Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Good Bye Blog

It was a fun run... but I just don't have time to keep this blog up to date any more.

I will continue to post my thoughts and comments on IU sports and more via my Twitter account. If you would like to follow me, please put in a request.

Steve on Twitter

Saturday, April 19, 2008

IU Spring Football

For those IU Football fans that can't make it to Bloomington today, or don't have the Big Ten Network... and yes I know there are at least 2 of you out there...

The BigTenNetwork is making streaming video of the games available today.

IU Spring Game Video

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

“Because it’s Indiana basketball.”

Amen Coach Crean! Welcome to Indiana Basketball.

Crean's rationale: 'Because it's Indiana'

With that kind of attitude, IU most definitely made the right hire. I think I can proudly put the IU Basketball clothing back on and I don't have to paint my family room.

Here's hoping some potential walk on talent was on display at the HPER tonight. Crean will need it next year. And I don't think IU's sanctions prevent him from recruiting at the HPER.

Whew! I was terrified of this hire. Glad I can sleep well tonight.

Go Hoosiers!

Friday, March 21, 2008

IU's Season ends in Raleigh

Why am I not surprised with that performance in the NCAA. DJ and Armon showed up on Offense. No one showed up on Defense. And Eric Gordon remained the biggest disappointment in years.

Thank you DJ. I appreciate all you did for IU. I hope your hard work over 4 years and your overall improvement get you a nice contract in the NBA.

Good riddance Eric. I hope potential gets you a large contract in the NBA. Your current game sure won't get it done. 8 pts, 3-15 from the field, 0-6 from 3 and 2-6 from the FT line.

Note to Billy Packer. If Thomas, Tabor and Stemler aren't the answer inside to compliment DJ... call me crazy, but I don't think Dakich could add a 7 footer to his team during a game. You might want to look at IU's lineup before making a stupid comment like that again. And we can thank Mike Davis for not having that compliment inside for DJ. There was this kid who wanted to come to IU, but Mike wouldn't have him... I think his name was something like Luke Harangody. He might have made a difference.

Well it is now time to blow it up and start over. I want a clean start. I want a young coach who can stabilize the program for the next 25 years. I want a guy who stresses solid basketball fundamentals. I want a team that plays team oriented basketball, not one-on-one matchup basketball. I want to recruit Indiana kids that will be with the program for longer than a year.

Note to the Blue Ribbon Selection Committee. If you go with an NBA guy like Scott Skiles, Randy Wittman, or god forbid Isiah Thomas... I am done. My back room will get a makeover quicker than you can announce Scottie as the next IU head coach.

And one last thing. Thanks Sampson! You ruined a great thing for you, but sadly you ruined what could have been a great year for these kids and us fans. Glad to see you had no problem taking IU's buy out and then quickly taking on another job in the NBA while leaving the IU program in Shambles. I didn't think I could have a bigger dislike for a former IU coach than my feelings for Mike Davis, but I think my dislike for you has far surpassed that of Mike.

Off to the Golf Course!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

IU an 8 seed!

An 8 seed? Oh and not just an 8 seed, but the "worst" 8 seed since UNC was the top 1 seed. #32 overall. 25-7, 3rd in the B10 and you end up an 8 seed? IU finished ahead of MSU in the B10 regular season and split with MSU and MSU gets a 5 seed. IU beat Purdue and finished 1 game back of them in the regular season and Purdue gets a 6 seed. Hmmm... guess they truly do only look at your last few games instead of the whole season.

For fun, take a look at some other teams seeded ahead of IU. Tell me that West Virginia's schedule is tougher than IU. USC has 11 losses and is a #6. They also went 6-4 their last ten. #6 Oklahoma also had 11 losses, finished 9-7 in the B12 with a 28 point loss to Texas in their Tourney. But they did go 7-3 in their last ten... and 7-6 in their last 13.

No matter what you think of Joe Lunardi, he actually has this "bracketology" thing understood. He pretty much nails the seeding every year. Yet this year he missed pretty handily on a few teams:

Wisconsin - 2 seed from Lunardi, 3 seed from the NCAA
Duke - 3 seed from Lunardi, 2 seed from the NCAA
MSU - 5 seed from Lunardi, 5 seed from the NCAA
Purdue - 6 seed from Lunardi, 6 seed from the NCAA
IU - 5 seed from Lunardi, 8 seed from the NCAA
Butler - 5 seed from Lunardi, 7 seed from the NCAA

Looks like Wisconsin got booted in favor of Duke... who didn't win the ACC regular season or conf tourney like Wisconsin did in the B10. Granted Duke beat Bucky in Cameron, but that was back in early December.

IU was definitely penalized for their late season losses at MSU, at PSU and to Minny on that last second shot.

Purdue wasn't penalized for their late season loss at OSU and to Illinois.

MSU wasn't penalized for their losses at Iowa, at PSU, at Purdue, at Indiana, at OSU and to Wisky on Saturday. Guess that Exhibition loss to Grand Valley State wasn't factored in either.

And Butler got absolutely HOSED! A 7 seed? Are you kidding me? 29-3, Great Alaska Shootout winner, beat OSU, Outright Horizon League Champ, Horizon League Tourney Champ, ranked in the top 20 all year including being #10 in the last coaches poll. The only negative, a "Bracket buster" a last second loss to Drake in the worst officiated game of the year. Guess the Bracket Buster moniker is correct, cause that single loss absolutely busted their bracket.

What about Kansas State? 3rd in the B12 at 10-6 and they end up as an 11 seed? That really makes no sense. And Wisconsin has to face the winner of Kansas State vs USC as a 3 seed... ouch!

Go Hoosiers! Beat the Razorbacks!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

IU's B10 Tourney Ends with a tough loss to Minny!

Wow! What an ending.

IU had no business winning this game. They didn't show up for the first 10 minutes, just as they haven't shown up all season long. You gotta play 40 minutes every night out and this team hasn't figured that out.

The guys did show great fight to come back and have a chance at the end. Too bad they couldn't hit free throws or they would have won straight out. But it did make for a phenomenal ending if you were a college basketball fan.

How often do teams need to miss a free throw, and get a put back to extend the game and how often do teams execute? It is a rarer feat than hitting a shot at the buzzer. And IU was able to do it... and yet they still didn't get the win.

Thanks to Blake Hoffarber ESPN has another highlight to run for the next week. And it was a heck of a catch and shot. But where was IU's defense? Crawford put no pressure on the in bounds pass. Gordon followed his guy into the backcourt. DJ overran the pass and ducked under it. Armon stood and watched. Only Ellis made any attempt at the ball. And Blake took advantage of it. A rather simple buzzer beater compared to his ESPY winning shot from his backside in 2005.

It will be interesting to see where IU gets seeded now. They should probably get a 5 or a 6, but I could see the NCAA penalizing them and giving them a 7.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

IU's Regular Season Ends with a loss at Penn St.

And I must say that I have not seen a more talented team play such a lazy, lackluster combination of offense and defense. And it wasn't just after the Sampson Saga ended. It has been this way all year long.

That was a fitting end to the regular season.

I hope these kids can make a nice run in the B10 Tourney and again in the NCAA Tourney... but if they continue to play like this, it will be 2 short tourneys.

Time for IU to get a coach that goes back to getting smart players who are willing to leave it all out on the court every night out! It sure is working up the road at West Lafayette.

Sadly Greenspan will probably go for a flashy coach that can promise all kinds of Micky D AAs. I hope I am wrong.