Column: IU vs. Stony Brook
If last season is any indicator of this year’s Stony Brook team, the Hoosiers will need to shut down the Seawolves’ best scoring threat, guard Bryan Dougher.
223 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
If last season is any indicator of this year’s Stony Brook team, the Hoosiers will need to shut down the Seawolves’ best scoring threat, guard Bryan Dougher.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At long last, it’s official.Go ahead. You can exhale, look at IU’s Class of 2012 recruiting class and smile.The recruiting haul, which became final Wednesday as five IU commitments signed their national letters of intent, is still intact as one of the best in the country. ESPN ranks the Hoosiers’ class as seventh-best in the nation, while Scout.com has it second, as of Wednesday night.Sure, IU Coach Tom Crean’s 2012 class will not be as good as it could have been with coveted Hamilton Southeastern guard Gary Harris, who chose Michigan State instead of Indiana.But five out of six sure ain’t bad.Make no mistake, the 2012-2013 Indiana Hoosiers will be a new benchmark for this program. Whereas modest four-star recruits were satisfactory in the 2009 class (Jordan Hulls, Christian Watford, Maurice Creek) and five-star forward Cody Zeller was considered a surprise in Crean’s current freshman class, the class of 2012 is why the term “Indiana basketball” will again carry a once-respected connotation.This class signifies IU’s return to the national spotlight, a light that once shone brightly in the 2002 NCAA Championship game and again in 2007 with a top-10 team before, well ... you know. Fans, analysts and players will not be looking for another 20-loss season or middle-of-the-pack finish, as has been the case thus far. With returning Hoosiers, such as Hulls, Zeller, Will Sheehey and maybe Watford, if he stays for his senior year, alongside this talented recruiting class, conversations will not be about whether IU makes it to the Big Dance, but rather, how deep into March the Hoosiers will go.With Harris, I think the 2012-2013 team had the potential to go to the Elite Eight, but now I foresee the Hoosiers making it as far as the Sweet 16 if they stay healthy — and that’s always a big if. Right now, I’m sure several IU fans are already licking their chops at the possibility of a sixth banner in the next five years.After all, the Class of 2012’s Fab Five have already hyped up that possibility extensively through tweets and interviews.And that’s fine. Be proud of the best recruiting class IU has seen since Eric Gordon’s in 2007. Get excited for what will be the most talented team in Crean’s tenure. Expect greatness out of a program built on it.But remember the unknowns that can’t be measured on a stat sheet or ranked on a website, factors such as player health and team chemistry between the veterans and the newcomers. Oh, and I also believe college players have the option of leaving for the NBA after their freshman year (see Kentucky Coach John Calipari).Don’t believe that a seemingly perfect circumstance can end badly in the long run? Ask former four-star recruit Maurice Creek about that.For now though, pop open the bubbly and enjoy the anticipation of seeing some of the best Indiana high school basketball talent step onto Branch McCracken Court in the cream and crimson next year.After all, Hoosier Nation, you’ve had to endure a lot in the past few years. You deserve a “movement” in the right direction.— azaleon@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The normally quiet Will Sheehey let his game do the talking Saturday night.Besides one-handed slams that land him on the highlight reel, Sheehey isn’t the most animated player on the floor or a big extrovert when talking with the media.But behind the sophomore forward’s subdued demeanor is a blossoming talent that led all IU scorers with 18 points in the Hoosiers’ 90-72 exhibition win against the University of Indianapolis.Appropriately, Sheehey racked up the highest point total of his short IU career in a whisper.“He gets sneaky buckets, (and) he flashes hard,” junior guard Jordan Hulls said. “It’s just like nobody sees him flashing ever, so (we’ll) keep finding him.”While the announced attendance of 16,516 watched in awe as freshman forward Cody Zeller electrified Assembly Hall with alley-oop dunks, Sheehey pieced together an efficient shooting night, making eight of 11 baskets. It wasn’t flashy, and sometimes it wasn’t pretty, but Sheehey ignited an offense that stalled to start the game, scoring 11 points in the first half mostly from mid-range jumpers and gritty drives to the hoop.And why did Sheehey succeed? Because he was given the opportunity to do so.Averaging 13.8 minutes per game as a reserve his freshman year, Sheehey got the nod Saturday night in a smaller IU starting lineup that did not include injured forwards Christian Watford or Tom Pritchard.Keep Sheehey in the starting rotation.On a roster ripe with athletic swing men,Sheehey has separated himself from the pack in preseason play. His performance against UIndy was just the exclamation point.“It’s not about the minutes that you play,” IU Coach Tom Crean aptly said. “It’s about what you do inside of the minutes that you play.”Keep starting Sheehey, and watch the minutes — and the point totals — start to add up.In his freshman year, Sheehey came as advertised: a lengthy athletic forward who could get to the basket but wasn’t big enough to post up or refined enough to consistently be a scoring threat.However, the progression of Will Sheehey as a complete basketball player is beginning to take shape.He took smart shots, making his only attempted three-pointer, was aggressive on offense and recorded a block on the other end of the floor.That’s not to say Sheehey had the perfect night. As Crean pointed out following the game, Sheehey, who pulled down three boards, was not as efficient rebounding the ball as he is capable of being.If Sheehey continues to get abundant playing time, his on-court experiences will help him reach his full potential faster, developing him into a complete player whose skills match his athleticism.And let me remind you, the 6-foot-6-inch forward is just a sophomore.Sheehey could grow to be one of the most versatile forwards in the Big Ten and do so while barely making a sound.
