On this episode of Xs and Joes, the crew explores how college basketball programs try to use pace of play to their advantage, bringing in Coach Tonsoni and Coach Adragna to provide tactical insights.

The discussion examines how tempo and pace interact with personnel, recruiting, and program philosophy in modern college basketball. Our panel explores how some traditionally slower-paced programs like Wisconsin are adapting to modern play styles, while others like Virginia maintain their methodical approach.

They also analyze how factors like the transfer portal and player development are forcing programs to evolve their systems and pace of play.

Segment 1

Everyone says they want to play "fast" (except members of the Bennett family) so why don't they?

1. Why do coaches want to push or pull back tempo? What are the advantages and disadvantages in playing at certain paces?
2. What do teams do to control the pace of play? What can a team do on both ends of the floor to pressure an opponent?
3. How total number of possessions can be misleading in how fast some teams want to play?

Segment 2

So, who is actually playing fast (like Wisconsin is...for them...this year) and how are they doing it?

1. What are some faster playing programs doing differently to get a quicker shot?
2. How are teams slowing down opponents' offenses but getting out ahead in transition or after a score?
3. How has overall roster moves and lineup construction impacted a team's pace of play?

Segment 3 and wrap up

How is a faster pace of play "modern" basketball even though teams have played "fast" (or taken lousy fast shots) throughout the ages?

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This episode examines how college basketball programs experience and handle regression, exploring both historical patterns and current examples of teams navigating performance declines. Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth break down what separates programs that successfully bounce back from those that struggle to recover, while examining different strategies for mitigating regression's impact.

Segment 1: Understanding Regression

• Hall of Fame coaches like Tom Izzo demonstrate that program success follows peaks and valleys rather than steady progression
• Supporting players' statistical performance is significantly influenced by playing alongside All-American caliber teammates
• Matt Painter's tenure at Purdue shows clear cycles of program building and regression
• The "Baby Boilers" to "Johnson years" transition illustrates how roster turnover impacts program stability
• Discussion of how coach evaluation timelines have shortened in the transfer portal era

Segment 2: Teams on Regression Watch

• Analysis of Purdue's outlook after losing Zach Edey and the challenges of maintaining elite status
• Tennessee's adaptation to losing Dalton Knecht and their defensive identity
• Examination of Baylor's roster construction and recruiting approach
• The impact of minutes continuity on program stability and performance
• How conference strength affects a program's ability to manage regression

Segment 3: Bouncing Back

• Comparison of Indiana and UCLA's different approaches to rebuilding through the transfer portal
• Notre Dame's focus on high school recruiting under Micah Shrewsbury
• Cincinnati's emergence under Wes Miller through balanced recruiting
• The role of program resources and brand in determining rebuild strategy
• How NIL and the transfer portal have changed the timeline for program turnarounds

For coaches, administrators, and invested fans, this episode provides context for understanding the cyclical nature of program success and offers insights into how modern programs can manage inevitable downturns. The discussion helps set realistic expectations while examining the various paths programs can take to maintain or regain competitive status.

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Bob, Mike, and special guest Robie Malcomson discuss how opportunities for athletes to earn NIL and share revenue are transforming the competitive landscape in college basketball.

Segment 1: How Does This New Landscape Impact How We See “Amateur” Athletics?

1. Who were Jim Thorpe, Phil Dickens, Sam Gilbert and Curt Flood? Why Do They Matter Here?
2. Why Could We Add Ed O’Bannon To This Group? How Has His Case Paved The Way For Direct Compensation?
3. In The Era of Tik Tok Stars and Influencers: Is Anyone Really an Amateur?

Segment 2: What Are The Impacts Of Paid Players On Who Finds Success (and Who Doesn’t)?

1. What Pathways Have We Or Could We See For High Major/Mid Major/Low Major Schools?
2. How Have Other Related Yet Distinct Factors Also Have Impacted Teams and Programs? 
3. Why Water May Find Its Level In The Coming Years Like It Has In Other Sports Models?

Segment 3 and Wrap Up: How Will The 2024-25 Season (and particularly IU’s Activity) Demonstrate Some Of This And What We’re Looking For?  

Some relevant videos and articles:

• Sparta v Thebes
• O’Bannon v NCAA
• Curt Flood
• Jim Thorpe
• Mary Lou Retton
• McCaskeys and Kevin Warren

Robie is host of the Trapped in History podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trapped-in-history/id1753424077

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Bob and Mike open with some discussion about (what else?) IU football, as well as Hoosier Hysteria and some IU basketball recruiting.

Then it’s down to business for the main segment, which is dedicated to one of the most common buzzwords heard today when watching hoops: “modern” basketball.

What exactly does that term? And how are offensive and defensive systems evolving?

Segment 1: If Everyone Runs Motion and Plays Help Defense, Why Does It Look Different Than It Did?

1. What is a “good” shot? Getting Your Shot and Preventing The Other Guy From Getting Theirs
2. What It Was and What It’s Evolved Into? The Move From Passing to Dribble Penetration
3. How Do You Balance The Need For Freedom Against the Necessity of Structure?

Segment 2: Leads, Posts and Wings- How Changes In Player Skill and Athleticism Is The Leading Factor In What Teams Do.  

1.  What Does The Modern Player Look Like? (And Yes, They Are Built Better)
2.  Why Team Chemistry Still Matters A Great Deal? Longevity + Culture= Winning
3. Davids and Goliaths: How To Mitigate Your Weaknesses Versus Your Opponent’s Strengths?

Segment 3 and Wrap Up: The World Is Flat: An Idea and Innovation Can Span The Globe The Next Day

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It’s October, the month of scares and frights. So what better time to dive into one of the most terrifying subjects in sports: the psyche of fans!

Specifically, Bob and Mike analyze fan biases and how they’re evolving. They also discuss the impact of these biases, and the expectations they create, on programs and coaches.

Segment 1: Why *Do* Fans See Their Program As “The Unicorn” in a Field of Plow Horses?

1. What Are Frequently Seen Fan Biases?
2. How Have Those Biases Played Out Over The Years? 
3. How Are Biases Evolving?

Segment 2: How Do Biases Impact What A Program Does?

1. What Does Playing (Your School’s) Basketball Actually Mean?
2. Why Are These Players (Your School’s) Type of Player?
3. What Are Outcomes of “Divergences” Between Fans’ Biases and Programs’ Paths? 

Segment 3 and Wrap Up: Why Do We (Mike and Bob) Do This To Ourselves In Our Personal Fandom?

In their next episode, Bob and Mike will discuss modern basketball and how both offensive and defensive systems are evolving. 

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Bob and Mike take a little detour from their typical college basketball deep dives to discuss the most exciting current topic in Indiana sports: college football!

They share their own college football stories, look around the college football landscape, and discuss the encouraging beginning to the Curt Cignetti Era.

Two videos mentioned during their discussion:

• 1991 Florida State at Michigan
• 1979 Holiday Bowl: Indiana v BYU

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Bob, Mike, and special guest Beau Haynes discuss the past, present, and future of the vaunted blue-blood head coaching job. How much have things really changed?

Segment 1: What Makes A Program’s Blood Blue?

• Which program are at the top of the social register and how did they get there?
• How do their fans and the program set expectations and maintain “standards?”
• The search for the next Lama, Pop, or Godfather: why are blue-blood hires different?

Segment 2: Do These “Blue Blood” Designations Really Matter Anymore?

• Why do prospective hires see offers they can refuse?
• Do 18-year-old kids really know about the history of Chuck Taylor?
• How have some programs broken into the country club locker room?

Segment 3 and Wrap Up

• Does the modern landscape allow for true blue bloods anymore? 

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Bob and Mike look back at last season and trace some highs and lows from different teams that went heavy in the portal to build their rosters.

Segment 1: How The Portal Worked Well For Some

1. The Levels of Success In College Basketball (Chart 1)
2. South Carolina
3. North Carolina

Segment 2: How It Didn’t Go Well For Some Others

1. Reviewing The Chip Stack Theory
2. Washington
3. Missouri 

Segment 3 and Wrap Up: Indiana’s Portal Haul

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Bob and Mike are joined by Galen Clavio to reflect on one of the most tumultuous times in the history of Indiana University sports: the final years of the Bob Knight.

Segment 1: The End of the Beginning to the Beginning of the End: Closing Out the Breaking Away Years

1. Plaid Jackets to Sweaters, NapTown Rising, and Cowboy Bob Riding Off -- Life in the Mid 80s
2. Moving Past The Brink -- Cracks in the Foundation and Facade 
3. A New Sheriff Comes To Town -- Is The Town Big Enough For The Two Of Them

Segment 2: Paradise Lost

1. “We Need Players”- America’s New Public University Has An Obsolete Athletics Department 
2. “Has The Game Passed Him By”- How Changes In The Game Impacted Mindsets
3. “Death By A Thousand Cuts”- The True Meaning of Zero Tolerance

Segment 3 and Wrap Up: Why This Still Matters?

Next up, in episode 15, Mike and Bob will be looking at some transfer portal case studies to determine how some teams found success and others found the floor last season.

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On this edition of Xs & Joes, Bob and Mike discuss a topic of paramount importance to so many college sports programs across the country: history and legacy. How much does it actually matter for present-day winning?

Segment 1: How To Define Programs’ Legacies?

1. A Winning Tradition: Past Performance Does Not *Necessarily” Predict Future Results
2. A Program’s Mount Rushmore: The Images That Represent Who You Were And Are
3. Are You Cover or SI or Game Of The Week Worthy: The Changing Landscape of Media

Segment 2: Blue Bloods/New Bloods: Leveraging Your and/or Others’ Histories

1. How Some Traditional Powerhouses Have Reinvented Themselves
2. How Other Programs Have Broken Through- Temporary and Consistent Performers
3. Are We Down or Dilapidated- When Does A Program Become “Grey Gardens”

Segment 3 and Wrap Up: Traditions and Fight Songs 

And Mike and Bob tease a special guest for episode 14: Galen Clavio!

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