Rick Bozich On Crean and Co.

[Hovadipo 53,006]

BOZICH | The story CBS, ESPN and others have missed on Indiana basketball
Posted: Jan 19, 2015 2:51 PM EST
Updated: Jan 19, 2015 3:34 PM EST
By Rick BozichCONNECT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The competition for Best Fiction written about the Indiana University basketball team is crowded, intense and unrelenting. Everybody but Stephen King has entered the race.

The New York Daily News fired the opening shot last spring, elevating fired Knicks coach Mike Woodson to the Indiana head coaching position.

ESPN upped the ante last summer, ranking the Top 50 coaches in college basketball. Bob Hoffman of Mercer, Chris Mack of Xavier and Ed Cooley of Providence made the list. IU coach Tom Crean did not.

The Indy Star refused to be ignored. They shrieked that Crean needed to lose his job in November after he was forced to punish about a half-dozen players for off-the-court issues.

They also have a fascination with a coach who has lost 82 of 120 games with the Celtics.

CBSSports.com wants in the game, too. After the Hoosiers won at Illinois Sunday to improve to 4-1 in the Big Ten, a CBS guy wrote that the victory convinced him the Hoosiers will make the NCAA Tournament and “save,” Crean's job. Sources say his source is the same guy who tipped the Daily News on Woodson.

Here is my non-fiction response to the considerable fiction being shared about the Hoosiers:

1. Woodson, an IU alum, is an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, a franchise that continues to mildly underachieve. The next college basketball game Woodson coaches will be his first.

2. Crean has played seven games this season against coaches ranked on ESPN's magical Top 50.

He lost to Rick Pitino (ranked fifth), John Thompson III (46th) and Tom Izzo (third). He defeated Larry Brown (21st), Jamie Dixon (25th), Thad Matta (20th) and Tim Miles (32nd).

I believe that is four wins, three losses – with an IU team that was picked to finish as low as 10th in the Big Ten by some.

3. Crean's guys have delivered four consecutive seasons of perfect 1000 APR scores, which is the system the NCAA uses to measure academic progress.

Many of his players earned degrees in three seasons. Several left Bloomington with post-graduate degrees – in case anybody is old-fashioned enough to believe that stuff actually matters.

Have there been nights of knucklehead behavior? You bet. Was the program out of control? Ask a better question.

4. That was a nice victory at Illinois, where the Illini were unbeaten this season.

But I don't recall hearing IU athletic director Fred Glass ever saying that Crean needed to “save” his job. Actually, I believe Glass signed Crean to a deal that lasts until 2020 before Crean won the 2013 Big Ten regular season title.

Here is the story the speculators are missing: Crean, his coaching staff and players have delivered a poised and persistent effort this season, winning 14 of 18 games.

They have done good work. It's not that hard to see – or write.

They've won three Big Ten games they were not favored or projected to win. They've won three games against Top 25 opponents – and lost two.

The other 13 Big Ten teams have combined to go 4-26 against Top 25 opponents, according to ESPN.com. I am awaiting confirmation that coaching had anything to do with this.

They've done it without getting one minute from Devin Davis, a guy who figured to be one of their two best rebounders. Davis suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident on Halloween Night and just resumed sitting on the IU bench last week.

They've done it for the last two games without Hanner Mosquera-Perea, their only rotation player taller than 6 feet 7. He's got an injured knee and figures to miss at least six more games.

Mosquera-Perea isn't Noah Vonleh or Luke Fischer, the two big guys Crean planned to have on this team. But he was the only paint protector the Hoosiers had.

They've done it while using four freshmen – two guards (James Blackmon Jr. and Robert Johnson) that Crean recruited to fix Indiana's shooting issues and two frontcourt players (Max Hoetzel and Emmitt Holt) that most Top 25 programs had no interest in recruiting.

They've done it as Crean's proven ability to develop players (roll video of Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo) has started to transform Troy Williams into one of the most dynamic players in the Big Ten.

They've done it with Yogi Ferrell shooting less while passing, defending and leading more. They've done it with Collin Hartman and Nick Zeisloft making an occasional three and scrambling for an occasional rebound.

