Peegs Podcast LIVE: Spring Game 2025 -- April 17, 2025

Jeff Rabjohns joined us outside Memorial Stadium as we previewed the 2025 Spring Game and talked about the evolving IU basketball team.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
How are you doing, everybody, I'm Ken Bikeoff and welcome
to the Pegs Podcast Live. Indiana's twenty twenty five season
starts today as the Hoosiers have their spring football game,
with kickoff coming at eight pm Eastern Time. I'm out
here just outside of the parking lot at Memorial Stadium,
the corner of Woodlawn and seventeenth Street. I'm here to

(00:30):
take your calls and we'll have special guests if fans
want to come in and ask some questions, talk some
Indiana football, some Indiana basketball, any thing you want to
talk about. That's what we're here for. Eight one, two, three,
nine three, twenty six hundred is the number. If you
are on the phone, we want to hear from you,
if you're on your way in. Students, kind of walking around,

(00:52):
people starting to come into the parking lot. Really looking
forward to all of this, been looking for to this.
We want to maybe do this here in the once
the the season comes on. But looking forward to to
seeing what the Hoosiers are are able to do the
spring football game. I've been doing this for This will

(01:14):
be my twenty twenty five season, will be my twenty
first year of doing this here at Memorial Stadium, and
it is going to be a I can tell you
that spring games aren't necessarily the very best in terms
of learning anything about a football team. But considering all

(01:34):
that that you have changes for the season, I think
it's going to be real interesting to see how all
of this is going to to play out. Eight one, two, three,
nine three, twenty six hundred is the number. Might try
to change up our connection here a little bit, trying

(01:56):
to make you the the fee a little bit smoother,
and we'll see how that all goes. But Hurt Signetti
is coming off the season which Indiana eleven and two
lost to the only two teams in which the that

(02:17):
may they played for a national championship. This was everything
that the Hoosiers hoped it would be bringing in a
new head coach. It was a huge splash in terms
of success, uh for this this program that historically has
been pretty rough. But the Hoosiers are are here to

(02:38):
to get the job done. And now it's one thing
to be a one year wonder, it's another thing to
be able to step up and keep playing at a
very very high level. I like the way that Kurt
Signetti has been able to build this program very quickly
and raise certainly the expectations for the Hoosiers as they

(03:05):
they move into this year. This is a lot of
guys have come in and said that they were going
to change things around here and there's going to be
a new culture built and everything that goes along with it.
That has all long been, you know, something that the
Hoosiers have talked about and it hasn't happened except it
did last year. It did last year, and Indiana looks

(03:30):
to continue things. You're going to have huge changes for
this team offensively. Obviously quarterback Curtis Rourke is moving on
to the NFL Draft. That is, you know, best of
luck that Curtis a guy that I've gotten to know
just a little bit, not a ton. I actually know
his wife a little bit better. But Curtis has been

(03:53):
with such an important part of what the Hoosiers did
last year, and the success that he had certainly showed
everybody around the country that you could have success playing
for Kurt Signetti, uh and in this Indiana offense. Now,
the nice thing for the for the Hoosiers is they've
been able to have some success in terms of finding

(04:15):
replacement for Curtis Rourke. Fernando Mendoz is the guy that
is expected to be kind of the starter that you
look at, but there are options there as well, and
so being able to had to shake things up, be
able to have the success that you had last year
and be able to go forward with it, I think

(04:35):
is really important because going from point A to point
B is one thing, but now that you're taking that
extra step, I think it's going to be a fun season,
to say the least. Offensively, Kaylon Black is the key
running back coming back, but you also have wide receivers
and guys like E. J. Williams and and Omark Cooper

(05:00):
that come back. It can make a huge difference. Once again.
This year, offensive line depth has been a huge upgrade
compared to what we've seen in past years. There's been
a huge upgrade in that and so that is a
huge positive. And also you're talking about a program that

(05:21):
has at times not really been able to even hold
a spring game because they've run into so many injury problems,
specifically along the offensive line, that they haven't been able
to do anything when it comes to a spring game.
That isn't the case this year. Now it's kind of
a modified situation obviously where it's going to be the
first time all spring that there's going to be tackling,

(05:43):
and you better believe that everybody will have been told,
don't you lay the wood on anybody. It ain't time
for that kind of thing. That's not what we're shooting for.
And so that is going to be really important. Just
to stay healthy and come out of this spring game
as healthy as possible. That is not a challenge, but

(06:03):
it is something that is definitely a priority for this
ball club today. Defensively, Indiana has a lot going for
it with All American Aiden Fisher is back. He's going
to make a big difference as always with his play.
That's exciting to see. But then you know Indiana also
has plenty of depth along that offensive i'm sorry, that

(06:26):
defensive line that is going to allow them to continue
to be successful and continue to be disruptive. This is
an IU football program that depth has been absolutely critical
everything they do. That is for any program and to
continue to have success, that's what is required. And so

(06:49):
Indiana went out, got in the portal, added some players,
but still has guys who are returning who can make
a huge difference in what the twenty twenty five season
is going to be It's not a complete reload. It
is a situation where the Hoosiers have a nice mix

(07:09):
of guys who have been here, guys who have been productive,
and also some new blood that make sure that nobody
gets uncomfortable and competition becomes you know, just just the
key to everything. The Angelo POD's over on the corner
is going to be really critical as well as our
Jeff rab Johns comes rolling in the back the back here,

(07:30):
I'm going to have you come on over here. Knocked
over a water bottle, that's fine. Jeff rab Johns joins us,
rolling on in. Let him be able. You get to
handheld that one as he comes in. Eight one, two, three,
nine three, twenty six hundred is the number for anybody
who wants to give us a call. We're on the

(07:52):
corner of seventeenth and Woodlawn for anybody who wants to
come and join us and ask any kind of questions
about how you football or bass the ball. At Grabby,
I was just you know, kind of talking to everybody
about the depth that Indiana has that's a little bit
different than maybe what we've seen uh in the past,
and just the way that yeah, you had that successful

(08:13):
season last year, but the talent that that has is
coming off a successful season for IU has maintained the
level that's going to allow them to be successful and
probably once again.

Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yeah, I think that's a really good point as we
look at what we're going to see, uh here and
here in the spring game out the sevening. Obviously you've
got you've got headline talent out there. You can got
three All Americans returning, and you know, uh, first time
I believe looking at the record books that you go
to a spring game and you're like, ok, hey, that's
an All American. That's an All American, that's an All American.