Columnist Avi Zaleon lists his expectations for IU versus UIndy exhibition game Saturday.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Up until this time, the game was slow, and the spectators would settle into the stands with some popcorn and watch. That night, they saw an entirely new game. The action was fast, and everyone was cheering and really getting into it. “On our way home, Branch talked about how much everyone had enjoyed the game. He was determined right then and there to develop that strategy into his team at Ball State. Later, he brought it to IU, and that’s how they became known as the ‘Hurryin’ Hoosiers.’”Mary Jo McCraken’s words in Jason Hiner’s novel, “Mac’s Boys: Branch McCracken and the Legendary 1953 Hurryin’ Hoosiers,” make me wonder if lightening-fast speed can strike twice in Bloomington.This season, the Hoosiers can thrive if they execute an up-tempo offense that centers around transition play, following a year when they gave up the most points in the Big Ten. On average, IU Coach Tom Crean’s squad allowed an average of 68.2 points per game in the 2010-2011 campaign.At Big Ten Basketball Media Day last Thursday, Crean said his team has been devoted to emphasizing defense so much in fall practices that time for offense has been scarce. “I like the fall we had with them in the sense of the work that we did to try to build a defensive mentality, the work that we did to try to build a togetherness mentality, especially on that defensive end,” Crean said. “And I think we’re way behind offensively right now.”With a more athletic and experienced team on the court this season, IU has an opportunity to put a product on the floor that the rest of the traditionally sluggish Big Ten isn’t used to. An IU team that continues to create turnovers, having already created the sixth-most steals in the conference last season, out-hustles its opposition down the court and converts easy buckets or draws fouls.This can happen with the proper conditioning. This can be the identity of this season’s IU team. This can be the winning formula.“Defense is going to be a huge key for us. It’ll lead to offensive transition, but we’re harping on it every day in practice,” junior guard Jordan Hulls said at Media Day. “Just help-side defense, keeping your man in front of you, transition defense, all the little things — taking charges is something we definitely need to emphasize, and that’s going to help us win. “Defense creates offense, so if our offensive game isn’t going, we can always control our defense. ”During the scrimmage at Hoosier Hysteria a couple weeks ago, I could hardly believe what I was seeing.Following a defensive rebound, freshman forward Cody Zeller and the rest of his team sprinted to the other end of the floor as the basketball seamlessly got to the 6-foot-11-inch big man in just three passes after a precision assist from senior guard Verdell Jones. The smooth transition offense beat its opposition down the court and left Zeller open for an easy slam.Poetry in motion, my friends. Poetry in motion.Fans could certainly get used to this style of play after having to endure repetitive offensive sets last season when the Hoosiers would take the ball down the court, pass along the perimeter until the shot clock ran down and then settle for an undesirable shot.Especially during Big Ten season, these half-court sequences in which the offense stalled for minutes at a time simply did not cut it.This year, it’s time for a change and to take all that defensive preparation in practice and use it on the court.If done correctly, the late Branch McCracken might look down and smile upon the new Hurryin’ Hoosiers.— azaleon@indiana.eduAvi Zaleon is a senior in journalism
IDS basketball reporters Connor O'Gara and Kevin Bowen and IDS basketball columnist Avi Zaleon discuss how the IU basketball team looked, acted and performed at their first practice.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’m willing to bet this was the first time in Assembly Hall’s 40-year history that blow-up guitars, imitation Ray Bans and Usher shared the same floor that was once graced by Bob Knight’s airborne chair.Yes, guard Victor Oladipo singing Usher’s “You Got it Bad,” with the rest of the men’s basketball team serving as backup dancers as part of the introduction for Saturday night’s Hoosier Hysteria, was a welcome change.The well-performed R&B act showed me IU Athletics is trying to gradually make IU’s version of Midnight Madness a spectacle that appeals to every member of a 16,100-person audience.And that’s not an easy thing to do.As a Blue Ribbon basketball program so deeply rooted in tradition, Indiana has struggled in past years to infuse contemporary entertainment appealing to a younger generation of Hoosier fans into a season kickoff that is sure to celebrate IU’s pristine past.The three-point shootout and dunk contest preceding the team’s scrimmage have become staples of Hoosier Hysteria and are entertaining at times. This year, sophomore Will Sheehey dazzled a packed Assembly Hall with his slam via a pass he threw off the backboard to former all-state high school soccer-player-turned-IU-guard Daniel Moore. The teammate headed the ball from the far corner of the paint back to Sheehey, who threw it down for a contest-clinching jam.It is worth noting Sheehey accomplished all this while wearing retro IU basketball shorts hiked halfway up his thighs.But aside from these memorable moments, Hoosier Hysteria dragged on for me as the usual repetitions of the annual event took hold. Toward the end of the evening, it seemed the crowd agreed with me. People slowly filed out of Assembly Hall