Disqus - Latest Comments for HoosierKingdom

Re: Jamar Smith violates probation, now a wanted man

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:38:23 -0000

That's what happens when Brucey recruits all his players from the United States Penitentiary in Marion. Take note of all the orange jumpsuits in the student sections at Dis-Assembly Hall in Champaign, that's not a coincendence. Have you ever heard their chants, like orange crush (the official prison beverage) or their favorite, thug life. Really, who cares about Prison Shank University though, in 3-4 years, Coach Tom Crean will have the IU program eclipsing them again, and Brucey will be coaching at Chipola Junior College.

Re: Your participation in this exercise would be greatly appreciated

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:10:29 -0000

My dream team, and the bench. 13 players on scholarship and 3 walk-ons. I beefed up the frontcourt since that has plagued us for like the last 10 or so years.

C. Walt Bellamy
PF. George McGinnis
SF. Calbert Cheaney
SG. Steve Alford
PG. Isiah Thomas

SF. Scott May
PG. Quinn Buckner
PF. Alan Henderson
SG. Jimmy Rayl
PF. D.J. White
SG. Eric Gordon
C. Don Schlundt
C. Kent Benson
G-F. Mike Woodson (Walk-on)
PG. Tom Coverdale (Walk-on)
G-F. A.J. Moye (Walk-on)

Re: Your participation in this exercise would be greatly appreciated

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:33:52 -0000

Some of the things i look at when making a list such as this.

talent.
overall statistics.
team championships (Big 10, NCAA, NIT).
memorable moments.
individual achievements.

and whatever else you can think of.

Re: Your participation in this exercise would be greatly appreciated

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:27:57 -0000

Well, it really depends on how you base your top ten on: talent, statistics, memorable moments, championships, individual achievements, etc. While Marco only played one season, underachieved, and didn't win any kind of titles, he still had a couple of other things to be included on my top 50 list. He had a lot of talent, just took it for granted and never got into the shape he needed to be in. Memorable moments, he shredded Duke for 36? points in a game that soon won't be forgotten because of the loud and electric atmosphere at Assembly Hall, one Coach K called the loudest place he'd ever seen or been to. Statistics, he averaged 17.1ppg and 7.8rpg. I believe that warrants a spot in the top 50, although if i did a top 100, who knows where he would be placed. (-:

Re: Your participation in this exercise would be greatly appreciated

HoosierKingdom — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:41:12 -0000

Here's a question, do you base your list on your top 10 favorite Hoosier players ever, or on accomplishments, talent, etc.? Well, here's my complete list.

THE TOP 50.

Steve Alford
Calbert Cheaney
Isiah Thomas
Archie Dees
Walt Bellamy
Jimmy Rayl
Don Schlundt
Mike Woodson
Scott May
Kent Benson

Alan Henderson
Bobby "Slick" Leonard
Dick VanArsdale
Tom VanArsdale
Bill Garrett
A.J. Guyton
Quinn Buckner
Damon Bailey
D.J. White
Steve Downing
Ted Kitchel
Marvin Huffman
Tom Coverdale
Eric Gordon
Lou Watson
Bob Dro
Jay Edwards
Tom Bolyard
Randy Wittman
Greg Graham
George McGinnis
Kirk Haston
Ray Tolbert
Bobby Wilkerson
Hallie Bryant
Everett Dean
Jared Jeffries
Eric Anderson
Vern Huffman
Ernie Andres
Branch McCracken
Jon McGlocklin
Brian Evans
Ralph Hamilton
Bracey Wright
Keith Smart
Marco Killingsworth
Landon Turner
Joe Cooke
A.J. Moye

Re: A year later: Harrison Barnes

HoosierKingdom — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:09:50 -0000

Which walk-on makes the biggest impact this season...

Daniel Moore.
Brett Finkelmeier.
Kory Barnett.
Broderick Lewis.
(Anyone else i forgot).

Re: A year later: Harrison Barnes

HoosierKingdom — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:12:21 -0000

I've seen Watford and Franklin play and i'm impressed with both, although i'd take Franklin over Watford in a heartbeat because of his work ethic, character, toughness and last but not least, his talent. With that being said, one player i have not seen is surprisingly Stephen Van Tresse. What are his strengths and weaknesses, what kind of impact could he make and does he have any upside or is he more of a role player like Capobianco and Pritchard.

Re: A year later: Harrison Barnes

HoosierKingdom — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:54:23 -0000

This is great for IU. Coach Tom Crean and his staff are doing a great job targeting these high major, high character players. Some other recruiting tidbits, Josh Smith, possibly the top post player in the class of 2010, has interest in IU, although it may be hard to get him out of the west. Derrick Favors, perhaps the top post player in the class of 2009, has mentioned IU with the list of schools that has interest, although it may be hard to get him out of the south. While IU won't be very good this upcoming season and perhaps even next season, it's very apparent that it's not going to take as long for Crean to rebuild IU as some might think. While there may be a logjam in the back court for the next couple of years, it's good to see that the coaching staff is making an effort to target post players, which has been one of IU's weak spots for the past decade or longer. As for next year, some of the top targets include Derrick Favors, Roger Franklin, Christian Watford, Dante Taylor, Stephan Van Tresse, Shawn Kemp Jr., Jamil Wilson, etc. Even with everything that has happened this year, i'm still looking forward to this year and will be at many of the games (especially the game against UK at Rupp Arena, and i will be decked out in the cream and crimson with my face painted, lol). I believe this years team will surprise, as there are a lot of good to great shooters on the team (Dumes, Roth, Williams, Story).

Re: Possible AD candidates start to trickle out

HoosierKingdom — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:23:23 -0000

Big A, i know it would be very hard to get Tom Jurich here to IU, because it would cost a lot and we don't even know if he has interest, although rumors have been abound that he's looking around. If your looking for the best man for the job, an A.D. with a proven track record that would be worth the money, Jurich is your man. Now, Chris Reynolds and Harry Gonso and the other candidates mentioned wouldn't be bad hires, but why should IU even take a chance with unproven guys that are only cost effective and "IU guys". While i don't think Reynolds or Gonso wouldn't be horrible hires, i just don't think they're what we need. The basketball program is in turmoil and has been effectively leveled and the football program is stuck in mediocre mode. I, for one, will not and should not just stay content with mediocre, i mean it's Indiana, we should be shooting for the stars. I don't want Jurich just because he would be a quick fix or anything, but he could get the football program into uncharted territory, which is yearly success, sellout crowds, facility renovations, new innovative ideas, better scheduling, better coaches, etc. On the basketball side, i also believe he could work wonders, possibly a new arena (which is sorely needed, sorry), actual student sections, getting the IU brand out there better, etc. Not to mention, i don't think we would have to worry about this guy, unlike Greenspan, Sampson, Herbert and on and on. The alumni, boosters, and everyone with money involved with the IU program needs to ante up and get the right man, because i believe the upcoming hiring of a new A.D. will be just as important, if not more important than this last hire with Coach Tom Crean, as well as maybe the most important hire in the history of IU, especially when you consider the current shape of the program and what we want in the future. IU, it's all about the benjamins, if you want to get past average, mediocre and predictable results year in and year out, it's time to ante up.

Re: Possible AD candidates start to trickle out

HoosierKingdom — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:21:20 -0000

Tom Jurich is the man for the job and it's not even close. This guy is worth his weight in gold. I live 20 minutes away from Louisville and i am very familiar with him and the U of L program, and Louisville is now one of the best programs, anywhere. Don't believe me? When he was first hired, Louisville was no more than just a glorified mid-major, much like a Xavier. Now, Louisville's athletic programs rival any in the nation, if not surpass them. Just take a look at a few of his accomplishments while at Louisville...

# Engineering U of L's historic move to the Big East Conference, which has a long-term relationship with the lucrative Bowl Championship Series. This is the Cards' second year in the league.

# Attracting sixth-year men's basketball coach Rick Pitino to U of L, a move many deemed impossible. Pitino's arrival has energized the Cards' tradition-rich program and quickly restored it to a position among the nation's top teams. U of L capped a 33-5 record in 2004-05 by returning to the Final Four for the first time in 19 years.

# Taking a major step in achieving gender equity, upgrading funding and support staff for existing women's programs while adding four new sports -- softball, golf, rowing and lacrosse (in 2008). Jurich's efforts also moved field hockey, women's soccer and baseball to fully-funded programs. He received the Citizens for Sports Equity 2000 Sports Leadership Award and was honored as the Louisvillian of the Year in 2005 by the Louisville Urban League Guild.

"We want an athletic program that is strong across the board," said Jurich. "We want all of our sports to have an opportunity to be competitive and win championships. I believe strongly in having a complete athletic department, not just fielding teams that meet prescribed numbers."

# Hiring football coach Bobby Petrino. Petrino is the architect of four different teams which led the nation in total offense. He quickly molded U of L into a national force, achieving top 20 national rankings in each of the last three years.

# Addressing multiple facility needs, including an extensive sports park to serve as a front lawn for the University. Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park features Ulmer Stadium (softball), Trager Stadium (field hockey artificial surface field),a soccer field surrounded by a state-of-the-art track, fitness trail, outdoor basketball and sand volleyball courts and a playground. Three new facilities opened in 2005: Jim Patterson Stadium(baseball), Ralph Wright Natatorium and the Trager Center indoor fieldhouse.

