Sosa21MVP

This prediction might end up being a lot closer than I wanted to believe. :hello:

While I like to have fun with the "Creaning" thing, let's be honest here. Capobianco is awful at basketball. He was so bad last season that at one point he fell behind a freaking walk-on freshman (Jeff Howard) on the depth chart. The fact he is going to transfer (presumably to a smaller school) to actually get some playing time should surprise no one and I don't see why it would be the source of outrage.

Ah finally a Creaning. Bobby Capobianco is leaving. =D>

ACC/Big Ten Challenge lineup is set: Tuesday, November 29 Miami at Purdue Northwestern at Georgia Tech Illinois at Maryland Michigan at Virginia Clemson at Iowa Duke at Ohio State Wednesday, November 30 Indiana at NC State Penn State at Boston College Florida State at Michigan State Virginia Tech at Minnesota Wake Forest at Nebraska Wisconsin at North Carolina

He's a kid who made a mistake. He'll be back. =D>

I think it's more of if that is the real Heat. True, but what I saw tonight is the Bulls team I expected to see in the 1st round against my team. Maybe it is just a case of playing down (and tonight playing up) to the competition. the pacers may not be especially skilled down low, but they have strength that bothered the bulls. True. Miami's bench is so bad. That is the one thing that stood out to me when the Pacers and Heat played during the regular season. The Pacers bench would outscore the Miami bench by 30-40 points in each game and that was enough to keep the P's in those games. The Bulls have the bench depth plus having the Rose running the point and playing great team defense.

I think it's more of if that is the real Heat. True, but what I saw tonight is the Bulls team I expected to see in the 1st round against my team. Maybe it is just a case of playing down (and tonight playing up) to the competition.

Well if that is the REAL Bulls then I suspect they will definitely win this series. That was impressive.

I don't know what was with the rain over the past few days, but it was filthy. Never seen rain leave mud on cars and stuff like that before The Bulls fans in Atlanta were a better crowd I think the Bulls fans in Indy were better too.

I guess I'd rather see the Bulls win this series although the obnoxious Bulls fan that sits across from me at work is making it hard to pull for them to advance.

So apparently the Indiana Elite AAU team lost in a tournament this morning and Ron Patterson (2012 IU verbal) threw a fit and tweeted that he is looking for a new AAU team. On the Indiana Elite team he is playing with the other 2012 IU kids Yogi Ferrell, Hanner Perea and Jeremy Hollowell. A bit disturbing that he would even talk about bailing on his future teammates. :-k

Ahhh Koyie Hill noooooooo.

Yep, the Pacers inherited his horrible contract from Golden State. Thank god it is finally expiring. \:D/

Considering that Perea is 6'8 I'm guessing a 7 footer should be able to score on him. :P

I sat in the bleachers for the first time yesterday and while the experience was fun I would say those seats are definitely overpriced right now.

Castro SS Barney 2B Byrd CF Ramirez 3B Baker RF Soto C Soriano LF Pena 1B Zambrano P

Sounds like somebody is gonna get Painted! :P

The one thing about Crean though as much as I like the amount of talent he has lined up for the near future I am still not sold on his coaching ability so at times I think it is kind of amusing to see the fan base getting so giddy about the recruiting situation while at the same time kind of glossing over some of the bad things we've seen the last couple years. I mean I know our roster this past season wasn't perfect or anything but I still felt like we could have played better basketball as a team. Sub patterns, the lack of development of our bigs, lack of team defense, etc. Maybe talent will cure all of those issues but I'm still a bit skeptical. To read our message boards like the Scout board you would think the moment the 2012 class hits the floor we are going to win the Big Ten and get back to the Final Four all at once. Not very likely. :P

I have quite an issue with Crean cutting players. So far though that hasn't happened. The player who everybody wanted gone each year has never left. If Capiobianco is asked to leave I'll have quite a bit of trouble with it. If Sheehey is planning to transfer to get more playing time in his junior/senior year (he'd get plenty of it this year) I'd have no problem with it. Lead pipes + plausible deniability ftw!

Exile - Trey Lyles in the 2014 class is a power forward.