before it was through.Hoosier Hysteria isn’t designed just for me, though. Isn’t it for the highly touted recruits taking their official visits to IU? They represent the future of the program.Or maybe it’s for the throngs of Hoosier faithfuls that made Saturday night the best-attended Hoosier Hysteria of the Tom Crean era.Then again, should Hoosier Hysteria be for the students? The mass that makes up the largest student section in the nation and is a mere 199 season tickets away (7,601 of 7,800) from selling out that monstrous Crimson Guard segment?The truth is, Hoosier Hysteria is for all these groups. The tricky part is appeasing all of them. Alumni and long-time season ticket holders are not going to appreciate, much less understand, a live musical act from the Top 20 charts as much as the student body or a high school senior submerged in present-day basketball culture.Conversely, the out-of-state IU freshman and five-star recruits might not be able to identify Keith Smart nailing a game-winning shot as he drifts toward the sideline in the 1987 Championship Game.Regardless of its Hoosier hoops IQ, the diverse group inside Assembly Hall was all there for the same reason and expected to see something that kept its interest.There needs to be some balance between the rock show ego-fest the folks in Lexington put on and a mundane snoozer that follows the same script of intro video, player walk-out songs, three-point contest, dunk contest and scrimmage.Hoosier Hysteria and IU Athletics as a whole are on its way to finding this medium. I hope to see this metaphoric see-saw continue to balance with an event that seamlessly blends the new with the old.Who knows? Maybe next year, we’ll see Cody Zeller and Jordan Hulls belting out a duet of Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now.”
A few of my takeaway points from Hoosier Hysteria:
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A kid playing high school basketball.That’s who we’re still talking about, right?Because when Hoosier Hysteria was scheduled Saturday seemingly to accommodate visiting five-star recruit Gary Harris, who had a football game Friday, I had a hard time believing one high school senior possessed so much clout.No official statement from the Athletics Department or IU men’s basketball team has explained why Hoosier Hysteria will take place Saturday instead of the night prior, as in years past. However, it appears to be a forgone conclusion that the Hoosiers’ annual season kickoff date-change coinciding with Harris’ personal schedule is more than a coincidence.As a senior in high school I wasn’t allowed to decide what was for dinner, let alone influence the date of when a major college program and its thousands of fans celebrated the start of another season.But then again, unlike Harris, I wasn’t a sought-after, five-star shooting guard.I doubt Hoosier Hysteria’s bumped-up start will come as an inconvenience to anyone. And if IU makes the change for anyone it should be Harris, who is the best uncommitted IU recruit in the class of 2012.The Hamilton Southeastern standout is ranked as the third-best shooting guard in his class by Rivals.com and the top shooting guard on ESPN.com. IU is considered one of the top contestants in the Harris sweepstakes along with Purdue, Michigan State, Louisville and Kentucky.I’m not bitter about IU being the only college basketball program to schedule its variation of Midnight Madness on a Saturday night. Nor do I hold anything against Harris for playing in his football game and inadvertently influencing Hoosier Hysteria.This is all part of feeding the college basketball recruiting beast: Fans tracking the process of courting that “can’t-miss” prospect and hanging onto his every word.“Who’s in his top five this month?”“He was sighted wearing University X’s sweatshirt. Is he close to a commitment?”“His mom and dad went to X College, but I heard that’s a non-factor.”And then comes that euphoric moment when he utters the name of your school, when you can rub his commitment in the faces of the rival schools he turned down. His recruiting class is seen as a representation of the program’s bright future. Surely the gold stars on his online ranking page shine like the championship trophy he will one day hoist over his head as the school’s fight song plays in the background.For Tom Crean’s 2012 recruiting class, it started with the modest commitments of center Peter Jurkin and shooting guard Ron Patterson. But then Crean started nabbing the big fish, and a single recruiting class evolved from a rebuilding project into the gold medal volcano at the science fair.Elite in-state talents Hanner Perea, Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell and Jeremy Hollowell all committed to Crean, and IU’s team rankings shot up the national charts.The addition of Harris would be adding bacon to the already-juicy double cheeseburger that is Crean’s 2012 class.The 6-foot-6, 198-pound guard would obviously be a huge pickup and would elevate his class from special to legendary. But by no means should he be considered a necessity in maintaining the quality of the 2012 class.But let’s say Harris does sign.After the ticker-tape parade through Bloomington (I’m sure there’s an NCAA violation in there somewhere), one member of the 2012-13 team would need to leave, assuming a non-senior does not open up a scholarship because of oversigning.Then again, this is Indiana. The championship banners hanging in Assembly Hall are reminders that excellence — no, perfection — is expected.Why have one of the best recruiting classes in the country when you can have the best recruiting class in the country?