(08:47):
Not projecting, but Michalclamar, Aiden Fisher, d Angela Ponds, they
were All Americans last year. So you've got some headline talent.
But yeah, you know, you also have depth. I think
you've got some really good additions from the trans for portal.
You've got obviously a tremendous addition there on the offensive line,
Pat Coogan from Notre Dame. You've got some other guys, uh,

(09:10):
you know, Joseah Wheeler, Louis Moore, uh, Dominic Rodriguez, some
of the other guys you think about as far as
transfer portal newcomers on the defense, so I think there
are I think there is good depth this year, and
I think that's one of the reasons that there's a
lot of optimism about the AU football program. It's not
just Okay, there's one or two, maybe three or four
guys who're like, Okay, they can do it, but you

(09:32):
really got questions about, you know, half the team or
half the position groups. I think there's there's a really
good depth of talent there. I think that's a really
key point about this team.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
Replacing Curtis Rourke with Fernando Mendoza. Whoever ends up winning. Obviously,
Mendoz is a guy that everybody's looking at. Uh, what
differences do you see in those two players? And how
important is it to bring in a guy who is
as much of a veteran as as Mendoza is. He's
played some football along the way.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
I think he's a tremendous talent. And Curtis work did
an amazing job last year, especially you know, considering he
had a tear in his acl from part of the
season and played through it to an incredible toughness. Was
a really good passer. I think to me, one of
the things that's a little bit different is I think
Mendoza just has a little more talent in the art,
and you think there's more throws that he can make

(10:22):
at a really high level. Curtis Work could make pretty
much all the all the throws and he might have
a chance to play in the NFL. So he's obviously
very talented. But I think Mendoz is, you know, one
notch above that. There's just more throws that he makes
that are really really on time, on target. The ones
that need to be you know, a frozen rope are
the ones that need to be rainbowed in are I

(10:44):
remember watching early practice before they put pads on, when
they were out there, you know, in their pajamas, but
there's no pads. And one of the things I learned
from an assistant coach years ago was when you watch
quarterbacks throw, if they're not throwing, you know, against defense,
if they're just playing against air and the receivers are
running full speed, watch how many times, count how many

(11:06):
times the ball actually hits a receiver in the hands
whin they're running full speed. And I've always kept that
in the back of my mind. So when early practice
we were watching and they were doing the quarterbacks. You know,
they got the field kind of cut in half. They
can do two quarterbacks at a time. And I just
took I don't know, twenty thirty minutes and said, you
know what, I'm watching for Nana Mendows. He's the new quarterback.

(11:27):
And I counted forty four passes that he threw. Forty
four of them hit receivers in the hands who were
running its speed. So that's one of the things. And
again I understand, you're not getting hit, you're not getting tackled,
the receivers aren't getting hit, they're getting free runs. You
want somebody to do that, and just you know, throw
sideline outs, you know, slanting goes, you know, some crossing routes,

(11:50):
some drag routes, different things, throwing the running backs, throwing
the tight ends, throwing to the slot guys, throwing to
your wideouts.

Speaker 3 (11:57):
And forty four out of forty four hit him in
the hands.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
I thought, I walked away going, Wow, Okay, they got
a dude, a quarterback. They got a real dude. And
I think one thing that's going to help him with
Indiana is he was good at cal but you know
there were possessions he's running for his life, right, I
mean it was just like, oh crap, you know, a
free rusher. And I think he's going to be He's
got tremendous talent. But I think he's going to be
better because he's not gonna be running for his life.

(12:20):
They're just gonna protect him better with you know, Carter Smith,
Bray Lynch, Pat Coogan, you know, maybe Klil Benson, if
you know, the guy who transferred back to IU from Colorado.
If he gets healthy, not expected to play tonight. But
you think about Mendoza's stats last year in some of
the places he made when he was under duress, then
you go, Okay, what happens if he's not under duress
a quarter of the time or a third of the

(12:41):
time or half the time. And a couple of those
Cow games, and I went back and watched just every
throw that he or every drop back he was pressured,
not half the time. And I think Indiana's going to
protect him better. But I think I think he's a
tremendous talent. He's I think he's got a chance to
be a special quarterback.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
I really do.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
And I'm not trying to hype him up here in
this spring, but you see the size, you look at
the stats, you watch the film, then you see him
live and it's like, okay, you know there's a lot there.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yeah, now how about it. Just we've been out here
where they couldn't really hold this real spring game in
any way, shape or form because you had a offensive
line that was so beat up, literal, they just didn't
have enough guys. Right, this year, there's depth and yeah
they've had, you know, guys get banged up. That's going
to happen along the way. But just the depth of

(13:28):
that offensive line. How much does that help a transition
from one quarterback to the next and to just allow
yourself to kind of build a foundation for your program.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
Yeah, I think it's really important because it, you know,
strong offensive line is sort of a core foundational piece.
It's the old coaching phrase is you can't call what
you can't block, right Furst, play calling goes and I
don't know that there's going to be a lot that
that there that they're unable to block. You know. Carter
Smith's very good, Bray Lynch very good. That Coogan comes

(14:00):
in from Notre name and it was interesting looking at
him in spring practice. You know, Jeff k the outstanding
sports information director, gives as a roster to try to
figure out, you know, which which new guy who's right?
You know, it's it's an early spring practice. He knows
some of the guys. You know, there's a lot of
new face of the Jeff, I think something's wrong on
this roster. This says, Coogan's seventy eight. He's a center,
and seventy eight is the tallest guy over there. And

(14:22):
he looks at me and he goes, no, that's Pac Coogan. Like,
oh oh that's a center. Huh yeah, okay, all those
guys big blood shoulders. You know, if you would have
said no, that's that's the left tackle, you thought, hey, okay, right,
but he's he's big, and he's I think he's going
to do a really good job. But yeah, I think
the line being stout, being talented, having some experience, even

(14:44):
some of the guys who maybe backups, have some experience.
You know, you're not you're not gonna have to throw
in completely untested guys or anything. I think that's going
to help the running game, you know, And I think
it's really going to help for Nando Mendoza quarterback. Really
just give him for level that I think is going
to accelerate his ability to perform well quickly. It's not

(15:06):
going to be a situation where they really got to
try to kind of like figure out some stuff. The
line's gonna I think the line is going to be
able to do its job and do its.

Speaker 3 (15:14):
Job pretty well.

Speaker 1 (15:15):
What do you like about this running back room?

Speaker 2 (15:19):
There's a number of them. Yeah, I think that's the
biggest thing. There's a number of them. You know, Roman Henbry,
you know the rest of them. You look at there's three,
four or five guys, you're like, okay, you could put
him in the game and expect.

Speaker 3 (15:30):
Him to go get you some yards on the ground.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
Right.

Speaker 2 (15:33):
Obviously, I use had some tremendous running backs, you know,
going back to Tevin Coleman and obviously great ones, so
if you want to go back to that history. But
I think the thing that stands out about this running
back room is there's a legit depth. So there's there's
guys who can block, There's guys who can get you
the yards between the tackles. There's guys who can you know,
have some home run speed to them. Maybe not not
a Tevin Coleman type, but they you know, they can break,

(15:54):
you know, turn four into ten, turn ten into twenty.
So I just like the number of guys that you
look at and go, yet, We'll put his helmet on him,
send him in the huddle.

Speaker 3 (16:05):
We're good.

Speaker 1 (16:06):
I like the versatility of the wide receivers too, that
you that you have guys that each of them can
do a lot of things, and you know, and that
sounds very generic, but it's actually it makes it so
that you have a defense that can't really concentrate on
any anyone way. You know, we got to keep him
in front of us. We got it. While you keep
this guy in front of it, it's the next guy

(16:27):
is going to run past you at versatility and you know,
from top to bottom. I think is going to be
something that could really benefit from too.

