Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Indiana Basketball wins – tough to please IU fans lament poor shooting instead of celebrating victory

Archie Miller’s Indiana team is at its best when the opponent tries to score.

Indiana won 63-55 over Maryland last night,  We don’t argue with winning around here, so we won’t grouse about the negatives.  If we did, there would be more than a few scabs to pick at with these non-shooting Hoosiers who tallied a measly 21 points in the first half.

We could talk about Indiana’s bizarre ineptitude at knocking down open threes under Archie Miller.  During his four seasons in Bloomington, the Hoosiers have made between 31.2% and 32.7% from beyond the arc, so this year’s stubborn waywardness is not an aberration.  Oddly, the current Hoosiers – so bad at shooting threes they are left undefended on the perimeter – is his most productive from deep.  They have ranked 307th, 311th, 204th, and 199th in Division One during that span – not exactly progress worth crowing about.

Compare those rankings with the Tom Crean led teams that immediately preceded Miller.  Those teams made 40% of their three-pointers and ranked 6th, 4th, and 48th, so the rims or shooting background at Assembly Hall are blameless.

The arc was moved back to the international distance of just over 22-feet before last season, but they did it for everyone – not just Indiana.  IU’s shooting accuracy actually increased with the change, so that had nothing to do with the failure to hit the target..

The reason we’ll skip talking about Indiana’s errant shooting is because their defense has caused opponents to be even worse.  Offenses have hit only 30.7% of their threes against IU, and the Hoosiers defense is ranked in the top 10 in efficiency for the first time since 2002.  We remember what happened in 2002, or I hope you do.

Yes, the Hoosiers are difficult to watch try to score.  There is no rhythm to the offense.  Players appear to be more concerned with not screwing up than making plays, and that’s no way to put the ball in the basket.  Because I got a B-minus in Finite Math while a student at IU, you should believe me when I tell you Indiana players will miss 100% of the shots they don’t take.  Of course, their percentage of makes goes up only slightly for the shots they do take, but that is beside the point.

It has been clear since Miller arrived in Bloomington that the defensive end was where his Hoosiers would hang their hat, and that means scoring will be at a premium.  Indiana fans who prize accurate shooting and crisp purposeful offensive movement will endure two hours of unending misery every time the Hoosiers lace up their Adidas.  If you are an astute fan of tough pack-line defense, this will be a team you enjoy.

Opposing defenses will double team Trayce Jackson-Davis and dare guards to launch disobedient scuds toward the rim from 23 feet.  Until Miller finds players who can both defend and shoot, they are doomed lose to teams capable of both.  And God help Indiana if they play another team like Texas with athleticism, length, defensive aggression, AND offensive efficiency.

There I go getting negative again.

Thursday night, IU gets a shot at the kind of team they would like to eventually become when they travel to Madison to play the Badgers.  Wisconsin is typically a team that defends and shoots well.  This season, they rank in college Basketball’s top 10 in offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, and three-point percentage.  Greg Gard’s team is hard-nosed and experienced with four senior starters and another senior who is usually first off the bench.

Indiana has one senior playing any minutes at all, and a freshman, two sophomores, and a junior starting.  Thursday night will be a serious measuring stick for a program that needs to get old and stay old as quickly as possible.

For IU fans who woke up whining about a win against Maryland, what they see on Fox Sports One Thursday at 7p might make what happened last night seem like Mardi Gras, New Year’s Eve, and the first Saturday night of the fall semester all rolled into one.

Thursday night is going to be a stiff test for the Hoosiers and a fan base that hates poor shooting and losing to Wisconsin with equal enthusiasm.

Chicago Cubs hire Boog Sciambi as the next TV voice for Marquee

Among many obvious reasons Jon Sciambi was a great hire as TV voice of the Cubs – a close relationship with manager David Ross from when they worked games together for ESPN.

While I enjoy taking shots at the Cubs fan cash grab that the Marquee Network is, it’s hard to argue with former ESPN voice Jon “Boog” Sciambi as the replacement for Len Kasper as TV voice of the Cubs.

Sciambi brings a big personality, broadcasting acumen, a baseball knowledge to the booth in a way few others can match.

