Indiana Basketball 2024-25

When you were watching him as a high school player, would it have been too much to ask for you to appreciate him for what he was, which was a really good high school player? We get it. You weren't impressed. How many times do you need to communicate this point?
Actually a great high school player at a big school. This becomes the million dollar question for alot of high school kids, what level are you REALLY at. Here's a kid that's not overly big, pretty light so going up against bigger, older guards was going to be an issue. I think he was an Archie Miller kind of guy, but only specific coaches work in these situations. My guess is it may have been a dream for him to play in the big ten and he chased that dream. Who knows how it goes from here.
 
As far as the IU season goes, it's not gone well and they have firmly put themself into a situation where they'll have to have a really good big ten season to make the NCAA tournament. They've not performed well in two bigger non conference games and they got spanked at Nebraska. One more non-conference cupcake in Winthrop and then it's all big ten the rest of the way. Now nearly every big ten team has 8-11 wins, so at this point it's really a crapshoot of a season. There isn't a dominate team like Purdue has been the last few seasons. What's at stake? I can't imagine another IU season with no NCAA tournament bid would end well for Mike Woodson.
 
From time to time I like to go back and revisit some of the IU players who are in the NBA....

Currently
OG Anunoby Knicks 16 ppg 5 rpg
Trayce Jackson-Davis - Warriors 8 ppg 5 rpg
Eric Gordon - Sixers 5ppg
Thomas Bryant - Pacers 4 ppg 3 rpg
Kel'el Ware - Heat 3 ppg 2 rpg
Cody Zeller - Hawks 8 ppg 6rpg

I think that's it. Hood-Shefino is in the G league, not even sure if Langford is in the G league anymore.
 
Hoosiers sleep walk through another non-conf cupcake in Winthrop, playing just good enough to win. Center Oumar Balo was a DNP-CD with a mysterious lower leg injury. I just wonder where we are at in college sports today. First of all, they only play about 30 games in collège basketball. PLayers are now getting paid and some very well. Are we really going to start load managing minuets at the college level?
Anyway, I really think Mike Woodson is done after this season. In it's only few big tests this season, IU has folded. They've already got stomped by Nebraska in big ten play and that's all that's left now, conference games. This team has little room for error in the big ten season to make it tot he NCAA tournament. I can't imagine another season not making the tournament would be permitted at IU. Make him a GM of basketball operations, IU needs a coach that will motivate players.
 
Hoosiers sleep walk through another non-conf cupcake in Winthrop, playing just good enough to win. Center Oumar Balo was a DNP-CD with a mysterious lower leg injury. I just wonder where we are at in college sports today. First of all, they only play about 30 games in collège basketball. PLayers are now getting paid and some very well. Are we really going to start load managing minuets at the college level?
Anyway, I really think Mike Woodson is done after this season. In it's only few big tests this season, IU has folded. They've already got stomped by Nebraska in big ten play and that's all that's left now, conference games. This team has little room for error in the big ten season to make it tot he NCAA tournament. I can't imagine another season not making the tournament would be permitted at IU. Make him a GM of basketball operations, IU needs a coach that will motivate players.
Think we are going to the game at Ohio State in a few weeks...if this time doesnt show any life from now through that game then i will just give up on the season
Very uninspiring play.
 
Think we are going to the game at Ohio State in a few weeks...if this time doesnt show any life from now through that game then i will just give up on the season
Very uninspiring play.
Outside of getting a free education and being treated like a rock star, AND getting paid now with NIL, I can't imagine the play is going to get any more inspiring.
And with that said, Mackenzie Mgbako, who flirted with the NBA last season, there's no way that guy ever sees an NBA floor other than a G league 10 day call up, that's his ceiling and that may be pushing it. You keep waiting for IU to get one of these 5 star, McDonald's all americans that actually pan out and it doesn't. We know he can't defend, but even his offense is a mess now. Guys used to go to IU and become all americans, now they come in as high school all americans and never improve.
 
Unless there’s a dramatic turnaround this year, IU needs to can Woodson if they squeak in or miss the tournament. Go hire the best college coach you can buy regardless of IU ties.

There’s no reason to settle for this garbage. Sampson was on the right track prior to getting canned (for violations that in today’s climate, are extremely laughable in hindsight). Tom Crean had some good things going once they rebounded from rebuilding for a few years from the Sampson violations; they were 63-45 in conference play after his first three seasons with a pair of league titles and a few Sweet 16s. IU screwed up and panic fired him after a bad year.

They can and should be doing a lot better than this.
 