Speaker 3 (16:33):
Yeah, I agree. I agree.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
And like you said, there's guys who are the speed
is their biggest skill or weapon or well you know
what scares the defense the most. Some of them it's
just the speed. Some of them it's you know, really
precise route running. And I think they're going to have
the ability to you know, get an angle on a defender,
get an angle on a safety, get you know, get

(16:57):
an angle on a linebacker. Maybe be able to even
like go up and give the safety a bump and
sort of like you know, bounce off of them a
little bit. With a little bit of the you know,
the shoulder and stuff. They can create some separation because obviously,
you know, space is the receiver's best friend, and the
quarterback has to do his job to get the ball
to where they're supposed to be space.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
The receiver's got to do his job to try to create.

Speaker 2 (17:19):
Space, right, And I think they have guys who can
with their speed, can create space by getting past people.
Guys who are really more of those quick twitch kind
of guys who can create some space by getting it
a defender to take one wrong step or just open
up his hips the wrong way for half a second
and then boom, make a cut and you created some space.

Speaker 3 (17:38):
So yeah, I like the receiver room too.

Speaker 1 (17:41):
Defensively, you know, they were so good last year, and
you know the way that they their approach to the game,
the way that they never got too high, never got
too low, and almost never hung their head on the
on the field, which is something that had long been
a problem here at IU. The leadership that Aiden Fisher
and guys like that are going to be able to bring.

(18:03):
How do you see that that defense playing out this year.

Speaker 3 (18:06):
I think it's going to be really good.

Speaker 2 (18:08):
Like we're talking about earlier, if you have the three
All Americans returning three different parts of the field. You know,
Michael Kamara is going to adjust his position. But you
know All American defensive lineman last year tremendous to the
point of attack, Aiden Fisher, linebacker, middle linebacker, guy who
can go side to side, can come up and brush
the quarterback, can drop a little bit in the coverage,

(18:30):
you know, really can you can kind of aim his
eyes wherever you want to aim him. Then D'Angelo ponds
back then in the secondary. So I think the defense
is looking pretty strong. It really does. And I think
you make a really good point about how they don't
get too highed, that they really were okay next play, right,
whether something went well or didn't go well next play.

Speaker 3 (18:52):
And I think one of the games.

Speaker 2 (18:54):
Where I thought that played out the best was at
Michigan State. You know, Michigan State gets up ten to nothing,
first time they've been behind. I think it was ten
to nothing, right, and first time iyoud trailed and so
you're kind of like, okay, like what's going wrong.

Speaker 3 (19:07):
Or what do they need? And I didn't really think
anything was wrong.

Speaker 2 (19:10):
You looked at it and went, okay, Michigan State's doing
some stuff that they hadn't done, so I was gonna
have to adjust. But the defense just made the adjustments
and just kept playing and kept playing, and all of
a sudden, ten nothing hole becomes what was that? Forty
two to ten? Yeah, And the defense never you never
saw them like, oh my gosh, what's going on? Oh
grab all, well, today's not our day. No. It was

(19:31):
like just next play, next possession, next possession, you know,
and they just kept playing. They figured out what adjustments
they needed to make, and once they made the adjustments,
I thought then I didn't think the mentality ever changed,
you know, even though they gave up touchdown in a
field and they got behind it, I didn't think the
mentality changed. There were some things tactically that you looked
at when okay, they're gonna have to adjust, but I
didn't think like the mentality ever changed, even though they

(19:54):
went from being down ten to nothing to winning forty.

Speaker 3 (19:56):
Two to ten.

Speaker 2 (19:57):
The excuse me, I think you made a really good point.

Speaker 3 (20:00):
Pardon me.

Speaker 2 (20:02):
The mentality just stay the same and guys who can
stay steady in the fight, usually if they have the
proper skill and ability, those are the kind of guys
who can get stuff done over the course of the season.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
Because it's a long season. It's tough.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
But yeah, their ability to just stay calm and steady,
I think is a really key attribute for that group.
And Brian Haynes and that whole defensive staff, I think
they do a really good job of teaching that, not
just teaching the proper technique, the proper scheme and all that.
They're very good at that. The Bryant pat all those guys,
they teach the mentality of you play this play, then

(20:39):
when it's over, it's over. Right, you play the next play,
and then when it's over, it's over. You don't think
about the previous play. You know, if you need to
make an adjustment, sure you make adjustments, but you don't
sit there and dwell on all man, they just scored
a touchdown on It's we're kind of screwed.

Speaker 3 (20:53):
It's like, Okay, what do we do next time? We're out?

Speaker 1 (20:55):
There the experience of just going eleven and two last
year and having that success and going to the college
football Playoff, regardless of what the result was. How important
is that from a confidence level for all of these
guys coming back. Look when Kurtz Signetty got here a
year ago and we're doing this spring game, there's a

(21:17):
lot of guys that were on that field that had
dreams of being successful. We didn't know what the hell
that felt like, right because they just didn't. This year,
they know exactly what it felt like. And I said
all year last year that it's as good as it
was going to get because there were no expectations going
into last year, and all of a sudden, here is
high expectations. Right now, the expectations have been raised. But

(21:40):
a lot of the guys that are here, and main
guys at every level, especially defensively, defensive, line, linebackers, secondary.
We talked about D'Angelo Ponds, Aiden Fisher, Mikayl Kamara. These
are all guys that have been successful, have felt that
success and felt it at a high level. All important
and how does it kind of change the way that

(22:02):
they go into this season.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
I think it's one of those things where it takes
confidence from the perspective of I believe I can do
this to the level of I've done this right, which
I think for a lot of people, you know, you
talk about any in any level of sports, you know,
experience is helpful. But I think experience of knowing that

(22:27):
you know what you're doing and knowing that you can
do it, and knowing that you can do it against
good teams, knowing that you can do it at home,
on the road, whatever, I think that's really helpful. And
I think it just gives them just another level of confidence,
another level of just you know, I know I can
do this individually.

Speaker 3 (22:44):
We know we can do.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
This as a defensive line group, as a defense as
a team, you know, whatever you want to call the WII,
you know, just you know, a group of players, position group, whatever.
I think it takes it to a confidence level. I
know we can do this because we've done it. This
is who we are, and we know it's who we are.
We showed it last year and it's not like I
don't even think it's just the whole thing of like

(23:06):
some people say, oh, they showed everybody else, Well, yeah,
I guess because people didn't have a lot of expectation.
I guess that's true, but I think in sports the
bigger thing is you showed it to yourself, right. You
prove to yourself who you really are on the field,
and I think that's really helpful.

Speaker 1 (23:20):
There's a chicken and egg aspect to the idea of
hoping to win and expecting to win that you have
to go into each game expecting to win, but until
you actually win those games, it's hard to truly feel
that you expect to win.

Speaker 3 (23:34):
Right.

