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(11/27/11 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One team has bared the blunt of two of its’ worst seasons in program history. The other has put its’ university on the map with back-to-back NCAA Tournament Championship appearances.While IU (5-0) and Butler (3-2) have had different paths in the past two years, their paths will collide at 7 p.m. on Sunday night at Assembly Hall in the Hoosier Invitational finale.“They play hard, that is the best thing they do,” IU freshman Cody Zeller said. “They have a bunch of Indiana guys that know how to play. Obviously, the last two years they have made it to the national championship game so this is going to be a tough game for us.”Zeller, who leads IU in scoring with 14.6 points per game, will likely be matched up against Butler big man Andrew Smith, who also leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 12.6 points per game.IU Coach Tom Crean said the responsibility of containing Smith will not fall solely on the freshman.“Andrew Smith presents a number of challenges and as a team we have to do a good job of not letting him get comfortable,” Crean said.Though Butler has been known in years past for its’ guard play with guys like Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack, IU junior forward Derek Elston said the Bulldogs’ frontcourt has been critical for them this season.“What impresses me the most is their willingness to have three guys go to the board every time,” Elston said. “Each time we have watched film on them, no matter what shot goes up, even if it’s on a fastbreak, there are always three people trailing the play and three people ready to rebound.“I think what we have to do is keep Andrew Smith off the boards and keep a couple of their more physical players off the boards.”Another thing IU saw watching Butler’s film was common opponents. Due to the round-robin style of the Hoosier Invitational and both teams taking a non-conference trip to Evansville, Butler has squared off with four of IU’s five opponents this season, posting a 3-1 record in those games.The 3-2 start for the Bulldogs is the same one they got off to in their National Championship runner-up season a year ago.“Their veteran guys have experienced winning at the highest level and have done a great job of transferring their experiences to their younger players,” Crean said. “They play very well together. They execute their offense and they cut hard. Defensively, they will get into you and make you work for everything you get.”IU currently ranks first in the country in field goal percentage at 55.4 percent and isranked 10th nationally at 87 points per game. The Bulldogs on the other hand, are allowing just north of 60 points per game.On Sunday night, something will have to give.“Right now, we are pretty set on taking it one game at a time,” Elston said. “Our steady flow has been good. We take each game seriously and we are not going to try to do anything differently. We are going to get out and play our game and I think that’s what we need to keep doing – play our game. We need to let the game come to us and not force anything and I think we will be OK.”
(11/22/11 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Derek Elston finally had a reason to smile on Monday night. The IU junior forward was all smiles after he scored ten points and had nine rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench to lead IU (5-0) to a 73-49 victory against Gardner-Webb (2-3). IU sophomore guard Victor Oladipo said the animated side of Elston they saw on Monday is one that the Hoosiers didn’t see last season.“Derek is a high-energy guy,” Oladipo said. “Last year, it was hard for him because he was hurt most of the year. Now he’s 100 percent, he’s healthy, he’s always smiling and he’s always joking. He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now. When I get stuck, 15-footer, Derek Elston is right there---trust me. And he’s going to knock it down, too.”The Tipton, Ind. did exactly that as he knocked down open jumpers to provide instant offense off the bench. In his first stint off the IU bench, Elston chipped in five points and four rebounds. Elston even knocked down his fourth 3-pointer of the year, which already eclipsed his total of three from last season ago. Elston said the deeper outside shot isn’t the only difference from last year to this year.“Last year about this time after Evansville, it was miserable coming in here every day knowing that I really couldn’t do anything,” Elston said. “Now, to come out here every day, to be able to practice every day with these guys, to be able to play the way I am right now, to be able to knock down shots---I can honestly say I go out there every time with a smile on my face.”After Monday night, Elston bumped his points per game average to 8.4, which is 3.5 points better than in his injury-riddled sophomore season. Elston said that in addition to being healthy, it doesn’t hurt to be open.“Me and (Jordan Hulls) talk about it when we go home. Why am I so open?” Elston said. “It’s because (Oladipo) drives, or Will (Sheehey) drives or Cody’s (Zeller) got a double team. It’s reassuring to know that they trust me to knock down any jump shot and that’s what I base my game off of.”Oladipo agreed with those sentiments.“These two are always open,” Oladipo said of Elston and Sheehey. “Whenever I’m stuck, it’s either Derek is open for a mid-range or Will’s open for a backdoor cut. It’s ridiculous.”Though Elston came in off the bench in the first half, IU Coach Tom Crean said he couldn’t help but start him in the second half.“He’s good enough to be a starter on this team. He just doesn’t start,” Crean said. “But he did in the second half and we needed a spark and I thought that he brought that in the first half and he didn’t lead us to believe anything different in the second half.”Similar as he did in the first half, Elston jumpstarted the IU offense, scoring the first bucket of the half. Elston helped lead the Hoosiers to a 23-6 bench point advantage that cemented their 24-point victory.Will Sheehey said while Elston has yet to register a start, it will be difficult to keep his versatility off the floor when the Hoosiers hit Big Ten play.“He mixes it up because he can go inside and outside,” Sheehey said. “He can post up and he can come out. He’s just a matchup problem. If Derek keeps rebounding the ball the way he does and knocking down shots, there’s no way he doesn’t play.”
(11/21/11 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Charity isn’t charity until it’s used for the greater good.On Saturday, the IU men’s basketball team took advantage of some charity for a good cause.The Hoosiers (4-0) lived at the charity stripe, knocking down 35 free throws to lead them to a 94-65 victory against Savannah State (1-3) at Assembly Hall. IU Coach Tom Crean chalked up the 29-point win to IU’s 35-17 advantage in free throws made.“There’s no question that when you’re making more free throws than your opponent is attempting, you’re not going to lose many games,” Crean said.The 35-of-47 output from the foul line was more than any amount made and attempted by IU in the Crean era.The Hoosiers’ ability to reach the foul line was premeditated by their emphasis to get the ball down low. IU junior forward Christian Watford said the players knew they’d be able to exploit Savannah State’s lack of size in the post.“We just wanted to get the ball inside,” Watford said. “We knew they couldn’t really match up with us inside.”While the Hoosiers were eventually able to draw fouls in the interior, Savannah State was able to keep things close early. Just less than nine minutes into the game, IU was tied with the Tigers at 14-14.Watford said Savannah State was able to have early success on the inside.“We let them get a little too deep in penetration in the first half,” Watford said. “We wanted to kind of just level them off, and that was a big emphasis going into halftime.”A 13-0 run fueled an IU offense that went into the locker room having shot 94.7 percent (18-of-19) from the charity stripe in the first half. The Hoosiers wouldn’t look back at their double-digit lead and were able to widen the gap throughout the second half by drawing more fouls.By game’s end, the Hoosiers’ three leading scorers were all able to find success on the interior, which led to free-throw attempts.Freshman forward Cody Zeller led all scorers with a career-high 23 points and shot 11-of-13 from the line. Watford cruised to a season-high 19 points and made all five free-throw attempts. Sophomore guard Will Sheehey kept up with that mantra, scoring a career-high 15 points and shot 9-for-12 from the charity stripe.While the Hoosiers shot only 3-for-6 from three-point range, Sheehey said it was IU’s aggressiveness that led to the 29-point win.“If we can just continue to keep sharing the ball and being aggressive toward the basket, I know we had a lot of free throws tonight, so if we can keep attacking the rim, we can score with the clock stopped,” Sheehey said.Crean said his team had no problem dealing with the physicality on the inside.“Our guys are doing a very good job of handling that, and they know the ramifications,” Crean said. “I don’t think we have wallflowers.”IU will have a chance to improve to 5-0 in the first 11 days of the young season when it takes on Gardner-Webb at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Assembly Hall.While the Hoosiers have won first four games by 20 points or more for the first time since the 1938-39 season, Crean said there are still strides to be made.“There’s a ton of room for improvement for this team in the short term,” Crean said. “But I think the long-term potential of it is there, too, and I think that’s really important.”
