I Told Ya So

Well....the new polls are out, and guess what...? The Indiana Hoosiers are finally ranked, for the first time this season. That's right...the same IU team that only a few weeks ago, so many so-called fans were saying things like, "they suck," or "Tom Crean should be fired," or "we need to hire Brad Stevens," is finally in the top 25 of BOTH college basketball polls. Now, let me say, that I do agree that the team didn't have the best start to the season, but neither did a few of the higher ranked teams. Hell, Michigan State lost to Texas Southern....TEXAS SOUTHERN!! Where was the talk about how bad MSU sucks after that loss? There wasn't any....ya know why? Because 99.9% of their fans, and critics are true to their team. They understand that "shit happens." It was at the beginning of the season, the team was, and probably still is working out some kinks. All teams go through that, but we seem to have two different types of fans, the kind that is loyal till the end, and understands that the team needs a little time to get into the groove of things, and there's the kind that throws a total shit fit if something doesn't go the way they want it to. I've said this over, and over, and over, we as a fan base need to quit fighting and bitching at each other, and come together to support this team. Everybody needs to understand these kids are not going to win every game, or play 100% up to par. They work their asses off on a daily basis, and have earned that right. I'm not saying we don't have a right to be upset, or bummed out, or even downright pissed off at times, of course we do, that's the passion part of it. That's what makes being a sports fan fun, is the passion, and emotion put into loving your team. However, team bashing is what we do NOT have the right to do. How can you say you love this team, and then turn around and say stuff like, "this kid is worthless," or "that kid is a piece of shit?" I've heard it be said by so many so-called fans., ladies and gentleman, and it burns my ass to no end. I'm going to end this rant by saying this....those of you who follow me on Twitter, or Facebook, or keep up with our blogs and podcasts have heard me say this since the beginning of the season,: "by mid season this team will be MUCH better." Well....here it is, pretty much mid season, and IU is in the top 25, they've beaten ranked teams, and proved they can win B1G road games, yes, they will have more ups and downs, but will be a much improved team come tourney time. So here it is, folks..................wait for it..................I TOLD YA SO. 

Podcast 4 Top 25 Edition

Meet Out Newest Team Member

Let me start this off by thanking our readers for your continued support. Without you, we would just be writing to ourselves. As TBS continues to grow, the number of tasks that we are faced with grows, so we have added a new team member to help us out. Please take some time to read this and get to know him a little bit, and help us welcome Jason to our team.

TBS questions will be in bold
Jasons answers in this font 


1. Tell us a little bit about where in Indiana you grew up.

I grew up in Berne, In, it's in southern Adams County. It's very laid back. The town was founded by Swiss Mennonites, and is very much Amish country. The town has the largest and oldest Mennonite church in the world.

2. Who is responsible for making you an IU fan? 

I was raised an IU fan. My family has been raised on IU basketball years before me. I credit my cousin, Troy for really getting me into it, though. He passed away two years ago from cancer, so each Hoosier win is a personal win, because I know he is seeing the game each time.

3. What is your definition of a "true" IU fan? 

My definition is one that sticks with the team through thick and thin, being there in the good, and bad times. It's about taking in the traditions, remembering, and paying homage to the ones that wore the stripes, and INDIANA across their chest. 

4. The past few years, it seems like bandwagon IU fans have increased dramatically, and they can be quite cruel to our coaching staff, and players. What is your take on that? 

My take is they are just that...bandwagon. They know nothing of IU basketball prior to the 2011 season. They didn't care about IU during the down times, and the screwing of the program by Jackass Sampson. They praise the team and coaching staff after a win, and blast them when they lose. I say either be 100% on the wagon, or get the hell off! 

5. Who is your all-time favorite Hoosier?

Kind of hard to tell who my favorite is. I was born in 1981, so I could say anyone from the '81 championship team. lol 

6. Greatest IU memory? 

Many....watching Coach Knight throw the chair...my cousin telling me about watching an IU basketball practice in the early '90s, and Coach Knight told them they are welcome to watch, but to have respect, and keep their mouths shut until after practice...seeing Eric Gordon shut the I'll-annoy fans up......beating Purdue.....oh...and the ever so popular Wat Shot.

7. Besides Kentucky, and Purdue, what other team is your most hated, and why?

Two main ones...I'll-annoy, they hate us cause they ain't us, and Syracuse, because we haven't managed to beat them, I believe but once since '87. 

