You're listening to the back home network, presented by home field apparel. Hi folks, welcome back to Crimson Cass. Scott here with you, very excited for our guest today. But I will you've read the description so it's not like it's a surprise, but what I wanted him to be here in gig on the background, I wanted him to be on here because I feel bad. He like Galen kind of normally as the captain of the ship in his show and he's got to do
this. So Jared sit back enjoy not having to read a home field promo. So only holding that night, I know you love home field. We all have home field but I'm wearing home. Field, always beautiful. He's worried the Indiana ringer. Well, the the sweatshirt I turn it on. Hoodie sweatshirt, crew deck. Yes, that's what they call it in the business HomeField apparel, check them out. So the thing I've been doing that I enjoy is every day a new team makes a tournament last night.
It was Gonzaga got in go on to home-field apparel and guess what? They're one of the teams that are on there. I think for the rest of this week you can do that. You can pick a team if I had to pick something from Gonzaga which might as well we have no real connection with them and they're not The Big Ten at least not that. I think so the mascot hoodie, it's pretty cool. It's got the Bulldog laying on the G. That's not too bad. They're also coming out with a Kansas State bomber jacket.
The bomber jackets are very tight, I've seen a lot of the IU ones so they are big fans of the home network of which Crimson cast as part of. So go check them out promo. Code home will get you 15 percent off. Your first purchase promo. Code home, we'll see as the more teams continue get added. They will be on home field so go check them out. Out excited to have on today, the father of the home network. We got Jared more from assembly called Jared, man. How you doing, man?
I am great. It's a Wednesday and we're not preparing for a Big, Ten Tournament game. So, I know, right? We don't even, we don't even play tomorrow. So I am I'm great. This is, this is how march is supposed to be. You know, you've had a bit of an up and down season but at the end of the day you know you're going to make it, you know you're not playing those first games in the Big Ten tournament. This is what it should feel like so I'm feeling good. Well, You're not what you're not hitting.
Bracketology hoping to see if you're in. Like now it's, you know, in a weird way, this is probably the most set Indiana's being Bracketology wise for like 20 years. It feels like, yeah, I mean, everywhere you look. It's just for seed for seed. Seem pretty solid on a four-seat tough to move up. It seems like their floor is pretty well set. So yeah. It's but again, this is an obviously we want to take the next step and start competing for one seeds and all that stuff.
But given where the program has been the steps. Word from last season. And this season have just been very, very much needed for a fan base, that has been starved for this kind of success. I agree with. That's this might want to have you on. I think it's a great time to have you on now because you're a, you're a great voice. So often you have to do instant reaction. So I think it's kind of nice to get you in a format like this where you can kind of expand out
a little bit, look back. But I also think we're at an interesting point because this will either age well or not. But you know, I look at the next two to three weeks are Going to inform how we view this season but I think now's a very fun time to kind of stop take a breath and put this season into
context as best we can. Because if we lose we go into our next two games, it's going to rightfully, so change the context of the season and if we go to the final four it's going to change the context of the season and those were both rightfully. So, but in a way it'll kind of be incorrect because I think right now is where we can probably put the best understanding of Text of the season because we don't know what's going to happen. So I'm just, I'm curious. You're the kind of the right
guy. You have a little more of a positive attitude at times. How do you view this season as a whole? Having just gone through it. I think it's a tricky. One that to a certain extent, I do think we will wrestle with it into the offseason because I think there are two different perspectives. There's one perspective which isn't wrong necessarily which says hey you know this team was predicted to win the Big Ten
compete. For a Big Ten Championship, you know, be a top 10, top 15 team and, you know, yeah, we ended up getting the three seed in the Big Ten Tournament, but you know, we were three games out. However, many games out we were, we didn't really compete for a Big Ten title and, you know,
we've been good. But we've lost, you know, seven games by 10 points and we're 30th and Ken Palm whatever it is. So it kind of feels like we've under achieved a little bit even though we're going to get a 4 seed and be in the NCAA tournament. That's not exactly what, you know. The, the ceiling was that we talked about before the season, and there's some Fair points in there. On the other hand, you know, this team lost.
Its point guard. In December, has dealt with more, you know, player games lost to injuries especially with starters that almost any other team that's going to be in the NCAA tournament. And you know, all while doing that navigated one of what ended up, being one of the toughest Big Ten schedules in the history of the conference since the conference expanded to 14 games. And you know, sometimes people They don't like to hear you say that's like, well, you play who
you play. It's like, yes, that is how the team should approach it. We don't have to approach it that way is fans trying to put the season into context. And so to me when you add up a plaque, sleigh, but it can also be easier or harder. Like yeah, after you play you play. But there also are easier schedules. And her schedules, would you prefer to have had another game against you? Would you have preferred to have a road game at Ohio State, or
Road game at Michigan State? Which one would you like to have this year? Yeah, and at the beginning of the season, it's hard to tell what the Difference is going to be just look at it in hindsight and so given that and given just some of the issues that Indiana face that you could not have predicted, I do I feel very satisfied with how the season
has gone. Now you can't I don't your we're not going to be able to you know, disentangle the regular season from the postseason that you make a great point there that is going to color things as it should just like last year. You know, getting in making the run in the Big Ten Tournament, it put a positive spin on the end of that season.
So the legacy of this season is still to be written But I think to this point, it's not to say that things couldn't have been better because we talked about it on the assembly.
Call a lot, you know, individual games that even with the guys that Indiana had you would have hoped they could have gone better but all things considered for this team to be solidly, you know as a four seed in the NCAA tournament and get a double by in the Big Ten Tournament. Given a lot of the unexpected challenges, I feel really good about what this team has
achieved so far. And so anion to me, I do think it's fair to not just judge it. Bottom line based on preseason expectations because who's to say the preseason expectations were even, right? And what's, you know, what's the point of a preseason expectation? If you're not thinking to take into account, everything that
happened during the season? So I think there's those two perspectives they both have their points, but overall, you know, I kind of lean more on, you know, really being pleased overall, with how this team navigated a difficult set of circumstances this season. Yeah, I tend to agree with with all of that as well. I mean, the things that I think can't be forgotten about this year's team.
You know, the injuries are truly Xavier is out, but it's just like the lingering injuries that were there like no one's going to think back in five or six years and remember that Trace was injured this year but Trace was injured this year. Like he had a couple dmps. He was not right in the middle part of the year and there's even times of these last couple of games where I think we've all been like is is he fully help but he's a warrior. He's fighting through it.
But you know, that's that's That's something that's going to you know, over time going to be forgotten about this year is that he was one of the guys fighting an injury o.j. on the hood. Fino, I think that to there's some dmps there but that will also be kind of Forgotten. It's gotta be a freshman and then he figured out that you figured out a Big, Ten tournament or the Big Ten season and it's like, no, he was actually had some real back problems throughout the year as well.
So I'm and not then of course race and Xavier. So I think those are there. You know the things that I look at this season as yes, things could have gone better in other areas. But again the thing that has to be remembered is that you know for so long under Archie and even under the end of the Korean Air. It's like we were tired of teams that just didn't have fight and
just didn't come back and games. I was just kind of looking through right now you know you look at the road win at Minnesota which you know they suck but it's like that was still a game. We had to fight to win the home win against Rutgers after the Purdue game. That was a Rutgers. That would not go away the road win at Michigan. That was a tough game. The home win against Illinois, the home win against Michigan. You know, there's five games that not trying to pour dirt on.
