HoosierFanAddict

A Great Question

Yesterday on an ESPN chat somebody asked this question to Pat Forde which got me thinking.

Steve (Chicago): Wouldn't IU be wise to give themselves a self-imposed tournament ban in 2008-09 when it looks like they have no hope of making the NCAA's anyway? Might as well get it over with now instead of dragging it out, hurting future recruiting, etc. This worked well for Ohio State a couple of years ago.

Pat Forde: Steve: A postseason ban for '09 would seem like the perfect non-penalty penalty. Looks like you're doing something, but in reality you're probably just taking the Hoosiers out of one game of the Big Ten tournament. I love Tom Crean and think he'll do great things at IU, but if he wins 10 games next season I'll be impressed.

Sounds good but there are a couple problems with that.  One, I don't think that Indiana really would want to admit that what they did requires that harsh a penalty.  It's one thing to take away a scholarship and impose some recruiting restrictions but its another to impose a postseason ban.  Also, at this point I think it would be unfair to the players like Nick Williams and Verdell Jones who just committed to the program.  If IU wanted to do that before they put together this class thats fine but these kids probably wouldn't have come to IU if there was a postseason ban for next year.  Granted, there is a very slim chance that the Hoosiers make the tourney next year, but the players don't see it that way.  The Hoosiers have punished themselves enough with they way things turned out last year, it was ultimately a ban from the postseason.

Not So Fast...

The Hoosier Scoop is reporting that Rivers has not committed to IU, he is still in the early stages of his recruitment and he is going to take some more visits first. Regardless, if he does commit all the same stays true, and I believe he would be a good fit for an inexperienced IU team.

Rivers TO IU...Sutton Next?

The Washington Times is reporting that Jeremiah Rivers, former Georgetown guard and son of Doc Rivers, is transferring to Indiana University. Rivers a 6-4 guard is known as one of the best defenders in the country. Rivers just a sophomore would  have to sit out a year and be eligible to play for IU during the 09 and 10 seasons. Rivers averaged just over 2 points and 2 rebounds a game in 18 minutes last year. While those numbers do not wow anyone, a look deeper will reveal the reason for Rivers' lack of production.

For starters as mentioned previously, Rivers is a defensive stopper, something every great team needs. In Georgetown's slow down, back screening, Princeton-esq offense. Rivers game is best suited in the open floor pushing the ball up the court. His lack of playing time was due to the fact that he was always playing too fast for that offense. Playing too fast will not be a problem for Rivers in Crean's run and gun offense, where if you're not playing fast you're just not playing at all. This is a big signing because when the 09 season rolls around IU will likely have nine players on the roster with one or zero years experience. Rivers will provide experience and leadership to a young team with loads of potential. Additionally next season he will play a crucial roll on the practice team getting in the younger players' face and making them better players.

Rivers' signing would leave IU with 2 scholarships open for the 09 season. However, that number is likely to drop to 1, as Maurice Sutton is probably going to sign with Indiana. He is the 08, 6'10 big who has been profiled in the past here. Sutton is playing with the Indiana Elite LNO AAU team at the AMC, that is being held in Bloomington this weekend. Last night Sutton scored 15 points 5 boards and 3 blocks in three quarters of action. What is most impressive is that he did it against the Wear twins, who are ranked 32 and 33 in the country by Rivals.com. Both players are headed to UNC. Sutton made some comments that indicate that he is likely to sign with IU after his unofficial visit on friday, this is what he had to say..."Maurice Creek, he is a good friend of mind," said Sutton.  "Then I played with Verdell at the Kentucky Elite Camp.  He is a good point guard.  And Creek, he can score.  They (Indiana) are grabbing up all the guys.  It will be a young team and looking hopefully to be a part of it."

Overall the 09 class should be loaded with talent and the team should be complete with depth and lots of potential. With the likelihood of only one scholarship remaining for that class, look for the last signing to come rather quickly. IU is high on the list of several top prospects, (Jordan Prosser, Steven Van Treese, Jordan Hulls, Demetrius Walker, Christian Watford and a few others). Only one of those players will be able to take that last scholarship and with the pressure that one might decide before the other look for the last commitment soon. My guess is that it will be Demetrius Walker as he has declared IU his lone favorite.

