hawkeyecub

I don't think so and I really like Tennessee. With them and Butler I at least have two teams to pull for in the tournament. Memphis is a good matchup for them. Their defense is just so reliant on forcing turnovers (although not tonight). It depends on the bracket but if they play a good team that takes care of the ball and has an interior threat, I think they're in trouble. I wouldn't like their chances against UCLA or Kansas.

Wow. I know when he was at UW-Milwaukee and a lot of people wanted him to replace Alford, those in the know suggested that Jim Delaney would do his best to make sure he didn't come back to the Big Ten. I think Exile is probably right though. When Alford left he supposedly put out feelers and told those he still talked with in Iowa City that he would be willing to listen. Of course everyone knew there was no way he was leaving Tennessee. Barta called and got permission which appeased Iowa fans wanting him and he respectfully turned it down publicly which makes him look good. He doesn't mind using the media to help himself out.

And Bill Walker spiked the ball after a routine put-back, resulting in a T. What a class operation in Manhattan. I was shocked and impressed to see Martin bench him the last 9 minutes after that though. They're such a weird team. The numbers indicate that they're right up there with the elite teams. Then I watch them and they just don't resemble one.

I would just like to point out that while I think McCamey looks solid for a freshman and should be starting: He's averaging 7.6 points, 2.6 boards, 3.2 assists and 2.2 turnovers in 25 minutes. He's shooting terribly. .356% FG, .58%FT, 30%3FG. Those are pedestrian numbers even for a freshman. His offensive efficiency numbers are the worst of any Illini besides Chester Frazier and those were majorly boosted by a couple of games. Williams had 4.5 assists to only 1.8 turnovers, shot 43% from the field and 35% from 3.

I do like Bayless, but he's no Eric Gordon. Gordon- 21.7 points, 3.2 boards, 2.5 assists, 3.4 turnovers. 46% FG, 86% FT, 40% 3FG. 57% effective field goal. Bayless- 21.1 points, 2.8 boards, 4.4 assists, 3.0 turnovers. 49% FG, 85% FT, 45% 3FG. 58.1% effective field goal. Gordon may be better defensively but Bayless has been the better offensive player.

Agreed. You don't have to sugar coat it, IU is definitely a better job. It's also a much better fit for him. Like I said I just would rather see him there than others because I at least know his weaknesses. It would also be especially sweet to beat him after some of the parting shots he had.

You have every right to dislike Alford; if I were you, I would too. However, I think Iowa fans would come to dislike him even more if he got the IU job. Methinks Alford would be very successful at Indiana. He very well could be. I didn't hate Alford. I've said that I think Alford improved a lot as a coach over his time at Iowa. He learned from a lot of the mistakes he made in various aspects. There was just no way he was going to win the fans over again and it was time to move on for both parties. With that said, I think I would rather see him there than others. Even in the last couple of years and now at New Mexico his teams lose games they shouldn't and it's often the result of a total meltdown in the last 8 minutes. For whatever reason, this has been a constant. He still will blame everyone but himself when something goes wrong. He still has an abrasive personality and will spin everything possible (try telling IU fans how successful you've been because you've had multiple winning seasons in a row). He never figured out how to develop a solid offense.

I think Skiles would be a very good college coach and IU would be a great fit. I highly doubt recruiting would be an issue. IU is a name brand and he has recognition from the NBA. I would much rather see them listen to Pat Knight's recommendation.

You can't compare basketball and baseball. i just did. oh, and the dunk contest was insane Well, OK, you can. But that doesn't make it logical. A point guard in basketball just might have a bit more influence on a game than a baseball shortstop. Just maybe. but it's a team sport. you can lead the league in scoring individually but be on a last place team. that doesn't make you a worse player than a guy scoring half as much but being on a winning team. It's a team sport where you only have 5 players on the court. 1 player has much more impact than any of the other major team sports by a wide margin and actually can/do make their teammates better. That's especially true at PG. Your scenario can be right at times because just scoring a lot of points per game doesn't mean much without context. That doesn't mean wins should be a measurement, but team success has to be considered. That's obviously not true in baseball so there's really no point in even bringing it up.

Please tell me you disliked Dee Brown. Of course. Not on the same level of Augustine though. And I don't think anyone will ever approach Lucas Johnson's spot on top. Hell even I disliked Lucas Johnson. I don't know how you could not like Dee Brown. He was everything that was right about college basketball. I didn't hate him, he just had some annoying traits for an opposing fan and being on a rival team that never lost magnifies all of that. He was just much more demonstrative with celebrations or complaints. Williams was just always the same; under control, played smart, wasn't a me guy, didn't really taunt, whine or draw attention to himself. Plus I have a soft spot for PG's with a little baby fat.

Please tell me you disliked Dee Brown. Of course. Not on the same level of Augustine though. And I don't think anyone will ever approach Lucas Johnson's spot on top.

A man his size simply shouldn't be able to move the way he does with the power/strength he has. It's just not right. As far as Paul and Williams go, they're both awesome and are both perfect fits for their team/style. Paul wouldn't do as well as Derron in Utah's offense and Williams wouldn't do as well as Paul in N.O.'s offense. I love watching both of them. Williams is one of the few Illini players in recent history that I couldn't dislike even in college. With that said, Paul is definitely more productive and the better player right now. The way he plays where he's attacking so much to create and never turn the ball over is nuts.

Michigan State isn't even close to being top 10 worthy. See the loss to Penn State a couple of weeks ago. I don't understand there problem, they have the talent. There coach is good, I guess just a bad blend. I think a hell of a lot of Izzo as a coach, but he's really had some underachieving teams lately in my opinion.

My god that was the worst half since Louisiana-Monroe.

IU is not going to go after Bruce Pearl. Pearl will never work in the Big Ten. I would imagine IU looks at Licklighter, Anthony Grant, Scott Drew, or Sean Miller. Hell maybe they even try and get Matta, he grew up a huge IU fan. No way would Lickliter or Matta leave. Lick isn't a true Hoosier like our last guy. He already left the one school he had loyalty and ties to. I think Iowa is a better fit for his personality than IU. Miller would be a good target. Thank you Exile for talking about Drew, I was about to say the same thing when I saw his name mentioned. I laughed a couple weeks ago when the national media was praising him after that 5 OT win for how much he's cleaned up that program and the amazing turnaround he's had. Well yeah the turnaround has been something, but it's not so amazing when you hear about how he's done it. Please IU, please bring Steve back home. It would be so sweet to beat him at a "real basketball school" when he's "back in red" and hear what excuses he would come up with. I actually liked Alford a fair amount and defended him quite a bit when he was here, but he did himself no favors on the way out. IU offers and Licklighter is gone in a second. You would blink and he would be driving out of Iowa City. What are you basing that off of? Obviously IU is a superior program and no one would dispute that. But IU would be facing sanctions that could really make it tough on him and don't return a ton. He has a 7 year contract paying him roughly the same that IU was paying Sampson and would have to pay a $3M buyout if he left. He's not a quick fix guy and knows he has patience and time at Iowa. That wouldn't be the case at IU. We have $40M worth of renovations to Carver plus a new practice facility coming that he's helped put together. He has no ties to IU at all. Plus he's a really low-key guy who doesn't enjoy a lot of limelight. Maybe you're right. Like I said no one would argue that the IU job is a better gig. I just don't think the timing is right and I think the Iowa job fits his personality better. Because a coaches ultimate goal is to win a national championship. How are you going to do that at Iowa? Your state rarely produces top flight talent. When it does, Kansas is usually there to take it from you. At IU if he does things the right way he would get enough time to turn things around. He would also be able to recruit a much more fertile state. I'm not going to argue that it's much easier to win at IU and Iowa may never win a title. In regards to the Kansas thing, that was more an issue of Iowa coaches leaving. Raef was the only one who really spurned the other two for Kansas. Hinrich was committed to Iowa State until Floyd left. Collison was Iowa's until the Dr. Tom fiasco. His family was lifelong Iowa fans/boosters. Then Bowlsby pushed Davis out, but Davis went to the president and made sure he could coach that last year on his contract. He then refused to recruit anyone at all during his lame-duck year and Collison had no choice. I think Lickliter could have guided the Horner/Brunner/Haluska group that mostly underachieved under Alford but still got a 3 seed to a much deeper run in the tourney. Possibly a Final Four. We also passed over Kyle Korver (whom Lick would have drooled over) and All-MVC guys in Jacobson and Funk who really would have rounded out that squad. Gatens is a top 100 kid and some have Cougill (who is committed in the '09 class) ranked that high. There are two top 100 kids in the '10 class in Derby and Barnes (likely to ISU). I'm not dellusional at all about Iowa. You can't win just recruiting Iowa. But there is good talent to supplement and you have some fertile ground surrounding you which he's doing a good job with in '09. Indiana obviously provides much more. I think more than anything it's timing. If he had stayed at Butler it would make a ton of sense. You may be right though.