They've done it despite all the silly background noise about Woodson, Top 50 coaches' lists and Crean's job security.

Crean has tuned out the nonsense and tuned into his young team, which does not have a senior. He has logged off Twitter and logged into creating ways to win with an undersized lineup.

The Hoosiers have improved their shooting, ball-handling and team play. They'll need to improve their defense and rebounding to keep winning in the Big Ten, but Crean knows that.

Are they a cinch to make the NCAA Tournament?

Not yet. Ken Pomeroy's computer formula considers Indiana the underdog in four of the Hoosiers' next five games.

Are they a Top 25 team? The Hoosiers sit 23rd in AP and USA Today coaches' poll. Joe Lunardi has them an eight-seed in the NCAA field.

Is a losing streak possible? Heavens, yes. It's Big Ten basketball.

Minnesota, a team picked to finish ahead of IU, lost five straight. Ohio State, a top three pre-season Big Ten team, is 3-3 in the league. And those two programs have ESPN Top 50 coaches.

Crean doesn't think his team has arrived yet. He knows he has work to do. He's learned that at Indiana you're always just 40 bad minutes away from hearing what you did wrong.

But Crean has always been eager to do the work – even if that doesn't fit the fictional narrative around Indiana basketball.

For 18 games, Crean, his staff and players have outperformed expectations.

I don't need to check the New York Daily News and CBSSports sources to report that.



Pretty good read. Putting into perspective just how impressive Crean and team have been this year.

[bnkepner 1,509]

This should be required reading for everyone on this site. Seems that most of the fan base is on the ledge about ready to jump. Well it seemed that way at least in the first 5 minutes of yesterdays game. Its gotten pretty ridiculous hahah

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

Required reading? Why? Because Bozich has jumped on the bandwagon?

[Walking Boot of Doom 18,170]

Required reading? Why? Because Bozich has jumped on the bandwagon?

I'm not saying there aren't reasons to have issues with Crean's coaching, but the article makes plenty of great points, and the team is definitely getting better results than most believed we would.

[Stuhoo 75,808]

Required reading? Why? Because Bozich has jumped on the bandwagon?

 

No.

 

Because he has crystallized how much fun those on the bandwagon are having for the past few months!

[mamasa 14,837]

Great article. Some people don't look for the negative in every situation.

[mamasa 14,837]

Required reading? Why? Because Bozich has jumped on the bandwagon?

Because he points out things that the Crean haters dismiss or trivialize. It's giving credit where it's due on a national level. Not sure why you'd have issue with this....

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

I'm tickled pink with our recent success. Could care less what Bozich or any other lame brain columnist says either way about our program.

[Hovadipo 53,006]

I'm tickled pink with our recent success. Could care less what Bozich or any other lame brain columnist says either way about our program.

So you do care?

[HoosierTrav 7,619]

Overall a good write up. Not a fan of how he tries to throw a jab at Brad Stevens record in Boston, as if ANYONE else would do any better. Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich would both stink with that roster. FACT! Most all of the criticism of Crean up to this point has been valid. Results are all that matters. Being ranked 23rd in the nation is certainly progress, and I'm pysched about it, but we need to wait until the end of the season. At the end of the day the guy is making elite money at a traditionally elite program. He should be held to a higher standard than most coaches who make 1/4 of what he makes. This is completely fair. He was given a ton of slack for his first 3 seasons (rightfully so) but those days are over. Now it's about results and results only! So far this season, he is doing a fantastic with this group. We are getting better as the season moves along and we have responded to every punch we've taken so far. He deserves credit where credit is due. I'll gladly eat crow but this season is a LONG way from over and I'm going to keep it in the freezer until the results are in.

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

So you do care?

About? What Bozich or "The Bozichs" say? Not so much. I'm not disagreeing with the article or the thread just that it is a "must read".

