On this episode of CrimsonCast Live, we talk about the huge week upcoming for IU basketball as they travel to Michigan and Purdue, two games that could go a long way towards solidifying a good seed for the Hoosiers in the NCAA tournament — not to mention giving this team some much-needed confidence on the road in the conference.

Galen is first joined by Kyle from Gold & Black Illustrated, and the two of them break down both IU and Purdue and tell you what to expect in this weekend’s contest. Following that, Mike Pegram from Peegs.com joins the program, and the talk turns to where this IU team is at through 2/3rds of the season, the current situation on defense, and what the Hoosiers need to watch out for in both upcoming contests.

In the final 1/3 of the show, Galen is joined by Scott, as well as several callers, and the topics range from IU’s struggles in the halfcourt on offense to the difference between the team’s early season effort and what we’re seeing currently.

Matt Blaszka again does a world-class job on the production of the show.

CrimsonCast Live 01-31-12 [ 1:29:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1041)

Final Score:
Indiana:   103
Iowa:          89

Defense is overrated. All kidding aside, this game was defined by the outrageous offensive outputs these two teams put together. They combined to make 71 of the 121 (59%) shots they took. Iowa went on to shoot 63% for the game; 79% in the second half! That is some 1950s’ basketball shooting numbers. The more shocking thing was that although Iowa shot so well, this game never seemed that close.

The cause of this can be attributed to numerous things. The Hoosiers set up the perfect formula to drop 100 points on a Big Ten team for the first time since March of ’95. Good penetration + great interior passing = The Big Handsome destroying rims. Zeller finished shooting 11-12 from the night with seven dunks. Oladipo and Pritchard joined in the dunk party with a couple nasty put-back jams.

The Hoosiers didn’t shoot that well from the perimeter but it seemed like every shot that missed was rebounded by an Indiana player. IU had just as many OFFENSIVE rebounds (18) as Iowa had total rebounds to lead to 23 second-chance points. They had 20 assists (9 from Verdell) and forced Iowa into 17 turnovers. You win the rebounding battle, play unselfishly, and force turnovers, you are going to win.

Jordan Hulls and Matt Roth, I heard he had been sick, didn’t have the nights they hoped but Derek Elston and Tom Pritchard were there to pick them up. Elston fueled the crowd with 8 points and a block in about a minute. Pritchard got a standing ovation for his play.

This was a much needed win. Tom Crean changed the starting line-up for the first time all year and it looked like the Hoosiers got their swagger back. The key for them is to bring that same edge when they are away from Assembly Hall. Until then, this team will be stuck in the middle of the pack.

Team Grade: B+

Looking Forward- The Hoosiers can’t celebrate this victory too long as they have a tough week ahead of them. Two road games at Michigan and Purdue is a huge test for Indiana but provides an opportunity they can choose to either excel in or falter.

*Also- I will be trying out something new during the Michigan game called Tinychat. It is a free video chat room for all you Hoosier fans to go and get out your rants during the game. More details to come later. See ya Wednesday.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

It was quite an interesting week in college basketball, as several teams vying for positioning couldn’t get out of their own way. A few teams on the outside of the bubble fought themselves in, but all that did was muddle the middle of the field even more. Here’s this week’s projection:

DUKE AGAIN? Yes, the Blue Devils are back on the 1-seed line, although that’s more due to the teams above them (Kansas and Missouri) faltering. At this point you have to like the Blue Devils’ resume, although if everything holds as it is now, it will be interesting to see if the committee actually gives the fourth one-seed nod to Duke. While they have obviously put together an impressive group of wins, there’s a definite perception around this team that they’re not as strong as those in the same conversation. Their KenPom defensive efficiency numbers are decidedly un-Duke like, and the aforementioned perception might end up dropping them to the 2 or 3 line.

WHEN MID-MAJORS ATTACK: There is a growing core of mid-major teams in the top 25 of the S-Curve who could make for some interesting seeding once Selection Sunday rolls around. UNLV, Creighton, Wichita State, San Diego State, St. Mary’s, Gonzaga, and Murray State are all jockeying for position, and teams like UNLV and Creighton are definite threats to make the top three lines.

DON’T HIT THE PANIC BUTTON: A lot of fans out there (and media, for that matter) have started acting nervous and jumpy about their respective teams’ NCAA tournament chances after a bad loss or two. In Indiana, it got so bad that the Indianapolis Star went to the trouble of running a story that worriedly indicated that the Hoosiers’ date with the tournament wasn’t a done deal yet. Well, folks…yes,  yes it is. One of the benefits of doing bracketology in January is that you become very familiar with the resumes of all the possible tournament entrants, and the Hoosiers (and the Bearcats, and UConn, and the Illini, and…you get the idea) are all still safely in. So don’t panic, unless you root for Northwestern or a Pac 12 team.

A few weeks back Tom Crean joined the crew from PTI on ESPN for “5 Good Minutes”.  Below is the video incase you missed it.

Since that appearance, IU lost 3 in a row and 4 out of their next 6.  Maybe there is a curse of PTI a’la the SI cover jinx!

