Per Bozich....
- Thread starter bsmitty08
- Start date
Or OG goes nuts and meets all of the very high expectations of him this year.
Lot's of places to play Pro ball besides the NBA. I hope Juwan is not in too big a hurry to get there. I still like the idea of 3 years to get your degree and then test the waters. It worked for Troy!!
I was over Wilkes when he made the comments about (Crean).... Kids got MeMeMe on the brain.... Hope he enjoy's watching a mediocre guard like b.alford attempt to run that offense... It's my guess that s.alford will abandon his son somewhere during the season or at least tell him to quit shooting the ball... If he truly wants to save his job... Move on here... Nothing else to see...
This is a huge loss in not just losing a great talent but also in perception.
But if Wilkes wanted to come to IU he'd be a great kid, right?
Bryce is a natural 2 who has played a lot of point out of necessity. Last year the freshman Holiday got him off the point a little, but Holiday was foul prone. This year they add Lonzo Ball who is a highly touted pass first point guard. Bryce will be able to play off the ball almost exclusively for the first time in his career, which is good news for Bryce and his team.
Much like IU, UCLA's issues on the offensive end have been minor compared to their defensive woes. Neither Alford nor Hamilton can effectively guard their positions let alone high level point guards. Holiday as a soph will emerge as one of the best defensive guards in the country if he can limit the fouling, and Ball figures to be a capable defender.
UCLA fans are saying that Coach Alford is planning to play some variation of a packline defense this season while continuing to play uptempo offensively. I think it fits their personnel and allows them to hide Bryce and Hamilton better in a more team oriented defensive philosophy.
Bryce and Hamilton each played over 35 minutes per game last year and were regularly running on fumes at the end of games. The added depth on the roster will in itself make UCLA a much better team this season. Alford the coach has steadily improved relations with the California high school and AAU coaches and will have back to back top 5 recruiting classes (16 & 17) to show for it.
He may still yet get canned at UCLA, but he's put himself in position to have really good squads going forward if he doesn't get the ax
It's funny how that works, isn't it?
I have always wanted the Indiana kid that dreamed of playing for IU. When given the choice between IU and another school, IU takes the top spot for them. Otherwise, it doesn't matter where they come from. If Wilkes doesn't prefer IU after all the visits he made to Bloomington, he might as well go play at UCLA. I don't know that much about the kid and I will quickly forget about him. He can go to UCLA and be anonymous, or stay here and be recognized wherever he goes..
There are a number of reasons a kid might go elsewhere. Some just want to see new things. LA appeals to some. I wouldn't want to live there, but it would be a fun place to go to school for 4 years on scholarship.
There are a number of reasons a kid might go elsewhere. Some just want to see new things. LA appeals to some. I wouldn't want to live there, but it would be a fun place to go to school for 4 years on scholarship.
With regard to the bolded above, I agree in principle. But if what is often noted from those who are plugged-in to high school ball and AAU are true, the way Crean recruits, and operates in general, are off-putting in one of richest recruiting grounds in the nation, that's a big problem.
Maybe.
But 3 of the 4 elite recruits from the 2017 class picked East Lansing, Cincinnati and Louisville as the college destination. Just when do we address the Elephant in the middle of the Living Room?
I think it happens at the next poor season unless there is a nice run of successful seasons. I think Crean can start landing more high level recruits if they'd show a couple of consistent deep tourney runs. Just don't know if we will see it. IMO, there is a ton of pressure to do well this year because the expectations are quite high.
Shouldn't the expectations be high at Indiana?
My gripe isn't that we don't win a title or even go to a Final Four. It's that Crean doesn't on a consistent basis develop team capable of that.
In 8 years we've had exactly 1 team you could say that about - and that was with an impact player like Cody. We haven't had a guy like him since, and Crean's system needs a guy like that.
People try to compare Crean to Jay Wright and Villanova, but that's not apples-to-apples. First, his teams actually play defense and second, even when 'Nova had some early exits they had teams capable of going deep.
Unless the defense and guard play are really good this year, we're looking at another Sweet 16 max-out. And I HATE to have to say that about an Indiana basketball team. But, like it or not, it's the brutal truth.
I see that spouted a lot, but I don't know what it means. Can someone tell me what it is that Crean does that is so off-putting to so many?
Why don't you ask Bloom, or others, that are plugged-in to the AAU or Indiana HS scene...
Jay Wright had his teams seeded in positions to go far. He has had a national title, a final, 1 four, 1 elite 8, 2 sweet 16's. Yes he had some off years but he proved he can win in the tourney.