Aren't you so tired about talking about Archie? But, you know, in that four-year stretch, I don't think we had five games like that in four years, we're sick, we really fought back and even some of the losses, you know, at Northwestern, you know, we fought back in those games. And yeah, we had a good number of no-shows as I've talked about on the show as well, but you know, you're not Going to change
everything in one season. The fact that we have a lot of games that we've been able to fight back and get it closer. And in a lot of cases, win games, it's like you, you know, you can't have the ultimate outcome where you look at all your losses, like those should all be wins and we keep all of our stuff wins. Like, just do to me. I'm really happy to see that we're getting that fight back and we're kind of turning that culture in the program to something a little more positive.
What we've all kind of used to and grown up with and want to see you. It just seems like, you know, this team right now, this program right now, they have a greater Collective belief in what they're doing, you know, in the coaching staff in each other. I think what you saw a lot of times in the Archie Miller era was, you know, a team that look, I mean, they, you know, we won some big games in the Archie, Miller are on that team, could turn it up every now and then, but you're right.
You know, a lot of times when things got bad, or when season started to go, or you lose a couple games in a row, it's just like you just, you never felt that the team really believed in it. Self or believed in each other, believed in the plan that they were being asked to execute.
And I think the difference here with this team under Mike Woodson is, it does feel like a team that believes now, it seems ironic to say that, when 10 of our losses, this year have been by double digits, you know, and there have been a couple of notable, you know, really bad games.
You know, the Penn State game, the Iowa game, the first Rutgers game in those were bad performances, but I think the difference is, you know, that as I've really tried to think about About this, like, why is that happening? Because, like, you can't, I mean, you know, that team that played against Michigan in this last game and we just kept fighting back. I mean, yes they were. So, inconsistent throughout the game, but they kept fighting back kept coming and made plays against a team.
Frankly, that is more talented than Iowa is. And yet, you know, coming on the heels of winning at Mackey Arena, you know, they play like that against Iowa. Now was part of that, just a team that probably lacked a little bit of focus and wasn't mentally. Ready for that game. Sure. I mean, that's the only way that you're going to get beaten like that. You know, but I think part of it also is and some of it is just based on kind of the setup of this roster the injury to Xavier Johnson.
This team is really trying to thread a difficult needle offensively, where you're relying on the two most inefficient shots and basketball which are post-ups. And mid-range jump shots to Anchor, your offense and you have an efficient but inconsistent, you know, three-point shooting attack, which offensively really leaves?
You prone to some ups and downs. I think also, the way that Anna wants to defend has led to some good defensive outcomes but can be specifically problematic against teams like Penn State. And Iowa that when they get red hot and get some of those open, threes on the wings that are a hole in our defense and those three start going down, it can be really difficult, you know.
And so I tend to thank you know where as in hindsight it really felt like some of those poor performances in the archery era, you know, it was again, just a team that kind of didn't believe in what they were doing. I think this Indiana team really does seem to Have a collective belief in what it's doing. I just think sometimes, what it does leaves it open to getting its butt, kicked by really good teams on the right day.
Honestly, and I haven't felt as much outside of the Penn State game and probably the Iowa game that the team really. Truly just kind of like, didn't quite have it, you know. And so and so I think that's what's different and I think that's why this team can, you know, lose a game like Iowa. But again the game before it they won at Purdue and the game after it, they came back and showed a lot of resolve against Vegan. And so it does kind of leave you
wondering. Well, who is this team really? And I think the reality is this team is exactly what we've seen the last three games. They're capable of getting run out of the gym by a talented team that can make shots. They could also go into one of the toughest Arenas in college basketball and win and they can take punch after punch after punch and win close games. Because they've got experience, guys, who do ultimately believe in what they're doing.
And sometimes we want everything to fit into a neat little box. I think this is just kind of a complicated team. But that overall, you know, has done more good than bad. Obviously, you're not going to get a 4 seed without doing that, but it has, some, what made it hard?
I think as you go through this season, you know, the kind of the ups and downs and putting them into context, but now that we've had however many games, we've had 31 games, you know, I think the full picture of who this team is coming into Focus. Now what that means for tournament play. I don't know, exactly, but it's it's certainly been just a much more pleasant experience you know? Watching Jing basketball and watching guys developed.
And then what we had become used to know I'm with you on that and I think you hit on something. You said like that, you know the two shots, we take the most over the most inefficient in
basketball. The trouble is we're also like we have two players who are unbelievably efficient at taking inefficient shots like they become efficient and you know, I've heard you know, coach on your show talk about it like you know you know a mid-range shot is not a great shot unless you make it and that's still true but like it's still Helpful with other teams are popping threes. You know you're doing 342 now it does it is a bad sign. That's kind of the inherent
issue with this team. They can just can't be solved like that. Our two best players their best each of their best shots is a inefficient shot for the way basketball is played today, and that's going to get you a lot of good results, but it's going to get you some choppy results in this. Get you some games where, when another team gets comfortable and starts firing from three. There really is like know once you're down.
Twelve or thirteen like that was part of the Iowa problem that we don't need to get into specific games. It's like once you get down by 15 or 20 like there is no way for this team to get back. Like it's just that it becomes an issue where it's like now you're the clock becomes an issue with 18 minutes left in the second quarter. Like no other no other team in college basketball because we
just don't play that way. Although then like the Michigan game, we made a bunch of Threes in the second half against phishing and he, you know, here's the thing. Yeah, you know. It's and I'm, you know, Galen has made this Point or circled around this point a lot this season and I've really come to appreciate what, you know what the point is. Because we've we've talked a lot All Season about the way that this offense is set up and wanting to see more three-pointers.
And I do think there has been more room for a team that is shooting this wall. From 3 to take more threes. I think that could have happened but you know when you talk about this offensive setup of playing through the post and then also, you know, now having to kind of cater to your new lead guard with Xavier out, Jalen's going to be the guy. So as a coach You're looking. Okay, how do I design an offense
that puts this freshman? Who's going through all this for the first time in a position to be comfortable? Well what is he most comfortable doing on the court? You know, and so it's like okay we've already got this guy and Trace that you have given him the green light to shoot, it's clear. He doesn't feel comfortable enough to do it in games. It's not going to happen but he's a really good score around the basket. And we've got this other guy who's a first round Talent.
So he's really good and you're going to get him the ball as often as possible. And this is where he's most comfortable. And so you look at it from a coach's perspective and it's like this is the stuff that the analytics don't capture, right? It's like, okay, yes, we there may be several possessions here where we're taking mid-range shots that are not quote unquote, the smart math shot but you know what? If Jalen hits your pheno is
comfortable all game long? That's what allows him to step up with confidence at the end of the Michigan game and drain that three-pointer. And so maybe you had to have a few inefficient possessions along the way to make sure that you're Our freshman point guard is comfortable and able to rise to the occasions when you really need him. And so it can't, it's not always just a math game, right?
I mean, you know, at the end of the day, you need your math, to add up more than the other teams math adds up on the scoreboard and there's a whole lot of ways to get there. But, you know, I think that the way that Mike Woodson has designed this offense has allowed his two best players to flourish through injuries and inconsistencies with their teammates, but it's allowed them to be the rocks on which this
team. You know, has been able to build, you know, through some of these ups and downs and obviously Indiana plays better when the other guys get going and still feel like there are some things we could do to get them going. But in the large sense, I've really come to appreciate the way that Mike Woodson has kind of set this up for this team because I think he's ultimately playing to the strength of his two best players and in basketball, that's what you want to do.
And I think for the most part we've done that, even if it's not, maybe the ideal setup that you would want. Well, the other thing, To just from again, pulling out a bit which I'm as guilty of not doing, but when you pull out and look at this season, you know, and I had a friend, you know, one of my neighbors kind of tell me this throughout the year,
he's not an IU fan. But at one point he's like, dude, you're eight and one in a nine-game, stretch in the Big Ten is like, I will take that any day any year against any lineup and, you know, you had a stretch in nine games, your eight and one and you finish the season 11 and 4 in a 15 game, stretch in the Big Ten and, you know, we did that in 20. We Kind of had to run like that in 2016.
Had a run like that in 2013. That's about it like in the last 20 years like it. And I do think you know this isn't a coach's second year with you know having some good you know rosters but like not the roster that Mike Woodson would want. But in his second year he's doing something we haven't done more than a handful of times in 20 years which is an indictment on the program.
That's it, that's it off. Season pod will talk, you know, the last 20 years later, but I think that needs to be you know some of those losses do so Suck. And I'm not a fan of the double digit losses, but when you pull out a bit and pull that lends out, you know, I will take eight and one in a nine-game stretch any day any year and I'll take 11.
And for honestly, outside of maybe coming into that 2013 year, ranked number one in the country and I think maybe we could do better than 11 and 4. I can't think like it's that year and the 93 like 92 93. Like the only two years in the last 40 years and I'd be like I wouldn't take 11 and 4 in the Big Ten just starting the season in October. If you like, you'll go 11 and 4 in the Big, Ten in a 15-game stretch. Like I'll take that every single
year. So I think that like that is some solid consistent winds in the Big 10, which we just haven't seen in a while, especially when it comes on the heels of a one-in-four start Conference playoffs, you know, to your point. I mean that was it was a great turnaround, a great rebound by this program, you know?
Certainly We it was helped by, you know, kind of having the soft portion of the schedule come after that Penn State loss, you know, Wisconsin at home they haven't been very good and got to plan without Tyler wall, you know, Illinois on the road. I think Matthew Myer was sick that game Michigan State get to play them at home without Malik call. And then, of course, you know, Minnesota and Ohio State who have really struggled. So that was not the toughest
portion of schedule. But we also played really well and beat teams by 12 or 15 points that we should have beaten, you know? So that's you know to your point that Really important stretch to kind of get the season back on track. And now you know, ever since then I met it's just been a parade of NCAA tournament teams one after another after another, with no break in the schedule and your point of the one in four start.
Like that's why it's good to do something right now and kind of get it in the ground for memory sake because that will also be washed away that after that Penn State lost, I will speak for myself. But I know I think you and I talked a little bit. I was kind of talking to some of
my you know in depth. Eiu basketball fans, you know, off the Pod and really I was like, what the hell's going on, like the hell, because at that point you'd lost, you know, five of your last seven games, the only winds coming against Ilan, Kennesaw State you had, you know, a complete ass kicking at Rutgers. It was, you know, it's going to be forgotten how dark things were the night of January 11th. You know, there's questions that I will just, you know, personal
question. Think we all have this like what is going on and like this is you know what is Trace Shack? The eggs Davis Legacy going to be here like is Woodson up to this task. There's a lot of question, I think a lot of us were talking about, you know, both on the Pod behind the scenes, just like, what is this working out? Or like, do we need to make a change? Just it all. Was it, you were staring into the abyss, and I think we're going myself included.
We're probably going to forget how close we really thought we were to the abyss at that point because at that point, it did look like we were like, literally Ripping off the Rock and it was like my God, if we can't do this with it, Indiana guy. I like it's just like we have a trace Jackson. Davis, we have jail, you know,
it's like what is going on here? And is this, is this ever going to be salvageable things felt very broken, they feel very broken after the Penn State game, you know, because it
wasn't just the Penn State game. You think back to the, you know, the game before against Northwestern and this is obviously, before anybody realized quite how good Northwestern was going to be, but here's one thing that we knew about Northwest, or now we know about when we knew about them, then it's not a very good offensive team. In Indiana gave of 84 points at home to them. Yeah, so that's the thing is defensively.
I mean this team had just completely lost its Rudder and that's what was so different about the Wisconsin game is they came out and we're playing defense with their hair on fire. You know, that game and and it was just such a drastic change and I think that kind of made everybody's eyes open up and say okay there's still you know it's not a real, you know, irrevocably broken you know things can still get back going but yeah, you're right. Right.
I mean, you know, coming on the heels of just so you know, because you beat Xavier early in the season and it's like, wow, that's a big win. And then you beat North Carolina at home and it's like, let's go and then it was just gut punch after gut-punch. Rucker's, you know, Arizona Kansas all, you know, all different. I think you can explain kind of go back into each game and explain what happened? The Kansas game, honestly, everything up until like January, yes, and the Kansas
game. I remember just feeling absolutely. I mean, You're just remember watching that second half being like, what are we doing? But then you think back to it it's like okay, Trace is playing with a back injury Jalen's, not even their ex gets her in the middle of the game. Like, come on, you know, you have to be somewhat. I think understanding of some of
those circumstances. The team was facing and all that said, it still felt like they could have played better because there was something in this team's energy and commitment, especially on the defensive end that had just kind of gone away which wasn't a total Shocked. If you were paying close attention in the early season because this team's defense wasn't quite as good as it was last year and we talked about it a lot and it seemed like those fissures just split open into
massive chasms. You know during that stretch of play button that's when Indiana kind of got it back and the defense is still been up and down you know this team has still dealt with inconsistencies but it's amazing. When Trace gets a little bit healthier, Jalen gets a little bit more comfortable you get race Thompson back who has been up and down, but it's just such a I just think races presence. On the court, calms everybody down.
And it's like okay, here's an adult out here who knows where to be on defense even if he struggles a little bit, we just feel more comfortable with him out there and so his absence hurt. So there's just, you know, just think it's one of those and really, every season is like this where ultimately it ends up just getting packaged into a number. That's like a 21 and 10.
It's like, yeah. But there are like 30 little data points within that that all kind of tell the story of how we got here, you know, and I think especially in a season like This, they're all really important to kind of understanding the full context. And, and the last thing, I'll say least, we don't have to up like the last thing. I look at this season as a whole that I've said a couple times is, you know, unfortunately for Indiana fans.