Speaker 1 (23:34):
Last year was a whole masterclass in learning how to
expect to win. And going into this season, not only
do you have guys that are coming in from outside
programs that may have that attitude, but so does everybody
else around them, And to me, that's gonna help build
the culture and really kind of maintain I'm not saying
they're going to go eleven and two again, right, I'm

(23:55):
saying that there is far more of a foundation for
success now than we had at this time last year.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah, that's a really good point. There definitely is.

Speaker 2 (24:04):
And I actually think this is going to sound crazy,
but I think there's a chance they're a better team
and the.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
Win total is slightly less sure.

Speaker 1 (24:11):
I understand.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
The reason is they have to go to Oregon and
two Penn State. Ohio State won the national championship last year.
They lost that Oregon. You go out there to Austin Stadium.
I've been there once as many years ago. It's a
cool place, but it's cool if you're the home team.
It ain't exactly welcoming to visiting teams. And they're really
good in the really talented and incredibly well coached. But

(24:32):
I think Indiana's I think they're like quarterback play is
going to take a notch up three returning All Americans.

Speaker 3 (24:38):
On defense.

Speaker 2 (24:40):
I just think of more depth oid receiver and certainly
in the running back room. I think they're a little
bit more tallenged football team. But I think the schedule
is tougher, so I think you could be looking at
eight to nine wins, and on paper, the people don't
pay attention, go oh, they took a step back.

Speaker 3 (24:53):
I really don't think so.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
I think it's gonna be a really good team, a really,
really really good team. And who knows with Kurtz Signetty,
you know his Bravado, maybe they Yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:03):
It's pretty simple. I win google me.

Speaker 1 (25:07):
There's your and it's pretty simple.

Speaker 3 (25:09):
Yeah, it's pretty simple. I win Google me.

Speaker 1 (25:14):
I have that cute off all the time. Speaking of seg,
what difference do you see in him this year? If any,
I don't see any.

Speaker 2 (25:25):
And maybe there's some things behind the scenes than the
only coaches see. But I remember watching him last year. Uh,
you know springballs and fall practices, and you saw aalm
confident guy. He does the sabing thing, he's got the
hat on. He's more walking around watching practice. He'll say
something if he needs to say it, but he's not

(25:47):
loud and boisterous. He lets the position coaches coach the positions.
You see him walk over occasionally may say something to
a play or say something to an assistant coach. But
he's really At one point in time, I thought, I
think it was first or second practice that we got
to see when he got here to IU last year.
I thought maybe he was just observing everybody just to

(26:08):
kind of be like, all right, I'm gonna take this
in for you know, a few practices, see what we got,
then I'll be you know, grab the bullhorn and get
to it.

Speaker 3 (26:16):
But no, he is.

Speaker 2 (26:17):
He's just more observing and watching, saying things when he
needs to. But he's really calm, really organized. And I
think the thing that does stand out is there's a
tremendous amount of details in a coach signetic practice. And
obviously that speaks to the assistant coaches as well. They
deserve a ton of credit for that. But there's this

(26:38):
incredible detail in the teaching. There's not a wasted moment.
They they sprint from Indian or their drill to drill
when they're doing things, but just you know, you stand
there and you watch like position groups and I remember
last year just watching different groups and you know, he's

(27:00):
watched the defensive line, and the teaching was really specific,
and there were a couple of times it was you know, no, no, no, no, no, no,
you can't do it like that. You come up, I
want jam his outside shoulder. Then then the left hand
comes in. Do it again, and like little things that
obviously matter in the game of football, but the teaching

(27:20):
was really specific. But as first, is there a difference
observable difference in Signetti last year this year, I'm not
seeing it. I think what we saw last year is
who Kurt Signetti is, calm, confident, maybe even a little
arrogant in public, but he's not really privately, I mean
sitting out in his office and talked to him and
he's he's obviously very organized, but he's a regular guy.

(27:41):
But I think the calm, confident, incredibly detail oriented guy
we saw last year, I think is who Kurt Signette is.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Well, you know that quiet confidence is also because he's
done this before and he knows he knows you know
what he's doing. He believes in the process it has
already worked and it continues to work as it goes on.
And that is you mentioned the Michigan State game. To me,
that was where everybody really they had bought in well
before that, but that was absolutely proof in the pudding

(28:10):
that they were completely and one thousand percent bought in
because they knew that that was what they were selling works.
And if you doubted that after that all in behind ten,
nobody panics. You run off forty plus straight. What more
proof do you need that somebody knows what he's doing
right right?

Speaker 3 (28:29):
Yeah, that was the key moment this season. I think.

Speaker 2 (28:31):
I think the UCLA game was when the fans, you know,
the hardcore IU fans kind of went ooh, we got
ourselves a coach. We got ourselves a team this year.
I think the Michigan State game was when the casual
observers and even some of the national observers were like, Okay,
you know they can face a little adversity and grab
the game by the throat very quickly and not let

(28:52):
it go. It wasn't like they fell behind ten to nothing,
then got up seventeen to ten, then got behind twenty
to seven. Now they fell behind ten, I think, and
then they said, okay, wait a minute, we're going to
make these adjustments. And it was complete domination for three
and a half quarters. Complete domination.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
I wanted to ask you what do you expect to
see tonight, you know, on actually on the field, how
this whole process is going to work on. What are
you going to be looking for?

Speaker 2 (29:19):
I think starting number one for Nando Mendoza, watching him throw,
you know, with with guys you know playing a football game,
you know, blocking, tackling receivers, getting hit, having to get open.
I want to see him throw. Really interested to see
Pat Coogan block because you know he looks like a monster,
but you kind of want to see it with pads

(29:40):
On We saw it some last year he played for
Notre Dame. But I want to see it with with
the group with him out there, with with Carter Smith,
Gray Lynch and the rest.

Speaker 3 (29:46):
Of the offensive line. I want to see that.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
Really intrigued to see Michael Kamara a little bit of
a position adjustment there, Very very interested to see him.
I want to see some of the some of the
new guys on defense, you know, Josea and some of
the other guys, just exactly you know, how good are they?
You know, the resume is good, but I want to see,
you know, kind of like how do they play? And

(30:11):
I'm really intrigued to see kind of like what the
defensive line looks like too, just you know, can they
get pressure? Can they not get pressure against a good
offensive line? What kinds of pressure do they get? And
I understand from a schematic standpoint, it's going to be vanilla.
Nobody puts things on film, closing coaches to study. But

(30:31):
still I just have pads on They're going to be
hitting each other. So those are kind of some of
the things that I want to see. But I'm Fernando Mendoza.
People probably sick of me talking about him already, but
I mean there's a lot there and are really looking
forward to sitting there in the stands in person watching
that guy throw.

Speaker 1 (30:49):
Let's talk move across the Farris farm over here on
seventeenth Street over to Assembly Hall and talk a little
bit of basketball as well. You know, Darreon Debreez has
take over as the Hoosier head coach, and you know,
people were starting to get nervous that there there weren't
any players. But there's been starting to yah well starting
and here's.

Speaker 3 (31:08):
The time we were starting to lose their minds.

