July 18, 2025 • 46 mins
On this episode, Alex Bozich is joined by Brian Tonsoni of Delphi Bracketology and the Assembly Call.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Welcome back to a new episode of Podcasts on Brink,
getting back into the regular swing of things two straight
weeks with an episode. This week's guest the coach Brian
Tonsny of Assembly Call and Delphi Bracketology Coach. It's been
a while since you've been on the show, but I
(00:38):
wanted to have you on this week to get some
thoughts on the new regime scheduling. Maybe we'll talk some
potential lineups and different things you expect to see how
the Hoosiers this season. Welcome back to podcast on the Brink.
Always good to see you. Understand you've been playing some
golf this offseason. How's that been going.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
It's getting better, which is I have a long way
to go, so getting better doesn't mean that I'm good
at it. I do enjoy We have a teacher group
that gets together at least once or twice a week,
and then sometimes I get out in the morning and
go play around by myself. It's a way that I
can challenge now that I'm not coaching anymore. Try to
keep that competitive in nature. But I have a long
(01:18):
way to go with that, Alex. But it's always good
to be on your show. I love talking basketball. I
really appreciate what you do to bring information to us
as reporters, podcasters, whatever I'm called, and fans alike. So
it's always good to talk at Indiana basketball. So thanks
for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to you guys getting back into
the swing of things with Assembly called Miss hearing you
guys this offseason. So hopefully as we get into the
fall here and getting closer to some basketball being played,
we'll get back to some more regular Assembly Assembly Call content.
I know you guys have a strong following, and I'm
sure that some of your fans as well are going
(01:59):
to be excited to get you guys back on the
air more regularly.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, we're excited to We have decided to cut back
to everyday Thursday night shows, but we've done a few
shows throughout the summer and then once August comes, I
think you're going to see us regularly. Obviously every postgame
show will be there as well.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Good deal. So I just wanted to start off, you know,
it's obviously I think I looked at back and you know,
you haven't been on the show since I think late
December maybe last year, early early January, so a lot
of transpired since then. Just your early impression so far
of Darren DeVries and what he's been able to accomplish here.
(02:39):
Obviously had to totally rebuild the roster in Bloomington somewhat
out of necessity. I'm not sure exactly how that process
went down with all the transfers, and you know, whether
there was guys who actually wanted to keep, but ultimately
I think, you know, a clean start was probably best
for everyone involved. But now that you know, I say,
(03:00):
the dust is settled on the roster and you know
they do, I guess have one spot technically open. Who
knows if they'll fill that. Not speculating, just thinking out
loud here. They have twelve guys, they've got a you
know that trip coming up next month to Puerto Rico.
They've got the schedule set. Just what are your overall,
you know, high level thoughts on what has transpired here
the last couple of months and as we get ready
(03:22):
for these games coming up next month in Puerto Rico.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, I'm excited for the change. I think change was
needed for Indiana basketball to try to get back to
where Indiana basketball should be in many of our eyes,
will Coach DeVries be that guy. We hope so right.
We do not know until the games start being played.
But almost everything that a new coach has to do
(03:47):
I think has been positive. One building the roster, as
you mentioned, yes it's a total turnaround, but in today's world,
that's a lot easier than if you had to do
it with freshmen or you know, jucoachransfers as he did
when he was at Drake before the open transfer portal.
I thought he got some very interesting players in there
that fit a prototype for what advis player is with size, shooting,
(04:12):
athleticism that I think has been different than what Indiana
has had in the past really eight years over two
coaching regimes. The emphasis on shooting is exciting for many
of us because that's a modern basketball. I think you're
going to see a little bit more of that. I
think the schedule was well done. I think part of
(04:32):
that is the trip. Being able to take the trip.
He did that at West Virginia. I think that helped
get West Virginia off to a good start in his
only year at West Virginia. I think that was a
good decision to make, and I think as we talk schedule,
I thought it was strong enough to build a resume
for bracketology, and it gets you ready for a tough
(04:53):
Big Ten conference. So I thought that was good. And
then I just appreciate his work when he signed Pickerson
and flew down there the day that Wilkerson made the decision.
That's been a little different than some coaches in college basketball,
and it was a little different than the approach that
coach Woodson did. And now he's starting. I don't follow
(05:14):
recruiting as much anymore because it's just so widespread, but
it seems like we're getting top talent to at least
come to visit, and top talent that's interested. And then
he is constantly working the recruiting angle, and it just
seems like he's a hard worker, which I think Indiana
and Indiana fans really want from their head coach. So
all signs for me since the change show a positive direction.
(05:38):
Now I may be having rose colored glasses and wanting
something so bad after twenty some years of struggle that
I'm over hyping it a little bit. But I think
when you have a pattern of really good decision making
in many different areas, you have to be pleased with
what we see so far, and then the results will
(05:59):
really determine that when the games start in November.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yeah, I told you this a little bit earlier before
we started the show. I had a chance, I'm not
exactly sure the date. I had a chance in later
later in June to go up and talk to Darren
Derees in his office for thirty five or so minutes.
And I obviously have covered Indiana basketball since two thousand
(06:23):
and seven, and obviously my role is somebody of the
meat of the media is always in favor of more
access and getting more information because that's you know, that's
how we communicate with our audience. That's why how I
can come on the podcast and be more informed when
I talk to guests and talk about the team, when
I write about the team. It's always good to to,
you know, have the perspective of a coach. And I
appreciated the fact that he was willing to sit down
(06:44):
and talk. But more than anything else, one of my
big takeaways from that conversation was just how relaxed, open,
honest he seemed in terms of everything he was discussing.
It didn't seem guarded in terms of anything in terms
of information, you know, I asked questions and he answered
them and had a smile on his face, and it
(07:06):
was maybe a little bit different than kind of, you know,
the interactions that some of the media have with the
last two coaches. So I was I was really encouraged
just from a media perspective. You know, I think fans
can expect when when Darren de Reese gives a press
conference and talks, not saying there's ever going to be
there's obviously going to be with any coach times where
maybe they're annoyed or don't like a question, or had
a rough practice and maybe aren't as detailed and in
(07:28):
depth as you like. But I appreciated the fact that
he was just willing to talk basketball. I think that's
one of the big things that maybe we've been missing
in terms of getting information in the past couple of regimes,
is just being able to ask a basketball question and
get a basketball answer. Having a coach that's willing to
talk ball, I think is going to really uh resonate
with Indiana fans. So I was encouraged from from that perspective.
(07:51):
Not sure if you want to weigh in anything from
that perspective, coach, but uh, it wasn't really a question,
but just an observation of my experience and wanted to
share it with the audience.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
I couldn't agree more with the fact of talking basketball
is an important part of the program because through media
like yourself and us, if we understand stuff, and and
no coach, As a former high school coach, I didn't
like the reporters coming in after a loss or when
I mean, but you understand that's part of your job
to communicate what you want out of your program. And
(08:23):
some coaches do it really well, and some coaches really struggle.
And so it's good to hear that he is open
to that and comfortable in his own skin, in his
own way of communicating, because I don't think we've seen
that in the last couple of years. We had it
early with Crean, he struggled with that even down towards
the end, and then Archie and coach Woodson seemed to
(08:44):
have the you know, a little adverse reaction to the media.
But you know, part of what I do with bracketology
is I get to now go to games. Our name
has been accepted. Purdue in Indiana and Notre Dame Butler
all allow us to go and cover games. And you
see a wide arrange array actually of coaches and how
(09:07):
they talk basketball, and most of them do talk basketball,
even though that might not be the most ideal thing
that they want to do postgame, they understand that it's
a message and it was one of the things that
in the last eight years really bothered me is that
that wasn't coming from Indiana University. You weren't getting some
basketball conversation and while trying to understand the coach roll
(09:30):
of it as well. So I'm glad to hear that
that went well for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
That's one of the things I you know, obviously in
the nfans aren't aren't too keen on hearing kind words
for Purdue basketball and Matt Painter. But that's kind of
the one thing I always appreciate listening to Matt Painter
press conferences. He'll take any question, whether he likes it
or not. He may not give you the best answer,
but when you do ask a good question, I feel
like there's always a really good answer and a lot
(09:57):
of substance behind it. So I've always appreciated that about him,
And there's probably other coaches, but you know, it's at
the big timing tom Izzo, I think a lot of
times too, will give you a good answer. You know, again,
may not like the question. I think that's kind of
the give and take you always have as a media
member talking to these coaches. Wanted to ask you about
this roster. You know, I feel like in many ways
(10:19):
Tucker to Rees has been a little bit forgotten as
we talk about this team. You know, everyone's talking about Reed, Bailey,
Lamar Wilkerson, taking Connorway, some of these new guys. But
I saw a list earlier this week that I think
was the top one hundred list of college basketball players,
and the season he was I think in the top
twenty five. So that kind of tells you where he's
thought about nationally. But maybe a little bit forgotten because
(10:39):
it was a foregone conclusion that he was going to
come with his dad and he was injured last season.
But he kind of epitomizes what you you mentioned earlier
with the shooting piece. You know, I had a chance
to watch him a couple of times last season when
they were playing down in the Battle for Atlantis before
he got hurt, and he was taking threes from not
just from right behind the three point line, beyond NBA
(10:59):
range and making them he had a great game against
Arizona down there. He's a guy that I think a
lot of fans should be excited for. Just your thoughts
on on Tucker and what he can potentially bring to
this team next year with his size and his versatility
from beyond the arc.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Well, we'll talk a lot about shooting, and with Tucker,
it is shooting. The ability to shoot and have range, right,
that is something that you know Indiana has had some,
but it's been stationary shooting in the corners, playing off
double teams in the past eight years. And now you're
gonna see a variety of ways to get Tucker open.
And he understands the game, right if you watch some
(11:35):
of that West Virginia film, you know, if two guys
fly out at him, he understands to drop that off
with a little bounce pass or find the next guy.
