It seems that Indiana is College Basketball's lead story...

[Paterfamilias]

if it continues, that will make 3 of the last 4 years that IU will have been a headliner on the the College Hoops tour.

I have not been among the Crean fanboy contingent, but I'm hardly a hater either. It seems that there are a great many things that Crean does very well such as scouting, recruiting, development and preparation, but his in game coaching I've always thought was very questionable or at least unorthodox.

I'm not as hard on him as most with regard to his recruitment/use of big men (though I would like to see more than 1 per class more often), because in my lifetime IU has rarely been the destination of NBA caliber bigs. We've had quite a few bigs that didn't work out, but Benson, Blab and Garrett are the only true centers I can think of that had quality careers here. We've had some really good power forward types, but few of them had much of an impact in the NBA. My opinion on this may be debatable, but hopefully you see my point.

Knight, I always thought, was miscategorized as a defensive guru. IMO it was his motion offense that made IU basketball beautiful to watch during the good years and painful to watch during the bad years. If what we are seeing now is Crean's offensive philosophy come to fruition, it has an Indiana worthy beauty of its own.

I don't know if we can challenge for titles with our size limitations, but I've got to tip my hat to Crean for a great coaching job so far.

 

[ziggyIU]

IU is nowhere near the lead story. Those are in Lexington & Durham.*

Nt.

 

[rexdsh]

Coach Crean is rebuilding a once powerful machine. He started with an abandoned wreck. He has had a couple of very fine teams, but no chemistry. What he has now is a high revving small block with all the parts working well together. I really like what he has put together, and how he is running it. Pedal to the metal Coach!

 

[Tony20]

High Revving Small Block....

might be one of the most applicable descriptions of this team yet. Love that one.

 

[Al Bino]

+1, Well said.

I totally agree with your assessment of CTC in regards to his strengths and weaknesses.

Why do you think it is that IU has never been a destination of bigs on a consistent basis? I have always thought that was weird.

In regards to RMK, I thought one of the BIGGEST misconceptions was that he was rigid, entrenched and unwilling to compromise in any way. Sure he RARELY played zone but when it came to his offense he played to his strengths within the framework of the motion offense. He let Isiah go, admittedly after trying to make him conform but he did do it. He ran with UNLV when the "experts" said he would slow it down. He hated the three point shot but utilized it when he had shooters.

CTC HAS done a great job this year but what I and most IU fans I know of, want is a great job every year. Maybe he has grown as a coach but his coaching resume doesn't not foster great confidence for me.

 

[webbed feet]

Crean might be the best "small ball" coach in the nation

If college basketball was 6'7" and under, IU would be the favorite to win it all. Not sure Crean could coach a traditional lineup to elite status. He loves recruiting and coaching players 6' - 6'7".

 

[GeoFisher]

Indiana is definitely on the mend.....today will be an interesting game....Ohio State will be out for blood......

I want to win.....but more importantly, I want our team to compete.....be the best you can can be...if we win after that great. If we lose but played our hearts out, that is ok too.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[iubhounds]

I hope you tune in Sunday not today *

nt

 

[Hoosier North]

Re: High Revving Small Block....

Yeah, that analogy caught by attention as well. High RPM small block as opposed to a big block Hemi.....nice!

 

[webbed feet]

Correct. Perhaps the B1G lead story, though**

M

 

[Univee2]

I'll see your Benson, Blab and Garrett and raise you Walt Bellamy and

...Steve Downing .....

 

[Big Red Believer]

What position did Hallie Bryant play? Or Schlundt or some of those older

guys. I would throw in Bill Deheer, but............... lol

 

[S.Walker]

Schlundt, Downing, Bellamy, DeHeer for starters. Even Zeller and

Vonleh are natural centers and are learning to play the forward position in the NBA because the game has gone away from using most centers in their natural positions.

 

[papawboog]

Hallie was a gauard for IU......NT

NT

 

[Hickory1954]

Do not forget Archie Dees!!! Big Tens M V P in 57&58.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Hank Reardon]

Originally posted by Paterfamilias:

I don't know if we can challenge for titles with our size limitations, but I've got to tip my hat to Crean for a great coaching job so far.

CTC is doing well this season considering the limitations. What I'd prefer to see moving forward is eliminating the limitations and actually building a roster capable of competing at the highest levels, not simply doing really well for what we have.

I'd like IU to be talked about in the context of being a national contender, not simply a cute overachiever.

 

[VanHoosier]

If IU could win or share the Big Ten crown...

Crean would have to be a lock for BT coach of the year....

 

[ReadHall84]

+1*

nm

 

[Al Bino]

Bingo. Well said.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[outanames]

I don't think it is as bad as some would think. If IU can attract that big(6'10 or so) who can also run the floor, defend, and rebound, we'll be on our way to being a contender. Although we lost Fischer, I don't think he was the guy needed for that spot without improving his physicality a great deal.

Right now, Kentucky is flush with bigs, however it's hard to find another team who could lose their best big without also losing a fair amount of their stature. Wisconsin lost to Rutgers without Kaminski. In effect, we've lost our best big three years in a row. Many think Crean should have recruited around that possibility, I say, who do you see out there that has interchangeable bigs where it doesn't matter which are playing and which are sitting, or which are gone?

The old saying, "you can't teach height," leads many bigs to think NBA and the NBA thinks "potential." Show me any big worth his weight that's ready to sit behind another big for a year or two, that is, unless he's been told he's not cherished by the NBA at the time.

So, I think the way around the problem is to recruit great guards and wings, and go after bigs who can defend the post, rebound, and run the floor. That process has Virginia being one of the undefeated teams in the country. Their guards are the only players getting 30 minutes a game and there is three of them. They have 3 serviceable bigs, averaging between 19 and 24 minutes a game, none of which average more than 7 shots a game. Two are 6'8 and another is 7'0, however the biggest plays the least of the three.

I don't think Kentucky will be over-stocked with bigs in the future as they are this year. I doubt any of them saw themselves playing platoon basketball when they originally committed, and I'm sure there are future recruits out there that have taken notice. of it. Calipari claims he thought a few would leave this year that didn't. If he doesn't know who's leaving or staying, why does everyone expect Crean to know? How can a coach be honest with a kid about who's leaving or staying 2 or 3 years out, and that's when the recruiting process begins. Top recruits rarely fall in one's lap at the last minute.