We've we've been either we won the Big Ten or a one seed or were just like clawing to get into the tournament. There hasn't been a lot of this and, you know, I've been saying
this rough. You look at, you know, right now the teams On the for line are just, you know, Connecticut Xavier Virginia, Indiana and as we talked about this you know teams that have high highs and low lows and look inconsistent at times but you know have some good wins to show for it's like that's a 4C like I'm not sure like yeah you know if we had if we had gone twenty two and three like we're not a 4C like this is
the profile of four seed. You look at, you know, I'm looking at Xavier, you know, they've had their struggles, they lost at Butler by to, you know, No, they lost the DePaul look at or DePaul. You look at virgin probably bad. No you look really bad Loss, Virginia lost, you know to Boston College. They lost two in a row. They lost to nirodha you know the the beginning of the Season you look like UConn is another perfect example.
Like they were going to win the national title and then they lost five of six and you know it's it is worth remembering that you know this is the profile of a four seed and you know, for seeds can win the national championship.
Being shipped overseas. Go to the final four for seeds can lose in the first round and it feels like that's what we are like and I just I do think it's Unique for Indiana fans that we haven't kind of been in this level of for so long that it's like we're either just seeking our way in or it's like we have the Oladipo Zeller you know team or it's like we're going to win the title. That this is this is what most for seeds and five seeds and 3-season the country.
Look like is like on any night, they could win a game and they can also just piss away games as well like this. Is an exact profile of my mind of what a four seed looks like absolutely a lot like the 2012 team, which I know Galen has used a lot as a comparison for for this season. Yeah, it's true. And it's not talk much about that. Considering the 2012 team. They they lost in the second round of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament. Like let's not get into that.
Well you know, but here's the thing, you know, okay. So that team that team they won their first round game in the Big Ten Tournament, right? Did they beat Penn State that year and they are you looking up? I was Thinking as I was talking, I was thinking, like, the next year, and we lost to Michigan the first round, which was annoying. Google is an absolute gut punch, but just kind of, you know, one of the things that you had come to expect from the Big Ten Tournament, but it's a new era.
Mike, Woodson is 2 and 1 in the Big Ten Tournament. So maybe we have renewed hope. But you know it's an interesting point, right? Because okay, you look at a four seed, you look at Indiana, you know, an Indiana has 121 of its 31 games and, you know, it's kind of the profile of a team.
Team that can maybe win one or two but probably doesn't have the consistency to string together five or six straight wins, you know, and that's kind of where I'm at with this team as we enter tournament play, which is, you know, yes I believe Indiana on a neutral Court could beat anybody. And I know that seems crazy. It's like well, you know, you didn't beat Kansas or you know, you didn't beat Arizona neutral
court. It's like no, we didn't play very well that night but you know, when you can go into Mackey and beat Purdue and you can go into Xavier and beat them, you know, now things have to happen jail. To be making a shots, right? Team needs to be playing defense but this team has what a lot of other teams don't have, which is, you start looking up at some of those top seeds and Indiana.
Could conceivably be in a game with a one or two seed and potentially have two of the three, most talented players on the court in jail under percent, you know. And so if those guys are quick and you get some guys around them, the problem of course is consistency from game to game and within games. And that's where, you know, to me the most a outcome in these tournaments is when one lose one because that's kind of what this team has done against really good teams. You know where it's, you
wouldn't want to lose one now. Maybe they, you know, catch some hot shooting and you catch the right matchups. You know, we know tournament how you do in the tournament is only partially controlled by you and the way that you play, a lot of it as matchups and the other teams and how they play, of
course, you know. So that's where I think it's it's important to have proper expectations for this team coming in, which is that little inkling of Hope where it's like, You know, we've proven that we can go beat anybody. So I think it's fair for Indiana fans to go into every game here in the tournament believing we can win this. But it's also fair to remember that expecting this team to do it game after game. After game. That's not exactly what they've proven, you know?
And so, I don't think ultimately, you know, if this team can win a game in the Big Ten Tournament, you know, get to the round of 32 or sweet 16, it's going to feel disappointing and it's going to be disappointing because we all kind of hoped for more. And I certainly think that there is is more possible but that's probably the most likely outcome and is disappointing is that will feel.
It's also kind of what this team has shown us to be and some of that will depend on, you know, who the matchup might end up being in the second round of the NCAA tournament. So I guess it's part of me. Just trying to prepare myself for what the most likely outcome is while then hoping that this team far exceeds it, because maybe the bracket opens up, or they show us something in terms of consistency against, you know, tournament quality teams that we just haven't seen yet.
This year. No. And I completely agree. And this is what has been so frustrating for the last 15 or so years and what's 20 plus years and what what, what, what is so nice about this season? Is your 100% right? Like this team at its high. I think can beat anybody in the country, but it's not consistent. Some exact Osterman talks about that. I really like he's like, that's not what, you know, what makes you an elite athlete? Isn't I'm totally butchering his paraphrase.
And it's like, it's not Not, you know, it's not the ability to do something amazing. It's the ability to do it eight out of ten times. Like, if you can do something consistently, that's what makes you great. And that's what this team lacks. And I don't think they're going, they're not going to get it in two days. Now, what's different? And like you said, is how the bracket matches up, how things happen.
Like, what we just haven't been doing as a university is giving ourselves at-bats, and, you know, there's years like, you know, 2016, you get in your good seed, you win your game against How do you like things? Just don't break for you. There's a one seed waiting. It's Kentucky its North Carolina because like it didn't break your way. You played a tough team, you lost okay, the trouble isn't
that that happened? The trouble is that that was seven years ago and we haven't had any other chances since you last year for his rightfully pissed as we all were myself, included, the date and Portland stuff.
It's like you did that to yourself by being an 11 seed, like one seeds, don't have those travel problems that last year should in A1C, if it's like you put yourself out A position where you hope things open up and even look back like 2013, that team kind of screw themselves by not getting the Indianapolis bracket, but it was still there. They played a tough team, whatever you know.
But it's like you look back. We just in 20 years, we don't give ourselves a lot of, you know, at-bats and that's what I like about this year is I think this is a team that I go in excited and you know if we're the 4 seed you hope that maybe the ones not there when you play them and if they are you hope that you do what you did to. Duke in 2002 and you beat them.
And then again, what quietly, you know, you and I remember, but it's like what also help there's that the bracket was open because after Duke we played Kent State in Lexington and like that was it broke, right? And next thing, you know, you're in a final four. It's like, now you play one game against Oklahoma, keep that team
played two, really good games. I'm not diminishing it, but when you look at teams that make the final four from the 456 line, it's normally that like they play one or two, they play the right game at the right time and then things break for them. And if you get enough at-bats, you'll be in the right spot when
things break for you. And that's what that's how I go into this tournament is, you know, I hope things break right for us and if we end up playing Alabama, who's, you know, maybe at the time or we play Kansas and they're red hot and they just crush us and they win a title.
It's like okay. Like that's I look at 2012 wistfully because it's like I still believe and we don't hang a banner for this but like I think if that team is in any other bracket, they are in the final four like that team was playing red hot in the tournament. Gave Kentucky the toughest game in that tournament when Kentucky won the title. And when people are talking about, you know, when was the last great team, it's like Anthony Davis and Kentucky like that.
Was we played the, the worst team in the sweet 16 that we ever in that entire bracket is just a. But I don't look back and I'm not pissed, was like, it didn't break for us. What I'm pissed about is that, that was the last time, you know, the next year, then it's like we haven't had, we had one other at-bat since. So that's how I go into this tournament. Is I hope that this is a continued now. Now, we're getting Ting at-bats. And now we're in there.