Another live edition of the BracketPod is in the books, and we’re happy to be bringing you the podcast version. In this episode, we’re joined by two special guests – Shane Ryan of Grantland and Tobacco Road Blues, and Randy McClure of Rush The Court. Among the topics discussed include the tiers of competition in the Big Ten, the troubles UConn seems to be having, the relative strength of the Mountain West, the enigma of the Atlantic 10, whether South Florida really has a shot at the dance, the lack of anything noteworthy involving BYU, and the intriguing nature of Conference USA’s top few teams. Enjoy!

BracketPod 1-29-12 [ 2:00:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (561)

Final Score:
Wisconsin:   57
Indiana:        50

This game played out like many expected it would. Low possessions, low scoring, and few turnovers is exactly the type of game Wisconsin plays for. Bo Ryan’s teams have always done three things extremely well:

1. They play true “team” defense.
2. They take care of the ball.
3. They have huge white dudes.

Everybody knew coming into the game that, although IU was the top scoring team in the conference, they wouldn’t be given any easy looks at the rim. That didn’t stop Verdell Jones from taking it right at the Badgers in the first half. He was super-impressive in the first half, to the point where I was screaming at Crean to get him back in the game. For the record, I have never done that in my life. If Oladipo can’t get out of his funk he has been in as of late, Verdell provides the Hoosiers’ only liable penetrator. Verdell played like a senior and was able to turn a lot of his haters to lovers for a brief period. He was shut down in the second half and could easily have been a vital reason for why the Hoosiers came up short Thursday night.

Cody Zeller never got going due to some, quite frankly, horrible calls by the joke they call Big Ten officiating. You could tell he was in no groove and it was never more evident than the air-ball he threw up in the biggest play of the game. After watching this game, Chad Ford may be rethinking about putting Cody so high on his draft board. The Wisconsin bigs, especially Jared Berrgren, stood strong and denied Cody on multiple lay-ups and dunk attempts.

The most impressive thing I found from this game was IU’s defense. Despite some breakdowns late in the game, this was the best team defense I have seen this team play against a team like Wisconsin. The Badgers don’t have the most elite offense, by far, but the Hoosiers showed so much improvement in this game from the Minnesota and Nebraska games. They were rotating so well and made Jordan Taylor’s night one to forget. However, all the positives can be overlooked because of the breakdowns late in the game, like giving Brust open threes or giving up crucial offensive rebounds late in the game.

All-in-all Indiana showed some grit and toughness in a somewhat hostile environment but are still a long way from being a team that can successfully win on the road. The tough part of their conference season is in the rear-view mirror and the rest of the way looks a lot less tough. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to believe this team could win out the rest of their regular season games. Their biggest challenges are gonna be Michigan State at home and Purdue and Michigan on the road, but those are all winnable for this team. The Big Ten is never that giving though, and I don’t expect them to actually win out but the real possibility of it happening is still reassuring.

Team Grade- C+

Looking Forward- Indiana is home Sunday to face the Hawkeyes of Iowa in a game the Hoosiers can’t afford to give away or the wheels may be coming off for this once top-ten team. Iowa is coming off back-to-back close losses to Purdue and Nebraska and I guarantee Melsahn Basabe doesn’t forget the Shee-bagging he got last year.

Photo credit: (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

Scott is joined by Josh (@Hoosier43) and a few others on chat in this Postgame Spreecast after the loss at Wisconsin.

u can view the whole postgame Spreecast @ www.spreecast.com/events/wisconsin-postgame or just listen to the audio file below.  Remember to join us online after the next IU Game.

Wisconsin Postgame Spreecast [ 41:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (570)

CrimsonCast is pleased to announce the first Internet-only live pregame call-in show for Indiana basketball. Entitled “The Opening Line”, this show will start 90 minutes before IU basketball games are set to tip, and will feature analysis and commentary on the upcoming contest from CrimsonCast personalities, journalists, and listeners across the country.

Tune in tonight for The Opening Line, starting at 7:30 pm ET, at this URL, or follow us on our Twitter feed for more information.

On this inaugural episode of Hoosier Hotline, Tony Adragna and Jimmy Cavanaugh address a number of issues relating to Indiana University basketball. Among the issues discussed are the current defensive approach to the games, the offensive lineup, and the team’s substitution patterns. Tony and Jimmy also discuss IU’s chances against Wisconsin, and what they have facing them in the remainder of the Big Ten season. Several callers join the show, including AskTheWho and Jason from BTownBanners, and ChronicHoosier.

Hoosier Hotline 1.25.12 [ 1:00:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (756)

Tonight, CrimsonCast welcomes yet another regular broadcast to the fold, as hosts Tony Adragna and Jimmy Cavanaugh will be bringing you “Hoosier Hotline”, an hour-long call-in show focusing on IU basketball that will run regularly on Wednesday nights from 8:00-9:00 PM on CrimsonCast, courtesy of BlogTalkRadio.

Hoosier Hotline brings a student perspective and voice to IU basketball, as Tony and Jimmy discuss the latest developments with this IU team, and answer your questions via phone call, email, and social media. Hoosier Hotline is specifically focused on student opinion and commentary, and will eventually feature input from students across the IU campus.

To listen in, visit this link: http://my.blogtalkradio.com/crimsoncast/2012/01/26/hoosier-hotline–1252012

To call, dial 626-696-8557.

Be sure to tune in to Hoosier Hotline, every Wednesday from 8 – 9 PM!