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(10/22/08 6:03pm)
Tom Crean sat down for a one-on-one interview with the Indiana Daily Student Wednesday. During the interview, Crean discussed the status of the school's AD search, the student section controversy and the upcoming season. Below is a snippet from the interview -- for more, check back with the blog later and read tomorrow's IDS.
(10/21/08 7:23pm)
For those of you going to the football game Saturday (and for those of you "celebrating" homecoming in the tailgating fields), the men's basketball team will hold a scrimmage open to the public inside Assembly Hall Saturday afternoon.
(10/20/08 4:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Never has a family from Champaign, Ill., enjoyed basketball in Bloomington so much.Then again, most people from that area don’t have a son who plays point guard for the Hoosiers.One by one, the Hoosiers’ 12 new players were introduced to an anxious Assembly Hall crowd Friday night. Sitting in the bleachers behind the scorer’s table were two people in particular who couldn’t wait for the night’s festivities to begin. Their son’s Facebook status read, “Today is the day!” and they had just made a three-hour drive to see that son take the Assembly Hall floor for the first time in an IU jersey.Proudly wearing custom-made No. 12 jerseys with “V’s Dad” and “V’s Mom” on the back, Verdell Jr. and Sheila Jones watched their son jog onto the floor for the first time.Looking back on it an hour later, Verdell Jones Jr. admitted, “I was just trying not to cry.“I’m just so proud of the fact that he has the opportunity to wear the Cream and Crimson and the candy stripes,” he said. “I was just trying not to be sissy and not to cry.”Verdell Jones Jr. wasn’t the only family member who felt a little emotional at Hoosier Hysteria. His son, Verdell Jones III, scored the first basket in the team’s scrimmage.“It gave me chills for the first five minutes playing on Assembly Hall’s floor,” the younger Jones said after the game.Some of that nervous energy was evident. While the younger Jones did have a couple of highlights – most notably a dime that split two defenders to Nick Williams for an easy layup – he struggled as well. At one point, he missed everything on a pull-up 3-pointer and drew the ire of IU coach Tom Crean, who has stressed shot selection in press conferences this preseason.But the scrimmage was more practical than practice. Following the game, many players and their families took the floor for photo-ops, including the Jones family, who watched their son sign autographs and mingle with fans.“It was an amazing feeling. We’ve waited a long time for this night to come,” Sheila Jones said. “I was so excited, and now I’m ready for this season. I can’t wait to see what they can do this year.”Despite the three-hour drive, Verdell Jr. and Sheila Jones said someone would come down to watch every one of their son’s home games this season. The elder Jones, an AAU basketball coach in Illinois, said he hopes to see big turnouts inside Assembly Hall.“The tradition speaks for itself,” he said. “And a lot of people who are not here need to get on board now. Because if you go to other places around the country, like Fogg Allen Fieldhouse for late night, no matter what, it was packed. I expect the same thing here.”By the time Hoosier Hysteria ended Friday night, it was almost midnight. Players, families and fans slowly made their way out of the building. But after getting a taste of IU basketball, the elder Jones said he would be back.“It’s just such a pleasure and an honor for me and my wife to see our son accomplish this and play at such a prestigious university,” he said. “It’s just a blessing.”
(10/20/08 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tom Crean won’t make any guarantees about the upcoming season, but he will make a promise. He can’t tell you how many games the Hoosiers will win or how many years it will take them to make it to the NCAA Tournament. But with his team, fans, former players, recruits and a national television audience watching, he promised a return to IU tradition.Speaking deliberately, pausing to let every word sink in, Crean said, “I will never allow anyone to represent these gentlemen or to represent you without giving their very all on this court and their very best to Indiana.” Crean’s players did their best at Hoosier Hysteria to fulfill that promise.On Friday, with the exceptions of Kyle Taber and Brett Finkelmeier, the Hoosiers put on their IU jerseys for the first time inside Assembly Hall. “It was great, but I was so nervous when I put this jersey on,” said freshman guard Nick Williams. “But when I came out here in front of all these people rooting for us, it calmed me down a little bit.” Williams wasn’t the only one who felt butterflies in his stomach when he took the floor in front of more than 8,000 fans.Junior center Tijan Jobe said he was nervous. Freshman sharpshooter Matt Roth said the experience was “unbelievable.” Junior guard Devan Dumes said he “never would have imagined something like this.” The players started with layup lines, which soon turned into an informal dunk contest. They were basic drills, but it was also the first time most people had seen the 12 new Hoosiers in action. Showing some nerves, a few of the IU players slammed a couple of dunks off the back of the rim. “I was anxious, nervous and all of that together,” said freshman forward Malik Story. Before the Hoosiers took off their warm-ups and began their first official practice of the season, Crean showed a video to those in attendance in an attempt to display how hard the Hoosiers have worked this off-season. “We don’t have a highlight tape to show you, obviously,” Crean lamented.The tape showed what Crean and IU strength and conditioning coach Jeff Watkinson have