# Strengthening U of L's athletic administration by enlarging the compliance department with the school's first associate athletic director for compliance and adding the school's first female associate athletic director/senior woman administrator.

# Placing U of L on the cutting edge of sports medicine with a comprehensive partnership with Louisville's world-renowned Jewish Hospital.

# Bolstering the community outreach arm of U of L athletics, developing CardsCare and CardsFIT to promote student-athlete community involvement.

# Academic success has risen dramatically during Jurich's watch as well. Honorees on the Commissioner's Honor Roll (cumulative 3.0 GPA or better) rose from 44 in 1996 to 164 in 2005. Those earning recognition on the U of L Athletic Director's Honor Roll (3.0 or better grade point average for a semester) increased to 288 for the 2008 fall semester, a figure which represents half of the total students involved in U of L Athletics

That's some record and that's not even all of it. ESPN analyst Dick Vitale said this about Tom Jurich after he hired Rick Pitino at Louisville, "They should build a monument to Tom in Louisville". He would be pricy, but it's time for IU to start doing things right and to stop settling for mediocre, it's time to ante up. If current IU head football coach Bill Lynch was to get fired or was to leave, Jurich could bring in a big name football coach, not to mention the work he could do, renovations, promotions, upgrades, etc. I love Assembly Hall, but it is time for a change, you either live in the past, fall behind further and further, and continue to get mediocre results, or you build for the future, somewhere IU and it's fans haven't been in a long, long time. It's time to wake up and ante up, because believe me when i tell you this, Jurich is the man for the job. Jurich and Crean would be golden, and much better, the athletic department and program as a whole would be instantly upgraded just with his hire. Just imagine what Jurich, Crean and the rest of the people involved in the athletic program could accomplish.

Re: Rick Greenspan gone at IU; Univeristy charged with ‘failure to monitor’

HoosierKingdom — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:56:49 -0000

I wonder if Crean could convince one Robert Montgomery Knight to take the A.D. job, lol.

Re: Rick Greenspan gone at IU; Univeristy charged with ‘failure to monitor’

HoosierKingdom — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:54:01 -0000

No wonder IU's athletic budget isn't in that great of shape. Sampson and his lackeys get payoffs for cheating, and now Greenspan gets a $400k check to leave. Not to mention all of the turnover in the A.D. and the university as a whole the past 5-10 years.

Re: Rick Greenspan gone at IU; Univeristy charged with ‘failure to monitor’

HoosierKingdom — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:46:22 -0000

Adam Herbert, Kelvin Sampson, Ray McCallum, Rick Greenspan and the rest of the goons have set IU back 3-5 years. I have to believe Herbert was the mastermind behind this mess, with Sampson breaking every rule imaginable and using up all of his carryover minutes from Sprint. With those two paired up, only the anti-christ and his false prophet can rival the mayhem and destruction caused by the Herbert-Sampson faction. McCallum orchestrated who knows how many schemes to cause many players to leave. Greenspan was and is the fall guy, although the "failure to monitor" allegations makes me raise my eyebrows once more. In just 2-3 years, IU goes from being a clean program to a cesspool of havoc, corruption and lawlessness. Good riddance. Coach Crean, you have my patience, as i know it will take years to clean this disaster up.

Re: Around the Hall: Gordon, Vaden, UNC and more

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:40:11 -0000

Yea, just imagining Kyle Taber trying to guard Hansbrough makes me cringe.

Re: Eric Gordon on Rome is Burning

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:22:01 -0000

Well, "The False Prophet" Kelvin Sampson and his goons are gone, so let's not as much as mention his name anymore.

Re: Bruce Weber: ‘Indiana Will Suck’

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:00:23 -0000

He also said: "Not only is Peoria the basketball capital of Illinois, but the world."

To me, that's another clear cut shot right at IU. Everyone, and i mean everyone knows that the state of Indiana is the mecca of basketball Him saying Peoria is the basketball capitol of the world is laughable. Taiwan has a better case of being the basketball capitol of the world than Illinois. You know what, IU might suck this year, but i bet we still beat Illinois, what does that say about them!? The coach and program are frauds, as well as their "orange krush" student section. The reason why you see a lot of orange in their arena is because their student sections are actually inmates from the U.S. Penitentiary in Marion. A recruiting hotbed as well for Weber. Have fun coaching at the lowly program that is Illinoise, Ms. Gerber Weber, your time is about up.

Re: Capobianco enjoys experience at NBA Top 100 Camp

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:33:30 -0000

This upcoming season, well, it's going to get ugly at times, but looking ahead to next year, the backcourt will be loaded. Here's a full list (walk-ons included) of the backcourt players.

