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

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

what can I say, Crean is an extremely polarizing guy. I have never seen a guy piss off so many fans, opposing coaches, alumni, players, faculty, aau coaches, high school coaches etcetera without being an all out scumbag, liar, cheater, loser etc. He has done a lot for IU and cares a lot about doing right, but somehow just rubs people the wrong way. There are just some people that you just don't like and it's hard to pinpoint one thing they said or did that was just too much and put it over the top, but you just don't care for them. That is Crean to me and a lot of people.

Whether it's his appearance, his sideline antics, his substitution patterns, his win/loss record, post season record, recruiting, transfers, over sign, halftime adjustments, resume, accountability, etc there will always be something that people are just turned off by.

He isn't the devil, bad person or terrible coach, he just has something about him that is soooo polarizing that fans will always be split about him and him as our coach. People have been arguing for and against him since his arrival and initially it seemed 75/25 in his favor it has slowly shifted to what seems closer to 25/75 against over the years. He has lost a lot of people including myself and I, like many others were staunchly in the wagon in the beginning. Too many things he has said and done that over time just get extremely old and frustrating to hear and watch.

Great post. 100% agree. I was a big supporter at one time. The guy has continually bit the hand that is feeding him and eventually that will catch up with you.

[Bigdaddy76 111]

If you don't mind me asking, how do you know how the preparation was handled prior to Syracuse? I would love info on that if you are able to expand on that.

All ya had to do was watch the game....Completely unprepared for the zone. Are you sure that you watch these games, or do you just like to argue. Not sure, but some of your comments are just unbelievable.

[southernindianahoosier 422]

All ya had to do was watch the game....Completely unprepared for the zone. Are you sure that you watch these games, or do you just like to argue. Not sure, but some of your comments are just unbelievable.

Exactly. Another example of how he didn't prepare is that Crean should have known the extent of Jordan Hulls injury and realized he couldn't dribble with his right hand and needed to sit. We had Remy who played point guard on the sweet 16 team a year before, and yet, we play the one who only has the use of 1 arm.

Also, why was hanner playing in that game? Crean has far to many WTF is he thinking moments.

Edit: I loved hulls and am not saying he shouldn't have played or denied the opportunity to play in that game.

[incrediboy 919]

What I'm reading is we won't be Indiana again until Coach Knight or his second coming returns. How many of those are there? How do you spot them? Because the hard truth is we're not an elite program because we're Indiana, we were an elite program because we had Coach Knight. Unless you want to go back to Branch Mc, you won't find Indiana and elite in the same sentence in other times.

 

How long did it take Coach K. to achieve greatness at Duke? Anyone think Crean isn't trying to fill the gaps that we have? The programs that are successful year after year after year are usually traced to a single coach: Boeheim, K, Wooden, Calhoun (where's UConn this year after winning last year?). Even Kentucky struggled for a few years before finally landing Cal.

 

I guess I'm just wondering out loud (if print is out loud) what you think could be done? Or do you just like to bitch? Someone have a bunch of millions to donate to lure Brad Stevens out of Boston and HOPE he's as good as what we have? Coaching at Butler doesn't always equivocate to coaching in the Big Ten, Thad Matta notwithstanding. Oh, yeah, there will also be those millions to buy out the guy who's here now.

 

Personally I'm enjoying watching what we're doing with this team. Of course I'd trade it in a heartbeat for a return to the 70's and 80's glory, but I'll just enjoy the ride for what we have now. If that's accepting mediocrity while waiting to be a national contender next year, so be it. In the meantime, finishing in the upper realms of the Big Ten won't be so bad.

[Uwe Robb 1,072]

What I'm reading is we won't be Indiana again until Coach Knight or his second coming returns. How many of those are there? How do you spot them? Because the hard truth is we're not an elite program because we're Indiana, we were an elite program because we had Coach Knight. Unless you want to go back to Branch Mc, you won't find Indiana and elite in the same sentence in other times.

 

How long did it take Coach K. to achieve greatness at Duke? Anyone think Crean isn't trying to fill the gaps that we have? The programs that are successful year after year after year are usually traced to a single coach: Boeheim, K, Wooden, Calhoun (where's UConn this year after winning last year?). Even Kentucky struggled for a few years before finally landing Cal.

 

I guess I'm just wondering out loud (if print is out loud) what you think could be done? Or do you just like to *****? Someone have a bunch of millions to donate to lure Brad Stevens out of Boston and HOPE he's as good as what we have? Coaching at Butler doesn't always equivocate to coaching in the Big Ten, Thad Matta notwithstanding. Oh, yeah, there will also be those millions to buy out the guy who's here now.

 

Personally I'm enjoying watching what we're doing with this team. Of course I'd trade it in a heartbeat for a return to the 70's and 80's glory, but I'll just enjoy the ride for what we have now. If that's accepting mediocrity while waiting to be a national contender next year, so be it. In the meantime, finishing in the upper realms of the Big Ten won't be so bad.

Coach K made the NIT his 1st year. He made the tournament by his 4th year and was in the National Championship game by his 6th year. While in the next 8 years making 2 - Finals Fours Winning 2 National Championships and making 2 more NC games.  

 

This is TC's 8th year and I don't see him making that kind of run in the next 4 years so I am not sure I would be comparing the two.

[Bokkes 7]

Would RMK cut down nets after a loss?

[Hutch89 2,939]

Would RMK cut down nets after a loss?

 

Possibly... so that he might be able to strangle someone with it.

[southernindianahoosier 422]

So if the fanbase was represented by a pie chart with 3 sections: They want Crean to coach IU, They want Crean gone, and Don't care. What percentages would the pie chart have?

[mdn82 25,464]

Would RMK cut down nets after a loss?

I don't like that he did that, but what does that have to do with anything? I don't think anything at the university is done with RMK anymore.

[KingPG21 6,515]

You probably know better than I.  I just thought he was banned from that site so maybe there was a name change or something.  The guy really seemed ticked off quite a bit and was always mixing it up with Waffle.  Didn't Waffle and several of the members of HSN come from Scout?

I just remember the whole debate when he got banned. Best part was the people who said they were leaving the site because he was the only one who knew what he was talking about. No better way to endear yourself to everyone than to tell everyone they don't know what they are talking about

[mdn82 25,464]

So if the fanbase was represented by a pie chart with 3 sections: They want Crean to coach IU, They want Crean gone, and Don't care. What percentages would the pie chart have?

I don't think it's as black and white as you paint it.

[KingPG21 6,515]

So if the fanbase was represented by a pie chart with 3 sections: They want Crean to coach IU, They want Crean gone, and Don't care. What percentages would the pie chart have?

Don't care isn't really a fair categorizing of the fans think he should get some more time but wouldn't be opposed if they went in another direction

[mdn82 25,464]

not sure if this is what you meant but GoColts was never on the Hoosier sports nation board. He is a scout guy

Yes he was. He was banned.

[incrediboy 919]

Coach K made the NIT his 1st year. He made the tournament by his 4th year and was in the National Championship game by his 6th year. While in the next 8 years making 2 - Finals Fours Winning 2 National Championships and making 2 more NC games.  

 

This is TC's 8th year and I don't see him making that kind of run in the next 4 years so I am not sure I would be comparing the two.

Perhaps I should have referenced Dean Smith, who needed six years to get NC into the national rankings. But that wasn't the point of the post. The point of the post is that you're either part of the problem or part of the solution. The time for criticism of the overall coaching scenario is the off-season IMO. If you want to criticize specific decisions (I've done that myself) this is where to air those and see if others share your opinions. But the ridiculous roller-coaster of Crean the Redeemer and Crean the Witch that seems to pop up on this board in direct reaction to games we win and games we lose has no value as the season goes along -- again that's just my opinion.

 

You don't think we're positioned to compete for the national title over the next two or three years? If we don't have a mass exodus to the NBA (and I really don't see that happening), I DO believe we're going places. Coming back from the pits of last year to (barring bad luck) make the tournament this year is a good step. I think Crean truly recognized last year that a team without shooters isn't going anywhere. He's made that adjustment, and we're better for it. Yes, we need him to make more adjustments, but I for one am willing to give him the chance to do that given what he was willing to take on (the shambles that Lord Voldemort built and the fact that Dakich turned those shambles into ashes...I'm not knocking DD, we don't need our team to be an amalgamation of trash-talking, dirty-playing thugs) and the fact that we are more than respectable now. Not to mention a couple of decent years when Cody was here.

 

We need Hanner back, and we can't afford JBJ to sit much longer, either, but what team other than Wisconsin could weather such a back-breaking injury? Good coaching keeps you in the mix when those things happen. Witness John Beilein and Michigan not collapsing (yet) despite the loss of two key players. But also witness the games we've won without Hanner. Yes, we should have had another big man behind him, but it's not like we don't have some tall guys on the bench, they just haven't developed like we'd hoped. I still wonder why April doesn't play when we need a big body, but it's apparent to me he's destined to transfer out at the end of the year. Ditto Priller.

 

Ultimately results will show what happens this season, and if we go into the trashcan, I'll be in the "whatcha doin', Tommy?" line. But I don't think that's going to happen. I think we're going to ride out a successful season with a real shot at making the Sweet 16, if not more. The Maryland game shows that on any given night if the shots are falling we can take out anyone.

 

So I'm going to reserve judgment on the "state of the program" until we add the final chapters of this season and root-root-root for the Hoosiers. Hope I'm not the Lone Ranger here.

[ALASKA HOOSIER 11,170]

I'll be your Tonto!

[TheStillman 991]

The name of this thread "Indiana won't be Indiana until it wants to be Indiana" is exactly the roundabout type of speech that people complain Crean does way too much of.  

 

It is a phrase that sounds like you're saying something interesting when in actuality you're saying nothing.

[OliviaPope40 6,299]

A few thoughts on this thread...

 

1.  Glass will not fire Crean because to do so would highlight his biggest blunder as IU AD (Crean's extention).

2.  Glass has had a rocky road not only because of IU bball, but also because of other circumstances in athletic program such as women's bball.

3.   IU administration no longer acts like IU is an elite program & I'm not confident that if they fired Crean they would make a good hire.  (Think the Cubs...elite in terms of revenue, fan base, etc., but winning isn't as important as the money.)

4.  To think that all the former players think of Crean as a good coach isn't accurate.  They will respect Crean because they're classy and won't throw him under the bus, but that's simply not true.

5.   Crean is incredibly difficult to work with- he has incredibly high expectations while being incredibly disorganized and he doesn't communicate clearly within the program.

6.   Crean is absolutely and positively responsible for EVERYTHING that goes on in the program.  He recruits the players.  Picks the coaches.  Picks the system.  Chooses how much they practice/when the practice, etc.  AND, he gets paid almost 3.5 million a year to do it.  To play the "he can't make the shots, play defense" argument is REDICULOUS...because he can control everything else EXCEPT that.  The buck stops with him.  He pays the price for not winning even if he's doing his best.

This is an award winning post.

[OliviaPope40 6,299]

This has been a great dialogue. Surprised GoColts hasn't showed up for this one

Whatever happened to him?

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

What I'm reading is we won't be Indiana again until Coach Knight or his second coming returns. How many of those are there? How do you spot them? Because the hard truth is we're not an elite program because we're Indiana, we were an elite program because we had Coach Knight. Unless you want to go back to Branch Mc, you won't find Indiana and elite in the same sentence in other times.

 

How long did it take Coach K. to achieve greatness at Duke? Anyone think Crean isn't trying to fill the gaps that we have? The programs that are successful year after year after year are usually traced to a single coach: Boeheim, K, Wooden, Calhoun (where's UConn this year after winning last year?). Even Kentucky struggled for a few years before finally landing Cal.

 

I guess I'm just wondering out loud (if print is out loud) what you think could be done? Or do you just like to *****? Someone have a bunch of millions to donate to lure Brad Stevens out of Boston and HOPE he's as good as what we have? Coaching at Butler doesn't always equivocate to coaching in the Big Ten, Thad Matta notwithstanding. Oh, yeah, there will also be those millions to buy out the guy who's here now.

 

Personally I'm enjoying watching what we're doing with this team. Of course I'd trade it in a heartbeat for a return to the 70's and 80's glory, but I'll just enjoy the ride for what we have now. If that's accepting mediocrity while waiting to be a national contender next year, so be it. In the meantime, finishing in the upper realms of the Big Ten won't be so bad.

Gotta have a positive attitude. It can happen. I keep going back to Bama Football since I have ties there. Similar situation they had Bear we had Knight. Both struggled after these icons left. Bama won a title under Stallings we made a final game under Davis. But both were up and down. Finally, Mal Moore sets out to find a proven coach with championship success and lands Saban. The rest is history. He just signed his 4th straight #1 class. They aint going anywhere. We could do this here. I argue easier with basketball vs football because of roster size. Set a goal and go achieve it. I dont think we do that now.

[Alford Bailey 12,259]

The name of this thread "Indiana won't be Indiana until it wants to be Indiana" is exactly the roundabout type of speech that people complain Crean does way too much of.  

 

It is a phrase that sounds like you're saying something interesting when in actuality you're saying nothing.

Indiana should be Indiana with purpose???