opponent outside of Minnesota and Minnesota is that, you know, Road game where they did, what they had to do to win.

There's still a part of me where it's like, I'm not sure I trust this and that's like it's and I don't know what we joked about it. Last time. It's like well I'll just win the next one and I'll Trust.

It's like I still don't have the trust and it's partially just because this is such Such a Night and Day from what they looked from December, you know, Rutgers to Penn State and then it just switched and everything changed and it's like it's weird because it's not like somebody came back or something change, like there was a players only meeting and maybe, you know, we joked about maybe that actually did the first time that ever actually worked for the positive, but it looks totally

different. But yeah, I mean, there's, I don't know what's going to make it where, like, I start having trust. Again, I will say this. I think I'm at the point. With this team this year where I'm pretty confident we can win any game at home. The rest of this year, that's knowing we playing Purdue know. When you're playing Rutgers and Michigan and Iowa like this team looks has looked different the last, you know, couple of weeks, it also looks just radically different and Home in a

unbelievably positive way. They play with energy, they're hitting all of their shots. It looks like we're back to it. Being a complete Buzz saw in the Assembly Hall, which is so odd because less Three weeks ago, we lost in Northwestern at home so no I don't know. Look it's clear. Some kind of switch got flipped with this team and even the last time we podcasted, we were still a little bit like that. Now, maybe let's see. And they keep adding to it.

And even the Minnesota game, which happened earlier in the week, I know a lot of people were upset about that two things. I'll say about that, Minnesota game 1. If you go back and you look at, say, the best ERA of basketball that I you played under night, those sorts of games, happened all the time. Like, With a Hall of Fame coach and with multiple players that we would consider all-time greats, Indiana would have games

where they would look like. They had no clue how to play basketball, where the opponent was completely hyped up and ready to go. And I think the, you know, the difference, you know, we've seen obviously the a lot of those games in previous eras here, the Archie Miller era, the Green Arrow. Whatever the difference is that I, you really wasn't winning those games in those eras in most years, and they did this time.

And the fact that they're able to do that come home, Steady themselves and essentially make it a non non competitive game against three teams. That's like that. Minnesota. Yeah, Minnesota thing. Like, not only just one second. Like they want they won the game but they didn't. Sometimes you can win those those close games that kind of backing into we're like Minnesota makes a mistake or dribbles off their foot. Like we made plays to win the game which to me is a big

difference. Like race Thompson, you know, Trace Jackson Davis has the great Pastor race race. Goes up, gets fouled, Maybe not, maybe not foul, but like he's Makes the free throw misses. One Trace gets the rebound goes up, like there was multiple winning plays at the end so like to me that's even more impressive than those games where you win. But it's like, you won because Minnesota, made a bunch of mistakes.

Anyway, go ahead that they also. I mean, they made a lot of losing plays in the five minutes prior to that. But your point is taken like they, what they was affirmative plays at the end. Absolutely. My point being they go do that. They're able to take care of business at home and and yeah, you know, you look back and it's hard to reconcile that team with the team that lost At home. The Northwestern was trailing by double digits.

Most of the day, the team that got destroyed at Penn State and, and look, you can say that it was the injuries and the uncertainty of what teams are supposed to do, but I really think if you look at it, the big change for IU has been how much better they've been playing defensively and, you know, we did that thing for a while we were looking at the stats from like the beginning of December through, essentially, the first couple weeks of January We're in Indiana was not a very good team

during that time period. I mean their offensive and defensive efficiencies both were really really bad if you go back to when the five-game winning streak started. So basically the 12th of January was the day after the Penn State game. From that point moving forward, Indiana on torvik, where you can kind of set the maximums and minimums as far as when teams are playing Indiana, seventh in the country in tormek during that period of time, they are

17th in the country. Three in offensive efficiency, their 14th in the country and defensive efficiency, they're one of the most balanced teams in terms of how they're winning games. And what I think is really fascinating, because I've been trying to think like, clearly they look more physically active on defense. They're they're they're they're much more active in disrupting.

What the opposition is doing, especially on the perimeter there, they're trying to close down passing Lanes, they're closing on players a lot more quickly and what that's On, if you look at the defensive statistics during this time period it's had an incredibly negative impact on the ability of other teams to hit shots Indiana's opponents during that

span of time. At two and a half weeks is shooting 43% from the field in effective field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage which that counts as three pointers by one and a half times. That is sixth in the country, that is really good. I mean we're talking Tennessee is fifth in the country Alabama's seven like these are some of the most athletic Teams in the country and Indiana's playing defense at that level.

And what's really interesting to me is Indiana by far of any of those teams has the lowest forced turnover percentage of anybody in the country. So they are not going out and ending other teams. Possessions by turning them over, what they're doing is basically saying we're not going to risk fouling, we're not going to put ourselves in a position where the turnover has to be the primary means by which we get a defensive stop. We want to force you into bad shots. Or shots that you can't hit.

And we want to limit offensive rebounds. And those are the things that Indiana has done really well over this two week span of time. And I think that actually travels really well, as we move forward, Scott, if they can, keep up the intensity they've been playing with because turnovers can be somewhat variable.

And when you run into a team like a Wisconsin, or a Virginia, where their whole MO is, we don't turn the ball over then, suddenly your defense looks a lot less effective, but Indiana. The fact that they're doing all of this through forcing bad. And shots and keeping the other team off the offensive boards that really to me seems like a formula that can continue as

long as the effort is there. So you know the offensively I think this team is also in a really fascinating place because they have been before you go to go ahead. Go ahead. Yeah no you know the other thing too that I've been kind of looking at is and I'm not saying, I'm not saying we're going to an elite eight or a final four but you know in this is also me kind of talking to myself as well. So, you know, pardon the pun

Well therapy. I do think you somewhat have to just say that that month of time with Indiana something was going on and it looks like something has changed a tend to be like I feel comfortable, moving forward, like you look at some teams from last year like Arkansas made it to the elite eight ran into Duke in the elite eight and lost but like at one point in middle of January is very similar to us last year. They lost to Oklahoma Hofstra BT Lon lost a Mississippi State,

Vanderbilt Texas A&M. They lost five of their six games. They were 10 and 5 and 0. In three in the, in the SEC and then they turned it on and then they were like, they're off to go mean. We know North Carolina was very similar last year. They were 12 and 6 4, and 3 of the ACC turned it on went to the final game. I'm not saying that's going to happen to Indiana, even like Miami Florida.

You know, middle of the year. They're you know 16 and 7 8 and 4 and that they they go on a nice little run and they go to the elite eight and so I'm not saying it's going to happen but I what I am saying is you see this oh, Every year in college basketball, where it's like, you look back and like, man, like that team really didn't have their shit together in December, and then they figured it out and then once they figure it out,

they kind of have continued to figure it out through the rest of the year. And so I think that's something we have to take into consideration that you know what happened earlier? We may never know, but it does seem to be like it's figured out and there's a lot of history of teams, where once they have it figured out, they kind of are on the road and they're ready to roll and they're going and it's hard. To feel like that's happening with IU. Because, as we mentioned,

there's some never hat. It's never been us, right? Well, it did happen in 2016, you know, where that team turned around. Yeah, and by the time they everybody realized hey that teams actually really good, they had moved the ball, far further down the field than everybody thought that they would, you know, they were that good at, you know, it kind of being cloaked by their bad early

results. Thing I think is interesting right now is if you look through what, I guess you would consider to be the top 30 or so of college basketball teams. There just aren't many teams that you look at and you say gosh that team is a complete team that team is going to go out and be able to do what they need to do on both ends of the floor. And you look at what's occurring. At Houston is really struggling right now. They lost at home to Temple.

They almost lost at home to Cincinnati, you know. Tennessee is playing great defense, but their offense is just like not quite there. UCLA was on a nice vendor there for a while in terms of wins and then they got blown out by USC, Alabama, got destroyed, that was like the one team. I looked at it was like, that's a really complete team. They got annihilated at Oklahoma.

Now, you can have bad games here and there, but I guess my point is Indiana is not I think demonstrable be worse than a lot of the teams that you're looking at that, you would consider to be top teams. He and I had a bad stretch and to some degree that's allowed them to fix things and get back up, and running again. Under cover of people not paying attention to them or taking them seriously. Meanwhile, you look at a team like UConn, they've had the

exact opposite happen. Like, they looked unbeatable and they've lost what five of six I think here are six of seven and it's like, well that looks like a completely different team. Your point is well taken in that we tend to get hung up on what we think the narrative is for these individual teams in the moment and then that changes over Over the course of the

season. But if you're not paying attention or you're just hanging on to this idea that this team is great and this team isn't great, you can lose the plot to some degree and that ends up affecting the way. You think about how the tournament is going to go.

So like and if you are, if you're an outsider looking at this team like you just were not an IU fan, you know, if you're on a you know, Gonzaga podcast or you know, using Indiana as a corollary, you look at this team and be like and again we can't do this because we know how it all happened, but it's like, all

right. Yeah. Like That Rutgers, you know, Arizona Kansas stretch, like, you know, that's a rough stretch was a tough games, then it's like, but, you know, their other games, like they lost the Iowa, two points on a road game. They lost one point in Northwestern who s the Big Ten and like, you know, they yeah. Penn State's a stinker everybody has that. Like, you look at this resume from just a complete Outsider and be like, this is damn good team.

