NCHoosier32

as much as i want to root for the kid, he's definitely not a starting B1G guard. clearly not in XJ's league from a talent standpoint. that said, i still don't feel like X was playing the way we needed him to even before the injury.

i hope you're right, but i'm not 100% convinced that we keep getting better. i do like 4 of our pieces a lot. i do think we can be dangerous any given night.

this is me

man, i would think an otherwise healthy college age kid would be okay to play by Weds if it's Covid. sure hope so!

really liking the subbing or lack thereof. hope it keeps up when X and Ware come back. i mean obviously they will get big minutes and hopefully Gunn or Leal and one of the posts only play in severe blowouts. have to love how MM was looking his first 14 minutes!

great to see how many solid pieces we have. if it all comes together we can compete with just about anyone.

come on my man. whatcha got for me? just throwing out a weird, random shot and no comeback?

maybe i'm oversensitive, but feel like this is aimed at me? if so, me and my kid would never say that. me and my kid have incredible amount more experience playing and coaching than you and your kid. and we really probably are better in most ways without XJ. thanks.

frustrating to think that this makes it an interesting home game vs Kennesaw St.

yeah. Covid is a cold. sucks, but it's going around.

definitely encouraging. i mean i will be more excited if we beat a good team, but finally beating a bad team soundly is a start. still say this team has enough talent to have a pretty solid season.

i'm going Ware

totally agree, but don't think coaches do that anymore or that kids can take it anymore.

i hate that no one does that anymore, but i don't think anyone really does that anymore. with this team it would be even tougher because you'd have to bench Reneau or Ware.

i think you're right, but i also think the coach can make a difference in what he says and how he says it going into the game. i think Coach Knight probably helped make sure guys came out with energy. that said, there's only so much you can do if your leaders aren't good.

i am always excited to watch IU bball. i'm super curious to see how we look in this one.

isn't it kind of mind blowing that we can't beat anyone easily? i mean spurts vs Auburn and UConn along with the Kansas game show we can be good right?

it's frustrating because although some say stars don't mean anything, what else do you judge with? we have three 5 stars starting along with a returning starter. fair enough to say we aren't highly talented at the PG position. i'd argue that Walker is talented. just a poorly put together team and it's hard to understand not using our last scholarship on a guard.

so you're saying if you're older than someone you can call them whatever you want? i mean, okay i guess. i'm not exactly a spring chicken, but i just have an old fashioned sense of sir, Mr., Coach, etc. when i don't have a close relationship with someone. just seems like being respectful. it's all right if most of you disagree. i personally just think it's weird. i think that about a lot of modern basketball things though.

i don't know why i am trying to pick fights today, but does it bother any of the other old guys that a player would call Mike Woodson "Woody?" i know i'm old fashioned, but i still feel like it should be "Coach Woodson." i feel like his close friends should call him "Woody." if i met him, there is no way i would call him that unless he told me to and even then it would be tough.

in all seriousness Scott, admitting that is pretty cool. i think all most of us want to see is just you understanding that we are IU fans whether we are praising the team or complaining about it. maybe don't come at everyone so strong all the time when you think they are being too negative. that's all. i honestly have started agreeing with you more the older i get and the more i see others on this board. hopefully we look better tomorrow night!

as i continue to work through the game thread, i am confused. Scott - i know you clarified it must be in game if you are going to be anything other than positive, but are you sure you are allowed to say such drastic and over the top things? questioning the coach and saying you can't support him? please respond and let me know that now that they game is over, you are back to being positive. i even saw the king of sunshine complaining. so next question - does this mean those of us who were already questioning and criticizing are okay to be fans now? we may have been a little ahead of our time? gonna keep reading then start this thread...

i do appreciate Scott clarifying the rules about complaining, being negative, being critical, whatever. i didn't realize we were allowed to do so in the moment, but not after the game. i think that's a fan rule i had previously missed. thanks Scott! just remember to not let it impact your life. stay positive. sunshine and rainbows!

haven't read the game thread or this one yet. only saw a little of the game. looking at the stats, i applaud the subbing. 7 man rotation with 8 and 9 getting a little time. for the folks calling for home cookin from the refs, i know at one point the foul count was 9-1 in our favor and we were still down 4 at home to Morehead St. at least it was a "bad win" instead of a "bad loss."

i couldn't watch much of the game, but went with Banks. we wouldn't have won without his 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. no wait. i actually went with Walker.