Derek Elston and Christian Watford, hosts of the BALL FROM ASSEMBLY HALL podcast, record live from Bloomington, Indiana, at the Assembly Hall on game day against Kansas. Throughout the show, Christian and Derek are joined by a range of guests such as Tyler Harris from Hoosiers for Good and Collin Hartman from Hoosiers Connect, as well as alumni Alex Rich and Tom Ackerman. In the show, Christian sits down for a one-on-one interview with super senior team captain, Trey Galloway.
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What’s going on guys it’s Christian waer here live at Assembly Hall this is ball from Assembly Hall podcast I’m Christian wford I’m your co-host Dereck Elson rocking with you guys today live from Assembly Hall this is cool man live in front everybody man I can’t believe this
Man it’s been a long time since me and Dereck got really sat down in Assembly Hall last time I was in in Assembly Hall I didn’t get a chance to see my boy so man I’m happy to see you bro it’s gonna be a great day today man I feel like we
Going to have a good time we going to come out and we’re going to perform at the at the highest level man so let’s get right into it D why not why not and you know for everybody who knows out there doesn’t know we got a big test
Today number two Kansas is in the building right um you know see let’s talk about them a little bit because you know when you look at this Kansas team you look at last year when we played Kansas at at Kansas a lot of people don’t realize that when you go into jhawk
Arena you don’t get a win nah nah nah and hopefully when they come in here they don’t get a win as well man I think it’s a big Advantage you know playing these type of games at your home court for sure man especially when you’re when
You’re a team that’s you know young like we are that’s striving we need the crowd we’re going to need the support of everybody in the building to get to where we need to get and I think the big thing for us is you know our fan base um
You know even for me like I got the chills right now even talking to you guys like when this place is electric at the start of a game it is absolutely there’s no environment like this um and one of the key things tonight see I think is the fact that you know we’re
Used to their their main guy you know Hunter Dickenson playing at at at Michigan I don’t think scares anybody just because we’re so used to him playing in the Big 10 for the last four years and you know granted he’s put up some great numbers this year um he’s got
A great Supporting Cast with him with KJ Adams and I I think he’s going to be a bear today but I don’t think this is one of those Kansas teams where it’s like man you got Grady dick you’ve got Wilson you’ve got scorers from every single
Angle I think it’s you know the ball’s going to go down to Hunter and you know we’re used to that I agree bro uh but on the flip side of that with Hunter playing in here I do think that’s going to he’ll be able to level them out a
Little bit just cuz he’s used to playing an assembly hall but I age I mean they’re a heavy they’re a top heavy team they only play what five or six players bro so I think if we do our number on Hunter Dickinson we should be fine I
Know we got it’s going to be a big time match up between we and Hunter Dickinson I know everybody’s you know looking up to that but we can’t but we can’t forget about there uh Mulla and Adams and those other those other guys bro I think they’re good players as well and you
Know it’s going to be a test today but I think as long as we you know keep this thing close I feel like down the stretch we’ll be able to pull off and get a and get a win like we need yeah I think everybody is kind of anticipating um you
Know especially in shoot around see if Xavier Johnson comes out here and I I don’t know his situation uh you know coach Woodson got on Twitter the other day and kind of said that um you know he’s out he doesn’t know you know how long he’s out I don’t know if that’s a
Play um I think now he’s been out close to about a month and so that’s a little disheartening I hope he’s able to give us you know if anything else man he’s he’s that one guy that we talk about that can go downhill he can be sporadic
At times but he can also open up the lane he can get he can drive he can dish and if nothing else man we kind of need that on the defensive end you know we just got done with our last game was allburn and we started out really really
Hot but then we just kind of fizzled out and the game ended the way it did so I feel like we need that one guy that one piece if it’s not him who else is going to step up today and really be a factor
For us to stay in this game well I think it’s going to be a little bit of a committee Derek I got a chance to come down here yesterday was able to sit in the coach’s office and talk to him a little bit about X situation right now
Um I think it’s more of a situation to where he’s scared he don’t want to do the same thing that happened to his to to him last year so he’s you know taking it been very slow been very precautious I know it’s we want to win this game
Don’t get it twisted I feel like this is our last probably huge uh non-conference game that we can win you know that’ll really like boost us and get us a good seat in the tournament or whatever whatever the case may be but at the same
Time like I feel like the big 10 is where we needed and I think that’s where the coaching staff is at with x you know what I’m saying going into the big s season I feel like we we need to be successful there before so I don’t I
Don’t I don’t plan on seeing X tonight uh but it’s going to take a committee bro we need we need Tre Galloway to have a good game today um he’s going to have to take over some point guard duties behind Gabe cups is you know when he
Comes out of the game and stuff like that yeah for me see I I’ve looked at Twitter you know I I talked to a couple of these guys uh there’s a stat out there per 100 threes you know we’re kind of lasting the Big 10 not just just big
10 but college basketball in general were one of the last teams and I think that flows into a little bit of what happened in Auburn I think we started the game three or four from three right and then I think we drank the tea a little bit like I think we settled for
Threes tonight if if you know obviously if the U opportunity presents itself to knock down an open three I think we take it we shoot it obviously but I don’t want us to live and die by it because if we do you know with a guy so good like
Hunter Dickinson is down low I don’t want to say it’s a guaranteed bucket but you’ve got a really good chance that he can draw a foul he can get our guys in foul trouble he can make a tough shot uh we sent he gets sent to the free throw
Line quite a bit so for me like you said it’s a little bit of collective I don’t want us to you know live and die by the three but also we have to take them if they’re there and and I know we’re not shooting the best percentage this year
But you know there’s a reason when you move the ball you got open shots we got to make sure the guys that are shooting the threes there’s a reason why they’re not wide open if you know what I’m saying like some of these guys shoot a
Three and like there’s a reason why you were wide open because they want you to shoot that shot but you know it’s something that we can’t just shy away from because we have to knock down threes to stay and compete and win this game no doubt I think this going to be a
Battle of the bigs bro I think I think we going to pack the paint I think they going to pack the paint I think you know we just going to have to take the open shots and we’re going to have to make them bro yeah um I think a lot of guys I
