Happy New Year
Hoosiers! For my first write up of 2015 we are going to have a chat with
#HoosierNation and Twitter famous "Homegrown Hoosier,"
@HomegrownHoos. I am going to go out on a limb and say most of you have heard
of Homegrown. He has nearly 10,000 followers on Twitter alone. He has agreed to
answer a few questions for us today, so let’s get to know Homegrown Hoosier and
his thoughts about Indiana basketball a little better. Thanks for taking a few
minutes to join us. (All of Homegrown Hoosier answers will be shown in bold.)
Thanks so much for letting me share my thoughts about all things Indiana
Basketball. If you couldn’t tell, I enjoy it quite a bit.
Q. Our Hoosiers are
currently 11-4. What are your predictions for this team moving forward &
will this Hoosier team end up in "The Big Dance?"
A. We’ve
already seen this team go through some ups and downs this season, but I do
believe there’s reason for optimism. On one hand, this young team is still
searching for its true identity and we obviously are lacking in the size
department. However, we’re certainly a much improved team from last year in
term of shooting, taking care of the ball, and overall maturity. Like last
year, I think you’ll see this team both win and lose against teams they
shouldn’t have won or lost to, respectively. The most important thing that I’ve
seen us do this season is taking away something valuable from each game, which
is something I didn’t see much of last season. All and all, I believe that,
albeit through a few ups and downs in the Big Ten schedule, we will make it
into “The Big Dance.”
Q. What was your
initial reaction to Coach Crean and Coach Miles "conversation" during
the game versus Nebraska the other night?
A. HOW
IS THAT NOT A TECHNICAL?!? Without Miles being restrained, it looked like he
was ready to rumble right there on the hardwood. However, I do think that it
showed that Crean is incredibly invested in his players well-being and he stood
up for that. That’s the thing you want to see from a team, in that everyone has
everyone else’s back, no matter what. That camaraderie is as an important trait
of a team as any can have.
Q. Can you explain
to us how Coach Crean manages his timeouts to us, please?
A. Coach has a very interesting game plan on
managing timeouts. He’s certainly an enthusiast of the ebb and flow of the game
and believes that any trouble the team gets into during the course of game,
they can get themselves out of as well. On one hand, that’s frustrating because
this team is still young and sometimes needs guidance in pivotal moments of the
game. On the other hand, it really does cause the team to grow up fast and
learn to work through things on their own. It’s a double-edged sword that Coach
lives and dies by. I commend him for sticking to it, since he believes it’s the
best thing for the team.
Q. How did you react
to hearing that Stanford Robinson switched from being a left handed jump
shooter to a right handed jump shooter? Are the results what you expected?
A. I was
incredibly surprised to hear that he was making the most drastic change a
basketball player can make to his game. It is certainly a high-risk,
high-reward situation. I think he’s struggled about as much as one would expect
after this change, but I think he will settle down and find a rhythm with his
jump shot throughout the season and will have a much better feel for it next
year.
Q. Besides Yogi, who
do you think this team looks to for leadership on and off the court?
A. One person really stands out in my mind, and
that’s Collin Hartman. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t impress you in the
stat sheet, but he fights on every play and does lots of little things well. He
epitomizes the hard-nosed mentality of many IU Basketball players before him.
He’s a great role model and leader for this team in teaching tenacity on each
and every play and is always playing smart, fundamental basketball. We’re a
much better team with him.
Q. Troy Williams is
emerging as a scoring threat, how high is his ceiling as a player?
A. I
think we’ve seen glimpses of Troy’s full potential this season. His ceiling
will come when he can fully grasp playing quick, high-energy basketball while
still being under control. Victor Oladipo went through a similar transformation
between his Sophomore and Junior year, where he had to work his incredible
athleticism into the college game. If Troy can continue to improve, as he
already has this offseason, then he will be a pivotal player on the team this season
without a doubt. But, next season I believe he will be one of the top offensive
threats, not only in the Big Ten, but in the nation.
Q. If you had to
make a Mt. Rushmore of Indiana Basketball, who would it include and why?
A. That’s easy. Tijan, Pritchard, Priller, and
Ivan Renko. But, in all seriousness, this is a really tough question because
there are just so many great names that should be in this conversation.
However, I will do my best and know that many other people could and should be
on here that aren’t. I’ll start with the easiest and most unanimous decision,
and that’s Coach Knight. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Next up is the man who
rewrote the Indiana and Big Ten book on scoring -- Calbert Cheaney. The next
face you have to put on the Mt. Rushmore of Indiana Basketball is also the
first player to ever earn team MVP four times at Indiana, and that’s Steve
Alford. The final person I would put on the IU Basketball Mt. Rushmore is the
absolute beast of the boards, Walt Bellamy. The guy put up rebounding numbers
that are still mind boggling to this day (33 rebounds in a game!!!). There are
many others that could’ve cracked this list, but I feel like if you had to pick
the four most influential people in Indiana Basketball history, all four of
those gentlemen would be at the top.
Q. Indiana has had
numerous good basketball teams through the years, which team (only 1) is your all-time
favorite Hoosier squad?
A. Some seriously hard questions you guys are
throwing my way, but I’ll try my best. There are so many that pop into my head
right off the bat. But when it really comes down to it, one stands just a bit
higher than the rest. And that little extra comes from the rare, sweet charm of
perfection. That’s right, the 1975-1976 Indiana Hoosiers are my all-time squad.
Championships are hard to come by, but perfection is nearly impossible. Except
for Hoosiers.
Q. Of all the
players to ever wear the candy stripes, give me your "All Time, All
Hoosiers" starting 5? 5 players from any team any era of Indiana
University basketball.
A. Isaiah Thomas, Victor Oladipo, Scott May,
Walt Bellamy, and one of my all-time favorite Hoosiers, Damon Bailey. It would
sure be a sight to be able to see all of these guys on the court at the same
time during their prime. I’m not sure any team could beat that lineup.
Q. What is a
Hoosier?
A. You saved the best question for last! A lot
of people don’t understand what a Hoosier is, but it makes much more sense than
most people think. Most teams have some obscure animal as their mascot, which
is supposed to symbolize their tenacity in some way or another. But are you
really a Wildcat? Or a Hawkeye? Or a Sycamore? No, not likely. But every
player, coach, and fan of Indiana is truly a Hoosier through-and-through. We
don’t need qualities of ferocious animals to show how formidable we are.
Because as Hoosiers, we are already all of those traits and more. A Hoosier is
an inhabitant of the great state of Indiana. But it also goes so far beyond
that. It is someone who grew up working hard; a person who is resilient; one
who never backs down from a challenge to do things the right way. Most
importantly, a Hoosier is someone who stands steadfast, shoulder to shoulder
with fellow fans to watch the only team that matters in Indiana, and that’s the
Hoosiers!
Extra credit question!?!?!?
Q. Would you be
willing to joining us as a guest on an upcoming podcast on The Balcony Seats?
A. There’s
nothing I enjoy more than talking Indiana Basketball with fellow Hoosiers. Of
course I will!
Thanks again to Homegrown Hoosier, if you’re not already go
ahead and give him a follow on Twitter @HomegrownHoos
