Feathery

The defense wasn't that good before Maui. The level of competition just wasn't that good and we didn't get exposed.

What does Crean considered a deflection? He rattles off these stats of guys and how many deflections they get, I'm always left thinking "we're we watching the same game?"

I think he is being sarcastic as he isn't a Crean fan either.

I don't know if they are 100% committed to anything to be honest. I'd assume to land Stevens you have to do what Michigan did for Harbaugh, get the family/friends involved. When you make the financial offer to the job it has to be fantastic. If you have to pay Calipari type money ($8 mil), then do it. I know money isn't everything but the Celtics are not going to pay Stevens that type of money. They could just pay McHale $3 mil and be happy to have a solid coach. In my mind you offer what you feel the Celtics won't match and you have his family and friends on board to lure him home. It would be a tough sell and he still may say no. If he does make it public so the fanbase can move on and go spend some serious $$ to get a top college coach.

I get that but just like Harbaugh at Michigan. Michigan didn't know or send feelers out to him before they fired Hoke. It was done after bc the AD was also fired. Sometimes a fanbase has had enough and you have to make a coaching change. Which is where IU is now. IU won't know bc the back channels to Stevens was saying he won't talk till an opening happens. That's the rumor anyway from the spring. So IU will have to have their ducks in a row and fire Crean before they can make a move for the #1 guy. Will Stevens come? I don't know but you don't hold the program hostage bc you don't. You can do the back channel talks to gauge interest in other candidates like Sean Miller and Tony Bennett. The contract must be $5 million plus to get a top coach from a top conference imo. I'll go back to the Harbaugh/Michigan example again as I followed that closely as a Michigan football fan. The interim AD had his backup plan in place of Harbaugj ended up saying no. Les Miles would have been the guy. It didn't get to that because Michgan was all in with their effort to land Harbaugh. IU, while having a safety net, needs to be all in to land Stevens. Under no scenario should the safety net be to keep Tom Crean.

Well the rumors in the spring were that Stevens wouldn't even listen to IU unless there was an opening. So as an AD you have to be willing to fire Crean to even talk with Stevens to see if he is interested. You can't just keep Crean until his contract expires. College athletics doesn't work that way. If you keep him, you have to extend his contract for recruiting sake. I'm a firm believer in the 4 year rule. Where a coach is under contract for the 4 years of the current recruiting class. That way it lets recruits know that the coach is safe barring the unexpected. So really it's fire Crean and go for the fences or stay with the devil you know and settle for mediocrity.

To piggyback off the above post. I can't say I'm for or against Dane Fife as head coach. While he knows IU basketball and he knows defense, does he have enough experience to have the X's and O's to compete with an Izzo? He may or he may not, it's a gamble. There is a precedent of a coach with little head coaching experience landing a job at a blueblood and having success. In 1988, Kansas hired a North Carolina assistant Roy Williams, who had only been a head coach at the high school level. He was also only 38 years of age at the time. That turned out to be a tremendous success in my opinion. Dane Fife had some success at IPFW and has been learning from Izzo, Like Roy with Dean Smith. Dane is Also 36 years of age and will be 37 next summer, close to the same age as Roy taking over Kansas. I used to dismiss the Fife talk as being way premature. I'm now neutral on him coming and can see both sides of an arguement. Maybe it is time to bring back a IU guy if Stevens says no.

We definitely could. Not sure if we will. As easy as thebjanuary schedule is, the February schedule is much tougher. Historically Creans teams peak early and falter come the end of January/early February. That's why it's so concerning we are playing so poorly right now. Thomas Bryant hasn't even hit the freshman wall yet.

We only play Purdue, MSU, and Maryland once each. It's the easiest big ten schedule, possibly ever, for IU. If Crean is middle of the pack in a year with an easy schedule and 3 McD All Americans, then he should resign and put everyone out of their misery.

So if Stevens says no, you would keep Crean? Say Stevens won't talk until there is an opening. So you don't fire Crean bc you don't have an answer from Stevens?

I agree with everything you said but the part about Marshall. You haven't paid attention to his career if you think he is a system coach. The guy has 17 championships (conference and conference tournaments) in 17 seasons. He also has a win % at .729%. Saying he is a system coach is a disservice to his ability. At a mid major level he has done what Archie Miller and Mack could only dream about doing. He has also gone deeper in the NCAA tournament than both. IU would be lucky to have such a quality head coach. As for his record this year, his star PG is injured. I've seen Macks name thrown around lately. I thought everyone hated Mack bc he has been a constant negative recruiter against IU? I wouldn't mind him, just surprised to see ppl throw his name out there. Bruce Drew is a name I hadn't thought about. It's an intriguing possibility and I'd be supportive of that move. But will he leave his alma mater and the school where his dad is a legend? To be honest, I think most all the guys that have been discussed are upgrades to Crean.