been putting the Hoosiers through. It began with the Hoosiers, including Crean, working through karate drills trying to split a piece of wood with their hands. Seconds later, the team was running around Memorial Stadium, with the players running in a single-file line connected by a rope. The video showed the Hoosiers doing pull-ups and lifting weights, squat jumping, working with medicine balls, flipping tires and, of course, more karate.The video showed that while Crean values IU’s tradition, he’s also willing to try anything to make the Hoosiers better.To help his players appreciate IU’s history better, Crean has made a habit of bringing in former players to speak to the team this off-season. On Friday night, he gathered about two dozen former IU players to be in attendance for Hoosier Hysteria. Many of the former players wore shirts that read on the back, “Passion for the past, excitement for the future.” “That’s coach Crean’s motto,” said freshman guard Verdell Jones. “Tie the past with the future and build for the future.” Friday night was a glimpse of the future Crean has promised.Crean watched from the baseline as the Hoosiers scrimmaged in front of fans for the first time.One of the highlights from the scrimmage was Jobe, all seven feet of him, diving to the floor twice to grab a loose ball and pass it to a teammate. “I had to do it because that’s not up to me,” Jobe said after the scrimmage. “We have to do everything because we’ve got to win. We have a young team, so we have to do everything it takes to help our team.”
(10/19/08 8:13pm)
Thanks to the economy, and the fact that IU has 20-something varsity sports, we couldn't fit all of our men's basketball coverage into Monday's paper. Here are a few things worth a read:
(10/18/08 12:04am)
To mix things up tonight, we're going to combine our live blogging efforts with Chris Korman of The Herald-Times and John Decker of Scout.com. Click on the program below and join in on the action.
(10/17/08 6:18pm)
Note: Here is our Hoosier Hysteria preview that ran in today's paper. Be sure to check out the basketblog later tonight and tomorrow for our coverage.
(10/17/08 5:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tom Crean isn’t holding his first official practice at midnight, but you can expect the traditional madness.Despite being picked to finish last in the conference by “everyone and their brother,” as Crean put it, the Hoosiers’ first official practice will be a part of two national television networks’ Midnight Madness coverage.“A true ‘It’s Indiana’ moment for me is when ESPNU called me and wanted to be here as part of their kick-off for Midnight Madness,” the first-year coach said.The other four schools on ESPNU’s docket are regarded as some of the top teams in the country. Kansas is the reigning national champion. Davidson stars March Madness hero, Stephen Curry. And both Georgetown and Gonzaga are big programs with good teams this season. On the Big Ten Network, IU will be one of five schools featured on “Big Ten Tonight: Basketball Season Tip-Off Special.” The other four schools are early favorites to be tops in the conference: Wisconsin (Night of the Grateful Red), Michigan State (Midnight Madness), Minnesota (Tubby’s Tip-Off) and Purdue (Mackey Madness).And then there’s Indiana: A college basketball powerhouse with a small number of expectations and even fewer returning players. Nevertheless, the ongoing saga that is the men’s basketball team has drawn the interest of the national media’s Midnight Madness coverage. “We need a huge crowd,” Crean said of Hoosier Hysteria last week. “It is going to be a major league recruiting night for us with people that are committed and people that we are going to want down the road.”In addition to preseason coverage, Crean said televised games can be a huge recruiting tool when it comes to rebuilding the Hoosiers.“We want to put TV at the forefront of it, and we want to put recruiting at the forefront of it when it comes to major games. ... They have to have a recruiting element, and it has to be something TV is excited about.”On Friday night, the Hoosiers will have a slew of recruits in attendance and hope those who don’t make the trip will catch it from their living rooms.“I hope we can look back upon it and say that was one of the greatest things we ever did in our time, and I hope to coach here a very long time,” Crean said.Several, if not all, of IU’s class of 2009 commitments will be at Hoosier Hysteria, in addition to a large group of prospective Hoosiers. Scout.com reported that as many as 20 recruits from the class of 2010 and beyond will be in Bloomington this weekend. “We’re out there selling this crowd, this atmosphere, this student body and this tradition every time we recruit, every time we speak,” Crean said during IU’s Media Day. “The recruits are paying attention to it. That is why Hoosier Hysteria is such a big deal.” In addition to hosting prospective Hoosiers, IU is also bringing back nearly two dozen former players. Among those expected to be in attendance are Archie Dees, Ted Kitchel, Todd Leary, Errek Suhr and Kyle Hornsby. Unlike previous years when the likes of Patrick Ewing Jr., Sean Kline and A.J. Ratliff had Hall-rocking slams during the dunk contest, Crean said the event will be absent from Hoosier Hysteria this year.Following the women’s basketball scrimmage, Crean will show a video to the crowd before addressing the fans himself. Following his speech, the team will work through drills, participate in a shooting contest and end the night with a scrimmage. Prior to the scrimmage, the men’s team will face off against the women’s team in a hula hoop contest. “If it was me, it would be about an hour-and-a-half of full practice,” Crean said. “But I know that is not necessarily what is conducive to keeping everybody there that night.”