Not just a good win for IU today at Penn State, but a GREAT win. Penn State was 12-3 coming into the day with a win over Purdue. It's not been an easy place for IU to play for years. Malik Reneau was down today and it was 29-29 at the half. IU went on a run to start the 2nd and was able to hold on at the end. Oumar Ballo was stellar today, easily his best game as a Hoosier. Mgbako was right there too and IU, who've not been a great 3 point shooting team has suddendly found it's touch. We've always said you don't have to be a great 3 point shooting team, but you have to at least be dangerous. It really appears that the Big ten is going to be wide wide open this season, so any road win a big, but expecially against a good team like Penn State. This week it's USC at home followed by a trip to Iowa Saturday.
 
What if I told you.... That Indiana would be without Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako would go 0-8 and not score? Well that happened last night and IU still managed to beat USC 82-69. Oumar Ballo led the way with 23 points, Myles Rice chipped in with 19, Luke Goode added 16 and Trey Galloway 11. Not a gigantic win, but when your missing arguably your most consistent starter and one of your top options goes scoreless, a win is a win.
Oh BTW, Mackenzie Mgbako's thoughts of going pro after this season is gone. He's not an NBA caliber player. I don't know what happened to him. He was better last year. So many of these guys get one foot out the door and they start worrying more about adding to their personal skillsets and it just wrecks them as a player. I thought Thomas Bryant was that way his sophomore year at IU. Looking ahead he wanted to be a stretch 4 and that's not what IU needed at the time.
 
Well what a difference a few days make. IU goes to Iowa, in a very winnable game and just get spanked. Flat from the start, got way behind, actually came back and took the lead, and Iowa went on another run. Oumar Ballo was non existent. Mackenzie Mgbako??? What happened to him? I don't see Mike Woodson being in Bloomington after this season.
 
How do you come back from an embarrassing road loss at Iowa? You come home and get down by 30 in the first half to Illinois??? Fans were booing, leaving the game and chanting "Fire Woodson".

This much is clear, whatever Mike Woodson is doing or has done at IU is not working. This is the downside of NIL. You have a highly paid team of NIL guys from other places and trying to get them to play together isn't working. The big ten isn't great, but it's not bad so there's no cupcakes coming down the line. Oumar Ballo was great in the two games prior to Iowa, had fallen off. He tried to sucker punch an Illinios player in a scrap. I'd not be shocked if he'd be suspended for tonight's game at Ohio State. Mackenie Mgbako has gone AWOL. Reneau is still hurt. I don't see this turning around anytime soon.
 
Painter's formula seems to be, Mr. Basketball or candidates that aren't really high national level recruits. They could be better G5 or low P5. But they stay four years. I really wish the conference as a whole sported this way of doing things.

Renn was hurt in high school as a Jr. Furst was just a tall kid at a very small school. I believe Smith had also been hurt in high school. Loyer is the closest clear B10 recruit because Dad and brother. Cox, he found by accident while recruiting another player in New Jersey. Probably way too many are legacy, they could be accused of not giving fair shakes. There are at least two Lafayette/W Lafayette players top scorers on other B10 teams because roster was full. Those that portaled last year after graduating and gave really good minutes to Purdue, are only so-so with their new teams, though Gillis seems to slowly be gaining minutes with Duke.
 
Last edited:
IU with Royal not playing for OSU should have won comfortably last night, hoosiers the much more talented team esp. under the basket. Less IU makes a long tourney run I would be surprised if Woodson is back next year.
 
Painter's formula seems to be, Mr. Basketball or candidates that aren't really high national level recruits. They could be better G5 or low P5. But they stay four years. I really wish the conference as a whole sported this way of doing things.

Renn was hurt in high school as a Jr. Furst was just a tall kid at a very small school. I believe Smith had also been hurt in high school. Loyer is the closest clear B10 recruit because Dad and brother. Cox, he found by accident while recruiting another player in New Jersey. Probably way too many are legacy, they could be accused of not giving fair shakes. There are at least two Lafayette/W Lafayette players top scorers on other B10 teams because roster was full. Those that portaled last year after graduating and gave really good minutes to Purdue, are only so-so with their new teams, though Gillis seems to slowly be gaining minutes with Duke.
As much as I dislike Purdue, I like the way Painter does things. I don't know that they'll ever win a national championship, but they'll always be competitive and good. Indiana is the epitome of how the transfer thing doesn't work. You just bring in too many new pieces, and everyone has their own interests in mind.
 