IU is not going to go after Bruce Pearl. Pearl will never work in the Big Ten. I would imagine IU looks at Licklighter, Anthony Grant, Scott Drew, or Sean Miller. Hell maybe they even try and get Matta, he grew up a huge IU fan. No way would Lickliter or Matta leave. Lick isn't a true Hoosier like our last guy. He already left the one school he had loyalty and ties to. I think Iowa is a better fit for his personality than IU. Miller would be a good target. Thank you Exile for talking about Drew, I was about to say the same thing when I saw his name mentioned. I laughed a couple weeks ago when the national media was praising him after that 5 OT win for how much he's cleaned up that program and the amazing turnaround he's had. Well yeah the turnaround has been something, but it's not so amazing when you hear about how he's done it. Please IU, please bring Steve back home. It would be so sweet to beat him at a "real basketball school" when he's "back in red" and hear what excuses he would come up with. I actually liked Alford a fair amount and defended him quite a bit when he was here, but he did himself no favors on the way out. IU offers and Licklighter is gone in a second. You would blink and he would be driving out of Iowa City. What are you basing that off of? Obviously IU is a superior program and no one would dispute that. But IU would be facing sanctions that could really make it tough on him and don't return a ton. He has a 7 year contract paying him roughly the same that IU was paying Sampson and would have to pay a $3M buyout if he left. He's not a quick fix guy and knows he has patience and time at Iowa. That wouldn't be the case at IU. We have $40M worth of renovations to Carver plus a new practice facility coming that he's helped put together. He has no ties to IU at all. Plus he's a really low-key guy who doesn't enjoy a lot of limelight. Maybe you're right. Like I said no one would argue that the IU job is a better gig. I just don't think the timing is right and I think the Iowa job fits his personality better.

IU is not going to go after Bruce Pearl. Pearl will never work in the Big Ten. I would imagine IU looks at Licklighter, Anthony Grant, Scott Drew, or Sean Miller. Hell maybe they even try and get Matta, he grew up a huge IU fan. No way would Lickliter or Matta leave. Lick isn't a true Hoosier like our last guy. He already left the one school he had loyalty and ties to. I think Iowa is a better fit for his personality than IU. Miller would be a good target. Thank you Exile for talking about Drew, I was about to say the same thing when I saw his name mentioned. I laughed a couple weeks ago when the national media was praising him after that 5 OT win for how much he's cleaned up that program and the amazing turnaround he's had. Well yeah the turnaround has been something, but it's not so amazing when you hear about how he's done it. Please IU, please bring Steve back home. It would be so sweet to beat him at a "real basketball school" when he's "back in red" and hear what excuses he would come up with. I actually liked Alford a fair amount and defended him quite a bit when he was here, but he did himself no favors on the way out.

I think I just saw the single worst call of my life to end the Villanova-Georgetown game. Absolute injustice.

It was a full wind up and overhand baseball heave right into ABoya's face. It was certainly unnecessary. Bob Knight had his Indiana teams do that exact thing many times against Iowa when we had the full court press with Dr. Tom. I remember Settles and a couple others getting a bloody nose and having to leave the game. There were also at least a couple of instances when they threw it right into the guys crotch at full speed. They never called anything but I couldn't figure it out. When it's deliberate and risks or many times results in injury, how can there not be a call?

Again turnovers doom Iowa. 22 today against Minnesota. Completely killed on the boards for the first time in a long time also. Probably the worst we've played since at IU. Fortunately we were red hot from the field for the first 30 minutes. Had the lead midway through the second half and then Minnesota went on a 22-8 run to close the game. We just need our guards to get a year older with another year in the system and get a few of the freshman in here. The system works when we don't play dumb. It's amazing how many open looks we can get for our shooters even without good PG play or a post presence.

