Dakich still mentioned when IU job comes up....

[hammb]

We are dead last in the NCAA in fouls per game at 24.8. LAST out of 326 teams. If our man-to-man defense is that bad we have to foul, why would you not try a zone at some point? And why would the coach allow players to "foul" in practice and let it go when you know that stuff is getting called in the game.

I have heard that our practices are similar to a football practice. Anything pretty much goes. Never watched one myself, but it would certainly explain why we seem to foul so damn much.

Yes we are small. I have two thoughts in regard to that. First, who is responsible for getting the players on the team? The coach. The coach knows what his teams needs are (or should) and recruit accordingly. We need big men and all we seem to go after are shooting guards and small forwards. Second, rebounding is about technique and desire. A 5'9" guard will get a rebound against a 6'4" guy if he boxes him out properly. With a small lineup it is essential that you box out to get rebounds. The coach has to work on this in practice. Are we working on boxing out at all?

Agreed, and Agreed. We need size and still we don't recruit it. Do you realize that we haven't gotten a true center here (other than Vandermeer) since LeFeld? That isn't good, because he's gonna be a Senior next year. Next year's team is already out of schollies, so we'll be relying on a true freshman at center (or a very undersized Sullivan/Marschall) in the 2007-08 season. Of course maybe Dan knows he won't be here then...

As for rebounding don't give me size arguments. Size means next to nothing in rebounding. It's about technique and desire to get the rebound. Our guys have no clue how to box out, and I don't think any Dan Dakich recruit has ever become a good rebounder. In the NBA Rodman wasn't the biggest guy, Barkley was certainly not the biggest guy in the league...neither is Ben Wallace. In the MAC Gates & Stacey were both good rebounders, and neither were big guys.

Rebounding is as much about attitude, technique, and instincts as it is about size. Size is merely an advantage that can help if you have the other aspects of it. Right now the coach is doing a poor job recruiting size, and he's never done a good job teaching the other parts of rebounding.

Rebounding is one of my favorite things to see a team do well, and is the most infuriating part of watching our team. It has been for the past 4 years...

[RobbyFalcon]

Hving grown up watching IU on channel 4 out of Indianapolis (dad had the cable hook-up way early thanks to a trip to Radio Shack and a shimmy up a telephone pole) I've seen what those classic Knight teams were. And they don't play like that anymore. Not at BG, not at Texas Tech. The motion offense creates tons of fouls for the other team and the half court man-to-man contests everything.

I don't know why IU faithful would clamor for DD unless they were stuck in a time warp. IU is one of the best jobs in the country. The net they cast for their next coach will be a big one. But like all top programs, it comes with a lot of pressure to win.

Davis says IU fans want one of their own. That's silly. Knight went to Ohio State. IU fans, like all fans, just want to win and stay scandal-free.

I don't think DD is going anywhere soon. Look at it from an IU point of view and peep the BG record over the last couple of years. A casual glance at the numbers do not add up to a Bloomington-based movement to bring back good old DD.

Saying all that, I've probably just insured the Dakich will be the head coach at IU.

Go Falcons!!

[Flipper]

We foul a lot because we play a lot of man to man defense. Playing good, tight man to man defense is a lost art at just about every level. I suspect the intensity that we practice with is a factor also. If you're going really hard in practice and doing things that will be called a foul in a game situation, guess what will happen in a game situation.

We are dead last in the NCAA in fouls per game at 24.8. LAST out of 326 teams. If our man-to-man defense is that bad we have to foul, why would you not try a zone at some point? And why would the coach allow players to "foul" in practice and let it go when you know that stuff is getting called in the game.

We don't rebound well because we're small. Our post players are a kid who can barely walk (but plays his heart out anyway) and a freshman who's better suited to play facing the basket on the wing.

Yes we are small. I have two thoughts in regard to that. First, who is responsible for getting the players on the team? The coach. The coach knows what his teams needs are (or should) and recruit accordingly. We need big men and all we seem to go after are shooting guards and small forwards. Second, rebounding is about technique and desire. A 5'9" guard will get a rebound against a 6'4" guy if he boxes him out properly. With a small lineup it is essential that you box out to get rebounds. The coach has to work on this in practice. Are we working on boxing out at all?

These are good questions and largely valid points. I think officials see so much zone these days that they don't give enough leeway to teams playing man to man. It's as if they think they have to blow the whistle becaus ethey see so much contact. Playing some zone makes a lot of sense when you've shortened th ebench as much as Dan has.

