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X's and Joe's

X's and Joe's

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X's and Joe's, part of the Back Home Network, is a podcast that lets you eavesdrop on an ongoing, 25-year conversation between two friends and Indiana University grads who have an unusual passion for exploring the formula for winning in today’s modern college basketball.

Hosted by Bob Moats (cbobmoats) and Mike Wiemuth (iu-in-philly), this show examines trends in recruiting, metrics, strategy, and coaching -- with an emphasis on debunking myths and challenging popular assumptions.

And while Bob and Mike's rooting interests may lie with the Hoosiers, this show takes an expansive view of the college basketball landscape beyond just Bloomington.

In other words, it's a show for ALL serious college hoops fans who truly appreciate the nuances of the sport.

© Back Home Network 2023 Baloncesto
Episodios
  • [42] Coaching Chip Stacks - 2025-26 Season Status Check

    [42] Coaching Chip Stacks - 2025-26 Season Status Check
    Nov 7 2025

    Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth assess which college basketball coaches are playing with house money and which are one bad loss away from the unemployment line in today's volatile college hoops landscape.

    IU's Dominant Debut

    The Hoosiers opened the Darian DeVries era with a statement win, completely eliminating mid-range jumpers in favor of modern offense. Bob breaks down film showing the conceptual principles that make this system fundamentally different from the past decade.

    • Zero mid-range jumpers: the long two is officially dead at IU

    • Tucker DeVries diving into opponent's bench, Conway's elite passing

    • Rose 9 spots in KenPom after demolishing Alabama A&M

    The Chip Stack Framework

    Bob and Mike introduce their coaching evaluation model that replaces the outdated "four-year plan." In the portal era, coaches are playing Texas Hold'em, not building dynasties.

    • Why the 4-year grace period is dead - it's all-in poker now

    • The five tiers of success and where programs expect to be

    • The "Earl Bruce Syndrome" - stuck at 20 wins with no upside

    Coaches in Serious Danger

    Four high-profile coaches face make-or-break seasons with dwindling chip stacks. From Carolina to Rutgers to Kansas State, these are the hot seats getting hotter by the day.

    • Hubert Davis at UNC: From Final Four to 15-20, lost key transfers

    • Steve Pikiell at Rutgers: The five-star experiment backfired badly

    • Jerome Tang at Kansas State: Can't recapture year-one magic

    • John Calipari at Arkansas: The perpetual talent churn continues

    On Thin Ice & High Stakes

    The guys examine coaches ranging from Butler's Thad Matta (stabilization hire gone stale) to Vanderbilt's Mark Byington (skipping levels on the way up). Plus, why football budgets are now eating basketball money at dual-sport schools.

    • Micah Shrewsbury's boring Notre Dame after Penn State's offensive genius

    • Porter Moser trapped in the Earl Bruce 20-win zone

    • Mark Byington's high-risk, high-reward Vanderbilt entertainment

    • Why midseason firings are the new normal

    Coming up: A Moneyball conversation about roster construction in the NIL era and a potential IU-Kentucky-Louisville preview with Everything College Basketball.

    On the mics: Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth

    This episode brought to you by the Back Home Network and Homefield Apparel.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    1 h y 47 m
  • [41] 2025-26 College Basketball Preview

    [41] 2025-26 College Basketball Preview
    Oct 24 2025

    Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth are back to preview the 2025-26 college basketball season, diving deep into IU's transformed roster under first-year coach Darian DeVries and analyzing the landscape of college hoops in the NIL era. Even with football still riding high in Bloomington, it's time to turn attention to the hardwood.

    Segment 1: The Big Money Conversation

    The hosts discuss the seismic shifts in recruiting and compensation:

    • Cignetti's $3 million raise and IU football's impact on the athletic department
    • Ohio State reportedly paying Anthony Thompson $3+ million while their head coach makes $2.5 million
    • Why IU's "whiff" on Thompson was actually smart strategy
    • The psychology of the hot seat driving desperate roster decisions


    Segment 2: Indiana Basketball Deep Dive - The DeVries System

    Bob and Mike break down what makes DeVries' approach fundamentally different:

    Offensive Evolution

    • Pick-and-roll revolution with multiple skilled ball handlers creating unpredictability
    • Screener deception making the screener a weapon again
    • The passing upgrade: Two players with 30%+ assist rates (first time in 15 years)
    • Conceptual principles vs. rigid sets from the past decade

    The Defense Question

    • West Virginia's top-20 defense proves DeVries can scheme effectively
    • Tucker DeVries as a "free safety" goading turnovers
    • Why size concerns about IU's bigs might be overblown

    Roster Construction

    • Experience over elite talent: The sweet spot model in action
    • Team chemistry from players who've already played together
    • Translatable skills from mid-majors to high-majors


    Segment 3: Big Ten and National Landscape

    • Purdue: Highest floor in the country but ceiling questions remain with Braden Smith's penetration limitations
    • Houston: Kelvin Sampson's shocking three five-star haul after landing just two in 17 years
    • Michigan: Portal royalty additions but can Elliot Cadeau finally live up to his potential?
    • Kentucky & Louisville: Pope's spending spree vs. Pat Kelsey's three-point shooting arsenal that could set records
    • Illinois: "The Belgrade of the Corn Belt" with multiple Balkan players including both Visic brothers
    • Iowa & Minnesota: The Battle of the Drake Boys - seven former Drake players split between IU and Iowa as the Big Ten moves away from traditional Painter/Izzo/Bo Ryan models


    Segment 4: The Clarity Problem - NIL Era Questions

    • Big schools now poaching from each other (70% to 30% flip in three years)
    • The $12-15 million championship roster question
    • Sweet spot vs. superstar models after Florida's unconventional title run
    • Economic limits forcing strategic choices even at major programs


    Bob and Mike promise more Moneyball conversations about roster construction, an upcoming chat with author William Murphy about IU basketball history, and continued analysis as DeVries' system meets Big Ten competition.

    On the mics: Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth

    This episode brought to you by the Back Home Network. Check out all BHN content on YouTube and backhomenetwork.com.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    1 h y 55 m
  • [40] Data v Drama -- A View of Modern Recruiting w/ Stephen Ragsdale

    [40] Data v Drama -- A View of Modern Recruiting w/ Stephen Ragsdale
    Oct 9 2025
    X's and Joe's Episode 40: Data vs Drama - A View of Modern RecruitingBob Moats and Mike Wiemuth welcome special guest Stephen Ragsdale, creator of IURecruiting.com, for a deep dive into how data-driven analysis can cut through the emotional chaos of following college basketball recruiting.Meet Stephen Ragsdale and IURecruiting.com[00:00-17:00]Stephen introduces himself as a third-generation IU fan who turned his Excel spreadsheet tracking into a comprehensive recruiting website. His journey from casual follower to creator of IURecruiting.com stemmed from wanting better tools to understand the recruiting process. The conversation touches on early season optimism around IU basketball, with Trent Sisley's viral shot from above Five Guys on Kirkwood symbolizing a new era of offensive philosophy under Darren DeVries.The Recruiting Bingo Card[17:00-30:00]Mike unveils his famous "Recruiting Miss Bingo Card" - a collection of predictable fan responses that appear on message boards after every recruiting loss. Classics include "We don't want him anyway," "This just proves we don't cheat," and "I only want kids who want to play for IU." The group discusses how these responses transcend fanbases, with Stephen noting Purdue fans' fixation on the cheating angle and Notre Dame supporters emphasizing academic standards. The card highlights how fans often rationalize losses by suggesting the coach nearly made a catastrophic mistake, but thankfully the recruit had the sense to go elsewhere.The Recruiting Funnel Framework[30:00-45:00]Mike introduces the corporate HR recruiting funnel model adapted for college basketball. Using Kansas's 2019 recruitment of Jalen Wilson as a case study, he demonstrates how successful programs move from many offers (10) to fewer official visits (3) to one commitment. The concept of "traction" becomes crucial - can you get elite kids interested enough to visit? Stephen shares how this framework was eye-opening for him, shifting his perspective from Mike Woodson's "fall in love with one target" approach to understanding roster building as a numbers game requiring multiple irons in the fire.IURecruiting.com Deep Dive[45:00-75:00]Stephen walks through his website's functionality, showing how it tracks offers, visits, and commitments across multiple recruiting classes and positions. The tool includes funnel comparisons with Kentucky, Kansas, and Arkansas - three programs with distinctly different recruiting philosophies. Key insights emerge about IU's 2026 recruiting:• Strong conversion rates at center position (3 visits from 6 offers)• Limited point guard targeting mirroring industry-wide trends toward portal guards• Critical Anthony Thompson recruitment coming down to IU vs Ohio State• The site reveals patterns that individual recruit tracking missesThe discussion highlights how Bill Self casts the widest net with offers while someone like Coach K was more selective, and how understanding these different approaches helps contextualize IU's strategy.The Modern Recruiting Landscape[75:00-End]The group examines how recruiting has fundamentally changed with the portal era. Key observations:• Elite programs like Florida, Louisville, and Michigan now build rosters with 1-2 elite high school players and multiple high-end portal transfers• Point guard positions especially skew toward experienced portal additions rather than 18-year-old freshmen• International recruiting (IU's two Yugoslav players) represents another talent stream• The "win first, then recruit" fallacy gets debunked - you need elite talent to win, not vice versaMike provides critical context about the Moneyball aspect of NIL: five-star freshmen rarely saturate winning metrics like Box Plus Minus. Only four five-stars made the top 50 nationally in BPM last season (Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel, and VJ Edgecombe). The sweet spot kids and elite transfers dominate those leaderboards, suggesting programs should be more strategic about where they invest NIL dollars.The episode concludes with cautious optimism about DeVries's early recruiting indicators and why the Anthony Thompson recruitment looms as a key test.On the mics: Bob Moats, Mike Wiemuth, and special guest Stephen RagsdaleSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    1 h y 28 m
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