And now we're giving shots and it's, you know, I'll end my little rant on this like izzo's fantastic. He does a great job of getting his team ready to play in March. So this is not a luck thing but what you know when people talk about the Big Ten, not having titles and all that like the thing that he also does a really good job of because he's a good coach and has good teams but like they are in the tournament in a good seed line. Most years oh yeah.
They were too and they lost the first round but Year, they were in 11, they lost their but like they're making the final four because they're good and they're will Coach, but like they're also there and they're able to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. We can't take advantage of opportunities. When we're playing the NIT against Georgia Tech. No, you're right. I mean that's the thing with the tournament. I mean it is it can be such a crap shoot.
And so you just want to give yourself opportunities. And the problem is man, tournament appearances have been so few and far between. And so now, it seems like we make one. It's like we have to make up for All this lost time it's like it. That is an unhealthy way to view the NCAA tournament great. You know, it's not to say that you shouldn't have expectations but your expectations should be over a long time window to where it's like.
All right. Look like like for example, this is where I think Purdue fans are starting to get with Matt Painter and I think to a certain extent, there's some fairness there where it's like. Okay, we've now made the NCAA tournament. A lot of years in a row with really good seeds. We made one Elite eight. We've had some other teams that have underperformed We're at the point now where it's kind of fair to start expecting a final
four at some point, right. And I think I think that's, I think that's fair because they've made enough, you know, that they've made it enough times. Well you know if you've only made it a you know a couple times you've only had a few cracks at it and it's your here this year but then you miss it for two years. It's like well you know you really have. You know, it's like Tom crean. What did Tom crean make for NCAA
tournaments in his nine Seasons? I think it was four and, you know, he made three sweet 16s and for For and state tournament appearances. I mean that's actually pretty good, you know, but the problem is, he didn't have it, you know, it was up, it was down and then, you know, so you didn't have that consistency to wear. Okay, in 2013 we underperformed, we should have been better, we weren't prepared, you know, for Syracuse, you know, in 2012 and 2016.
Both of those teams had final four potential and ran into one of the best teams in the sweet 16. Not much, you can do about that, you know. So that's what you need. Now is. You need other opportunities. We're hey okay, this team wasn't quite as good but look at that. The bracket opened up for them
and they made the elite eight. And that's how you help kind of compensate for maybe another year where it's down like Bill self is gone through this you know and now he's had so many cracks at it they win another title last year.
They've got another chance this year and so I think that's what Indiana has been missing which we took for granted, of course, because we had all those opportunities you know, with Coach Knight. And so that's what we need to get back to which is maybe you don't make the NCAA tournament every single season. But eight, nine times out of ten. You're in there. You're giving yourself a chance and that helps you not. Look at each and every NCAA tournament appearances.
Like this precious thing that we must maximize. Yes. You want to maximize everyone? That's like, man. Sometimes you're just going to get screwed, you're going to play, you know, one bad game, and a single-elimination tournament, or they get hot. And you have to allow some space for that because everybody's trying to compete for wins in the same tournament.
And so that's what I hope. We're starting to build here at IU which is what Purdue is. What Wisconsin has had and what Michigan state has had where it's like, you just go every year and you get your opportunities. And now over time, you know, if you're a good enough program, it starts to even out and you get the opportunity to make your runs like Indiana did in 2002. Yeah.
Oh, and real quickly. We'll just because you brought up Purdue. I've been saying it for a while, like it is. I would take the last 20 years of Purdue's Big Ten success in a heartbeat that said I agree with you, the Purdue fans that I know. Like, they're starting to get that. At that painter thing. And there is a I look at this as like this is kind of you know last year was probably sorry my dogs in the back, wouldn't be a crimson Castle. A dog barking. What up? Want to? Thank you?
Yeah, it's it's a, it's a noise. Machine is not real, you know, you look at last year that was the most well-constructed team. I think you could ever have, you know, with you have you know the national player of the year a year before you have them has had too many guys last year 89. Yeah. But then you have it this year and it's like, you know and then last year again the bracket could Out of broken better for them. Couldn't get it done.
I I think this is going to look, you know, they don't make the final four this year which I hope they don't knock on wood. You look back at this as I would like you know the Glenn Robinson Gene Keady are, it's like well if you can't do it then maybe it's just not going to happen. All that said, I'll caveat at I was randomly watching clips of that, Virginia, Purdue Regional final game. And I mean damn you play that game 99 more time. Eames producing the final four
hits. It is bananas, they lost that game. So I that Virginia team is one of my favorite. Non IU teams of all time. Love that team. Yeah, love that tube. Yeah. The other thing I would say too, I think you're the head space, you're in it.
You're at is very much where I'm at and I also feel that, you know, we'll see, but it does feel like Woodson has a hand on this team and the future and things moving forward, which is kind of a lead-in Here is your take on the Xavier Johnson decision, we talked about it a little bit on the last Crimson cast, I think for sake of a discussion here you know, we're not doctors were not insiders, I don't know if he's hurt or not, we'll just assume you know, for sake of discussion.
You know, let's just pretend that maybe he was healthy to play the end of these games, you know, if obviously he's 100% not healthy to play, then he shouldn't play. Like we both are going to, I'm going to assume. We're both in agreement that I'm just curious. You, what are your thoughts like would if he was? Is healthy and able to play. Do you think it's the right idea to bring him back for a couple games and maybe provide that spell Off the Bench that we might need in the tournament?
Or do you do like it work because the other coin to look at the other side of the coin is you know this this does stabilize you a little bit more for next year's. A lot of question marks going the next year which will talk about the offseason. But this will be the it's not going to be like the three months of like, oh, you know, I see c.j. gumming, this could really work out. Like we know going in the next year Xavier, it's like if Xavier decides to Stay with IU which I hope he does.
If he comes back and not transfer again. But you know, it's like we know we have a starting all big ten point guard. Like. There is no. Like, if this, if that is like, we know, we have that, we know, we have that taken care of. I'm curious, your thoughts on the Xavier piece of this. Well, this is one of those times where I always want to remind myself. How much information I don't have and how that impacts, you know, the decision. And that's, that's the issue is to me.
You know, I think there's, you know, what, this team has done this season and what they've shown us as we said is, they can beat anybody, right? And one of the things that has caused the inconsistency is you just don't have much behind Jalen and tray that you rely on as a ball handler, as another score Off the Bench. And so, there are so many issues that we've talked about with this Indiana team over the last two months that a healthy Xavier Johnson would help.
And so my feeling all along, Was all right. If he is healthy enough to come back and give you 10 to 50, a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes of maybe 85 to. 90% of what you've come to expect from ex I want him this year because I think you know, I think you owe it to trace to put them in a position to maximize what you can do down the stretch. You know, how often are you going to have another guard as talented as Jalen? You know same thing with race.
Same thing with Miller I think you owe it to these guys to put them in a good position. X would have slit in again, to this role that we really needed someone to fill. And so, my druthers was always a. I realized that this means we probably can't have him next year. We'll worry about next year. Next year, let's maximize this season. That would have been my choice. It still would be my choice if he was healthy enough to play, I don't know.
