Indiana won't be Indiana until it wants to be Indiana

[Magnanimous 4,628]

This program has no internal identity. The fans know (or used to know...) what the level of expectations are for Indiana basketball, but the people making the decisions for the program have pitifully low standards. Say what you want about them, but Kentucky would never let their program waddle in mediocrity like this without making a change. UNC canned Doherty after the writing was on the wall that he was in over his head. USC fired Kiffin mid-season when they realized he wasn't the man for the job. Auburn fired Gene Chizik the year after he won a NC because they realized he wasn't a good coach. Michigan bought out a Hoke and a half to get the man they wanted. Hell, even Texas pushed Mack Brown out of a job when their program plateaud.

 

If Indiana wants to be Indiana again, it needs to take matters into its own hands instead of letting the right circumstances come to being. The wrong coaches must go and the right ones need to be brought in. That's how teams maintain relevancy, let alone success. Doing what it takes to make sure the program is in good hands at all times. Kansas has had a total of 8 coaches in their program's entire history. Wonder why their program has never dropped off? This team could make the tournament and even make a decent run this year depending on the right matchups. But the foundation to maintain any level of success throughout the coming years is woefully missing. If that isn't clear to people by now, I think we have our answer for why this program is going in circles when everyone else is taking measures to run in a straight line.

[bleedhoosier 3,627]

The perfect example of this is fans here thinking we are somehow exceeding expectations because we are better than 9th on the preseason predictions. That gets brought up all the time in these threads. IU is and will be nothing better than a middle of the pack team most years with Crean. That's just how I feel about him. No one needs to debate me out of it. I was fully supportive through last year of Crean and then as this season wears on, he is just losing me more and more.

Yea winning changes everything, so go win Crean.

[FKfootball 1,046]

Fred Glass will ride Crean right out of Bloomington. Hes hitched to that wagon.

[Magnanimous 4,628]

The perfect example of this is fans here thinking we are somehow exceeding expectations because we are better than 9th on the preseason predictions. That gets brought up all the time in these threads. IU is and will be nothing better than a middle of the pack team most years with Crean. That's just how I feel about him. No one needs to debate me out of it. I was fully supportive through last year of Crean and then as this season wears on, he is just losing me more and more.

Yea winning changes everything, so go win Crean.

 

Same. I was actually looking forward to the team we were building going forward post-Zeller, and we may even have had a competitive team this year if either Fischer or Vonleh returned. But they didn't, they're not being replaced, and the coaching deficinies are clearly showing without the talent there to cover them up.

[bleedhoosier 3,627]

Same. I was actually looking forward to the team we were building going forward post-Zeller, and we may even have had a competitive team this year if either Fischer or Vonleh returned. But they didn't, they're not being replaced, and the coaching deficinies are clearly showing without the talent there to cover them up.

I agree with this and this has been a few posters fears for a few years now. Crean will need Uber talent across the board to make a run, otherwise, things are going to get real shaky for the season

[Alford Bailey 12,415]

I can't think that Glass is this stupid. He took a calculated risk and signed Crean to the long term contract to get some consistency built into the program and HOPE Crean wouldn't screw it up. I see what he was trying to do but it is biting him in the rear now.

[jonz44 810]

The perfect example of this is fans here thinking we are somehow exceeding expectations because we are better than 9th on the preseason predictions. That gets brought up all the time in these threads. IU is and will be nothing better than a middle of the pack team most years with Crean. That's just how I feel about him. No one needs to debate me out of it. I was fully supportive through last year of Crean and then as this season wears on, he is just losing me more and more.

Yea winning changes everything, so go win Crean.

Everyone predicted we would suck and instead we're mediocre...that's now the "Indiana Way"

[jonz44 810]

Fred Glass will ride Crean right out of Bloomington. Hes hitched to that wagon.

Well then, giddy up your ass on out of town Freddy!

[HoosierAloha 30,077]

Again, unless you can land a top notch coach how do you make a change.

 

Can IU walk up to BS or BD and lure them to Bloomington?  If you can't you do more harm than good. 

