Exhibiton Game vs IWU - not included in the Season Tickets

[Bird Friend]

Yeah I think an unintended consequence of the portal is the elimination of non-medical redshirts. Or maybe it was intended but you can't afford to sit freshmen hoping they develop any more. They won't stick around and you'll get nothing for all that time and effort you put into developing them.

Or worse, they do stick around and develop greatly until the grad transfer year, the year you’re really counting on their experience and ability, the year you’re expecting to be the best the team has seen in years . . . and then they jump ship . . . leaving you with a huge gaping hole in your lineup.

 

[Bird Friend]

JMO but it's the KID who is hurt the most in that process. Meaning there are a multitude of kids out there who are NOT reaching their potential because they think the grass is greener...even after multiple stops!!! (I do recognize that sometimes the grass can be greener somewhere else)

Doesn’t that depend on the kind of “grass“ they’re looking for?

 

[TBS_20]

Pops - respectfully offering here - but are you kidding? Freshman play all the time in this era. And...some kids are just not ready for the jump. Nothing wrong with that! If kids wouldn't transfer so quick they'd probably see better results as a player! JMO. FYI I'm not against freshman and I'm not against transferring.

Muller hated playing freshman even if they were better. one of the reasons for his downfall. And, you cant really dispute that claim because he played matt hein way too much. That guy is literally the worst d1 basketball player ive ever seen. Sure, he had heart but damn was he bad.

 

[DaveBird10]

I was pleased with the guard depth, having Malachi and Burford playing natural positions where they can expand energy like that will be a plus. More of Foster in the post, that dude with those wide shoulders is a load. I thought the freshman looked the part especially Pence. Kinziger and Walker it will come, they have talent. Looking forward to getting underway in a week when it counts. We have depth at positions and guys playing natural positions, looking forward to the season.

 

[Matt Hein Fan]

Muller hated playing freshman even if they were better. one of the reasons for his downfall. And, you cant really dispute that claim because he played matt hein way too much. That guy is literally the worst d1 basketball player ive ever seen. Sure, he had heart but damn was he bad.

Matt Hein was an outstanding player and crucial to the last teams Dan had actually competing. Once he left everything went haywire.

That being said, Muller never had freshman worth playing for most of his tenure. The freshman that showed something almost always played enough like Horne, Evans, Reeves, Idowu, Clarence, etc. His roster turnover was insane and he relied way too heavy on transfers before it was cool.

Pedon playing those guys as much as he did yesterday is great but it’s important to note that Dan probalby would have done same thing could he actually get solid freshman like this class to campus consistently.

 

[TBS_20]

Matt Hein was an outstanding player and crucial to the last teams Dan had actually competing. Once he left everything went haywire.

That being said, Muller never had freshman worth playing for most of his tenure. The freshman that showed something almost always played enough like Horne, Evans, Reeves, Idowu, Clarence, etc. His roster turnover was insane and he relied way too heavy on transfers before it was cool.

Pedon playing those guys as much as he did yesterday is great but it’s important to note that Dan probalby would have done same thing could he actually get solid freshman like this class to campus consistently.

I am going to choose to believe the first paragraph is sarcasm.

 

[Baltimore Bird]

It is interesting. Dan Muller came in and started as a freshman from Game 1. Muller started Paris Lee rather quickly. I am sure there were a few others.
As time went on, the team was dominated by transfers and there were not many freshman to play.

 

[cpacmel]

I seem to remember Paris Lee playing a lot as a freshman. Reggie Lynch too. MiKyle McIntosh? Deonate Hawkins? Roland Griffin?

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

I seem to remember Paris Lee playing a lot as a freshman. Reggie Lynch too. MiKyle McIntosh? Deonate Hawkins? Roland Griffin?

Tony Wills-16.2 mpg
Reggie Lynch-20.3 mpg
Paris Lee-27.5 mpg
MiKyle McIntosh-20.1 mpg
Deontae Hawkins-22.4 mpg
Roland Griffin-21.9 mpg
Madison Williams-10.7 mpg
DJ Horne-24.5 mpg
Antonio Reeves-22.4 mpg
Howard Fleming-22.5 mpg
Emon Washington-21.4 mpg
Harouna Sissoko-15.8 mpg

Matt Hein-2.1 mpg

 

[isuquinndog]

JMO but it's the KID who is hurt the most in that process. Meaning there are a multitude of kids out there who are NOT reaching their potential because they think the grass is greener...even after multiple stops!!! (I do recognize that sometimes the grass can be greener somewhere else)

I don't disagree. Just saying it's happening.

 

[Chi-bird]

I really don't want to be negative....but where is the video highlights, "redbird recap", etc for this game? I've looked at the website, social media, youtube page, etc. and can't find anything.

 

[Dmills]

I really don't want to be negative....but where is the video highlights, "redbird recap", etc for this game? I've looked at the website, social media, youtube page, etc. and can't find anything.

I wouldn't really expect anything more unfortunately, but here is something:

 

[ScoreboardDotRace]

Glad to see the Birds did what they needed to do. Too many times in the past these games have been closer than we’d all hope.

This one was never in question. Excited to see how everyone looks in D1 competition now.

