Lol, ok man. I don't care how big you think he is or isn't. It's pretty clear that everyone in the basketball world sees him as someone who will be able really help us offensively and defensively and seems to be just what we were missing last year.
Purdue 22nd in ESPN's Jeff Goodman's latest top 25
- Thread starter boilerzz
- Start date
People think someone over 6'6" will help IU? That's a no-brainer. He won't make them better than Purdue.
Clearly most people think Bryant will make IU better than Purdue or else they would have Purdue ranked ahead of IU.
That's what I said at the start of this thread. I said IU, PU, UM and MSU were all too close to call behind Maryland. A couple people here got all up in arms about that for some reason.
Kind've funny considering you trashed how good UM is or was... Your a joke with zero knowledge. Bryant once again is a raw talent but you keep believing he is better then Vonleh. If I recall we beat you both times because of our length and not our PG even though he did have a memorable dunk on that a******!!!
First off it's "you're" meaning you are, not your. UM was a dumpster fire last year before Walton and LeVert went down. However that allowed some of the younger guys to get some time and they really developed as a team. I stand by the dumpster fire comments, because they were. They got better as the year went on though.
I really think that some points are being missed in this discussion.
Crean is on the hot seat (whether or not he and/or IU fans want to admit it. He has underperformed there.) In order to reduce the temp, he wants a pre-season ranking that makes the fanbase feel good. Do not believe that PR efforts do not play a part in rankings. They are voted upon and voters like to be treated nicely. It is a pattern that his teams fade down the stretch. This is a result of two things imo: an always soft pre-season that never challenges the team before the B1G season (call this the anti-Izzo strategy) and then a historically poor defensive team that B1G teams figure out after the first few games and adjust accordingly.
The point is that satisfying the fanbase over the summer and early is enough to keep the wolf from breaking down the door of the cottage. If you are making what TC makes, that is a lucrative long-term strategy. Purdue's recent problems, excepting 2014-15, have further facilitated it. Presently, the success of Purdue against IU and its outperformance in the B1G is causing the strategy to break down.
I see some major problems developing as the strategy is breaking down. Bryant may be good, but if I were TC, I would schedule a NC schedule against schools with good big men so he can learn and develop. This way he would be more ready for the rough B1G. But that would likely mean more losses in the pre-conference schedule - which works against the other part of the strategy of higher early ranking. He cn have one but not the other - which is the dilemma.
Lots can happen in the meanwhile. Injuries, arrests, car accidents, etc,. can radically affect what will happen and making predictions wildly inaccurate. With those caveats, I will state that I consider it unlikely at this point that IU is going to finish anywhere near the preseason estimates and the temp of the seat will be significantly raised.
Crean is on the hot seat (whether or not he and/or IU fans want to admit it. He has underperformed there.) In order to reduce the temp, he wants a pre-season ranking that makes the fanbase feel good. Do not believe that PR efforts do not play a part in rankings. They are voted upon and voters like to be treated nicely. It is a pattern that his teams fade down the stretch. This is a result of two things imo: an always soft pre-season that never challenges the team before the B1G season (call this the anti-Izzo strategy) and then a historically poor defensive team that B1G teams figure out after the first few games and adjust accordingly.
The point is that satisfying the fanbase over the summer and early is enough to keep the wolf from breaking down the door of the cottage. If you are making what TC makes, that is a lucrative long-term strategy. Purdue's recent problems, excepting 2014-15, have further facilitated it. Presently, the success of Purdue against IU and its outperformance in the B1G is causing the strategy to break down.
I see some major problems developing as the strategy is breaking down. Bryant may be good, but if I were TC, I would schedule a NC schedule against schools with good big men so he can learn and develop. This way he would be more ready for the rough B1G. But that would likely mean more losses in the pre-conference schedule - which works against the other part of the strategy of higher early ranking. He cn have one but not the other - which is the dilemma.
Lots can happen in the meanwhile. Injuries, arrests, car accidents, etc,. can radically affect what will happen and making predictions wildly inaccurate. With those caveats, I will state that I consider it unlikely at this point that IU is going to finish anywhere near the preseason estimates and the temp of the seat will be significantly raised.
I do agree that Crean is on the hot seat or should be. With the talent on this team there are zero excuses. None. He needs to win and win big. If he doesn't hopefully he'll be gone. It's really a win/win for IU fans. Secondly, I agree our OOC schedule typically is very weak. This year is a bit different. We're in a tourney where we'll play some solid teams, we have Duke and some other tough NC games. We do have more 300+ teams than I would want, but that's Crean. While our defense was abnormally bad last year, it's very reasonable to expect it to be better next year. Over the last six years Crean has averaged like 120 (very rough guess as I don't have the exact numbers in front of me) on adjusted defense teams as bad as 200+ and as good as top 30. Defense was a huge letdown last year but I would expect it to be better this coming year.
I don't think our ranking has anything to do with PR or making anyone happy. It has to do with the pieces we have on our team, how we played last year even with our lack of big men and the guys we have coming in. I don't see why it's so hard to admit IU will be good next year. It's like PU fans are incapable of being rational towards IU. I dislike PU but can admit you're going to be a good team.
Can anyone tell me why IU and PU can't play each other in the Crossroads Classic? Is there a rule against it?