[schoosier 3,445]

Overall a good write up. Not a fan of how he tries to throw a jab at Brad Stevens record in Boston, as if ANYONE else would do any better. Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich would both stink with that roster. FACT! Most all of the criticism of Crean up to this point has been valid. Results are all that matters. Being ranked 23rd in the nation is certainly progress, and I'm pysched about it, but we need to wait until the end of the season. At the end of the day the guy is making elite money at a traditionally elite program. He should be held to a higher standard than most coaches who make 1/4 of what he makes. This is completely fair. He was given a ton of slack for his first 3 seasons (rightfully so) but those days are over. Now it's about results and results only! So far this season, he is doing a fantastic with this group. We are getting better as the season moves along and we have responded to every punch we've taken so far. He deserves credit where credit is due. I'll gladly eat crow but this season is a LONG way from over and I'm going to keep it in the freezer until the results are in.

Fair comment. This is the year to overachieve and so far, so good. But, he has a lot of work to do. I'm rooting for him and always for my Hoosiers. If he misses the tournament, say thanks and bye. If he makes it and Stevens becomes availabe, you probably do the same. A decade of coaching should put us in championship contention yearly and the results speak for themselves. Bozich conveniently left those out. Wonder why?

[theriverpilot 5,589]

Overall a good write up. Not a fan of how he tries to throw a jab at Brad Stevens record in Boston, as if ANYONE else would do any better. Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich would both stink with that roster. FACT! Most all of the criticism of Crean up to this point has been valid. Results are all that matters. Being ranked 23rd in the nation is certainly progress, and I'm pysched about it, but we need to wait until the end of the season. At the end of the day the guy is making elite money at a traditionally elite program. He should be held to a higher standard than most coaches who make 1/4 of what he makes. This is completely fair. He was given a ton of slack for his first 3 seasons (rightfully so) but those days are over. Now it's about results and results only! So far this season, he is doing a fantastic with this group. We are getting better as the season moves along and we have responded to every punch we've taken so far. He deserves credit where credit is due. I'll gladly eat crow but this season is a LONG way from over and I'm going to keep it in the freezer until the results are in.

I'm ok with his jab at Stevens. I'm a Stevens fan, but he was brought in to win. Record doesn't lie. He and Crean were brought in to resurrect storied programs. He's eligible for the same criticisms as Crean.

[BGleas 7,880]

Not really. It's apple-to-oranges. A college coach recruits and builds his own team, Stevens is beholden to how Ainge builds the team, and in the NBA you have salary cap restraints, etc. that all go into it. Nobody thought Stevens would go to a rebuilding Celtics team and have them competing a year in.

I'm ok with his jab at Stevens. I'm a Stevens fan, but he was brought in to win. Record doesn't lie. He and Crean were brought in to resurrect storied programs. He's eligible for the same criticisms as Crean.

[Dalton26 16,891]

I'm ok with his jab at Stevens. I'm a Stevens fan, but he was brought in to win. Record doesn't lie. He and Crean were brought in to resurrect storied programs. He's eligible for the same criticisms as Crean.

He was brought in for a full blown rebuild not to win right away.

Eligible for the same critisims as Crean? Give me a break people give Crean a pass for his first few seasons here, but you don't want to give Stevens one? You can't have it both ways.

[Walking Boot of Doom 18,170]

Easy gang. Honestly, there really wasn't a jab at Stevens. He stated a fact and took a jab at the fans who believe that Crean needs to be fired and replaced by Stevens immediately. It's ironic that we have some fans calling for Crean's head and begging for Stevens when he's really struggling as a coach at the moment. I agree, full rebuild going on in Boston is not his fault.

[bronkonagurski 894]

Thanks for sharing!  Nice read.

[shortspacequickness 1,034]

I liked that he named ESPN and CBS after their disgraceful 'journalism' in November. Unsurprisingly neither hack has acknowledged Indiana.

[Hovadipo 53,006]

About? What Bozich or "The Bozichs" say? Not so much. I'm not disagreeing with the article or the thread just that it is a "must read".

Oh. Well, you said you could care less what they say. You're giving mixed signals.

[theriverpilot 5,589]

He was brought in for a full blown rebuild not to win right away.

Eligible for the same critisims as Crean? Give me a break people give Crean a pass for his first few seasons here, but you don't want to give Stevens one? You can't have it both ways.

Relax mates. Not wanting to get into a pissing match over it. Just stating my opinion on the "jab". BGleas had a valid point on it being apples and oranges but I still hold firm on my opinion.