Mean they they play a lot of inside out action we we play a lot of inside out action so I think it’s just going to be a Clash a clash of Beaks tonight bro if I was you I bet the under I bet I bet
The under bro I don’t out there I don’t know I don’t know how much you know how many threes we going to take or how many threes we going to make but I know we going to have definitely have a lot of opportunity it’s a little weird to be
Honest with you I I can’t believe it especially you know the line hasn’t really moved um right um I don’t know if they’re waiting on Xavier news I don’t know if Xavier news has come out but even if it has come out the fact that the line hasn’t really moved um it gives
Us uh you know I think that uh The Bookies know that this is going to be kind of a tougher game than what the public might think it is for sure and if you guys are paying attention at home watching the show see what’s back in the
Building I don’t know if they had online gambling when we were playing but I can promise you this there wasn’t a shot in hell that anybody gave us outside of this arena for us to beat Kentucky when they were number one so I don’t know if
You’re looking at it as like hey wait a second there might be another watch shot in the building tonight I hope it don’t I hope it don’t come down to that I Ain I hope it don’t come down to that but that that this atmosphere bro is unbelievable um this is Kansas first
True road test so I think you know that’s why I think that the line hadn’t really moved so much it’s cuz it’s just it’s Kansas’s first true road test more on Kansas than anything you know more on Kansas than anything just just because we don’t know how they’re going to come
Out and play but I I will say they got a lot of Veteran presence over there with uh Texas with the guy from Texas Tech he’s a fifth year senior Mulla uh KJ KJ um and and Hunter Dickinson as well bro so I’m I’m I’m I’m looking forward to
This day man I think it’s gonna be a great I think it’s going to be a great game great atmosphere and boy the hooers need this win bad boy we need to get that sour taste out of our mouth from all man I tell you what I couldn’t
Believe it I can’t believe what I’m seeing right now the doors have opened here about 30 minutes ago people are flooded in here and this is uh this is an environment you definitely want to be at if you haven’t been able to experience a game like this I think the
First five minutes will give you I I don’t know it seems like every time we come back to one of these things Purdue at home North Carolina last year right like that first five minutes man even going out there for warm-ups and seeing the crowd get into it you know they’re
Going to give Hunter hell so you want to be a part of that you want to hear that it’s like damn man and Hunter Hunter one of those players bro he’s going to antagonize the crowd too absolutely he’s going to make him you know do what he do
So I can’t blame him for that but but I think you know I’m like man maybe I’ll oil this thing back up and don’t don’t you do it BR don’t you do it I don’t want you I don’t want you on I don’t want thank you I don’t want to see you
On TG table all night in the C tub yeah back there with him but no let’s transition a little bit man we got some uh we want to talk some nil we got some guys here that want to sit down and talk some nil man so we’ll transition into that you know
Alongside us are um two guys from who your connect and we’re going to let them kind of introduce themselves introduce what they do but for Christian and I one of the big things one of the big topics here for the last year and a half has been nil and you know I
Think the world today the world of college basketball is kind of Shifting to this I don’t want to say pay for Play Type player but it’s also it’s it’s one of those things where guys are able to now get a little bit of money you know
Do some jersey sales do some things and that’s why we wanted to open it up so with us today we’ve got Tyler Harris we’ve got former player Colin Hartman um they put this thing together um and I’m going to let you you guys obviously dive into this but this has been a couple
Years in the making and just kind of wanted to get your take on who you guys were and how this thing really came about with IU go ahead Tyler yeah so I’m Tyler Harris I’m the executive director of whoers for good whoers connect um and and really when nil came about we wanted
To create a model that was sustainable but provided great opportunities for athletes at IU and make a big impact keep us nationally relevant so we’ve got two separate organizations one’s users for good which is our charitable model that really allows athletes getting out the community leave the mark in the
Community and really amplify the message of all of our charity partners then whoers connect um which Colin really runs the day-to-day of is is a new new twist to nil allows members to get involved get some really unique things in return and it really be a part of
Something and impact you know uh the performance out on the court so I let Colin speak about that yeah and like like Tyler and Derek said my name is Colin Hartman uh played basketball at IU for 5 years it feels like forever ago how you think it feel for
Us you guys are getting out okay no doubt but yeah now we’re the old heads right you come back tell all the kids um but no so like Tyler said I kind of handle the day-to-day for whoers connect and like Tyler said that we have hoers
For good which is a charitable model we like to say hoers connect is the access model right whether you’re business or an individual we try to do things and and create experiences for businesses and individuals to be able to interact and access the athletes with that’s through sign memorabilia exclusive
Events unique experiences stuff like that um to be able to allow the fan base to engage with the athletes and you know get to know them and you know from from a past players perspective and Christian and and and Derek and Tyler played college basketball as well but getting
To know especially at IU it’s such a it’s such a big environment right it’s such a big job to be an IU basketball player and one thing that we try to do is get the fans to be able to interact with the players and the athletes um
Through all across all sports to kind of figure out who the individual is underneath the Jersey right that that it’s not just you know all wins and losses right like people got stuff going on people have families um at the end of the day these 17 to 22 year old kids
Right unless you know your Co year and you got six or seven years right that’s what it’s given we got we got a lot of old guys in college basketball now not going to lie to you x Falls in that category um but so that those are kind
Of things that we try to do we we help businesses engage um in nil cuz it’s still a new space right we’re two plus years in um but a lot of people don’t know how to how to interact with an athlete how to how to uh reach out to an
Athlete about an nil deal how to structure the agreement uh via NCA rules State rules regulations and so we kind of have a white glove uh solution for people and businesses and individuals to kind of engage with the athlete understand market value um structure the contracts to be to where it’s in the
Best interest of the business and the athlet um and just kind of help people navigate that and and we allow different Avenues we have you know one-time contributions for fans recurring contributions for fans we sell merchandise on hsconnect.com um but we kind of try to give fans the plug Shameless plug um but