(11/17/11 5:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the first time in this young season, IU’s leading scorer from last season lived up to his billing.Junior forward Christian Watford returned to his ways of old, scoring 15 points in IU’s 94-73 win Wednesday against Evansville at the Ford Center.“Yeah, I got it going tonight, but my teammates have been helping me do a great job keeping my head up when times have been tough,” Watford said. “I’ve been struggling, but it’s all about the team winning.”Watford’s 15-point output was his first double-digit scoring performance of the season. After scoring seven points on 2-of-7 shooting in the season opener against Stony Brook, Watford scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting against Chattanooga on Sunday.By the beginning of the second half, Watford had already eclipsed his season point total, knocking down a three-pointer in transition. Watford had constantly struggled to hit the three ball preparing for Wednesday’s game, shooting 1-of-5 in the season. Watford said he felt more confident from beyond the arc against Evansville.“I felt comfortable,” Watford said. “I’ve always felt comfortable, they just weren’t going in.”Watford dealt with a preseason ankle injury and was not at the same physical level in the first two games, IU Coach Tom Crean said.“He missed some quality time,” Crean said. “He missed valuable time, which meant his conditioning, his rhythm and all of those things were not where they needed to be. He just needed to make sure he had his mentality adjusted to where it needed to be on the defensive end and on the rebounding end.”In addition to fueling the IU offense, Watford also made his presence felt inside. Last year’s leading rebounder brought down a season-high eight rebounds.“To turn back around and have 15 and eight and defend the way he did ... He had some very tough matchups, and he’ll continue to have that,” Crean said.Watford’s ability to penetrate also helped create scoring opportunities for his teammates. Watford was one of five Hoosiers to score in the double digits Wednesday night.Senior guard Verdell Jones, who scored 17 points and was 4-for-4 from three-point range, said Watford was one of the reasons he was able to find open looks.“Like I said before, when you have guys like Christian and Victor (Oladipo) driving, it creates wide-open shots,” Jones said. While Watford’s 15 points were still a point shy of his team-leading 16 points per game last season, it is a far cry from the 4.5 point per game average this season. Crean said Watford’s diligence during the week is the reason he was able to break through Wednesday night.“He’s a product of how he’s practiced,” Crean said. “He’s a product of his mentality, and if he continues to do what he did the last couple days, he’ll continue to have more good days like he had tonight.”
(11/16/11 5:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The pupil has overtaken The General.Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski surpassed his mentor and former IU Coach Bob Knight with his 903rd career win Tuesday night, becoming the all-time winningest coach in Division I men’s college basketball.“I just told Coach I love him,” Krzyzewski said in a postgame interview. “I wouldn’t be in this position without him. It’s a moment shared. I know he’s very proud and I’m very proud to have been somebody who’s worked under him and studied him and tried to be like him.”Krzyzewski coached on Knight’s staff at IU in 1974-75 and left to take the head coaching job at his alma-mater, Army. The two have remained confidants since, as witnessed Tuesday night.Knight, who was at Madison Square Garden for No. 6 Duke’s 74-69 win against Michigan State, served as a color commentator for ESPN. Following the final buzzer, Knight took off his headset to embrace his former assistant.“There is no one I respect more for the way he went about coaching and following the rules than Mike,” Knight said in an official release. “The history of college basketball has had no better coach than Mike Krzyzewski.”As far as the reaction from those close to Knight, perhaps none publicly commented on Krzyzewski’s record quite like Dan Dakich, a former Knight player and fellow ESPN color commentator.“Bob Knight won games with guys like me,” Dakich said jokingly of his former coach.Knight’s 902nd win came in the 2007-08 season at Texas Tech. Knight then retired on Feb. 4, 2008, and handed the job to his son, Pat Knight. Knight’s 902nd win came when he was 67 years old, while the younger Krzyzewski set the new mark at age 64. But former Krzyzewski player and current ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said his former coach isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.“Coach K ain’t quitting until his hair changes color,” Bilas said.Knight is no longer officially associated with the most prestigious coaching record in college basketball. But for Krzyzewski, the record is one he will always share with The General. “The basketball gods are good,” Krzyewski said in a postgame interview. “They put two guys who’ve done a lot in the game together, special moments, and tonight is another one of those special moments.”