And, you know, they're the games are losing our clothes. There's a couple of outlier results, but they're against, you know, it's all justifiable, right? And so, I think that's it, for us, it's tough. Because we look back at the Iowa, Northwestern games. It's like it. As part of a larger context for Indiana fans. But again, if you're just looking at it from just a random fan, who's pulling up a page, you would be like, damn, this team is good and your point, too. I think is interesting.

I think it's good and bad. I think the 100% under the cover of Darkness, like we're no one's looking at us to finish high. And, you know, when the Big Ten, know what, you're not even Rank. And like I'm fine with all that. The only thing that sucks about it is, I think it's starting to happen but there was such a narrative with Purdue Zack ET, that's already taken. Hold, it's like Right now, Trace Jackson Davis is the best player in the Big Ten and unfortunately the cover of Darkness.

I think good for this team to kind of get a bunch of wins and kind of then suddenly you know this is the week where we could kind of jump up and be like oh this is a real problem for the Big Ten. It's just unfortunately like we got to build that. It's not helping the narrative at racetracks and Davis winning Big Ten player of the year which

I wanted to talk to you about. I think this week could solve it. If he has big games against EDI, that could win it. But you know, right now he's an All-American and he's probably the best player in the Big 10. Then it's just it's too bad that I don't hear as much talk about that. It seems to be like consensus will eat. He's got it until, you know, they don't win the Big Ten. Yeah.

I mean I'm not are you actually think it's too early to have the conversation because we're only ten games in essentially? I mean, I think there's there's pros and cons to both players. I think that certainly, if you look at Edie, he has like what he is doing that. Nobody else is able to do is he's just living under the rim. Grabbing Offensive rebounds and putting them in and he's got an offensive rebounding rate of

21%. That's that's tops in the nation, not found Trace Jackson, Davis is in the top hunt. Yeah, that to trace Jackson Davis in the top 100 of offensive rebound percentage and he's only got an offensive rebound percentage of 12.2%. So it gives you an idea of the Gap there and it's been, it's the age-old thing. It's like, what do you value? Do you value a physically versatile player who's able to, you know, basically do a variety of different things in a way that is really helpful to his

team. Or do you value a guy whose physical gifts allow him to be the focal point of the offense? I mean the big thing that race tracks and Davis for me that needs to be in the conversation. It was a keen, he's got an assist rate of 11.2%, you know, which isn't terrible for a guy. Who's supposed to be the end point of the offense. Trace Jackson Davis is assist rate is 22%, he's 330th in the

country, he's sick. In the conference, which means there's at least eight teams point guards, who traced Jackson. Davis has a better assist rate that and you know, that to me, his ability to make the rest of the offense move makes him even more valuable. But and this is, this is what I've I'll take credit for it. Thank you, everybody know, this is what I've been saying for a while is that, you know, I was on the the corner earlier. He needs to shoot more threes and play more outside.

It was not that at so much hitting Freeze. It's honestly what I'm seeing that has changed. Like, the one thing that has really changed in the last five, or six games, which is awesome. Is, you know, traced early in the year should have bringing the ball up a little bit, he had a rebound kind of bring it up and then we just immediately hand it off. He's starting to initiate the offense from a higher point. On the court, which is really

changing things. Up like last night he had a, he had a, he got the ball, this is all I wanted with him because I think he's so good passing and so good. You know, it changes the defense and the geometry of the He'd play last night, he gets the ball, you know, above the free-throw line like right under the three-point line he gets it takes one dribble and just an amazing past Galloway Who's Back cutting and then Galloway has also like an unbelievable

reverse spin finish. But you know, he's had a couple of those plays every single game where he takes the ball, much higher, you know, above the three-point line, and then he'll kind of stand there, holding the ball and you can see like he's looking for somebody cut. Nobody Cuts. They're all right, I'm gonna break my guy down, or sometimes he just takes it immediately goes and once he gets ahead, Ed of steamies harder to stop and it's just I'm so happy to see

that because he's so good. He's actually better getting the ball up top sometimes than getting it in the post because in the post is almost like there's not enough room for him to maneuver and do what he can do. And it almost limits his ability to pass and find Cutters and so to me that's one of the biggest change them. So happy to see that they're really initiating the offense from him at a much higher point on the court. Yeah, no, I think and to some degree, having him.

Bring the ball down the court. Completely changes the way that the offense initiates and you know, I think you don't want to play the game but like the number of people that I'm more comfortable than him, bringing the ball up on this team is pretty why? Why don't? I mean, it look eight but no not eight eight or nine games ago, I guess it would have been if you keep track of like the Ken Palm Player of the Year standings, which is this is automated

thing. That that Pomeroy does where they factor in a bunch of different things. I mean, Zack Edie is still leading in the National Player of the Year rating. Jalen Wilson's, second Trace Jackson Davis back at the beginning of January was like ninth in this rating. Now, he's third, he's moved ahead of Drew Timmy. He's moved ahead of to Bellows that Arizona has moved ahead to Brandon Miller, Jalen Pickett.

It's he's had a tremendous month like it's one of it'll go down as one of the most impressive months in IU basketball history, you know, Chris I you artifacts and I were talking about this and you really have to go back to Walt Bellamy. All the way back in like 1960 61 to find someone who had such a dominant stretch of game statistically over a relatively

short span of time. And you know what's interesting is that it's actually more impressive than Eric Gordon if you go back and look at those games, it's more impressive than Steve Alford and that 87 season and you know that is it's almost hard to get your head wrapped around what you've seen.

I've traced Jackson Davis and I'd argue that to some degree he's Been more valuable in terms of the overall success of the team that either of those guys necessarily were in terms of getting other people involved, especially since there hasn't been a reliable sidekick in any of this stretch, thus far for Trace Jackson Davis, you know, I mean Jay Leno chafee, no, had a

great game yesterday. He was not you did not have a particularly good game, the previous game, you know, Malik renew is had good games and had games where he hasn't been there, and you've seen that over and over again where the the Supporting Cast has been very Mercurial.

But Trace, Jackson Davis has been really consistent and then in games like yesterday, he didn't have to be the show because someone else decided they were going to step up and be the show in the first half and that, that took some pressure off of him and he still ended up with a double double. So yeah. You look good. Well, I don't think I was gonna say just further Illustrated how awesome he's been. I mean, this honestly like I still think there's a better game out of him in that these

games. It's almost like He's been involved, he's been really good. But there hasn't maybe outside of the Nebraska game. Been a game where, like, I left been like my God, he took it over like he's been great. And then you're kind of look at the stash. Like my God, like yes, thirty eight, and twenty and I mean, this is such a good way. Like, it's even the game against Minnesota, where he had, you know, 25 and 20.

It never, at least, I never felt like, oh my God, he's taking over like, I still think there's a level where you could have the game where it's like, oh, that's a trace Jackson Davis game, where he just goes bananas and just, Takes over the game.

And so, you know, I look at this as like he's doing it in a way where, you know, honest at the Michigan State game, if I remember, you kind of think back, it's like, oh yeah, there's a lot of like, you know, that was tomorrow, Bates had a bunch of Threes And, you know, us getting hot from three. It's like there hasn't been that and it's like, oh yeah. And Trace Jackson Davis also have, you know, whatever like, you know, 31 and 20 and and I hope the spirit which is

intended as like, it's amazing. What he's doing, but it still doesn't feel like he's had the game where he has just taken over Over the game and thrown in like a, you know, maybe the numbers are the same, but you like my God, he was completely Unstoppable. So it's it does feel like there's even one more gear he could go, but even just in the games now, like the stats, you sometimes look up and you're like, my God, these stats are unbelievable. Let's go ahead and jump into some questions.

We asked the folks on Twitter to send us some stuff, and we've got some things related, specifically to the game and some things that are more big picture. First question or comment I guess from Taylor Layman. Banks. That's the thought. Let's talk about Caleb Banks. He came in and we hadn't seen much of Caleb Banks. He was kind of, I think he only played in this game because of Jordan Geronimo being out with a leg injury. Apparently, it was.

But Kayla Banks, who we both really loved at the very beginning of the year. And then who essentially was a non contributor didn't appear in games for any more than a minute or two except for that Elon game comes out place. 12 minutes scores, Five Points grabbed seven rebounds and has an assist, and really looked like he belonged on the floor against that particular team was a really impressive performance from a kid that didn't get a lot of run.

But, you know, we had a lot of people ask or say something about Caleb eggs. Jamie, Jordan made some mention Jill, Sylar commented, his play last night, proves he's athletic and smart enough to Warrant more playing time. Look, I thought it was really fascinating and you know, the more I've thought about Woodson and his substitution patterns, I don't really fully get them. Like, why certain players play? The one thing in this is not an Einstein, sort of Revelation by

any means, but it is clear. The more that we get into this season that Woodson is like insanely matchup driven in terms of who he's putting on the floor from a defensive perspective, he had that comment. Everybody was wondering what happened for instance to Malik renew in that. Game against Minnesota and it was just wasn't Woodson, but you can see where the philosophy comes from.

