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VeevlandBrowns

Tom Crean and Indiana Basketball

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I was looking at the scholarship breakdown and saw that IU received a commitment from a 2017 guard out of Georgia, which has proved (in a general) sense to be the rule and not the exception for Crean's IU program, in that the player in question is not a Hoosier state native. The impression has been that Crean has gone about as far away from the Bob Knight blueprint as one can get in terms of roster construction...Knight built his program almost entirely on kids from Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. He occasionally recruited Michigan (I know they were hot after Peplowski and Lindeman, both coming very late in his tenure) but I don't recall his actually signing anyone from that state. Regardless, he had an approach that resonated with that fanbase in a major way and when he won with it, the impression was solidified that this was the "right" way to build a program at that school.

Looking at this year, Crean has only 3 scholarship players from the state of Indiana on his team (Blackmon, Hartman and Gelon). Now, one could wonder if the failing has been in those states rather than with Crean...maybe they're not producing as much in the way of talent as they used to. I don't think that's the case. Take a look at the last few years, using RSCI as a basis for evaluting Top 100 players.

2017 - 5 in Indiana and 6 more from Illinois and Ohio. 
2016 - Yes, kind of a down year in Indiana with only 2 Top 100 players add in 7 more from Illinois and Ohio. 
2015 - Yes, kind of a down year in Indiana with only 2 Top 100 players but add in 9 more from Illinois and Ohio.
2014 - 4 in Indiana and 8 more from Illinois and Ohio
2013 - 4 in Indiana and 5 more from Illinois and Ohio

Now, to be fair, Crean hasn't ignored the state. His 2012 class was heavy on instate kids...they just didn't stick around very long outside of Ferrell (it's also noteworthy that the two highest rated instate players that year opted to go to MSU and Michigan, respectively). I just saw that note on his 2017 commitment and it got me to think about the subject. I don't think it's an issue at most schools. Most of the elite programs historically actually aren't dependent upon local kids to a great extent...Duke, UNC, Kenucky and Kansas all have normally had far more kids on their rosters from outside their home states than within it. UCLA has had a bit more of a home state orientation, so they're an exception. Indiana is different, though. It's different because of the space the sport occupies in the state's DNA and specifically the place that IU basketball occupies.

Crean's got to do whatever he needs to keep the program competitive but it does make me wonder...can you really satisfy the fanbase without a roster heavily tilted toward regional states? For Izzo's program, it's been almost entirely about the Upper Midwest but especially Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Look at the rosters for the 7 Final Four teams:

2015 - 6 guys from those three states (they had multiple players from Illinois as well, but I'm not counting them for the sake of this discussion...if you expand it, it's even larger still).
2010 - 9
2009 - 10
2005 - 8
2001 - 10
2000 - 9
1999 - 10

Now, again, those teams also had guys from Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota on the rosters...count them and the numbers are larger still. I think it has been a part of the program's identity. Would it feel the same for fans if MSU were more like a UConn or Arizona or the others I mentioned above? I don't know that it would if I'm an MSU fan. 

Edited by VeevlandBrowns

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Great well thought out post. We need more of this lately. I've said all along that whoever the coach is, IU fans will turn on them if they are not recruiting Indiana first. You HAVE to at Indiana to be liked.

Primarily because we all see Butler, who has a bunch of Indiana kids play ridiculously smart basketball. It's what high school basketball in the state is made from, its wet jumpers and smart IQ players. I personally would LOVE to see all our role players come from Indiana and sprinkle in 4 and 5 star guys from around the country. Let the 3-4 year role players set the tone of the team and work ethic. Would be a great team that IU fans could get behind.


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"Most of the elite programs historically actually aren't dependent upon local kids to a great extent...Duke, UNC, Kenucky and Kansas all have normally had far more kids on their rosters from outside their home states than within it."

Those programs aren't located in the heart of a recruiting hotbed like IU is.

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"Most of the elite programs historically actually aren't dependent upon local kids to a great extent...Duke, UNC, Kenucky and Kansas all have normally had far more kids on their rosters from outside their home states than within it."
Those programs aren't located in the heart of a recruiting hotbed like IU is.

Also the kids these teams are recruiting are the cream of the crop.Were for the most part taking the next tier and missing or ignoring instate talent who end up at Butler or the other Big Ten schools.Crean's burned bridges in Indiana that it will take someone else to rebuild.

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I don't mind recruiting nationally but you have to admit something is wrong with our in-state recruiting as we continuously lose our top players. I know we can't win them all but we can do better in Indiana than we have the last few years! Lock down the borders and get more Indiana kids to BTown and you will see better bball imo.



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I don't mind recruiting nationally but you have to admit something is wrong with our in-state recruiting as we continuously lose our top players. I know we can't win them all but we can do better in Indiana than we have the last few years! Lock down the borders and get more Indiana kids to BTown and you will see better bball imo.



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Yep fred said it in the presser. The state of Indiana has the 4th most players in the NBA.

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