(11/16/11 5:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Daniel Moore used to have a lot in common with the typical IU student.He was a generous 5 feet 10 inches tall, rocked a crew cut and some IU students said he would have been a decent basketball player at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. “Nobody really recognizes me,” the senior guard said. “I just kind of blend in with the average student unless I’m walking with somebody tall. Then they might recognize me.”But unlike his fellow players, Moore didn’t pay for the candy-stripe pants he wears at Assembly Hall for IU basketball games. There’s another thing Moore doesn’t have to pay for anymore: tuition. Moore is on scholarship for the first time this year after spending three years as a walk-on. “Now that he is being rewarded with a scholarship this year, I think he appreciates that,” said Mark Galloway, Moore’s coach from Carmel High School. “Some kids don’t. Some kids probably wouldn’t have stuck it out. But again, that’s his intestinal fortitude, and that’s his toughness that he has.”Before he was diving after loose balls at IU, Moore’s career took off while he was starting for Galloway’s squad in Carmel, Ind. Carmel was pitted against eventual 4A state champion North Central in the Regional semifinals of the 2006 IHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament. North Central’s star player was future IU freshman sensation Eric Gordon.Who was the lucky guy with the responsibility of guarding the future Indiana Mr. Basketball? Moore was the chosen one. While Carmel lost 47-22, Moore’s containment of Gordon made an early impression on his coach. “As a sophomore, he guarded Gordon and didn’t back down for one minute,” Galloway said. “Here’s a little sophomore guarding this McDonald’s All-American candidate, and he’s not backing down for a minute. We knew right then that we had a special player.”Just 17 days later, IU announced the hiring of former Coach Kelvin Sampson. While the heavily publicized recruiting war for Gordon was unfolding between IU and Illinois, Sampson also pursued the guy who shut him down. Moore, who grew up an avid IU basketball fan, said he quickly turned his focus to the newly hired coach. “(Sampson) didn’t really have to recruit me that hard,” Moore said. “I went to Elite Camp a couple times with Sampson, so he noticed me there, and he started talking to me. He actually asked me how tall my parents were because he was wondering if I was going to grow any more.”The 5-foot-10-inch Moore faced height obstacles on the basketball court, but that didn’t carry to the soccer field. In addition to earning first team all-state honors in his senior year in basketball, Moore received the same honor in soccer.“A lot of people told me that I should play soccer,” Moore said. “Five(foot)-10(-inch) white guys don’t make it in basketball very often.”Though outsiders told him his physical chops were more suited for college soccer, Moore had different plans. His summers were spent playing AAU basketball, not travel soccer. His ultimate goal was still to play college basketball and to do so at IU. But Moore’s lifelong dream would soon be in jeopardy.Moore verbally agreed to a preferred walk-on spot from Sampson. But when Sampson was fired by IU in February 2008 for making impermissible phone calls to recruits, Moore’s future was suddenly in limbo.With IU potentially out of the picture, Boston University swooped in and offered Moore a full-ride scholarship. His senior season had already come and gone. Moore was still undecided when IU hired Tom Crean on April 1, 2008.Crean reached out to the Carmel point guard within a week of being hired. Moore said Crean still wanted him as a preferred walk-on at IU, though Crean had never seen him play. With Boston still on the table, Moore sent Crean film and asked him to evaluate him after watching. Crean called Moore back and said he liked what he saw. Moore immediately decided that he would take his talents to Bloomington.Unfortunately for Moore, only two players from the 2007-08 IU team who made it to the NCAA Tournament would be joining him. Sampson’s firing dismantled IU’s recruiting, forcing many of his scholarship players to withdraw their commitments. A total of six walk-ons filled the roster for IU, Moore being one of them. But being a true freshman walk-on didn’t keep Moore out of the fire. Moore logged 20-plus minutes in nine of IU’s first 10 games and averaged 4.5 points and 4.1 assists per game all in 2008.Then reality kicked in. After a 5-5 start, IU finished the season 1-20. The 6-25 mark was IU’s worst record in school history. “It was really hard, especially being a fan of IU basketball my whole life,” Moore said. “I just kept saying to myself, ‘How would I feel if I was still watching?’“It was tough because at the same time, we knew that we were playing as hard as we could. We were just undermanned a lot of the time.”By season’s end, Moore had started in 10 of IU’s 31 games. But just because Moore started in games as a freshman walk-on, didn’t mean he was protected from the public wrath. Moore became a target on several fan message boards, where they criticized the fact that he was even playing for IU.“If I listened to everything that everybody said, I wouldn’t be able to keep playing,” Moore said. “People can be harsh, especially when they’re upset and they love Indiana basketball. I understand. I’ve been in that spot where I’ve been mad at players in the past, too. You’ve just got to take it with a grain of salt.”Help was soon on the way. Two ESPNU 100 recruits, Christian Watford and Maurice Creek, committed to IU, along with Jordan Hulls, who was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball his senior year. The arrival of Crean’s first hand-picked recruiting class meant Moore would play a lesser role in years to come. It also meant Moore would still be fighting for minutes as a walk-on, but he said the diminished role was one he embraced. “I’m a guy who helps guys get better in practice,” Moore said. “The minutes I get are great, but my main role is getting guys better at practice.”Moore’s numbers have taken a hit since his freshman season. His last start came as a freshman. He went from 17.2 minutes per game his freshman year to 7.2 in 2009-10 and 6.5 last season. He hasn’t scored in double figures since his freshman year. But Crean still calls Moore’s name, whether it is to shut down an opposing guard or provide a defensive spark. Moore said he knows what he has to do to earn minutes.