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Maurice Creek’s performance was almost inconceivable.Thirty-one points? Against undefeated, No. 4 Kentucky? As a freshman?“How about this Creek kid?” said UK Coach John Calipari after the Dec. 12, 2009, IU loss. “I’m telling you, we’ve played a lot of good teams. He’s as good as any player we’ve played. And that’s how you start to build a program.”How quickly things change.With Monday’s news that Creek underwent surgery to repair his left Achilles tendon, which could end his season, it seems IU Coach Tom Crean will need a different mortar to build his program.But, unfortunately, we’ve known for a while that the injury-prone Creek would not be the cornerstone that a resurgence of Indiana basketball would be built around.Creek’s career performance against the Wildcats was just one installment of an abbreviated freshman campaign, in which the 6-foot-5-inch guard led all Hoosiers in points per game with a 16.4 average by season’s end.The buzz in Bloomington had already begun. Amidst a rebuilding year full of low expectations and a high loss total, it seemed this highly touted top-60 recruit from Hargrave Military Academy could be one of the few threads in this era’s silver lining.That all changed against Bryant University, as Creek’s left knee and hopes for the rest of his season came crashing onto Branch McCracken court Dec. 29, 2009. He would sit out the remaining 19 games of his freshman season before missing another 14 games last year with a season-ending stress fracture in his right knee.Creek was already trying to return to health from those two injuries before this unrelated surgery made his road to recovery that much steeper.What has happened to Creek during his tenure at IU has been extremely unlucky — even for the sports world, in which disabled lists and injured reserve decisions run rampant. But it was better for the IU basketball program to receive this news now than to get the diagnosis handed down once play started.Although it was already a forgone conclusion Creek would not be able to play in the beginning of the year, Monday’s surgery solidifies his return to the team could possibly not even occur this season — if at all.Knowing the former freshman standout is lost, Crean and his squad can begin planning around these circumstances instead of holding onto the hope that Creek could return.This is a clear message to Victor Oladipo, Will Sheehey, Matt Roth and freshmen Austin Etherington and Remy Abell that this is their shot. A thinner bench means they will have more opportunities to succeed and need to take advantage of them when they are presented. Obviously, this should ring most true with Abell and Etherington, who could have that breakout performance that Creek experienced just two seasons ago.So what’s next for Creek?I wish I could tell you if I knew for sure whether he was going to return to the hardwood this year. Heck, I wish there wasn’t a small piece of me that thinks Creek played in his last collegiate game last January against Michigan — but there is.Realistically, I think Creek sits all of this season, takes a medical redshirt and will be able to make his return before he graduates, barring further injury.Our bodies are strange, unpredictable things.Sometimes they randomly produce cancerous cells that take away loved ones, and sometimes they take away the ability to play the game we love so much.This third injury in 22 months isn’t the last chapter in the story of Maurice Creek.Whether life takes him away from basketball or back to it, Creek will maintain the “never say die” attitude that has gotten him this far. That mindset allowed him to preserve during the years after his father left him and his mother, get his grades up at Hargrave and get the standardized test scores he needed to be eligible to play for IU.As Creek tweeted Monday, “I Have a Desire to make a Movie About Myself... Thinking of A Title...Hummm what about God Never Gives You What You Can’t Handle.”— azaleon@indiana.edu
I wish I could tell you that I experienced the IU Basketball Media Challenge championship game like fellow IDS writers Kevin Bowen and Justin Albers.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The line of mourners spilling out the front door of Gill Funeral Service on a picturesque fall afternoon in Washington, Ind., patiently waited in a queue that wrapped around East Walnut Street.“Is the line normally this long?” I asked the man standing next to me.“No,” he said with assurance. “But these are special circumstances.”I was already disappointed in myself for arriving 10 minutes late to the open house for the late Debra Miiller, but that feeling only worsened when I realized that minor setback meant taking my place behind an entire community that was sure to not be tardy.Included in this throng of Hoosiers was IU freshman forward Cody Zeller, accompanied by his mother Lori.Their family has grown close with the Miillers since 2006 when Debra’s husband of 39 years, Gene, took over the reins of the Washington High School basketball program. Gene, who also serves as Washington’s athletic director, coached both Cody and his older brother Tyler to a combined three Class 3A IHSAA state titles, including championships in the past two seasons.Debra, or “Debbie” as she was known by her friends, cannot be found on the rosters of those championship teams that have brought so much pride to a small town that encapsulates a portion of Indiana State Road 57.Her name won’t live on in record books as the head coach or star forward, but she was just as much a part of those teams as the uniformed players and coaches on the court.“She was definitely a big part of our state championship run,” Cody said. “A lot of times after games, we would go over to (the Miillers’) house and she had a whole spread of food out for us. “She was just there for us, taking care of us and she was definitely a great lady, one that put others before herself. And I think the community is definitely going to miss her.”Debbie’s hospitality and selflessness made her house — where team meetings and the annual Christmas Party were — the Zeller brothers’ “home away from home” and rendered Debbie “another mom,” said Lori.Cody said at games Debbie’s enthusiasm would at times rival that of her husband. “In a game she was always yelling at the refs — sometimes more than Coach Miiller,” said the youngest Zeller brother. “Basketball was definitely important to her, but I think more important than anything, everyone else around her was more important than herself.”Outside of her famous desserts and being the Washington Hatchets’ biggest fan, Debbie left her mark on Cody with lessons that transcended basketball. In addition to the selflessness Cody said he learned from Debbie, Lori saw something else rub off on her sons.“Debbie was always a fighter and she never gave up,” said Lori, who works with Gene Miiller as an Athletic Office Assistant. “She was one of the toughest ladies I knew and I think for the boys, they would see that and they would know that that was something they could learn from her.”Once a group finished its visit and exited through the same pure white door from which it entered, many community members would walk back down the line, greeting nearly every familiar face along the way. Smiles, head nods, conversations about Hatchet sports started with first-name greetings and proceeded until they got to the out-of-place student journalist with unsure eyes nervously grasping his pen and black notepad.There was a reason the seemingly infinite line at Gill formed so rapidly. There was a reason bouquets of flowers lined the walls of the open house, including a yellow arrangement with a card from the Washington High School basketball team. And there was a reason the Debra Miiller Scholarship Fund was created shortly after her passing.“Washington is a great, small town,” Cody said. “When anyone is sick, especially a great lady like herself, the whole town comes together and does whatever they can. It’s definitely a big loss to the community.”Debra Miiller, 58, suffered a heart attack Sept. 26 and passed away Sept. 29. Her loss is felt in Washington, with the Zellers, and in the four high school communities where Gene has coached.“It’s difficult for the boys to see (Gene’s) heart so heavy,” Lori said. “He has taken us on a wild ride of (three) state championships while my boys have played, and we’ve had the best of times, and now this is probably the lowest that we’ve been.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This will be the year junior Christian Watford plays the role he was meant to play.With the addition of freshman forward Cody Zeller, IU’s frontcourt receives some much-needed depth that allows Watford to slide into the small forward position where he belongs.Too often last year, the 6-foot-9-inch junior was forced into the post against taller Big Ten centers because he was the best option if Tom Pritchard or Derek Elston were on the sidelines. In the four or five slot, Watford simply looked overmatched — undersized on defense and without enough space to create opportunities in the paint on offense.But let’s not kid ourselves. Although Watford was occasionally put in these unfavorable circumstances, his raw talent still resulted in another statement year.That lengthy talent out of Alabama, which Rivals ranked as the sixth-best small forward in his 2009 recruiting class, led the Hoosiers in rebounding and points last season, averaging 16 points and 5.4 rebounds a game. That scoring total was the 10th-highest in the Big Ten.It is a number fans can expect to grow if Watford becomes comfortable in a swing-man role. When I think of signature Christian Watford, I envision him holding the ball at the top of the key and creating offense with fluid movements moving towards the basket and shooting from the shoulder or deciding to drive to the hoop, using his length to draw a foul.That’s where Watford thrives, and that’s where he needs to be.“(I’ve been working on) ball handling and ball moves, things like that,” Watford said. “With Cody coming in, I feel like I’m going to be able to step out a little bit more, so I wanted to work on explosion moves.”Watford added that he became stronger during the summer. He said he thinks it is a realistic goal to regularly record a double-double.What I worry about is Watford’s ability to guard smaller opponents while Zeller and Pritchard attempt to hold down the post.While Watford’s natural talent and length will reflect in the box score, moving to small forward will create issues against a three-guard squad. If Watford has to guard a small, fast guard, I can easily see a mismatch taking place where defense would need to shift.But Watford remained confident that playing defense as a “3” will not be too tall of a task.“I think I can do all right against smaller players,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge but I’m up for it. There aren’t very many small ‘3’s’ anyway. They are mostly 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8, so I think I’ll be okay.”As the Hoosier with the most draft stock, Watford will need to make this a season that puts him on the map — something I’m sure he has thought about. If he plays where he feels most comfortable and the Hoosiers make some noise in the Big Ten, Watford could be receiving the national attention that was sometimes lost playing on a cellar-dwelling IU team the past two years.“I only have two years left, so I’m on the down slope of my career here,” Watford said. “It’s going downhill now, so you want to win and win fast.”— azaleon@indiana.eduAvi Zaleon is a senior in journalism