You know, we all saw the clips of him warming up before the Iowa game. And some people said he dunked, you know, he was doing ball handling but then it also looked like he was Landing awkwardly, every time he shot the ball and so that's like the only clip that we've gotten. And so we don't know what the Medicals are. We don't know all of the many things and I'm sure went into
this decision. So that said now, you know, even though it would have been my second choice, if x is able to come back next year and BX, you're right. He really stabilizes us for next season, which can be very important because and look, it's really silly. To start projecting forward, rosters and stuff in. Like, it used to be fair to do from one year to the next. Now, we sit here and March it's dumb. I mean, honestly, it's the kind of thing.
We're going to have to talk about it on the assembly, call every week, because we got to, you know, fill air time. But I just want to know what our roster is in October and November and then I'll decide. Because so much happens. Who knows about transfers late ads, like, all of this stuff? But certainly it helps that now you can resources that would have gone. Certainly to trying to find an
experience point guard. You don't have to use because you have X, it puts Gabe cups in a much better position. I think to be a backup point guard coming in, and not a lot of pressure. On him which is good. And you've got an all Big, Ten level player to Anchor. What is otherwise going to be a young unproven team? That doesn't have a lot of experience playing together. So look I think any time you have a player with x's of x's caliber that the notion of him coming back to play.
It's a win-win scenario no matter what because long as you get him on the court, he's gonna help you win games. But I still would have loved to see him come back this year because I would want to see, you know, this team maximize, whatever it can do but it sure. A great consolation prize that hopefully knock on wood. Everything goes okay and he'll be able to be back in Anchor. The team next year I um, I agree with your sentiment of what he could do for this year is
exactly the way that I felt. And so this might just be me trying to rationalize where we're at, but I've, I'm okay with the decision, be way because it's the decision and be a get the health part. Like that's, you are 100%, right? We don't know. I'm not, I'm not here to say and yeah, like the warm-up stuff. Like that's also a warm up on the same team.
You but it's like dude that's not know situations but here's the other way to look at it is I agree with you that he would help if you had your 90% healthy acts to play 15 minutes. The flip side to that argument is of our last three of our last five losses, four of them were double digits. So, you know, this team kind of has this, you know, I don't think Xavier would have helped any of those. I think the game against Northwestern, a two point loss, maybe mate. You know, him in there.
Probably swings you could say swing. That game and provides help, you know, the Iowa game. Well, yeah, because he would have, he would have flopped backwards and boo boo, he pushed him and would have got the foul call. Exodus older man. Oh true too hard, even step. Yes percent. So not to act like you know, adding him doesn't help. The Iowa game probably doesn't help the Michigan State. Like I look at this, like this is kind of at a spot where when
this okay now hold on a second. So here's the thing, I would actually push back because think about the Michigan State game, right? Jalen hitch. Fino and 30 minutes and that game was plus 4 and Michigan State beat us by 15. They took control of that game in the first half when Jalen had to sit with two fouls. Well, that's because you're trying to run a guards on the road in a tough environment as tray and Tamar. Well, that's really tough against Michigan, State's
experience guards. If you've got X, instead, he may help stabilize that. And then Michigan State doesn't go on that big run, you know, same thing at Maryland, right? Jalen has just a horrible shooting night which is going to happen. No freshman on the road, it's going to happen. Remember how good X was at Maryland last year, maybe if you have him to smooth out that rough Edge to me, he could very well be the difference between, you know, a couple of those wins and losses.
You know, it because it does seem like so often in those games you look at what went wrong and it's like, well, you know, we don't have another option to help us through Jalen's ups and downs. And it's just, he's a, such a talented guy, but he's up and down because he's a freshman. That's what x would have brought. So again, it is a moot point because he's not coming back, but I would not, I would not undersell to me. I would not undersell. How much his presence has been
missed. That's no, I I'm just trying to rationalize, I agree with you. I agree with you. The the his presence is sorely missed. I do love that he's engaged with the team. That's funny. Talking to people who are and we can move on, but talking to people who are not like into I you, you know, as deep as we are, would just say, you know, is it tough? Bringing him.
Accu knows he can have him in jail and gonna, you know, Mash it's like obviously we're not going to know that but I was like I don't like this problem at all like he's been there. He's been engaged like it times. He's too engaged and gets technicals in the bench. Like, with the team goes out before the game, like, against Michigan. He was doing the five starters and him like and he's like, he's been doing everything but playing. He's been the most engaged guy on the bench.
Like I was, that was the one thing I was never going to be worried about is like, is he gonna like, I think he would slot right back in? But again it's all moot point what we'll see him next. Year with, you know, who knows? Who's on the team next year? Different pod. We've not talked about it because I just hate the Big Ten
Tournament so much. I hate everything about the Big Ten Tournament, but my understanding and my reporting tells me. It still gonna be played, they're still gonna have it. I love the way the bracket broke for us. You know what? I think we have a real. He's got no, he's he's not the right word. I think we have a very legitimate path to the finals. And I think that's something realistic. I'm picked it with my son, just
for fun. I honestly, I picked us to lose to Illinois in the semis just because I have Big Ten Tournament fatigue and I'm just like every team. It's like, oh yeah, they've they've beaten us for it. I feel like everyone there is beating us, but what are your high-level thoughts? The Big Ten Tournament you like the bracket. Like how do you think we'll do? I think we have a pretty good pass to the finals, but I'll
leave it to you. Yeah, you know, I think it broke about as well as you could want it to obviously, you would prefer to play the early game. The earlier game, I think Friday evening is exposed, you know, instead of the late game so that if you win, you have a little extra rest but whatever. That's, that's not really that big of a deal.
But when you look at who Indiana's going to play in their first round game, you've got Minnesota, Nebraska or Maryland, you know, obviously Maryland has been awesome at home and they present the matchup difficulties friend. Hannah. But they also can't win away from home and so you'd feel okay in a rematch I think playing them. Nebraska has been red hot. You know, that's the thing about that that first win that Indiana
had over Nebraska early. In the season of Sam, Greece will didn't play in that game, you know, an Indiana, didn't if you think back to that game and he hadn't really dominate them, like they kept him at arm's length all game but they didn't really dominate them and Nebraska is playing as well as anybody. And so they actually I could make the case that they worry me a little bit more than Maryland does at this point. But, you know, either way, it's
going to be a tough matchup. So it's not to say that it's not a tough matchup, but I would rather play those two teams than Iowa or Penn State, or having to play Michigan. Again, even though we've beaten Michigan twice. They've both been by The Razor's Edge and you kind of think that the odds probably wouldn't be in our favor again.
So you know, I would rather play one of those teams and then you come after that, you know and it's Northwestern Penn State or Illinois, you know, I would like another crack at Northwestern frankly. Me too, me too, you know, and obviously we've beaten, Illinois, twice and Penn State. I think present some unique challenges for us in the way that we defend. I'd like another chance at them, but I also would not be sad if we don't see, let us lie.
So, yeah, I think, I think, I think it did break well for Indiana. Now again, you know, I think Indiana has proven that they can beat, you know, the top teams in this bracket. So a lot of it just comes down to how well do we play because this team, you know, could go out and, you know, just struggle through a game and and lose a game that you think that they're going to win.
But they have I think earned enough Faith at this point to feel like especially in the first game, you know, they'll be ready to go and then from there some of us just going to depend on fatigue and matchups and things like that. That always end up dictating it in tournament play, but I can't really think of a when you kind of look at how this all fell. Can't really think of a better situation for Indiana to be
choosing. Its first opponent from like I don't look at any of those other ones and think, oh, I would rather play. You know, one of these other sets of teams. So from that standpoint, pretty good. I agree. And I've been saying this for a while, like I just wanted to stay away from Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan.
Just because I feel like they're the most physical teams in the Big Ten. And again, I want to do well in the ncaa's, I just I want to limit the number of physical 40-minute games, Trace in jail, And and the whole team has to play. And I look at this bracket and it's like, you know, Penn State could beat us. Illinois could beat us, but it's like, those are going to be relatively up and down games. Like you're not going to 40 minutes, 40 minutes. But it's like there's 40 minutes
and there's 40 minutes. Deal was a key T and that feels like probably 80. I'm sure for trays. So yeah, I was the idea of like, had we been in the spot where it's like, you know, if we were in the Iowa spot where it's like, we got to play Michigan State and then Purdue back-to-back. It's like, dude that's those are two tough. Like that's not going to happen for us. Worst. We play one of them in the finals. So, yeah. I like it, I like that.
I like just the teams that were playing that even if we lose, I feel like it shouldn't take out too much out of us. We also drunkenness in the last Crimson cast like there is a, you know, we'll talk more about traces Legacy at the, you know, when the season is over, but there is a wild world.
Where, you know, if they win this, I should even say it's like talking about, you know, the, the Holy Grail or so, I've got holy Rail from like you know, Indiana Jones but it's like if we win the Big Ten Tournament, there's a world where you'll Trace Jackson. Davis just goes into the you know, Indiana Legends Club is like, why did some you guys never did? Like, you know, hey, you know, hey Jared Jeffries. Yeah, final for everyone does one of those like Big Ten Championship, baby.
Big tell. You know what you got? I've been thinking a lot about that actually. You know, what would that do for his legacy? Because it's true. I mean, he would be the first one to ever do it, but at the same time, like, how much does it really matter? Like to how much do we care about the Big Ten Tournament enough? But I do think it would matter though because it would be one
of those things, right? Like part of traces Legacy and part of what Mike Woodson has done here in the first couple years, is toss. Monkeys off our back, right? We were getting, you know, we were getting crush on the Purdue series toss that monkey off your back. Couldn't beat Michigan toss. That monkey off her back. Couldn't beat Illinois. You know. Okay, now we can't beat Iowa anymore but that's fine. I will trade. I will trade a losing streak to Iowa for all these other winnings.
Shrieks, right? Always got to be a punk, no more. Yeah, so to a certain extent, you know, if he's able to go do that, you know, that's kind of part of traces Legacy, which is just exercising, all these demons from the end of the Korean era and the Archie era, where it's just like, all right, I did all of this stuff. Okay, I may not as wait, this one's the Davis era. The night are like. Yeah, it's all here.
Exactly. And it's like, okay, I may not have made a final four and I may not have won all the games at these other guys did. But look at my stats and look at how I basically help. Reset this program and get all this nonsense out of here, all these stupid narratives. So now you can all move forward and I think there's something to that you know, and I think it's, you know, Mike Woodson didn't
hang a banner, you know. He kind of was the you know, the the he helped link you know from one area to the next from one Banner to the next and you know did a lot of meaningful things. Now he won Big Ten titles and had deeper tournament runs, but I think there is something I can't quite quantify it, but I do think that there would be something meaningful. Therefore Trace. That would actually fit kind of with the other parts of his legacy that he's already
established. Either wants to win it. Or what? I don't want to have happen is go to Sunday, play like this, tough 40-minute game, and then lose it, you know, and then we're like exhausted for the NCAA tournament. Yeah, they're still like five days, but yeah, i-i've been thinking about it too. And I kind of set it as a joke early on, but I, there is something to that in that, you know, a couple things like you.
Cat-like the you know, that Zeller Oladipo team like you know Yogi Ferrell like they want a Big Ten title and that means something but that's all they have. I'm like I'm not diminishing it but it's like they were one of the country but in the end they then they can final four. They went to a sweet 16 twice and they had you know to Big Ten titles Yogi I guess had three no just one just to it's real.
Yeah. But you know and then that's not nothing but You know, again we're not in the era of, you know, the height of the night era where everyone you know, every four year players get to a final four and you know, winning a title. It's like the, you know, the Big Ten Tournament is something and winning, it is something and they keep records and, you know, it would be a banner like, it would be up there in a separate bill there, and in a weird way,
just kind of thinking of this. Now, if they win the Big Ten Tournament, you You could probably make the case that Trace is now the best player we've ever had in the Big Ten Tournament based on last year's run and this year's run oh yeah. I mean he might have the most wind. I don't it. Moved the most wins back-to-back years. The most memorable some of the most memorable like it would be in a weird twist. It's a very short list. Yeah of but it is something like
you are, right? It's, it is something that's like I'd rather. Have that, but nothing. So, yeah, I think there is something kind of interesting to play for there. And like you said, it's just another monkey off the back, and then there's no longer like, when I talk to friends, who aren't I, you fans, and they're like, you guys never won the Big Ten tournament. It's like no little bit of the funky, that's the thing.
It's like 20 years, they're gonna keep playing the stupid thing and I'm so sick of hearing. Michigan, State's 16 and Ohio State is 14 and produce 11. And, you know, Galen on that you guys episode just like going through all this stuff, it's like a weird down there with Northwestern, I know. So it's like, you know, none of us put much stock in this tournament and I get why it's one weekend. You know, that's why it to me, what you do over the course of a full season.
That's what matters. I think we all agree on that. If you're gonna keep playing this tournament that at some point we need to compete well in it, you know. And so if if whatever you know, I thought last year, what Indiana did kind of help to exorcise some demons. Of course, Jordan Bohannon brought them all back with the way that we lost the Iowa. Thanks, Jordan Bohannon you jackass. But that's again, that's part of
what we can do again. This year would be nice to just approach the Big Ten Tournament like normal without this fear without talking about all the bad things that have happened. And that's what a run, you know in this tournament could do it. Maybe we shut that up, turn a new corner and start approaching it like all the other schools in the Big Ten, which is without fear. And with the expectation that every now and then, you know, you're going to make a run this thing. Well it's our turn.
Darn it. It so yeah, the bracket breaks right for you the true. Anyway, let's get out of here, get out, get you out of here on this. I've two last things, the first off, just a prediction of, you know, how do you think we do in the Big Ten Tournament? What do you think eating so many questions? The NCAA tournament. I know it's, you know, it's going to be dependent on brackets, on locations, but like what? You know, I'll ask it this way. You know, what are you looking for?
Like, is there a location you want? Is their location? You think that might help us get there? Ac21 seat. Don't want to play like an how how do you think this season ends for IU? You know, it's a really good question. So I don't really look so much at like the locations and all that stuff mean I probably should, but I leave that to Andy and Coach with all the
Bracketology stuff. The way I think the season is going to end, as I think we're going to win one game in the Big Ten tournament and then lose the next one. I think that's the most likely outcome. I think in the NCAA tournament, I think we win.
Yeah, I mean, no, look, I'm not possible, you know, but again, but you know, you go back and I, you know, if there's anything if there's any way that I've matured over 12 years of doing the show, you know, it's kind of it was kind of stick, like the first few years that I was always just predict us to win no matter what and find some way which was fun for a few years and then you know kind of gets old after a while. And so I've tried to take a little bit more mature measured
you know process for this. But that's the thing, like you look at what this team has done now. Over the past three or four weeks against just a constant stream of NCAA tournament competition and it's essentially win one lose one, which is actually pretty good. You know when you can do that especially when some of the winds are on the road in tough environments. And so I just I tend to think that's kind of who this team is.
And so to me the floor and really kind of my expectation, I guess is when one of the Big Ten Tournament lose one I think will win our first game in the NCAA tournament and then you know, to a certain extent Based on the match up, you know, whether we're a four or five, we're probably going to play a four or five, and that's probably going to be a good team. And, you know, I think you could then make the case that, okay?
Well, the first team we play, you know, they're obviously an NCAA Tournament level team, but they're probably going to be a 13 seed, you know? So they're going to be kind of a lower Conference Team like maybe a Kennesaw State that we beat earlier. So, we should win that one. And so, you know, now, it gets back to playing like a big ten
level NCAA. Team moving forward and so I think probably win one lose one and so I would my expectation would be win one lose one in the Big Ten tournament and then when your first game and then, you know, hopefully then you can get a decent match up in that second round but probably, you know, win that and then lose the next one. And so I think round of 32 sweet 16 seems more likely, I'm willing to kind of bet the over I guess and believe in this team and say they make it to the Sweet 16.
It just it Becomes really hard for me to Envision them going beyond that if I'm being honest because we just haven't seen them, win that many games against Tournament level teams in a row, even the five-game winning streak as we talked about was, you know, teams that are not even in the tournament conversation or kind of bubble teams that were missing key
players, you know? And so they were able to go on that five game win streak, but so that's kind of what I'm looking at. And if the bracket breaks and maybe you face someone who's not as good in the second round of the sweet 16, then you can kind of, you know, toss that out the I do, but I think that's what this team has shown us to be. And I think if they make, you know, win a game in the Big Ten Tournament, make a sweet 16 as a four seed overall, it would kind
of be like the minimum bar. I think that you needed to get from where the season began to feel good about it but I think as long as they play well and it's, you know, you don't go out there and embarrass yourself, somehow I think there'd be a very reasonable way to walk away from that, feeling good about the season and then anything on top of it obviously is gravy. Yeah I think those are all fair. Are and logical and probably reasonable and realistic expectations.
I would also say this is just the fun part of me as somebody who used to get so into this. And I used to videotape One Shining Moment. I would love it. If we had one of our basketball players on One Shining Moment this year, it was nice to be on it last year with a cheerleader getting the ball off. But it's like year after year.
I watch it and it's be like ad we have met on there in a while and then, you know, it'd be nice just to have to do something to get us on there from a basketball player perspective, not, you know, Year, we were ranked number one, it's like we're barely in it because we got the kind of smoked by Syracuse. Anyway, Garrett Trace is a big enough star now that he'll get in it they'll put him in it
somehow. Even if we don't do well, he'll find a way you did it because it's Trace as you should agree. I hope so. I the last last thing it just you had this on Twitter, I think it was a great call and I'm putting the call out to IU artifacts to get this done and find it for you. And this is also some big lead up here. It is also something that like, I had people Galen went to Kansas and they and a couple other friends with the Kansas, they say Kansas was just like an
unbelievable. Like, you know, the Allen Fieldhouse was like, just this Museum, / Arena /, all this stuff. This is where I think it, you know, ayuna somebody Hall, could do a better job of having some of this, but March 4th, 93 Calbert, cheaney breaks, the Big Ten scoring record, I'm a big fan of the podcast, the rewatchable Zahn, the ring or network, and one of their biggest Is you know what's the one thing you'd want from this movie? You tweeted out could not agree
more. If you've seen the picture of Cheney breaking scoring records, the sign that says Cheney needs one. And you're like, I want that
sign. And I'm like, thinking, like you and I are cut from the same cloth because like I would die to have that sign, I would not put it up with thumbtacks, I would put it in a glass frame and put it up my office but it's like wherever that is if somebody, you know, if these podcasts do anything for good for the people If we can find the person who had that sign, if we know where that sign is IU, artifacts can find like it should be up an assembly hall
somewhere. But if it's not get it to Jarrod and if he doesn't want it, that I'll take it. If the shipping is too high, I'll send it, send it to me in Westfield but that sign I'm with you. I saw that I'm like that is what would be one of the core artifacts to have from the midnight early 90 IU teams. So I'm gonna cue some sad music here at you, you may have oh no, I might God, if I missed you hear, do you hear the sad music coming through? I didn't follow the rest of the
Twitter thread. Did I? You didn't follow the rest of the Twitter thread, which is cut this, unfortunately, unfortunately, after many, I've tweeted that out many times and I forget the thing, I forget the person's name, I'll go find it, but it's in the replies. He actually replied to that, and he had the sign and he took it home and, you know, folded it up and left, it kind of had it
sitting like, in his closet. Edit and then I think like in 2016 his dad or his parents for cleaning it out and they threw it out. Route out. I know. And so that's I know unfortunately is gone the Holy Grail of IU artifact. You know items for me. Like literally if there was some way, if like, if my wife gave me truth serum and the question was, what would you do? What would you give away to have decide? She would divorce me based on my
answer. Because like I'm not saying I, which I'm not looking Scott. I'm not saying I would trade my son straight up for the sign. I'm not saying that a kid but it's really close, right? I'm not saying that I wouldn't shut down the discussion immediately. Okay? Like we could we could negotiate the first Minister be like I'm not saying no but what condition is the sign-in. Well, this is why I don't get off Twitter now for a while. So I should have read the rest
of the replies. I apologize. That's you know, it's one of those things. It was really cool like hearing the story behind it but I kind of wish I didn't know I would still like the hope that it's out there somewhere. You know? Yeah it is not unfortunately if Connors listening there's a home-field shirt right there. Just dude Cheney needs one shirt. That'd be awesome. He's one shirt, come on, come on, Connor of you're not here, you're only releasing you. I'm sure the next three months
is schedules. You I'm releasing 12 more schools. Got talked to like these videos from this. It's like he's got a list of things to take care of let's if but I will say this, if you can put the time and effort into a nine win. Indiana shirt for a dog shit football program. Yeah, the lady needs one shirt, just just two of them.
You would meet such a simple design, you know, it doesn't need a whole lot of bells and whistles, just maybe like a A silhouette of Cheney as he's going up for that record-breaking shot and then the sign. That's all you need. Yeah, that'd be great. That thing would sell big time. Yeah. Well, there you go. We're solving problems and uh, math sucks at that signs gone but it's amazing. It lasted that long till 26. Is it is? All right. Well Jared it's been awesome.
This is going to be a great run for the rest of March. We will listen to the assembly call try and hop on some of those. Hopefully have a lot of them. Hopefully have a lot of Of absolute, last minute, assembly calls and we breaking it down here. And as always, thank you all for listening. And until next time for Jared, this is Scott for Crimson cast signing off.