You know, you see a rose, when says, in the post game that they didn't play renew because he was struggling with the match up defensively, and it's like, Lenny and needed offense during that period. But I can at least understand philosophical where that comes from Banks, playing like that.

And Woodson and his postgame kind of said, you know, essentially, I think my assistants were nervous about playing Banks but let you know, I make those calls because I head coach but Banks, Have been perfect in that Minnesota game as someone who could play defense. Be athletic, grab some rebounds, you know, if and who knows we may not see him again for several weeks.

And that's kind of been the trend where a guy will come in, have a good game and then because the matchups dictate something different in the next game, we don't see him but I could see Banks as athletic as he is with his size, even with a relatively underdeveloped body, making some key contributions, especially with race. Thompson's Health being in

question. And and especially with Jordan Geronimo, potentially having some health in question, that kind of mix is exactly what Indiana needs off the bench at this point? I agree. I would just, I think we need to. I like seeing it. I would just say this, this can't become the Christian Lander problem where suddenly, you know, come somebody comes in, has, you know three-and-a-half, good minutes. Well Caleb Banks. 12 minutes is good but you know it's a very small sample size.

Go on and look at like, you know, I'm not picking on him but a guy who I think is now a very good contribute like Trey Galloway, his freshman year, you use playing, all right, and then he had a, you know, against Penn State a 10-point game, four, four, four, four, two. And then it's like he scores, I think 32 points. The rest of the season, like, for the rest of the year. And it's because that's what a kind of a young young inexperienced, freshman will do

even see it with renew. Like he hit a wall, it seems like he's breaking through that wall, but you gotta hit through that. And so, I would just Caution anybody to be like, all right. Well, now we can, you know, Bart Kayla Banks and for 12 minutes and Five Points a game like he's gonna come out and couple games and look off. He's got to work through that. I think it's good to start getting him a little bit of play.

I think all of these guys like CJ gun, like all of them should be getting little bits of play, but I think it's it should be viewed. Very, very hit-or-miss and not be like why are we not seeing him like and that's what we started getting under that, you know, Christian land or thing is like I'll put him in like he looks good. Seven and a half games ago, not remembering the five games, he looks awful and That's one thing I would warn people is, you

know? But this is this is the maturation of a normal kind of non five-star freshman because they come in, they look good and they look bad. He's lunch and then they look what he was a four-star but yes, non five yet another. Yeah. On jail is a jiffy? No freshman. And look, I mean in chat, Schwarzkopf was asking us like what do we think? You know, his ceiling is, it's hard to say and this is it's one of those things where I liked what I saw out of banks in the early going.

When we saw him in in some of those first few games of the season and the fact that he was able to come in against Ohio, State and body with guys and and perform, as well as he did. I think is a really, really positive sign. But you need to have the consistency in terms of Kenny come in and spell people for a few minutes is that even needed? I mean the one question and we'll see what Jordan Geronimo situation is. Or, you know, we'll just have to guess what? Nobody's going to tell us.

How much he's injured, leg is really all. I, all I heard was that A leg injury. That's, that's it. I saw a text like, hey, I saw a tweet like, hey, Xavier and Geronimo were in Boots.

Yeah. Well then Xavier was out of a boot for shootaround which we'll talk about a little bit later on, but clearly on this team, I think Woodson looks at the lineup and a lot of people have been, like, why is race Thompson playing as much as he is. I think, clearly a, it's very matchup dependent defensively and Woodson has decided and his assistants have decided, we're going to have to put players in

that. Going to commit to playing defense and then we'll worry about the offense later, even if you're not contributing that much. And and look, I think race Thompson while he didn't have a great game. Yesterday on either end of the floor, he also didn't have his bad of a game as people seem to think that he did. He's still able to make some contributions. And, you know, when, if you can, if you can get, he had five points, four rebounds 2 assists.

That's, that's not bad. If you're raised Thompson, Jordan Geronimo has played at a higher level, Then what I think we might have expected even a month earlier. Malik renew has really started to come into his own, and that's

awesome to see. And the fact the matter is, you know, Thompson, renew Trace Jackson, Davis Miller cop, they're all kind of in the sand, Jordan Geronimo, like they're all kind of, in the same mix there from a lineup perspective, and ultimately, there aren't going to be a lot of teams Indiana plays where they need bigs more than they need. Guards. And I think that that will naturally limit the amount of minutes that Kayla Banks can

get. Unless there's foul trouble, but I think where this game was nice to see. Is you look at Kayla Banks? You like he can make contributions he and he can play against. What's a pretty physical talented offensive lineup for Ohio State? It is funny. I was going to go back on something. You said earlier where you were like Ohio State, well-coached, you want to, you want to see some interesting stuff like scan the Reddit thread for postgame for this.

Ohio, State fans are incensed at Chris holtmann, like, they would like it. I joke. Like, is he a good coach? Like that's that's the question now. It's it, is it things of the milk has turned? Their I think you could say, in Columbus on the Chris holtmann are, it'll be interesting to see what happens at the end of this year. Especially if on their current trajectory, they may not make the NCAA tournament, like it's really looking if he for them.

So, anyway, on banks, I think the, the ceiling for him right now for this, season is a guy who could come in and give you 45 minutes, You know, over the span of a couple of halves to try to give a breather to some of the people in front of him. But I wouldn't be afraid if we had to put him out there and play him for long stretches of time. And I think that's a good spot for Indiana to be in the fact.

They've got some demonstrated depth and athleticism from that that level of the bench is always a positive. And to me this is this shows, you know, this is one of those Quiet Things That it shows how well Woodson has done in a short period of time of kind of increasing the Skill of our team in that under Archie. It feels like a guy like Kayla Banks would have been a starter day one.

Yeah, it's yeah. It's one of the things we keep banging on about this idea that you have to let people develop. I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday and they were like, so, CJ gun, just bad. And I'm like, no, he's a freshman. He's and he's, and he, like, you said, he's not jail in a jiffy. No, or Malik renew, he's not a five-star, he's a guy who is talented, but he's raw, it takes a lot. To learn to play at the college level. It's a big leap in competition

because you're immediately. Especially in the Big Ten. You're being thrown in against guys, who, you know, are either top-notch players or have been playing for two or three years and understand how the system works and have the physicality

of match. And that's, you know, there's no shame that CJ gun isn't playing a lot over the case in Wisconsin, guys were 26 27 and yeah you know it's whatever the whatever the Wisconsin version of a Mormon mission is I feel like that's what all Wisconsin, basketball players end up on. It's fascinating, you know, it's like an internship at like a cheese factory. I'm not sure what that would look like. Anyway, we had some other comments on the race and Geronimo thing.

Eric Miller I'm not sure race should be starting. He seems not to have explosiveness on either end of the floor. Patrick commented, I prefer Geronimo over race, starting to move back to the bench. I'm concerned will shatter his confidence.

Here's the thing. I think that ultimately this and you look it may not be the right move, but I think it's clear that Woodson very much values and prefers experienced players who understand the system and as much as I've been impressed with Jordan Geronimo in the way that he's played, he's still a very raw player. He's doesn't have the level of experience that race Thompson does. Yes, race is lacking in in athleticism but that is a

gritty. Player man, that is a player who we've asked for those types of players for so long players, that that will do the little things that will dive on the floor that will sustain knee injuries. You know, trying to grab loose balls and there are moments when race Thompson. Doesn't look as effective. There are also moments where race Thompson is exactly what's

needed in a particular moment. And a lot of its really quiet, you know and I think with such a dominant post partner in Tres Jackson Davis you almost A guy who's not needing to get the ball and do things, like just a guy who is willing to do the dirty work. And I think that that's important moving forward. I do think that and we saw this yesterday, his cap maybe about twenty eighteen, twenty minutes

a game at this point. And I think that Woodson would rather start him knowing that the games going to be won in the final eight minutes of each half rather than start. Somebody else knowing that? Well, now you got to bring race Thompson and later and his contributions.

It may not be as effective at that point, as they are early on in the games, I also think this is where you see the Fingerprints of being an NBA coach, because you know who starts and kind of your hierarchy, you know that's 90% of being an NBA coach is dealing with professional personalities. Whereas college coaches are very much like you know, you guys are kids and like I'm gonna do what I got to do.

This feels very MBA like and again give him credit, the Alchemy seems to be working but very much this idea of you know hey races are starter races are I know you don't lose your, you don't lose your starting job to injury and it, you know, I think that's important. I also think that, you know, this could be sending a message. Also, to Xavier you Xavier is there, he seems very engaged on the bench and sometimes to

engaged getting technical fouls. But Xavier seems to be as important, a part of this team, even injured as he did as a player, and if your woods and you're, you know, how you handle race Thompson, coming back Xavier sees that it's like he's probably telling Xavier. Hey, man, you're a starting point guard like when You're good. You're starting point guard and you like, and it helps build the bond of the team and that that's how NBA coaches would handle.

It is whereas I think a lot of college coach to treat it, like oh no man look you got to earn her spot back.