That's pretty fair illiniguy. I'm not arguing that the guy loves attention, that was evidenced by the black jerseys. Keener and jaydee, from everything I had read he didn't flip anybody off or scream at fans until after the game (and after they had stuff thrown at them). If so I don't think he incited anything just by being there and wearing a different colored jersey. Anyways, big game for the Hawks today at Minnesota. If we want that 6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament we're probably going to have to win today. The problem is that Minnesota forces more turnovers than anyone in the league and we turn it over more than anyone in the league.

So when is the IU apology coming for their fan behavior? Im sure they plan on issuing it soon For what? The Uconn game? If so, it has already been done. Several of the players did some PSA's that they played on the video board during the game. What does it matter anyway? IU didn't make them issue a statement. How about for mister attention whore and his salute to the Illini fans? Class pure class You don't issue an apology for one fan flipping the bird after being heckled all game. If that were the case, you would have A.D.'s issuing apologies after every Big Ten road game. Come on. Gordon Sr. is probably an attention whore, but if he and his family actually was hit by beads, it's not stunning that he would have something to say on his way out. For the record I don't think anything I actually saw was out of line. I'm just saying that when everyone in college basketball outside of your fans is blasting you today, it's probably not the right time to complain about class from others. For all of the Indiana people that were outraged by it, do you remember what you did to Luke Recker when he came back to Assembly Hall 5 years ago? He got the same treatment as Gordon, maybe worse. Had attention whore daddy not put himself out in the limelight and let his son get the attention, nothing would have happened to daddy dearest, hell nobody would have even known who he was. Daddy dearest put himself out there, had he been a normal parent, it would have just been heckling, but attention whore couldnt let that happen. He got his attention by supposedly being hit with beads, hes probably lucky thats all he was hit with honestly. They both got what they deserved, and daddy got what he was asking for, more attention towards him. As for the people blasting "us" screw them, they dont even know the story, but they want, and needed something to latch on to and are basically telling half of it. Oh well, just more proof the media is filled with ignorant, uninformed, loud mouth blowhards. What did he do last night that put himself out there more than a "normal parent"? He's lucky that he and his family were only hit with beads? Wow. That's just nutty. He might be a total attention whore and clown but he still has a right to go to the game and see his son play. Unless he is inciting something AT the game (which I don't think he did) he should be kept free from harm. Boo all you want, but you just look like a total nutjob when you say he deserved to be hit with something and is lucky it wasn't worse. It's college basketball man.

So when is the IU apology coming for their fan behavior? Im sure they plan on issuing it soon For what? The Uconn game? If so, it has already been done. Several of the players did some PSA's that they played on the video board during the game. What does it matter anyway? IU didn't make them issue a statement. How about for mister attention whore and his salute to the Illini fans? Class pure class You don't issue an apology for one fan flipping the bird after being heckled all game. If that were the case, you would have A.D.'s issuing apologies after every Big Ten road game. Come on. Gordon Sr. is probably an attention whore, but if he and his family actually was hit by beads, it's not stunning that he would have something to say on his way out. For the record I don't think anything I actually saw was out of line. I'm just saying that when everyone in college basketball outside of your fans is blasting you today, it's probably not the right time to complain about class from others. For all of the Indiana people that were outraged by it, do you remember what you did to Luke Recker when he came back to Assembly Hall 5 years ago? He got the same treatment as Gordon, maybe worse.

illiniguy I'm not saying you guys shouldn't think you'll be better going forward. You will. I just think some were going way overboard.

I have no horse in this race at all, the only thing I find funny is how IU is 19-3 (8-1) while Illinois is 10-14 (2-9) but most Illinois fans seem certain that they will dominate Indiana immediately once this season is over and IU will go nowhere this year. Indiana is a flawed team without a PF or true PG. But they also have one of the five best guards in the country and maybe one of the five best big men in the country this year. They'll be a 4 seed at the lowest and will get to the Sweet 16. I don't think Sampson is proving a lot as a coach this year and I don't like him at all, but they have some decent talent coming in and aren't completely going away. With Illinois, I know you have Legion and Smith coming in next year and with McCamey that can be a really nice backcourt. I just think you're getting a little ahead of yourselves especially when I don't think Weber still has that "great coach" tag that he always got when people criticized his recruiting.