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Tom Crean looked out onto the sea of light blue that illuminated an otherwise dark, rainy Thursday evening and did something that was not in his job description.Acting as co-host at the Shine 4 Lauren concert, Crean’s role as head basketball coach transcended the hardwood and placed him as the voice of a community trying to bring peace to a family whose daughter has been missing since June.Crean didn’t need to be in Dunn Meadow, where temperatures in the 50s and a steady downpour failed to hamper the spirit of a steadfast crowd.He could have been watching film, at home or any place with a roof.But he was at Dunn Meadow, standing before Lauren’s parents and the Bloomington community, delivering a message he believed was at the core of the efforts to find Lauren.“We have got to do the right thing, no matter how painful that is, no matter how challenging that is, certainly no matter how unpopular that is, and that’s where we sit right now,” Crean said.Amongst musical acts that included Clayton Anderson, Dot Dot Dot and Daniel Weber and Bryce Fox, Crean served as the leader of a community — a figure that could be looked upon as a source of guidance and motivation.The same exuberance fans are used to seeing Crean exhibit on the sidelines was used to ignite a crowd and a community that has banded together as an extended family.“I think what has gone on here, in this community, since the disappearance of Lauren, has been one where people have to look and say, ‘That is so sad. That is so terrible. I can’t imagine what’s going on, but look at that community trying to help figure it out,’” Crean said.His huddle was a mass of umbrellas. His opponent, an unfathomable wrong committed against a 20-year-old IU student and those who knew her. His arena was a muddied field. His focus, though, remained the same.Although Crean signed a contract to become the head coach of one of the most storied college basketball programs in the country, he has learned that being at the helm of the basketball team is about more than the game that crams Assembly Hall every season.It’s about helping a community when it’s in need, helping a student’s parents when their daughter has gone missing and becoming a voice to rally around, just when it seemed the rain had washed away any remaining hope.Thursday night, there was a buzz in the air.It went beyond five national championships or a top-ranked recruiting class. It was about one city, one university, one family — all striving for the same goal.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hoosier Nation’s blossoming love affair with Twitter has manifested itself into a simple, yet impactful hashtag: #iubb.Sure, it’s just four letters representing Indiana University basketball, but understand that the seemingly insignificant creation and subsequent popularity of #iubb is something not seen within any other basketball program’s online community, to my knowledge. Although hashtagging a school name or nickname has become commonplace — #Badgers, #BoilerUp, etc. — it does not specify a team or sport within that athletic department.During the summer, when IU Coach Tom Crean’s recruiting bonanza was picking up steam, an IU commit for the class of 2012 began using the hashtag “#TheMovement” — a trend that quickly caught on with both fellow recruits and fans alike. In Nov. 2010, when now-freshman Cody Zeller made his decision to play for IU instead of the University of North Carolina, the name “Cody Zeller” trended worldwide on Twitter.If that doesn’t display how plugged in IU fans are to the ’Net, I don’t know what does. Whether through popular humorous fake accounts or official feeds administered by the IU Athletics Department, the IU basketball universe has been permanently integrated into Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere. Not only have IU sports enthusiasts embraced the endless opportunities presented to them through these Internet venues, but they’ve made them an unavoidable component of being an informed and involved fan.For many, Twitter has become the fastest way to consume information, which is then funneled into a blog post or online article containing more detailed information and finally, at least for print publications, a full article.Heck, if you’re one of a growing number of online publications, the published story will be online before the sun sets on game day.If you crave content from fans giving their own unfiltered opinions and analyses, look no further than the multitude of message boards and blogs that somehow double in size, faster than a bar tab at Kilroy’s.The appetite for online content has even gotten to the point where Internet live chats are arranged during IU basketball games so that fans can interact with sports writers as the game is played.It’s strange to think this swirling abyss of online chatter, rants and information is all centered around a group of five college students trying to put a ball in the hoop more times than their opponents.So is the way of our changing world — and IU fans have the distinct honor of being part of one of the most tech-savvy collegiate programs in the country.The count as of Monday night:Tom Crean’s Twitter account? 40,861 followers. University of Kentucky Coach John Calipari? 1,139,966. Butler Coach Brad Stevens? 