I was young kid coming in. I got more recruits coming in like, you know, I this is where I do think this is a nice way to handle it. And I honestly think the way he's handling race is sending a message in a positive way to Xavier and the entire team of like, hey man, like these guys are our leaders, they're the leaders of this team and when they're ready to go, they're coming back in.

I like keeping race in the starting lineup and like you said with it, having kind of a 20-minute minute cap your ending with probably the better players. Anyway, not just race, doesn't seem to be 100% yet. So you're ending with the better five-man team anyway, but I think I think who you start is important. I think that that that very much could be in the calculus of why Woodson's, why which was doing it question? From Ethan, it felt like so many momentum.

Shifting threes in the Archie era clunked out, it's amazing to see the amount. Out of open and contested, three SIU is knocking down this season. I was wondering about your thoughts on, I use improved shooting and how it has impacted the offense and Trace Jackson Davis. Well, look, I think a couple of things have is actually Woodson, got asked about this in the postgame, press conference at all. He said was, what was just work like we knew, we had to improve

in that. And guys, just and guys just practiced a lot over the summer and sometimes, it's as simple as that. I mean, I really do think that, you know, I really believe that. Guys didn't just come here and suddenly, like, do like develop into bad Shooters. It was the atmosphere and the approach of the offense. And the way that Archie Miller approached coaching players.

And I don't even, I don't think Archie was trying to have a bad three-point shooting team because that would be incredibly self-defeating. But I think that everything was so deliberate that it ends up being a situation where it just didn't work. I mean, people forget this but like, you know, Archie had some really good. When shooting teams in Dayton and it just never translated

over here. And I think that Woodson deserves a lot of credit for giving people green, lights to shoot, but also telling them and cop was kind of asked about this

yesterday. It's like, you know, you got the green light to shoot but it needs to be within the flow of the offense and it's it's fascinating to watch that taking place because there's clearly guys who feel comfortable enough to shoot and it may not go in all the time and I'm not I'm talking about Miller cop, I'm talking about like Tamar Bates, Malik renew through one up at the end of the game that went in

yesterday. Race Thompson, will take one occasionally and I'm glad that that's maintained because over the course of a season. We've seen the results and I you lost one of their better three-point Shooters. Wednesday, for Johnson, went down against Kansas and they haven't missed a beat. I Honestly though I think the big change in this has been Jay lahood Savino because what he's been able to do in terms of just, you know, now he's starting To hit the threes earlier in the season.

He was not but his willingness to just pull up no hesitation and take the shot and you know when he hits the first couple like you saw yesterday, you can clearly tell that he's feeling it, he's going to keep doing that. And now suddenly that changes the entire approach to the opposition's, taking Ohio, State went out of their way as did Michigan State in the previous weekend game to make life, hell for Trace Jackson, Davis down low, they were doubling from the

top. They were bringing Is across the post, your tjd lost the ball, a couple of times, early against that, but the fact that you knew Jalen Hood your fee. No was going to be on the same side of the ball because he was the guy initiating the offense and you can just kick it back out on a shot. Would go up. That is a missing piece that they never had last year because of the way that the offense was structured.

And so it's we you know, it'd be nice if they took more but I'm almost glad that they don't because they don't need to in the flow of this offense. They're getting Enough from the three-point line that it's making the whole thing work. The other thing I was thinking about, as I was thinking about this, the last couple of weeks or last couple of games, we've had these nice wins, is it feels like, we're getting back on track on this in that, you know, a couple different things.

I've talked to a couple different people about like, you know, on assembly called Ryan is really good at kind of being the shot doctor and looking at shots, but he's always meant, You Know, Tamar Bates, has like a perfect looking shot like the rotations. Perfect, it's great. Why is he suddenly hitting threes now where he wasn't before? And I go back to the way I talked about with Tony and rania's, you know, under Archie.

So many of those get you, you looked at a guy like finna see where it feels like the basketball was, like, Coast out of him. Like, he just didn't know what to do, and he looked uncomfortable, but, you know, I haven't looked through it. But in the four years of Archie, how many games did we have like last night? We're just up 15 and we're playing downhill. I was saying this last time, your friends like we play.

So, well, going downhill, what I mean by that is like when you're up and suddenly now, It's like now yours playing pickup. All right. Now you're up 15. It's like now it's just now you're just having fun and we do really well like that. Like it's like the Buffalo Bills and off in football. They're really good at playing downhill but you have games like this. Now as we know, almost never had those games under Archie.

Where's that you're up? 10. It's like, let's just go have it, you know, take some open shots and see what happens. Everything was just, you're gripping the bat. So I'm hitting so many sports metaphors. It's great gripping, the bat. So tight under Archie like every missed three is like oh my God, we got to analyze it. And why do you do this?

Look at these last couple of games Michigan state, yet tomorrow, Bates, blow, the lights out from three last night that you said, you know, Jill had Reno starts feeling it hit a couple threes. We're do hits one like these games where you're just kind of kicking ass and taking names.

And then you have guys hitting threes like that, the confidence that you need moving forward because now tomorrow Bates, you know, under an Archie system it would have been like he goes 142 but it's like for the Miss clanked out. It's like, God damn it. You did this. You that's like now he's got a dude. I got a 546 under my name from three and Assembly Hall. I know I can do this, like, you build that Confidence and back

to the shot. Doctor thing like that's what was it ends up being honestly confidence. Like I just know you can do it because a lot of these guys the shots are fine but they they're good-looking Shooters and you look at a Galaxy J gun Who lit up in high school. He shot still looks great, he's not hitting it, it's just confidence. It's just knowing you can being comfortable and not having that Split Second of hesitation like should I should I not like it? Just like you.

Look at tomorrow base now like and that Michigan State game, he was just a I'm fired. Like I just firing and letting nature take And like, that's when you start making shots and put your fee, no has that in droves and, and I think you're building more of that with this team, when you get these performances where we're up 10 15, and guys, were able to just green light. It's like, oh, that's what it

feels like. And that's, that's why I could see this being the momentum that changes were suddenly. Now we get good three-point shooting results because we've had good point. Three good, 3-point shooters. I really just think it's been a confidence issue. A couple other questions we wanted to get to Ryan asked, do you find it hard to appreciate good players, on disappointing

teams? One of the things I'm happiest about is that with the team, success, more people will be able to appreciate the moments of greatness, that Trace Jackson, Davis, and Jalen Hurd. Ruffino have given us before they move on. It's, you're right, I mean, you look back at some of the teams that I use had that have been disappointing over the course of the past several years Romeo

from the results, right? You know you look back in your Or like gosh, you know, they really had a special player and Juwan Morgan, but it's hard to fully appreciate how good his senior year was because of how Dreadful That season ended up, being for IU and you can, you can go back and look at that with a bunch of different people over the course of time. Yeah, it's always hard to fully appreciate performances and I think, you know, when the team is not doing well.

And so I'm just, I'm pleased reality like, this is something I was thinking about in the moment. Met when we were in our losing streak is like trait.

It's going to be a weird ending and we're still not there yet, but we're still not there, but it's like if this career, if Trace Jackson Davis is career ends and he's like the statistical leader of everything that I you but it's never finished above 500 in the Big Ten that's just going to be a weird Legacy right as would be and you know that that's still on the line here and it doesn't change the fact that he's awesome and he's great but it's like that's still at Indiana

were not as much about the stats as We are about, you know, Big Ten titles, and Banners. And so to have never finished above 500, the Big Ten that would be blemishes on the right word, but it would just, it would make for a weird Legacy. And it does seem like we are at a point where we're changing that, he doesn't even need to win a title, they've been great players who haven't won titles, and you're being great players.

Haven't won, Big Ten titles, but you know, for him to take this team and to get above 500, the big fan of, you know, finished second, third or fourth in the Big Ten that that fund. Only changes his legacy forever. Yeah. Matt Matthew asked, would love to know your opinions on if jail Hood, you're Fina will go pro after this year. Seems like he could definitely be drafted towards the middle to end of the first round but wondering if ni L could possibly

keep him around another year. It's hard to predict. Go ahead Scott please. I know. Sorry. I just I'm sorry, I'm jumping in. They'll shut up for the next day, you're fine, you're fine. It is all just like Mad Libs it

all started. Like you said, it's hard to predict but here's what I would say is Is that it's and like I said this before on a couple of PODS whether or not they are good Pros or not, the top of the draft board is locked in, like, Victor win by Yama, might be a bust that's immaterial.

Like he's going to be the number one pick that kids scoot Henderson. I think, from in the g-league he's gonna be the number two pick like they could suck, but like they're not dropping like I would say the top 12 to 13 spots in the draft are locked in, like it's just no matter what jail is a Cioppino does. He's probably not going to get in the upper Years of the lottery. It's just those spots are already locked in.

I was telling my friend this last night, he feels very much like he could be in that Max Christie range or it's like he'll be at the end of the first round. And then it's like what do you want to do? Like and I do think ni L could bring him back. I think this is again the under the radar this out. I think a lot of it depends on how he looks in the tournament and if we make a run in the tournament that could increase the stock a little bit but I think he's got a hard cap.