Doesn't that make J Wright a terrible coach have a lot of talent but you just can't win. there are some similarities between Jay Wright and CTC. We will go to all extent to bash at times. There have been some times I made some post and wish I wouldn't have. This would be a good one for you to wish you never posted. Can't talk out of both sides your mouth Tas.
Except ..
Little Alford is a senior this year, so he won't be there next. Also, Lonzo Ball (5 star) is their PG this year not BA. He probably won't be there either but they have Jaylen Hands (5 star) coming in next year. And, Aaron Holiday (soph 4 star) to back up both. Though I'm not a Coach Alford fan, he's doing a hell of a job recruiting.
So there's that ...
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You should stop buying season tickets and stop donating to the Varsity Club and stop making contributions to the IUAA. That is the only way any of us will be heard.
Prior to last year, he hadn't really proven to be able to do much in the tourney. And in fact, I'd add that he's under performed in the tournament more than Crean has.
They're not getting my money right now - although, admittedly, my money is currently going for tuition. Next year after graduation? Tough call, but probably not.
And he's also lost in the first or second round a good amount of times as a really good seed. Outside of this past year, it wasn't too different than Crean's success/lack there of in the tournament. So he had one Elite Eight more than Crean. Wow. Big difference.
Jay Wright at Villanova (Before last year)
14 years
1 Final Four
1 Elite 8
2 Sweet 16
3 Round of 32
Missed NCAA 4 Times (First 3 years)
Tom Crean at Indiana
8 years
3 Sweet 16
Missed NCAA 4 Times (First 3 years)
Not even close....before last year Wright had been to a Final Four and Elite 8.....and now has a national title.
Crean compares much better to Mike Brey.
Mike Brey has been to back to back Elite 8s.......but he makes 1/3 of what Crean does.....who cares, right?
You're missing the point.
Wright has put 'Nova in position to do something in the tournament on a more consistent basis. Has he done the best job at cashing in on those chances? Maybe not - but he created teams capable of it.
I gave you Wright's Head coaching record above. Here is Tom Crean's.
Now, here is their post-season records since 2000 (Crean's 1st year as a coach). Note the NCAA seed and finish in years each played in tourney; DNP designates years where the NCAA and NIT tournaments were both missed:
Code:
IU / Crean NOVA/JW
Year Seed Finish Seed Finish
2016 5 SW16 2 NC
2015 10 1stRd 1 Rd32
2014 NA DNP 2 Rd32
2013 1 SW16 9 1stRd
2012 4 SW16 NA DNP
2011 NA DNP 9 1stRd
2010 NA DNP 2 Rd32
2009 NA DNP 3 FF
2008 6 Rd32 12 SW16
2007 8 1stRd 9 1stRd
2006 7 1stRd 1 E8
2005 NA NIT 5 SW16
2004 NA NIT NA NIT
2003 3 FF NA NIT
2002 5 1stRd NA NIT
2001 NA DNP 13 1stRd
2000 NA NIT 14 1stRdCrean has had a 3 or higher seed twice - and missed the postseason altogether a total of 5 times. Wright has had 6 top 3 or higher seeds in the NCAA, and missed postseason once. Even if you take into account what Crean began with in 2008, by year 3 he could have at least made the NIT.
I can give you the stats for both programs if you want them - it shows why those teams got those seeds (I had posted them earlier this year as par of a comparison of Crean and 5 other coaches; Wright was one of those). Numbers don't lie, and for Crean it's a brutal truth.
Glass and most AD's aren't going to fire a coach because of where they get their players. It would be wrong for IU to recruit non-athlete students from the east coast and then be critical of their coaches for doing the same thing. Take note of the number of east coast students at IU. They pay us the higher out of state tuition, and they still get a bargain.
Why do we have to win with Indiana kids? One of my favorite players was from Maryland. He loved being at IU. I want a kid to be excited to play at IU and understand how fortunate they are to play in Assembly Hall. If they don't get it, then they should go somewhere else. I heard Bryant, Morgan, and OG speak last year and they didn't sound like freshman. They are smart kids like we used to find in Indiana. I'm glad to have them regardless of where they are from.
Mathematicians, statisticians, math and stats in general, obviously hate Tom Crean.
This is absurd. Absolutely absurd. Crean has been past the Sweet 16 ONCE in his entire career. And that season ended with a 30+ point loss. The delusion is incredible.
Historically, IU tends to do well when it has a top Indiana kid or two on the roster. Last year...Yogi. A couple years ago....Zeller. 2001....Jeffries. This year....Blackmon
It's not that I am against out of state kids, I just don't think IU can land the talent needed to compete at high level without in state talent. Ask Mike Davis.
If OG, Bryant, Blackmon, Hartman leave at the end of this year....what do you expect next year?