We allow fans to kind of engage in that space where you know they wouldn’t otherwise really have an Avenue or know how to do and I think you hit on a really key thing and I know a lot of people have reached us to reach out to
Christian uh and I over Twitter Youtube you know we get comments a lot Instagram on like you know nil comments and even you know I’ve got buddies we talk about nil all the time the numbers are crazy but it’s not just here’s $100,000 go like I’ve I’ve been a part of some of
These nil Collective events thanks to Colin Tyler for having me come out there and one of the coolest things that we’ve done is you know obviously I I love to to play golf and so when we were down at frenchlick playing golf having dinner with some of these players around the
Table like that was awesome for me to not just like look at it and go here’s a $100,000 I hope you have a great season it’s like let me get to know you a little bit let me ask you like and it’s no big deal to answer how you want to
Answer for a player but some of these guys like a lot of this money goes towards their family and and you know one one instance that comes to mind every time talk about this is like uh we played with a player and I’m not going to mention his name but you played with
A player um and when we went to go pick him up when he transferred into IU when we went to go pick him up he had a trash bag and we asked him where his bags were and he said what do you mean I got my
Bags right here Y and so yeah I know a lot of people see the you know the shador Sanders you know a couple of these big names it’s like the one 0.1% of guys that are making like these Buu dollars it’s not like that really throughout throughout you know the
Entirety of college basketball college football you know a lot of these guys take this money and you see it like you see it with our football guys I I follow a couple football players that say like if it wasn’t for nil my mom would have never come been able to see a football
Game y so it’s things like it’s not just here’s money and and go blow it it’s it’s money going to good use and and and along with that you get to understand you get to know who and why this money go into this player and I think that’s
The coolest thing yeah I mean see what you could speak to it but you know we do have and Tyler we we have a lot of athletes that do just say hey send the check home to Mom right whether it’s to pay for rent mortgage medical bills um
We had one instance an athlete like and I won’t name him U but we had an athlete last year this just past year um you know he’s got a wife and two kids in college and you think about it you know we’re all parents up here um you think
About it he wouldn’t have got been able to go to college at all all probably right if it weren’t for nil for sure because you’re he would had responsibilities he would had to get an hourly job or go try to find a job definitely wouldn’t have prospects for
The NFL but now with with nil in place he has all these opportunities right and it’s not life-changing money but it’s enough to get him by right to provide for his family to go to college and navigate these different Avenues of opportunities that he now has through
Nil and if it wasn’t for nil none of that would happen he wouldn’t have got to college wouldn’t have played football wouldn’t had prospects for the NFL X Y and Z so um there’s a lot of cool things and Tyler can even tell some stories about you know other other student
Athletes that are just doing some really really really cool things right I got a question I mean I I’ve see I see a lot of crazy numbers being thrown out there n how much of that is really real like as far as you know the numbers wise I
Know a lot of people see crazy things on you know whether it’s on social media or online or wherever how real are those numbers as far as players know that’s the challenge in this environment is there’s a lack of transparency you know and we’ve seen some very recently on the
Football side just see these astronomical numbers and um you know because of the lack of the transparency we we don’t know um that’s what really makes it hard I’d be highly surprised you know some of those numbers out there um but you know again people just want
To win too so I guess I wouldn’t put it past some folks but know the other point that you guys were hitting on I think it’s important too is um you know talking about how it impacts football and basketball in those Sports and it does great things send checks home to
Mom but there’s five I think there’s five sports at IU where they get full scholarships all these other sports that we’re able to make an impact on they’re supplementing their educational costs with nil and so they’re leaving college with less debt which I think is an important factor too right for sure
That’s a good point yeah yeah is there anything do you guys think I mean looking at it right now is just personal question for both of you is there something that you guys would like to see change with nil do you guys think it’s going down the right path I
Mean like like what it look like five from 10 years from now what does nil look like 5 to 10 years from now and what you think yeah you know I think it’ll be nio will still be around right you’ve got you know cats out of the bag
That you know this this nio will forever happen um but I but I think water will find its level right whether it’s the schools that are getting involved more directly or it’s organizations like ours that are still able to make an impact water will find its level um so nil’s
Here to stay and that’s what we try to tell everybody but but I think the next iteration of college sports is revenue sharing and I think that’s a couple years from now and um you know who who we reiding ourselves what has College athletics always done they’ve always
Tried to one up each other right all these schols started with facilities coaches salaries nutrition whatever it may be I don’t think nil will be any different you always have these outside organizations that are helping provide bigger opportunities to attract attract and retain Talent well I got to ask you
Colin because oh Lord cuz see this hey and this is you see why and I talk about this quite a bit right and you know we we were part of you know the last number one team yep for a long time for a long time you were a part of that Yogi time
Another big 10 championship team yeah big 10 Championship big Championship so do you ever look at it on the side of like damn what could have been or because a lot of people and and you know I’m not going to name I do I Doe watch shot you would have made some
Sh on hey hey hey we going to talk about that off camera see if we can get a little Aluma nil something you guys you guys went to college too early Colin said I played college but my n nil value is maybe a free cheese pizza you know
You guys went way too early I miss out I’ve also got a story of of getting a slap on the wrist for putting jelly on a peanut butter bagel and it was deemed an impermissible meal and now you got guys walking around with all this money Roes
And stuff yeah Colin does it ever like do you ever look at it as like damn this could have been like what could have been or you just like you know what like I you know I’m kind of I’m torn in between because it seems like you know
Every year there’s there’s a new shoe there’s a new set of jerseys there’s a there’s a new trip that be guys are able to go on that like everybody kind of from the previous whatever generation like they always miss so do you look at