I just I don't see him being able to get past the End of the first round, no matter what he does, and it's really not based on him. It's just based on the fact that there's so many other prospects above him that he's just not going to be able to jump, no matter what he does.

So I I personally think I could definitely see him coming back just because I look at the Mac Christie, he probably should have come back and if you get the IL money, you know, and I could see a world where with, with Jalen Hood safinaz game, you know, I always look at coming back to college. Like, are you making yourself? Better for the pros and increasing your draft stock. And I definitely think he could really increase his Drax graph stock because I'll end with

this. I could see a world where he has a really good end of the year continues, playing like this decides to come back. He's the focal point of this team. He's starting to get you know, first team Big, Ten all mentions, maybe some talk of, you know, possible All-American. Watch. I keep an eye on the sky. Like he'll be, he'll be starting the year as a first-round NBA draft pick. And could work his way up, if he has a Killer Season up. That, you know, into the lottery.

So that's my take on it, I'm now a curious years. Yeah, I mean, if you'd asked me a month ago, I would have said I don't see him getting drafted in the first round and that there would be a real chance, he'd be back.

I think the way he's been playing recently and the flashes that he's showing off fensively, this was the piece that we were talking about is having been missing at the beginning of the year when we were like hey we should probably pump the brakes on this idea that Shafi knows like an automatic one and done. He's bumped. His offensive rating above one.

So he Point per possession, which is obviously where he needed to be. He's shooting 43% from 3 now on the season he's and he's shooting 47% from three in Big. Ten play like this is the level of offensive. Performances assist rate. Nationwide is 250 third. He is rapidly becoming a player that is getting on the radar of NBA Scouts and I figured that he would always get there.

Jeff Goodman tweeted something out yesterday during the Game about how he wouldn't, you know, let him get out of the first round if he was an MVA GM, and you think about the load he's carried since like, starting with that Kansas game, coming back from the back injury, he has played the fewest number of minutes, he played was the Michigan State game, where he got injured on that hip check. And he still played 25 minutes

in that every other game. He's played at least 30 minutes and he's given, you know, a variety of statistical contributions and he's played, you know, On and off some really good defense, some defense where it looks like he's not really fully engaged but overall if I'm an NBA Scout or GM, I'm looking at this guy as someone I would probably take, you know, from

like the 20 to 30 range. And I'm seeing my girls, they look at the mock draft, he's 21st right now, which is higher than I'd seen what I've seen him. Anywhere from 21st to the heat to 28th to the Grizzlies to not in the first round and it's all over the place. I would be at this point if this trajectory continues and especially with Xavier Johnson, comes back Back and frees up, put your fee. No, even more.

I think this is where we say. I hope you enjoy watching Jalen Hurd, rufino in Indiana, uniform this year because you're probably not going to see him in the future. But again, and IL is the big question mark, and if you're not a first-round pick with guaranteed money or you don't like the situation that you might be going to as a second round pick. You know, the ability to come back and earn a million dollars and play a second year and

really improve your draft. Stock is is certainly something. I See, not just him but many other players thinking that Amy know what? I'm gonna take advantage of this. So we'll see. I could see either scenario happening.

I wish we had more of a bead on it, but so much is in flux right now and that's going to be kind of interesting to watch as we move forward, although I will say, Just one thought on this is like if you are, you know, jail,' know like obviously you want to go high in the first round. It's more money but there's a world like man if I can go 28 to the Grizzlies like that's a great team.

Yeah good player. John Moran it's like there's a There's a world where like going late in the first round and then as a Pacers fan it's like the Pacers right now, the 24th May 30th pick in the first round. It's like I wouldn't mind having him go from Bloomington to Indianapolis, but I've always thought that that it's like, obviously guys want to go high in the draft that you go high. You go to a shit team. It's like there's something nice about like going to the heat.

You're going the Grizzlies where it's like, hey, I can just become a role player on on a title team. Your one, well, it's one of those things. If you're going to be a first round draft pick, go to the NBA.

I mean seriously. There's no question in my mind there and certainly you want the, you want to go higher because there's Prestige. It's like you were talking about earlier with, you know, I start therefore, I'm more important than people who don't and, you know, I think with Jalen Hurd chafee know, you never know for sure how the draft is going to

play out. But if you're, if you've got three or four teams saying we're not letting you fall behind a little below X, it's worth a shot to go do that. And so I that's why a month ago I've been. Like I don't think that this kid has put enough Out there to move him ahead of the other people that are in the mix.

But now the way that he's played the last month and as important to, he's going to need to be and the confidence that he's starting to exude offensively if he can get his defensive efforts up, even more. I mean I think his stock could rise even further. Particularly if Indiana can get into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. You know, I think that, that, that showcase is what he needs to be able to rise above and last night was a great example.

Was a nationally, televised game on big Fox at 8 p.m., you know, the national game of the week, basically, for Fox on college basketball, at least in The Primetime there and and he had in the first half when everybody's watching, he had one of the best first half performance as we've seen in college basketball this season like that kind of thing is going to make his draft. Stock worked like go up automatically because everybody's watching I want to

revise my statement. I'm your I'm coming on to your psyche so I'm looking at that. I hadn't looked at this enough going in. This like ahead of him in the draft board is Chris merly, Chris Murray. And Brian says the ball or bright sensible. And you could say he had obviously better game than Bryce last night and they ones like those are two more spots, he could jump up. So, I'm I'm changing.

My tune is, it's very good. Be a when it's very hit-or-miss like a lot of people look at Sam vest and he's nervous enemies draft mocks or the look at Kevin O'Connor at the ringer and look, I don't know what the what the hit rate is on mocks right now. But you just Look at Jalen Hurd Ruffino and you look at the physical package. You look at what he's bringing to the table kind of across the board.

I mean, a guy who's listed at 66 as a point guard or combo guard, that's a really valuable commodity. And, you know, at this point it's just hard to see if he keeps playing the way. He's played the last month, it's hard to see why he wouldn't get drafted in the first round. I mean, the bigger question is, Trish Jackson Davis at this point? Like I saw a couple of mocs with

Tres Jackson, Davis at the tail. End of the first round and, you know, in the in specific circumstances, like the Grizzlies, or as teams, like that, that need those types of contributors. I think, Tres Jackson Davis would have a spot there as well, so it's gonna be fascinating to watch. I'd really don't know what to expect out of all of this, but it's weird to be having these conversations with and it's a good thing. This is like if you're going to be a top-level team, this is the

chi or top level program. I guess these are the kinds of conversations. You want to be having about your talent, a couple other questions before we wrap up with a question from Well, Footwear from our friend, James at Crimson cast 2600, one of the co-hosts of crimson cash along with Scott three weeks ago. My dad and I were trying to find a figure out if I, you could win another conference game, sounds like the conversations you and I were having Scott.

Yeah, I'm a people had that, I'm not sure I've seen a turnaround from a Hoosier team, like this before. Is there a historical comp 1980 81 lat? It's a, it's a fascinating question because 8081, I think it's important to keep in mind. And that team started poor. I think, at one point was seven and five in the pre Big Ten and then just went on a huge run in the Big Ten and was essentially Unstoppable from the time. They put it all together.

Now that team had a generational point guard in Isaiah Thomas and had a big man that really had come into his own, plus they had Randy Wittman playing for, I mean that team was stacked, you know, 80, I don't know that there's another cop, I've seen with this specific. Word of thing.

You know, certainly, we've seen IU teams, get hot famously, the 2002 team was a team that was, I mean, they, you know, they shared the Big Ten title for ways but no one looked at that team and said that's a team that's going to the national title game. And yet they put it together in the tournament. There's a couple of other teams

like that. I don't know that I've seen a team that looked as dead in the water Indiana wise as this team did after that Penn State loss and then watch them turn it around the way that they did. The One. Caveat I'll put on all of this is the five teams Indiana's beaten have been, I think, you know, from poor in Minnesota, to good in Illinois and Minnesota and Michigan State.

And I do, I am really fascinated to see what happens with these next three games that they played, because they, you know, Maryland is kind of in the same boat as I'm just laughing if we always do this. But yeah, I but my point is this like Maryland is kind of in the same boat as Ohio State Michigan. State, Illinois and Wisconsin. Like they're, they're a threat to make the tournament.

They can be a threat on a given night there, normally really good at home, but they're also a team that clearly has flaws. And then they play two teams that have really demonstrated. I think that they are much less flawed than the rest of the conference in Purdue at home on Saturday. And then they got a host Rutgers at home that following Tuesday, I mean, I mean Rutgers is not a mirage, I think if anything is we've demonstrated Rated thou Rutgers is demonstrated now that

they are a good basketball team. They are what second or third. Right now, in the Big Ten standings, they've beaten a bunch of teams that you wouldn't have expected them to. And, you know, they have three games in between when I you plays them. Including one today at Iowa, a team, they've already lost too, so it'll be interesting to see how they react to that. But I you from my perspective, they the fact that they were able to turn around when five in

a row. You're looking as bad as they did, really is a good sign that things have turned around. But I don't know what the cop would be because I can't remember this particular scenario having really played out before with an Indiana team. Normally, we know what a team is by about the first of January for Better, or For Worse.

And, you know, maybe the closest cop is actually the 2012 team who people forget, like they beat Kentucky, they beat Ohio State and Michigan State, and then they lost a bunch of games. And at one point, Five and six in the conference and, you know, there was a bit of a sense that's kind of gotten lost to the sands of time of well. Here we go again, you know Indiana in that span they lost that game at Nebraska, they lost at Wisconsin. Big shock, they lose at Michigan

and it's like, well crap. We thought this was going to be a special season but now Indiana looks like they're on and route to another losing record in the conference from that point forward. That Indiana team won. Seven of their final eight games. One of them was an on Big Ten Conference. Name. But they really closed well that season. And that might be the closest comp I can think of the what Indiana's done so far this season. Yeah, it's weird.

When as James asked that question, I was like, it's a Galen answer. This is, that's your world. You know, what's the best cop? But it's like, unfortunately, I can think of a lot of reverse comps like the 2017 season. We beat Kansas who beat North Carolina early. But then we finish the year, 17, and 14 7-Eleven in the Big Ten and it's like there's been unfortunately, too many years

where we look good. utterly and then the wheels come off and the reverse happens of what might be happening now, but no, I'm with you, it seems a little bit impressive but it also Not trying to dampen this but there's still a lot of season left and this team could still very easily finish some 500.

In the Big Ten they still have to take care of business and you know, this is kind of what's on the line is that is this season going to be thought of as one of those like wow a team really turned it around and did something again, don't need to win a title but it did something you know, good or you know they end up stubbing their toe against Maryland they lose to Purdue and Rutgers and then it's like now you're going to Michigan on a three, you know, on a three-game losing streak

recoup Before then suddenly we're like alright well that is not a mirage but just like that was a blip in the season and now we won't even think back in 5 years of this year of having that Tweed, forget, don't forget that team in 2023, had that turn around and then completely fell apart. So there's still a lot of how this book finishes a still very

much in flux. Well, this was a question, I almost posted on Twitter, but I guess I'll just post it to you instead Indiana's 6 and 4 in conference. Now, halfway through the Big Ten season if they went five and five. And finished it 11 and 9, would you consider that a successful conclusion of the Big Ten campaign, given everything that we know about the season? Got that be right on the right, on the right on the edge of what I would because we have five home games left.

Yeah, yeah, that's basically. You're holding serve at home and you're losing on the road or you're you're losing to Purdue at home but you're winning. The road, I think that's it's enough to get you in the tournament. You're probably a 10 or 11 seed. I think you're better than me. Honestly, I think right now. I mean not to interrupt, but like, if you're, if Indiana finish is 11 and 9 right now in the conference, they would they be a 20 win team?

And, you know, they would, they would have enough, they have to top level Road wins. They probably have at least one more Road wind. Add to that. I think that's much better than a ten or eleven. See. They're not going to put an Indiana team with that resume because if you hold serve at this point Ascent, which is essentially what I'm suggesting here and actually get the Anna can do better than I think Indiana is likely to go 12 and 8 in conference.

I think six and four over the last 10 is more likely but I do think that five and five is certainly a reasonable outcome and really sets you up well given the fact that you would have been missing your starting point guard and savior Johnson, for most of the Big Ten season and you know Even when you got him back and maybe that happens in the next two weeks, maybe it doesn't happen until the 18th when they come back for home against Illinois. You're probably not going to get

a fully functional and 100% strength, Xavier Johnson, until maybe the Big Ten tournament. And what I did what I think is going to be interesting to see with this IU team is as well as they've played in, as much as the contributions have been coming in. Like how well will that travel in? What is kind of a weird set of games coming up? Because I mentioned like Maryland on the road Purdue at home. Rutgers at home, Michigan on the road Northwestern on the road.

Northwestern also, legit 8, I think it's important to keep in mind like Northwestern is on, they've won five of their last seven and that, you know, they've cleaned up against some of the worst teams in the conference but they're blowing out those teams they won by 20 at home versus Minnesota. They won by 15 on the road at Nebraska. They play Iowa later on this week, on the road.

We'll learn some stuff. Are you know, but Indiana's got a shot against a lot of these teams because they're, you know, outside of Purdue and Rutgers, none of them have really demonstrated themselves as being that much better than Indiana. A great question. Who's the third best team in the Big Ten? Right, and I mean, I think if you look at talent and the way that the team is playing, it is Indiana right now, you know, and that that is, that's going to be

what's interesting to watch. And I think, you know, Scott, we have talked about this, a bunch like, where does Indiana end up Landing in the big tent? Tournament. As of today, Indiana has a double by as we've talked about, they would be the four seed because they are in a three-way tie for fourth that they based on every tie-break available. Well, but but no, but they beat Illinois and they beat Michigan State. And that's the mini group. And what's going to be interesting?

Is if Indiana's able to hold serve and maybe pick up one additional win 12. And 8, at this point, is probably going to get you the 3 seed, like right now, Illinois is projected at 12 and 8. Rutgers is projected at 13 and 7 produced projected at 16 and 4. And you know what's going to be really interesting for Indiana is if they can get to 12 and 8 at this point, the worst that they would be against Illinois is 500 and then you get a bunch of other tiebreakers in.

And they've got a real shot at at sweeping Illinois. You know, we're looking way ahead. But these are the things to think about. As we go down the stretch here, it just sucks getting that double by because you know, if your eye you, they Probably already booked travel, for Tuesday, go to Chicago for the team's gonna be there for four days. I guess just, I'm sure at the beginning of the year it's like, well, we know we're not going to get that.

So let's just go ahead and booked the hotel rooms like I use going to cancel it. Like, there's more, and I all money out the door. Yeah. Like I don't, what do you do with a double by like, what am I going to do with my Wednesday and Thursday nights and Friday nights or whatever? And you know not watching. You had to play Thursday. Yeah. Everybody has to play Thursday is so but no your it's funny but it's funny because it's true. Yeah.

To me, that's a really important thing for IU is get the double by guarantee that you will, you know, at the worst having a non-harmful loss in the because I don't expect winds in the Big Ten Tournament, I'm just not like that. And neither should you be or anybody else? If you're an IU fan, but you know, get yourself some rest, put yourself in a position where you can fine-tune a little bit heading into the NCAA tournament and I am fascinated to watch.

Indiana, try to reintegrate Xavier Johnson and to see They continue to get out of Malik renew and you know, if Malik renew is really going to give them the promise that he showed earlier on in the season and now does seem to be something where he's gotten over that hump that completely changes the outcome because a bunch of people asked, like, what is the ceiling on this team. Brian Hicks asked this question, a couple of other people did as well. Like, what is the, is this the peak?

I don't think it's the peak because you don't have Xavier Johnson out there and people forget how much of a like, what Jalen atrophy no does. Xavier Johnson was already doing. He was willing to pull up from three. He's a threat from Deep. He's a, he's got an ability to drive and get all the way to the bucket, and go to the free-throw line. He's one of the best assist men in college basketball, adding that piece back automatically raises the ceiling on this team.

What's what's the overall ceiling? We had a question from. Let me find it here real quick. From been we're on a great run. Currently some college basketball, pundit saved. Like a second weekend team, I say we have to show more on the road because tournament games aren't played at Assembly Hall. Thoughts, my thoughts are. They've already shown a lot on the road. They wanted the Xavier they won at Illinois.

They've, you know, I mean, go look at other teams, even the Minnesota game while Minnesota's bad and Indiana should have played better. Like that is a game that it's a road game and it is not necessarily an automatic win. You know, it's one of those things where I think Indiana Anna has shown enough on the road compared to some of the teams that they're going to be going up against out there.

I'm not too concerned at this point about Indiana traveling especially if they're going to play this kind of Defense. Indiana, certainly has the ability to be a second weekend team. A lot of its matchups. A lot of it's eating the you have a much better chance of being a second weekend team. If you're a five seed or better because you're, you know, if you're a six seed you got to play a three, probably. Lee so on and so forth.

Go ahead. Hold on, Scott is struggling with his connection a little bit here. Sorry. No, the audio got funky on, there we go. But uh, my point, my point, being a lot of Indiana's ability to be in the second weekend, it comes down to how well they play the rest of the season.

I know. I think they're probably they need to win at least one or two more games on the road or away from Assembly Hall at the Big Ten Tournament but I think Indiana is done enough on the road to say, yes, they can be a second weekend team. And I also think ultimately Indiana because they're going to be adding pieces back and because of their commitment to defense.

As long as that effort maintains, that's a really tough matchup for a lot of teams in the in the tournament because there's very few teams that are going to have had the experience of playing against a trace Jackson Davis and there's very few teams who are going to be able to defend effectively. Jalen who Jaffe know the way that he's currently playing. And that to me is a really exciting combination.

