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I don't know that; I can't really think of anyone.  That's why I'm still backing Davis.  I don't really know who you could bring in.  What options do you think we have?

Not sure who the next coach should be........

 

I will say this. I will be happy to support Davis if he can get things turned around. I just don't see much improvement in the past three years. That is my problem with Davis. Recruiting will only take a coach so far.

 

And just so you know, I am far from one of those old-timers that are still hoping Bobby Knight returns. I am not anti-Mike Davis personally. I lean toward being anti-Mike Davis only because I see the program going backward, not forward.

 

Time will tell, I guess........

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Terry Hutchens is a very rational guy, and I love his response to this. This is worth taking a look at Rex; I agree with everything he's said.

 

http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/024595-7221-115.html

 

Question: First off, congratulations to the Hoosier Soccer team! Second, let me be one of the many who I am sure will be calling for a change now with the basketball team.

 

Davis just doesn't have what it takes to coach this team. I like Davis. I think he is a good guy and a great recruiter. The ability to coach a basketball program of this caliber, however, just isn't there. I admire his passion for the game, but it takes more than that to beat the likes of Kentucky. I am sure that the Davis-haters will be out in full-force after this weekend. I just want to say that I like Davis, and still like him, but not as the head coach at IU. It's time for someone to take IU in a new direction. (Nathan in Corydon, Ind.)

 

Answer: I've got to be careful because I've been labeled a Davis apologist in the past but once again I'm going to try to be the voice of reason here to an IU nation that at this point I'm sure is seeing Red after the 2-4 start. Here's my question: What did you think IU's record realistically would be at this point in the season? And more to the point, which of the teams that they lost to did you think they would beat?

 

I didn't think they'd beat North Carolina, Connecticut or Kentucky. In fact, I thought against both North Carolina and Connecticut in particular that they played better than I thought they would. The Notre Dame game, I thought going in, was one that they could win and to watch them score just 45 points was disappointing. But it was still a long ways from a guaranteed victory. I don't care how many times they had beat Notre Dame in a row in Bloomington. When it comes to college basketball, unlike certain stock options, past performance does not always guarantee future results Notre Dame was a team that was ranked in the top 25 the week before and they were a handful in terms of matchup problems for the Hoosiers.

 

So I guess what I'm getting at is why are so many people so bent right now on trying to push Davis out the door? Here's my take. I think when Southern California fired Henry Bibby five games into the season, it just gave hope to all the people who have wanted to see a change at the top of the IU program for a long time. Pretty much from the start, if you want to know the truth. But sorry, USC wasn't playing the same caliber of competition. I don't think you can compare the two situations.

 

I'm not one hundred percent sure how good of a coach Mike Davis is but I think he's a lot better than most people are willing to give him credit for I think there's a large faction of people that no matter what he ever accomplishes will never be able to accept that Davis is the right guy for this job. I'm not saying that's right or wrong. I'm just saying that's the way it is. If IU had won that one game against Maryland in 2002 and put that sixth banner in Assembly Hall, and IU had started 2-4 this year, I believe I would still be getting the same emails calling for Davis's head. But at the same time I'll say this, too. If the Hoosiers had played Kentucky's cupcake schedule to date, they would have been 5-1 heading into Saturday's game, too. But they aren't and people are coming out of the woodwork asking for Davis's job. And again, I just think it's premature.

 

Before this season began, I thought IU's non-conference record would probably end up 7-4 in a best case scenario and 6-5 was probably more realistic. I think when someone asked me a month or so ago, I said 7-4 with the chance of 8-3 if they pulled off an upset. At this point, I guess I thought they would be 3-3 heading to Missouri, but I really thought the Missouri game was probably going to be loss number four when I originally looked at the schedule. I don't feel that same way now. I think Missouri is a team that IU could go in and play with and very likely beat.

 

I don't expect the rest of the non-conference schedule to be a breeze by any stretch. Charlotte is good, and so is Oral Roberts and Furman. Furman played a good Virginia team tough the other night, and Oral Roberts is picked to win their league. But I still think the Hoosiers could get it together and be respectable going into the Big Ten season. And I still maintain that the Big Ten is set up this year so that a young IU team could be more than competitive. The fact that IU only plays Illinois, Michigan State, and Iowa once this season is a major positive as I see it.

 

So until IU starts losing to a bunch of teams that it's not supposed to lose to, I'm going to reserve my right to be the voice of reason to the Hoosier Nation. And believe me, I know that may not be a voice that a lot of you want to hear.

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Terry Hutchens is a very rational guy, and I love his response to this.  This is worth taking a look at Rex; I agree with everything he's said.

 

http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/024595-7221-115.html

Already read it greasy....... I understand his argument, but I still think mine is different. It is not based on their won-loss record, but how they have played over the past 2 1/2 years. I am trying to look at a bigger picture, a pattern. His answer was clearly based on wins and losses within this season. If that is what I had a problem with, then I would give his answer more credence. But IU could have the same record they have now and I would be happy, if I was seeing improvement in the areas of concern.

 

That's always been my problem, not W's.

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Already read it greasy.......    I understand his argument, but I still think mine is different.  It is not based on their won-loss record, but how they have played over the past 2 1/2 years.  I am trying to look at a bigger picture, a pattern.  His answer was clearly based on wins and losses within this season.  If that is what I had a problem with, then I would give his answer more credence.  But IU could have the same record they have now and I would be happy, if I was seeing improvement in the areas of concern.

 

That's always been my problem, not W's.