“I knew that I wasn’t going to come here and be a guy that scored 20 points a game,” Moore said. “I was going to have to be a guy like Eric Suhr, who came in and was an energy guy and played as hard as he could as long as he could, who also pushed guys in practice and was a good teammate. “Those are the things that I knew I could do, and those are the things I’ll continue to do, regardless of whether or not I’m a scholarship player.”No longer can he be victimized by his critics with the walk-on stigma. So what does Moore say to those who still wish to bash him on the message boards? Bring it on.“I’ll see or hear a couple things, but it’s whatever,” Moore said. “People are entitled to their own opinions. If they really feel like that, then they don’t appreciate what I do. Obviously, I’m not the most skilled basketball player, but I play hard. I’d feel free to take on any challengers at the HPER.”Like Moore, IU will look to silence its critics this season. In Moore’s three seasons at IU, the Hoosiers are 7-47 in conference play. Additionally, IU is coming off a last-place finish in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers added freshman big man Cody Zeller this year, their first McDonald’s All-American since Gordon in 2007. They lost only one senior and boast players like Hulls, Watford and Verdell Jones III, who have multiple years of Big Ten experience under their belts. Moore said he thinks the time is now.“It’s definitely time to start winning,” Moore said. “We have enough talent, and we have enough experience. It’s not about playing hard anymore. We need to start winning.”Moore will not be enshrined in the IU Athletics Hall of Fame. His name will likely remain foreign to all college basketball fans who don’t bleed cream and crimson. He might even get a mixed reaction from the IU student section during senior night. But that’s not why Moore came to IU. That’s not why he shook off criticism after enduring the worst season in the history of one of college basketball’s most historic programs. That’s not why he stuck out three years of getting floor burns as a walk-on. It was about seeing his favorite childhood team win again and being one of the players who helped it do so.“He told me the other day, that as a senior, he wants to be remembered as a guy that helped get the program back where it should be,” Galloway said. “Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean starting in his senior year but rather helping the guys coming in there. He just wants to see Indiana win.”
(11/16/11 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When IU fans hear the words “The General,” they think of former IU Coach Bob Knight.When they hear the words “floor general” this year, they’ll likely think of Jordan Hulls.The IU junior guard has taken it upon himself to develop into even more of a leader this season. It’s something his teammates said they have already noticed.“He’s a lot more vocal now,” IU senior guard Verdell Jones III said. “He’s still little, shy Jordy, but at the same time, he’ll yell at a guy and you’ll be like, ‘What? Yeah, whatever.’ He’s adding more of a vocal presence, and it’s helping us. He’s a very cerebral guy, and he knows the game. When he talks, we listen.”At Bloomington High School South, Hulls had already made a name for himself in town. As a senior, Hulls was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball en route to leading the Panthers to a perfect 26-0 season, a Class 4A state title and a No. 3 national ranking in USA Today. A point guard for one of the best teams in the country, one would assume Hulls was a leader by nature. But an admittedly reserved Hulls said the title might have been more by association.“I’ve always been considered the leader growing up,” Hulls said. “But I didn’t used to lead too much with my voice.”One area Hulls didn’t lead was the recruiting rankings. Hulls was IU’s lowest ranked recruit in the 2009 class, which ESPN.com had ranked No. 12 nationally. It was just about the only accolade Hulls didn’t rack up in his senior season. But a low ranking didn’t prevent him from making his presence felt as a freshman. The Bloomington native earned his way to a starting role by midseason, finishing the year with 17 starts under his belt.This finish carried into last season, as Hulls was the only Hoosier to start in all 32 games. His 31.2 minutes per game was the highest of any IU player. Hulls is riding a school record of 41 straight made free throws into this season. While he stepped up on the stat sheet, Hulls said he had still wanted to have more of a presence. “Little, shy Jordy,” as some of his teammates call him, would have to break out of his shell. “I would tell people what to do, but I wouldn’t exactly scream at them,” Hulls said. “It is a little different, but it’s something I’ve grown into and gotten used to and something I need to do if I want to be a good leader. I’d like to not have to yell. If everybody did everything right, that’d be great.”What are Hulls’ reasons for yelling? It might stem from a 3-15 Big Ten season. It could also stem from the fact that IU finished 10th in Hulls’ freshman season and dropped to last place in the conference last season.With five seniors on the IU roster, Hulls said the need to win fueled the offseason mindset.“There’s definitely a different urgency this year than any other year that we’ve had,” Hulls said. “We want to send these seniors out with a good season under their belt.”While Hulls spent the offseason working on his leadership skills, he also worked to develop his all-around game on the floor.“Defense — that’s been my biggest goal this offseason: to get bigger, stronger and quicker,” Hulls said. “I’m not terrible at defense, but I’m not the best. That’s something I’ve been working on, but I still have a lot more room to improve.”Improvement is exactly what IU will be looking for after its third straight season below .500. But leadership doesn’t fill a stat sheet. Whether a new emphasis on leadership will translate into wins for IU remains to be seen. What remains certain according to IU players is that what leadership they will get will likely be coming from the mouth of “little, shy Jordy.”“Right now, Jordy’s the floor manager,” junior forward Derek Elston said. “We’ll go red and white every day, and if you’re on Jordy’s team, he’ll tell you exactly what you need to do. There is no if, ands or buts.“If you have a question, you go to Jordy now,” Elston said. “It really is unbelievable to see how far he’s come.”