It as like man I missed the boat or like this is just what it is and and and here we go now let’s try to make the best for everybody who’s here you know I I I so I always say like I wouldn’t be rich but
I’d have more than I do right now right right um but at the same time you know it’s it’s interesting because you kind of PVE the way right it’s all kind of a progression I mean even this is probably not going to be relative but look at the
Look at the Players before the three-point line right right like when the three-point line changed um you know and the guys that that are on have scoring records that didn’t even have the three-pointer right um you know I I think you know and there’s a lawsuit out
There right now that you know kind of expands x amount of time for you know the players that missed the nil boat that could get a little bit but it’s not going to be anywhere near what the athletes are getting today right and you might miss vat TimeWise you’re too old to see
Why but you know I I don’t I think you know from it’s cool for me to be able to be involved with the Alma moer uh you know kind it’s it’s kind of a help out in the environment we’re in now right there’s always that what if you know I
Think I don’t know if who was it Tyler maybe you and I and some other people were talking about the other day is like you know the teams that were hyper successful you know over you know three four year periods right uh or have really really big years you know some of
Some of some of those athletes could be making you guys could have made like you guys probably would have made two 300 Grand yeah for sure you know and so it’s stuff like that it’s like well that’s lifechanging money right especially in college um so I I I try not to look at
It that way but there’s always that like dang what if I think that’s the hardest part of like it is but like you can’t change it so it’s just like it is what it is why dwell on it yeah and so kind of just navigating and doing my part in
This in this space now to just make my impact um however I can and you know one thing that Tyler and I have the privilege of doing now is having been out of college been in the Working World have families is try to do what we can to build relationships with the athletes
And Mentor them right um and you’re only as good as the circle you surround yourself with and so teaching them to you know nil is great and even if we had nil when we were in college we wouldn’t have retired after college and neither are these athletes and so helping them
Understand of from our perspective we didn’t get to go to the networking events we didn’t get to go to the the the career fairs and stuff like that that that I provides for the typical students right and so this is a unique opportunity for athletes to be in an
Environment where they’re shaking hands with some of the most influential and powerful people in the state of Indiana and across the country and so some of the advice that we give to student athletes is yeah take the check and all that’s great but take note and start building a relationship with the hand
That you’re shaking the person that’s cutting that check because whether you go pro or not like if you don’t go pro there’s job opportunities right but if you go pro and you want investment opportunities right there’s those Avenues too so like understanding that the second cuz Vol nil is voluntary
Right we have athletes that don’t care about social media don’t care about nil and turn deals down right that we that we approach them with oh yeah I heard some guys turn his crazy deals down oh and and so they just choose not to do it right it’s not they thing whatever and
So like the second that you sign a contractor enter in an agreement you are going to be treated as a professional wow for sure and so understanding that you have to conduct yourself as such um at such a young age is hard no doubt I I
Was talking to coach y about this bro it’s just it’s crazy cuz like you see a lot of players making a lot of money but you know they’re so young bro like they could be done making you know this might be the most money they ever make in
Their life ever you could be done Pac like in college like 20 21 22 years old this is the most money you going to make people don’t realize that you got to live past that like when you turn 30 32 like we we like we are you know you got
A A lot of life in front of you so I hope guys are really taking that money and know what to do with that money you know what I’m saying that’s the hard thing especially like the the the the footballs and the basketballs you know specifically you can throw baseball
There like all I guarantee you everybody on our teams on your teams thought they are going pro absolutely for sure right everybody did everybody had aspirations like I just grind I’m going to figure it out work it out and so like understanding that there’s going to have
To be at some point no matter what even if you do go pro there’s going to be life after the ball whatever that ball does whether you hit it with the bat Bounce It kick it throw it whatever like that Ball’s going to stop at some point
And so the relationships that you have the opportunity now in the nil environment to build with with individuals that you would never have gotten the experiences or the opportunities to meet in the nil environment so like helping them navigate that and understand that is hard right because you think about as us
As athletes back when we were 18 19 20 year old kids like we’re on top of the world right how y’all how y’all balance the two bro I mean y’all got got football like you said we got football and basketball football probably is the most the biggest Financial part like how
Do you balance the support of two programs you know what I’m saying as far as basketball and football you know it’s it’s it’s a challenge right you know we we never want to offer something that we can deliver and so we’re always fundraising we’re always you know talking to these athletes trying to
Provide these great opportunities and it’s a quick process right especially with the transfer portal the way it is now and so you know it is a balance but we want to impact all these Sports and so we go every day trying to figure out ways where we can create value create
These opportunities for all athletes um and and our goal next year is to raise probably $8 million for for all the sports at IU and I I think we’ll get there yeah wow it’s crazy money right and that’s the thing is one of our biggest initiatives now is you know when
Nil first came out you saw all these billionaires and and people with net worth hundreds of millions right cutting multi-million dollar checks um but in terms of longevity and where I think IU has we have a unique opportunity is strength and numbers right if you have every fan in the Assembly Hall today
Sign up for $10 a month right right that changes the trajectory of an n program and so one of our biggest initiatives right now is the strength and numbers approach and getting the masses involved it doesn’t have to because everybody thinks oh well the millionaires are
Going to take care of it it’s like yeah for for a while right if you had a million dollars how get you out of a pinch when when would you get tired of cutting that check right and so where it’s going to come in is is our entire
Fan base getting on board and supporting the program getting these experiences getting access to stuff um in return but also you know it’s the mission right everybody’s passionate about IU um IU basketball IU football and all the other IU Sports women’s basketball has been phenomenal baseball soccer um swimming