Understandable; that's legite. I had to laugh at the thing about if we did win in '02 though. It's so true; people would still be after Davis' head. People have to realize Knight's gone, and that chapter is over.

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greasy, below is part of an answer he gave to a different question.....

 

I've never tried to defend the offense because I don't completely understand it either. The only thing that makes me wonder though is that Kerry Rupp, who was pretty successful at Utah, is coaching the offense and seems comfortable with the system. When you see him in practice though, he often is not very comfortable with the way the players are running the system. He continues to say that the system is fine if the players would run the offense the way it's intended to run. I think everyone is waiting to see that as well.

 

My point is if the system isn't fitting the players, adapt the system so it will. If that is not possibly, then recruit players that will fit the system. It's the head coach's responsibility to make changes necessary. Right now, the IU offense is like a recurring nightmare. Something has to change. Two and a half years of this nonsense has to stop.

 

Another portion of the same answer...

 

I clearly think that Wright is a better answer at the point over anyone else at this time including Strickland. At least there's some movement and you have a guy who appears to be in control. I don't think you have that with Strickland. He just makes too many lazy passes and poor decisions.

 

I agree in regards to Strickland, but don't about Bracey. Bracey may be the best we have at the point right now, but having him at the point in control of everything will not make the other players better. I am more than willing to be proven wrong on this one, but I'm also willing to bet that if Bracey remains as the point guard, his scoring average will go up, but the overall productivity of the offense will not. Then what happens when Bracey leaves? They have to be careful because they may go backwards like the football program did when Randel El graduated.

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Understandable; that's legite.  I had to laugh at the thing about if we did win in '02 though.  It's so true; people would still be after Davis' head.  People have to realize Knight's gone, and that chapter is over.

They key is, my position would not be any different right now if they had beaten Maryland. The decline I am seeing has happened after that I don't think that things would be any different right now. In fact, if they won the NCAA Title and then had a losing season last year, it is possibly MORE people would be calling for his head.

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greasy, below is part of an answer he gave to a different question.....

 

 

 

My point is if the system isn't fitting the players, adapt the system so it will.  If that is not possibly, then recruit players that will fit the system.  It's the head coach's responsibility to make changes necessary.  Right now, the IU offense is like a recurring nightmare.  Something has to change.  Two and a half years of this nonsense has to stop.

 

Another portion of the same answer...

 

 

 

I agree in regards to Strickland, but don't about Bracey.  Bracey may be the best we have at the point right now, but having him at the point in control of everything will not make the other players better.  I am more than willing to be proven wrong on this one, but I'm also willing to bet that if Bracey remains as the point guard, his scoring average will go up, but the overall productivity of the offense will not.  Then what happens when Bracey leaves?  They have to be careful because they may go backwards like the football program did when Randel El graduated.

I really don't know what to say about the offense. It's definitely there. I liked what they were doing during the UConn game; there was a lot of movement, etc. However, then they let up, and the last 13 minutes happened, where they blew the 13 pt lead.

 

 

Regarding Bracey...

 

I agree about him not being the PG. He may be our best option, but it gets us no where. The ball's going to end back at him anyways. That's not going to do us much good. I don't know; I just feel we'll be better off when he leaves. We shall see.

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They key is, my position would not be any different right now if they had beaten Maryland.  The decline I am seeing has happened after that I don't think that things would be any different right now.  In fact, if they won the NCAA Title and then had a losing season last year, it is possibly MORE people would be calling for his head.

I understand that. I have a better understanding where you stand now after that previous post. Your case would still be legite, if they won in '02 and did what they did last year. I think things are going to be okay this year though; we'll get in the tourney. That's really all I'm expecting out of this season.

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I understand that.  I have a better understanding where you stand now after that previous post.  Your case would still be legite, if they won in '02 and did what they did last year.  I think things are going to be okay this year though; we'll get in the tourney.  That's really all I'm expecting out of this season.

Honestly, I just can't see IU making the tourney this year. The Big 10 is going to have a very low RPI and I don't see more than 4 teams from the Big 10 getting in. In order for Indiana to get in the tourney they will have to surpass MSU, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Illinois and I don't see it happening.

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I understand that.  I have a better understanding where you stand now after that previous post.  Your case would still be legite, if they won in '02 and did what they did last year.  I think things are going to be okay this year though; we'll get in the tourney.  That's really all I'm expecting out of this season.

I hope you are right and they do get things turned around. What scares me is that they do well enough on guts and defense alone and finish 10-6 in the Big Ten, squeeze into the tourney, lose in the first round and that be considered improvement.

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No one seems to care but NU beat DePaul tonight. :headbang Thompson made his debut and wasn't great, but he is still 5 times better than any big man they've had since Evan Eschmeyer. Thompson is solid on offense and can matchup with big guys (which is more than NU has had since Esch), but his defense and rebounding wasn't great. Still it's huge to have a guy like him in there. It can really open up the offense. I don't think the Cats have had a guy that's in the post all the time on offense since Carmody has taken over. He must love this guy.

 

Wow, look at this post. NU basketball sucks, but they won! :lol:

 

Back to the Illinois swarm that is this thread.

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Yea...that was a nice win by Northwestern tonight. They will be more competitive with a post presence and hopefully as he gets used to actually playing once again his defense and rebounding will improve alot. I really think you guys could finish 5th in the big ten...yea its not great but it could be worse right?!?!

 

You accomplished what Notre Dame was unable to do, beat the IMO mediocre Blue Demons on your own court

 

Ok, now back to the Illini!! :lol: ;)

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