Speaker 1 (31:11):
I was never too worried about that fortune of the
program because you knew that it was going to come
when it came. And now they are starting to stack
up some talent, guys that could score, Guys that are
are have size, they have you know, some some nice
things happening along the way. Your thoughts on just how

(31:32):
this roster has started to come together.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
I think they did a really really good job. They
needed shooting. They went out and pursued shooting and got it.
Lamar Wilkinson probably is the headliner there. Average three point
four may threes per game. For Sam Houston. Iufense probably
remember him going for nineteen points in Assembly Hall, but
he was a really.

Speaker 3 (31:53):
Really coveted guy.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
Kentucky went after him, Auburn went after him, National champion
Florida went after him. Home, a bunch of schools went
after him, and Darrien Devrees, Drew Adams, Kenny Johnson and
those guys got that done. I think that's the headliner
of the edition so far. I really like Tayton Connorway,
the point guard that they just landed Sun Belt Player
of the Year, led his team in scoring, assists and steals.

(32:20):
In last year as a point guard, he had more
steals and turnovers. And I know the traditional metrics assists
a turnover ratio, but one of the advanced things that
you know, some nerdy people like I look at is
like steals the turnover possession gain versus possession lost. And
very few guys throughout the course of the entire season

(32:40):
end up with more steals and turnovers could play the
point guard position. It's just because the point guard you're
gonna have some turnovers. You know, some passes are going
to get picked off where you know you're gonna get
Uniot Trapp.

Speaker 3 (32:51):
I really like him.

Speaker 2 (32:52):
As an addition, Connor Enwright gives you depth at the
point guard position. I'm assuming Tayton Connorway will win the
starting position to point guard, but it's Devrees is going
to let it pla out in practice. But I think
it's it's safe to say that connor Way's the one
you would expect to win that. But you've got two
guys who can really handle the ball, you know. Connor
Enwright transfers from the Paul previously played for Darren DeVries

(33:14):
at Drake. I was an AU event this past weekend
and talked to a couple of guys who actually coached
Connor Enright in AAU and I said, what did you
like about him? One of the concerns and they said,
there's no concerns. They said he's not the most physical guy,
but there's no concerns. I said, okay, what do you
like and they said, the ball goes where it's supposed
to go every possession, and not every shot goes in,

(33:35):
but the ball goes where it's supposed to go. And
if you're a point guard who just does that, you
help everybody else. He's on the floor with you. So
I think it's really good to have two guys can
really handle the ball. They got Reed Bailey forward from
Davidson six foot ten guys shot forty from three last
year only made a three every other game, so half

(33:55):
at three made per game on average, but the forty
one percent was a big jump.

Speaker 3 (34:00):
He works.

Speaker 2 (34:01):
He actually trains the guy named Jason Smithers, who's an
outstanding trainer who's based in Indianapolis, a guy who Read
Bailey was connected with back when he's playing AAU for
Expressions elite team out of the Northeast. And Jason Smeeethers
has worked with a ton of guys Trace Jackson, Davis,
Gordon Hayward, other guys like that. Obviously, Gordon Hayward went
from Butler to the NBA to right, you know, really

(34:23):
good at you know, as an NBA All Star. So
when guys work with good trainers, we know their work,
you tend to watch their path. And Read Bailey went
from averaging like five points five and a half points
a game as the freshman to eighteen and a half
as a junior. So his improvement's really good, So I
like him. Josiah Miles six foot six shooting guard out
of North North, Florida. He averaged almost two and a

(34:45):
half may threes per game, good size for a shooting
guard gives you another bigger shooting guard. You could really
play him. You know, positions aren't really the same. It's
more just point guard, post player than whatever else you
want the other three to do. Call him a big wing,
if you want call him shooting guard, it doesn't much matter.
He's a guy didn't go out there and make shots.
So really really like him. And then obviously those are

(35:07):
the transfer additions. And then obviously he got transistently coming
in originally from Heritage Hills six and eight. Forward spent
his senior year at Mount Verd, and he was a
guy who initially was a little more of an interior
kind of guy because at Heritage Hills, you know, kind
of had to go inside, be the lead rebounder, kind
of do some hard hat stuff. He still can do
all that. He's added strength, but during his senior year

(35:29):
Mount verd is shooting shot up to forty one percent
from three. So he's now if you want to call
him a stretch four, you can. I think with a
lot of teams, a lot of coaches, and I certainly
think with Darren DeVries, he wants as many guys on
the floor who are a threat to make it three
as possible, so he can call Transistitia four if you
want to. It doesn't really much matter, but he's a
stronger guy who can help you on the boards. We'll see,

(35:52):
depending upon what the roster looks like, how much he
plays freshman year. But he's one of those guys who,
you know, people always look at a team that's doing
well and they see a guy that they don't really
remember me and I'd love to have one of them.
Where where'd they get him? Well, they recruited him and
retained him and developed him, and all of a sudden
he's a junior. That's where they got him. You know,
they recruited him naturally, and they worked with him and

(36:12):
developed him. And I think Transisty is going to be
so many people really like. And the other thing I
think people are really going to like about Transistently is
that dude just competes his tail off every possession, whether
it's shops are going in or not. He's out there
banging shoulders with people, going for rebound, setting.

Speaker 3 (36:28):
Screens, moving the ball.

Speaker 2 (36:30):
I just think his his competitiveness and his competitive nature.
I think it's something that who's your nation's really going to.

Speaker 1 (36:36):
Enjoy now you know, these guys that are coming in
from Sam Houston State, guys that are coming in from
North Floridas, and what it's I know that there are
people that are like, Okay, well, you know, we got
all excited for Peyton Sparks a couple of years ago
and that didn't pan out. Guys moving up from a
lower you know, a lower level to a higher level
sometimes don't. What possibly makes these guys different?

Speaker 2 (36:59):
Well, I think anytime you go from low to mid
or mid to high, you know, the counting stats if
you will, are going to come down because somebody who
is the leading scorer in North Florida isn't automatically going
to walk in the door and be the leading scorer
over there Simon Scott Asimbi Hall right, They're probably not
going to be, but they might be the second guy
or the third guy or whatever. The way you look

(37:20):
at is what efficiency numbers are good and what does
a coach want? And one of the things Debris really
wants his guys who can make threes. And so you're like, okay,
how efficient are you at making threes? If you're averaging
two or more per game as a guard or wing,
that's pretty good, right, So I think those are the
things that suggest they project very well. The other thing

(37:43):
is you look at Okay, what does a coach run
offensively and does he have a system that maximizes the
primary skills, the best skills of the guys he's getting.

Speaker 3 (37:52):
And I think the answer is yes.

Speaker 2 (37:54):
With Darren Debrees, he does the creating thing and trying
to score in the first twelve seconds. There's lots of movements.
It's more about you know, it's not motion, but they
run some things, and more about concepts, reading the defense
and moving the ball. The other thing he does not want.
He does not like guys He just over dribble. He
doesn't want the ball sticking in people's hands for three,

(38:14):
four to five seconds. And with Tatan Connorway the ball
gets up with the ball moves. With connor in right,
the ball comes up to Courton, ball moves. Those things
are really good. With Red Bailey, I think if he's
out there on the floor with guys like Jessiah Miles
and Lamar Wilkerson and guys like that, those guys are
threats to make three.