The Holman Situation

As I'm sure all of you know Eli Holman is transferring to Detroit to play for Ray McCallum (former assistant coach).  Holman was recruited by McCallum to play for Indiana and the two had formed a strong bond.  Crean said that Eli's transfer to Detroit was "orchestrated".  Good stuff by Coach calling them out on some shady stuff. 

My issue really is with the players that commit to a school that they have no loyalty to.  This is the second time time this decade that Indiana brought in a new coach and each time had to deal with transfers.  Granted I have never been in a recruit's position but you have to believe there is more to picking a school than just the coach.  I understand that a coach is a major aspect, but it seems like the second a coach leaves a program everybody wants out.  This is before anyone ever knows who the next coach is going to be.  They don't care to get to know him or his coaching style. 

In certain circumstances I would understand if you committed to play for Pitino, Coach K or Roy Williams and for some reason they were replaced by somebody.  Then you have a real choice to make, but replacing Mike Davis with Kelvin Sampson was an upgrade and replacing Sampson with Crean was an upgrade as well.  So why go?  Obviously the players have a strong bond and loyalty to their coach but they still should have respect for the next coach as well as the program.  Not being biased but I don't think that it was in Holman's best interest to go. 

As they say you sign to play for a school and not a coach.

Jordan Hulls Gets IU Offer

Soon to be high school senior Jordan Hulls received an offer from Coach Crean last night at Assembly Hall according to Hoosiernation.com's John Decker. Hulls is a six foot, 170 pound true point guard who hails from Bloomington. Hulls' only offers were from mid major schools until recent AAU performances that caught the attention of not only IU but also Purdue and Duke. Hulls was named to the all tournament team at the Jayhawk classic AAU tournament last week. The one problem IU may have gaining a commitment from Hulls is the fact that he grew up a die hard Duke fan. My guess is if Coach K offers him, Hulls will commit to Duke on the spot. IU does have an advantage based on Crean's ability to develop guards and his guard friendly offense.  Combined with the fact that Hulls plays on the same AAU team as Hoosier commit Bobby Capobianco and Steven Van Treese a possible Hoosier commit.

Hulls would be a big signing for the Hoosier's 09 class because of our need for a true pass first point guard. Both Crawford and new signee Verdell Jones are score first point guards. A true pass first point guard would go a long way to IU's development for the future. Additionally, the fact that Hulls hails from Bloomington would further evidence Crean's desire to recruit the state of Indiana. Hulls is not a four star prospect and is not a three star prospect either, but with decent height and four years to develop as a player he will go a long way to help re-establish IU as a national power.

Jones vs. Bayless

Verdell Jones the Newest Hoosier

HoosierNation is reporting that Verdell Jones has just committed to play for Tom Crean at Indiana.  Verdell is rated as a 3-star recruit and ranked number 127th recruit in the '08 class by rivals.  Jones was reported to be leaning heavily towards Minnesota.  This is an impressive pull by Crean being able to get one of the top remaining recruits after getting into the picture late in the game.   The one knock on Jones is that he has an extremely thin frame standing 6-4 and about 165lbs.  I'm sure when he gets to Indiana he will be hitting the weight room pretty hard.  Generally a guy like this may sit on the bench the first year to put on some weight, but next year he will probably see major minutes for the Hoosiers.

I really like how things are shaping up for the Hoosiers.  Next year will still be miserable, but it will provide a lot of experience for the freshman.  I can really see the '09 class turning into a blockbuster by adding a guy like Van Treese and Jamil Wilson would be incredible.  As the '09 class comes in they will also be able to get some valuable playing time.  Making '10 a very good year for the Hoosiers.  With all the things that have gone wrong lately at least the future looks bright.

'09 Guard Creek Commits to IU

This weekend the Hoosiers got their third commitment for the '09 Class, from Maurice Creek.  Creek has good size for the guard spot at 6-5 and is known for having a great shot.  Peegs has him ranked at #63 in the class and a 4 star recruit.  Creek was recruited hard by Crean while he was at Marquette where they really got to know each other.  He was also being recruiting by Maryland, Miami, Pitt and Texas.  Creek was so interested in playing for Creen he didn't even visit Indiana before commiting to play for the Hoosiers. 