So shooting is going to be number one. And and
I think people who watch Indiana basketball are going to
see shots taken from a variety of places once once
he crosses half court, and I think that's just again,
(11:57):
that's that's that modern basketball. And yes, I think he
has been forgotten. You know when people look and they say, well,
there's a bunch of mid major transfers that come into
this roster, so we're going to have them ninth, tenth,
eleventh or something into Big ten. But you know, basketball's
played at all levels at great skill, and you get
(12:17):
a best player from a mid major. But this is
a guy who played at Drake very well, and then
he went to West Virginia and played well for eight games.
So I think he's a top ten, top fifteen type
guy in college basketball. But because of all of what
you said with the injury, he's not being discussed, but
he will be someone who will be number one on
the scouting report, and so then you can play off
(12:38):
that with the other players too, Like you have to
guard Tucker and the actions that are going to be
run for Tucker, which then opens up a whole lot
of things for other players who are also as talented.
But the number one thing is going to be range
and shooting.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Who else maybe is you've kind of come through this
roster and I know you've got some notes, maybe some
things you want to discuss. Who else maybe caught your
eye in terms of maybe just a player that you
think is going to be pivotal to the success next year,
anyone may be flying under the radar. I'm just kind
of curious on your overall thoughts. One guy that and
I'm not sure if you want to talk about him
(13:15):
at all, but I think maybe flying a little bit
under it or just in terms of impact that I
wrote a story about and talked to derees about is
Connor in Right. And he isn't a guy that really
jumps off the stat sheet. He's not going to jump
off when you look at him, but you look at
his assist straight last year what he was able to do.
He may not even start. I don't think most people
were expecting him to start, but he when listening to
(13:37):
what the rees had to say about him, is a
guy that really understands the system and is a blue
collar type of player, is going to do the little
things that take it takes to win. So he's one
guy that has kind of stood out in my mind
as a player to watch this coming season. Who for
you are those guys and who have you maybe studied
in the offseason.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Well, let's talk point guards while you bring up and Right.
I think in Wright's that guy that everyone loves if
he's on your team, but you can't stand if he's
on the other team because he's diving, he's taking charges,
he's he's pestering that, you know, and then he makes
plays that you look at him like, how do you
make that play that assists to devirees or whatever else.
(14:16):
I'm like, he's a ballplayer like he's and you need
that in point guard. But you need multiple point guards.
I think Indiana struggled in the past because they've had
one and then when you have an injury or you
have something happen, now you're moving down to a wing
to be a point You know, Trey Galloway handled the basketball,
and he handled it well, but he's not a prototypical
point guard. Well, Indiana has three point guards in my opinion.
(14:37):
They got Connorway, Enwright and possibly the Drake kid who
can play off the ball as well. And the number
one thing for me is going to be ball pressure. Right,
So we'll talk read Bailey and the inability for rim
protection to concern that everyone has that is legit part
of your answer there is putting an extreme amount of
(14:58):
pressure on the ball. And you have two guys in
Connorway and Enright who are just going to be ballhawks.
And if let's say those two get the forty minutes
you don't have, you don't lapse defensively, whether you start
en Right or start Conorway, like, you can put pressure
on the ball for forty minutes, and I imagine Drake
is the same way, because as I mentioned earlier, the
(15:19):
prototype player is long, lanky that can guard the basketball.
And I think you have some of those that what
I broke them up into point guard wings, power forwards
and fives, and it's really positionless basketball these days. But
I love the point guards for their defensive pressure as
well as what they can do offensively. I think both
(15:39):
of them can get in the lane, both of them
can handle the pick and roll. Conorway not a great
three point shooter, but can score at the rim, and
he can distribute the basketball, and I think those are
keys to then get Dvrees Wilkerson the quality shooters looks
if you can do that offensively. But I am so
excited at Alex about the ball pressure that I believe
you're gonna from Connorway and Enright, and and really what
(16:02):
that means when you don't have the super rim protection,
how important that will be.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
How concerned are you about the maybe lack of rim protection.
When you look at the roster, you obviously have Reed Bailey,
who's not a shot blocker. You have Sam Alexis, who
played some center, I guess at Florida. Before that, he
was at Chattanooga. You know he's been You look at
his kN POMP profiles listed as a center, but he's
not your prototypical big ten center that we've seen. So
(16:31):
you look at some of these other big ten rosters,
like a Michigan for example, They've got some absolute size
upfront and skill, and you wonder how in Indiana's gonna
match up against them. But also they're gonna have to
match up on the other end guarding Indiana. So but
but the rim protection piece, how important is that? Can
that be overcome with? As you mentioned the ball pressure
(16:52):
and are there just gonna be nights where inevitably Indiana
is gonna be out manned in the post and they're
just gonna have to figure out other ways to win one.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I think it's the weakness of this roster right now
is you don't have rim protection. But we we as
fans and as coaches, sometimes get caught up in the
optimal lineup we have with this roster. We have great
point guard play. We have great shooters and great wings,
and sometimes in a roster you just have to have
a weak area because if you don't, then you should
be a top five team. And hopefully that's where a
(17:22):
coach will get as he's recruiting a couple top seven
foot centers that I see are interested in come and visit.
So he doesn't want to play this way all the time,
but in his first year and building a roster has to.
So here's how you overcome it. You put that ball
pressure on. You'll see a lot of double teams. I
call them monsters. So forgive me if I revert back
to my coaching lingo. But you can. You can send
(17:43):
people from different places. You can send them baseline for
a double. You can post to post double. You can
double off of what we used to call dork doubling
the worst player. You just you you double off the
dork and the offense. And what I like is coach
Defreese has admitted that we're going to be overmatched at times.
We're gonna have to guard it in multiple ways. And
this is where I think coach Devrie, with the college background,
(18:06):
understands how to try to attack defensively the good offenses
and the good coaches in the Big Ten. He's going
to have a scouting report and a plan. It's not
going to be And again, I want to focus on
the positive of going forward as far as compared backwards.
But I think it's a better position to have coach
Devrees trying to make up for the lack of rim protection.
(18:29):
And then the other way is you're better offensively. They
got to match up with a five who's going to
dribble at someone and throw a back door cut or
pick and pop for three, although Bailey's not a super
stretch for or a dead three, so you have an
advantage on the other end if a rim protector has
to guard out on the perimeter, so ball pressure. And
(18:51):
then the best thing that Davreez has said for me
is too it's like, we just got to rebound to
basketball if we can rebound to basketball. So you tell
Alexis and you tell Bailey, keep the best offensive rebounders
off the glass. They may not even have to rebound.
So when you look at rebound stats next year, Bailey
and Alexis aren't getting a lot of boards, but your
Devrees and Wilkerson and Dorn and Miles. Those are guys
(19:12):
that are going to clean up that might be how
you know, you protect the rim by limiting second second shots.
And then the last thing Alex is it's it's a
rim and it's a rim and three game. And a
lot of teams when they played Trace Jackson Davis and
our post players would allow us to have thirty point
plays in the post and beat us because you take
(19:34):
away the three. So if they're going to score at
the rim on a post play, you fight like heck,
But okay, we'll trade threes for twos all day long
and win the math problem. Right. So I'd rather guard
the three and have ball pressure and not have rim
protection than have rim protection and not be able to
guard the three. So I think those are ways that
(19:55):
you fight that deficiency in the roster.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, one thing that he talked about with us when
we went I'm out with him. I didn't write anything
about this, but asked him kind of about long twos
because you know, that's been kind of a thing that
Indiana fans and quite frankly, I've kind of criticized the
last couple of years of Indiana basketball is just the
volume of long twos, and he didn't say necessarily that
(20:20):
he's totally against it. He more talked about situations when
those shots are being taken. You know, is it a
late shot clock situation where a guy's got to go
take that shot? Fine with that is the right guy
taking the shot, because you know, you look back at
Jalen hood Shafino, that performance he had the year at Perdue.
He was taking a ton of long twos. He was
(20:40):
making them, so it was a good shot, right, You
want to have the right guy taking the shots. So
you know, I think for the most part, Indiana's going
to be a team that takes a lot of threes.
They're going to try to get to the rim, but
they're still going to take some long twos. But I
think you're going to see a better organization in terms
of who's taking those shots and the situations are taking
those shots. You know, obviously, if that's what the defense
(21:02):
is giving you. You know, if you're getting played at
drop coverage out of a ball screen and the shots
wide open, I mean, if it's a guy that can
make it, take the shot. But absolutely, I don't think
you're gonna see a lot of situations where the balls
passed twice and there's seventeen seconds on the shot clock
and a guy's jacking up an eighteen foot shot. I
don't think that's gonna happen. So that was one interesting thing,
(21:22):
you know, that he talked about from a style play perspective,
you know, just going back to one thing you mentioned there.
I was also pretty encouraged by the fact that, you know,
he talked about turnovers and rebounding is kind of the
big most important things. And you know, as some people
maybe don't, you know, I get into Ken Palm way
too much. You know, the four factors. I just look
(21:43):
at those, and I look at the teams that win
the most games, and you know, they're obviously doing all
those things well, you know, getting to the line, limiting turnovers,
shooting percentage with a little and you know, emphasis on
the three point shot, and rebounding are all you know important.
And for him to talk about the importance of defensive
(22:05):
rebounding particular really kind of made me feel like they're
gonna be a team that's, you know, send the guard.
Rebounding is gonna have to be a big deal because
you've got Bailey down there. He's gonna be able to
maybe fend off, you know, a guy or two here
and there. He's gonna be oversized. The guards are really
gonna have to get down there. And that's where I
like the makeup of the roster. In terms of the wings.
(22:27):
They got some guys who are that six six sixty
seven six' eight range that are going to be out.
THERE i think that really helps you having having longer,
guys more athletic guys in the wing that can go
down there and in possessions with defensive. Rebounding that was
really encouraging to me as.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Well, yeah it's it's a big, thing like you finish
a defensive possession by you, know getting the. Basketball. Uh
and it is obviously it's very. Important everyone talks about,
it but do you emphasize it and and do you
emphasize ways of doing? It we you, KNOW i believe
you just keep the best offensive rebounder off the. Board
(23:04):
so in a scouting, report if it's the Center, bayley
just block him, out block him, out maintain your. Blockout
as you, said guard, rebounding AND i think guard rebounding
is a stat that we should look at next. Year
but you Have Dorin Miles Devrez wilkerson all in the six, five,
six six sixty seven range at the, wings AND i
think your point guards need to go, too and then
(23:24):
you can facilitate a break with good wing guard defensive
rebounding because you can just turn and. Go you don't
have to have an outlet. Necessarily you can break out and.
Go AND i Know indiana early said they want to
shoot in twelve seconds and get out and. Go, well
send five guys to the, glass go get, it and
then let's let's get. Out but that's that's going to
(23:45):
be another way that you. Offset maybe you, know you
have a post player who's scoring on, you trying different,
things but if you just they got to score a
first first, shot you, know have a high percentage on first.
Shot if they, don't and you're a good defensive rebounding,
team then you're going to be in a position to
win basketball.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Games. YEAH i, MEAN i think another thing that's really
underrated in terms of just defensive rebounding is just a
fundamental of, it, RIGHT i, mean finding a guy and
actually hitting somebody with a. BODY i, mean you, KNOW
i grew up obviously watching a lot Of big ten,
basketball AND i remember those maybe gotten away from it
a little. Bit but some of those Tom izzo teams
(24:25):
in the late nineties early two, thousands it wasn't that
they had the most athletic, guys it wasn't that they
had the biggest, guys but they were just monsters out
there in terms of finding somebody hitting. Them you know.
That you see those old videos of the drill where
they just put the kind of the thing over the
basket where the ball can't go, in and they got
the pads out and they're just like going out there
full combat like. Football but it is a lot, about you,
(24:49):
know technique and how you approach the mental aspect of.
It how bad do you want the? Ball how bad
do you want to find a guy and block them?
Out you, know it's important those, Things and not to
obviously dwell on the past or, anything BUT i think
some of those smaller details maybe you weren't emphasized as,
much and you just kind of want To maybe you
(25:12):
don't have as much, talent but if the talent understands
kind of the technique and the understanding of like what's
important to helping us, win you, know AND i think
those are two great things to start with taking care
of the ball and. Rebounding you can win a lot
of games just by doing those things. Consistently you get
what you.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Emphasize the keyword you mentioned there is, emphasize and the
great coaches have a way of emphasizing and getting that
emphasis to be part of the, culture part of the
play of each one of their. Teams so it's the,
drills as you, mentioned it is just the. Attitude is
all the coaches together on the same page every, day
and then do the guys accept the fact, that, YEAH
(25:49):
i can't just sit and watch a long. REBOUND i
gotta go OR i got to keep my guy from getting.
It it just has to be a part of what you.
Do and For DeVries to mention that early that rebounding
is going to be a key in several different ways
that he's mentioned, that especially with the lack of, SIZE
i think is going to be a key component for next.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Year in terms of the, scheduling you, KNOW i obviously
saw the. Schedule they got four high major opponents With Kansas, State, Louisville, Kentucky.
Marquette those are four pretty strong, games but haven't really
dug in as much into the by. Games you, KNOW
i wrote kind of a brief overview of who they're,
playing but not really a lot OF i don't want
(26:30):
to say meat on the, bone but not not a
lot of strong opponents and those obviously they need to
win those. Games but from a bracketology, perspective do you
think the mix of games is okay in terms of
what they were able to do based on the fact
that they have Twenty big ten, games gonna have a
ton of opportunities. THERE i did see some social media
comments from a couple folks just kind of questioning having
(26:52):
that many quote unquote by games on the, Schedule but to,
me it seemed like for year one of a coach
that's trying to stat much this, program trying to obviously
make THE ncaa, tournament it seemed like a decent mix of.
Games maybe strength to schedule in the non conference isn't
going to be you, know top one, hundred top one,
fifty but they are playing some strong games, there obviously
(27:15):
going on the road to Play, kentucky a couple of
neutral site, games then Having Kansas state at. Home but
overall thoughts on the schedule and maybe those those by,
games is there any reason to worry that there may
not be enough there to really help the overall strength to.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Schedule, NO i think from a bracketology, standpoint this is
a good. SCHEDULE i think this is a good, schedule
no matter if your first, year second, year or third.
Year is it a great. Schedule, No but sometimes schools
schedule great and then run into. Trouble Michigan state a
few years ago overscheduled right and had so many. Games
BUT i think it's a good schedule for a first year.
(27:52):
Team and the fact THAT i tend to like to
have five or six power teams on a, SCHEDULE i
think that's. Important sometimes you get that when you go
To maui or you go to your, things and then
you add two or three other games and that's how
you get to five or. Six but the schedule four
individual GAMES i think is. SOLID i think the bye
(28:16):
games there are four THAT i consider right now just
to be must win games that aren't really going to
help your. Resume and then depending on how they. Play
these are programs in the past that have been in
the tournament that are the mid majors that can be
good and finish like two fifty or better or two
eighty or better last year and The Ken. Palm those
in the two hundreds don't really hurt, you, Right and that's.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
The ones who are the ones, sorry go, ahead who
are the ones that are actually maybe were games that'll
be worth watching or could help them.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Potentially, yeah Definitely. Milwaukee The Horizon league plays really good.
Basketball that's a game where you should win ten to.
Fifteen you can find yourself in a. Dogfight i've covered
The horizon semi finals the last two years for Del Fi,
bracketology got a second row, seat And i'll tell you,
what they can play some. Basketball they're just a notch
below the you, know the top power schools at every.
(29:07):
Level BUT i Think milwaukee is a game and a
program that is is a good mid Major Incarnate words
has moved upwards and they finished like two fifty something
In Ken, Palm SO i don't know what they have coming.
Back and the, rosters you, know those are the top
two by games that were Getting siena in the past
(29:28):
has been good from Out. East they were down a
little bit last, year but those are the three that
you want those to be in the two fifty to
three hundred range and beat. Them that'll help you as
a bracketology and then Your ALABAMA a and m's Your
Bethen Cookman lindenwood In Chicago. State those are film. Games
those are get right, games and you need those no
matter what kind of a roster you, Have but you
(29:49):
really need those when you have a roster that is
eleven new guys and a coach in the new you
can't schedule eleven power, schools you, know look back at
twenty thirty years, ago we were having a lot of,
those you. Know BUT i think it's a good. Schedule
it's a lot better than what happened last. Year it
(30:10):
Gives indiana an opportunity to win a couple of games
against power schools and then you go into your twenty
Game Big ten. SCHEDULE i think it is, good and
from a fans, PERSPECTIVE i think it's. Fantastic Kentucky Louisville
marquette here in The midwest under a coach THAT i
think is one of the best coaches in the. Country
(30:30):
Kansas state coming to an assembly hall is you, know not,
Local BUT i think that gives the fans a chance
to go into assembly hall and see good quality. Opponents
So i'm okay with. IT i think it's just a good,
one not a great, one but it's not detrimental to
the success of this, team which is number. One and
(30:51):
then obviously with the bracketology and the tournament.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Stuff one Thing i've talked about in the past is
just on some of these buy, games trying to win
the game by a little bit more Than indiana ass.
Historically is there is there any THAT i guess that's
Something i've conjured up in my mind that's. Important is
there actually any data that supports that being? Important is
it you, know when they Play ALABAMA a AND, m
if they win by eight as opposed to, Thirty is
(31:16):
there is there actually any long standing impact of, that
or is that maybe something that we've just kind of
taken as a talking point that maybe isn't as important
as we once.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Thought it's important because it's. Off it's when you Play
ALABAMA a AND. M it's. Off it's a chance to
get your offensive efficiency up and your defensive efficiency numbers,
better and then that spread helps you in the. Net
so you don't want to Beat ALABAMA a AND m
by five or. Six if you, do you want to
offset it by big, wins like big wins will mean
(31:49):
more than a smaller victories against teams you should. Dominate
so if you have a couple of games where you
only win eight to ten, points but you go and
you Beat, Louisville, Marquette Kansas, state you're three and one
in that, stretch that margin of victory is maybe a
seed line or. Two maybe that depended on the clump
of teams that would be around where it gets where
(32:12):
you get in troubles where you don't have those wins
and you play closer games than the. Schedule now your
resume falls to a little bit lower level when it
comes to comparing two teams on the. Bubble but, yeah
you want to win by decent. Margins those by games
The Milwaukee INCARNATE cn if they're middle, games if you,
(32:32):
will you want to win those by ten to fifteen
keep it in that, margin if not. More but that
just represents good offense and good, defense which you need
to build up that mathematical formula as far as data
to show, historically if you lose two games or play
two games under your expected, victory you're going TO i
don't have, that but it's all part of you want
(32:55):
to build a good mathematical resume. Too with your offense
and defensive numbers and padding that against some of the
weaker ones. Helps but it, also you, Know, alex strength
of schedule matters. Too you're Playing, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette Kansas.
State that's good as some of these people can. Pay.
Butler Big east has been heavily criticized this. Year, Butler
(33:16):
i'm trying to fit who else has really weak non
conference schedules right? Now, well they'll pad that mathematical, formula
but they won't have those big. GAMES i Know butler was.
Criticized i'm trying to think who. Else it Wasn't marquette
Or Saint, john's but there were a couple of teams
that really caught it on social media because of the bracketology. Piece,
(33:37):
yeah you're gonna win, games and you're gonna have that mathematical,
formula but you're not gonna have a good strength to
schedule and you're not gonna have quad one Or quad
two wins or losses even are better than. That so,
yeah this schedule is pretty, GOOD i, think AND i
think it shows again that direction AS i talked about,
earlier that Coach devrees is going in all areas of.
BASKETBALL i think it's a good step and going in
(34:00):
the right.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Direction you guys get obviously super in depth on all things,
bracketology especially like late in the process when you're coming
through those resumes trying to pick the teams for the
last couple of. Spots how often does that come up
with your discussions with students of like what a non
conference schedule was for a, Team like are you comparing
that or is it just simply you're looking at who
(34:22):
they beat VERSUS i, mean are you more likely to
give the benefit of the doubt of a team that
really challenged themselves in the non conference and played a
tougher schedule and maybe took some losses versus a team
that maybe padded with some empty calories and kind of
just scheduled. Wins i'm kind of, curious like how often
that comes up when you're having those discussions and maybe
when you're talking about the last two or three teams
(34:44):
to make it in the field.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
One it depends on what the committee will emphasize each.