 

[Popsto4]

Muller hated playing freshman even if they were better. one of the reasons for his downfall. And, you cant really dispute that claim because he played matt hein way too much. That guy is literally the worst d1 basketball player ive ever seen. Sure, he had heart but damn was he bad.

I love seeing freshman playing. My point is this. If you have a kid that you recruited so hard and if you have a team that’s competitive but won’t win there conference or enter the big dance or NIT why not give him minutes in more games. I understand some situations don’t call for play but more times than not it does. Solely speaking of Mal now, he transferred because of his ability to shoot and know he can knock them down with the best of them. He took that opportunity and is living with it

 

[Reggie Redbird]

This is not me advocating for this because I like it where it is. However, this could be an event, wanting to keep it neutral, that the City of Bloomington hosts the next one at the Coliseum.

It gets people into that arena. They can divide it in half like the Cotton Bowl for the Red River Rivalry. With a crowd expected to be 7k or less, they should be able to fit that. They can get more revenue out of the suites. It’s better suited for concessions for more foot traffic.

Another option is to flip which team plays first. That way both the men’s and women’s programs are treated equally in terms of game timing.

 

[CB2K]

I was looking forward to seeing all of the new faces and where and how they would play. I came away from the game impressed. Some concerns at the end of last season were defense, ball control, size, end to end toughness and again defense. The main pieces we lost from last year were Liam and Seneca. Seneca was a physical player and could street ball his way to the bucket due to his size and frame. Liam was long and showed signs of his afforded potential but was often injured or just MIA.

This team looks to be much better than last year's regardless of the D3 opponent. Some quick takes on just one exhibition game that I hope translates into fulfilled expectations during the course of the year when facing tougher competition.

Lieb is a difference maker for just being near the basket on both ends. Lots of altering of shots due to his length where he was able to obtain rebounds or deflections. I hope he posts up and scores around the rim but not really sure if that's his strength. I am familiar with his play at Illinois but they play a different style of ball and he didn't get a lot of PT so I am not yet certain of Lieb's skill set with his back to the rim.

Foster is a banger and looked good on defense and offense. He was aggressive and engaged and that is exactly what this team needs. He is bulkier than Seneca if comparing the two but I liked what I saw.

Banks has handles and was very impressive at point. He was better than I thought I remembered from his SIU days. He could dribble out of pressure, penetrate well and dish. I also liked his defense especially when making the appropriate switches -- he didn't miss a beat.

Davis looked good on defense. He is quick as well and I just noticed he had 4 steals.

Pence looks very good for a freshman. I was surprised by his height -- I guess I just didn't realize that he was 6'6". He will get minutes for sure and his defense was surprisingly solid albeit the opponent.

Chase is a beast down low. Not too many are going to push this guy around even as a freshman. He can pass and rebound. He played under control which is surprising for a big down low and this being his first college action. When he sets picks he provides a lot of spacing -- our 2's should benefit greatly from this. He will also get minutes as well.

Kinziger played the most minutes out of everyone and did well for a freshman. He can handle the rock and may have forced a few shots but his shot and form looks good. It will be interesting to see what minutes he gets this year.

There were times when the three freshman were out there at the same time and the team was peforming well.

We finally have solid depth at all positions. Mal is the purest shooter on the team and we are going to need him on the court to keep defenses honest. I think he hit three or four straight threes in a row. Luke is very tough defensively -- if you watched his defense he doesn't take nothing off of anyone and stubbornly won't give an inch which does cause him to get called for fouls sometimes. Burford is unstoppable when he is driving and is such a weapon -- he is super quick and I wonder if he could play tailback. KLew is KLew and will be just fine during the season. He is a multi-dimensional player and will continue to be strong on rebounding, defense and offensive put backs.

I really don't care who starts because it could be a combination of these guys but I do wonder what the rotation will be. Will coach whittle it down to 7/8 deep or will he expand it 9 or maybe even 10? Experience plays for the most part until skill trumps the experience. So, it will be interesting to see how things sort themselves out during the season. This team looks better than in recent years and I am expecting more Ws this year. No doubt there has been an infusion of increased depth and talent -- just want to see it translate into Ws. I was excited when we signed Horne and Reeves and thought we would see a dynamic backcourt for several years. Wrong! However, I am just as excited about Pence, Walker and Kinziger and hope we get to see them for several years as they develop into ISU greats (yeah, I understand the portal and the times have been a changin').

 

[crazzymark]

I believe that would require every STH to go. However, I see this being one of our bigger crowds of the year, unless we’re having a stellar season.

.. it is the biggest crowd that they will play in front of at home all year.

 

[TBS_20]

.. it is the biggest crowd that they will play in front of at home all year.

maybe at home but pretty sure Kentucky will be near 22K

 

[redbirdron1]

CB2K - that was a great recap.

Banks is pretty much a new/healthy version of the young man who was a 2 time All-Stater from Wisconsin. Dalton had to play with progressively worsening intestinal issues the past 3 years - we may have a real find in this guy.

Yes, he’s healthy now after surgery this early summer.

I’ll b interested to see how they balance minutes between DB and JK.

 

[Manchester Matt]

.. it is the biggest crowd that they will play in front of at home all year.

I'll take that bet.