8. There was some pre season controversy with a few of our players, what's your take on players' off-court lives, and how they are constantly under the microscope? 

You represent your team on, and off the court. Remember, that the schoolhas given you a scholarship to not only play basketball, but also earn a degree for your future. Anytime you do something stupid, it follows you throughout your college career, so they should live like the camera is always on them as if it would in the NBA. 

9. Do you think IU will be hanging banner #6 within the next five years? 

We could...but we will have to have some big guys in the center, and another is CONSISTANCY. Even more so, people with a passion for IU basketball, and will wear INDIANA across their chest as if it said Superman.

10. How did you find out about The Balcony Seats? 

I was added to the Facebook group by Mr. Yuk (Chris Leidolf), and fell in love with it. 

11. What made you want to join our team? 

I enjoy a hobby with people that are into IU as much as myself. The other admins live and breathe IU basketball like I do.

12. What can you bring to the table as a member of TBS? 

I hope I can bring forth content that our readers and staff will find both informative, and entertaining.

13. Lastly, what are your short-term, and long-term goals here at TBS? 

Simple...to keep Hoosier Nation in the know about what is new in the world of Indiana Basketball.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, and let our readers get to know you a little bit, and what to expect, welcome to the team, Jason.

There ya have it, folks! Our newest member, Jason. Look for his posts @ thebalconyseats/blogspot.com and on our Facebook group, and listen to him on our podcasts as well, and go follow him on Twitter @jdaily1981

AT A GLANCE: The #22 Ohio State Buckeyes (OSU +2) 12:00 ESPN – ASSEMBLY HALL

Quick Facts

-       - Bob Knight played PG at OSU from 1959-62

-        -Thad Matta (Head Coach since 2004, coached at Butler from 200-01 and Xavier 01-04)

-        -Last NCAA player of the year was Evan Turner 2010

-        - NCAA National Champions 1 time (1960) and the Final Four 10  times (last in 2012)

-        -First season was 1898       

-        -1 of 2 teams (Villanova being the other) to make the NCAA tourney every decade since the 30s

Results Thus Far (13-3)

11/14              VS                    UMASS Lowell       W 92-55

11/18              VS                    Marquette                 W 74-63

11/23              VS                    Sacred Heart             W 106-48

11/26              VS                    Campbell                  W 91-64

11/28              VS                    James Madison         W 73-56

12/2                VS                    @Louisville              L 64-55

12/6                VS                    Colgate                     W 70-50

12/10              VS                    High Point                W 97-43

12/13              VS                    Morehead St             W 87-71

12/17              VS                    North Carolina A&T W 97-55

12/20              VS                    @North Carolina       L 82-74

12/22              VS                    Miami (OH)               W 93-55

12/27              VS                    Wright St                   W 100-55

12/30              VS                    Iowa                           L 71-65

1/3                  VS                    Illinois                        W 77-61

1/6                  VS                    @Minnestoa              W 74-72

D'Angelo Russell leads the Buckeyes in scoring

Scoring/ Break Down

       PPG: D’Angelo Russell 18.3

RPG: Amir Williams 5.1

APG: Shannon Scott 7.6

BPG: Amir Williams 2.2

SPG: Shannon Scott 2.4

            Go ahead and call me a homer here, but I’m calling a Win.  Indiana should be hungry after that “showing” in East Lansing.  Ohio State also was had struggles all season long on the road.  Coming into Assembly Hall isn’t the easiest thing for anyone.  Coach Crean will have his players ready and it should be exciting. 

            In my eyes one of the best things about this game will be match ups.  Sam Thompson is a 6-7, senior, forward.  To me I see a lot of him in Troy Williams.  Both are about the same height and have to help out in the post because of lack of height and quality big men.  Then there’s James Blackmon Jr, who’s an freshmen and was a high school All-American, similar to that of Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell.  Should be a couple great match ups as I think we match up great with Ohio State.  Of course shooting and rebound will be a huge as it is in every game IU plays in.