Year but when we got started in twenty fifteen twenty,
sixteen non conference strength of schedule was, huge and then
that's been debated whether it should be total strength of
schedule with these mega conferences and the twenty game, conference
whether that should be more in, Consideration why is this
your non? Conference, well you control your non, conference AND
(35:07):
i think the committee is right in saying you played
teams that were, tough you went one in, three but
you played them as opposed to you played eleven ten
by games and only one game against someone. ELSE i
kind of like that as a fan and a. Bracketologist
but to answer your, question we talk about it a.
Lot if it comes, down you, know we look at
(35:27):
trends and trends or trends until they're no longer. Trends
but the last team's. In if you have a three
hundred or worse non conference strength to, schedule you're really
you better have something to offset. That you, Know rutgers
a few years ago had, that but they had four
or five top. Wins so but, yes we talk about
non conference strength of schedule a lot At Delphi. BRACKETOLOGY
(35:49):
i think the committee looks at it as, well and
maybe more of a tie breaker situation between a seed
line or. Something you saw even at the Top alex
some of the big twelve teams kind of skimmed the
or rigg the playing field by playing teams they could
beat big margins and build up their net and they
(36:10):
could have been maybe a two seed and end up
getting a three or a four. Seed SO i think
you see some adjustment at the top level too if
you don't have a strong non conference. Schedule SO i
think it is a lot more important than people. Think
and that's where the four games That indiana HAS i
think puts them in a good position come committee time
to be talked about in that.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Area, yeah it's always interesting to. Me like some of these,
Programs i'm sure they have people just sitting around trying
to like study the nets for the past couple of
years and figure out ways to game the. System you
mentioned the thing with The Big. Twelve is there anything
else you've kind of noticed with that over the times
since you've been doing this with in terms of programs
trying to figure out maybe efficiencies and different things to
(36:52):
try to boost their overall computer, Numbers and is there
anything do you think the committee you mentioned with The
Big twelve last year what some of these teams, did
and maybe the committee saw through that based on kind
of what you're saying a little bit by going down
the seed line or. Two do you think there's a
good like checks and balances in between these people that
(37:13):
are these programs eye that are trying to gain the
system and The committee actually being able to kind of
decipher what's real and what's not when they look at these.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
TEAMS i do The Mountain. WEST a few years, ago
all of us bracketologists missed on The Mountain west because
they had a lot of quad one wins And quad two,
wins but they all came in conference and what we
missed was that in that particular, year no one really
played a good non conference schedule and it drove up their,
nets and then when they played each other they got
(37:41):
a lot of. Wins, well the committee recognized, that and
they were all, eight, nine ten, seeds and we had
some of them in six seeds seven seeds based on
quad one in. Comparison SO i am one of the
bracketologists THAT i think the committee does a great. JOB
i really. Do AND i know on Selection sunday everyone
screams and yells at who was left out and who.
(38:03):
WASN'T i, think you, know every Year i'll probably have
two or three, decisions AND i would question a little,
bit but almost every. TIME i question WHEN i go
back and look at the, RESUME i didn't see. THAT
i didn't see. That and they have thousands of more
pages of information THAN i. Do AND i think we
do a good. Job And andy does a good job
(38:24):
as well with the two of us in, bracketology but
we don't have all of the, information AND i think
it's just you, know same with college football catching a
lot of. Grief those guys do a great job with
a lot of. Information, so, yes they're aware of those
teams that play ten games and win by thirty and
so their net is. HIGHER i think they do take
(38:45):
that into. Consideration and there's some new formulas now With
torvik and everything else being considered in the room that
can counterbalance one metric being higher than the. Other they
are more than aware of those, differences AND i think
that's what makes, uh you, know the tournaments so.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Special, YEAH i was real happy last year when they
brought In tordick's. Rankings you, KNOW i agree with. YOU
i think they. Do they do a thankless, job, right
because you're someone's always going to be, upset someone's always
going to be screwed when the bracket came. Out someone's
always going to complain and, say there was you, know
a conference commissioner that was on this thing and they
got their team in like last year With North. Carolina you,
(39:26):
know the whole conversation about. That but, again it's an impossible.
Job but you're never going to put out a perfect,
bracket so you just do the best you. Can BUT
i also think the more we can bring in smart
people that have made these computer formulas and bring those
into the equation to give them more information to make
an informed. DECISION i would never want to see it
(39:46):
go the way of let's let a computer pick the complete,
bracket BECAUSE i think that takes some of the fun
out of. It SO i think it's a good. Mix, Again,
also if you're one of those teams that's on the
on the, bubble who do you have to blame but?
Yourself just win more games and we wouldn't be having this.
Conversation that's kind of my. Argument every, year you know,
(40:07):
exact there'll be things that that kind of irk me
too WHEN i see the bracket come out and. Everything but,
again you, know there's sixty eight. Teams this is kind
of the last THING i wanted to talk to you
about because it seems like inevitable at this. Point i'm hoping,
not but but maybe it. Is this whole idea of.
Expansion where do you come down on. THAT i, mean
(40:28):
we do have now we are adding more teams every
year To division. One THERE'S i think three hundred and
sixty five teams, now so a lot more than WHEN
i guess we started out with sixty four AND i
went to sixty. EIGHT i, mean do you have a
problem with seventy two seventy? Six is there a point
where you, say all, right that's too? Many you, know
(40:50):
we were watering down the. Product but you, Know i'm
not in favor of, expansion BUT i do, think you,
know if they had a couple more, teams it's not
the end of the world.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Either i'm an old, soul so SO i don't like
a lot of changes in things That i'm really passionate.
About So I'm i'm against, Expansion BUT i also see
the BENEFITS i would be for expansion if you allowed
some Non power, five power, six how many power conferences
in college basketball you want to count now some opportunity
(41:23):
for some smaller, Schools but with the money, situation it's
it's likely if you add, teams it's going to go
to your power, four power five because of the money.
Factor is it really gonna and then even you, know
it's just harder now with the formula of knowing Schedules
Indiana state anymore or or some of those. Teams but
(41:43):
if you could Guarantee Indiana state a couple of years,
ago not this, layer but the year they went to
the N It, final a team like that getting into the,
TOURNAMENT i would really be for. Expansion we in that
YEAR i did put on our Del fi bracketology website
and it's still. There if anyone wants to go dig
out a SEVENTY i think as seventy two or seventy
(42:03):
sixteen bracket based on what the committee had and there's
some interesting. Matchups and WHAT i proposed was if you do,
that then you the benefit of that on the back,
end if you play condensed like fifteen and sixteen seeds
into more playing, games you have more winners that are.
(42:25):
SMALL i, MEAN i look at the first four In
dayton and those first two games Between ALABAMA a AND
m and someone. Else someone. Wins they're, excited, right they
get a chance to. Win, well you actually give more
of those small schools a chance to. Win if you
play on A, tuesday they get to go to THE ncaa. Tournament,
yes it's a quick, turnaround but they get to win
and then they get to advance and then all you,
(42:46):
know at the twelve seed, line it would be all
the at larges that would be. Playing but play them
At iconic, venues, right play them At, dayton play them
at Hinkle lestra in The east right when you have
and then you have A tv amount of games twelve
(43:08):
on That tuesday And wednesday night or six whatever you
would break it, up it'd be six GAMES i think
each night that's gonna. Benefit SO i don't want that
and don't think that, really you, KNOW i don't want
to see a FIFTEENTH sec team out of sixteen in the.
TOURNAMENT i do think that there are some ways that
(43:28):
they can still hold on. To you know what IS
i think it's just really awesome about the nca. Tournament
if they want to add add some, TEAMS i think
seventy six would be the max number though THAT i
would And i'm gonna love it no matter. What it's
what we, Do Alex, Right i'm not gonna give up
college basketball if they come out and say seventy two
(43:50):
or seventy. SIX i didn't give up college football a
major league. BASEBALL i didn't necessarily like all those expansion playoff,
expansions AND i still passionate have four TVs down here
in the Man, cave so we'll still love the. Sport
would love to see it at sixty. Eight BUT i
do think there's some ways that you can really keep the.
Magic you, Know Paul, pavilion if you want a venue
(44:13):
Out west or The, pit some iconic venues incorporate things like.
That if you're going to expand the.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
Tournament, yeah the one THING i would really like to see,
happen regardless of whether there's expansion or no, expansion is
get rid of the sixteen seeds that won their league
and earned a spot in the actual. Bracket get rid
of having them play in the first. FOUR i think
you should take more of The for, ONE i think
it'd be BETTER tv BECAUSE i think more people are
(44:42):
going to. WATCH i mean nothing against you, know these smaller,
schools but usually when the first four games come, On
i'll tune in maybe to the end of that sixteen
versus sixteen, game and then watch The Power conference teams
play later or you, Know i'd rather see those. Teams
if you won your, league you should be in the.
Bracket you shouldn't have to play into the. Bracket SO
(45:04):
i don't know if that'll ever, change BUT i do
think that that's one week THAT i would like to.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
See, yeah and there's you, know there's many ways to
look at. It it's just a good. Thing the amount
of money that has influenced college athletics in the last
five or six, years and and some of it's good
paying athletes and all of, that but just, money with
these television contracts and. EVERYTHING i get. It it drives.
(45:29):
Things but let's keep the nature of what we love
with the game of, basketball which is the college. Tournament
keep it as as much as you possibly. Can if
you are going to expand.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
It, well, coach thanks for making the. Time hopefully didn't
keep you off the golf course here on This friday.
Morning i'm not sure what you got scheduled for the
rest of the, day BUT i hope you have a good.
Weekend thanks for making the time to come on the.
Show thanks for having me. Anytime it's always a. Pleasure thanks,
everybody as always for listening to The podcast on The.