I also think we don't do a very good job of boxing out, particularly on the backside and from the perimeter. I must say though that rebounding isn't entirely about technique and desire. I've gone up over people who had inside position on me a number of times when I was still able to jump well because I was taller and able to jump higher and get off my feet more quickly. In the OU game I think we surrendered as many offensive rebounds to their athletic ability and size as we did our own fundamental weaknesses

[hammb]

I also think we don't do a very good job of boxing out, particularly on the backside and from the perimeter. I must say though that rebounding isn't entirely about technique and desire. I've gone up over people who had inside position on me a number of times when I was still able to jump well because I was taller and able to jump higher and get off my feet more quickly. In the OU game I think we surrendered as many offensive rebounds to their athletic ability and size as we did our own fundamental weaknesses

Obviously size & athletic ability are major advantages in rebounding. So I ask, if we aren't willing to teach our kids how to box out, why do we also continue to recruit the slowest, most unathletic team in the conference?

[Flipper]

Because we're in love with the movie "Hoosiers"?

[Germainfitch1]

Here are five who fit that bill:
• Steve Alford, 1987 was his last year at IU: Coach at Iowa; has 11 years of Division I experience.
• Randy Wittman, 1983: Hasn't been a college coach, but was 62-102 in two years with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now an assistant with Orlando.
• Dan Dakich, 1985: A longtime Bob Knight assistant, he is 143-115 at Bowling Green.
• Jim Crews, 1976: He's the Army coach, and former Evansville coach. He was a Knight assistant for eight seasons.
• Keith Smart, 1988: Smart coached the Cavaliers for part of one season and coached the CBA's Fort Wayne team. He is an assistant with the Golden State Warriors.

I think Alford would be the best fit for the Hoosiers. I don't know why Matta would want to leave OSU right now with the recruits he has signed for next year and with the rediculous talent he has verballed in future classes. Ohio, as a prep state, is absolutely loaded in the upcoming years. He'd be crazy to leave for IU right now.

Also -- he doesn't have an opt out for certain schools, as it was once believed. He has a small time-frame where he can negotiate deals with other schools, but I don't see him going anywhere in the next few years. He's got the largest athletic budget in the country, he's got a 7 year-old arena and some of the best facilities and he has rediculous talent coming to Columbus.

[/quote]

Thaddy can take all of those recruits with him.

[hammb]

Here are five who fit that bill:
• Steve Alford, 1987 was his last year at IU: Coach at Iowa; has 11 years of Division I experience.
• Randy Wittman, 1983: Hasn't been a college coach, but was 62-102 in two years with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now an assistant with Orlando.
• Dan Dakich, 1985: A longtime Bob Knight assistant, he is 143-115 at Bowling Green.
• Jim Crews, 1976: He's the Army coach, and former Evansville coach. He was a Knight assistant for eight seasons.
• Keith Smart, 1988: Smart coached the Cavaliers for part of one season and coached the CBA's Fort Wayne team. He is an assistant with the Golden State Warriors.

I think Alford would be the best fit for the Hoosiers. I don't know why Matta would want to leave OSU right now with the recruits he has signed for next year and with the rediculous talent he has verballed in future classes. Ohio, as a prep state, is absolutely loaded in the upcoming years. He'd be crazy to leave for IU right now.

Also -- he doesn't have an opt out for certain schools, as it was once believed. He has a small time-frame where he can negotiate deals with other schools, but I don't see him going anywhere in the next few years. He's got the largest athletic budget in the country, he's got a 7 year-old arena and some of the best facilities and he has rediculous talent coming to Columbus.

Thaddy can take all of those recruits with him.[/quote]

I don't know for sure, but I would imagine most of them have already signed letters of intent. If they had it would cost them a year of eligibility to transfer. If they haven't signed then they are obviously still free to go anywhere.

[TG1996]

AP (and WTHR-TV ) are reporting that Mike Davis is resigning, effective at the end of the season.

Please continue.

[Tricky_Falcon]

After the loss to Penn State tonight. I won't be surprised if he is out sooner. This was supposed to be "the year" for the Hoosiers. losing 6 of 7 isn't helping him.

[Tswam]

AP (and WTHR-TV ) are reporting that Mike Davis is resigning, effective at the end of the season.

Please continue.

Dan Patrick interviewed Mike Davis on his show today. It was one of the most bizarre interviews I've ever heard.

I wouldn't put much stock in the "Indiana needs to get one of their own" comment since Davis said it. I think he may have endorsing Norman Dale and Shooter for the job.

[Tricky_Falcon]

would like to hear what was said in that interview but of course if I want to listen to it again I'd have to have insider.

What was said?

[TG1996]

Davis was incredibly tight-lipped during his postgame press conference at Penn State tonight, he said he knew nothing of this "report" and that he was only going to talk about his team and basketball.