Yep. I do think there are a few home runs out there. IU just ha to be willing to pay for it. I like playing devils advocate with guys about Stevens and Celtics. As log as IU tries with Stevens and goes public that we wants to stay with the Celtics, then I'm ok going to the next guy. I think the fanbase would give the next coach a fair shot under those circumstances. I think Sean Miller is better than Archie and has proven it. I think Gregg Marshall is better than Archie and has proven it. Both have had tremendous success and make in the low $3 millions a year. Give either $5 mil + and you have a great coach at a great program. FYI, Marshalls buyout is only $500,000. The absolute worst thing would be to hang on to Crean out of fear.

Is he? Yeah he made an elite 8 but he has missed the dance 2 of his 4 years coaching. He has never won his conference either. He has finished 5th, 11th, 5th, and 2nd in conference over his career. He only has 4 years experience which is both good and bad. He has a lot to learn and hasn't peaked as a coach yet, which is a huge plus. It's also a huge negative for a school like IU, who needs a homerun hire and not a guy who still has to develop his craft.

Lol. I was trying to make a case for Seth Davis comments. Lol. I agree there is a better chance that Nick Saban decides to coach basketball than Crean taking this team to a Big Ten title.

First a superstar has to hit free agency, then you have to sign them and surround them with other quality talent. It's not as easy as hey come play for Brad Stevens in Boston Unless you think Boston will land Durant next summer, there won't be a superstar on the Celtics for awhile. They will have a lot of cap spce but the Lakers, Sixers, and Mavricks will all have more. Boston isn't a destination people want to live, when Southern California is calling. Let's also not forget Durants hometown team, Washington Wizards, will have a lot of $$ to spend next summer as well. I really believe once Crean is fired, Stevens will listen to an offer from IU. IU will have to ring their "A" game though. Do that and I think we get out guy. Especially when there is a Celtic legend who can man their bench. They don't have to match an IU offer for Stevens.

I think I'm confusing people. Im not saying he isn't great. He is by far my favorite coach in the game. I'm saying it's not a slam dunk he would want to stay in Boston bc of their roster construction and the need for NBA superstars to win it all. Edit: my bad for not being clear.

The converse is what we are getting at. He will NEVER win a title unless he gets a superstar and some all stars. The absolute worst position to be in as a NBA franchise is a middle of the pack team. No chance at a superstar and a team not good enough to win it all. Nobody is doubting his coaching acumen. The only chance would be for the Celtics to package these draft picks and try and land a superstar that's unsettled. Let's face it though, as long as Lebron James is playing, Boston and other Eastern teams will be playing catchup. Like I said earlier, this could take years for Boston to be championship level.

They are in 7th place in the East and a game above being out of the playoffs all together. Yes it's early but let's not make it sound like Stevens is blowing the doors off in the NBA. The Celtics still don't have a superstar in a league dominated by superstars. Even with the draft picks it could be years before one turns into a star, if one does at all. Lebron and Curry aren't coming in this draft. There is nobody in college today that dominated like Steph Curry at Davidson.

I think we were just going off the Seth Davis comment about being back next season. I think it's basically impossible to fire him if he wins the league. That would be 2 Big Ten titles in 4 seasons.

PG - Damon Bailey SG - Victor Oladipo SF - Calbert Cheaney PF - Alan Henderson C. - Cody Zeller

I'm just not sure making the dance saves him. I think he has to do something great to be safe. To me that means win the conference or make a deep run in the tourney. The schedule is set up to give him a great opportunity. If he fails it's his own fault.

I think there are some that look at our schedule and see a bunch of Ws on it. Realistically this is probably the easiest conference schedule IU has had, maybe ever. Only play the 3 best teams a total of 3 times, 2 in Bloomington. if he gets the team playing mediocre defense, they make the dance is probably what they are thinking. My money is on a February nosedive per Creans coaching consistencies. We may miss the NCAA tournament and that would put everyone out of their misery. If we make the dance and get knocked out early I can see a change being made. I can actually see Crean doing what Buzz Williams did and jump to another power 5 team before the hammer hits.

Haven't got to watch the game, have it on the DVR though. Hutch says they were trying something different on D. What could they possibly do that was different? They have played about every type of defense a tram can play already this season. Was it just increased effort? Did they stay with one defense? Just curious before I watch.

Yes. I support the players, I don't support the coaching staff. If I knew 100% a change was being made I'd buy tickets and make as many games as I could.

Mother bears is where my wife and I go before games to eat. When we don't make it there it bums my wife out because it has become a tradition for us.