We've always talked about how important guards are in the NCAA tournament and that's been a problem that I use had Indiana's. Got the guard archetype ready to go in this tournament. And I thought tomorrow Bates in there as well, like a guy who can shoot without really thinking about it a guy who can, you know, certainly be athletic heat. Maybe his defense isn't that

great? But I think the formulas there, it's just going to be less about Kennedy and a play on the road and more can Indiana maintain the level of intensity. That they've had this last few weeks, I agree. I think the ceiling has raised, you know, the caveat is assuming that the effort and the intensity of the last five games continues. They're not going to win out, they're going to lose a couple games here and there, but if that keeps up to me, that the ceiling is definitely risen and

I agree with you. I think there's no reason why this can't be a second weekend team or at least a team that competes for the second weekend because all the things you said, but I will add in there that you're not just possibly adding Xavier Johnson as you kind of mentioned. Your kind of adding Renu look for the last month and a half. He's been hitting that wall, he hasn't been a major contributor.

He is going to be giving you 8 to 12 points a night and able to contribute at that level you're adding Money crew. Sorry you're adding Malik renew your kind of adding a very functional Tamar Bates and you saw it last year, you know, Jordan Geronimo spiked at the end of the year. I think that's that's partially because of work he was doing but also just because in the tournament in matchups like you know that's a Thing is like, you mentioned, a bunch of times a

month. We're do like the book is out on him. People are seeing him, especially because you're in the Big Ten. Think you've seen a bunch of film. You see these teams over and over again, like everyone seen trace for four years now, you know, you see, guys popping the tournament. I think it's partially because you have teams that are seeing players they haven't seen

before. And yes, they have film when they watch it, but it's much different, getting it in person were Suddenly It's like, I wasn't prepared for what Malik were new was do. Even though I knew it on film. Where is Veera you're playing for Iowa? Michigan. Say it's okay.

Seen him twice and like I know I know that little move and I know how to stop it and I also think Tres Jackson Davis is a really unique player in the tournament because unlike a guy like e.t. who I can see getting into foul trouble like we've just seen it Trace really doesn't foul his history, just is to not get in foul trouble and so he he can pose some very unique matchups in the tournament and you know, I will end with like if our

defense continues to play at this intensity, that's just something that travels. And has shown that it travels. And I would say, like, I think you're being too the to the question like, you're being hard Indiana, because we got a bunch of quad, one wins that win at Xavier. As you said is holding up nicely, the home, win against North Carolina there. Now in the top, 30 and Ken Palm, that's a good win. The win at Illinois, that's going to hold up the mess a 15-point win.

Now at Illinois in the middle of the Big Ten season that's going to hold up and I still think we could win, you know, a Michigan or Northwestern game on the road which will also hold up. And if we You are able to take down a Purdue, a Rutgers, our resume is going to be very nice, but I think we're adding a lot of pieces and some of them are pieces. We already have, but if you're adding a more functional Malik renew, that's basically like adding another guy.

So I think the ceiling is is really high for this team. And you know, I'll joke but like instead of getting to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament Galen, I'm ready to say it. I think this is a team that could play on Sunday in the Big Ten Tournament. Oh, Oh, I will what we've done? We've done a bunch of times the last 20 years Sunday in the Big Ten Tournament, we've only done one.

So, I mean, what's more important here, you talk about a legacy Trace Jackson Davis. Feel like I'm the only guy in the last. I want to hear is who's taking this team to Sunday on the Big Ten Tournament. Like, that's not enter worthy. This got you've touched the third rail? Okay no. No. But your it's like that. Look, here's our pisses me off about the big tab. So much of this is decided by matchups and Illinois right now. Like just statistically, they are projected to finish 12 and 8

in conference, you know why? Because Illinois gets to play Nebraska twice, Minnesota, twice, and Purdue once. Like that's and that Purdue games on the road, they don't even I'm sorry. They do get paid to play pretty twice, they actually play them coming up so it's still, no, no.

I'm I was Right? The first time they played them once it's just like come on guys like Illinois gets the two worst, four games against the two worst teams in the conference and they only have to play the best team in the conference one time. And you know what, if I'm not mistaken, they also only play Rutgers. Once you know, I mean that you talk about a lucky ass draw for the Illini here. It's pretty remarkable.

So this is where it's tough because so much of How we're programmed to think about the teams based upon where they finish in the conference standings, and Indiana is going to play a demonstrable harder record. Then most of the teams that they're in competition for, for that, you know, second third fourth spot. The one team that is playing a really hard scheduled.

That's actually up far there that I'm really impressed by his Rutgers who did not get any favors in the Big Ten schedule makers and has not cared about it. But anyway, the last thing I wanted to touch on before we wrap up is the games coming up this week, Maryland. On Tuesday at 9 p.m. why of all like can we get a seven o'clock game? I mean, do they realize how hard it is to just calm down after Indiana plays a road game? It's like that Minnesota is east coast.

You have teams, I don't roll. Like, I know it's ridiculous. And then of course, Purdue on Saturday. You know, these are two games that actually Indiana's projected to lose in Ken pom their projected to lose the Maryland game by to the projected to lose the Purdue game. By a point, you know, when I look at this Maryland team, they're actually very similar in a lot of ways to Indiana in terms of how they line up. They have, nobody over six feet nine.

They, you know, they very much focus on getting the ball down low, you know, or at least with inside the two-point Circle. They don't you know, everybody's talking about Indiana, not shooting a lot of Threes as a proportion of their total offense. Will Maryland doesn't either, you know, the big difference between these two is Maryland go. To the free-throw line a bit more and Maryland does not believe in the cysts. Like they're one of the worst assist to field goal made teams

in the country. They really do everything off of isolation and off of these trying to get players into position letting them work. You know, Indiana has really as we talked about at the top of the podcast is really focused their attention on limiting offensive rebounds and and that's not something that Maryland necessarily you know, they really do rely on off. It's of rebounds. They love to get like, put backs and things like that, so that is going to be a fascinating battle.

You know. Maryland, doesn't turn the ball over that much. And Indiana doesn't Force. Many turnovers. I look at this game. And I'm like, if Indiana doesn't get spooked by being on the road in a hostile environment against, you know what is it? A talented team in Maryland, they got a real shot in this game if they can play their game and if they can keep Maryland

off the offensive boards. But a lot of it's really going to come down to who's going to step up for Or Indiana in terms of shooting like can Maryland, effectively guard Trace Jackson, Davis and can somebody for Indiana step up and play in a way that's going to complement with Tres Jackson. Davis, does I mean, you look at what happened last year against Maryland? And people forget like Indiana swept Maryland. Last year, you know, TJ D in the home game that Indiana won by 10.

He went for 18 and 5, which seems incredibly pedestrian when you think about what he's been doing this. Here and in the road game at Maryland, which Indiana also one he went for 17 and 9 and you know, and though that was those were some big wins. Like I really believe that

Maryland win. Probably got Indiana into the NCAA tournament, even though Maryland wasn't great last year, they, you know, Indiana needed a road win and they happen to pull one off there, you know, for Maryland's from Maryland's perspective, they are very reminiscent of what we just saw out of Ohio State. Where they've got a lot of wins, they're five and five in conference. They haven't really beaten a good team on the road and, you know, but they have beaten some good teams at home.

They've they beat Ohio State who I guess maybe isn't good now, I don't know. They beat Illinois at home back in the early part of December and then they beat Miami, who's been. Okay, so far this season on a neutral floor, you know, they probably should be the favorite in this game just because they played so much better over the course of the last four games. They've won three of their last four and they almost knocked off Purdue in in Mackey Arena.

But I don't think this is a bridge too far for Indiana, and I think if they can come out and play, you know, really, really well defensively, and really limit what Maryland is doing in the post, Maryland has not demonstrated an ability to shoot threes, well at all their 314th in the country in three-point percentage of shooting 30.7% on the season.

This is a game Indiana could steal, but they're going to have to play it kind of Peak Performance to do it because I think, Think Maryland is kind of an underrated asset right now, in the conference overall, I mean, it must be nice. This is their third straight home game.

So in the span that we went from Minnesota to Bloomington to Maryland, they just stayed home for Wisconsin, Nebraska Indiana, you know, it's splitting hairs but they haven't, you know, as you mentioned haven't beaten the team in the top 20 in can pom. So it does feel like, Marilyn is a team that can kind of beat the bad teams. Beat the teams that are with them, but maybe not do as well again. Higher level competition. The question is, is Indiana

higher level competition? They also look like a team that just wins at home and has a real hard time on the road like since the beginning since December 22nd they've won all their home games and lost all their Road games. The only home game they lost is to UCLA and just looking at the stats of that game. I didn't watch it but you see other went on to pretty intense runs the beginning of the first half ago 17 and to make a 12-0 run.

So if you're Indiana like that, that's where I think you could do what you did to Ohio State. State and just kind of go on a run easier said than done, but, you know, go on a little run. I also am with you. I don't, I don't think this is a bridge too far. And I think, again, what is it stake? Here is really leading.

You know, to me, I think if you win, Maryland, it gives you a better chance to beat Purdue. Just because you come in a six-game winning streak, it really, really amps up that Saturday night game against Purdue.