Devan Dumes (Great shooter/combo guard)
Malik Story (Great shooter, has size at 6'5")
Nick Williams (Shooter with size, solid athlete, can hit the 3)
Jeremiah Rivers (Point with defensive skills, leadership abilities)
Verdell Jones (Point with upside, needs some hungryman meals)
Matt Roth (Prolific 3 point Shooter and......)
Jordan Hulls (Point with crafty ballhandling and passing)
Maurice Creek (Shooter with size, scoring abilities)
Daniel Moore (point, comparable with Errek Suhr)
Brett Finkelmeier (towel boy)
Kory Barnett (a guard/wing that i don't know squat about)

With all of those guards, i thought i was looking at Villanova's roster there for a split sec.. Ok, now here are next years frontcourt players.

Tijan Jobe (a 7-footer......)
Tom Pritchard (a banger, solid skills, aggressive)
Broderick Lewis (raw/undersized/athlete)
Derek Elston (more of a wing than a post)
Bobby Capobianco (a post player who isn't afraid to mix it up)

Other players being targeted by IU coaching staff...

Derrick Favors (Would be a monumental catch)
Roger Franklin
Christian Watford
Jamil Wilson
Dante Taylor
Stephan Van Tresse
Aaron Dotson
Mike Moser
Demetrius Walker
Shawn Kemp Jr.
Jordan Prosser

Re: Breaking down Emmanuel Negedu’s possible destinations

HoosierKingdom — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:35:25 -0000

Negedu would be a great fit in Coach Crean's up tempo offense.

Re: Breaking down Emmanuel Negedu’s possible destinations

HoosierKingdom — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:19:18 -0000

Look for a Hoosier return to prominence around 2011-2012.

Re: Breaking down Emmanuel Negedu’s possible destinations

HoosierKingdom — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:17:53 -0000

Who is returning this season?

Kyle Taber
An energy and hustle guy. Can get some rebounds and a occasional garbage basket.

Brett Finkelmeier
The guy who keeps everyone's Powerade cold. Moral support.

Now let's take a look at the incoming recruiting class...

Tom Pritchard
Role player, a Sean Kline clone.

Matt Roth
He's a great 3 point shooter and well that's it.

Nick Williams
This is the guy to keep an eye on. Could be a star one day. Has size, strength, athleticism and ability.

Verdell Jones
Has some skill, but needs muscle & strength, Big10 guards will punish him.

Tijan Jobe
A raw, limited big man. He's 22 and might have already peaked.

Devan Dumes
Solid player, nothing spectacular. The transition from the JC ranks to the Big10 will be a struggle.

Daniel Moore
An Errek Suhr type of player, nuff said.

Kory Barnett
WHO?

Broderick Lewis
Raw, athletic and undersized.

Re: Crean dismisses Brandon McGee for ‘negligence’

HoosierKingdom — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:13:57 -0000

You got that right. Let's take a look at the class...

Tom Pritchard
Role player, a Sean Kline clone.

Matt Roth
He's a great 3 point shooter and well that's it.

Nick Williams
This is the guy to keep an eye on. Could be a star one day. Has size, strength, athleticism and ability.

Verdell Jones
Has some skill, but needs muscle & strength, Big10 guards will punish him.

Tijan Jobe
A raw, limited big man. He's 22 and might have already peaked.

Devan Dumes
Solid player, nothing spectacular. The transition from the JC ranks to the Big10 will be a struggle.

Daniel Moore
An Errek Suhr type of player, nuff said.

Kory Barnett
WHO?

Broderick Lewis
Raw, athletic and undersized.

Re: On Dan Dakich and the dismissal at The Dagger

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:49:23 -0000

He was a member of 1940 Indiana title team.

Re: On Dan Dakich and the dismissal at The Dagger

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:48:17 -0000

This Just in.......

Robert H. Menke, a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and a southern Indiana industrialist, has died. He was 88.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=332...

Re: On Dan Dakich and the dismissal at The Dagger

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:44:32 -0000

I doubt Self would leave Kansas for OSU. Of course, the power of the dollar bill can influence a person into doing something such as that, i heard OSU would offer ridiculous amounts of money to have him (like 3-4 million a year).

Re: On Dan Dakich and the dismissal at The Dagger

HoosierKingdom — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:41:43 -0000

That's what i have heard as well. No one really knows anything, except for the committee, and they're not saying anything. So the next head coach could be someone we haven't even mentioned as of yet, who knows?! The "beat writers", blogs, sports sites, and everything in between that says they have "inside sources" and they know something is just a lie to fire up the fans and bring attention to their columns or whatever.