TrueHoosier62

In all honesty, I've tried to like coach Crean, and I've tried to remain open minded about the evolving game of college basketball. No one can expect it to remain the same as it was back in 1976; internal and external forces are always going to tweak it here or there. I get that. What I don't get is the complete lack of commitment to the fundamentals of the game. It would be easy to say that not one of the current roster of players would make it off the bench if Knight were still roaming the court, but I'd wager a fair amount of money that the same could be said if it were Gene Keady, Lou Henson, Jud Heathcoate, or practically any number of other coaches, who preached fundamental basketball. Keady's and Henson's teams in particular, lost not because they weren't fundamentally sound, or athletically gifted, but because Keady and Henson were simply inferior to Knight when it cane to game day adjustments and preparation. Every player had a function and a role, and each player played that role to the best of their ability, as that ability developed with coaching. Knight's system of motion offense was a thing of beauty and precision that relied upon it, and his defense was stifling man to man. So what is Crean's approach? After seven years I still cannot, for the life of me, determine what the game plan is under Crean; what the roles are for the players; and what the system is meant to accomplish. Defense, for this squad, appears to be putting forth any level of effort greater than nothing at all, but there's no hint of system or philosophy or strategy; only effort. I've nearly given up trying to understand the offense, which at best seems to be based on "drive and kick", or (with Troy Williams), "slash and burn". There's no cohesion or unity or synchronicity to it at all, just five random players trying to hit shots. At any rate, I've said enough. I just get depressed at times, watching the unraveling of a dynasty. 

I'm not convinced that a coach like Bob Knight still exists. Even if there were such a coach, I'm not sure how that approach would square with today's game. Most of the games I've watched are little more than a collection of athletes, (not basketball players), many of whom are doing little more than auditioning for the big leagues. Of the younger coaches out there, I'm probably impressed most by Brad Stevens. He seems to have the ability to improve teams using little more than whats on hand. To me, that's the sign of a good coach, and one who can do great things given certain circumstances.

I didn't see him, but that's not to say he didn't superglue the bastard shut.

Post of the Day! lol

I have a better chance of throwing my hat in to the ring for the Presidency, and wining a few state delegates, than IU does of winning an NC this year. I love IU, but it just isn't happening this year. 

I know what you're saying, Brass. Under coach Knight, "most years" we had a fighting chance. It didn't mean we thought we'd actually win it all, but we felt we had a fighter's chance. We knew we had the best tactical coach on the planet, and that he'd have the team mentally prepared for almost anything. His teams were fundamentally sound, and knew exactly what they were supposed to do. We won three championships under Knight, and with a break here or there, it could easily have been five. Under Crean, even when he appears to have some nice bits to the puzzle, his teams are still lacking in so many areas as to render them virtually incapable of winning it all. And when you factor in Crean's game day qualities, (he's an abysmal tactician), it leaves most of us convinced that any number of other coaches would get us closer to the prize.

Beating ranked teams means absolutely nothing. Ask Digger Phelps, who holds the record for upsets of ranked teams, and who had exactly one trip to the final four in 20 seasons. Oh, and no NCs. I was glad to see IU beat Iowa, but in no way do I think this team is NC caliber, nor do I think it ever will under Crean. I've yet to see one single team that he's constructed look the part. They're all sometimes exciting, but always frustratingly flawed teams, and those teams rarely get the job done.

Chuck was one of the great ones. I'm glad he had a good innings.

Dr. Tom Davis' canaries: 70 Dr. Jekyll / Mr Hyde's boys: 68

Quit confusing me with facts, damn you! lol. I just know that when I watch IU play on offense, they can go awfully flat for extended periods of time, particularly against the better teams. That's not unusual, as any good offensive team will struggle against a good defensive team, but with IU in particular, when their offense goes south, the whole game goes to hell in a hand-basket.

Tell me about it.

Excellent points.

Good post, and I can see where that would be justification for his dismissal.

If Iowa comes in and plays sound perimeter defense, forcing us to play an interior game, we'll struggle, as we almost always do. We have one player, (Bryant) who can play, but his offensive arsenal is limited and his propensity for emotional instability can be costly in a game like this. I don't know how good Iowa's defense is, but they don't have to be world beaters; they just need to guard the perimeter, keeping us from going off with a barrage of threes. Speaking of defense, we'd better manufacture an "A" game, or it might not be pretty. Keeping the ball out of Williams' hands, (to the extent that he's not bringing it up the court) might be a good idea too.

