Old Friend

Agree with this. I have been saying (and been criticized for it) since Crean's second year at Indiana (and during Davis' tenure) that not prioritizing Indiana and the immediate area as a recruiting base is a huge mistake. Granted, Butler spends some time out east too; but they are in....The Big East. People out there see and know Butler. They also target Indiana kids who play like they know what they're doing. Crean seems to recruit kids with ball skills, and little else. Who do we have that really understands angles? Who really understands how to make a post entry pass? Who consistently gets the ball to people where they can score? Who really understands help defense? Purdue has a chance to be one of the best teams in the country. They have 8 kids from Indiana and 2 more from Ohio. They prioritize the area. We pick up a few here and there, but we also shotgun the county. I can see that at a high profile program like Indiana, but Crean doesn't build teams. He just stocks a roster. Right now, we are fundamentally very deficient and without leadership. Which means we have a ceiling unless we shoot it great. I want kids who understand where they are, what they're doing, and how to play. I like watching that kind of basketball, and I think it wins. When you have 19 turnovers at home against Wisconsin, and your coach isn't pounding the table saying that's not okay, we have a problem. Indiana has one way of doing things. Sometimes it works. Sometimes....it doesn't. Against Nebraska. At home. When you've been a top 5 team.

Not to good teams at home they don't.

I think the odds are better than that if we don't do something in the next year or two. Honestly, if we don't pick up the recruiting significantly, Crean's in real trouble. Nobody's excited about our recruits and nobody really knows any of them. Losing Wilkes was predictable, but big. He needs Langford and Phinesee to commit, just to get some buzz going. If that doesn't happen and we don't make a good run by 2019 or so? He has every reason to have a very hot seat.

I don't think we disagree. I think we're saying the same thing a different way. That said, the players have talent. But I don't think they're a smart group. They're certainly not a fundamentally sound group. We had 19 turnovers. At home. Against Nebraska. Lazy. Stupid. Careless. And what has Crean done in 9 years to cure the same problem that's existed since he got here? Nothing. There's no accountability and there's clearly no teaching that turnovers are not okay, and bad shots are not okay. It's play as fast as you can and chuck it when you're open. When teams allow that and you make shots? You look great. But....Butler and Wisconsin take it away every year and they beat us every year. Nebraska did a good job taking it away tonight, and we forced things, missed shots, and had turnovers for touchdowns, losing to a very mediocre 6-6 basketball team we shouldn't lose to in 100 tries. When 40% of your shots against a bad team are 3 pointers, something's wrong.

Listen, as long as turnovers, bad shots, and a complete lack of fundamentals (see : blocking out, angles, footwork, post entry) are tolerated - and they are; this is what we'll get. This is why Crean has a ceiling. This is why he has made it past the Sweet 16 just once in 19 seasons. This is why Wisconsin and Michigan State consistently go to Final Fours, and why Indiana flames out. When we make shots, we can beat anyone. When we play with energy and heart, we can beat anyone. Problem is, even when we do that, turnovers are still tolerated and in fact accepted. Quick, bad shots (which we take at an embarrassingly high rate) are tolerated and might even be encouraged. Winning games is great. I loved winning the Big Ten last season. But this kind of loss? This kind of team? This is why Indiana will never be what it can be under Crean. He does not generally recruit polished basketball players. He recruits kids who know the sport but not the game. Sometimes....many times? It's enough. We space the floor well most of the time, and we can hit shots. But when that doesn't work....when that gets taken away as it did tonight and against Butler, we have way too many turnovers for touchdowns, and we take way too many bad shots. Our post players' footwork is atrocious by the way.

Exactly. Sometimes it's the "why."

When turnovers are okay, when horrible shot selection is okay, when decision making is questionable from upper classmen (i.e. when your #5 option, Newkirk, becomes the PRIMARY scoring option when the game's on the line)....you have no chance to do anything in March. Sometimes, shots fall and teams get lured into thinking they're pretty good. Tom Crean gets abused by Butler time and time and time and time again. Why? Butler executes. Butler is efficient. Butler doesn't settle for quick, bad shots consistently. Kelan Martin is from Louisville. Less than 2 hours from Bloomington. Did we even look at this kid? Or did we get lured by Devante Green who happens to have a famous relative? (I may have answered my own question) Tom Crean drives me nuts. He apparently doesn't care one bit about quality possessions or making a defense work. Indiana had 13 turnovers today and probably 10 more quick, bad shots. They had 11 assists. Butler had 6 turnovers and a handful of quick, bad shots. They had 14 assists. Indiana won the rebounding battle by 16. Indiana shot one more FT. Indiana made one more FT. Butler wins. IU out-rebounds Butler by 16, and gets just one more net shot attempt. That's hard to do. Unless you turn it over a lot. Hhmm... Someone explain to me how and why Newkirk gets 11 shots and Johnson gets 5. Morgan and Anunoby get 10 between them. Newkirk is our point guard. He had 11 shot attempts and 1 assist. Are you kidding me? What coach lets THAT happen, when you have scorers like Blackmon on the floor? Granted, JBJ seems too cool for school much of the time; but Josh Newkirk cannot be the offensive catalyst with the game on the line. Guy shoots about 37% from the floor, but he's the guy taking critical shots? Good Lord, Tom.