And Diving you know we have very prolific programs here and so just getting behind it giving $10 $20 a month makes a difference whereas when nil came out I think a lot of the narrative was oh my $10 won’t matter right right but it it does when everybody’s doing it yeah yeah
And for the first time you know for the first time the most this is the this is the way to make the the the most direct impact ever that a fan has ever been able to do right they can impact the the you know the field of competition or on
The court so having the ability to make that direct impact for the first time ever something I think it’s really exciting and the crazy thing is that that impact can happen in a matter of months right with the way the world is with nil now like if you it’s you know
You put your name on a building and you donate to give money to get your name on a locker room or something like that that’s going to take a couple years right but you can impact the program directly today through nil because it’s the most fast it’s the fastest way to
Change the trajectory of a program over it is no doubt about it and I think you know a big thing for me when I look around I I just think like you know you got to get the quality of a sport yep at an alltime high and I think you know the
Signet higher is huge uh I think Woody’s got a roll in here so I think you know you look at these programs who are trending in the right direction and you just think like yeah I want to get behind a program that isn’t necessarily where it used to be but it’s a lot
Better than where it was Y and I actually have a chance to help that out because at the end end of the day I mean you guys have said it multiple times the way of the world is in I and a lot of times that comes with um you know
Recruiting and a lot of those kids you know wanting to say like hey can I make some money to help my family out of a bad situation or am I just that good that I’m going to pay you a lot of money and you’re going to change the program
Around so I don’t know it just it’s a wild west we love it we appreciate you guys from coming appreciate coming on man thank you for yeah this has been a lot of fun very informative so we appreciate and I think that wraps it up for us what’s going on guys I’m Christian
Wford I’m your host I got my guest right here super senior Trey Galloway finally made it to be a senior you ever think this day would come it feels like yesterday being a Freshman I mean it goes by quick um but I mean it’s a different role um the captain now so
It’s it’s been great um it’s been a it’s been a fun Journey a long journey um but to say that I’m a senior it kind of hasn’t really hit yet but it’s been great being somewhere 4 years I know that’s big especially being a HomeTown kid you know what I’m saying from Carl
And stuff like that but you remember like what it was like getting your first letter from from IU freshman year I we had like a team Camp here um cuz they had those in the summer um and I I remember kind of just talking to to
Coach Miller um he he was the he was the kind of the guy that really started it off um so it’s pretty cool hearing it from the head coach who would be your alltime Indiana starting five if you had to all time okay all time y point guard
You give me five yeah I’ll go with uh obviously Isaiah Thomas at the one okay can’t go wrong with with Zeke can’t go wrong with that I I’ll do Calbert Cheney at the four okay I like that yeah I like that I’ll put him at the four I’ll go
Eric Goron at the two EZ at the two Y and then my five I’ll put Trace in there at the five Trace said the five you got the three though my three I’m going go I’m g go small ball and put um Vick in there okay y yeah can’t go wrong with
That bro you ain’t show no love to the oldheads besides I think I think you did that because he on the staff bro but that’s cool we love you I could put I could put I could put wood in there maybe but what would freshman Trey admire about the
Senior trade just sticking with it um to the ups and downs I think I I’ve had to battle through some adversity with some injuries um but I think just there’s a lot of times I could have really just kind of sat back and kind of complained
Um but I really I really fought fought through it um and and kept going I think the biggest thing for me was just staying consistent with my work um and it showed um I’ve been able to put myself in the court and put myself in positions to help our team win what’s
One goal that you set out for yourself this season that you wanted to accomplish um Big 10 Championship good luck tomorrow bro I be attendance I know we going to get this thing rolling bro get this thing done yes sir finish strong appreciate you bro
We back what’s going on we here live at Assembly Hall ball from Assembly Hall podcast I’m joined right now with two good friends of mine uh live in St Louis my boy alex Rich right here and we got Tom agman right here man I appreciate you guys coming on man we enjoyed you
Guys man been knowing you went to dinner with these two guys last night had a great time I didn’t get that phone call I didn’t get that phone call sorry bro we need to save the food for everybody else we can’t invite you to stuff like
That yeah man so I’m happy to have you guys on bro we’re going to let y’all fire a couple questions at us however y’all want to do it we just going to have fun for sure thanks for having us though this is great man just being back
In Bloomington by itself but then with you guys man like especially the two of you together it was like magical times I feel like we never left you know I see what and I say that all the time Rich it’s like one we love the podcast we
Love being able to talk basketball but like I get to see Christian like on a weekly basis whereas like a lot of us are you know when we get back together you see them for the first time in a year maybe even two years so like right
The fact that we are able to get on here and talk about this man it’s awesome it is great it it’s it is home it feels like home and I guess that would be my question for you I’ll start with you what why do you think so many alums come
Back here I mean obviously the basketball is fun uh it’s nice to be back in campus well what is the draw always why do we keep coming back year after year uh to be honest with you the basketball is fun but I I don’t think
That’s a reason why any of us get back together I I think it’s an opportunity for us to get Under One Roof but I mean I I’m going to speak for myself and not see but for me like this is where all these relationships were formed and you
Know there hasn’t been one wedding where a guy wasn’t invited and and you can pick up the phone and and tell the same story and it’s it’s just like you never left and it’s just something about this this place we forged so many memories good and bad and that’s what
Has built the relationships that we have today it’s it’s we we always used to talk when we were playing here we’d be in the locker room we have our own frat house and it’s right here and our frat house was just 13 of some of the closest
Dudes you could ever be not only because we were good friends but also we went through a lot of tough times yeah we went through a lot of hard and it’s just fun to get back together and tell those old stories I do feel like college basketball is different than most sports Christian
Because while we’re going to school here we may not know you guys when you play but we walk the same Pathways to class as you we hang out at the same places and when you’re in Al Lum and you watch the kids play you’re like well I walk