After a pretty bad week for the Hoosiers, the '09 class which has a lot of scholarships available is shaping up pretty well.  At this point they have three commits, two 4 stars and one 3 star.  Capobianco is the three star but will likely be upgraded to a four star recruit when the rankings are redone.  If you add a couple more recruits hopefully a five star or two and the Hoosiers will likely have a top ten class. This commitment says a lot about Crean's ability to recruit. The last two players Crean has signed to come to IU have been Creek and Williams, both committed without ever visiting the campus.

What The Roster Purge Means

Three returning scholarship players, (Mcgee, Crawford, Taber) Four neophytes to the Big Ten (Pritchard, Roth, Williams, Dumes) and Three walk-ons. That is the make up of the Indiana University Men's college basketball team for the 2008-2009 basketball team. Tom Crean made a statement yesterday when he officially released four players, leaving the team without much experience and without a full roster. The move gives Crean instant credibility among die hard hoosiers fans, old and young alumni, particularly older alumni who crave Bobby Knight's return, former players who believe the program has run amok, and probably the General himself.

Our program is going to be run with class. The inmates will no longer to run the asylum. These players are going to be student athletes and attend class. At Marquette, Crean had his coaches check each day to make sure his players attended every class. The dreaded APR that might IU to lose another scholarship next year will be an after thought. The players will no longer play for themselves but for the name on the front of the jersey. Recruits will still come to IU in large part because of Crean, but they will respect and cherish IU's storied tradition the way players of recent memory did not.

"There was a culture of entitlement in this program," Crean said Friday. "And that had to stop." Coaches have said things like this before, and the last two coaches didn't live up to their promises. Crean's actions mean he's serious about bringing IU back to the top, making it a power and doing it the right way, even if it means suffering through a terrible season. Suffering through a miserable season seems to be a right of passage for the elite programs. Before Ben Howland and Roy Williams took over at UCLA and UNC, both programs suffered through single digit win seasons. But look at them now. The right coach took over and changed the attitude of the program and each are considered the cream of the crop in college basketball. IU will likely suffer the same fate this upcoming season, but in two or three years from now this trying time will be but a distant memory.

So I ask you to do what Coach Crean has been asking us all since the day he arrived...have patience. Give him some time. IU should be back on top soon enough with the likely addition of top ten recruiting classes. Crean is going to be able to provide the high school players something no other program can, playing time.

Either way, he is going to build the program the right way.

Is this a Joke?

After what happened yesterday with Eli I was planning to write a little rant about how absurd everything has been for the Hoosiers over the past year. Well, as it has been reported the Deandre Thomas is leaving the program as well. So things could get worse. I was under the impression even before yesterday that we were pretty much at rock bottom.  I was wrong. After Eli decided to transfer I figured. "oh this must be rock bottom." Sorry that was incorrect. I think this is rock bottom. The icing on the cake would be Kyle Taber coming out and says that he doesn't think Indiana is right for him either. To be honest thats how inexplicable all of this is. Lets recap.

After Sampson left it was one thing after the next:

1. Players Don't want to play for Dakich

    a. 6 players boycott practice

2. Eric Gordon forgets how to shoot a basketball

3. Indiana loses in the first round to Arkansas

    a. Indiana losses to Minnesota on a Christian Laetner type shot

4. Ebanks and Holloway say goodbye to Indiana

5. Bassett and Ellis are both given the boot

But then we signed Tom Crean. I thought at this point everything was going to be ok. There was an outside chance Bassett and Ellis would be back, but they aren't, and now we lost Eli and Deandre. We have finally reached the point where there will be no more surprises. One, because I don't think anything surrounding the program really surprises Hoosier fans anymore and second because I honestly don't know what else could go wrong.

Next year is going to be brutal, but its a new beginning a new team, a new coach and a new direction. I have faith that Crean will get this program turned around. The positive spin I'm going to put on this situation is that it gives us even more scholarships for the next few years. Once the cloud of NCAA sanctions is gone and Crean can leave campus to recruit, Indiana will have a lot to offer potential recruits. We will be able to bring in some of the top talent to play for a great coach at a top basketball school that offers a ton of playing time. This is it, it can only go up from here. Or can it?