(10/17/08 1:31am)
On Wednesday, eight years ago to the day he was fired from Indiana University, Bob Knight appeared on the show "Mickey's Corner," a local interview program of WFYI in Indianapolis.
(10/16/08 1:46pm)
Despite sitting out most of training camp, Eric Gordon scored a game-high 33 points in his second exhibition game to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a comeback victory over the Sacramento Kings, 116-112.
(10/15/08 8:15pm)
In case you can't make it to Assembly Hall Friday night, you can catch a portion of Hoosier Hysteria live on the Big Ten Network.
(10/10/08 4:18pm)
DJ White's rookie season has just been put on hold.
(10/09/08 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Thanks to six months of preparation, Tom Crean is ready. The problem is, he’s not sure what for.“I think, probably like every other program in the country, we’re excited about getting started,” he said, pausing for effect. “Unlike most every other program in the country, we have no idea what to expect.”After spending the past two evenings answering students’ questions, Crean sat down Wednesday with national and local media for the program’s media day. His usual self, Crean tackled every question with his trademark enthusiasm.He answered the same questions he’s been answering since he took the head coaching job. Have you ever been in a situation like this? How bad were things when you got here? Can you win with this team?But despite hearing the same questions ad nauseam, Crean spoke Wednesday with the same passion he did when he accepted the head coaching job in April.Citing his team must work at a “fever pitch,” Crean said the team is starting to improve.“We’re anxious to see where we’re at. The challenges (we have) on a daily basis, we just never get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “We can show them improvement, we measure improvement, and we’ll continue to put the building blocks in place to make our program successful.”CARRYING THE TORCHSophomore walk-on guard Brett Finkelmeier played only 11 minutes last season.But with the mass exodus of players this summer, Finkelmeier, who didn’t speak with the media last season, is now one of the two returning players from last year’s team.“We definitely had problems last year, as you can see, and that’s why changes were made,” he said. “Coach Crean has made it clear that stuff won’t be tolerated. This year, we’ve been really good about getting stuff done.”Crean has said that when he arrived this spring, the team had 19 Fs to their credit and a reputation for skipping class. Finkelmeier, a finance major, said he “knew at times” what was going on but “didn’t know the extent to which it was happening.”“This year, it’s a whole different culture,” he said, “That’s what we’re trying to rebuild.”A FAN FORECASTCrean emphasized this week how much this year’s team needs the support of Hoosier fans.When asked Wednesday if he’s worried fans will turn on the team if they struggle, Crean said he has a “great feeling” fans will stay passionate.“I know it’s this time of the year, and I know how someone will feel in January or February could be completely different, but it can’t be. It just can’t be,” Crean said. “Not if we’re going to build this back up where people want it. “But we’re trying to make it where people are excited about where (IU) is going. I’d be shocked, but more than that disappointed if people weren’t. I don’t look at Indiana as place where there are fair-weather fans, I think this is different, completely different. That’s the way I was brought up to believe, and that’s what I saw coming up as a coach. And that’s what I believe is going to happen here as the head coach.” FAR FROM HOMEWhen freshman guard Malik Story told his friends back home in California he was going to play basketball for IU, they were confused.“People out there don’t know anything about Indiana,” Story said. “They looked at me like I was going to a (junior college) or something.”Story, who grew up in California and raved about In-N-Out Burger (“I miss chicken and waffles the most”), said the biggest difference between the two states is “everything is so small and far here.” “I’m used to seeing food places on every corner,” Story said. “No matter where you look, you see food. Here, it’s like a scavenger hunt.”
(10/09/08 2:52am)
Reporters had the chance to talk one-on-one with players and assistant coaches Wednesday. Be sure to check out our coverage in Thursday's paper or on idsnews.com. For a full transcript of Tom Crean's press conference check out iuhoosiers.
(10/08/08 6:38pm)
5:54: Just got to the newsroom. We talked to almost every player and coach today and will have several stories on tomorrow's paper and a few more updates tonight. I'll try and throw some nuggets up here as soon as possible.