Thad Matta, head coach of the Buckeyes

Scoring Predication:    IU 85 OSU 83

IU Most Valuable Player:   James Blackmon Jr

Quote Before The Game: “If the NBA was on channel 5 and a bunch of frogs making love were on channel 4, Id watch the frogs.  Even if they were coming in fuzzy”  Bob Knight

Drink of Choice:          Yuengling

Exclusive: Homegrown Hoosier sits down with The Balcony Seats

    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

Podcast #3 The Blow Out Episode

At a Glance: The Michigan State Spartans (MSU -8.5) 7:00 BTN, Jack Breslin Student Events Center

Quick Facts
-Established in 1855
-First basketball season in 1898
-50,085 students
-Located in East Lansing, Michigan
-Main colors- Green & White
-2013/2014 results: 29-9 (12-6 in B1G)
-Jason Richardson attended
-Final Four appearances- 8
-13 regular season conference championships
-63rd matchup between the Hoosiers & Spartans (31-32)

Results Thus Far (9-5/0-0)

11/14 @ Navy                            W 64-59

11/18 vs. #4 Duke*                     L 71-81

11/21 vs. Loyola-Chicago           W 87-52 
11/24 vs. Santa Clara"                 W 79-52
11/27 vs. Rider"                           W 77-45
11/28 vs. Marquette"                    W 79-68
11/30 vs. #11 Kansas"                  L 56-61
12/03 @ Notre Dame                   L 78-79 (OT)
12/06 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff      W 85-82 
12/14 vs. Oakland                         W 87-61
12/17 vs. Eastern Michigan          W 66-46
12/20 vs. Texas Southern              L 64-71 (OT)
12/22 vs. The Citadel                   W 82-56
12/30 vs. Maryland                       L 68-66
*Denotes Champions Classic 
"Denotes Orlando Classic

Tom Izzo has achieved a .713 in almost 20 seasons at MSU

Kenpom Rating- 22nd  

PPG-74.4 (42) 

Opponent PPG- 60.8 (56)

Avg. Scoring Margin- +13.6 (24)

APG-18.1 (5)

RPG-39.4 (29)

Turnovers/game-12.7 (135)

Fouls per game-18.6 (172)

Scoring/Breakdown

                                                                                Category Leaders

Travis Trice leads the Spartans in scoring this season

Points
G #20 Travis Trice-13.9
G #45 Denzel Valentine-13.7

Rebounds

G/F #22 Branden Dawson-8.7

F #10 Matt Costello- 6.4

Assists

G #20 Travis Trice-5.9

G #45 Denzel Valentine-4.3

         Go ahead and call me crazy for predicting a win. I'll tell you that this is our most opportune time to beat the Spartans at the Breslin Center in a long while, given how their season is playing out and the fact that we can shoot the 3 at a remarkable click. State is still a very tough team this season, but vulnerable at home. Note their recent loss to Texas Southern and Mike Davis. They haven't been able to take care of Kansas or Maryland either…neither of which are particularly great shooting teams which is usually key when it comes to obtaining solid road victories. However, both of those teams do present some decent size down low which won't be such an issue with our team lacking in that category. We will try to push the pace of the game and get out in space with quick outlet paces. I would hate to see the game played in the half court because I'm 99% sure we would very much struggle in that aspect…TC has never made us aware that's a strength of the coaching staff either.

Of course we will need to shoot as well as we have been in recent games. IU is 13th in overall shooting and 6th in 3 point percentage. MSU is 27th and 11th in the same categories, respectively. If the Spartans get hot at home, watch out. However, our shooting could potentially keep us in the game. If it goes cold? I don't have that answer because I haven't seen evidence this year of what the alternative would actually be. The closest I have come to deciphering what the Hoosiers could run is that perimeter offense where we eventually find a cutter to the basket or Hanner/Emmitt make a big play down low for us. If we had lost to Big Red I would be less optimistic coming into the contest, but we got it done and persevered through a couple of huge runs by the Huskers in the second half.

State is in desperate need of a home victory, but I'm taking the Hoosiers in a close one. Solid shooting compiled with young talent and confidence and this is a winnable ball game for us. This is a massive game tomorrow night, and our best chance of winning at MSU since I can last remember. Let's get it done in true hurryin' Hoosiers fashion! I believe this spread is WAY off...

Score Prediction: IU 70 MSU 66

IU Most Valuable Player Prediction: Yogi Ferrell

Quote Before the Game: "There are a lot of people who follow our every move and give us a lot of support. They give us pride. We are playing for those fans every time we run out on the court." -Jarrad Odle

The Venue

Jack Breslin Student Events Center- Capacity 15,000

Love ya, Kirk

Drink of Choice 

Have 3 cases of this stuff right now...

...For the glory of old IU!