BleedGopher
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 60,775
- Reaction score
- 16,185
- Points
- 113
per Brennan:
A month later, the chaos of March has given way to something few Indiana fans would have foreseen at the time, even (or maybe especially) after Dolson announced his hire: Serenity. Efficiency. Competence. A sense, achieved at light speed, that the program is in extremely capable hands, that the direction of travel is finally right. In an especially short space of time, Indiana fans, so beaten down by lack of success and so willing to be excited at the first glimpse of hope these past two decades, really do have good reason to be excited.
Simply put, the Mike Woodson era is off to a pretty remarkable start.
Indeed, the number of crucial to-dos accomplished since Woodson was formally introduced March 29 is difficult to get one’s arms around, even just as a recounting. The first item of business was retaining Hunter’s services; Woodson formed a quick bond with the first-year assistant over film study, found a coach who in his short time had built great relationships with Indiana’s players, and one eager to move forward under new leadership.
More pressing was the matter of the players themselves. When Woodson arrived, six Hoosiers had entered the transfer portal, among them starting forward Race Thompson and former five-star guard Khristian Lander, both of whom (and especially the latter) would have been prized, immediately eligible pickups for almost any program in the country, but also starters Aljani Durham and Armaan Franklin alongside Jordan Geronimo and former UT-Martin transfer Parker Stewart. In short order, Woodson effectively re-recruited and persuaded four of the six to stick around. Durham ended up at Providence, and Franklin, a 42.4 percent 3-point shooter, went to chase ACC glory at Virginia, but the others will be starters at best or rotation pieces at worst, a recruiting haul to rival some of the best retention work any program has managed in the transfer-crazy 2021 offseason.
theathletic.com
Go Gophers!!
A month later, the chaos of March has given way to something few Indiana fans would have foreseen at the time, even (or maybe especially) after Dolson announced his hire: Serenity. Efficiency. Competence. A sense, achieved at light speed, that the program is in extremely capable hands, that the direction of travel is finally right. In an especially short space of time, Indiana fans, so beaten down by lack of success and so willing to be excited at the first glimpse of hope these past two decades, really do have good reason to be excited.
Simply put, the Mike Woodson era is off to a pretty remarkable start.
Indeed, the number of crucial to-dos accomplished since Woodson was formally introduced March 29 is difficult to get one’s arms around, even just as a recounting. The first item of business was retaining Hunter’s services; Woodson formed a quick bond with the first-year assistant over film study, found a coach who in his short time had built great relationships with Indiana’s players, and one eager to move forward under new leadership.
More pressing was the matter of the players themselves. When Woodson arrived, six Hoosiers had entered the transfer portal, among them starting forward Race Thompson and former five-star guard Khristian Lander, both of whom (and especially the latter) would have been prized, immediately eligible pickups for almost any program in the country, but also starters Aljani Durham and Armaan Franklin alongside Jordan Geronimo and former UT-Martin transfer Parker Stewart. In short order, Woodson effectively re-recruited and persuaded four of the six to stick around. Durham ended up at Providence, and Franklin, a 42.4 percent 3-point shooter, went to chase ACC glory at Virginia, but the others will be starters at best or rotation pieces at worst, a recruiting haul to rival some of the best retention work any program has managed in the transfer-crazy 2021 offseason.
Not yet a month into the job at Indiana, Mike Woodson is already turning heads
The former Hoosier and longtime NBA coach persuaded key players to return while also upgrading the roster.
Go Gophers!!