Exile on Waveland

Did UCLA have a chance to get the ball back with the timeouts? Because, if not, using timeouts when the game is over is bush league and classless too. Teams shouldn't rub it in, but teams should also concede defeat in times like that.

I'm very happy about this. Nothing against Okie State, but no way that team should be in the BCS over Boise/Iowa.

no, a 3-loss USC team would get in first This might work if USC hadn't once been left out of the title game despite being the top-ranked team in the nation.

Ha, T-minus two posts it turns out. Knew it was inevitable. (Not that I blame him one iota.)

Yeah, I'm not particularly fond of Finnegan either. Take that with a large grain of salt, seeing as I'm a fan of a putative rival team.

Colts are due to lose. If it doesn't come this weekend at Houston -- I still suspect it will -- it could be against Tennessee. The Colts take divisional games very seriously, though, so I wouldn't expect a complacency issue.

I can't find the article to verify but it certainly looks like an NCAA championship trophy and since that's their only one I would guess it is. I'd much rather enjoy Purdue's current athletics program's success than sit around thinking remember when they were good. Again, that's not the way NCAA Championship trophies looked back then. I'm not sure when that style of trophy first appeared, but it was sometime between 1953 and 1976. Either the NCAA retroactively issued championship trophies to Helm's winners (extremely doubtful) or Purdue commissioned the trophy itself. (Or it's not the 1932 trophy at all.) The trophies have since been redesigned. T-minus three posts before snood's visual evidence . . .

Oh, man. That's rich. The 1932 Championship trophy? Did Purdue make that for themselves? Because that's not what (apocryphal) championship trophies looked like back then.

I'm not exactly sure why an undefeated Texas team should inherently take precedence over an undefeated TCU team. Other than BCS conference bias and name recognition.

The Big Ten splits the bowl money up. Commies.

He didn't. The closest he had was Robert Jackson, a transfer from Mississippi State. (Unless you count Steve Novak as a "big man.") This is disconcerting and it must change. I'm concerned it won't really.

guys, this isn't a 3 million brick house we're putting together one brick at a time. It's not like you have to build a minor leauge system to build the program. You need 9 or so good players to compete. Two good recruiting classes gets you back into the mix of things, and Crean has already acquired one good class. Why doesn't he have interest from a talented post player all the way through the 2011 class? I wasn't expecting the man to have IU back in the top 25 this year or next year......but I do expect them to be close by the 2011-2012 season. You use Kentucky and Bama as examples. Are you trying to tell me that Calipari won't have UK back into the top 10 by 2010-2011 if it doesn't happen this year? Are you trying to tell me that Coach friggin Nick Saban didn't bring Alabama back to where they were accustomed in 2 years? Neither situation is exactly analogous. When Calipari took the job, Kentucky returned a five-star and a four-star power forward, a four-star point guard, a four-star small forward, and a few three-star guys, plus already had at least a four-star shooting guard and a five-star center lined up (I'm a little fuzzy if any other recruits were holdovers from Gillispie). Indiana returned a walk-on and had a three-star shooting guard and power forward lined up. IU obviously has a far steeper mountain to climb than UK. I think we both agree that Crean has done well so far. I think we both also agree the progress is going to plateau before they get out of the cellar of the Big Ten.....until they get more talent in the post. Well, I don't think "cellar" is quite accurate. I suspect they'll be out of the cellar this year. I think it's more likely you meant "bottom-third." Semantics aside, I agree. POST. POST. POST. It has to improve.