Our shot selection is about as bad as any team I've seen. It's fine when you're making 3's. When you're not and you force everything else, it looks like this.

Nobody can finish with shot selection that poor. Michael Jordan didn't finish over 3 people bigger than he was.

We look VERY poorly coached. You're telling me we're paying a guy several million dollars to design an offense that's either chuck up the first open 3 we get or drive into traffic and throw it toward the rim? That is if we don't turn it over. And a defense that can't seem to play without fouling or get a stop when it needs to? Help side is late, Bryant flat let a guy shoot a jumper with no challenge at all, and he was right there. That's a VERY pathetic first half. Awful all the way around. Crean needs to get it buttoned up. THIS, ladies and gentlemen is why his ceiling is generally the Sweet 16. That kind of basketball is impossible for me to watch. Just pathetic.

Didn't know that.... but it didn't work.

Worst decision Wilson made this season was making that punter the holder. Was I the only one who noticed Oaks was just fine with Paige as his holder and awful with Gedeon? Someone convince me that's coincidence. Gedeon's way too slow, his drop's too low (which doesn't allow as much torque), and he's just not very good. A necessary add, here. Nice!

Doyel is the most talented writer the Star has ever had. Sometimes, the truth sucks. Doesn't make it his fault. He's a little over the top and not always on a political side I agree with, but a sack of turds? No.

I heard this as well. Or he is taking a job elsewhere

If that doesn't light the recruiting wick, I'm not sure what will.

He is exceptional. We want this kid. Doesn't matter one bit if he fits one profile or another. He's terrific.

I'm tired of seeing the back of his jersey, anyway. Fant is like Eugene Daniel used to be for the Colts. Lots of decent plays, but lots of penalties and he gets burned a ton. Nice that we have a redshirt junior/senior class that has never lost to Purdue.

Games like this - where we are completely unprepared, show no effort or passion, and don't execute anything at all are the reason Tom Crean will never fully win over the Indiana fan base. I saw no pride, I saw no real fight, and I saw a team that allowed the opponent to do whatever they wanted AND out hustle Indiana. Who couldn't smell the rat in the room?? Especially after the first 2 minutes? Not that hard. We got exactly what we deserved. I hate saying it, but our kids looked to me like they didn't care. That's not acceptable to me because the name on the front of that jersey means something to me; and it really doesn't seem to sometimes to our players. It has to mean something to our coach first, and maybe it does; but Indiana does not go on the road in an in-state game and put forth an effort like that. Defense is all about attitude and "want to." We did not want to. Plain and simple. And unacceptable.

102-67 IU

79-48 Good guys

How in the world can you call a kid "disappointing" after two games? He was in JUCO for a reason. What do you expect from him? He didn't come here touted as an immediate impact diffference maker. he came here touted as an athlete who needed polish. And..... That's what he is. He's played exactly two D1 games in his life, and the last couple of seasons, he's played against competition that would lose to UM Lowell by 40. He hasn't even had the benefit of playing good AAU ball in the summer recently. He had 5 rebounds and 3 steals in 14 minutes. He can't shoot, but Crean's offense asks him to take shots he won't make yet. He plays too fast....that'll change. Patience, Grasshopper.

Here you go. Tell 'em how you feel. http://btn.com/about/contact-us/

You could be right, and I hope you are. I'm not as sold as you are on Newkirk, McSwain, and Davis. I do LOVE Curtis Jones, though. Kids improve though; and they will. Depth won that game for us the other night. We need to keep it through the roster,

Expected or not, Crean needs to start closing the deal on kids like this. I personally don't think Wilkes in particular will be a huge loss; but if we don't get Langford or Phinissee either; we've got a problem. Indiana University is the state school of Indiana (he states the obvious). We have by far the greatest tradition, facilities, and offering here in the state; and there's no reason for kids to choose places OVER Indiana unless it's something way beyond Crean's control. Any time you get out-recruited by Steve Alford, who has never made it past the sweet 16, never won a conference title in a major conference, and is coming off a losing record; there's an issue. I know UCLA's campus is gorgeous. I get it. But something's missing here. I honestly don't think Crean can keep getting lucky with kids like Oladipo or Anunoby. Bryant's gone after this season, as is Blackmon, as is Anunoby. That's an awful lot to replace; and our recruiting class next season isn't exactly full of star power. Wilkes aside, we need to do some work locally and start closing the deal. As much as I love what I see on the court now; I can easily see another huge drop to 8th or 9th next season and beyond if we don't load the cupbord and rapidly. Crean won't survive another drop like that.

This is pretty much how I feel. Curtis Jones.....no fear and wants the ball. He's going to be really good. I felt the same way about AJ Guyton after his first game against UConn in Indy many years ago. We are a very good rebounding team. Lots to clean up. 18 TO's and 15 assists isn't good. Our defense on the ball was beyond awful. Thought we fell in love with the 3 point shot early Can't give the other team 38 FT's. Ever. But, we're deep, we're active, and we're very talented. And we just beat perhaps the best team in the country, and definitely one of the best defensive back courts around. We're good. Gonna' be a fun year.