And if my aunt had balls...
Xavier Johnson will be back..
- Thread starter kurt cloverdales
- Start date
And if my aunt had balls...
The team got better after TJD got healthy. I wouldn't expect X to be some type of savior at PG especially off a big injury. Expecting him to be the "man" and you may see a program that will miss the tournament.
Yes, having X back is good for IU. I personally think he's a "me" type of player and this is where the PG can't play that way. Time will tell, but to many unknowns on that roster....with no TJD.
What's a "me" type of player? A guy who looks for and gets his own shot? Like Carsen Edwards or Ivey?
Pittsburgh asked him to leave for good of team. Think that explains all I want to know.
when you lose your best perimeter defender against a perimeter-oriented team it makes a difference. final score was 15 but that's deceiving in a tournament game when things get out of hand at the end. at the end of his 25-year-old season X was playing great basketball. the team hadn't jelled yet when he went out last year. he definitely would have made big difference.
I’m not a IU hater, that team even with X wasn’t a Final 4 team. To many inconsistent guys in that lineup.
Agree. I made the same comment earlier regarding X but it was much of the team that I wouldn't trust to show up and play well four games in a row against high level competition. IU fans are welcome to play 'what if' but the reality is this team was their best chance to win something of consequence since 2015-2016 and they didn't win anything.
If it makes IU fans feel better to try to claim that they would have 'probably' made the FF is X hadn't been hurt, they're welcome to. I don't see a lot of reason for optimism for IU the next few years so they might as well cling to 'what might have been' this year.
Will XJ qualify for medicare by the time he leaves IU? Who was the player from Iowa that IU fans were always whining about staying there forever? Jess Settles?
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LOL,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLL,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, yeh ok. LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
seems you are enjoying a good belly laugh as opposed to listing to reason. that's ok a big ole laugh is good for the soul.
I’d take him as a backup in a low usage role. He does have some talent. But if he’s one of the main pieces he plays loser basketball imo. About to be in college for six years and will have won absolutely nothing. Overall, not worried about him returning.
really? awful nice of you to take a potential all American guard next season and put him in a low usage role. what would you do play him during blowouts?
There's no 'reason' behind you saying that IU 'probably' would have made the FF with a player who is undeniably talented but one of the most inconsistent and turnover prone point guards in the country.
It didn't help that TJD was less than 100% early in the season but that's not the sole reason they got rolled by Rutgers and Kansas. As you mentioned, if X doesn't get hurt it's highly improbably that JHS develops in the same way so at best your argument is if X doesn't get hurt and if JHS somehow still becomes and alpha and if they play well against Miami they have a better chance of winning that game and if they win that game might beat Houston and if so then they might beat Texas, both of which are game in which they'd be underdogs.
He's never been better than honorable mention all big ten and you have him as a potential AA?
All American? You really have an over inflated view of his talent.
No, a player that seems to care about himself over other players and/or program he/she plays for. You can go back to Pitt and see my point.
Xavier Johnson is 1.5 years younger than David Jenkins Jr., so he'll be six months younger than Jenkins was when he's done at IU.
Xavier Johnson is one year older than Mason Gillis, who has two years left at Purdue.
lot of X hate here, I don't get it, yeah, he had a ugly divorce from Pitt but has been a model citizen leader and teammate at IU.
when I got my NIL deal to post here, I told the mods I'm an IU fan they said it didn't matter they just wanted good content. and you're not a archrival I quit having rivals many years ago.
and they said the accelerator possibly stuck.
TJD was laboring with that season long back/hip injury at the end of the season. My guess playing at 75-80%.
X was playing hurt in Nov before the season ending injury. He has 7 months to regain his legs, doesn't seem like a big hill to climb.
The last 10-12 games of the '22 season X was the best guard in the BIG and I don't think it was even that close.
The 5 star decommit wing from Duke visiting next weekend, Last I checked rosters don't become final in April.
X was the starting PG on a team that most expected to challenge for the BIG championship. That says something, right? The hard reality set in and IU was not as good as expected, but some of that was them learning to play without X and with an injured TJD. JHS was important to IU's late season resurgence, but too many weapons are missing for this coming year for IU to succeed beyond the "summer season". Of course, that means X will attempt to carry the load and be the GOAT. That will not work well for IU basketball I'm afraid.
Agreed - Xavier Johnson is not designed to "carry the load," but he is outstanding at perimeter defense, breaking down defenses on the bounce to create mis-matches, feeding bigs off of high screens, and setting an example of passionate play.
HOWEVER, if he's counted on to be a volume scorer or if he regularly gets over-emotional on the court the whole thing could go to crap.
With Reneau, Ware, Sparks, and probably Walker, IU has plenty of talented bigs. And as the other poster said, IU's roster is minus two expected wing scorer additions. There's plenty of time and really good options out there, but it has to happen with at least one more addition.
probably about mid-May ill hit my stride, new environment takes a while to get used to
This will be an interesting season for IU. They are rarely without talent but this will provide insights as to whether guys that Woodson has brought are just talented or if they can also be productive and play together as a team. I think Woodson is a pretty good coach but this will be a telling season. Finish in the top three in the big ten and he may win BTCOY, miss the NCAAT and the natives get restless.
They were absolutely better with hood shifino. They really improved end of year when trayce realized he couldn’t take so many plays off during games. You can’t take early season successes over any team as meaningful because everyone is trying to improve over the year - the bar is constantly changing, losing games doesn’t necessarily mean you got worse. Look at us if you need another example.
41% fg percentage, less than 2-1 assist to turnover ratio. May be the best guard in the countr next year , if he keeps his head together and drives slower.
He guided IU to a 5-7 finish and while shooting 56-140 during those 12 games. He's a high volume shooter. I think you're expecting the unexpected for X and he is a good roll player when surrounded by talent.
If you feel that's the best PG....I want what you're smoking.
I presume you're cherry picking from the stat line again, as you usually do.
Well done.
A great basketball mind like yourself probably knows that shooting % over any cherry picked sample size does not accurately reflect impact on the game.
He was the best guard in the BIG to close out the '22 season but to be fair, the bar wasn't terribly high.
So funny and you are so right!
By including his “last 12” games, not his last ten games or his last 20 games or his season, Poprudy was able to add the 11th and 12th last games of the year, which were his two worst shooting games by far- ones in which he was a combined 6-26.
Lol
"The last 10-12 games of the '22 season X was the best guard in the BIG and I don't think it was even that close."
You're comment looks foolish because my post was in response to your comrade. Look before you state cherry pick. Jesus, if you're going to be here at least try a little harder troll
Once again, your comment was 10-12 games not mine but yours. Jesus, you IU fans are comical.
If, I wanted to cherry pick...he was pretty avg the whole year. Led the team to a round one loss, largest defeat in IU tournament history and a 9-11 B1G conference while finishing 9th. He's a great PG😂😂
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