(11/16/11 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s been 664 days since the IU men’s basketball team won a game outside of Assembly Hall.That game was a 67-61 win at Penn State on Jan. 21, 2010, in which former IU guard Devan Dumes led the way for the Hoosiers with 15 points.Yes, it’s been that long.IU (2-0) will look to break that streak when it travels to southwest Indiana to take on Evansville (1-0) today at 8 p.m.“Winning on the road certainly is a step that this group of guys knows it needs if it hopes to reach our goals,” IU Coach Tom Crean said.The in-state showdown will be at Evansville’s brand new stadium, the Ford Center, which has 11,000 seats. However, Crean said he expects to see plenty of the IU faithful filling those seats.“We are really looking forward to get a chance to play in the new Ford Center,” Crean said. “It’s going to be a great environment for us to play in. We will face a sellout crowd, and they are coming off a big win. The IU fans in that area have always been very supportive, and it would not surprise me to see a lot of fans from Washington there, either.”Washington, Ind., native Cody Zeller already made national headlines this week, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for his 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game in IU’s wins over Stony Brook and Chattanooga.Like IU, Evansville also started its season off with a weekend win. The Purple Aces erased a 13-point second-half deficit and took down last year’s national championship runner-up Butler in an 80-77 overtime win.“By coming back from a double-digit lead on Saturday, they showed that they are a resilient group,” Crean said.The Hoosiers had their backs against the ropes against Evansville last year, trailing 31-25 going into halftime. IU went on a 31-8 run to start the second half to lock up a 67-54 win, but that first half was not forgotten by junior guard Jordan Hulls.“It was a very good game last year against Evansville, and we do have some familiarity with many of their players,” Hulls said. “Our defense really was timely and we will need to be at the top of our game for 40 minutes.”One of the players the Hoosiers will look to stop is Evansville junior Colt Ryan, who earned Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week honors for his 23-point outburst in the team’s opening win against Butler.Crean said while Ryan is dangerous, the Hoosiers can’t afford to focus their attention on just him.“A lot of the players on both teams are very familiar with one another,” Crean said. “Colt Ryan really stepped up his game last year, but they have a number of guys who can hurt you. They are an experienced and veteran team that will take advantage of any opportunity you give them.”The Hoosiers have multiple opportunities today. They can take down an in-state rival. They can get off to a 3-0 start for the second straight season. They can also end a losing streak that has lasted for nearly two years. But senior guard Verdell Jones said they can’t afford to think about that.“Our mindset is only on the present,” Jones said. “We aren’t looking at the past, and we can’t worry about the future. Every game, home or away, we believe we can go 1-0.”
(11/14/11 5:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tom Crean, IU coach, has preached defense since day one of this season.On Sunday, Crean saw the defensive performance he was looking for from his squad.IU (2-0) rode the momentum of its defensive effort to a 78-53 win against Chattanooga (0-1) in the first game of the Hoosier Invitational at Assembly Hall.“I thought our defense was really, really good,” Crean said. “Obviously, the numbers bear that out.”The numbers Crean was talking about is the 27 percent shooting from Chattanooga, the second lowest in the Crean era. IU also unofficially had 66 deflections, a number Crean said was something he hadn’t seen before.“That’s the highest we’ve ever had at Indiana,” Crean said. “No question about it.”Leading the defensive effort was sophomore guard Victor Oladipo. After keeping Stony Brook’s leading scorer Bryan Dougher without a basket in IU’s win Friday, Oladipo was responsible for putting the clamps down on another scorer.Chattanooga senior forward Omar Wattad scored six early points to fuel the Mocs’ offense. Crean said the focus was actually on senior guard Keegan Bell, who averaged 9.7 points per game for the Mocs last season.“The key for us was the Bell kid, and to hold him scoreless was a really big deal,” Crean said. “Starting Victor on him and Verdell did an excellent job on him.”Oladipo switched off of Bell to guard Wattad after his fast start.“(Wattad) got going early, and my objective at first was to slow down (Bell), and I think did a pretty good job of that,” Oladipo said. “When Wattad got hot, Coach Crean asked me to go on him. So I did whatever it took to slow him down a little bit because he’s a real good player with a real quick release.”The switch paid dividends for the Hoosiers and allowed IU to stymie the Mocs with an 18-3 run to end the first half. Oladipo said the defensive game is what opened IU’s transition offense.“When we have great defense, we can just run the floor,” Oladipo said. “I think we can run. I think we can run with anybody in the country, so we might as well just do it.”After IU’s 18-3 to end the half, it started the second half on a 12-3 run in the first 3:26.While Oladipo was able to contain Wattad, he also posted a career-high 21 points, marking the second straight game he led IU in scoring.“That’s what separates Vic is that he can play both sides of the ball,” junior guard Jordan Hulls said. “He can guard their best player ... and be a huge threat for us.”Also joining in on the defensive effort was freshman forward Cody Zeller, whose six steals set an IU freshman record. The record came on a night in which Zeller was held to seven points. But Hulls said like Oladipo, Zeller provided a boost on both ends of the floor. “He’s not going to let the game get him down if he’s not scoring or getting enough touches,” Hulls said. “He’s always going to bring that defensive edge.”The Hoosiers will play their third game in six days when they travel to Evansville on Wednesday. Crean said Sunday was a game that his team will put in its back pocket.“When you have four guys that scored 25 or more in games last year, well then you know they’ve got some high-level scorers, and I think they’re good,” Crean said. “I think a win like this can really come back and help us down the road because this is a team picked win their division.”
(11/13/11 5:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Will Sheehey didn’t have to start or end IU’s season opener to make his presence felt. Meanwhile, Victor Oladipo started and finished his night with a bang.The sophomore duo combined for 29 points on 12-of-15 shooting to lead the IU men’s basketball team to a 96-66 victory against Stony Brook to open the season on Friday night at Assembly Hall. “It was a huge lift,” said IU senior guard Verdell Jones. “Those guys are so athletic and they make plays when things are broken down. They’re so active on the offensive rebounds with their hands and they just make plays.”Oladipo didn’t waste any time, scoring on a layup within four seconds of the opening tip. The opening bucket set the tempo for a career night.“He scored a lot of different ways,” Crean said. “He was a great facilitator. He did not look for shots that weren’t there. He took what was there and he attacked the rim.”After the quick score, Oladipo’s counterpart, senior guard Bryan Dougher, fired back with a 3-pointer on Stony Brook’s opening possession. But Dougher, who came in as Stony Brook’s all-time leading 3-point shooter, would not score another basket with Oladipo guarding him. Crean said Oladipo’s shutdown of Dougher showed how much he has improved defensively.“I think tonight he took a big step in that direction because he drew the assignment of their best player,” Crean said. “He drew the assignment of their go-to shooter/scorer, the guy that when you look back last year, when he plays well, they play well. He wanted that challenge and I thought he did a good job and I thought it got his offense going.” Though Oladipo’s 16 points tied a career high and he shut down Stony Brook’s top returning scorer, Crean said there were times that he looked gassed.“A couple times (Oladipo) got tired and he stood up but when you’re playing hard, that’s going to happen some,” Crean said. “When you can go to the bench and hopefully not have a big drop-off that helps.”The man who came in for Oladipo was Sheehey, who also wasted little time getting involved. Within 30 seconds, Sheehey already knocked home a 3-pointer. Though it was the only 3-pointer Sheehey made, he found a variety of ways to score.By the time Sheehey’s half was over, the stat sheet was filled. In just ten minutes of action, Sheehey scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and brought down five rebounds. However, that would be the end of Sheehey’s night. The sophomore battled flu-like symptoms and didn’t play in the second half. “If he wasn’t feeling well in the first half, hopefully he’ll stay sick like that more often,” Crean said. “I thought he did a really good job coming in, bringing energy and reading the game.” The 29 points for “Sheeladipo” was the largest single-game scoring output by the duo. Though Oladipo started and Sheehey came in off the bench tonight, Crean said that won’t always be the case.“We didn’t start Will tonight even though he is a starter in my mind because we needed to be a little bigger,” Crean said. “At the same time, we wanted Will to come in and put that kind of pressure on (Dougher).”The duo and the rest of the Hoosiers won’t have much time to enjoy their season-opening win. The Hoosiers will take on Chattanooga this Sunday at 5 p.m. at Assembly Hall. But for now, IU is off to a 1-0 start and for a team that finished under .500 in each of the last three seasons---they’ll take it.