(46:01):
Brink if you enjoyed the, show please leave us at
five star rating and review over On Apple, podcasts leave
us a five star rating over On, spotify and we'll
be back soon with another episode Of podcast on The.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Brink
Welcome back to a new episode of Podcasts on Brink,
getting back into the regular swing of things two straight
weeks with an episode. This week's guest the coach Brian
Tonsny of Assembly Call and Delphi Bracketology Coach. It's been
a while since you've been on the show, but I
(00:38):
wanted to have you on this week to get some
thoughts on the new regime scheduling. Maybe we'll talk some
potential lineups and different things you expect to see how
the Hoosiers this season. Welcome back to podcast on the Brink.
Always good to see you. Understand you've been playing some
golf this offseason. How's that been going.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
It's getting better, which is I have a long way
to go, so getting better doesn't mean that I'm good
at it. I do enjoy We have a teacher group
that gets together at least once or twice a week,
and then sometimes I get out in the morning and
go play around by myself. It's a way that I
can challenge now that I'm not coaching anymore. Try to
keep that competitive in nature. But I have a long
(01:18):
way to go with that, Alex. But it's always good
to be on your show. I love talking basketball. I
really appreciate what you do to bring information to us
as reporters, podcasters, whatever I'm called, and fans alike. So
it's always good to talk at Indiana basketball. So thanks
for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to you guys getting back into
the swing of things with Assembly called Miss hearing you
guys this offseason. So hopefully as we get into the
fall here and getting closer to some basketball being played,
we'll get back to some more regular Assembly Assembly Call content.
I know you guys have a strong following, and I'm
sure that some of your fans as well are going
(01:59):
to be excited to get you guys back on the
air more regularly.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, we're excited to We have decided to cut back
to everyday Thursday night shows, but we've done a few
shows throughout the summer and then once August comes, I
think you're going to see us regularly. Obviously every postgame
show will be there as well.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Good deal. So I just wanted to start off, you know,
it's obviously I think I looked at back and you know,
you haven't been on the show since I think late
December maybe last year, early early January, so a lot
of transpired since then. Just your early impression so far
of Darren DeVries and what he's been able to accomplish here.
(02:39):
Obviously had to totally rebuild the roster in Bloomington somewhat
out of necessity. I'm not sure exactly how that process
went down with all the transfers, and you know, whether
there was guys who actually wanted to keep, but ultimately
I think, you know, a clean start was probably best
for everyone involved. But now that you know, I say,
(03:00):
the dust is settled on the roster and you know
they do, I guess have one spot technically open. Who
knows if they'll fill that. Not speculating, just thinking out
loud here. They have twelve guys, they've got a you
know that trip coming up next month to Puerto Rico.
They've got the schedule set. Just what are your overall,
you know, high level thoughts on what has transpired here
the last couple of months and as we get ready
(03:22):
for these games coming up next month in Puerto Rico.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, I'm excited for the change. I think change was
needed for Indiana basketball to try to get back to
where Indiana basketball should be in many of our eyes,
will Coach DeVries be that guy. We hope so right.
We do not know until the games start being played.
But almost everything that a new coach has to do
(03:47):
I think has been positive. One building the roster, as
you mentioned, yes it's a total turnaround, but in today's world,
that's a lot easier than if you had to do
it with freshmen or you know, jucoachransfers as he did
when he was at Drake before the open transfer portal.
I thought he got some very interesting players in there
that fit a prototype for what advis player is with size, shooting,
(04:12):
athleticism that I think has been different than what Indiana
has had in the past really eight years over two
coaching regimes. The emphasis on shooting is exciting for many
of us because that's a modern basketball. I think you're
going to see a little bit more of that. I
think the schedule was well done. I think part of
(04:32):
that is the trip. Being able to take the trip.
He did that at West Virginia. I think that helped
get West Virginia off to a good start in his
only year at West Virginia. I think that was a
good decision to make, and I think as we talk schedule,
I thought it was strong enough to build a resume
for bracketology, and it gets you ready for a tough
(04:53):
Big Ten conference. So I thought that was good. And
then I just appreciate his work when he signed Pickerson
and flew down there the day that Wilkerson made the decision.
That's been a little different than some coaches in college basketball,
and it was a little different than the approach that
coach Woodson did. And now he's starting. I don't follow
(05:14):
recruiting as much anymore because it's just so widespread, but
it seems like we're getting top talent to at least
come to visit, and top talent that's interested. And then
he is constantly working the recruiting angle, and it just
seems like he's a hard worker, which I think Indiana
and Indiana fans really want from their head coach. So
all signs for me since the change show a positive direction.
(05:38):
Now I may be having rose colored glasses and wanting
something so bad after twenty some years of struggle that
I'm over hyping it a little bit. But I think
when you have a pattern of really good decision making
in many different areas, you have to be pleased with
what we see so far, and then the results will
(05:59):
really determine that when the games start in November.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yeah, I told you this a little bit earlier before
we started the show. I had a chance, I'm not
exactly sure the date. I had a chance in later
later in June to go up and talk to Darren
Derees in his office for thirty five or so minutes.
And I obviously have covered Indiana basketball since two thousand
(06:23):
and seven, and obviously my role is somebody of the
meat of the media is always in favor of more
access and getting more information because that's you know, that's
how we communicate with our audience. That's why how I
can come on the podcast and be more informed when
I talk to guests and talk about the team, when
I write about the team. It's always good to to,
you know, have the perspective of a coach. And I
appreciated the fact that he was willing to sit down
(06:44):
and talk. But more than anything else, one of my
big takeaways from that conversation was just how relaxed, open,
honest he seemed in terms of everything he was discussing.
It didn't seem guarded in terms of anything in terms
of information, you know, I asked questions and he answered
them and had a smile on his face, and it
(07:06):
was maybe a little bit different than kind of, you know,
the interactions that some of the media have with the
last two coaches. So I was I was really encouraged
just from a media perspective. You know, I think fans
can expect when when Darren de Reese gives a press
conference and talks, not saying there's ever going to be
there's obviously going to be with any coach times where
maybe they're annoyed or don't like a question, or had
a rough practice and maybe aren't as detailed and in
(07:28):
depth as you like. But I appreciated the fact that
he was just willing to talk basketball. I think that's
one of the big things that maybe we've been missing
in terms of getting information in the past couple of regimes,
is just being able to ask a basketball question and
get a basketball answer. Having a coach that's willing to
talk ball, I think is going to really uh resonate
with Indiana fans. So I was encouraged from from that perspective.
(07:51):
Not sure if you want to weigh in anything from
that perspective, coach, but uh, it wasn't really a question,
but just an observation of my experience and wanted to
share it with the audience.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
I couldn't agree more with the fact of talking basketball
is an important part of the program because through media
like yourself and us, if we understand stuff, and and
no coach, As a former high school coach, I didn't
like the reporters coming in after a loss or when
I mean, but you understand that's part of your job
to communicate what you want out of your program. And
(08:23):
some coaches do it really well, and some coaches really struggle.
And so it's good to hear that he is open
to that and comfortable in his own skin, in his
own way of communicating, because I don't think we've seen
that in the last couple of years. We had it
early with Crean, he struggled with that even down towards
the end, and then Archie and coach Woodson seemed to
(08:44):
have the you know, a little adverse reaction to the media.
But you know, part of what I do with bracketology
is I get to now go to games. Our name
has been accepted. Purdue in Indiana and Notre Dame Butler
all allow us to go and cover games. And you
see a wide arrange array actually of coaches and how
(09:07):
they talk basketball, and most of them do talk basketball,
even though that might not be the most ideal thing
that they want to do postgame, they understand that it's
a message and it was one of the things that
in the last eight years really bothered me is that
that wasn't coming from Indiana University. You weren't getting some
basketball conversation and while trying to understand the coach roll
(09:30):
of it as well. So I'm glad to hear that
that went well for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
That's one of the things I you know, obviously in
the nfans aren't aren't too keen on hearing kind words
for Purdue basketball and Matt Painter. But that's kind of
the one thing I always appreciate listening to Matt Painter
press conferences. He'll take any question, whether he likes it
or not. He may not give you the best answer,
but when you do ask a good question, I feel
like there's always a really good answer and a lot
(09:57):
of substance behind it. So I've always appreciated that about him,
And there's probably other coaches, but you know, it's at
the big timing tom Izzo, I think a lot of
times too, will give you a good answer. You know, again,
may not like the question. I think that's kind of
the give and take you always have as a media
member talking to these coaches. Wanted to ask you about
this roster. You know, I feel like in many ways
(10:19):
Tucker to Rees has been a little bit forgotten as
we talk about this team. You know, everyone's talking about Reed, Bailey,
Lamar Wilkerson, taking Connorway, some of these new guys. But
I saw a list earlier this week that I think
was the top one hundred list of college basketball players,
and the season he was I think in the top
twenty five. So that kind of tells you where he's
thought about nationally. But maybe a little bit forgotten because
(10:39):
it was a foregone conclusion that he was going to
come with his dad and he was injured last season.
But he kind of epitomizes what you you mentioned earlier
with the shooting piece. You know, I had a chance
to watch him a couple of times last season when
they were playing down in the Battle for Atlantis before
he got hurt, and he was taking threes from not
just from right behind the three point line, beyond NBA
(10:59):
range and making them he had a great game against
Arizona down there. He's a guy that I think a
lot of fans should be excited for. Just your thoughts
on on Tucker and what he can potentially bring to
this team next year with his size and his versatility
from beyond the arc.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Well, we'll talk a lot about shooting, and with Tucker,
it is shooting. The ability to shoot and have range, right,
that is something that you know Indiana has had some,
but it's been stationary shooting in the corners, playing off
double teams in the past eight years. And now you're
gonna see a variety of ways to get Tucker open.
And he understands the game, right if you watch some
(11:35):
of that West Virginia film, you know, if two guys
fly out at him, he understands to drop that off
with a little bounce pass or find the next guy.