IU with Royal not playing for OSU should have won comfortably last night, hoosiers the much more talented team esp. under the basket. Less IU makes a long tourney run I would be surprised if Woodson is back next year.
You think that was bad, they just lost big to a Northwester team that they should beat 8 out of 10 games. It's amazing how poor basketball minds are on the IU team now, staff included.
 
Indiana has the financial backing and fan base that they will keep firing coaches until they get it right. Mike Woodson isn't the guy. Reportedly transfer Omur Ballo backtalks the coaches and it's disruptive. Welcome to college (NBA) basketball. Players making more money than they are worth, and there's no consequences for their actions. Now Ballo's actually played very well. I'd say he's the team MVP at this point. But when this is your best player, there's problems. Also remember this is a guy YOU WENT OUT TO GET TO COME TO YOUR PROGRAM???? Who's vetting these guys?? You're going to invite a cancer on your team?
 
So here is the most frustrating thing about IU basketball. Friday night, they go toe to toe with Purdue for 40 minutes. Ultimately losing on an incredible half hook from Tray Kaufman-Renn in the closing seconds. But up until that point, they played really well. Mackenzie Mgbako looked like the guy we thought he'd be, Ballo was solid in the middle, Goode was good, Trey Galloway was incredible in the 2nd half. So it's just frustrating to see this team play well against a good team, and yet they flounder around with others. The other guy that was great was Anthony Leal. Here's a kid with really no position at the start of the season, he's an extra. Well because of the teams struggles, Woodson has had to put some leadership and toughness in the lineup and Leal really made it difficult on Boilermaker Braden Smith all night.
 
Wonder if Chris Beard has done enough to rehab his image to get this job. After seeing what Pitino has done at St John's, I don't know why IU would hesitate to go after Beard.
 
Wonder if Chris Beard has done enough to rehab his image to get this job. After seeing what Pitino has done at St John's, I don't know why IU would hesitate to go after Beard.
I like Beard as a choice.... how about Pitino leading the Hoosiers?
 
Wonder if Chris Beard has done enough to rehab his image to get this job. After seeing what Pitino has done at St John's, I don't know why IU would hesitate to go after Beard.
These days I'm not sure anyone is off limits unless they are in prison. Beard's name has popped up several times. I think IU really needs to finally get it right in that they need someone who wants to be there and can cultivate a culture. I almost wonder if bringing in a young guy with little history would make sense. It seems like when you bring in established coaches, they want to turn the program their way and that just doesn't seem to stick. Crean, Miller both had a hard time dealing with the crush of passion from the IU boosters. And the right boosters have to like you or it's never going to work.
 
Wonder if Chris Beard has done enough to rehab his image to get this job. After seeing what Pitino has done at St John's, I don't know why IU would hesitate to go after Beard.
I would say a strong no to Pitino. I'd like to see them go after Shaka Smart at Marquette. IU needs a younger coach who's runway could be up to 20 years plus. It's funny that so many people were anxious to get Knight out of there and it's been nothing but trouble since. I would had probably stuck with Crean. He won two big ten titles in 5 years and it's been nothing at all close to that since.
 
These days I'm not sure anyone is off limits unless they are in prison. Beard's name has popped up several times. I think IU really needs to finally get it right in that they need someone who wants to be there and can cultivate a culture. I almost wonder if bringing in a young guy with little history would make sense. It seems like when you bring in established coaches, they want to turn the program their way and that just doesn't seem to stick. Crean, Miller both had a hard time dealing with the crush of passion from the IU boosters. And the right boosters have to like you or it's never going to work.
He was officially cleared of the charges that got him fired at Texas. I'm not an IU fan, but I think the sport is better when they're good.
 
I would say a strong no to Pitino. I'd like to see them go after Shaka Smart at Marquette. IU needs a younger coach who's runway could be up to 20 years plus. It's funny that so many people were anxious to get Knight out of there and it's been nothing but trouble since. I would had probably stuck with Crean. He won two big ten titles in 5 years and it's been nothing at all close to that since.
Smart would be a bust, his tenure at Texas proves he's not capable of coaching at big name programs. Things didn't really go sideways for IU until nearly a decade after Knight was fire, with the Kelvin Sampson scandal.
 
He was officially cleared of the charges that got him fired at Texas. I'm not an IU fan, but I think the sport is better when they're good.
Yes, no doubt about that. However I thing some of the IU faithful - me included, think the days of being in the top 10 regularly and winning national championships are a regular occurrence. That's just not happening anymore. I never thought Notre Dame football would ever be relevant again, but here they are.
 
Top