The same path as that kid is there is a camaraderie there that’s why I think we feel so close to the team don’t what you think you have no doubt about it man I Echo what Derrick saying I think it’s just I think it’s just the love here you
Know what I’m saying with me not living living here and me always coming back here it’s a different feeling for me you know it’s always every time I come back I feel like dang maybe I should move to Indiana just because of the caderie the guys uh you know seeing familiar faces
That you hadn’t seen in a long time just the just the amount of love that you get you know being a part of this historic program man is just Second To None you know we were we were talking about that at dinner last night about cuz I was
Part of that 2013 College World Series group that with the baseball team here and like it’s hard to explain that those teams are just different right like and that is like couldn’t couldn’t ring more true as your group of guys it was like you get together it’s like you
Never skip a beat but it’s like hard to explain that feeling because when that group is together man it’s just it’s just completely different you don’t know until you’ve experienced it yeah it’s it’s hard to explain like I tell everybody bro they’re connected like we was a real connected group you know
Everybody was was for everybody everybody loved everybody everybody hung out on the court off the court and it just made everything better you know what I’m saying like those last two years bro like I said I probably never had fun playing basketball like that again you know it was like playing with
Your brothers like every day like i’ be seeing these guys and i’ be like dang man like we really used to see each other every single day and you just go from from seeing each other every single day to when it’s over it’s over you know
What I’m saying so I try to tr tell these guys man y’all embrace it y’all have fun because y’all never going to play with a set of egoist people like he like it is now you know what I’m saying it’ll never it’ll never be like that
Again and and and that’s what Echoes my point of like man we started getting this thing going EV Turner reached out to us about doing this podcast and I wanted nothing more than to just sit in front of a screen and just even if it’s the five minutes before we get rolling
It’s like here’s Christian man what’s Macy doing cuz we both had daughters now and it’s like it it’s so cool even like when you intertwine the wives like all the wives get together with all of us and it’s just like yeah we have our stories and then our wives probably
Think we’re idiots cuz we tell we tell the same story times at the weddings man it’s all the all the wives and the girlfriends they all know like they’re going to they’re going to just sit back and watch this all unfold a somebody’s going to grab a microphone somebody’s
Going to sing a song absolutely it it’s just it’s wild man and you know it I look at it as like you know I have two daughters Christian has two daughters and like man I struggle to get to 10:00 sometimes on a daily basis you know putting the daughters down and all the
Things you got to do 9 to5 and then you get around these guys and it’s like oh man it’s only 3:00 in the morning man let’s let’s keep it rolling it’s just something about it is just wild absolutely my daughters are 17 and 13 and they come with me now once a year
Two a game and they experience what I did and I love watching it through their eyes but they experience the joy they can see a different me when I’m here they know that this place is different for me and the you know the quick story not to bring things down a little bit
But my dad passed away right before I went here and uh a sudden heart attack and so this where I grew up you know this is where I became a man this is where I went through some tough emotions this is you know my friends here are
Really my brothers I mean they really became my family so I feel very connected and happy every time I’m here this place means that much to me I want to ask you guys about is I don’t want to run out of time without asking from my perspective on this kind of platform
About a game like this I mean you only play Purdue a handful of times here you only get to play you know Michigan like the pride of wearing the Indiana uniform and matched up against another uniform but you only get a Kansas one time as a
Player you only get a Kentucky Well now hardly ever until they finally come back right what seat scared him away forever man he sure did what Christian I will start with you like what is that like to see a a a brand like Kansas in this building how does that that elevate a
Player and what do you think is going to be said to them before they go out I just think you know at this point in time bro when you when you bring a this type of team in here the number two ranked Kansas team it’s all it’s always
One of them things like bro if if your heart don’t beat fast for this game if you can’t get up for this game there something’s wrong with you know what I’m saying just having the chance to bring those this type of team in here on your
Home court uh get a win is just a tremendous thing like it doesn’t really it doesn’t really happen too many times that’s why you really got to seize the moment and capitalize the moment like I know players in the game you don’t really you’re not really thinking about
It and you know what I’m saying stuff like that but when you look back on it and you realize what you what you could have accomplished or what you did accomplished it’s a magical thing getting a win in this in this Arena see I think what you just said is like it
Takes me my thought back to when you guys first started right and like you guys I think you are you’re appreciated but I think in a way you’re underappreciated specifically your class our class when we were freshmen because we even talked about it at dinner last
Night like you guys stuck it out like you guys were the key Source in bringing Indiana basketball back to what to what it is today and what it became junior senior year for us right and it was like it was like you can’t explain that and like now maybe things are a little
Different they have the portal they got the nil money and things like that but sticking it out from the beginning it’s like you guys helped make this thing back to where we need to be about I tell everybody time bro thank God the porter wasn’t around just because my know what
We would have did there we was going through some real dark time bro for real like it was a real dark time you know what I’m saying so I think everything happened for a reason man like I said I’m not one of those players that you
Know look at nil and look at the portal and be like I wish I would have been able to do that you know what I’m saying it’s just that’s just part of the territory that’s what come with the time you know it’s part of growing and it’s
It’s part of and I think Christian and I have two really good perspectives on a game like this and you know when we were freshman you know John Wall DeMarcus Cousins bledo Patrick Patterson those guys came into the building and you know mo Creek went off for 31 in that game
But I think realistically at least for me maybe not Christian but I I looked at it as like man I’m I’m sitting here um you know this country dude from Tipton Indiana uh I’m 230 lbs I’ve never weighed this much in my life but I have to weigh this much because I’m guarding
DeMarcus Cousins like I’ve got no business being out here my man stays eat nowaday when we played and Christian hits the shot in our junior year Gatorade six all the Gatorade coach watt man thank God but then you look at it you go back to our junior year so our
