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05-16-2012, 04:02 PM
Prognosticators have been in a big hurry to make IU their heavy preseason favorite for next year. But they all seem to be overlooking a little something:
Indiana wasn't all that great last year.
They were a vastly improved team, and were a solid top 20 team. But they weren't any threat to win the title. They only finished 5th in a typically overrated Big 10, and most of their hype was based on their two games against UK. They of course beat us in Bloomington in UK's 1st real road game.
But they benefited greatly from the UK effect. The adrenaline rush that comes with playing the tem that EVRYONE wants to beat, and leads teams
to play FAR beyond their normal abilities for one game. Which effect was exacerbated by UK's #1 ranking at the time.
And in the NCAA matchup, they played an entertaining game against UK, but
were only in it because it was the only game all year in which UK's team didn't
bother to expend any defensive effort. It almost seemed as if Calipari was
willing to let his team rest and have fun showing off in a game where IU
was willing to (suicidally) try to run with the Cats. The Hoosiers' play the rest
of the year, was far from as impressive.
The Hoosiers have signed a highly ranked recruiting class, but let's face it, Crean hasn't exactly been a guru with freshmen. And until the big leap forward last year, his performance at IU had been VERY disappointing.
They should be considered a solid preseason top 5 team. Likely may be a legit
FF contender, but to paint them as a heavy favorite in the mold of UK last year, is premature at best.
Indiana wasn't all that great last year.
They were a vastly improved team, and were a solid top 20 team. But they weren't any threat to win the title. They only finished 5th in a typically overrated Big 10, and most of their hype was based on their two games against UK. They of course beat us in Bloomington in UK's 1st real road game.
But they benefited greatly from the UK effect. The adrenaline rush that comes with playing the tem that EVRYONE wants to beat, and leads teams
to play FAR beyond their normal abilities for one game. Which effect was exacerbated by UK's #1 ranking at the time.
And in the NCAA matchup, they played an entertaining game against UK, but
were only in it because it was the only game all year in which UK's team didn't
bother to expend any defensive effort. It almost seemed as if Calipari was
willing to let his team rest and have fun showing off in a game where IU
was willing to (suicidally) try to run with the Cats. The Hoosiers' play the rest
of the year, was far from as impressive.
The Hoosiers have signed a highly ranked recruiting class, but let's face it, Crean hasn't exactly been a guru with freshmen. And until the big leap forward last year, his performance at IU had been VERY disappointing.
They should be considered a solid preseason top 5 team. Likely may be a legit
FF contender, but to paint them as a heavy favorite in the mold of UK last year, is premature at best.
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05-16-2012, 04:49 PM
I feel the same way about Louisville. They will be good next year with the talent they have coming back but I don't see how they are a top 3 team in the nation. They only beat one really good team last season in Michigan State, and even they were suspect with their offense. They had the easiest road to a Big East championship as anyone since the conference's formation. Except for Mich St, their road to the Final 4 was a joke and it still took a meltdown by Florida to pull off the win there. I think they will be a solid top 15 team next year, no more.
05-17-2012, 02:00 AM
^
Lehigh
Lehigh
05-17-2012, 03:02 AM
I do agree with this post, Observing. Indiana overachieved greatly last year, and it will be very hard for anyone to overachieve like they did. They have a very good class coming in and they do play hard, but I do think it will take a couple of upsets and things to go their way for them to win the title. I think they will be top 15 but that #1 is a stretch.
05-17-2012, 11:11 AM
This thread should be called....
The rush to annoy zaga_fan to death
When you come up with some new info that doesn't involve you being butt-hurt over someone talking about a team in a positive light that doesn't play in Rupp Arena...
please - tell us all about it
I'm sure you'll make a random thread about it
The rush to annoy zaga_fan to death
When you come up with some new info that doesn't involve you being butt-hurt over someone talking about a team in a positive light that doesn't play in Rupp Arena...
please - tell us all about it
I'm sure you'll make a random thread about it
05-17-2012, 12:28 PM
[quote=zaga_fan]This thread should be called....
The rush to annoy zaga_fan to death
When you come up with some new info that doesn't involve you being butt-hurt over someone talking about a team in a positive light that doesn't play in Rupp Arena...
please - tell us all about it
++++
You're kind of giving off the impression that you're one of these
guys that doesn't care for a little dash of reality in his cup of
sports discussion.
This post didn't have anything to do with UK, and I expect that IU
probably will be a little better than the Cats at least for the
first half of next year. And if Crean can build on what he did
this past season, they may end up being a top contender.
I was just pointing out that it's kind of silly to go so ga-ga
over them when this last season they weren't as good as
portrayed.
The rush to annoy zaga_fan to death
When you come up with some new info that doesn't involve you being butt-hurt over someone talking about a team in a positive light that doesn't play in Rupp Arena...
please - tell us all about it
++++
You're kind of giving off the impression that you're one of these
guys that doesn't care for a little dash of reality in his cup of
sports discussion.
This post didn't have anything to do with UK, and I expect that IU
probably will be a little better than the Cats at least for the
first half of next year. And if Crean can build on what he did
this past season, they may end up being a top contender.
I was just pointing out that it's kind of silly to go so ga-ga
over them when this last season they weren't as good as
portrayed.
05-17-2012, 02:59 PM
Observing Wrote:[quote=zaga_fan]This thread should be called....
The rush to annoy zaga_fan to death
When you come up with some new info that doesn't involve you being butt-hurt over someone talking about a team in a positive light that doesn't play in Rupp Arena...
please - tell us all about it
++++
You're kind of giving off the impression that you're one of these
guys that doesn't care for a little dash of reality in his cup of
sports discussion.
This post didn't have anything to do with UK, and I expect that IU
probably will be a little better than the Cats at least for the
first half of next year. And if Crean can build on what he did
this past season, they may end up being a top contender.
I was just pointing out that it's kind of silly to go so ga-ga
over them when this last season they weren't as good as
portrayed.
Say what you want...
but your post had everything in the world with UK whether or not you mentioned them in it or not.
05-17-2012, 04:55 PM
zaga_fan Wrote:And I'm ALL about reality
Pure unbiased reality
Sometimes
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