Speaker 3 (38:33):
So there's going to be space.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
And if you want to read Bailey, one of the
things he's really good at is his passing off the
dribble as a six' ten guy who mainly is more
not in on the interior like on the, block but
below the free throw. Line but when he has, space
when he can put the ball in the, deck he finds.
People he's really good at finding people for a six
to ten. GUY i, mean he's got a little he's

(38:56):
not a point, forward but he has a little bit
of point forward skills to, Him like you have no
problem with him putting the ball in the deck to
make a play for somebody. Else SO i think the
skills that the primary skills of the players that are
bringing in fit the things That Darren derees wants to
emphasize with his. Offense that's one of the REASONS i.
THINK i think it's it makes a lot of sense
now they've they's still they got seven guys the rest

(39:19):
of the roster. Together but all we can talk about
right now is who they got and what doesn't make
sense or not make, Sense and it really. Does like last,
year there were times you look at you, know you
playing two bigs and it wasn't just that they were
playing two. BIGS i played two guys who were on
the block. Scores they both needed the same space on
the floor to, produce you, know at the maximum. Efficiency

(39:42):
so it was a little bit of land to misfit
toys out. There you, Know malik were know And umar
And balow were on the block, scores, right and so
it didn't really. Fit SO i think what we're seeing
now with What Darren, devrees Dur, Adams Kenny, Johnson Dick,
norton those guys are going after are guys who really
make sense for how their in DeVries wants to play
and they make sense for the way the game is being. Played,

(40:04):
now you, know the the guys they have now just
the seven guys they have, now well six because Stick
trent says at the, table because he's a high school, kid,
Right so the six guys that they have in the
portal mind to make more threes last year than the
ENTIRE iu team. Did Like, Yeah Jared kelly From peace
Dot com had that great stat the stories up if

(40:24):
anybody wants to read.

Speaker 3 (40:25):
It BUT i, mean it's twenty twenty.

Speaker 2 (40:29):
Five we've been talking about this for a long, time
and you, know the whole, thing you, Know woodson said
on the radio you, know two's are just as good as,
threes and it's, like, no they're.

Speaker 1 (40:38):
Not, no they're worth actually a little bit less.

Speaker 2 (40:40):
There Actually, YEAH i was like, No SO i think
we're going to, see you, know a better brand of
basketball is going to be played. Now the schedule's, tougher
you know, though and so we'll see you how you,
know what's the record going to?

Speaker 3 (40:55):
BE i don't. Know they got they got seven guys right. Now,
yeah and one of them is a good, player but
he's coming out of high.

Speaker 2 (40:59):
Schoo, look anyone's coming out Of Mountain bird AND i
love him long, term but like you, know you can't
ask him to go out there and be a, dude.
Right BUT i just think that the brand of basketball
is just going to be. Better it's going to be better.
Offense they're going to run things to get. Threes they're
not going to be dependent on just throwing the ball
to the. BLOCK i just think people are going to

(41:20):
enjoy watching the team play a lot.

Speaker 1 (41:23):
More and it's so. Simple that's what people. Want that's
what they got tired of last year was running the
same thing over and over and over, again where you're
just looking at each, other like what are what are
they trying to do? Here?

Speaker 2 (41:35):
Yeah, yeah it just go to beat the dead. Horse
it's just going to be a better brand of, BASKETBALL i.
THINK i think that's what people are going to notice.

Speaker 3 (41:42):
Quickly you.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
Know and, obviously you, know you got to go To,
Kentucky you're going to Have louisville And. Indy you've, got you,
know some some tough games on the, schedule The Big.
Ten you, know you've got a number of teams that
have really, reloaded you, know produce getting mentioned as a
potential preseason number. One love What Dusty may has up At.
Michigan you, Know Tom, is those teams are going to go.
Compete so wins and, LOSSES i don't, know we'll, see

(42:06):
but the brand of basketball is just going to be.
Better and THAT'S i think that's really going to make
people just enjoy watching The hoosiers more, often just because
it's going to be better.

Speaker 1 (42:16):
Basketball in terms of the you, know next group of
people that's going to be out. Here uh you, know
then you talk about the seven guys who have, committed
who are those guys that are going to be able
to maybe start to fill out that roster a little?

Speaker 3 (42:31):
Bit you, mean other.

Speaker 1 (42:33):
Times, yeah other targets that are going to be coming this.

Speaker 2 (42:35):
Way, YEAH i think you, know they would love to
add one more wing or they call it a two
or three, whatever but they'd love to add another, wing
ideally one with a little bit of, size you, know
six five or.

Speaker 3 (42:47):
Taller you, know you.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
Can play six to five guys at the three in today's,
game but they would like another wing that they want
to get another, center maybe two maybe Because Reed bailey
can blame at the four if you, Want davidson played
him at the. Five but if you can go get
two rim, PROTECTORS i think they would be okay doing that.

(43:09):
Now there's not a lot a ton of guys out
there right. Now but talking to some agents over the
last few, DAYS i don't know that The portal is done,
portally shall we. SAY i think there's a chance that
new names could still emerge. Now whether that Impacts indiana's
options or, NOT i don't. Know we'll, see BUT i
think there's maybe they would love to had another. Wing

(43:29):
they would love to have a, center and maybe maybe two,
centers and then that would really get you up to
nine guys from The portal who ideally have produced somewhere
else transistly be a high school. Guy there's your tenth.
Guy if you've got eight or nine guys who can
play do what you want them to, do that's a

(43:51):
really good. Core then from there you can kind of be, Like,
okay what do we want to. Do do we want
to take another high school kid or too for developmental?

Speaker 1 (43:59):
Purpose?

Speaker 3 (44:00):
Yeah you, know you think of it like just a.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
Possibility Does brisco six foot eight power forward From Christmas
addicts had a tremendous career led them to the THREE
a state runner up playing for Coach Chris. Hawkins he
was going to go To, iowa but he. Decommitted he's
open right. Now BUT i think the key thing right
now is finish out the core eight or nine guys
in the. Portal then once they feel really good with

(44:26):
the core eight or, nine then it's going to Be,
okay do we want an extra, guard do we want
an extra whatever out of the? Portal or do we
want to like go look at some high school. GUYS
i think that's most likely the way it's going to fill.

Speaker 1 (44:37):
Out this twenty twenty five twenty sixth. SEASON i, mean
we're talking about second Year kurtzignetty coming off of a
hell of a lot of success last, year and it's
looking like it's pointed in that right in the correct. Direction.

Speaker 3 (44:50):
Right you have a fresh.

Speaker 1 (44:51):
Start over At Assembly, hall you, know going all the
way down to the training. STAFF i mean it is
a fresh start for who's so much of this upcoming
season you'd think is going to be something Where hoosier
fans can if they, aren't uh that it's just going
to be different because it is a fresh start for,

(45:15):
basketball higher. Expectations but certainly the pieces are in place
to have another successful football. Season just feels a little
bit different than maybe we've seen in a little.