First two years we were terrible and you know if we got the win there’s a good chance it was luck right no doubt I mean there were some teams that we had that we played that were bad in the Big 10 but a lot of them it was just we weren’t
That good and then you fast forward to Junior Senior and junior year we beat Kentucky I think when we were like Christian said like we were so hyped we had just won our first couple Road games away from Assembly Hall something was changing within our group and when
Kentucky rolled around we looked on the court like there we like we supposed to win like right like we can feel it I could really I could really feel it changing and I tell everybody like I felt it changing just when Cody Zill that’s why I say I feel like Cody’s
We talked about it at Den last night he’s one of the underrated players of this program because I just felt like from the moment he walked in the building I could feel like a change in the program as far as like what we what we demanded from each other and what we
Expected and what we felt like we could do like my first couple my first two years we were just trying not to get blew out you know just trying to just trying to win just try trying to you know not get embarrassed you know what I’m saying and I think that changed when
Cody came we really felt we really became a team to where we felt like we were the better team you know on most nights and we could beat anybody at any time that’s well said like you guys were a group that couldn’t be like you said
On and off the court you were brothers no doubt like for real and you could see like you could just tell the way you guys went out there and played going into that Kentucky game you felt like you said like you have to go in expecting to win that game because
You’re trust everybody else around you yeah no doubt I think that was the biggest key was trust and and you know I don’t want to sit here and say it was you know a road full of roses like we had our times Christian and I had our
Times whether on and off the court like see what now Lally bro I didn’t even want to come I didn’t come back to school yeah we’ll talk about that later we that’s stories we’ll talk about we’ll talk about we’ll talk about that later you know what I’m saying so you know it
Wasn’t all just this this beautiful piece of like wow they were so bad then all a sudden it was so good like there were numerous fights there were numerous arguments on in off the court but we knew at the end of the day like we were fighting for something bigger you could
See it on a nightly basis and at the end of the day when you’re all like so hungry to not not be this team that you were two years previous like everybody just like I don’t it just went from like wow we got to win to like oh wow it’s
2:00 in the morning Vic wants to go get some shots up Will’s in there doing some conditioning big Phil’s in there doing some compe conditioning with us which you guys don’t know big Phil but big Phil was a part of the team Frank the Tank Frank the Tank no he was definitely
A part of the team so it it’s just like every Everything That was supposed to happen happened at at a rate at with a group of guys that like man we all wanted just to become Killers like we had just been embarrassed for the first two years so like this shit’s going to
Start to change and and and we got a group that could do it you could feel it around campus seriously as a student at the time speaking from that perspective you could feel what you were you would go into classes and you would feel it
Like we were we had a lot of classes together like you guys were W like yeah it’s Indiana basketball you guys are a big deal people know who you are you’re a big deal but like when you guys would walk into that classroom and like you
Know sit front row cuz that’s what you do you were setting an example around campus like though people weren’t athletes around campus or uh you know part of clubs or whatever like people you were setting an example and people wanted to like people people took what you did and like that translated to
Everything else around campus at that time and it was like you could feel it it was just it was crazy no doubt what what’s it like they say Assembly Hall is worth 7 to 10 points for the home team so what does that like as a player I
Mean you know what I’m talking about there’s always that moment whether you’re down a little bit and they’re like all right we got you we got your back we’re going to will you here or you take the lead and they appreciate it and let you know what does that feel like
And and how does that help you I go out there and put the Jersey on and if nothing else just sit on the bench and just maybe act like you can get out there and play again I especially with what we have in the building today
Hunter Dickinson being a big team guy I think these fans are going to absolutely lay into to him and it’s just going to be be an environment that you don’t want to miss but like the thing with Indiana basketball is when you get an environment like this you’re playing a
Number one number two team like if you get the lead like hold on tight because this place is absolutely you know you get a lead then you get a stop you get another store like the building could literally fall in on itself or these fans are just so hungry for a close game
Now and and you know Auburn was Auburn and and it it happened the way it did but you you start out a little slow I don’t know how you want to present the situation but if you’re down and you get a bucket this place is just not going to
Let off the gas and and and they’re begging this group is begging to see some really really high caliber basketball and if they get it there’s just it’s to a point where like Kansas you can’t hear yourself I mean we’re in the huddles we can’t hear ourselves
Think let alone what play we got to run thank God there’s a whiteboard cuz we wouldn’t know what’s going on no doubt I tell everybody all the time I feel like every bucket in this building is magnified by two and I know it felt like
That going in going on a road playing in Purdue as well when they score two points it’s really like they scored four or five points just just because of how the atmosphere is and I know it just it’s draining as a as an opponent coming into a building like this coming into it
Just because of the the the the the atmosphere is so crazy here so I just tell everybody like really you know you get a dunk it’s really like five points on you know in in Assembly Hall versus you being away on the road you know what
I’m saying so yeah it’s a big Advantage for sure and it’s such a different building you know it’s not there’s no design like it so you’re kind of getting it your eyes have to adjust to that also don’t you a little bit as an opponent a
Little bit I mean I I would I I don’t know I don’t know I never really came in here on the other side of things yeah you know we we practice in this gym every day so you know it becomes a normal it becomes normal to us you know
What I’m saying but I know everybody that says that everybody that comes in here and plays like the away team says says that you know it’s just a different environment a different Field playing in here yeah yeah I tell you what I don’t know about you guys cuz you were on the
Other end of it but today feels like it did kind of when we were in school and a little bit like that Kentucky game right but almost like I remember waiting outside for the North Carolina game North Carolina was highly ranked yep and everybody was lined up 4:00 5 a.m.