(10/07/08 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite Assembly Hall’s most well-known chant being “Stand Up, Old People” the most highly-discussed topic revolving around the stadium’s seating is where the young people will sit.During his lecture’s Q&A session Monday night, three different students asked Crean about the possibility of a “unified” student section.Crean carefully tip-toed around the questions before apologizing he couldn’t “give you any concrete answers.”Though the Hoosiers sold 9,100 tickets to students last year – among the largest student section in the nation – there has been consistent pressure for years from the students to unify their efforts.Crean said that he isn’t involved in the seating at Assembly Hall but said he was discouraged when he heard students hadn’t been showing up on time for tip-off last season.After discussing the student section for awhile, Crean told a story about how at Marquette he helped unify the student section and all of the students eventually wore gold shirts or gold sweater vests. When he asked the audience if they would like the student section to be unified the crowd erupted.“I would like that too. Is that something you all would like to do? Wear the same t-shirt or something like that? Well then, that’s something that has to be looked at,” he said.“Give me time. Give me time to look at that. And we’ll go from there. We have to pack Hoosier Hysteria first, no matter if we have shirts on or not.”
(10/07/08 3:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>He didn’t need to call himself “Joe Six-Pack” or make any references to hockey moms. But by the end of the night, everyone in attendance knew Tom Crean was a regular guy.Bringing back a school tradition untouched since the days of Bob Knight, Crean delivered an enthusiastic lecture to the IU student body Monday night inside the IU Auditorium.A self-described “42-year-old man with a fair amount of energy and passion,” Crean spoke to about the 600 in attendance before taking a wide-variety of questions from the audience in an event presented by the Union Board. Illuminated by a lone spotlight and a cream-colored “IU” symbol on the curtain behind him, Crean took center stage to talk about his team.He opened by telling the audience he didn’t want to talk too much about the past but rather what the team faces ahead. He became animated when he talked about IU’s proud tradition, listing off a who’s who of Hoosier legends. He told fans he’d been following the Hoosiers since he was 10 and counts the 1987 NCAA Final Four as one of the greatest IU games he’s ever seen. The coach, who is famous for speaking a mile a minute, told the audience he loves to listen to stories about IU basketball, and that they, too, would have their own stories one day when they return to Bloomington.Then Crean told his own story, one currently filled with challenges and adversity. He spoke candidly when discussing the problems the men’s basketball program faces.Quoting Bill Cosby, who had been on the same stage just three weeks ago, Crean said, “‘I don’t know the key to success, but I know the key to failure is to try and please everybody’.”Crean stressed patience to the Hoosier fan base.“We are in a process right now,” Crean said, channeling Billy Crystal in Analyze This. “As a coach you’re judged by wins and losses, but the bottom line is this process that forms ... as you’re watching Indiana basketball go through this process, it’s going to shape memories. That’s what I’m excited about.”Crean was equally enthused when he ended his speech and opened the discussion to questions in the audience. He ripped off the watch from his left hand and said, “I got time if you do.”One student said she had lost faith in IU basketball stemming from the recent NCAA sanctions. Crean spoke of the school’s tradition and explained “there has to be something that keeps you going.”Many students asked Crean if he would support a unified student section, which has been long-held student goal. Crean carefully tip-toed around the questions before apologizing, saying he couldn’t “give you any concrete answers.”He asked the audience if they would like the student section to be unified, and the crowd erupted.“I would like that, too,” he said. “Is that something you all would like to do? Wear the same T-shirt or something like that? Well then, that’s something that has to be looked at,” he said. “Give me time. Give me time to look at that. And we’ll go from there.”The question-and-answer session concluded when a student asked about Crean’s wardrobe plans. The student noted that IU’s last coach was famous for a shirt-and-tie combination and a previous one was famous for his red sweater. Would IU’s 28th men’s basketball coach have his own trademark article? The student asked if a candystriped jacket or a full crimson suit was in the realm of possibility.“I’m not dressing like Bruce Pearl,” Crean said with a smile. “A crimson full suit, my team might not take me seriously. I know my own children wouldn’t.”Crean left the answer at that, took a few steps and then added, “I don’t drink, but I think I’d have to, to do something like that.”
(10/06/08 6:46pm)
Just a little reminder, Tom Crean will address the IU Student Body tonight at 7 p.m. inside IU Auditorium.
(10/03/08 10:09pm)
With apologies to Cem Dinc, there's nothing an IU basketball fan loves more than a homegrown product.
(10/01/08 1:27am)
Former IU coach Kelvin Sampson released a statement today through his publicist in response to the not-so-nice things IU had to say about him in their letter to the NCAA. Here is the well-crafted response Sampson's lawyers composed: