Better chance for a win this week: Wisconsin or Purdue?
(We'll have something from Crean and the players later, but I thought I'd throw out the question above first.)
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(We'll have something from Crean and the players later, but I thought I'd throw out the question above first.)
Update: ITH writer and IDS Hall of Fame member Eamonn Brennan has responded to the Deadspin story. You will like it. Click here. ------- Buzz Bissinger's favorite blog, Deadspin.com, noticed this morning that the Hoosiers lost their 18th game of the season last night and haven't been doing so well this year.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Unprecedented circumstances or not, the Hoosiers have now lost more games than any team in the program’s 109-year history.On Sunday, in front of a striped-out, sold-out Assembly Hall crowd, IU continued to reluctantly make history this season. The team’s 65-52 loss to No. 22 Illinois marked the Hoosiers’ 18th loss of the year, the most in IU history.With a few emotional bruises still remaining from the 31-point trouncing the Hoosiers (6-18, 1-11) received Jan. 10 in Champaign, Ill., several IU players promised earlier this week to come out with more energy and purpose the second time around against their border rivals.Instead, the first half was a scene Hoosier fans have become accustomed to seeing unfold this season: IU’s opponents couldn’t miss, and the Hoosiers couldn’t make.With 2:06 left in the first half, the blue and orange were up 36-15 after Michael Jordan’s son, Illinois guard Jeffrey Jordan, scored on a layup to put his team up 21.“We didn’t compete nearly as much as we should have in the first half,” freshman guard Verdell Jones said. “I thought we fought tooth and nail in the second half like we were supposed to.”Despite being public enemy No. 1 to Hoosier Nation, Illinois coach Bruce Weber was gracious in his post-game press conference, complimenting IU coach Tom Crean and his players for battling back in the second half and working hard throughout the season.“They could have quit at halftime,” Weber said.But they did not. Weber said the Hoosiers, who played their second straight game without the suspended Devan Dumes, used as many as five defenses Sunday and switched to a “line and three” defense in the second half, which confused his players repeatedly.Instead of playing basketball, Weber said his team got caught up “going for the jugular,” which helped the Hoosiers cut Illinois’ lead down to six with less than seven minutes remaining.But Illinois guard Chester Frazier – the infamous Eric Gordon chest(er) bumper – made sure IU’s comeback was fruitless.In the second half, Crean switched defenses and essentially dared Frazier – a career 29.6 percent shooter from behind the arc – to shoot.After turning down several open shots earlier in the half, Frazier accepted Crean’s challenge. With the crowd roaring, the shot clock winding down and his team only ahead by six, Frazier hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key that signed, sealed and delivered IU’s 14th loss in 15 games.Seconds before Frazier’s shot silenced the 17,346 in attendance, the Hoosiers were on a 23-10 run sparked by freshmen guards Malik Story and Matt Roth’s aggressive play. But Shaquille-esque free throw shooting kept the Hoosiers at a safe distance from taking the lead. Wearing out the back of the rim, IU shot 11-of-24 from the charity stripe.In his post-game press conference, Crean took exception, cutting off a reporter who asked him if he emphasized free throw shooting to his players.“No, I don’t emphasize it,” Crean said sarcastically. “What kind of question is that? Come on, now, seriously. Do you think we’re up there trying – I’m not up here trying to be a jerk, but do you think we don’t shoot free throws? All right? Nobody is up there trying to miss a free throw. Yes, we emphasize it. We have to get better at it.”One area in which IU did improve from its last game is ball handling. After turning the ball over 26 times at Minnesota on Tuesday, IU committed only 13 turnovers Sunday.But the team struggled in other areas. Roth was the only player to score in double figures, finishing with 13 points, and the team shot 27.3 from the field in the first half. The Fighting Illini, who possessed a height advantage at almost every position, altered countless Hoosier shots and blocked 10.“We take those shots in practice and nobody blocks the shot,” Crean joked after the game. “We take those shots in the game and there are three people in line to get it.”The team now has three days off before playing Wisconsin on Thursday. Before taking questions from the media after the game, Crean said Dumes’ suspension is “still very much a basketball issue” and he’s been in contact with Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and IU Athletics Director Fred Glass concerning the situation.Crean gave no timeline for Dumes’ return and added, “We’re just trying to take care of our house the best that we can, and certainly ... I want the league to be happy with it as well.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This year's Hoosiers have now lost more games than any other team in the program’s 109-year history. On Sunday, in front of a striped out, sold out Assembly Hall crowd, IU continued to reluctantly make history this season. The team’s 65-52 loss to No. 22 Illinois marked the Hoosiers’ 18th loss of the year, the most in school history.The first half featured a movie Hoosier fans have become accustomed to seeing this season: IU’s opponents couldn’t miss, the Hoosiers couldn’t make. With 2:06 left in the first half, the blue and orange were up 36-15 after Illinois guard Jeffrey Jordan scored on a lay-up to put his team up 21. In the second half, Crean switched defenses and essentially dared Frazier – a career 29.6 percent shooter from behind the arc – to shoot. After turning down several open shots earlier in the half, Frazier finally accepted Crean’s challenge. With the crowd roaring, the shot clock winding down and his team only ahead by six, Frazier hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key that sealed IU’s 14th loss in 15 games. Seconds before Frazier’s shot silenced the 17,346 in attendance, the Hoosiers were on a 25-10 run, sparked by freshman guard Malik Story and Matt Roth’s aggressive play. But Shaquille-esque free-throw shooting kept the Hoosiers at a safe distance from taking the lead. Wearing out the back of the rim, IU shot just 11-of-24 from the charity stripe. The team now has three days off before hosting Wisconsin on Thursday. Before taking questions from the media after the game, Crean said Dumes’ suspension is “still very much a basketball issue” and that he’s been in contact with Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney and IU Athletics Director Fred Glass concerning the situation. Crean gave no timeline for Dumes’ return. For more information, check the Basketblog.
This year's Hoosiers have now lost more games than any other team in the program's 109-year history.
My editors reminded me that today marks the one-year anniversary of the announcement that the men's basketball program had committed five "major" recruiting violations.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kelvin Sampson • Five “major” recruiting violations • Feb. 13, 2008Friday marks exactly one year since the above date – one that will likely live on in the minds of Hoosier fans. Never mind the fact that someone from Wisconsin nicknamed the “Polar Bear” had just banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to bust the Hoosiers - the NCAA had slapped IU’s program in the face 12 hours earlier with accusations that would make the loss irrelevant. If the night is truly darkest before the dawn, then things for the cream and crimson were approaching pitch black. Hoosier basketball would undergo unforeseeable changes over the next 12 months. The athletics director, the head coach, the assistant coaches and everyone but Kyle Taber and Brett Finkelmeier exited stage right. New personnel were brought in, stretching from Marquette to The Gambia. The slate hadn’t just been wiped clean – someone had bought a whole new drawing board. Multiple reports, investigations, resignations, proclamations, pride restorations and press conferences later, the Hoosiers find themselves here, once again on Feb. 13.It might be Valentine’s Day weekend, but don’t expect there to be any love lost when the Hoosiers (6-17, 1-10) play No. 20 Illinois (19-5, 7-4) Sunday at home.IU coach Tom Crean fittingly received his first Big Ten blowout on Jan. 10 at the hands of the Fighting Illini, IU’s bitterest rival since Sampson pulled the Eric Gordon rug out from under Illinois coach Bruce Weber.Weber’s memory: not that short.His team opened the game on a 21-2 run in January and rarely eased off the accelerator the rest of the way.On Sunday, the Hoosiers will have the chance to respond inside their own Assembly Hall. Although they have yet to win on the road, IU is 5-7 at home and has been able to hang with talented Big Ten teams when facing them on Branch McCracken Court.With only seven conference games and the Big Ten Tournament remaining, this year’s team might not win a third as many games as last year’s Hoosiers, but the stench of IU’s old regime is finally beginning to fade.A year ago, an IU fan caused a stir wearing a T-shirt that read “Bring Back Bobby!” to a game. The team was winning, but a recruiting scandal did not sit well with the loyal fan base. Ushers asked him to remove the shirt, but the defiant fan, a symbol of Hoosier Nation’s distaste with the state of the program, didn’t back down.Now the defiant fans regularly pack Assembly Hall to cheer proud for a team that has tied the school record for most losses in a season by mid-February.Last season, rumors swirled about the players’ off-court doings.Now accountability rules, as Crean declared in a press conference Monday while seated next to a humbled Devan Dumes. The junior guard was suspended indefinitely the day before, for his seedy on-court actions. Instead of running from the news, Crean and Dumes made it, apologizing for the elbow flailing with Dumes adding, “I never meant to hurt anyone.”Crean said the length of Dumes’ suspension would remain internal, and it is not clear whether the team’s top scorer and best on-the-ball defender will return for Sunday’s rivalry.The first time the two teams played, Dumes was forced to sit out all but three minutes after being benched from the starting lineup for missing the team bus. The junior entered the game late in the first half only to sprain his left ankle minutes later.Even if Dumes were to play against Illinois, the IU player could have a lot on his mind. On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Star’s Bob Kravitz reported Dumes’ mother and 8-month-old daughter had recently been hospitalized for various health issues.Without Dumes, the Hoosiers lost 62-54 at Minnesota on Tuesday. The loss marked IU’s sixth conference loss of 10 points or fewer this season.“I don’t know. I guess I’m just tired of being close (to winning),” Crean said. “Maybe it would be easier for me if we were getting blown out. I think we can win and I want the players to think they can win.“Much like they did a year ago, IU Athletics will hold a stripe-out Sunday to try to create a chaotic home atmosphere.As IU has shown over the past year with their dismissal of Sampson, former assistant coach Rob Senderoff and a slew of players, the Hoosiers aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to win – not if “whatever it takes” includes breaking rules.But Crean and new IU Director of Athletics Fred Glass have shown they will do whatever it takes to win IU fans back after the toughest year in the program’s existence. Just over a month into office, Glass has implemented $5 balcony seats, free T-shirts at one game and promotions such as Sunday’s stripe-out.Following the team’s 13th loss in 14 games on Tuesday, Crean reached out to his supporters once again.“I know our fans have been behind us all year,” he said, “and a packed Assembly Hall on Sunday is what we need right now.”
IU Athletics will see your White Out and raise you one.
Despite turnovers, foul trouble and the absence of Devan Dumes, the Hoosiers (6-17, 1-10) hung with the Gophers until the end. But IU's effort fell up short for the 17th time this season, losing at Minnesota, 62-54.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A few stray elbows could end up costing the Hoosiers an arm and a leg against the Gophers. With IU’s top scorer junior guard Devan Dumes suspended indefinitely, IU coach Tom Crean knows the Hoosiers (6-16, 1-9) will have a big void to fill tonight against Minnesota (18-5, 6-5). What he doesn’t know is whether Dumes’ absence will trickle down and take the punch out of an already shorthanded team. On Monday, minutes after his team finished practicing, Crean voiced his displeasure with the way his players were responding to the suspension. “It was almost like we were afraid to be physical,” Crean said of practice. “I don’t want that to happen. There is no one else in this league who is playing like that. I don’t want this instance to have us become gun-shy. I’m scared to death of that. At the same time, I don’t want us to cross lines.” Questions revolving around Dumes and his infamous elbows against Michigan State dominated Monday’s media session. Crean repeatedly stressed to reporters that the matter would stay internal and accountability would continue to rule in his program. Crean said part of his job is helping his players “understand what being a man is all about.” “(Former NBA coach) Doug Collins had a great saying,” Crean said. “‘I don’t care if you don’t like me when you’re with me, I only care that you love me when you’re gone.’” But IU’s first-year coach isn’t exactly kicking Dumes to the curb. In fact, the junior guard will continue to practice and travel with the team. Doing otherwise would be “counterproductive,” Crean said. Crean will now lead the Dumes-less Hoosiers against a Gopher team that beat IU 67-63 in the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 25. In that game, Dumes led the Hoosiers with 19 points and helped IU almost pull off its first Big Ten upset of the season. But the Hoosiers had no answer for the giant Gopher duo of Damian Johnson and Ralph Sampson III, who combined for 31 points and 14 rebounds that evening. IU now faces the daunting task of seeking revenge without its leading scorer and best on-the-ball defender. Crean called Minnesota one of the toughest teams in the conference and said he was well aware Dumes’ suspension was coming at a bad time. “I hate when a decision affects a lot more than the person involved, and that’s what this does,” Crean said. “It affects everybody in the program. Good, bad or different, he’s our leading scorer. I can’t make it any clearer than that.” While the Gophers have lost their last two games and have dropped from the college basketball polls, Crean said it didn’t make much of a difference, adding IU still has to face “a team that was ranked yesterday.” Without Dumes, Crean said freshman guards Matt Roth and Malik Story will be expected to carry some of the offensive load with one of the two filling the junior’s spot in the starting lineup. Although the two freshmen have yet to show much consistency, they have had flashes of promise. Story scored 14 points off the bench against the Gophers on Jan. 25, and Roth’s memorable game against Northwestern where he scored a career-high 29 points is still fresh in many people’s minds. The suspension shortens an already “relatively short bench,” but Crean said he’s not expecting his team to acknowledge the adversity in the game. “We’re not going up frustrated or angry,” he said. “We’re going up to compete.”
Despite turnovers, missed shots and three early fouls on Devan Dumes, the Hoosiers played a competitive first half against No. 14 Michigan State, the conference's top team.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The two coaches share more than just a first name and a profession. Simply put, Tom Crean and Tom Izzo are the closest of friends.Which is why neither is looking forward to Saturday’s matchup against one another when the Hoosiers (6-15, 1-8), coming off their first win in weeks, travel north to play conference leader No. 14 Michigan State (18-4, 8-2) in East Lansing, Mich. The two have known each other since both were assistants on former Michigan State coach Jud Heathcoate’s staff nearly 20 years ago. Years later, Crean worked as an assistant and associate head coach under Izzo after he became the Spartans’ headman in 1994. Each of the four years Crean and Izzo worked together, the Spartans improved. Their last two seasons together, Michigan State won the Big Ten regular season championship, and in 1999 the Spartans reached the Final Four. But the two Toms eventually split. Crean, recognized as one of the top assistants in the game, landed the Marquette head coaching position after the Final Four appearance. However, Crean and Izzo have remained close. Outside of the rare opportunity to see each other in person, the two are not looking forward to sharing a sideline Saturday. “I’ve always said it’s never fun to play your good friends,” Izzo said.Crean said he feels lucky to have a close friend like Izzo and said the two’s relationship transcends coaching and competing in the same league.“He’s usually one of the first people I hear from after a game,” Crean said Monday in his weekly teleconference. “He’s been incredibly supportive. We still talk about everything and compare notes. That will never change.”Saturday won’t be the first time the two friends have had to coach against one another. In 2007, Michigan State and Marquette played each other in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Prior to the showdown, Crean revealed the two had an agreement never to schedule a game against each other, adding they’ve “dodged this bullet so many years.”But the friends had no choice. The two coaches who usually exchange phone calls throughout the week were forced to plan against one another and scout each other’s weaknesses. Izzo described it as a “very difficult prep week.”Just like how Crean feels when he watches Marquette play, IU’s first-year head coach said he always wants to see Michigan State and his friend succeed – except, of course, when he has to play them.In that game two years ago Izzo’s team got the best of Crean’s, beating the Golden Eagles 61-49.Now, almost two years later, Crean will look to even the score even though he’s at a disadvantage.As much as he’d like to call Saturday’s game a rivalry, Crean admitted his team is “a ways away from being in a chess match with (them).”“I’d love to see it get to that point, believe me, but we just have to go in there and figure something out that allows us to compete in the game,” he said.The Spartans suffered upset losses at home to Northwestern on Jan. 21 and Penn State on Feb. 1, but rebounded Wednesday night to slaughter No. 19 Minnesota in East Lansing, 76-47.The Hoosiers, meanwhile, just snapped an 11-game losing streak and are coming off one of their biggest victories of the year. Crean said Wednesday night was a preview of how future teams will look and play at IU. But on Saturday, Crean will bring his current team to play against Izzo’s. It will be Crean’s first time coaching in the Breslin Center since he left in 1999, and he acknowledged it will be a “different feeling” going against his old pal.Izzo echoed his friend’s sentiments, explaining “it’s never easy” to play against a coach who used to be on your staff and maybe more importantly, a friend.“I guess once it’s over, it’s over,” Izzo said. “I think both of us understand the jobs we have and what we have to do.”
Tonight was finally the night.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>February could be a brutal month for the Hoosiers if they can’t find a way to beat the Hawkeyes tonight.Already immersed in an 11-game losing streak, IU (5-15, 0-8) faces its arguably toughest stretch of opponents this season following Iowa.After tonight the Hoosiers will play ranked Big Ten opponents in four of their next five games and face the possibility of having their losing streak extended to 17.The first ranked challenge comes Saturday when IU coach Tom Crean will go against his friend and former boss Tom Izzo.Izzo’s team, No. 14 Michigan State, is currently No. 1 in the conference.Three days later, IU travels to Minnesota to face the No. 19 Gophers, a team it already lost to this season. The Hoosiers will then welcome No. 21 Illinois on Feb. 15 – another team they lost to – followed by a Feb. 19 showdown against an unranked Wisconsin team.The treacherous five-game stretch concludes in Boiler country when the Hoosiers travel to West Lafayette to battle No. 13 Purdue for the first time under Crean.On Tuesday, Crean acknowledged the program plays in “a very good league.”“We’re getting better,” he said, “but so is everybody else.”Following Purdue, the Hoosiers, the only team in the conference with a sub-.500 record, will have a good chance to break their losing ways against Northwestern. The Wildcats, to whom IU lost by only two points on the road, travel to Assembly Hall on Feb. 25.Passion for the present, building for the futureYou won’t hear any IU players admit the losing streak is taking a toll on them, but Crean has begun to notice some side effects from the slide.“It is starting to wear on these guys a little bit,” Crean conceded. “The fact they are working so hard but not seeing that success for it.”Crean said he knows the losses have been hard on the coaching staff as well and that he is aware it’s been the same way for his players. So he’s tried to instill a “great resolve” in the program and keep his players’ focus on the big picture.Not only is Crean trying to improve his team day to day, but he’s also searching for players who have the “moxie to last through this and be here through the long haul.”“We’re not just trying to put a team on the floor,” he said “We’re trying to bring back one of the greatest programs of all time.”Coach cannot hear his players nowAs positive as IU’s first-year head coach usually is, he’s continued to harp on and be disappointed with his team’s lack of communication.Be it in practices or in games, Crean said Tuesday he has been “disgusted” with the team’s inability to converse on the court.The team is at a “tipping point,” Crean said, asking rhetorically if the players will talk to one another on the floor or continue to struggle with their mouths closed.“We have got to quit shooting ourselves in the foot in things we can control,” he said.One reason the Hoosiers have struggled to communicate is the team’s lack of leadership, something Crean said isn’t the team’s fault. About 70 percent of the team’s scoring and minutes played this season have come from freshmen.The need for ‘D’Saturday’s 93-81 loss to Ohio State marked more than just tying the school’s longest losing streak in history.The Buckeyes’ 93 points were the most an opponent has ever scored in Assembly Hall. The previous record was held by Michigan, who scored 92 points against IU in 1993.In addition to allowing Ohio State to shoot 64 percent for the game, Crean said the team “didn’t do a good job of denying (Evan Turner) the ball.”The guard/forward scored a season-high 29 points against the Hoosiers and pulled down 10 rebounds.Crean said the Hoosiers wanted to have the lanes covered to limit Turner’s ability to get to the rim. But IU often got caught in the wrong defense, and with the Buckeyes’ abundance of good players, the Hoosiers didn’t want to double too much and let a player like Jon Diebler beat them from the perimeter.“It’s hard to cheat off anybody on Ohio State,” Crean said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With Groundhog Day today, it might be appropriate that the Hoosiers keep experiencing the same bad dream over and over.On Saturday, with the players focused, the crowd borderline riotous and a two-point lead at the half, Hoosier fans once again were forced to ask themselves, “Could today be the day?”It was not.The Hoosiers (5-15, 0-8) reluctantly made history Saturday with their 11th consecutive loss, tying a 66-year-old school record. Ohio State outscored IU by 14 points after halftime and outlasted an unconscious shooting performance by freshman guard Matt Roth to beat IU 93-81.With the losses mounting, a desperate vibe continued to fill Assembly Hall. The season-high 17,202 spectators that filled the arena Saturday often became the mid-game center of attention.Officials were forced to stop the game several times to tame the rowdy students.Twice, the fans were warned for using inappropriate language in chants after calls went against the Hoosiers. Another time, play was stopped because players were hearing whistles emitting from the stands.In both instances, the students responded. They replaced their chants with a cheer directed at IU coach Tom Crean. Upset with call after call, students shouted, “throw a chair, throw a chair.” After the game, Crean said he didn’t hear the Bob Knight reference.When students were ordered to stop whistling, a five-minute chorus of furious whistling provided a soundtrack to the game’s action.Although Saturday’s game featured more middle fingers than foam fingers, Crean said he couldn’t imagine any fans across the country duplicating the support the down-on-their-luck Hoosiers have received this season. IU’s first-year coach added that although there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, he wanted IU’s fans to be “obnoxious and passionate.”In the first half, Crean and a majority of the fans in attendance argued with officials after Ohio State center BJ Mullens appeared to have committed a goaltending violation.Wary of saying anything that would get him in trouble, Crean paused frequently in his press conference when talking about Saturday’s officials, searching for a politically correct response that conveyed his frustration.“I had a referee tell me tonight, ‘This isn’t my first rodeo,’” Crean said. “Well, it isn’t my first either.”Crean berated the officials at times Saturday, smacking the scorers’ table and coming out to half court to argue a call.“I’ll never miss a game, have money taken from me or money taken from Indiana about any comments I’ll ever make,” Crean said. “That doesn’t mean that they are not being made privately.”The officials weren’t the only ones to stir up a ruckus against the Buckeyes. Roth’s 3-point barrage ignited a win-hungry audience. The freshman hit 9-of-11 from behind the arc, tying Rod Wilmont’s school record for 3s in a game, set in 2007.The sweet-shooting guard drained shot after shot to the crowd’s delight and Ohio State coach Thad Matta’s amazement.“I honestly wanted him to keep shooting because I was like, ‘This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,’” Matta said.But Roth wasn’t the only one grooving Saturday. The Buckeyes combined to shoot 64 percent from the field (76.2 percent in the second half). Four Ohio State starters – Evan Turner, Jon Diebler, William Buford and Jeremie Simmons – combined to score 91 of their team’s 93 points.At the beginning of the game, it appeared Saturday’s showdown would be different from the Hoosiers’ 77-53 Jan. 13 loss to Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes opened their first game against the Hoosiers with nine three-point plays. On Saturday, Ohio State missed their first attempt and junior guard Devan Dumes hit his.But the Hoosiers’ lead, which stretched to 12 with 9:23 left in the first half, did not last, and the Buckeyes came back to deal IU its 11th consecutive loss.“I don’t think there is a guy that I’ve seen involved with their program who wants to win more than (Crean) does,” Matta said after the game. “Knowing Tom, he wants it for his kids more than he wants it for himself.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With Groundhog’s Day falling on Tuesday, it might be appropriate that the Hoosiers keep experiencing the same bad dream over and over.On Saturday, the players were focused, the crowd was borderline riotous and with a two-point lead at the half, Hoosier fans once again asked themselves, “Could today be the day?”It was not. The Hoosiers (5-15, 0-8) reluctantly made history Saturday with their 11th consecutive loss, tying a 65-year-old school record. Ohio State outscored IU by 14 points after halftime and outlasted an unconscious shooting performance by freshman guard Matt Roth to beat IU 93-81.With the losses mounting, the vibe around Assembly Hall has continued to resemble one of desperation. The season-high 17,202 spectators that filled the arena Saturday became the center of attention mid-game.Officials were forced to stop the game several times to tame the rowdy student section. Twice, the fans were warned for using inappropriate language in chants after calls went against the Hoosiers. Another time, play was stopped because whistles coming out of the stands confused players.In both instances, the students responded. They replaced their dirty chants with a cheer directed at IU coach Tom Crean. Upset with call after call, the crowd chanted “throw a chair, throw a chair.” After the game, Crean said he didn’t hear the Bob Knight reference.When students were ordered to stop whistling, a five-minute chorus of furious whistling provided a soundtrack to the game’s action.Although Saturday’s game featured more middle fingers than foam fingers, Crean said he couldn’t imagine any fans across the country duplicating the support the down-on-their-luck Hoosiers have received this season. IU’s first-year coach added that although there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, he wants IU’s fans to be “obnoxious and passionate.”In the first half, Crean and a majority of the fans in attendance argued with officials after Ohio State center BJ Mullens appeared to have committed a goaltending violation.Wary of saying anything that would get him in to trouble, Crean paused frequently in the press conference when talking about Saturday’s officials, searching for the politically correct response while conveying his frustration.“I had a referee tell me tonight, ‘This isn’t my first rodeo,’” Crean said. “Well, it isn’t my first either.”Crean berated the officials at times Saturday, smacking the scorers’ table and coming out to half court to argue a call.“I’ll never miss a game, have money taken from me, or money taken from Indiana about any comments I’ll ever make,” Crean said. “That doesn’t mean that they are not being made privately.”The officials weren’t the only ones to cause a ruckus against the Buckeyes. Roth’s three-point barrage ignited a win-hungry audience. The freshman hit 9-of-11 attempts from behind the arc, tying Roderick Wilmont’s school record for 3s in a game set in 2007.The sweet-shooting guard drained shot after shot to the crowd’s delight and Ohio State coach Thad Matta’s amazement.“I honestly wanted him to keep shooting because I was like, ‘This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,’” Matta said.But Roth wasn’t the only one grooving Saturday. The Buckeyes combined to shoot 64 percent from the field (76.2 percent in the second half). Four starters on Ohio State – Evan Turner, Jon Diebler, William Buford and Jeremie Simmons – combined to score 91 of their team’s 93 points.At the beginning of the game, it appeared Saturday’s showdown would be different from the Hoosiers’ 77-53 loss to Ohio State in Columbus on Jan. 13. The Buckeyes opened their first game against the Hoosiers with nine three-point plays. But on Saturday, Ohio State missed their first attempt and junior guard Devan Dumes hit his.But the Hoosiers’ lead, which stretched to 12 with 9:23 left in the first half, would not last, and the Buckeyes would come back to deal IU their 11th consecutive loss.“I don’t think there is a guy that I’ve seen involved with their program who wants to win more than (Crean) does,” Matta said after the game. “Knowing Tom, he wants it for his kids more than he wants it for himself.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Saturday, with the players focused, the crowd borderline riotous and a two-point lead at the half, Hoosier fans were once again forced to ask themselves, “Could today be the day?”It was not.The Hoosiers (5-15, 0-8) reluctantly made history Saturday with their 11th consecutive loss, tying a 66-year-old school record. Ohio State outscored IU by 14 points in the second half and outlasted an unconscious shooting performance by freshman guard Matt Roth, to beat IU 93-81.With the losses mounting, the vibe around Assembly Hall has continued to become one of desperation. The season-high 17,202 spectators filling the arena Saturday often became the center of attention mid-game.Officials were forced to stop the game several times to tame the rowdy student section.Twice, the fans were warned for using inappropriate language in chants after calls went against the Hoosiers. Another time, play was stopped because players on both teams were hearing whistles coming out of the stands.The students responded both times. They replaced their dirty chants with a cheer directed at IU coach Tom Crean. Upset with call after call, the fans chanted at Crean, “Throw a chair, throw a chair.” When the students were ordered to stop whistling, a five-minute chorus of furious whistling provided a soundtrack to the game’s action.In addition to the officials, Roth’s 3-point shooting also ignited the win-hungry audience. The freshman hit 9-of-11 3-point attempts against the Buckeyes, tying Roderick Wilmont’s school record for 3s in a game, which the former Hoosier set in 2007.The sweet-shooting guard drained shot after shot to the crowd’s delight and Ohio State coach Thad Matta’s amazement.“I honestly wanted him to keep shooting because I was like, ‘This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,’” Matta said.
With the players energized, the crowd borderline riotous and a lead at the half, Hoosier fans were once again forced to asked themselves, "Could today be the day?"
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fifty days ago, the United States didn’t have a black president, the Arizona Cardinals were still dwindling in mediocrity and an outfielder on IU’s baseball team was spotlighting as Tom Crean’s sixth man.A lot has changed since the Hoosiers (5-14, 0-7) last won a game.After Wednesday’s heartbreaker to Northwestern, Crean and his players have lost 10 in a row. The team’s most recent victory came Dec. 10 against TCU. Back then, the Hoosiers were above .500, and few saw a losing streak of this magnitude in IU’s headlights.But since then reality has slowly set in. Facing unprecedented challenges, the Hoosiers have performed much like you would expect a team facing unprecedented challenges would, losing in blowouts and squeakers, Big Ten battles and non-conference gimmes.Should the Hoosiers lose again Saturday at home against Ohio State (4 p.m. tip-off), the team would tie its longest losing streak (11) in school history.A bouncing from the Buckeyes would connect the 2008-09 Hoosiers with the IU squad from 1943-44, led by former, and ironically named, IU coach Harry Good.That year, the Hoosiers finished 7-15. Between victories against Camp Atterbury and Minnesota, IU lost 11 consecutive games and opened the Big Ten season 0-10.Like a man with worn-out soles walking across ice, the current Hoosiers can’t seem to stop sliding. They’ve lost in almost every fashion imaginable, and despite the team’s visible day-to-day improvement and Crean’s undying optimism, the team has continued to lose.On Wednesday, Crean said his team’s 77-75 loss to Northwestern was one of the most intense contests he’s ever coached in. After freshman guard Matt Roth drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 75, it seemed like Hoosier Nation might finally be treated to a victory.But a personal foul led to two successful free-throw attempts by the Wildcats and put the pressure back on the Hoosiers. With 5.2 seconds left and the ball at half court, IU turned the ball over, depriving them of the chance to send the game to overtime or steal the team’s much-delayed sixth victory of the season.“Our guys really fought, battled, and I am very disappointed for them because that would have been such a great way to walk out of this city feeling really, really good about themselves,” Crean said.Instead, the Hoosiers lost. Again.America now has Barack Obama, the Arizona Cardinals have a chance to win the Super Bowl, and the two-sport athlete has returned to the diamond. But there is one thing that has yet to change over these past 50 days.The total in the Hoosiers’ win column.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The brain-scrambling sound of your alarm clock wakes you up. You hustle to your morning class across the frozen tundra and below a sunless sky. Your warmest clothes and unprintable mutterings about your professor comprise the miserable trek.With all of the distractions, one thing many students don’t typically take into account in the morning is breakfast.A candy bar on the way to class won’t provide enough fuel to sit through three lectures, let alone give the necessary consumption it takes to go through the men’s basketball workout schedule.A player’s average day could consist of classes from 8 a.m. to noon, followed by a three-hour practice. Add in a film session, study hours and some work with your strength and conditioning coach, and that candy bar struggles to hold up.This is why Jeff Watkinson, IU’s strength and conditioning coach, and the Hoosiers have exchanged many team dinners for team breakfasts. In his third year as the basketball team’s fitness expert, Watkinson has a point guard’s feel for the kind of bad nutritional habits college students often adopt. The Chicago fireball stays on top of his players by trying to instill the right types of behaviors in one of the youngest teams in the nation.Watkinson commonly struggles to make his players “get up and eat breakfast at 7 a.m. for an 8 o’clock class. They’d rather sleep an extra 30 minutes,” he said.Now, the team frequently congregates in the morning for some team grub – part team building, part feast.“It is that important,” Watkinson said. “If we’re going to have good practices, which is the most important thing for this team right now, getting better every day, then we have to do breakfast.”Two years ago, Watkinson tried to convince former IU guard Earl Calloway of the same philosophy.At the time, Watkinson was just trying to get Calloway to bulk up, not break Lou Gehrig’s record. The guard’s playing weight was listed at 173 pounds, but Watkinson estimates the guard weighed closer to 150 when he joined the program.In his junior year, Calloway slacked on his nutrition, not making the right choices and not consuming nearly enough calories to put on any weight with the team’s intense workout schedule.But during his senior season, the lightning-quick guard began to buy into what Watkinson preached. Although he played in 29 games both his junior and senior years, Calloway played 248 more minutes his final season, a partial testament to his improved eating. “Every morning, there would be Earl walking into the gym with a big bowl of oatmeal,” Watkinson said. “It took him time to realize that what we’re telling him, he needs to do.”Much like his first-year boss at the end of the bench, Watkinson is immersed in a rebuilding project. After “fine tuning” veteran teams, the Hoosiers have eight freshmen this season. But Watkinson believes the biggest period of development for a basketball player’s body is the summer between their freshman and sophomore years.The team already has seen some results. Two players who have improved as much as anyone are freshmen Tom Pritchard and Verdell Jones.When Pritchard first arrived last summer, the 6-foot-9 forward weighed 270 pounds. But then Watkinson’s workouts began. Some of them were diverse, as shown in a video during Hoosier Hysteria, but all of them were directed toward improving the team’s conditioning.Watkinson began to curb the big man’s eating habits.“I’m a big late night snack guy ... but that all changed in the summer when Coach Wat got on me,” Pritchard said.The forward began to eat a lot of salads and drink mostly water.“I had no snacks in my room all summer,” he said.Now, Pritchard is down to a more manageable 245 pounds.With Jones, Watkinson faces an opposite challenge. The lanky guard has done everything he can to gain weight, including eating a pizza every night.“You don’t even want to know,” Jones said. “It’s so much food.”Jones takes in a Michael Phelps-esque 7,000 calories a day, yet the 6-foot-5 guard only weighs 176 pounds.The freshman tries to counteract his high metabolism with protein and meal replacement shakes, but the intensity of the team’s practice and workout schedule keeps Jones from gaining much weight. Watkinson said he tries to do as much as he can day-to-day to help his players improve. But some of it, like a bowl of oatmeal, is on them. “I’ll take care of the workouts,” Watkinson tells them. “You guys take care of the other stuff.”