You may be right about the reasons surrounding Knorr's dismissal, but it begs two questions:   1.) Was Wilson that wrong about Knorr's capabilities in the first place? If so, that seems like a poor reflection on him. Usually, it takes a team at least two or three years to determine if a coach is going to pan out, as schemes and talent have to be adjusted to reflect his philosophy. That seems like an awfully quick hook.   2.) If Wilson was quick with the hook, what does that say about Tom Allen's potential?   I'm left wondering if there was something more to Knorr's dismissal that just opening up a position to hire Allen. Hmmm

LMAO. I was thinking the same thing. lol

"That respect by Davis should mean something to Spartan fans, but I have a hunch it won’t go over well in Bloomington. Indiana is a standard bearer college basketball program that should be a perennial national power every year. Instead they have simply been struggling to gain national relevance again".

Nice read, and sounds like a good "get". I wonder why Knorr was "dismissed"? I shouldn't have thought he was down there long enough to be guilty of much.

I hope we land him, and I hope he develops a mean, nasty streak to go along with that size. With that size, he's probably a right tackle. Lefties need to be a bit quicker on their feet and don't usually come in that size.

I think Wilson is a good coach for IU. At most schools, his won/loss record might not warrant an extension, but for us, "he" works. Year in and year out, we've had a relatively competitive team under his watch; and with a few breaks next year, we might make it two years in a row to a bowl game. I can live with that.  Also, can anyone tell me, did we lose the DC we had who'd come from Wake Forest, or is he still with the team? I don't stay as up to date as I'd like.

I always love your posts. lol

I love your optimism, but simply don't have an imagination that allows me to believe as you do. I'm old and cynical, and in need of a shot of bourbon and quite possibly, a nap. lol

Win or lose tomorrow, it makes very little difference in the bigger picture; and this is the conundrum we face at IU these days.   Here are a few scenarios:   1.) We run the table through the rest of our schedule and head to the Big Ten tournament as a #1 seed. We walk through that tournament, and wait for our seeding to be announced in the big dance. At best, we're a #3 or #4 seed. Now, If every other team ahead of us in the rankings awoke to find they'd contracted terminal dysentery, we might possibly get a #2 seed. Does anyone honestly see us doing this? Me neither.    2.) We somehow achieve that impossible pipe dream, and are awarded a #2 seed, (most likely outside of our region). Does anyone see us then running the table in the NCAA; against far superior talent than what the Big Ten has dished up this year, on a neutral court? Me neither   3.) We lose tomorrow against Iowa, lose again at Michigan State, then probably drop another one along the way. We exit the Big Ten tournament early, (because that's what we do), and end up making the NCAA tournament as a #7 seed. We enjoy one win, then get kicked to the curb by a mid major, (because that's what we do). However, Fred Glass, in a temporary moment of sanity, fires Tom Crean, saying the time had come to face the fact "he's taken us as far as he can", and most of Bloomington goes in to orgasmic elation at the thought of Brad Stevens having an epiphany. Though more likely than scenarios 1 or 2, does anyone see this happening? Me neither. Which leads me to scenario #4   4.) We play just good enough to stay in the upper stratosphere of the Big Ten. One game we're playing like we own the Penthouse, the next; like we should be consigned to the outhouse. We, as fans, vacillate between hope and despair, thinking we're on the right track one moment, then wishing we could tie Tom Crean to the tracks the next. We land the #5 seed in the tournament, and in true Hoosier fashion, blow out the first opponent, and lose to the next one, as Troy Williams loses the ball before he can get his pass to Thomas Bryant for a last second shot from half court. Tom Crean says how proud he is of this team, how they've grown, and made a commitment to defense, and how if only they'd listened to his instruction, they'd still be playing. Fred Glass nods in agreement, and notes that "we've got a lot of really good recruits coming next year". And just like the Purdue faithful have for the past fifty years, we nod in agreement, and look forward to next season. And honestly, isn't this the most likely scenario? Yeah, I thought so too.

Yes, you rang?

I learned many, many years ago to filet the "Y" bones out of pike. Once you have that down pat, they eat and taste just like Walleye. A buddy of mind told me to cube up some of the nicer sized pike, then boil it, ice it, skewer it, and dip it in hot garlic butter. Tastes remarkably like lobster