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I felt like I was left at the altar Wednesday night.
The lull in the pit of my stomach still sat heavy a day later. It was a beautiful ceremony that ended with a desperation play in 6.1 seconds.
The seats had already started to empty two minutes prior because we had this one in the bag. The formality of the clock winding down was all that was left.
But instead, myself and the rest of Assembly Hall stood in amazement.
The student section stood and yelled as a last ditch effort to do what they could do as the invisible sixth man. Despite having the best student section in the NCAA, it was too little, too late.
My mind flashed back to the Illinois game in the 2012-2013 season. My mouth agape. The excitement of a much-needed win was in our grasp. Two minutes of effective defense was all that was needed … or so most of us thought.
As per usual, I will boycott ESPN and Sports Center for the next two days in hopes of evading the constant reminder of a loss that should not have been. I take that time to grieve about what could have been.
I often talk about a respectable loss. That, my dear IU fans, was not.
What to say? I’ve searched my vast vocabulary to come up with the words to comfort Yogi after yet another loss. An awkward silence ensues because I have run out of words to say.
I read the frustration on his face. I also see it in the face of his teammates.
I can’t say that I understand how they feel. When it’s all said and done, I’m just a passionate sideline spectator.
They don’t get paid for what they do (although they should). Their drive is the love of the game. The reward is winning. Lately they have been coming up short.
Working a 40-hour week and coming home without a paycheck can put a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. There is a difference between wanting to win and needing to win. The drive is distinctly different.
We wanted to win the Big Ten Conference last year. We fought for it down to the very last basket at Michigan.
We needed to win last night … but Penn State wanted it more.
Don’t blame Coach Crean There were so many factors that played a part in a loss like the Penn State game … but once again the focus turns to Coach Crean.
On more than one occasion, he was accused of being out coached. By now, I’m sure he is used to the criticism and accepts what part he plays in every loss.
He will review why the team fell apart in the last two minutes of the game. Why was the inbound play so difficult to execute? Why is it difficult to handle a full-court press?
He is the kind of coach that critiques his coaching first and the players second.
I know a different Crean than most of you do. Coach Crean has so many dimensions to him. He is the kind of coach that most players want to play for.
If the players don’t believe in their coach, there is no way they will believe in his mission. He cares about the young men that most of you only see for 40 minutes a couple of times a week.
Coach Crean dedicates many hours to developing a well-rounded team. It goes beyond executing a well-drawn play.
He doesn’t pretend to know everything.
This is the same coach that orchestrated a Wisconsin win, a Michigan win, and Sweet Sixteen appearances two years in a row.
I am not a fair weather fan. To call for the replacement of Coach Crean is absurd. Consider this my ode to Crean.
Transition year continues Everyone knew this year would be different. This is a transition year. As the hopes of the team obtaining a nod to the NCAA tournament flicker to a dismal, ambient light, the March 16th deadline of Selection Sunday quickly approaches.
It becomes more likely that we will be watching the tournament from our couch with the rest of America. We may have to settle on the fact that there’s always next year … right?
Or is there?
Naturally, the discussion shifts to who will stay and who will go. I am asked that very question on a daily basis.It is also a question that each player will have to ask themselves at the end of the season.
I hope that we will have a team that returns intact and more mature, but change means growth.
I will be at Purdue on Saturday cheering on the Hoosiers as if nothing ever happened Wednesday night. I’m going to cheer as if we are number one in the conference.
I pray for the loss of short term memory for this talented basketball team.
