The Assembly Call Blog

If we publish it, it will show up here.

This page features a chronological rundown of all our content -- including Banner Mornings, podcast episodes, news roundups, IU artifacts posts, commentary and analysis, and more.

The Inside Story of the Greatest Tweet in IU Basketball History

April 28, 2021 By Jerod Morris Leave a Comment

Wait, this a 90-minute episode about a tweet? You’re damn right it is. Because the viral tweet the IU mens basketball program sent yesterday isn’t just a great story on its own; it’s a microcosm of a dramatic shift within the athletic department that has Indiana sports poised to be a national leader for years to come.

First, Jerod Morris talks to longtime assistant AD Jeremy Gray (@IUJGray) about how IU’s epic troll of the most unreasonable elements of its fan base came about, and how it fits into a larger narrative about the departments commitment to NIL, having an engaging public persona, and putting athletes first.

Then, assistant director of video services Andrew Brown (@IUAndrew) joins to discuss how the tweet itself came about, the “branding meetings” going on behind the scenes with IU players, and how he and the other members of the department get their inspiration for the content that has been engaging Indiana sports fans for the last year-plus.

If you missed the tweet, rectify that now: https://twitter.com/IndianaMBB/status/1387087262073171971

Also, here is the URL Jerod mentions off the top: http://assemblycall.com/pp

Listen to the podcast here:

AC Radio: Tamar Bates Scouting Report

April 22, 2021 By Aaron Shifron Leave a Comment

This week on Assembly Call Radio, Ryan returns to the show and discusses the recent new editions to the team and goes into detail about recent commit Tamar Bates.

All that and much more on this edition of The Assembly Call.

On the mics: Brian Tonsoni, Andy Bottoms, Ryan Phillips

Kenya Hunter on The Tweet, Improving Shooting, and Working for Mike Woodson

April 21, 2021 By Jerod Morris Leave a Comment

On Wednesday afternoon, we were fortune enough to get 30 minutes of time from IU assistant coach Kenya Hunter. He and Jerod cover a number of topics, including:

• Hot yoga?
• The Tweet he sent after Tamar Bates’ commitment
• The enthusiasm around the program
• Tim Miles’ hilarious story about trying to break into Assembly Hall
• His reaction to IU’s players saying they want better relationships and more development
• What was up with the shooting last season? And what’s being done to improve it moving forward.
• The impact of COVID on last season’s team
• His pedigree as a defensive coach, and whether or not that will be his role under Mike Woodson
• The importance of relationships in recruiting
• Which players he expects to take the biggest steps forward with a full summer

And more.

It’s a fun conversation, and you get a sense for why many people consider Kenya to be a future high-level head coach.

If you want to take Jerod up on the community offer he mentions at the beginning of the episode, go to http://assemblycall.com/community

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

Emergency Pod: Miller Kopp Picks IU!

April 20, 2021 By Jerod Morris Leave a Comment

Another day, another emergency breaking news podcast.

Miller Kopp, formerly of Northwestern, has announced his intention to transfer to Indiana. We assembled our largest panel ever to discuss it!

On the mics: Jerod, Coach, Mike DeCourcy, Jay, Chatmob Chad, and lifelong Northwestern fan and former Assembly Call intern Michael Dugan

Listen to the podcast here:

Or watch the video:

Emergency Pod: Tamar Bates Picks IU!

April 19, 2021 By Jerod Morris Leave a Comment

On this emergency episode of The Assembly Call, Jerod Morris and Galen Clavio break down the commitment of Tamar Bates. What is he like as a player? What does the backcourt rotation look like now? How awesome is Kenya Hunter? And what does Bates’ commitment suggest about the budding level of swag in the IU basketball program?