guys, this isn't a 3 million brick house we're putting together one brick at a time. It's not like you have to build a minor leauge system to build the program. You need 9 or so good players to compete. Two good recruiting classes gets you back into the mix of things, and Crean has already acquired one good class. Why doesn't he have interest from a talented post player all the way through the 2011 class? I wasn't expecting the man to have IU back in the top 25 this year or next year......but I do expect them to be close by the 2011-2012 season. You use Kentucky and Bama as examples. Are you trying to tell me that Calipari won't have UK back into the top 10 by 2010-2011 if it doesn't happen this year? Are you trying to tell me that Coach friggin Nick Saban didn't bring Alabama back to where they were accustomed in 2 years? No my point is that IU fans should not think they are entitled to success just because it is IU. IU has been largely irrelevant as a national or Big Ten power since Knight left. Comparing Tom Crean to John Calipari (a known cheater, that's how bad Kentucky wants to get back on top, much like IU with Sampson) and Saban (a national title winning coach) is a joke. Crean went to one Final Four on Dwayne Wade's back, he is not a top ten coach in the game like Calipari and Saban are. He needs time to build the program. Rome was not built in a day and neither will the IU program. Even with the good 2009 class, none of the players are spectacular surefire NBA lottery talent, and there is little upperclassmen leadership to help bring them along. You simply cannot go from dressing a manager to being on top of the Big Ten in less than five years, with the level of coaching and recruiting that is currently going on in the league. While I agree with the rest of your post, I don't think the bolded is correct. At all. This isn't football; it's basketball. One outstanding class could make any team in the league a contender in two-three years. Purdue went 3-13 in conference in consecutive years (7-21 and 9-19 overall) and two years later went 15-3 mainly on the back of freshman. Ohio State went 14-16 and three years later played on the last Monday night of the season with a 35-4 (15-1 conference) record. Sure, the overall talent in the Big Ten currently is superior to those years, but the point remains. In fact, even from the absolute devastated nadir of IU's program, if the Class of 2010 was similar in quality -- and addressed needs -- to the Class of 2009, IU would have a contending team within the conference in two years, three at the most. And that's just with two classes. Don't misconstrue this post (I'm sure many will want to). I don't expect this will happen at IU, nor will I be screaming for Crean's head if it doesn't. It's just not entirely accurate to state that a five-year rebuilding process is necessary.

Agreed. But they are in the top 14 of the BCS and the Fiesta could feel some pressure to take a Big 12 replacement for Texas since they have the Big 12 tie-in. If it were about who "deserved" it more, no one would even be considering PSU over Iowa. And Kansas wouldn't have been picked over Missouri a couple years ago. Yes, everyone understands the most deserving teams don't always go. That's not exactly a revelation.

guys, this isn't a 3 million brick house we're putting together one brick at a time. It's not like you have to build a minor leauge system to build the program. You need 9 or so good players to compete. Two good recruiting classes gets you back into the mix of things, and Crean has already acquired one good class. Why doesn't he have interest from a talented post player all the way through the 2011 class? I wasn't expecting the man to have IU back in the top 25 this year or next year......but I do expect them to be close by the 2011-2012 season. You use Kentucky and Bama as examples. Are you trying to tell me that Calipari won't have UK back into the top 10 by 2010-2011 if it doesn't happen this year? Are you trying to tell me that Coach friggin Nick Saban didn't bring Alabama back to where they were accustomed in 2 years? Neither situation is exactly analogous. When Calipari took the job, Kentucky returned a five-star and a four-star power forward, a four-star point guard, a four-star small forward, and a few three-star guys, plus already had at least a four-star shooting guard and a five-star center lined up (I'm a little fuzzy if any other recruits were holdovers from Gillispie). Indiana returned a walk-on and had a three-star shooting guard and power forward lined up.

He didn't look particulary impressive playing the 4 against Ole Miss yesterday, but I agree that his ball handling skills probably won't cut it at 3 presently either. If Watford is going to be the 4, then he will likely be able to mature into the role in a couple of years. He will need more help than he's getting from the 5...and I'm not sure if or when that help in the post will be coming to IU...play from the 4 and 5 is what concerns me the most right now and looking forward to the next few years. Ole Miss was his first game in college against a real (read: BCS conference) opponent. He also has next to no help down low. I'm not sure a fair judgment can really be made from this one isolated game. I don't think you're going to get any argument that Crean needs to upgrade the talent and athleticism of the inside players. It's disconcerting to me that this hasn't been addressed, to this point, in either the Class of 2010 or 2011. Adding one or two interior players -- even top-50/100/150 guys who can play -- would immediately increase the ceiling for the next two years. Otherwise, IU's lone hope is for a raw African player to develop at the 5. Not a position I'm terribly comfortable in.

Agreed. But they are in the top 14 of the BCS and the Fiesta could feel some pressure to take a Big 12 replacement for Texas since they have the Big 12 tie-in. If it were about who "deserved" it more, no one would even be considering PSU over Iowa. Oh, I know deserve isn't the entire calculus at all, but I never gave much thought to Oklahoma State being an option.