It is my understanding that an IU/Purdue game in the Crossroads is prohibited contractually because they will play in the B1G season and the wish is to not detract from the conference game by playing earlier. I am not aware of any conference team that schedules a conference foe before their conference begins play.
I think that's right, Arc. In the earlier metamorphosis of the "Big Ten," after Penn State joined causing an unbalanced schedule, recall that Purdue and Indiana played a non-conference game in the old "Hoosier Dome" in 2002. I don't think that's possible any more.
Playing each other in the Crossroads Classic the years we only play once in the B10 would be awesome. Stinks it doesn't seem like that's an option.
I don't understand why IU fans refuse to admit that they get preferential treatment in preseason polls in both of their sports - IU basketball and ND football. Why was IU ranked in the preseason in '13? They didn't even play in the postseason that year. Can you not honestly accept and admit that the rankings in the preseason are to garner excitement for the upcoming year? IU has one the of largest fan bases in America. Its only common sense that they will give IU a lot of undeserved love to build excitement and sales for the season. Nobody here is saying IU will not be good next year. We are saying that Purdue will be better. Why can't you admit that? We were better last year and added more this year. The only rebuttal you have to that is "look at the rankings". We've tried to tell you that rankings mean nothing. Look at the facts, then get back with me (hopefully honestly).
Well said. Being over ranked usually leads to a letdown season. But in football you can ride a big fan base to an undeserved bowl game. There is bias more than most think. It's not pure chance that notre dame football holds the longest streak of consecutive bowl loses. They are always in a game they shouldn't be in. Bball is usually better because there are more games.
Sometimes an undeserved pre-season ranking can lead to hilarious results. Like a trumped up #1 ranking leading to a moron AD signing an unproven coach to a 10 year contract. ..
Sometimes an undeserved pre-season ranking can lead to hilarious results. Like a trumped up #1 ranking leading to a moron AD signing an unproven coach to a 10 year contract. ..
I don't really think that early "rankers" are giving IU preferential treatment because they are IU. I think that they are getting rated highly because rankers are impressed with the amount of talent across the board in a starting line-up of Ferrell, Blackman, Johnson, Williams, and Bryant. Meanwhile. Purdue also has a lot of talent, but there really is no one consensus starting line-up with point guard being the biggest question mark. Personally, I think that Painter will figure it out and Purdue will have a better team, but I can understand where the the relatively lofty IU rankings are coming from.
Preferential treatment? So you're saying IU gets ranked just because it's IU? Or we get ranked higher because we're IU? Come on man. Give me a break. There might be a hint of that going on but it's not the overwhelming reason. For example, they aren't ranking IU ahead of Purdue just because we're IU. Rankings are meant to garner excitement but that doesn't mean they are going to make the rankings flawed purposefully just to pander to a few schools to stir up excitement.
I'm completely fine thinking Purdue will be better than IU. It's 100%. It's also 100% possible IU could be better than Purdue next year. Like I've said over and over, I lump IU, UM, PU and MSU all in a group right after Maryland. Any of those teams can finish in any order. I think they are too close to call right now. Big shocker but I THINK IU will be better than Purdue next year. I think PU and IU could both finish in the top three of the B10 with IU second and PU third or as low as fifth or sixth. The B10 will be loaded this year.
My counter to your "we were better last year" comment is look at the need of the additions. Yes Swanigan is ranked higher than Bryant, but you're adding to a strength for PU already. IU is filling a major hole which left them in a clear disadvantage last year. You guys were better last year but I also think our additions are more vital and complete our team. It's not purely "look at the rankings." I think the rankings all understand we had a good team last year without a center. Now when we add a center, we could be a very good team.
Preferential treatment? Come on...
I love AJ (we all do), but if he's a top 4 pick, I may have a chance at getting drafted.
No doubt, it makes a huge difference who's getting him the ball. Last season our perimeter players did an unacceptable job of getting him the ball, at the right/open time/when it counted, even during the 2nd half of the season. If that problem persists this season, to that degree, more problems for this team, inside & out. I doubt those problems will be quite that problematic this season, especially that late in the season. I see better things/#s for both Purdue, & Hammons this season. The guard play will have a lot to do with that.
And if Swanigan is the passer that we have been told he is, Hammons could end up with even MORE opportunities!
Exactly, and to that end, if we can't properly get the ball to Hammons enough times this season, those same perimeter players will probably have trouble properly getting the ball to Swanigan, Haas & other Boiler post players as well. Fortunately, we have more time to work those problems out now/pre season, & before the tougher teams can expose us there. I don't see those same problems this season. I see the vast majority of our opponents changing line ups to prepare for us, instead of the other way around. This season looks to have a great up side. Early on though, I wouldn't be surprised if many teams tried to fast break [a larger, heavier Purdue team, early & often, to test us] us, testing our guard transition defense & over all team speed as well. I'm sure Painter will have them all in shape.
I see what you did there.
This thread is Snu gold. I wonder what his experts are thinking now?
This thread is Snu gold. I wonder what his experts are thinking now?
I'm sorry, but there is just no way that IU is "very good and very close" compared to the top teams in the B1G.....noooooo one is going to let you sell them that line of malarkey .....lol!
Yep, including:
"Instead of getting into a pissing match, just answer me why this is yet another college basketball writer/analyst that has IU ranked ahead of Purdue?"
I would truly love to hear him answer his own question. What a maroon...
Similar threads
