DISQUS

HoosierSmitty · 1 year ago

You can tell by listening to EJ that he's a really good kid. I wish him the best. He's making the right call when you get down to it, but he really could have benefited from another year. But with all the turmoil surrounding this program, what other decision do you have when you're going to be a Top 10 pick.

I wish him the best, and wish things could have been a little different this season. When you look at all the criticism that we've had for EJ, well I guess that's what happens when you compress four years of expectations into a "one and done" season. Perhaps that's reason enough to say a kid either has to stay for two years minimum, or just let them jump straight in to the NBA waters.

Personally, I say give them this option: You have two years of NON NBA basketball before we let you play in the league. You can do it at college, prep school, or the NBDL, or some combination of those. But there's no NBA until you're two years removed from high school. Who's going to choose NBDL over college?

Kelin Blab · 1 year ago

I wish EJ and DJ the best those two kids DESERVE better than what they got at IU and I am glad KS was not there. Just waiting for him to get another job so I can boo his ass and heckle him.

On a side note...I hear Van Treese on the radio at EJ's announcement sound very excited about Coach Crean at IU....far more excited than he did during KS time. Getting Van Trese could help land his younger and better (in my opinion) teammate D. Fergunson.

xxBHxx · 1 year ago

Van Treese said he was being recruited by Marquette a little bit. How good is this kid?

JerryCT · 1 year ago

No surprise about going pro. The surprise will be when the NBA finds out how much he has to learn adn how much he will need to adapt his game

iuoiu · 1 year ago

"I am doing this to compete at the highest level, not for the fame or the money."

Like the second part of that quote, but the first, well, just does not jive. He did fine against the weak non-conference schedule, but once he got to the B10 he discovered what tough competition is. He did not dominate in conference, so why is he looking for even TOUGHER competition?

I know, I know, it's a no brainer decision. I don't fault him. I just thought that quote was odd.

tberry · 1 year ago

"I am doing this to compete at the highest level, not for the fame or the money."

RIGHT!!!

rifleman · 1 year ago

the three guys on the banner on this home page..(bailey,cheaney & white) considered it an..."honor"...to play for IU while bassett & ellis wanted to..blackmail...IU with their own terms....get rid of those two bums...!!!

IUTennis · 1 year ago

Not for the fame or money? Are you kidding me? Come on man.

Kelin Blab · 1 year ago

Thinking about the big picture, EJ came to IU with argubly the same amount of hype if not more than Damon Bailey, but the let down was tremendous. Very good kid and family and I take him at his word, the IU drama was just too much to even think of coming back. His h.s. coach hinted that IU this season was a joke and EJ did not get developed as a player....he was pretty candid.

redandy75 · 1 year ago

Haha, EJ never had the amount of hype as Damon Bailey, not even close. Coach Knight was attending his 8th grade basketball games and proclaiming him the best basketball player ever in the state... in the 8th grade. So that would be NINE YEARS OF HYPE if you count his college career. EJ's one year fizzle and burn is not even close.

xxBHxx · 1 year ago

Knight said after watching bailey in 8th grade that bailey could start for his squad right now. But bailey still was pretty sweet.

ChiCityHoosier · 1 year ago

first and foremost, i wish DJ and EJ the best of luck at the next level. i lost interest in the nba after MJ left, but maybe these two will help me turn over a new leaf. that said, are IU press conferences always sponsored by a community organization? how did the jewish community center get thrown into this mix?! nothing against jews, or communities, or centers ... just curious. and lastly, it's sad that the world of sports has become such a big business that i can't even hold in the laughter when a 20 year old says he's going pro for the competition and not for the fame or money. nothing against EJ ... just the way things are. sad. regardless, i hope DJ and EJ dominate in the nba and represent the hoosier family with character and pride both on and off the court.

Kelin Blab · 1 year ago

EJ lives across the street and grew up play at the JCC

MikeinNC · 1 year ago

There was a very brief, but extremely important comment made by EJ near the end of the press conference that explains a lot about what was wrong with IU basketball under KS. When EJ was asked what he would miss most about the college game, he mentioned his team mates, and the fan support, then said something to the effect of "I really appreciate my team for letting me do whatever I wanted to do on the court to be successful"....(those were not the exact words but I don't think I have paraphrased inaccurately). That really describes EJ's "career" at IU - he didn't play as part of the team, he just "did what he wanted to do" whether it was firing up shots from anywhere at will regardless of how it fit into the flow of the offense, or putting his head down and barreling into the lane against 3-4 bigger stronger players without thinking to dish the ball out to one of the other 4 guys standing around open. This is a really nice, incredibly talented kid who was never forced to develop a strong basketball IQ. IU could have helped him with that during this one year, instead KS and company pandered to the kid and let him "do whatever he wanted". What a shame.

It's not the kid's fault, he is clearly very talented, and is a humble, well-grounded kid. But in the latter half of the season when a game got to crunch time he often looked confused as to why he couldn't do what used to work for him back at the community center and at North Central. No one ever taught him team basketball instincts. Now that probably won't matter in the NBA, but it's a shame because, regardless of how long they stay, the one thing that should always happen for an IU player is that they should leave the program possessing a strong basketball IQ.

ALH_00 · 1 year ago

I agree...I remember one of KS' halftime quotes to that effect. I also remember EJ saying something similar later on in a press conference. That he was able, and in fact encouraged to "do whatever he wanted" is a disgrace. It's like IU's other players were forced to sacrifice a year of eligibility to present EJ's case to the NBA. What a terrible idea...and the results bear that out.

Please, Coach Crean, teach a team game to our players regardless of their individual potential. Again, in the immortal word of Norman Dale..."let's be clear about what we're after here...team, team, team...no one more important that the other." Look at the current National Champs (or any of the final four teams for that matter). KU plays eight guys who can ball. The are like interchangeable parts. They each try to exploit their individual strenghts and create mismatches, but they are not selfish. They hustle and play relentless defense. Also for Memphis, Rose pretty much took over the game mid-way through the second half, but he still finished with eight assists (I think). Unselfish basketball, played by good players, wins games. Please Coach, let's be like KU and Memphis and not like IU circa '07-'08.

That said, best luck to EJ...he deserved better.