OK State? Surely not. Sheesh, I know it's a rather week year, but they've done next to nothing. Their "big" win is Georgia, who stinks. Their next best win is, I guess, Missouri. They were throttled by Texas. This is not a BCS team.

Oops Yeah, this team is effed Still a ways to go, and Penn State has a very good coach. I just remain of the belief that Penn State isn't to the point it can lose what it lost, and that this year is going to be a struggle.

I think the great majority of IU fans have given Crean an extremely long leash. Some are definitely irrational and predicting like 20 wins this season, but that is the great minority from my experience. I think most expect the first tournament appearance to come in 2011-12, with next year as an outside possibility (not sure I ascribe to that, we'll see how the freshman progress). I think those are rather rational expectations. I think the practice facility is supposed to be completed early next year. The construction has definitely advanced over the past few months. IU's facilities were really lacking and substandard, but with the North endzone enclosure and the new practice facility, they have greatly improved. I'm unsure if these things necessarily win recruiting battles, but I think the opposite can lose them. That shouldn't happen anymore, at least.

That didn't help. How the hell is Crean not able to sell playing time to a couple more top 50 players? Only one remaining 4 or 5 star recruit is considering IU, and that is Josh Selby. I don't believe they are favored to land him. IU needs impact post players and depth at guard. They have no post play presently. zero. Watford should be playing 3 not 4. I've heard a lot of people say Watford should be playing the 3 this week. I don't understand that. This isn't the NBA. There are plenty of really good teams that have similar players starting at the 4 in college basketball. Tyler Smith is a 4 at 6'7" for Tenn. Roe for MSU is of similar size at the 4. This is typical of college basketball to have 6'9" players with shooting ability and ball skills playing a big position. ...because Watford would be much more effective posting up another team's 3 versus trying to post up their 4? If he were a strong 4 who could also shoot, then that would be great. Admittedly, I've only watched him play one game, so my opinion isn't set in stone. However, I think he may be more likely to create a mismatch playing the 3. Watford, at this point, cannot play the 3 in college. He's not terribly quick, nor has he displayed many (exterior) floor skills. Most collegiate teams play three guards currently, and Watford would have no chance at guarding them. What position you can defend is of greater import. I initially called him a 3.5 and that may eventually be true, but he's a college 4 at this point -- especially in Crean's system.

I somehow missed this until today. Why why why does Hendry insist on giving fungible middle relievers multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts? It's astonishing he still hasn't learned his lesson.

They are going to be bottom of the Big Ten until they have a couple of people (at least 1?) who can defend the 4 and 5 positions. Tom Pritchard and Tijan Jobe aren't doing it for me. I don't understand how they couldn't recruit 1 decent big man for next year. The position is wide open. To me, that's failure. How many years are we giving Crean to build the team? He's definitely going to have to upgrade the interior. There is no doubt. I've become completely bearish on Pritchard -- I think he's always going to be too soft and slow to be more than a spot player. This is an area that must be improved. On Crean, he's a nice cheerleader and I don't worry too much about his recruiting (sans perhaps big man recruiting). I don't, however, think he's an outstanding tactical coach at all. I know that's near heresy for IU fans at this point, but I think it's the truth (and I think it's pretty clear). He deserves way, way more than two years to prove me wrong though.

IU's class for 2010 is intentionally small. It would be a rather large tactical error to sign a second consecutive big class (obviously excepting some dream scenario that netted multiple 5-stars). The current freshman class is already six-deep, but, most importantly, the classes of 2011, 2012, and 2013 in Indiana are abundant with talent. IU must make headway in those three classes. IU is off to a strong start for the Class of 2011 with a 4-star player and a 3-star that many think is undervalued. Athletic bigs are an imperative. Purdue's class is nice, but impertinent to IU's class. (As to Purdue's class: Terone Johnson is a real nice player, but Donnie Hale isn't much. Haven't seen any/enough to comment on the other two.)

and i did. you guys are/were hilarious. what is that from, two years ago? IU did nothing with Gordon. Sampson is effectively banned from coaching NCAA forever. IU is an absolute train-wreck. you pretty much got everything you wanted. why are you still mad? Who's angry? I'm just enjoying the angst. No angst at all emanating from this poster.