I think that games going to be amped up either way, but it's just going to give it that like, you know, spy Tap will go into 11, like it's just going to take you take your knob one more Notch and now it's like now I do think you know, all these things are intertwined but this is also like if your Trace Jackson Davis you know, this is where if you can come into that Purdue game on a six-game winning streak and then you just can win and beat down Edie. It's like suddenly you can take

the mantle of not only Big Ten Player of the Year suddenly, you know, if you're Indiana your, you know, 8 and 4 in the Going ahead of your picture for beating Purdue Purdue's now got two losses. You are only you know, two losses Bhai in behind them in the yeah. The standings in the standing there they lost the Big Ten. Right. Right. But you have the tiebreak, I mean like you're you're suddenly now like within shooting distance of winning the Big Ten

but you could take the plate. Like there's so much at stake this next week. It doesn't all go away if you lose to Maryland but everything is really on the table if you beat Maryland and To me. That's where. And I think if you come out with that intensity and they play the way they've been playing, I think they should win. I mean really, I do think like this is this is the kind of game that you should win. It's not the other world if they

don't. But the a lots at stake and a lot of that kind of Legacy stuff, it just it all is intertwined and I think you could have a nice little run here and then probably have a letdown loss against Rutgers home and then still be like, God damn, why can't we be truckers? But we'll get to that. We get. It is an interesting thing I mean was the let down the Minnesota game. And everybody refocused after that, I just yeah it's you know, it's hard to get.

It's hard to get a bead on this team in that I still don't totally believe that they are completely over the hump in terms of how they play in these individual games but every game the evidence seems to mount that. Yeah. Maybe they actually are. I don't think I guess my point in all that was if they go out and lose to Maryland, I don't think that it means that the wheels of fallen off. I think that that's just going to be a tough place to play, Given how Maryland's playing

now. And as much as we talk about, Bianna, having kind of, you know, resurrected their season Maryland's, the same way. I mean, Maryland you look at what happened to them, not what a few weeks ago. They're they're getting they got lot. They they lost at home to UCLA by 27 points, and it wasn't that close. They lost on the road on. New Year's Day to Michigan, 81 246 like think about that and that's that Michigan team. That's probably not going to

make the NCAA tournament. They lost by 14 to Rutgers they lost by four. 14 to Iowa. And yet in the last couple of weeks, they've really managed to turn things around and they're playing much better ball and granted it's been against somewhat lesser competition. But, you know, they went from losing 80 146 to Michigan on the road to beating them by six at

home. That's a pretty big turnaround, but I do think that if Indiana plays at their best level on the road, this is a game that they can win and I'd like to see them win. It obviously, are you artifacts? How does IU matchup against Purdue? It's a really fascinating. Game. And it's one that we may end up doing a separate podcast on, depending on what happens. Yeah, you know, before the game

starts. But last year, if you remember that was, that was maybe the oddest game on the schedule for Indiana at home that game, did they beat Purdue at home? Because they got nothing out of Trace Jackson, Davis, that day, he was in foul trouble. Basically, from the moment that the game started, he only scored Four Points, he only played 11 minutes. I mean, can you imagine that right now and they got zero points? At a Miller cop and they got two points out of Parker Stewart.

And yet they won largely because Rob finis E and Xavier Johnson played out of their minds offensively and they got 24 minutes of really, like Rock Solid. Post defense out of Michael dirr, which took Zach Ed out of his element. He only scored 12 points in that game. He wasn't even there. Second leading scorer and Indiana came close against Purdue at Mackey, you know, I mean, that was a close game. That was a two-point game towards the tail end of the

season. So, you know, the what concerns me is you don't have Michael dirr to, you know, be that big post presence. I know. It's like he's sick. That's so weird. It's not it's so weird but it's like he was like it was like the perfect like, you know, only break in case of emergency kind of player situation and it that was like the emergency that they

needed to utilize. Now granted it was a totally different set up in the game at Mackey but I do Wonder with this IU teams propensity to be Called for fouls and with apparently Purdue getting the immunity idol and not being called for any fouls this season. I do wonder, how does that play out? I think the matchup is actually fairly straightforward and not a bad one for Indiana.

All told, I mean, you look at the way that the Purdue Indiana Indiana matchup and you immediately notice that like both of these teams are, you know, they're really good at shooting the basketball. They really don't bother with

trying to force. The opponent into turnovers on defense, you know, Purdue is obviously otherworldly at offensive rebounding Indiana's, not bad at that and, you know, essentially Indiana doesn't go to the free-throw line and Purdue doesn't put you at the free-throw line. So it's going to make for some interesting question, marks Indiana's, a much better three-point shooting, team produce a much better free throw shooting team. And the big question is going to be the effect, exactly.

These just allowed to do whatever he wants. I don't think Indiana's got much of a shot, but I don't think anybody's got Much of a shot this season if Edie is allowed to do whatever he wants. And on the flip side, it's like well there's going to something's going to happen, either trace ux and Davis is going to get fouled, a bunch and not have it called on the offensive end as he goes up for shots, or it's going to be called. And you're going to have Ed on the bench a bunch.

And that's going to make for a kind of a weird dynamic, because, what's been set up so far by the Big Ten can't stand in this game, I think. And so I'm really curious to see how it is. Sneaking suspicion, how it's actually going to get wrapped but I'm very curious to see how that plays out knowing the big channels back. It'll be a double tax to start the game. Yes I got the the first 10 seconds so well you know, we

gotta, we gotta maintain order. So you know, let's just let's yeah those everybody gets a tech to start the game, we're just gonna shoot 12 free throws it up, jump ball double tax in the 30-minute review just to like look and see whether an elbow thrown at the, the jump ball. I will ask you this. Then let's end on this. If they beat, they have to beat Maryland's. Maybe we say this for the Post Maryland podcast where they beat Maryland. As I've been saying, I think it's going to be like an

upper-level electric atmosphere. I can only think of like, to me the best, the best, like, Circle the date. This is going to be a great game atmosphere games. We've had have been a two-year stretch. It was that obviously Kentucky game 2012, the next year that Michigan game was huge. Game day was there? Those to me are the top two like I think I think other games you can put in there is like the Duke game where Marco

Killingsworth went off. Like that was a Game we had two against North Carolina last year's Purdue game, kind of grew up there, but I think if we beat Maryland and Purdue comes in number one, you have like, known quantities, and ET. And some of the guys like you have Jackson Davis. Like I think this could be up there with that Kentucky, Michigan level of maybe the best pregame atmosphere and like pre hype in the last 20 years in Bloomington.

All right great now I mean if I'm honestly even if Indiana loses the Maryland Game. They're still going to be almost certainly ranked now probably be you know maybe 21st or something like that but it'll be a ranked match up with Purdue almost certainly number one depending on what happens later today.

And Indiana ranked in the top 25 and when you take like the hype, that's gradually built around this team over the course of the season and you take the way that Indiana has kind of, I think won back the hearts and Lines of IU fans and you take Purdue fans who despite everybody talking about them all? Season are convinced that nobody's paying attention to them, you know, that do that one next to your team, like the one, yeah means like yeah. Yes.

I mean, you know, got you've got National Sports writers, like, tripping over themselves, to praise your coach, and praise your best player and B, nobody's talking about you, right? So, just, you know, the complex just just raising up again, out of That fan base is fascinating, but look a for p.m. game, you know, so it's not a night game. It's just enough time.

Before the game starts, I do think that the atmosphere is going to be absolutely Bonkers in Assembly Hall, regardless of what happens on Tuesday. If they win on Tuesday, I think it just ramps up to another level. I mean, right now, on StubHub the lowest ticket price for that game is three hundred and seventy four dollars as of right now. And I'm guessing that those are

not in the lower level. So, you know, this is where it is. One of those games, where, as much as people, the new, the new like the Hipster thing to do is talk about how Mackey arena is like the best environment in college basketball. We hear this all the time and it's a good environment that gets very loud in there, you know, for a lot of those people that's the only time they ever leave their houses and so you know, that it's a nice outlet

for them. But you know, Assembly Hall has the reputation it has for a reason and Our buddy Jay hoary was at the Ohio State game this past weekend, and he was texting after it was like, it was a weird crowd because there was just this kind of Aura of confidence, the whole game, the one time, it got like blow the roof off the joint or have stuff fall from the ceiling, I guess is the case.

Maybe was, when I you went on that 12:43, run at the end of the first half and the rest of the time, it was just kind of like this steady Vibe. You know Indiana has had that that's how it used to be it. So I try to tell people like that's how the arena used to Even when Indiana was a great in the late 90's, that's what the standard was.

But it would get up for the home games against Purdue or the home games against Michigan State or the home games against, you know, some of the other best teams in the conference at the time. That's what I would expect and it'll be a tremendous environment. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out. Yep, anyway, we got to wrap up, we went way over time. Scott is always a pleasure. We will chat with you maybe

later this week. We'll see how things go my thanks to all you folks for listening in as Always, if you made it through all 96 Minutes of this podcast, there's a prize at the end. I'm not sure what it is though. Thanks for our folks over at the back home network and thanks to our presenting sponsor home-field apparel.

Be sure to tune into the women's basketball podcast with Amanda Foster on Tuesdays here on Crimson cast and tune in later on. As we bring you more, I you coverage catching folks in the flip side, bring back the Bison. So long everybody.