So shooting is going to be number one. And and
I think people who watch Indiana basketball are going to
see shots taken from a variety of places once once
he crosses half court, and I think that's just again,
(11:57):
that's that's that modern basketball. And yes, I think he
has been forgotten. You know when people look and they say, well,
there's a bunch of mid major transfers that come into
this roster, so we're going to have them ninth, tenth,
eleventh or something into Big ten. But you know, basketball's
played at all levels at great skill, and you get
(12:17):
a best player from a mid major. But this is
a guy who played at Drake very well, and then
he went to West Virginia and played well for eight games.
So I think he's a top ten, top fifteen type
guy in college basketball. But because of all of what
you said with the injury, he's not being discussed, but
he will be someone who will be number one on
the scouting report, and so then you can play off
(12:38):
that with the other players too, Like you have to
guard Tucker and the actions that are going to be
run for Tucker, which then opens up a whole lot
of things for other players who are also as talented.
But the number one thing is going to be range
and shooting.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Who else maybe is you've kind of come through this
roster and I know you've got some notes, maybe some
things you want to discuss. Who else maybe caught your
eye in terms of maybe just a player that you
think is going to be pivotal to the success next year,
anyone may be flying under the radar. I'm just kind
of curious on your overall thoughts. One guy that and
I'm not sure if you want to talk about him
(13:15):
at all, but I think maybe flying a little bit
under it or just in terms of impact that I
wrote a story about and talked to derees about is
Connor in Right. And he isn't a guy that really
jumps off the stat sheet. He's not going to jump
off when you look at him, but you look at
his assist straight last year what he was able to do.
He may not even start. I don't think most people
were expecting him to start, but he when listening to
(13:37):
what the rees had to say about him, is a
guy that really understands the system and is a blue
collar type of player, is going to do the little
things that take it takes to win. So he's one
guy that has kind of stood out in my mind
as a player to watch this coming season. Who for
you are those guys and who have you maybe studied
in the offseason.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Well, let's talk point guards while you bring up and Right.
I think in Wright's that guy that everyone loves if
he's on your team, but you can't stand if he's
on the other team because he's diving, he's taking charges,
he's he's pestering that, you know, and then he makes
plays that you look at him like, how do you
make that play that assists to devirees or whatever else.
(14:16):
I'm like, he's a ballplayer like he's and you need
that in point guard. But you need multiple point guards.
I think Indiana struggled in the past because they've had
one and then when you have an injury or you
have something happen, now you're moving down to a wing
to be a point You know, Trey Galloway handled the basketball,
and he handled it well, but he's not a prototypical
point guard. Well, Indiana has three point guards in my opinion.
(14:37):
They got Connorway, Enwright and possibly the Drake kid who
can play off the ball as well. And the number
one thing for me is going to be ball pressure. Right,
So we'll talk read Bailey and the inability for rim
protection to concern that everyone has that is legit part
of your answer there is putting an extreme amount of
(14:58):
pressure on the ball. And you have two guys in
Connorway and Enright who are just going to be ballhawks.
And if let's say those two get the forty minutes
you don't have, you don't lapse defensively, whether you start
en Right or start Conorway, like, you can put pressure
on the ball for forty minutes, and I imagine Drake
is the same way, because as I mentioned earlier, the
(15:19):
prototype player is long, lanky that can guard the basketball.
And I think you have some of those that what
I broke them up into point guard wings, power forwards
and fives, and it's really positionless basketball these days. But
I love the point guards for their defensive pressure as
well as what they can do offensively. I think both
(15:39):
of them can get in the lane, both of them
can handle the pick and roll. Conorway not a great
three point shooter, but can score at the rim, and
he can distribute the basketball, and I think those are
keys to then get Dvrees Wilkerson the quality shooters looks
if you can do that offensively. But I am so
excited at Alex about the ball pressure that I believe
you're gonna from Connorway and Enright, and and really what
(16:02):
that means when you don't have the super rim protection,
how important that will be.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
How concerned are you about the maybe lack of rim protection.
When you look at the roster, you obviously have Reed Bailey,
who's not a shot blocker. You have Sam Alexis, who
played some center, I guess at Florida. Before that, he
was at Chattanooga. You know he's been You look at
his kN POMP profiles listed as a center, but he's
not your prototypical big ten center that we've seen. So
(16:31):
you look at some of these other big ten rosters,
like a Michigan for example, They've got some absolute size
upfront and skill, and you wonder how in Indiana's gonna
match up against them. But also they're gonna have to
match up on the other end guarding Indiana. So but
but the rim protection piece, how important is that? Can
that be overcome with? As you mentioned the ball pressure
(16:52):
and are there just gonna be nights where inevitably Indiana
is gonna be out manned in the post and they're
just gonna have to figure out other ways to win one.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I think it's the weakness of this roster right now
is you don't have rim protection. But we we as
fans and as coaches, sometimes get caught up in the
optimal lineup we have with this roster. We have great
point guard play. We have great shooters and great wings,
and sometimes in a roster you just have to have
a weak area because if you don't, then you should
be a top five team. And hopefully that's where a
(17:22):
coach will get as he's recruiting a couple top seven
foot centers that I see are interested in come and visit.
So he doesn't want to play this way all the time,
but in his first year and building a roster has to.
So here's how you overcome it. You put that ball
pressure on. You'll see a lot of double teams. I
call them monsters. So forgive me if I revert back
to my coaching lingo. But you can. You can send
(17:43):
people from different places. You can send them baseline for
a double. You can post to post double. You can
double off of what we used to call dork doubling
the worst player. You just you you double off the
dork and the offense. And what I like is coach
Defreese has admitted that we're going to be overmatched at times.
We're gonna have to guard it in multiple ways. And
this is where I think coach Devrie, with the college background,
(18:06):
understands how to try to attack defensively the good offenses
and the good coaches in the Big Ten. He's going
to have a scouting report and a plan. It's not
going to be And again, I want to focus on
the positive of going forward as far as compared backwards.
But I think it's a better position to have coach
Devrees trying to make up for the lack of rim protection.
(18:29):
And then the other way is you're better offensively. They
got to match up with a five who's going to
dribble at someone and throw a back door cut or
pick and pop for three, although Bailey's not a super
stretch for or a dead three, so you have an
advantage on the other end if a rim protector has
to guard out on the perimeter, so ball pressure. And
(18:51):
then the best thing that Davreez has said for me
is too it's like, we just got to rebound to
basketball if we can rebound to basketball. So you tell
Alexis and you tell Bailey, keep the best offensive rebounders
off the glass. They may not even have to rebound.
So when you look at rebound stats next year, Bailey
and Alexis aren't getting a lot of boards, but your
Devrees and Wilkerson and Dorn and Miles. Those are guys
(19:12):
that are going to clean up that might be how
you know, you protect the rim by limiting second second shots.
And then the last thing Alex is it's it's a
rim and it's a rim and three game. And a
lot of teams when they played Trace Jackson Davis and
our post players would allow us to have thirty point
plays in the post and beat us because you take
(19:34):
away the three. So if they're going to score at
the rim on a post play, you fight like heck,
But okay, we'll trade threes for twos all day long
and win the math problem. Right. So I'd rather guard
the three and have ball pressure and not have rim
protection than have rim protection and not be able to
guard the three. So I think those are ways that
(19:55):
you fight that deficiency in the roster.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, one thing that he talked about with us when
we went I'm out with him. I didn't write anything
about this, but asked him kind of about long twos
because you know, that's been kind of a thing that
Indiana fans and quite frankly, I've kind of criticized the
last couple of years of Indiana basketball is just the
volume of long twos, and he didn't say necessarily that
(20:20):
he's totally against it. He more talked about situations when
those shots are being taken. You know, is it a
late shot clock situation where a guy's got to go
take that shot? Fine with that is the right guy
taking the shot, because you know, you look back at
Jalen hood Shafino, that performance he had the year at Perdue.
He was taking a ton of long twos. He was
(20:40):
making them, so it was a good shot, right, You
want to have the right guy taking the shots. So
you know, I think for the most part, Indiana's going
to be a team that takes a lot of threes.
They're going to try to get to the rim, but
they're still going to take some long twos. But I
think you're going to see a better organization in terms
of who's taking those shots and the situations are taking
those shots. You know, obviously, if that's what the defense
(21:02):
is giving you. You know, if you're getting played at
drop coverage out of a ball screen and the shots
wide open, I mean, if it's a guy that can
make it, take the shot. But absolutely, I don't think
you're gonna see a lot of situations where the balls
passed twice and there's seventeen seconds on the shot clock
and a guy's jacking up an eighteen foot shot. I
don't think that's gonna happen. So that was one interesting thing,
(21:22):
you know, that he talked about from a style play perspective,
you know, just going back to one thing you mentioned there.
I was also pretty encouraged by the fact that, you know,
he talked about turnovers and rebounding is kind of the
big most important things. And you know, as some people
maybe don't, you know, I get into Ken Palm way
too much. You know, the four factors. I just look
(21:43):
at those, and I look at the teams that win
the most games, and you know, they're obviously doing all
those things well, you know, getting to the line, limiting turnovers,
shooting percentage with a little and you know, emphasis on
the three point shot, and rebounding are all you know important.
And for him to talk about the importance of defensive
(22:05):
rebounding particular really kind of made me feel like they're
gonna be a team that's, you know, send the guard.
Rebounding is gonna have to be a big deal because
you've got Bailey down there. He's gonna be able to
maybe fend off, you know, a guy or two here
and there. He's gonna be oversized. The guards are really
gonna have to get down there. And that's where I
like the makeup of the roster. In terms of the wings.
(22:27):
They got some guys who are that six six sixty
seven six' eight range that are going to be out.
THERE i think that really helps you having having longer,
guys more athletic guys in the wing that can go
down there and in possessions with defensive. Rebounding that was
really encouraging to me as.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Well, yeah it's it's a big, thing like you finish
a defensive possession by you, know getting the. Basketball. Uh
and it is obviously it's very. Important everyone talks about,
it but do you emphasize it and and do you
emphasize ways of doing? It we you, KNOW i believe
you just keep the best offensive rebounder off the. Board
(23:04):
so in a scouting, report if it's the Center, bayley
just block him, out block him, out maintain your. Blockout
as you, said guard, rebounding AND i think guard rebounding
is a stat that we should look at next. Year
but you Have Dorin Miles Devrez wilkerson all in the six, five,
six six sixty seven range at the, wings AND i
think your point guards need to go, too and then
(23:24):
you can facilitate a break with good wing guard defensive
rebounding because you can just turn and. Go you don't
have to have an outlet. Necessarily you can break out and.
