Dumes addresses elbowing incident

Less than 24 hours after indefinitely suspending leading scorer Devan Dumes, IU coach Tom Crean along with Dumes met with the media to discuss the incidents that spawned the suspension.  

During Saturday’s game against Michigan State, Dumes was whistled for a flagrant foul and ejected after throwing his third elbow of the game.  

On Monday Dumes apologized for his actions, but insisted that he had no intention of trying to injure an opposing team’s player.

“I never mean to hurt anyone if I’m swinging an elbow or anything,” Dumes said.
“It’s just the nature of the game. Sometimes people say it’s not a physical sport, but it really is.

“I didn’t mean to throw anything that intentionally hurt anybody. That’s not the way I play basketball. If I wanted to be like that I’d be playing football or wrestling or something like that, but that’s just not how it’s supposed to be done.”

Crean stressed the importance of liability in the program, but added that Dumes’ suspension is for the coach and player to take account for, not the rest of the program.  

“Accountability rules in this program, no matter what,” Crean said. “So he’s accountable, he’s in here, he’s not hiding behind anything. But this is for me to discuss, this is for him to discuss and that’s it. Everybody else in the program is not discussing it.”

The Michigan State game was not the only time Dumes has been at the center of a scuffle with the opposition. On Jan. 28 against Northwestern, Dumes appeared to smack Wildcat guard Craig Moore after the two both dove for a ball.

Dumes said it’s sometimes difficult for him to keep his emotions in check in the heat of the moment.  

“It’s hard,” Dumes said. “But you have to have the mental toughness to keep it from going overboard.”

In addition to stressing the importance of accountability, Crean also came to the support of his player throughout the interview, giving Dumes credit for facing the media head-on.  

Given the recent legal and ethical problems the program has witnessed during the past year and a half, Crean said there is nothing more to the Dumes incident than what is seen on the court.  

“It is not a social issue, it is not a flunked drug test, it is not a grade issue, it is not an irresponsibility issue outside of the program,” Crean said. “It’s a basketball issue.”  

And for the specific issue of throwing elbows, Dumes reiterated the apology that he initially gave in a press release on Sunday night.  

Dumes said he only saw the tape of the game once, but he said he recognized he needs to be more aware on the court.  

“I felt like it wasn’t a smart move,” Dumes said. “Like I said, I take full responsibility for it. Like coach said, I’m not going to hide from it, I apologize for it, I truly meant it. And it is what it is.”