Column: Questions arise during IU’s Spring Cleaning

It can only mean one thing in Bloomington and the greater part of the Midwest when it turns 50 degrees with some snow and ice residue remaining on the ground: Spring is in the air.

And with that, IU begins its third trimester of the in-season sports calendar. Heading into spring, though, I have a few pressing questions about things outside of the box scores.

With the departure of four assistant coaches before their first game in Memorial Stadium, it’s been an interesting off-season, to say the least, in the Hoosier football world.

Basketball recruiting has probably gotten higher ratings than Rihanna and Drake’s performance at the Grammys.

Here are a few things I’ll be interested in seeing play out during the next few months before we pack it up and head to the homestead.

Will the basketball recruiting keep its skyrocketing pace and land Gary Harris and/or Jeremy Hollowell? If so, what is head coach Tom Crean’s plan to make enough scholarships available?

I’d be hard-pressed to believe that if both of these recruits wanted to join Cody Zeller and company in 2012 that Crean would turn one of them away, especially given what the three-year IU coach has had to deal with since his arrival.

How will IU baseball bounce back after sending seven players to the pro ranks last year, and 10 during the last two years?

If the 2011 Hoosiers can keep pace on the scoreboard with the 2010 team, runs will not be a problem, as IU averaged 7.9 runs per game last year.

However, the Hoosiers can look forward to the return of the Big Ten Player of the Year, Alex Dickerson, and his respective hitting and slugging percentages of .419 and .805.
Can IU get the necessary pitching support if it is to have another stellar offensive year?  
Also, will a good season prorate the initiation of construction on a new baseball stadium?

Will this be the year the IU golf team turns the corner from good to great? IU fell just short of a second-straight Big Ten Match Play Championship this past weekend in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Junior David Erdy, who played in the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, came into the season with a scoring average of 73.62 — fourth best in IU history.

While that experience is present, the team is overall still young. Ben Beville and Ren Han are the only two seniors on the roster. IU will have to rely heavily on seasoned underclassmen Corey Ziedonis and Chase Wright, should they have a big year on the links.

What went through — and maybe still goes through — the minds of IU football players after four assistant coaches took a hike for more prominent jobs?

As winter runs and workouts are well underway, it seems a little late for a prudent coach, or coaches in this case, to dash with spring ball just more than a month away.

Lastly, who will replace Ben Chappell as quarterback, and how long will it take for him to adapt to a competitive pocket passer in Kevin Wilson’s offense?

Just a few things to ponder during some of the major seasons and off-seasons. Happy almost-spring.


E-mail: ftherber@indiana.edu