Coming in and you just knew like you knew that they were they were like not the favor to win but like everybody expected this team to be they were going to be crazy and then we came in and laid down the lawn but today he’s got a very
Similar feeling like in the air it’s a day it’s a early day game it’s on national TV like and it’s just different in Bloomington and and that’s I don’t know about you guys but that’s the feeling I got I told this to see what earlier I said You know what last year’s
Kansas team I think we’d be in really big trouble we’ve got a really good player in Hunter Dickinson but when you see a familiar face he he not so big he’s not so bad we not scared of him I feel like we we done played him before
We know what he can do we know what he can bring to the table like like it’s the same guy from last year they have KJ ABS which I think gives college basketball fits every night I I think he’s I don’t think there’s a college basketball team out there that wants to
See that kid um Hunter Dickenson itself but khil we has given us a a really different player than what was put out there on paper I think the fans absolutely have fallen in love with his Drive what he can do around the rim he can step out and shoot threes so he’s
Almost like a hunter in himself he’s super long he’s going to block Shots tonight KJ Abrams is going to be a problem but this isn’t a Kansas like man they’ve got just two unbelievable guards they have this grany dick who can shoot it from half cour line like they don’t
Have those type of players anymore so I think to your point rich like I think this this gets a little interesting I agree I’m telling you I’m ready I’m ready hey he’s ready hey we out we out here we I got one more question though
For you guys cuz I know you uh were on the coaching staff for a little bit here how how was it for you guys especially Jordy being a a Bloomington guy like looking at this team and like he was part of that rebuild and now saying
Where we’re at now like how does it make you guys feel looking in from the outside seeing him as a part of that still where it’s like okay like you know you kind of envisioned like this is where he was always going to kind of be
But like how that’s got to make you guys proud on your end of things right no doubt about it I always knew I always knew that I always felt like Jordan was going to end up here you know his granddad coached here you know it runs
In his blood of being here so I’m not really surprised by that I think I think I think Jordy battles with it a little bit just because he feel like we should be more you know more advanced than what we are now as a program you know what
I’m saying but you know I think he’s right at home where he needs to be and he’s going to be part of this thing going forward uh we we’ve had some great he had some great years here so I’m I’m just happy for it yeah absolutely and I
Think you know Jordan when he would come back from overseas what he would do he would find any court and he would just train and he would train kids all summer long and then hop back on a plane and go back over and play so for Jordy to be
Able to do that here with guys who can play at this caliber uh there’s uh even for Jordan Aubrey as well like I don’t think there’s any place he’d rather be there’s no way no doubt about it and even calber too seeing calber back oh yeah another another one that that that
Was in the trenches with us that helped us through helped me through a lot of tremendous times bro uh calber calba was very beneficial for us being on that sideline and I know the impact that he’s going to bring to guys from a mental from a mental standpoint not even just
Basketball just from a mental standpoint of your preparation and trying to you know you got guys that want to be Pros looking up the calvary the guy that played 13 years in the NBA uh you got you want to pick his brain on his approach and what he did you know what
I’m saying and just going through tough times going through slumps missing shots Calo was big as far as you know help helping us with that for sure it’s incredible to have the Big T all the time leting scorers standing there you know and directing things and helping
Coach Woodson I know we’re running out of time but I do want to say I appreciate what you do we come from the sports media side of things Trisha Whitaker is here from the Tampa Bay Rays and Apple TV and there’s Sports media alums all throughout this area but you
Know the content that you provide and that so many there so much that you can get on Indiana basketball and Indiana Athletics around the country our fans are very fortunate uh to have players like yourself come back and show such great interests and be able to do stuff
Around this around the year so it’s much appreciated thank you man we enjoyed having you man there’s no place I’d rather be today than with these two right here I tell you he says that but there’s a good chance he’d be buff Lou right now all right y let’s see man we
Appreciate y’all that that shows up that Episode
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Best Hoosiers show out there!!! MUST WATCH bravo