Speaker 3 (45:25):
While it's a really good. Point, yeah it. Does it
does feel.

Speaker 2 (45:29):
DIFFERENT i think there's just more general not like optimism
for specific win loss, records, yes but a feeling of
people are happy.

Speaker 3 (45:41):
With the direction of the two programs.

Speaker 2 (45:42):
Now and there are been plenty years where football had
more questions than answer, right and you, know and those.

Speaker 1 (45:50):
Questions were never answered or answered real.

Speaker 3 (45:52):
Bad that's. True they were that there weren't, answers they
were the wrong.

Speaker 2 (45:55):
Ones, yeah it's the wrong. Ones so there was just
ang with the. Footballer so many years there was almost
just like. Angst it was like why can't they get?
Going why can't why do they? Why you, know there's just. Frustration,
Sure AND i think over the last eight years with,
basketball you, know four Under Mike, woodson four Under Archie,
MILLER i think that was just considerable frustration that you,

(46:18):
know they they watched everybody else go make, threes and
they looked at The hoosias and why can't you make?
Right they watched team after team come into Assembly hall
and light them up and, go what what? What we
can't make? Threes but we're going to give up a. Bunch,
yeah that's this is backwards.

Speaker 1 (46:33):
And that's big ten, teams that's mid, majors that's everybody
would come INTO.

Speaker 2 (46:36):
I, MEAN I pfw walked into that building and lit them,
up and you, know and you, Know illinois walks in
the building and beats on my twenty, finals, RIGHT i
mean it ran them off the, court you. Know SO
i think there was people were just hang frustration and
who's your nation for? Basketball almost started slipping into, exasperation you,
know because people saw the same thing happen over and

(46:59):
over and, over or people looked at it like somebody do.
Something it's that old meme of hitting looking some with the,
stick do something, something and the only thing they did
was keep doing the same stupid things and failing to
shoot and give.

Speaker 3 (47:12):
Up a whole bunch of.

Speaker 2 (47:12):
Threes and that's WHY i think there's just a there's an,
optimism but it's more almost an optimism of there's there's
some comfort there that people believe they're going to watch
a better brand of. Best they're going to see their
team trying to play the way you need to play
in the year twenty twenty, five AND i think people

(47:34):
really got tired, of you, know WHEN i didn't play
well what he just constantly, SAYING i need to get
him over with the. Hump people were, like give us
a little better explanation than, that you. Know SO i
think there's there's there's enthusiasm that that hasn't been there
for a. While AND i think there's just a general
sense people are happy that they see a. Plan you,

(47:55):
know they're not expecting to guarantee of a certain number
of wins or. Anything they see an actual. Plan they
see somebody who came in and, said, hey we're gonna emphasize,
Shooting we're gonna play a little quicker.

Speaker 3 (48:05):
We want this kind of point.

Speaker 2 (48:06):
Guard we want these kind of guards and, wings and
goes into the portal and starts getting those kind of.

Speaker 3 (48:11):
Plays.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
Right so people hear a plan that makes, sense and
then they see a coach assembling pieces to, go, oh that,
fits and that that's kind of point guard he was talking.
About that's kind of Mar. Wilkinson that's kind of shooting
guard he was talking, Right just sigh of. Miles that's
kind of a.

Speaker 3 (48:25):
Big wing he was talking. About so people.

Speaker 2 (48:26):
See a plan and see it actually being put into,
place and again it's not a guarantee of a certain number.

Speaker 3 (48:31):
Win.

Speaker 2 (48:31):
Right people actually see hear a plan that makes sense
and then they see it starting to be put. Together
it's almost like watching a car get. Built you're, like,
okay you, know engine hadn't even started, yet but we,
like we like the pieces that are getting put on the.
Frame AND i think that's that's kind of the sense
THAT i get, from you, know you, know being on the.

Speaker 3 (48:50):
Message board and just reading people's comments and.

Speaker 2 (48:52):
EVERYTHING i think people are, Like, okay this guy does
have a plan and he does know what he's, doing
and guys Like Joe adams And Kenny johnson and they
got connections and they go out there and get us some, dude,
RIGHT i think there's some some happiness and who's your?

Speaker 1 (49:03):
Name and there's some comfort in the unknown because you,
look After Tom allen was let go prior to last football,
season you didn't know How signetti was going to, be
but you knew it wasn't going to be the way
it was Under Tom. Allen it was going to be
at the very least something, different, sure and that's something different.
Holds it's just pregnant with, possibilities which we saw last.
Year this change with basketball shows. That, okay you, know

(49:27):
it's the same kind of. Feeling it's pregnant with possibility
that it's going to be better than it. Was you
already have success over here on football and it's pointing
in the right, direction and like you, said it isn't
even necessarily about getting to eleven. Wins it is a
confidence that we saw something that is repeatable going. Forward

(49:48):
and to, me, again pregnant with possibilities is everything here
because that's what hope. Is they're hoping for something. Better
sometimes it, happens and it happened last year with football
and it's. Continuing it doesn't seem like a flash in
the pant situation over at. Basketball it's that that that
excitement that possibilities are you, know are.

Speaker 3 (50:08):
There that's a really it's a really good way to phrase.

Speaker 1 (50:11):
IT i, mean that's it's it's it's really really.

Speaker 3 (50:13):
Good way to phrase. It, Yeah AND i think that's
that's what we're.

Speaker 2 (50:15):
Seeing and, YEAH i mean when a couple of days
After debrez was, hired, Uh Trevor andershock AND i went
down and sat in his office and talked to him
for a little. While and you know this as long
as you've covered, sports but when you sit down and
talk to a, coach especially somebody you really haven't talked
to much. Before and the REASON i talked here there au.

(50:37):
Events BUT i wouldn't say like we knew each other
well or. Anything we just knew who each other. Was
we texted and talked here and, there.

Speaker 3 (50:44):
But not talk to.

Speaker 2 (50:45):
Him when you ask somebody a question and you get
specifics in the, answer that gives you confidence that there's
a real plan. There right when you get generalities or
just a string of ridiculous, cliches some of which may
since in the nineteen, seventies but don't. Anymore then you
started to be like you're a little concerned and sitting

(51:06):
there talking to darn to reach there were incredible. SPECIFICS
i mean we even dove into AND i got to
write this story at some point we even dove. In
he dove into like how and when they Were creighton
they came up with this whole concept of trying to
score within twelve. Seconds how it, started why they kind
of fiddled with, it why they were, like has a

(51:29):
chance and then they were like, okay but we got
to tweak this and, that and then it got to
be to where tactically it was like, okay kind of
like how guys run the, lanes where if it's a
mad shot or, missed there are certain different tactical things you.
Do but he just dove into and they're a tremendous
amount of. Details AND i remember walking out of. That

(51:50):
trevor AND i were talking on the drive back AND
i was, like that's a real. Plan, yeah like a real. Plan,
now that's not somebody who just wrote down some concepts
to throw out there at the you, know introductory press.
Conference this guy who can sit there and talk about
it and if you want, to if you want to
drill down in any one specific, area he can drill
down in. Details AND i thought that that was the

(52:12):
MOMENT i was, Like, okay you, know this guy has
a real.

