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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

COLUMN: Signs are piling up for Crean and Hoosiers

Indiana University coach Tom Crean disputes a call in the Hoosiers game against the Michigan Wolverines Sunday.

“Call out screens.” 

“Stance.” 

“Don’t hop.”

During the 2016-17 basketball season, there have been many signs for IU Coach Tom Crean and the Hoosiers. These physical signs have become a joke of sorts.

It’s pretty comical the players on the court need to be told to do very simple things that should be preached and looked at during practice. Knowing to talk on the court, stand properly and not travel seem pretty simple, but then again so is boxing out.

With fewer than 10 seconds left, IU had an opportunity to put the game away and escape from Williams Arena with a much-needed victory. With IU up by one, Minnesota guard Akeem Springs took an ill-contested shot. All the Hoosiers had to do was grab one rebound.

Again, in a big moment, they failed. Minnesota beat IU, 75-74.

The picture, frozen in time at the 5.3 second mark, is frankly stunning. Junior guard Robert Johnson was the only player to go after the ball immediately, but it would have been much easier if he had just put a body on his opponent.

No matter the year — freshman, sophomore or junior — the IU player is standing still. Springs ended up following his shot and securing his own rebound, scoring seconds later.

Junior guard James Blackmon Jr. could be found around the 3-point line as his man is nearing the paint post-rebound with the basketball.

There were so many moments — from Johnson’s pass intended for Blackmon sailing out of bounds during a fast-break opportunity to sophomore forward Juwan Morgan missing an uncontested dunk to junior point guard Josh Newkirk stumbling off of the elevated court in the first half — from Wednesday's game that sum up IU's season. 

All of these moments are fitting, but to me the obvious winner is the freeze-frame with 5.3 seconds left. 

It feels like I've written this at least 10 times this season, but IU could have won. Big Red had many chances, from their early run in the first half to their five-point lead with fewer than three minutes left on the clock, to put the game away.

At some point, and we’ve definitely hit that point, this team is what it is, a pretty talented group that runs on chaos and can’t do the little things.

After the game, Crean spoke positively about the near-victory on the postgame radio show.

“I am proud of them, and I hope everybody else is too,” he said.

“Our team took a major step in growth tonight,” Crean then stated. “I have no doubt about that.”

“They’re crushed,” he went on to say. “My number one job is to be their cheerleader.”

It’s great — I guess — that Crean’s proud of his squad losing on the road in another must-win contest. Maybe instead of holding up signs and watching as his team watches the ball loft through the air, he should coach.

With the season about to end woefully as IU zealots root for a NIT bid, maybe it’s just too late for Crean and the Hoosiers.

The signs are there.

gigottfr@indiana.edu

@gott31

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