Odds stacked against Hoosiers

According to vegasinsider.com, a sports gambling information Web site, the IU men’s basketball team’s odds of winning a national title this year stand at 300-1  – same as seldom-feared small school Siena and a long way from highly regarded in-state rival Purdue, whose odds are 20-1.

Such can be expected for a team with eight freshmen and only two returning players.
IU coach Tom Crean admitted his team is in a rebuilding year, and wins will be tough to come by.

“Perspective is going to be such a unique thing this year,” Crean said. “We’re in as uncharted waters as there have been.”

While not many victories are expected, freshman guard Nick Williams said the team is still striving for excellence, and no excuses will be made during the year.

“We don’t want that excuse that we’re young, less talented,” Williams said.

Crean said the team’s speed will be an assett that could create matchup problems in some games.

“We’re going to have a certain amount of speed and quickness,” Crean said. “Shot selection is going to be a key for this team.”

Freshman guard Verdell Jones agreed with Crean, calling the Hoosiers’ speed “a great asset.”

Jones noted that traditional Big Ten Conference play is dominated by big men, and he and his teammates hope to create mismatches with their agility and speed.

“You can’t guard what you can’t catch,” Jones said.

Because of the situation, Crean admitted he will have to rethink some of his coaching strategies during the season to give his team the best chance at winning.

While the coaching staff might constantly preach and work on improvement in man-to-man defense, for example – a staple of Crean’s teams at Marquette – the coach said it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what will be run in games.

The reason for practicing and building on certain philosophies but doing different things in the games is to keep the team positive and pick up a few unexpected wins during what is widely regarded to be a rough year to come in Bloomington.

“We’ve got to find a way to steal games,” Crean said.

In addition to trying to keep the team positive, Crean also hopes such wins will keep the passionate Hoosier fan base positive. Crean credited the fans for their enthusiasm thus far, adding that he hopes the fans will stay as excited later in the season.

“It’s been awesome,” Crean said of the fan support he’s received so far. “It’s a passion that’s hard to describe.”

While the odds are against the Hoosiers – figuratively and literally – to make much noise this season, Crean and his Hoosiers like their odds when it comes to pulling a few surprises along the way.

“They’re anxious to get better. It’s an exciting group to be with because of their attitudes,” Crean said of his young team. “We’re going to make the most of it.”