Woo Hoo!!! IU scored 100 pts!!! IU is 2-0. This team is the real deal!!! Give Davis a contract extension now!!! Quick before the team actually plays someone. Get that man signed for another 20 years. That way he can recruit and if we don't, the NBA is going to snag him.
How's that for an imitation of a "True fan?"
IU 100 - FAMU - 63
It was a good win for IU. When playing a team that is picked to be at the bottom of a weak conference, you should beat them badly. And IU didn't disappoint. The team was taking Davis' advice to heart. According to Don Fischer, Davis has told his team that he does not want anyone to hold the ball longer than 2 seconds without doing something with it. A far cry from last year's dribble, dribble, chuck a 3 offense.
However, a few things to expect with this new style of offense.
1) Assists will be up. If a player's only option is to pass or shoot, assists will go up.
2) Turnovers will be up. Again, when only holding the ball for less than 2 seconds, bad decisions will be made and turnovers will be a result.
3) Shots will be up. Again, when your only option is to pass or shoot, players will be chucking a good number of shots. The key question will be how many will be good shots. If a team takes away DJ and Killer inside, will the guards just start chucking 3s? What happens if they aren't making the 3s? Will they be patient?
4) Scoring should be up. We've seen that against inferior competition.
5) Opponents Scoring will be up as well. With the team trying to push the ball quickly and focus heavily on getting quick shots, will they play solid defense? So far what we have seen in 2 games against some pretty sad competition is that they for the most part are playing matador defense.
While they certainly look better than last year when they struggled to beat bad teams, there are a few things I've seen that concern me.
1) Killingsworth, Kline, Allen and Dinc all have given up inside positioning and easy buckets to guys much smaller than themselves. If you've watched any IU games in the past 5 years, you've seen this over and over again. If this doesn't change, teams with good big men will eat this team alive and have Killer, Kline and DJ in foul trouble.
2) Shot selection has been poor. Fortunately Strickland has been on fire and has bailed out the shooting percentage with his shooting alone.
3) Rebounding. IU is so much taller than their first 2 opponents, yet repeatedly IU's big men were out of position and were left watching. A team with good big men will dominate IU inside.
4) Missed Free Throws
5) Davis' substitution patterns. I know it is only 2 games, but 2 things jump out at me. 1st, Davis playing his starters into the last 2 minutes of 2 games they were dominating. Why were Marco, Monroe and Strick still in both games? Why are Allen and Dinc getting 2-3 minutes? and 2nd, the small lineups. I know DJ is out, but going with 4 guards and Marco, or 4 guards and Kline when Marco was in Foul Trouble? Was Davis matching down to FAMU's small size? I guess Allen and Dinc aren't ready for D1 ball? That substitution pattern will get IU killed against Duke, Kentucky, UConn, MSU, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois...
But what am I thinking? I shouldn't be questioning anything. How un-IU patriotic I am. I should be singing IU's praises like some of these "true fans" on Peegs.com.
"If we continue to play this style of play recruiting will be just fine. Players like this style. They have freedom and love uptempo."
"These two wins signal great things for this team."
"IU has the ability to run teams into the ground."
"If we continue to play like we have I don't believe Duke matches up with us well...yes that have two dynamic AA's...we will bring too much off the bench. Duke does not have as deep a bench as we do."
"Even the turnovers aren't that big a concern when you consider how many more possessions we are creating because of the speed of the game."
"Passing and the mental game (hustle/attitude/focus) are outstanding for this early in the season and under this coach."
"I like the chemistry on this team a lot."
"I truly believe that this year is going to see a sharp rise in our winning percentage and margin of victory over some of the bigger teams, especially in the Big Ten."
"I hope we can get a top 4 seed, which means playing in a region close to home, which means I may get to watch the Hoosiers play in Dayton for the first two rounds."
"I would say he is doing a fine coaching job."
"IU is playing pretty good ball now and has a good chance to do some special things this season when DJ gets back."
Oh and Nicholls State lost to LSU last night 104 - 57.
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3 comments:
bigtentalk.com is overly optimistic, too. But I'll be happy to see turnovers and opponent points go up a little if we never see the 30-second-dribble-and-a-forced-three offense again.
Hey, I'm a fan of your analysis, and I too, do not think Davis is the answer for IU's coaching needs. However, I hope IU does really well this season for two reasons. One, I can't stop watching the Cream & Crimson, and rooting for them to do well. Two, I hope the Hoosiers do really well so that Davis gets a decent job offer and takes it.
What you say about the new offense is all correct, all those things will change. I do have some comments about the things that concern you, 'tho'
1) Killingsworth, Kline, Allen and Dinc all have given up inside positioning and easy buckets to guys much smaller than themselves.
Kline used to be good at positioning for defense. He and AJ were pretty much the only ones, but then opponents just shot over them. The frosh troubles are to be expected, but we need Killer to get it right because of the minutes he's going to get. I'm hoping some of this is allieviated once DJ returns.
2) Shot selection has been poor. Fortunately Strickland has been on fire and has bailed out the shooting percentage with his shooting alone.
Strickland hasn't just been shooting well, but he's making smart decisions too. I think he's going to benefit enormously from being out of Bracey's shadow.
3) Rebounding. IU is so much taller than their first 2 opponents, yet repeatedly IU's big men were out of position and were left watching. A team with good big men will dominate IU inside.
Maybe. Without DJ, I think Shelden Williams of Duke will have his way with the Hoosiers. But outside of that, I'm not so sure.
4) Missed Free Throws
Again, this is a problem that Marco needs to work on, or he's going to shoot a ton of free-throws. Dinc can't shoot 'em, but I didn't see majopr problems from anyone else.
Davis' substitution patterns. I know it is only 2 games, but 2 things jump out at me. 1st, Davis playing his starters into the last 2 minutes of 2 games they were dominating.
I agree totally. The small line-up doesn't concern me yet, just because of the size of IU's opponents so far. But the thing with Davis just leaving his starters in until minute 38 of a blow-out boggles my mind, and always has.
Overall, I think it will be a much better year than the last two for the IU hoosiers, and I'll be cheering for them all the way. But I will also be hoping at the end of the season that Davis moves on to the NBA or SEC or wherever.
Ben, I absolutely agree. That dribble, dribble, chuck a 3 offense was the WORST!!
I hope you are right Indiana Fan! I just don't see it happening.
A successful year... and IU will have a sucessful year... may lead to a little interest in Davis from outside Indiana, but no one will be willing to give Davis anywere close to the 900K he is currently making. That leads me to believe that Davis will simply use that interest to get more money and a longer contract at IU.
He is here to stay and the joys of a roller coaster basketball program are here with him.
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