[southsidehoosier 5,059]

Again, unless you can land a top notch coach how do you make a change.

Can IU walk up to BS or BD and lure them to Bloomington? If you can't you do more harm than good.

My top 2 choices

[HoosierAloha 30,077]

My top 2 choices

 

Top 2 choices and having a realistic chance to land them are quite different though.

[shortspacequickness 1,034]

I don't know who would want to replace Crean if the pressure is on that you must win a national title within 2-3 years. Tony Bennett knew better.

[Magnanimous 4,628]

I don't know who would want to replace Crean if the pressure is on that you must win a national title within 2-3 years. Tony Bennett knew better.

 

The pressure is to compete for national titles within a handful of years, not win them. Winning is obviosly the ultimate expectation, but we're not even fielding teams that can realistically compete. It's tough to win it all and the tournament is a crapshoot at times. But it's usually the same 8-10 teams in most years ultimately having the chance to cut down the nets. That stems from fielding contending teams on a consistent basis and having the stars align every now and then to become champions.

[BlueDevil 8,777]

I don't know who would want to replace Crean if the pressure is on that you must win a national title within 2-3 years. Tony Bennett knew better.

I don't know that it's a must to win in 2-3 years but I don't think it's unrealistic to demand a team that's in position to win one year in and year out. I really don't like to discuss the next possible heir midseason so I'm gonna end it at that

[southernindianahoosier 422]

I don't know who would want to replace Crean if the pressure is on that you must win a national title within 2-3 years. Tony Bennett knew better.

That's not why Tony Bennett turned down the job.

[WayneFleekHoosier 48,665]

The pressure is to compete for national titles within a handful of years, not win them. Winning is obviosly the ultimate expectation, but we're not even fielding teams that can realistically compete. It's tough to win it all and the tournament is a crapshoot at times. But it's usually the same 8-10 teams in most years ultimately having the chance to cut down the nets. That stems from fielding contending teams on a consistent basis and having the stars align every now and then to become champions.

omg, someone else gets it too. Hallelujah!

[shortspacequickness 1,034]

The pressure is to compete for national titles within a handful of years, not win them. Winning is obviosly the ultimate expectation, but we're not even fielding teams that can realistically compete. It's tough to win it all and the tournament is a crapshoot at times. But it's usually the same 8-10 teams in most years ultimately having the chance to cut down the nets. That stems from fielding contending teams on a consistent basis and having the stars align every now and then to become champions.

I don't disagree at all.

This is Crean's fourth team. Three of those we are in the top 25, two being top 10-15, and one where we were the best team. I can live with that.

[prodigal hoosier 27]

OP is spot on. Until we sack up and go make an offer a top guy can't refuse, we will be rolling the dice with mediocrity hoping a deep run materializes from a bubble team every year. Football is a little different but UM went and got Harbaugh, O$U got Urban, pUKe was fed up several years ago and got Teflon John, UN¢ snagged Roy, UL got slick Rick, etc. Those coaches were considered impossible to get at various points but look what happened. Saying we shouldn't pursue a top guy because we may not get one is garbage too. It reminds me of the opening scene in the movie 'Miracle' where Herb Brooks is mocked for saying he wants to beat the Soviets: "That's a pretty lofty goal Herb...". His response is " Well, that's why I want to pursue it". Seems apropos for where we are now.

[Alford Bailey 12,415]

I don't know that it's a must to win in 2-3 years but I don't think it's unrealistic to demand a team that's in position to win one year in and year out. I really don't like to discuss the next possible heir midseason so I'm gonna end it at that

How about the difference in expectations between the BlueDevils and the Hoosiers?

[BlueDevil 8,777]

How about the difference in expectations between the BlueDevils and the Hoosiers?

If you want an honest opinion I go into every season looking at Duke and thinking damn we can win it all this year, this is a final four team. I said the same about the Hoosiers in 2012-2013 and that's it. I didn't really start to follow IU basketball until last season not that it matters so it was an outside opinion.