Speaker 1 (52:15):
Plan he knows what he's doing, well and Like, signetti
there's a confidence there because and this to me is
the first guy that they've had since Basically Kelvin, sampson
to be honest with, you who is confident in what
they could do and knowing that the way that he
plays on the court can be. SUCCESSFUL i always felt
That Tom crean was trying to prove, himself you, know

(52:37):
at some level along the. Way he wasn't dripping with,
confidence you, Know calvin. Was Mike davis knew that he
was kind of out of his element a little. Bit
archie had hadn't had success at at you, know a
major conference level in a way that that you, know,
Look Aaron debries didn't go to THE ncaa tournament At West,
virginia but he went from nine wins to nineteen. Wins you,

(53:00):
have you, know the success that he had year over
year over year At, creighton you, know or, NO i
had break And drake, sorry you, Know and so he
knows that it works his, process and having that kind
of confidence is really important in being able to sell
your players that you're confident in what you're. Saying and
that's something That sig did last year and he's doing

(53:20):
to all the new guys coming. In and it just
feels like like these are two coaches that at least
have a clear vision of what they want and don't
have to try to try to prove anything outside of
doing what you're doing and letting the players find out
for themselves that it all.

Speaker 3 (53:35):
Works. Yeah, yeah that's a good.

Speaker 2 (53:37):
Point and by the, way totally if you're to Mention
Tucker debris when we're talking about, yeah obviously coach's. Son
he just he was there at the introductory PRESS. Convergce
it doesn't seem like a new. Addition it's like coach
and son coming together kind of. Thing but you, Know,
tucker obviously he was only able to play eight games
last year because.

Speaker 3 (53:56):
Of his you, know shoulder.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
Surgery but he's another guy who's got really good, size
can play the three of the four and and makes
threes and and can play the whole.

Speaker 3 (54:05):
Game he's another.

Speaker 2 (54:06):
Guy but to your, point, YEAH i think there's there
is that that confidence with. Derees they're, like, YEAH i
know What i'm. Doing i'm gonna put together a good.
Staff we're going to adjust as we, need but we
know what we're. Doing and, yeah there's there's not, this you.
Know With archie always felt like he was he had an,
idea but it didn't, work and then he was, like,

(54:27):
YEAH i don't know what to, do you, know and
what he came in and just you, know too much
nineteen eighties offense and talking about how you, know he
wanted to build the whole team on, defense but it's,
like one of their defense wasn't very, good and two
there's too much skill in the game. Today you can't
defend everybody into submission. Anymore it's just not gonna. Happen

(54:49):
you want a good. Defense and obviously What Kelvin sampson
did At houston was. Unbelievable all the credit in the
world to those, guys the coaches and the, players and
that got them to The final. Four but you, know, okay,
one just because one person who's been at a school
for more than a, decade just because one guy got it,
done doesn't mean that everybody can rep. Them, Right and

(55:11):
you look at THE Ncaa, tournament Especially sweet, sixteen on
good offenses beating good defense with higher frequencies about every
year now and the teams that went to the final
four are ranked number, one number, two number, three number.
Nine an offensive efficiency if you're going to try to
do something special or build toward doing something special at
some point in, time it's not going to happen overnight

(55:32):
or anything like. That you have to have good offensive
Concept you just have. To you got to recruit the
right kind of offensive skilled, players and your concepts have
to be. Good you have to design things for guys
to get Three you just have. To and then the other.
Thing and this isn't to like temper expectations or. Anything
people can hope for whatever they want to hope. For

(55:54):
but Like Todd golden just.

Speaker 3 (55:56):
Won a national.

Speaker 2 (55:57):
Championship his first year At florida was. Average it was,
average but he had really good offensive concepts and he
knew that his offense would, work and it just took
him a couple of recruiting cyclists to get a certain
level of. Talent So i'm not really most of the
TIME i give coaches at least three. Years, SURE i
want to give you three years because even with the, portal,

(56:19):
yeah you can go get veteran, guys there's more plug
and play guys. AVAILABLE i get. That but still it's
most of the time it takes a couple of recruiting
cycles to really get what you need or what you.
Want because, SOMETIMES i, mean the portal is not a.
Draft you can't be, Like, OKAY i want bike, Off,
BOOM i get bike.

Speaker 3 (56:35):
OFF i want.

Speaker 2 (56:36):
Tryvor you, KNOW i, mean some other school may really
really make a great recruiting pitch and get can buy.

Speaker 1 (56:43):
It would be a terrible basketball, team just like garbage basketball.
Team but go, Ahead, Well trevor.

Speaker 3 (56:49):
Was actually five star camp one. Time and you you.

Speaker 2 (56:52):
Back when we had the old media, games YOU i
think you put twenty on my head one. DAY i remember.
THAT i was, like oh, man physical that, too that.
Too but, no BUT i think, it you know a
lot of times it takes some. Time SO i always
give coaches at least three years and you don't have
to hit a certain win total or anything in three.
Years but does the plan make? Sense is the plan being?

(57:14):
Executed is there reason to believe that this, person with
his plan and his recruiting philosophy and his recruiting ability
and his staff's recruiting. Ability does that make sense for
does that give you hope that they're going to be
good for an extended period of time and by year?

Speaker 3 (57:29):
Three the answer needs to be. Yes it needs to be.

Speaker 2 (57:31):
Yes AND i THINK i have a great confidence That
Darren debrie is going to do very well at D.

Speaker 3 (57:35):
Enna.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
Yeah, well it's going to be an exciting time at
The Simon Scott Assembly hall at an exciting time At Memorial
Stadium spring game tonight at eight o'clock. Kickoff it's not,
televised but all the coverage that you could want On
peak dot com both you, know during the game and
then you know and after the game as well as
we move Into friday for all the coverage with. That
this obviously was designed as a call in. Show somewhere

(57:59):
along the way we had connection issues and so that's
why we haven't gotten. Calls we haven't been on YouTube
for a little. While but it doesn't make it. Difference
i'm gonna take the whole video and put it on.
YouTube people are gonna be able to see, it and
so that's WHY i didn't stop us from doing. It
BUT i do appreciate you bringing, it taking the time
to come out out here and join, us AND i
hope you get to enjoy the game and enjoy the,

(58:20):
coverage AND i really appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (58:21):
Absolutely it should be a fun. Night i'm looking forward to.

Speaker 1 (58:23):
It it's all the time we have on The Peaks Podcast.
LIVE i want to thank you for. WATCHING i want
to mind you to Visit peaks dot com for the
very best AND i you football and basketball Coverage you're
gonna find anywhere nobody covers who's you're recruiting better Than
jeff Rab, John's Matt, Weaver Trevor, andershack And Jared. Kelly
so come be a part of a thriving and exciting
community At peaks dot. Com, folks you are not going
to be. Disappointed, folks we're out of, time but For, Jeff, Matt,

(58:47):
trevor And, Jared i'm Ken bikoff saying thanks for. Listening,
everybody