Initially Chris Myers, already a part of the Marquee roster, was floated as a potential replacement.  Fans, including me, went off the rails in protest.  Myers is a good guy and broadcaster, but lacks the personality to be the heir to the Brickhouse/Caray throne.  It can be argued that Kasper did as well, but after a while his milquetoast-ness sort of grew on us.

Here are the differences between Kasper, Sciambi, and Myers:

  • Kasper was the high school equivalent of the guy you would have hired to take the SAT for you on a Saturday morning because you knew that he would prepare harder to take your test than you would yourself, and there was no chance he would find his way to a party the night before.
  • Sciambi is the guy who would throw the party the night before taking the SAT, and still ace the thing despite bloodshot eyes and a case of the flopsweats.
  • Myers would be the neighbor who would call the cops to break up the party.

Somehow, I feel slightly less stupid for changing carriers because of who carries Fox Sports Indiana and the Marquee Network, and I thank Boog for that.  If he had turned down the gig, there is no telling who the Cubs would have forced into my living room.

Colts vs. Bills – 10 fascinating facts you MUST know about Saturday’s wild card matchup

The Bills opened as a 6 1/2-point favorite over the visiting Colts, which seems just about right.

10 – Strength of the Bills is in their skill positions.  Josh Allen is an elite level quarterback by all statistical measures – from Pro Football Focus (#5) to QBR (#3) to Passer rating (#4).  Philip Rivers is middle of the pack among NFL starters – from PFF (#17) to QBR (#19) to Passer rating (#13).  Bills also sport the NFL’s #4 and #13 ranked wide receivers, according to PFF, in Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley.  The Colts top-ranked WR is T.Y. Hilton at #27.  From there, the drop is precipitous – Zach Pascal is #91.  The Colts advantage is at running back with both Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines in PFF’s top 10, and Taylor third in rushing yards.

9 – Kicking game is close to even.  In the playoffs, winning and losing can come down to a field goal made or missed.  The Bills and Colts have rookie kickers who have both been quite good.  The Bills Tyler Bass was a sixth round pick of the 2020 draft, and he’s converted 28-34 field goals with a long of 58 yards.  He’s also made 57 of 59 extra points.  Rodrigo Blankenship has made 32-37 field goals with a long of 53 yards, and has been true on all but two extra points.  Bass is 4-6 from 50+, but both misses came at home in his only two attempts.  Blankenship is 1-3 from 50 or more – all at home, including a 56-yard miss yesterday.

8 – Colts dominated Bills 37-5 last meeting.  This was in 2018 when Andrew Luck was the Colts QB, so it’s irrelevant to what will happen Saturday.  And the game was played in Indy, so that is a significant difference too.

7 – Colts and Bills put equal pressure on quarterbacks.  The Bills have amassed 38 sacks, but they have been spread throughout the roster with no one totaling more than five.  The Colts 40 sacks have come primarily from DeForest Buckner (9.5), Justin Houston (8), and Denico Autry (7.5).

6 – Left tackle Anthony Castonzo‘s loss wasn’t a problem yesterday.  Granted, it was against the Jaguars, but Jared Veldheer‘s first action for the Colts (or anyone in 2020) at left tackle was an upgrade over all other previous options.  Veldheer is a bit like the ringer semi-pro baseball pitcher teams used to bus in for a big money game.  Last year, Veldheer’s lone action was for the Packers in the regular season finale and their playoff opening win against the Seahawks.  He was legit yesterday in run blocking and pass protection, although – again – this was against a 1-15 team.

5 – Weather looks good for Sunday.  While no one is going to pack shorts for a trip to Buffalo in early January, the forecast for a city that averages 93.4 inches of snow each winter could be much worse.  As of this moment, the forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a high of 28.  No snow in the forecast all week.

4 – Colts enjoy a turnover edge.  For the season, the Colts have a +10 turnover differential and the Bills are +4.  What does that mean for Saturday’s game?  It means that based upon that small slice of broad analytics, the Colts have a 38% likelihood of a one turnover advantage in this game.

3 – Colts defense should be healthy.  Let’s face it, the Steelers exploited the absence of starting safety Khari Willis when he suffered a concussion on punt coverage, and the Jaguars had a relatively nice day throwing the football against the Colts secondary that was without both Willis and starting corner Rock Ya-Sin, who also suffered a concussion in that game.  If both are back for the Colts – and they should be – they will be a tougher opponent, especially over the middle where the Jags had success yesterday.

2 – Josh Allen is Philip Rivers with wheels.  Rivers and Allen are similar statistically throwing the football, but Allen brings a dimension you might expect from a player more than 14 years younger – an ability to scramble.  This season, Allen ran 102 times for 421 yards and eight TDs (half the Bills total rushing TDs), while Rivers ran 18 times for -8 yards.  To be generous, let’s add Colts back-up QB Jacoby Brissett‘s rushing numbers – 17 carries for 19 yards and three TDs.  Seems it really wasn’t that generous.

1 – If the Bills score 20+, they win.  In games the Bills scored less than 20, they were 1-2.  They scored more than 20 and lost just once – on the “Hail Murray!” play at the end of what should have been a win over the Cardinals.  The game they won while scoring less than 20 came against the pitiful New York Jets.  The Colts do not want to get in a shootout with the Bills.  Once they get to 20, wins are very tough to come by.

Indianapolis Colts win, Jonathan Taylor goes wild, trip to Buffalo for Saturday wild card game

Jonathan Taylor was magic today. Hopefully, he left just a little in the tank for this Saturday in Buffalo!

So the Colts made the playoffs after all on as crazy an afternoon and early evening as we’ve seen in Indianapolis football in many years.

The Colts 28-14 win over the woeful Jaguars was unremarkable in all respects but for the singularly extraordinary running of Jonathan Taylor, who rolled to a franchise record 253 yards on 30 carries.  Taylor’s excellence tied with DeMarco Murray of the Cowboys for the ninth best day of rushing in more than a century of NFL history.

Other than Taylor, the Colts were very similar to the team that either starts games strong and then wilts (like today) or falls behind early only to explode in the second half.  But I have a rule that I recommend the Colts coaches don’t embrace – I never argue with winning.

The Colts should dissect the wherefores and whys of a game like today in search of the reason they tend to get routinely gashed after building a big lead.  My recommendation is they start with why two safeties were stationed 15 yards off the ball after forcing the Jags into a 3rd and 8 midway through the third quarter.  It invited an underneath throw just beyond the sticks.  the resulting first down put the Jags in position to score their second touchdown and close the gap to a manageable six points.

The drama wasn’t over when the Colts walked off the field in celebration after today’s win.  The Colts were guaranteed a playoff berth with their win because the Dolphins were mauled in Buffalo, but there was still hope for an AFC South championship.  The giant screens at Lucas Oil Stadium flipped to show the end of the Titans vs. Texans game.  If the Titans lost, the Colts would win the division and qualify as the fourth seed.

The difference between fourth and seventh is significant as the fourth seed will host fifth seed Baltimore while the seventh seed needs to travel to Buffalo.  No one wants to go to Buffalo on the second weekend of January, especially as the reward for an 11-5 season.

A 51-yard field goal by Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn tied the game with 18-seconds left in regulation, and Colts fans settled in to watch the overtime.  The Titans had different ideas.  Quarterback Ryan Tannehill sickened Colts fans with a 52-yard completion to put the Titans in field goal range with :04 left.  Kicker Sam Sloman hit the right upright with his 37-yard field goal attempt, but the lucky drink dropped over the crossbar and sent Colts fans home as the seven-seed.

Normally the final seed is chum for the best team not to receive a bye, but the Colts are 11-5 and capable of playing with the best teams in the league.  Even better, unnlike previous iterations of the team, this group is built to play in the cold and wet – if necessary.  Taylor was terrific today indoors, but there is nothing about his game that makes you think he can’t run in the cold.  In fact, he broke college records in weather similar to Buffalo’s while a student-athlete at Wisconsin.

The first key to succeeding in the NFL’s postseason tournament is to qualify for it, and the Colts got that done.  Now, the trick will be to get a lead and build on it, instead of giving ground until it evaporates completely – as in Pittsburgh last week, or is all but gone – as they did today.

Unlike the regular season, where teams get 16 swings to build successful habits and exploit them, if they screw this up Saturday, it’s all over.  One errant Philip Rivers pass, idiotic penalty, or soft call from defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, and another long offseason begins.

Hey, whatever happens, there is reason for optimism for another week, and minus the top seeds in the two conferences – the Packers and Chiefs – that’s the best any team gets.

Time to enjoy a bonus week of football, and hope for another one.  And another one.  And then just one more.

Here is the Wild Card Weekend schedule!

SUPER WILD CARD WEEKEND

Saturday, January 9

AFC:    1:05 PM (ET)  Indianapolis at Buffalo (CBS)

NFC:    4:40 PM (ET)  Los Angeles Rams at Seattle (FOX)

NFC:    8:15 PM (ET)  Tampa Bay at New York Giants or Washington (NBC)

Sunday, January 10

AFC:    1:05 PM (ET)  Baltimore at Tennessee (ESPN/ABC)

NFC:    4:40 PM (ET)  Chicago at New Orleans (CBS, Nickelodeon, Amazon Prime)

AFC:    8:15 PM (ET)  Cleveland at Pittsburgh (NBC, Telemundo, Peacock)

Indiana Basketball fans are frustrated, and only they can solve that problem

Rob Phinisee with a nice play that few Indiana fans enjoyed as much as they should have.

When it comes to Indiana Basketball, there is a problem that is impossible to overlook any longer.

It’s not Archie Miller, the coach of this group that nearly lost to a very mediocre Penn State team in overtime Wednesday.  It’s not Rob Phinisee, Al Durham, or Trayce Jackson-Davis – players who are certainly not trying to play without easily recognizable passion.  And it’s not recruiting – Miller has been able to get virtually every Indiana kid he targeted until Trey Kaufman, and he has no bearing over this team – or the previous three.

No, the problem with Indiana Basketball is much more insidious than those obvious targets.  The challenge IU Basketball seeks to overcome stares back at each of us every time we look in the mirror.

Indiana Basketball, I have seen thine enemy.  And he is us.

Expectations of fans like you and I are outside the realm of reason.  Landon Turner, Calbert Cheaney, Steve Alford, Scott May, and Ted Kitchel have exhausted their eligibility, and while Bob Knight calls Bloomington home again, his coaching days are over.  The seats in the balconies that used to fill with rabid fans were all but empty even before COVID-19 robbed them of their ability to hold the ample rears of IU fans from Bedford, Paoli, Mitchell, and Linton.

Indiana’s days as a championship level basketball program have ended, but like parents of kids who still believe Santa Claus slithers down our chimneys to deliver presents, those who know better are reluctant to say it out loud.  Dreams still exist that a sixth championship banner might be hung from the rafters at Assembly Hall more than 33 years after the last one began gathering dust.

Indiana fans continue to watch games in the hope the the Hoosiers will return to form as a smart, well-coached, tough team that wins through force of will and clinical fundamental execution.  Seniors from the last team answering that description are now 40 years old.  The youngest Hoosier to cut down the nets IU fans covet most is now 51.

Game after game and year after year, we watch, yell at the TV, and curse the coach and players who cause our frustration without realizing our emotional wounds are self-inflicted.  They come via our unrealistic expectations.  We hear about incoming freshmen and project them into a class that will rival Knights final great group in 1989 that would have been good for at least one championship if not for Ted Valentine’s whistle and Alan Henderson‘s knee.

We watch Indiana win a hard-fought overtime game against Penn State and shudder over the utter incompetence of the defense allowing the Nittany Lions to tally 85 points instead of celebrate Phinisee’s late defensive excellence and game-winning basket with 12-seconds left.

Yet we view this never ending cycle of misery as an Archie Miller problem or Tom Crean problem or Mike Davis problem instead of a problem best solved by each of us by divorcing our historical database from an evaluation of the present.  We blame the AAU culture, social media, and unrealistic NBA dreams for the perceived lack of willingness to sacrifice toward a common goal.

Which do you believe is easier for you to control – IU’s roster wakes up tomorrow believing in the outdated concept of a loss being life’s worst penalty, or your acceptance of Indiana as a mediocre program that cannot be compelled to improve because of your ardent wishes?

Instead of asking repeatedly, “What are they doing?” during Monday night’s game against Maryland, we need ourselves what we are doing.

The correction for your anger with the Hoosiers lies within each of us – not Miller and his players.  Enjoy the wins, and let the losses go.