It is curious. On the optimistic side, he does seemingly check a few boxes. He has good size for a guard, is athletic, good defensively, and able to handle the ball some (going off reports, never seen him). All those things are needed. On the negative side, he seems awfully redundant unless he really can handle the ball well enough to be a back-up point. In 2012-13, IU has these wings lined up: Creek, Oladipo, Sheehey, Etherington, Abell, Patterson, Hollowell. Plus, they're still recruiting Gary Harris hard and no doubt would take him if he'll come. That's potentially eight guys for two spots. Crean's hyperactivity is going a bit crazy -- the team needs BIG MEN. I think this means at least one of the following: (1) multiple transfers this year, and/or (2) Crean really believes Abell is the back-up ballhandler. You also forgot Watford as another wing. I do think Crean likes to run an offense without too many traditional big men though. I think Zeller and Perea will both get a lot of playing time but I can definitely see Crean shifting Watford or Hollowell to the 4 for large stretches as well. I would like 1 more good big man to really feel good about the position but I don't think IU will be that short in the 2012 season. And any big you would pick up this late in the 2011 class probably doesn't help you much. What puzzles me is who would transfer to make room. The wings don't have anybody that really makes sense. Sheehey after one year? Would Creek really sit out another entire year? I've heard that Sheehey is considering leaving, yes. Well I like him and I think he could contribute at a high major program, but I don't see how he fits after this year so that would be ok with me. I'm just surprised that he already would be considering it when he seemed to enjoy his freshman year. I don't know specific details but I'm guessing he sees the writing on the wall as far as his long-term future at IU. I mean he did seem to have fun last season and got some good playing time but at the same time we have been recruiting guys that will ultimately take away his minutes in the future. Maybe he wants to be a guy who can play major minutes as a junior and senior instead of being a role player off the bench. I mean it would have to be kind of tough to go from getting major minutes your first two years (I'm presuming he would still play a lot this coming season) and then being relegated to a lesser role in your last two years.

It is curious. On the optimistic side, he does seemingly check a few boxes. He has good size for a guard, is athletic, good defensively, and able to handle the ball some (going off reports, never seen him). All those things are needed. On the negative side, he seems awfully redundant unless he really can handle the ball well enough to be a back-up point. In 2012-13, IU has these wings lined up: Creek, Oladipo, Sheehey, Etherington, Abell, Patterson, Hollowell. Plus, they're still recruiting Gary Harris hard and no doubt would take him if he'll come. That's potentially eight guys for two spots. Crean's hyperactivity is going a bit crazy -- the team needs BIG MEN. I think this means at least one of the following: (1) multiple transfers this year, and/or (2) Crean really believes Abell is the back-up ballhandler. You also forgot Watford as another wing. I do think Crean likes to run an offense without too many traditional big men though. I think Zeller and Perea will both get a lot of playing time but I can definitely see Crean shifting Watford or Hollowell to the 4 for large stretches as well. I would like 1 more good big man to really feel good about the position but I don't think IU will be that short in the 2012 season. And any big you would pick up this late in the 2011 class probably doesn't help you much. What puzzles me is who would transfer to make room. The wings don't have anybody that really makes sense. Sheehey after one year? Would Creek really sit out another entire year? I've heard that Sheehey is considering leaving, yes.

It is curious. On the optimistic side, he does seemingly check a few boxes. He has good size for a guard, is athletic, good defensively, and able to handle the ball some (going off reports, never seen him). All those things are needed. On the negative side, he seems awfully redundant unless he really can handle the ball well enough to be a back-up point. In 2012-13, IU has these wings lined up: Creek, Oladipo, Sheehey, Etherington, Abell, Patterson, Hollowell. Plus, they're still recruiting Gary Harris hard and no doubt would take him if he'll come. That's potentially eight guys for two spots. Crean's hyperactivity is going a bit crazy -- the team needs BIG MEN. I think this means at least one of the following: (1) multiple transfers this year, and/or (2) Crean really believes Abell is the back-up ballhandler. Based on what I've read about Abell in the past 24 hours I'd say it is a lock that he will be a back-up ballhandler. That combined with his ability to defend at the guard spots. As far as adding another big man, well quite frankly for 2011 I'm not sure there is anything left that is worthwhile. Some of the guys Crean is allegedly looking at appear to be Bawa clones and adding size doesn't mean a thing if the player(s) in question are too raw to contribute. The one interesting thing about 2012 now is that Crean is still recruiting both Gary Harris and Mitch McGary. McGary probably fits our needs better than Harris. I mean we will be fairly deep on the wing even without Harris. McGary would bolster our frontcourt. Or maybe Crean is planning to sign both, lol.

This leaves them 2 over in 2012. Delaney's not gonna like that. Time for some spring Creaning! =D> Crean has also still been looking for a big for 2011. Not sure if that effort will continue now that Abell committed. Or maybe Tom is planning on cutting half the roster, I dunno. :-k

Congrats Bulls fans. =D> I hoped for a better game tonight but Chicago finally put their collective foot down on the Pacers.