BGleas

I agree, I think that's the model for being consistent/perennial contenders. 2-3 5*'s a year might be a bit much, but I've always felt consistent contending programs are built on multiple 4* recruits each year, sprinkled in with a 5* and a 3*. Of course, it all varies based on class size each year. The 5* guys are your instant impact guys, the 4* guys are your foundation of the program, and the 3* guys are role players or end of bench guys, outside the diamond in the rough guy like VO.

Tom Crean is 3-3 against Izzo over the last three seasons. The only proof isn't the conference COY, that's not really proof at all. The proof is former head coaches wanting to be on his staff. The proof is a coach as respected as Izzo continually vouching for him and speaking highly of him. The proof is the Charlotte Hornets speaking glowingly of him. The proof is Bo Ryan, a rival, giving him advice from their recent Canada trip (Bo Ryan, nor Tom Crean for that matter, have anything to do with Canada's visa process). The proof is Crean and Fran McCaffrey having a phone call shortly after McCaffrey's son was diagnosed. There are plenty more stories just like that, and those things don't happen without a mutual respect. Crean is very good friends with Tony LaRusa and Doc Rivers too. Not college coaches, but highly respected coaches in their fields. You might not like him, and I agree that he was awful last year, but he is respected among his peers. I don't even think that's really debatable.

I'm sorry, not trying to be rude, but your points aren't even making sense. We're dismissing Crean getting advice from Bo Ryan as a sign of mutual respect, because IU is too good to get advice from a Wisconsin coach? He was getting advice on how to best handle to Canada trip, any good coach would do that. Izzo is going after Crean's recruits because he knows his weaknesses? Ummmm, recruiting isn't one of his weaknesses. Crean recruited almost all of the key guys that won Izzo a National Championship. Izzo respects Crean so much that he gave him a championship ring even though Crean had already left for Marquette. I also read an article yesterday that quoted Fran McCaffrey saying Coach Crean was one of the first coaches to call him and check-in when his son was diagnosed with cancer. It just sounds to me like there isn't much basis of fact behind your opinion. It's more of storylines based on some blow-by handshakes and the Michigan incident (both of which I think are amateurish by Crean) than based on how he's really viewed by his peers.

Just to piggy-back on the previous reply, it has nothing to do with Tom Crean at all. It's all about how Knight was fired in 2000. It's actually encouraging to hear that Pat Knight was at a practice! Thanks for sharing that.

I think you have to go tie between Scott May and Alan Henderson. At least one, potentially two, more national championships for IU if those injuries don't happen.

That was an ESPN poll. I saw it. It was based on last season. Other than that poll, why would you think he's not respected outside of the league? What has shown that? Kenny Johnson had nothing but great things to say. Benny Seltzer has said nothing but great things. He keeps adding former head coaches to his staff. The Charlotte Hornets had great things to say about him after drafting Vonleh. Dwyane Wade just brought half his team to work with Crean. Again, he's worked for Izzo, Heathcoate and Willard, and tremulously respected coaches coaches. I absolutely respect you having your own opinion, of course.

If you're a former head coach and hoping to be one again, you're not going to work for a coach that isn't respected. You're going to go work for a coach that is highly respected in the industry and can vouch for you, etc. A coach that can get you back on the map and call other schools when you're ready again. Izzo isn't going to vouch for a coach, putting his reputation on the line, recommending him at both Marquette and IU, if he didn't think Crean was a good coach and respected him. I doubt recommending Crean to IU was some elaborate plan to keep IU down and steal recruits from Indiana. We know that Crean is good friends with Izzo, Calipari, and worked for Heathcoate, Izzo, and Ralph Willard. Those are three of the most respected coaches in the industry. We know Bo Ryan gave him advice this summer about our Canada trip. Why is Bo Ryan giving a conference rival, who you think he doesn't respect, advice? Sabotage? I doubt it. These guys are in a fraternity and Crean is definitely in the club. It sounds to me like you're taking some blow-by handshakes (which I can't stand either) and extrapolating that into a myth that Crean isn't respected in the industry.

I'm going to go in a different direction, definitely could go with a lot of Knight moments, but I'm sure we'll get plenty of those in this thread. I'll with Crean sweeping OSU, MSU and Michigan on the road in 2013 to win the Big Ten title outright. Definitely a feat worth mentioning!

I'm not sure any of your first paragraph is really accurate. He's one of the few coaches who's entire staff are all former D1 head coaches. Former head coaches aren't going to be Crean's assistant if he's not widely respected. Buckley has stayed with him for years and the same for McClain. They're not doing that if Crean isn't respected. Izzo is one of the most respected coaches in the game, and he loves Crean. Crean had his issues with some other coaches during the rebuild, no denying that, but I think the idea that he's not respected isn't accurate. Like I said above, Crean got advice on the Canada trip from Bo Ryan. Do you think that's happening if those two really didn't get along? We also know he's really well respected by NBA coaches as well.

I think this theory might be overblown a bit. Of course he's had issues with some guys during the rebuild "negative recruiting, etc) but I think Crean is generally pretty liked in the coaching community. I think Bo Ryan is a coach that many think Crean doesn't get along with, yet Crean talked this summer about getting advice from Bo Ryan regarding our Canada trip.

I don't think there's any different rules. I guess technically Yogi could take some b.s. classes and say he's working towards a second degree in another discipline.    I guess the bottom line is, as long as he's enrolled in school and has eligibility, he can play. 

He would have to commit to taking graduate classes during that season, but doesn't mean he would have to finish the degree. 

Not to be a downer, but I'm not sure that's what it means. It's really only one spot. The vast majority have Yogi, JBJ, Troy and Hanner locked in, it's just that 3rd guard spot that varies between Zeisloft, RoJo and Stan.   

The other option is he's sometimes just trying to throw one of his guys a "solid". Get a guy so,e positive PR. Get a guy he knows isn't going to play in the NBA some extra looks from good European clubs, etc. I doubt he really believed Elston was an NBA player. He barely got off the bench at IU even when healthy.

Same here. Glad Holt looks legit and can help, but what does that say about David, and especially Hanner, if this kid can come in and potentially take their spot?  

Non guaranteed though, so he can get cut in camp. Either way though, always love when my Hoosiers end up with my Celtics!

I agree we should have won more than 12 games that year, but we were still a bad team. Maybe like 14-15 wins?

I said elite. Those guys are nice talents and would be good gets, but I'm talking your McDonald's AA candidates. Those two aren't that. I mean your Zellers, JBJ's, Vonleh's, etc.

But, they weren't identical rosters. Taking away a teams best player has a huge impact. It's not like they went from a good big to a great one. You could argue in 2010-11 that Pritchard was the worst starting center in the Big Ten. We went from arguably the worst to the best.    Take Evan Gordon or Ethrington off last years team and replace him with Stauskas or Gary Harris and we're an entirly different team.  

It's amazing that we haven't been able to get a single elite 2015 player onboard for an official. Not really a complaint, as we should have most of our team back, but just an odd occurrence. 

But that contributor was the best and most impactful player on the team at a position of desperate need. 

If I had to rate them, considering '13 and '14 are still unproven, I'd go: 2010 2009 2013 (could leapfrog 09) 2011 2014 (reserve the right to move them way up if JBJ stays more than 1 year and RoJo is for real) 2012 2008

This!!!!! Put names on the jerseys, change the style, etc., I don't care as long as we're winning. I don't condone cheating, bad academics or anything like that, but beyond that, just win. Just win.

I'll be surprised if this visit actually happens.

Did Tom Crean write that? Maybe to sway fanbase opinion  :biggrin: