I heart Tom Crean

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Shine
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I heart Tom Crean

Post by Shine »

It is simply amazing how much he's done in such a short time frame for a program in dire need of a jolt. After so many years of Mike Davis and Kelvin Sampson totally ignoring the student part of student-athlete IU find itself up against it on the new APR numbers. Crean has already come in and stressed academics. He was quoted recently as saying that IU players will no longer major in eligibility. He has totally embraced the tradition of IU basketball and is reaching out to the former players to get them involved and engaged once again. Sampson made an effort at this, which is more than can be said of Davis, but Crean has already made more in-roads than Kelvin ever did. He has reached out already to the in-state coaches and is rebuilding bridges that were burned for a variety of reasons by Knight, Davis and Sampson.

And of course he has already impacted the roster hit hard by graduation, lost recruits, early entry and foolisness. He nabbed a JUCO guard to replace the lost guard recruit heading to Xavier. He nabbed a very promising 2/3 type player out of Bama to "replace" the forthcoming loss of Devin Ebanks. And he secured a verbal from a bullish 6-8 PF out of Ohio for the 09 class. Crean said it best when he said anyone wanting to take a shot at Indiana better get their licks in now, because they won't be able to in a couple of years.

Here's a fairly good article by ESPN on some of the goings on.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/s ... id=3354380" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Our staff is going to ensure that anyone who attends this University and wears the Indiana uniform will make this privilege among their highest priorities and not treat the opportunity as an entitlement,'' Crean said in a statement. "We fully expect our student-athletes to accept the responsibilities academically, athletically and socially that come with representing one of the top programs in college basketball history."
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Shine
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Re: I heart Tom Crean

Post by Shine »

Let the rebuilding begin in full now that the cleansing of the program is complete.
Indiana Men's Basketball Coach Tom Crean announced today that junior DeAndre Thomas has been dismissed from the program and will not have his scholarship renewed. In addition, sophomore Armon Bassett will not be reinstated for failing to comply with University and Athletic Department guidelines. Junior Jamarcus Ellis also will not be reinstated to the active roster. Both Bassett and Ellis were originally dismissed from the program on March 31. Crean also announced on Thursday that freshman Eli Holman would not return next season.

"Before you build a team, you need to develop a family," said Crean. "We will go through the learning process, feel some growing pains and experience some bumps in the road along the way. We need the Hoosier Nation to rally around this program as we go through these stages."

"Our staff if going to ensure that anyone who attends this University and wears the Indiana uniform will make this privilege among their highest priorities and not treat the opportunity as an entitlement," added Crean. "We fully expect our student-athletes to accept the responsibilities academically, athletically and socially that come with representing one of the top programs in college basketball history."
IU heads into next year with 3 returning scholarship players, 2 of whom will be sophmores and the other a former walk-on himself. I know that the ceiling for next year is a bid to the NIT but I can't help but be excited about the long-term stability I believe my alma mater finally has in place.
"Our staff is going to ensure that anyone who attends this University and wears the Indiana uniform will make this privilege among their highest priorities and not treat the opportunity as an entitlement,'' Crean said in a statement. "We fully expect our student-athletes to accept the responsibilities academically, athletically and socially that come with representing one of the top programs in college basketball history."
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Re: I heart Tom Crean

Post by Arch Angel »

So Shine answer this honestly.

Coach Sampson's hire just to get Eric Gordon, the right call or not? It seems Peeg's and HN are really upset that their program was kicked in the shin for just one player, who didn't bring them the promise land.

I did not like what EJ did at all and most others I have heard now, but DJ White is a favorite of mine. He brings it every night, hurt or not. I just wish he would get the position that EJ will get in the draft, he deserves it more.

Crean is growing on the Illini faithful, they love the hire. He is clean cut and will not undercut other coaches in the Big Ten for a player that verbal. He plays fair and does not slow the ball down which is a blessing when watching paint dry basketball. So hopefully in 3 years Indiana will be back and contend for the upper echelon of the Big Ten. He will bottle up some of Indiana's talent with Painter. It seems Weber is locking down Illinois, but they have so many players, Indiana will nab a few as well.
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Re: I heart Tom Crean

Post by Shine »

Arch Angel wrote:So Shine answer this honestly.

Coach Sampson's hire just to get Eric Gordon, the right call or not?
The honest answer is that the question is complete and total horseshit. The hiring of Sampson had exactly as much to do with Eric Gordon as the moon landing. The only, repeat ONLY, reason that Gordon wasn't a Hoosier from day 1 was because of how incompetent Mike Davis was. As soon as IU got a legit coach, and it could have been ANY legit coach, Gordon was heading to where he always wanted to be. Obviously the hiring of Sampson was a bad call ultimately.
"Our staff is going to ensure that anyone who attends this University and wears the Indiana uniform will make this privilege among their highest priorities and not treat the opportunity as an entitlement,'' Crean said in a statement. "We fully expect our student-athletes to accept the responsibilities academically, athletically and socially that come with representing one of the top programs in college basketball history."
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