16,422. Illinois Coach Bruce Weber and Purdue Coach Matt Painter? Neither have tweeted since 2009, but both have more than 5,000 followers.What about 84-year-old Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno? Well, during 2009 Big Ten Media Days, college sports’ favorite grandpa had this to say about Twitter: “You guys have to talk about something. The fans have got to put something on those, what do you guys call those things, Twittle-do? Twittle-dee? I haven’t got the slightest idea what you’re looking at.”Well, Coach, what I’m looking at is a platform of communication that unites a community and continues to serve as an open forum amongst journalists, fans and players.— azaleon@indiana.eduAvi Zaleon is a senior in journalism.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Part of Victor Oladipo’s summer workout plan scared me.“Getting faster, getting stronger, jumping higher — believe it or not,” the sophomore guard said of his offseason physical improvements.So the 6-foot-5 high-flyer that easily jumped over a group of eight kids as if they were ants is working on jumping higher? I’ll alert Gus Johnson to start warming up his pipes now.But we knew Oladipo could make it onto a highlight reel easier than a freshman with five dollars getting into a Villas party. This season, the Maryland native needs to improve on his decision making and the diversification of his game.With the ball in his hands last year, it was a forgone conclusion Oladipo would immediately drive to the basket with that fast first step. This predictable attack would sometimes result in dazzling slams, which have become Oladipo’s staple, but the IU guard said he’s been working on an effective midrange jumper and three-point shot to complement his known athletic ability.“I think if I did that, I could expand my game and get my defender off his feet and have an easier lane to the basket,” Oladipo said. “Last year I would just catch and drive and go as fast as I can to get to the basket. Now, I think I have different parts of my game that I’ve been working on that I can use effectively in a game.”Oladipo already used his range during a Reach USA trip to China over the summer, in which he drilled a game-winning trey against a Lithuanian team with 2.2 seconds left.However, Oladipo and I agree in order for him to play to his potential this season, the second-year guard will need to improve his ball discipline and decision-making. Too many times last season the then-freshman would commit turnovers that left fans conflicted between the break-away dunk Victor they loved to cheer on and the sloppy mistake-prone Victor that gave them headaches.Between the Hoosiers’ four main guards last season (Oladipo, Jordan Hulls, Verdell Jones and Jeremiah Rivers), Oladipo had the worst assist-to-turnover ratio at .64 and committed the second most turnovers-per-minute, trailing only Jones.“My freshman year I made a lot of dumb mistakes,” Oladipo said. “I guess it was because it was my first year. I had high expectations for myself and for this team, so I got to be disciplined with the ball. If I’m not, we’re going to suffer for it, and then I won’t play.”Not only will Oladipo get the opportunity to show improved play this year, but he will be able to do so in a position he feels comfortable in. With a thin and undersized front court last season, the Hoosiers sometimes asked the DeMatha High School graduate to play as a small forward — a spot not fit for the undersized Oladipo.With added depth courtesy of this year’s freshman class, Oladipo and the rest of the squad will be able to play in the roles they thrive in. And for the sophomore, he said that will mean showing new guards Remy Abell and Austin Etherington the way things are done.“I’m a leader,” Oladipo said. “I want to be a leader. I want to lead this team and do whatever it takes to help them win. Just be a guidance to the younger kids and follow the older kids and encourage them. I just want to be a leader, and I think this team can win. I want to lead them in winning.”This could be Oladipo’s breakout season — the year he cuts down on turnovers, becomes a multi-faceted threat on offense and emerges as a team leader in the huddle.This could be the year it all clicks for him, if he can take what he has been working on over the summer and carry it into the season.— azaleon@indiana.eduAvi Zaleon is a senior majoring in journalism.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Part of Victor Oladipo’s summer workout plan scared me. “Getting faster, getting stronger, jumping higher — believe it or not,” the sophomore guard said of his offseason physical improvements. So the 6-foot-5 high-flyer that easily jumped over a group of eight kids as if they were ants is working on jumping higher? I’ll alert Gus Johnson to start warming up his pipes now. But we knew Oladipo could make it onto a highlight reel easier than a freshman with five dollars getting into a Villas party. This season, the Maryland native needs to improve on his decision making and the diversification of his game. With the ball in his hands last year, it was a forgone conclusion Oladipo would immediately drive to the basket with that fast first step. This predictable attack would sometimes result in dazzling slams, which have become Oladipo’s staple, but the IU guard said he’s been working on an effective midrange jumper and three-point shot to complement his known athletic ability. “I think if I did that, I could expand my game and get my defender off his feet and have an easier lane to the basket,” Oladipo said. “Last year I would just catch and drive and go as fast as I can to get to the basket. Now, I think I have different parts of my game that I’ve been working on that I can use effectively in a game.” Oladipo already used his range during a Reach USA trip to China over the summer, in which he drilled a game-winning trey against a Lithuanian team with 2.2 seconds left. However, Oladipo and I agree in order for him to play to his potential this season, the second-year guard will need to improve his ball discipline and decision-making. Too many times last season the then-freshman would commit turnovers that left fans conflicted between the break-away dunk Victor they loved to cheer on and the sloppy mistake-prone Victor that gave them headaches. Between the Hoosiers’ four main guards last season (Oladipo, Jordan Hulls, Verdell Jones and Jeremiah Rivers), Oladipo had the worst assist-to-turnover ratio at .64 and committed the second most turnovers-per-minute, trailing only Jones. “My freshman year I made a lot of dumb mistakes,” Oladipo said. “I guess it was because it was my first year. I had high expectations for myself and for this team, so I got to be disciplined with the ball. If I’m not, we’re going to suffer for it, and then I won’t play.” Not only will Oladipo get the opportunity to show improved play this year, but he will be able to do so in a position he feels comfortable in. With a thin and undersized front court last season, the Hoosiers sometimes asked the DeMatha High School graduate to play as a small forward — a spot not fit for the undersized Oladipo. With added depth courtesy of this year’s freshman class, Oladipo and the rest of the squad will be able to play in the roles they thrive in. And for the sophomore, he said that will mean showing new guards Remy Abell and Austin Etherington the way things are done. “I’m a leader,” Oladipo said. “I want to be a leader. I want to lead this team and do whatever it takes to help them win. Just be a guidance to the younger kids and follow the older kids and encourage them. I just want to be a leader, and I think this team can win. I want to lead them in winning.” This could be Oladipo’s breakout season — the year he cuts down on turnovers, becomes a multi-faceted threat on offense and emerges as a team leader in the huddle. This could be the year it all clicks for him, if he can take what he has been working on over the summer and carry it into the season. — azaleon@indiana.edu
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I see you, seasoned IU basketball fan, clutching your Steve Alford jersey as the replay of the 1987 championship game plays on a loop while Martha the Mop Lady dances in your head.The last few years have been pretty tough, considering the brand of Hoosier basketball with which you were raised. No more preseason expectations of making a NCAA Championship run, no longer the crown jewel of the Big Ten, and IU finds itself playing second-fiddle in prime time national broadcast appearances.But you know what? Throughout the roller coaster that has been the last four years of IU basketball, the fan base has done a tremendous job of coming to grips with reality and adjusting their expectations accordingly.This year’s IU senior class will have seen the Hoosiers compile a record of — wait for it — 28-66 in the last three years with a conference mark of 8-46.For students and non-students alike, that’s a pretty hefty pill to swallow, especially if you grew up surrounded by a culture of winning.But even after the Kelvin Sampson megaton bomb wiped out every piece of the program except Kyle Taber, fans continued to cram into Assembly Hall, albeit not to the same magnitude they once had. Instead of having a “Final Four or Bust” mentality, the Hoosier faithful learned to set their sights on a possible NIT berth, a postseason possibility that could turn into reality this season.A buzz surrounding Bloomington still perks up near the time of Hoosier Hysteria even though Ralph Lauren shirts outnumber IU shirts on campus. Excitement surrounding next year’s recruiting class has reached a fever pitch as optimism for the future has, at times, taken precedent versus the present.But with the growing anticipation of Cody Zeller this year and one of the best recruiting classes in the country next season, expectations will deservedly grow.While three straight 20-loss seasons didn’t sit right with most, it was an obstacle they were willing to hurdle if a return to the glory years would greet them on the other side.IU Coach Tom Crean’s clock differs.Some tolerate what has been the worst winning percentage for any IU coach who has been at the helm for more than a season. Others hope Athletics Director Fred Glass has Butler’s Brad Stevens on speed dial.Well, for those antsy fans who have grown tired of settling for the Big Ten’s basement year-after-year, it is justifiable to start creeping those expectations up. It’s not going to bring you back to the nostalgia of Bailey, Killingsworth, Alford, Isiah Thomas and Bob Knight for a long time — but this year is a start.Throughout Crean’s tenure, there has been a generational gap between former and current students, who cannot relate to the stories of IU lore instilled in them by those who lived them at Assembly Hall.When today’s students graduate and look back at IU basketball during their time on campus, they may see it as the period in which the foundation of a revival took place or as the building blocks of a legacy far less ideal.Either way, they will be set apart as the group that yelled their lungs out in Assembly Hall for teams the likes of which this program has never seen.
12/31 Ohio State at Indiana 6 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday morning the Sun rose in the East, the Little League World Series remained irrelevant and Tom Crean's 2012 recruiting class was still atop the ESPN rankings.