Go AND i Know indiana early said they want to
shoot in twelve seconds and get out and. Go, well
send five guys to the, glass go get, it and
then let's let's get. Out but that's that's going to
(23:45):
be another way that you. Offset maybe you, know you
have a post player who's scoring on, you trying different,
things but if you just they got to score a
first first, shot you, know have a high percentage on first.
Shot if they, don't and you're a good defensive rebounding,
team then you're going to be in a position to
win basketball.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Games. YEAH i, MEAN i think another thing that's really
underrated in terms of just defensive rebounding is just a
fundamental of, it, RIGHT i, mean finding a guy and
actually hitting somebody with a. BODY i, mean you, KNOW
i grew up obviously watching a lot Of big ten,
basketball AND i remember those maybe gotten away from it
a little. Bit but some of those Tom izzo teams
(24:25):
in the late nineties early two, thousands it wasn't that
they had the most athletic, guys it wasn't that they
had the biggest, guys but they were just monsters out
there in terms of finding somebody hitting. Them you know.
That you see those old videos of the drill where
they just put the kind of the thing over the
basket where the ball can't go, in and they got
the pads out and they're just like going out there
full combat like. Football but it is a lot, about you,
(24:49):
know technique and how you approach the mental aspect of.
It how bad do you want the? Ball how bad
do you want to find a guy and block them?
Out you, know it's important those, Things and not to
obviously dwell on the past or, anything BUT i think
some of those smaller details maybe you weren't emphasized as,
much and you just kind of want To maybe you
(25:12):
don't have as much, talent but if the talent understands
kind of the technique and the understanding of like what's
important to helping us, win you, know AND i think
those are two great things to start with taking care
of the ball and. Rebounding you can win a lot
of games just by doing those things. Consistently you get
what you.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Emphasize the keyword you mentioned there is, emphasize and the
great coaches have a way of emphasizing and getting that
emphasis to be part of the, culture part of the
play of each one of their. Teams so it's the,
drills as you, mentioned it is just the. Attitude is
all the coaches together on the same page every, day
and then do the guys accept the fact, that, YEAH
(25:49):
i can't just sit and watch a long. REBOUND i
gotta go OR i got to keep my guy from getting.
It it just has to be a part of what you.
Do and For DeVries to mention that early that rebounding
is going to be a key in several different ways
that he's mentioned, that especially with the lack of, SIZE
i think is going to be a key component for next.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Year in terms of the, scheduling you, KNOW i obviously
saw the. Schedule they got four high major opponents With Kansas, State, Louisville, Kentucky.
Marquette those are four pretty strong, games but haven't really
dug in as much into the by. Games you, KNOW
i wrote kind of a brief overview of who they're,
playing but not really a lot OF i don't want
(26:30):
to say meat on the, bone but not not a
lot of strong opponents and those obviously they need to
win those. Games but from a bracketology, perspective do you
think the mix of games is okay in terms of
what they were able to do based on the fact
that they have Twenty big ten, games gonna have a
ton of opportunities. THERE i did see some social media
comments from a couple folks just kind of questioning having
(26:52):
that many quote unquote by games on the, Schedule but to,
me it seemed like for year one of a coach
that's trying to stat much this, program trying to obviously
make THE ncaa, tournament it seemed like a decent mix of.
Games maybe strength to schedule in the non conference isn't
going to be you, know top one, hundred top one,
fifty but they are playing some strong games, there obviously
(27:15):
going on the road to Play, kentucky a couple of
neutral site, games then Having Kansas state at. Home but
overall thoughts on the schedule and maybe those those by,
games is there any reason to worry that there may
not be enough there to really help the overall strength to.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Schedule, NO i think from a bracketology, standpoint this is
a good. SCHEDULE i think this is a good, schedule
no matter if your first, year second, year or third.
Year is it a great. Schedule, No but sometimes schools
schedule great and then run into. Trouble Michigan state a
few years ago overscheduled right and had so many. Games
BUT i think it's a good schedule for a first year.
(27:52):
Team and the fact THAT i tend to like to
have five or six power teams on a, SCHEDULE i
think that's. Important sometimes you get that when you go
To maui or you go to your, things and then
you add two or three other games and that's how
you get to five or. Six but the schedule four
individual GAMES i think is. SOLID i think the bye
(28:16):
games there are four THAT i consider right now just
to be must win games that aren't really going to
help your. Resume and then depending on how they. Play
these are programs in the past that have been in
the tournament that are the mid majors that can be
good and finish like two fifty or better or two
eighty or better last year and The Ken. Palm those
in the two hundreds don't really hurt, you, Right and that's.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
The ones who are the ones, sorry go, ahead who
are the ones that are actually maybe were games that'll
be worth watching or could help them.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Potentially, yeah Definitely. Milwaukee The Horizon league plays really good.
Basketball that's a game where you should win ten to.
Fifteen you can find yourself in a. Dogfight i've covered
The horizon semi finals the last two years for Del Fi,
bracketology got a second row, seat And i'll tell you,
what they can play some. Basketball they're just a notch
below the you, know the top power schools at every.
(29:07):
Level BUT i Think milwaukee is a game and a
program that is is a good mid Major Incarnate words
has moved upwards and they finished like two fifty something
In Ken, Palm SO i don't know what they have coming.
Back and the, rosters you, know those are the top
two by games that were Getting siena in the past
(29:28):
has been good from Out. East they were down a
little bit last, year but those are the three that
you want those to be in the two fifty to
three hundred range and beat. Them that'll help you as
a bracketology and then Your ALABAMA a and m's Your
Bethen Cookman lindenwood In Chicago. State those are film. Games
those are get right, games and you need those no
matter what kind of a roster you, Have but you
(29:49):
really need those when you have a roster that is
eleven new guys and a coach in the new you
can't schedule eleven power, schools you, know look back at
twenty thirty years, ago we were having a lot of,
those you. Know BUT i think it's a good. Schedule
it's a lot better than what happened last. Year it
(30:10):
Gives indiana an opportunity to win a couple of games
against power schools and then you go into your twenty
Game Big ten. SCHEDULE i think it is, good and
from a fans, PERSPECTIVE i think it's. Fantastic Kentucky Louisville
marquette here in The midwest under a coach THAT i
think is one of the best coaches in the. Country
(30:30):
Kansas state coming to an assembly hall is you, know not,
Local BUT i think that gives the fans a chance
to go into assembly hall and see good quality. Opponents
So i'm okay with. IT i think it's just a good,
one not a great, one but it's not detrimental to
the success of this, team which is number. One and
(30:51):
then obviously with the bracketology and the tournament.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Stuff one Thing i've talked about in the past is
just on some of these buy, games trying to win
the game by a little bit more Than indiana ass.
Historically is there is there any THAT i guess that's
Something i've conjured up in my mind that's. Important is
there actually any data that supports that being? Important is
it you, know when they Play ALABAMA a AND, m
if they win by eight as opposed to, Thirty is
(31:16):
there is there actually any long standing impact of, that
or is that maybe something that we've just kind of
taken as a talking point that maybe isn't as important
as we once.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Thought it's important because it's. Off it's when you Play
ALABAMA a AND. M it's. Off it's a chance to
get your offensive efficiency up and your defensive efficiency numbers,
better and then that spread helps you in the. Net
so you don't want to Beat ALABAMA a AND m
by five or. Six if you, do you want to
offset it by big, wins like big wins will mean
(31:49):
more than a smaller victories against teams you should. Dominate
so if you have a couple of games where you
only win eight to ten, points but you go and
you Beat, Louisville, Marquette Kansas, state you're three and one
in that, stretch that margin of victory is maybe a
seed line or. Two maybe that depended on the clump
of teams that would be around where it gets where
(32:12):
you get in troubles where you don't have those wins
and you play closer games than the. Schedule now your
resume falls to a little bit lower level when it
comes to comparing two teams on the. Bubble but, yeah
you want to win by decent. Margins those by games
The Milwaukee INCARNATE cn if they're middle, games if you,
(32:32):
will you want to win those by ten to fifteen
keep it in that, margin if not. More but that
just represents good offense and good, defense which you need
to build up that mathematical formula as far as data
to show, historically if you lose two games or play
two games under your expected, victory you're going TO i
don't have, that but it's all part of you want
(32:55):
to build a good mathematical resume. Too with your offense
and defensive numbers and padding that against some of the
weaker ones. Helps but it, also you, Know, alex strength
of schedule matters. Too you're Playing, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette Kansas.
State that's good as some of these people can. Pay.
Butler Big east has been heavily criticized this. Year, Butler
(33:16):
i'm trying to fit who else has really weak non
conference schedules right? Now, well they'll pad that mathematical, formula
but they won't have those big. GAMES i Know butler was.
Criticized i'm trying to think who. Else it Wasn't marquette
Or Saint, john's but there were a couple of teams
that really caught it on social media because of the bracketology. Piece,
(33:37):
yeah you're gonna win, games and you're gonna have that mathematical,
formula but you're not gonna have a good strength to
schedule and you're not gonna have quad one Or quad
two wins or losses even are better than. That so,
yeah this schedule is pretty, GOOD i, think AND i
think it shows again that direction AS i talked about,
earlier that Coach devrees is going in all areas of.
BASKETBALL i think it's a good step and going in
(34:00):
the right.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Direction you guys get obviously super in depth on all things,
bracketology especially like late in the process when you're coming
through those resumes trying to pick the teams for the
last couple of. Spots how often does that come up
with your discussions with students of like what a non
conference schedule was for a, Team like are you comparing
that or is it just simply you're looking at who
(34:22):
they beat VERSUS i, mean are you more likely to
give the benefit of the doubt of a team that
really challenged themselves in the non conference and played a
tougher schedule and maybe took some losses versus a team
that maybe padded with some empty calories and kind of
just scheduled. Wins i'm kind of, curious like how often
that comes up when you're having those discussions and maybe
when you're talking about the last two or three teams
(34:44):
to make it in the field.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
One it depends on what the committee will emphasize each.
Year but when we got started in twenty fifteen twenty,
sixteen non conference strength of schedule was, huge and then
that's been debated whether it should be total strength of
schedule with these mega conferences and the twenty game, conference
whether that should be more in, Consideration why is this
your non? Conference, well you control your non, conference AND
(35:07):
i think the committee is right in saying you played
teams that were, tough you went one in, three but
you played them as opposed to you played eleven ten
by games and only one game against someone. ELSE i
kind of like that as a fan and a. Bracketologist
but to answer your, question we talk about it a.
Lot if it comes, down you, know we look at
(35:27):
trends and trends or trends until they're no longer. Trends
but the last team's. In if you have a three
hundred or worse non conference strength to, schedule you're really
you better have something to offset. That you, Know rutgers
a few years ago had, that but they had four
or five top. Wins so but, yes we talk about
non conference strength of schedule a lot At Delphi. BRACKETOLOGY
(35:49):
i think the committee looks at it as, well and
maybe more of a tie breaker situation between a seed
line or. Something you saw even at the Top alex
some of the big twelve teams kind of skimmed the
or rigg the playing field by playing teams they could
beat big margins and build up their net and they
(36:10):
could have been maybe a two seed and end up
getting a three or a four. Seed SO i think
you see some adjustment at the top level too if
you don't have a strong non conference. Schedule SO i
think it is a lot more important than people. Think
and that's where the four games That indiana HAS i
think puts them in a good position come committee time
to be talked about in that.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Area, yeah it's always interesting to. Me like some of these,
Programs i'm sure they have people just sitting around trying
to like study the nets for the past couple of
years and figure out ways to game the. System you
mentioned the thing with The Big. Twelve is there anything
else you've kind of noticed with that over the times
since you've been doing this with in terms of programs
trying to figure out maybe efficiencies and different things to
(36:52):
try to boost their overall computer, Numbers and is there
anything do you think the committee you mentioned with The
Big twelve last year what some of these teams, did
and maybe the committee saw through that based on kind
of what you're saying a little bit by going down
the seed line or. Two do you think there's a
good like checks and balances in between these people that
(37:13):
are these programs eye that are trying to gain the
system and The committee actually being able to kind of
decipher what's real and what's not when they look at these.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
TEAMS i do The Mountain. WEST a few years, ago
all of us bracketologists missed on The Mountain west because
they had a lot of quad one wins And quad two,
wins but they all came in conference and what we
missed was that in that particular, year no one really
played a good non conference schedule and it drove up their,
nets and then when they played each other they got
(37:41):
a lot of. Wins, well the committee recognized, that and
they were all, eight, nine ten, seeds and we had
some of them in six seeds seven seeds based on
quad one in. Comparison SO i am one of the
bracketologists THAT i think the committee does a great. JOB
i really. Do AND i know on Selection sunday everyone
screams and yells at who was left out and who.
(38:03):
WASN'T i, think you, know every Year i'll probably have
two or three, decisions AND i would question a little,
bit but almost every. TIME i question WHEN i go
back and look at the, RESUME i didn't see. THAT
i didn't see. That and they have thousands of more
pages of information THAN i. Do AND i think we
do a good. Job And andy does a good job
(38:24):
as well with the two of us in, bracketology but
we don't have all of the, information AND i think
it's just you, know same with college football catching a
lot of. Grief those guys do a great job with
a lot of. Information, so, yes they're aware of those
teams that play ten games and win by thirty and
so their net is. HIGHER i think they do take
(38:45):
that into. Consideration and there's some new formulas now With
torvik and everything else being considered in the room that
can counterbalance one metric being higher than the. Other they
are more than aware of those, differences AND i think
that's what makes, uh you, know the tournaments so.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Special, YEAH i was real happy last year when they
brought In tordick's. Rankings you, KNOW i agree with. YOU
i think they. Do they do a thankless, job, right
because you're someone's always going to be, upset someone's always
going to be screwed when the bracket came. Out someone's
always going to complain and, say there was you, know
a conference commissioner that was on this thing and they
got their team in like last year With North. Carolina you,
(39:26):
know the whole conversation about. That but, again it's an impossible.
Job but you're never going to put out a perfect,
bracket so you just do the best you. Can BUT
i also think the more we can bring in smart
people that have made these computer formulas and bring those
into the equation to give them more information to make
an informed. DECISION i would never want to see it
(39:46):
go the way of let's let a computer pick the complete,
bracket BECAUSE i think that takes some of the fun
out of. It SO i think it's a good. Mix, Again,
also if you're one of those teams that's on the
on the, bubble who do you have to blame but?
Yourself just win more games and we wouldn't be having this.
Conversation that's kind of my. Argument every, year you know,
(40:07):
exact there'll be things that that kind of irk me
too WHEN i see the bracket come out and. Everything but,
again you, know there's sixty eight. Teams this is kind
of the last THING i wanted to talk to you
about because it seems like inevitable at this. Point i'm hoping,
not but but maybe it. Is this whole idea of.
Expansion where do you come down on. THAT i, mean
(40:28):
we do have now we are adding more teams every
year To division. One THERE'S i think three hundred and
sixty five teams, now so a lot more than WHEN
i guess we started out with sixty four AND i
went to sixty. EIGHT i, mean do you have a
problem with seventy two seventy? Six is there a point
where you, say all, right that's too? Many you, know
(40:50):
we were watering down the. Product but you, Know i'm
not in favor of, expansion BUT i do, think you,
know if they had a couple more, teams it's not
the end of the world.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Either i'm an old, soul so SO i don't like
a lot of changes in things That i'm really passionate.
About So I'm i'm against, Expansion BUT i also see
the BENEFITS i would be for expansion if you allowed
some Non power, five power, six how many power conferences
in college basketball you want to count now some opportunity
(41:23):
for some smaller, Schools but with the money, situation it's
it's likely if you add, teams it's going to go
to your power, four power five because of the money.
Factor is it really gonna and then even you, know
it's just harder now with the formula of knowing Schedules
Indiana state anymore or or some of those. Teams but
(41:43):
if you could Guarantee Indiana state a couple of years,
ago not this, layer but the year they went to
the N It, final a team like that getting into the,
TOURNAMENT i would really be for. Expansion we in that
YEAR i did put on our Del fi bracketology website
and it's still. There if anyone wants to go dig
out a SEVENTY i think as seventy two or seventy
(42:03):
sixteen bracket based on what the committee had and there's
some interesting. Matchups and WHAT i proposed was if you do,
that then you the benefit of that on the back,
end if you play condensed like fifteen and sixteen seeds
into more playing, games you have more winners that are.
(42:25):
SMALL i, MEAN i look at the first four In
dayton and those first two games Between ALABAMA a AND
m and someone. Else someone. Wins they're, excited, right they
get a chance to. Win, well you actually give more
of those small schools a chance to. Win if you
play on A, tuesday they get to go to THE ncaa. Tournament,
yes it's a quick, turnaround but they get to win
and then they get to advance and then all you,
(42:46):
know at the twelve seed, line it would be all
the at larges that would be. Playing but play them
At iconic, venues, right play them At, dayton play them
at Hinkle lestra in The east right when you have
and then you have A tv amount of games twelve
(43:08):
on That tuesday And wednesday night or six whatever you
would break it, up it'd be six GAMES i think
each night that's gonna. Benefit SO i don't want that
and don't think that, really you, KNOW i don't want
to see a FIFTEENTH sec team out of sixteen in the.
TOURNAMENT i do think that there are some ways that
(43:28):
they can still hold on. To you know what IS
i think it's just really awesome about the nca. Tournament
if they want to add add some, TEAMS i think
seventy six would be the max number though THAT i
would And i'm gonna love it no matter. What it's
what we, Do Alex, Right i'm not gonna give up
college basketball if they come out and say seventy two
(43:50):
or seventy. SIX i didn't give up college football a
major league. BASEBALL i didn't necessarily like all those expansion playoff,
expansions AND i still passionate have four TVs down here
in the Man, cave so we'll still love the. Sport
would love to see it at sixty. Eight BUT i
do think there's some ways that you can really keep the.
Magic you, Know Paul, pavilion if you want a venue
(44:13):
Out west or The, pit some iconic venues incorporate things like.
That if you're going to expand the.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
Tournament, yeah the one THING i would really like to see,
happen regardless of whether there's expansion or no, expansion is
get rid of the sixteen seeds that won their league
and earned a spot in the actual. Bracket get rid
of having them play in the first. FOUR i think
you should take more of The for, ONE i think
it'd be BETTER tv BECAUSE i think more people are
(44:42):
going to. WATCH i mean nothing against you, know these smaller,
schools but usually when the first four games come, On
i'll tune in maybe to the end of that sixteen
versus sixteen, game and then watch The Power conference teams
play later or you, Know i'd rather see those. Teams
if you won your, league you should be in the.
Bracket you shouldn't have to play into the. Bracket SO
(45:04):
i don't know if that'll ever, change BUT i do
think that that's one week THAT i would like to.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
See, yeah and there's you, know there's many ways to
look at. It it's just a good. Thing the amount
of money that has influenced college athletics in the last
five or six, years and and some of it's good
paying athletes and all of, that but just, money with
these television contracts and. EVERYTHING i get. It it drives.
(45:29):
Things but let's keep the nature of what we love
with the game of, basketball which is the college. Tournament
keep it as as much as you possibly. Can if
you are going to expand.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
It, well, coach thanks for making the. Time hopefully didn't
keep you off the golf course here on This friday.
Morning i'm not sure what you got scheduled for the
rest of the, day BUT i hope you have a good.
Weekend thanks for making the time to come on the.
Show thanks for having me. Anytime it's always a. Pleasure thanks,
everybody as always for listening to The podcast on The.
(46:01):
Brink if you enjoyed the, show please leave us at
five star rating and review over On Apple, podcasts leave
us a five star rating over On, spotify and we'll
be back soon with another episode Of podcast on The.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Brink
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