(11/11/11 5:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s basketball team has won 13 straight season openers.The Hoosiers have won by a 23-point average in each of the three season openers in the Tom Crean era. IU is riding a 26-game winning streak in home openers.Despite this success, Crean said Stony Brook is not a team that will ease the Hoosiers into the regular season.“We’re going to be tested as much as our time here in openers and as much as any that I’ve been a part of as a head coach,” Crean said.The Hoosiers will look to pass that test when they take on Stony Brook at 7 p.m. Friday in Assembly Hall to kick off the 2011-12 campaign. While the Seawolves hail from the America East Conference, Crean said they remind him of a Big Ten foe. “They have Wisconsin tendencies,” Crean said. “They have a pace that they want to play at. They have a style that they want to play. There’s a place where they really score well, and that’s when they win.”Like Wisconsin, Stony Brook gets production from beyond the arc. Stony Brook guard Bryan Dougher is not only the Seawolves’ leading returning scorer — he also set the school record for three-pointers.Sophomore forward Will Sheehey said IU will have to make quick improvements in its perimeter defense in order to contain a guy like Dougher.“Coming in versus Stony Brook, we definitely want to get out on the shooters more,” Sheehey said. “We want to give them less space on the perimeter than we did against Indianapolis. We gave up too many open threes against Indianapolis.”Though they finished 15-17 (8-8 in conference), the Seawolves were picked to finish second in the America East Preseason Poll.Crean said it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Stony Brook dancing in March.“We wanted to schedule in a sense of playing teams that are going to be high-level, especially in their league, especially in their RPI, teams that have a chance of making the NCAA Tournament when their season comes to a close in the regular season,” Crean said. “I think we’ve accomplished that with Stony Brook. With all that being said, they’re even better than that.”In addition to squaring off with a team with NCAA Tournament aspirations Friday night, the Hoosiers won’t have much time to lick their wounds. IU will be back in action Sunday against Chattanooga at 5 p.m. in Assembly Hall.The quick turnaround is something sophomore guard Victor Oladipo said didn’t really cross his mind.“The (biggest concern) is just being fatigued or maybe a little tired,” Oladipo said. “But I don’t even think that’s going to be an issue, to tell you the truth. I haven’t really thought about concerns. I’m just ready to play.”Friday night will be the first time this season that IU will have a mark in the record column by game’s end, but the 13-year head coach said his players can’t afford to get caught in the excitement of the first regular season game.“It’ll be fun to have our opener here. It’ll be fun to have a great crowd, but there will be nothing fun about that game when it comes to playing and coaching in it,” Crean said. “It will be an absolute battle.”
(11/07/11 4:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Thursday, IU Coach Tom Crean said IU had undergone the least amount of offensive development he had seen as a head coach.It didn’t show.The Hoosiers won their first and only exhibition game, defeating the University of Indianapolis, 90-72, Saturday at Assembly Hall. IU was aided by a 50-point outburst in the first half, that allowed IU a double-digit lead the entire second half.Leading the Hoosiers’ scoring were sophomore forward Will Sheehey with 18 points, freshman forward Cody Zeller with 16 points and junior guard Jordan Hulls with 14 points. Three players in double digits, something Crean said has been a major point of emphasis.“What we’ve tried to really address and harp on with this team is that if we’re going to score points that’s needed to win at a high level,” Crean said. “And it doesn’t just come from one or two people. It comes in a balanced way.”One of IU’s offensive cogs was Hulls, who had a clean line, shooting 3 for 3 from the field, including 2 for 2 from beyond the arc, and knocking down all six of his free-throw attempts. The junior point guard also distributed the wealth, dishing out five assists.Sheehey, who averaged 4.8 points per game as a freshman last season, led the offensive attack, shooting 8 for 11 from the field. Sheehey only scored in double figures three times last season, none of which were higher than his 18 points on Saturday.“I think he could (lead the team in scoring), but like I said, we don’t care who gets the credit,” Hulls said. “We’d love for everybody to score 20 points. If Will scores all the points, great. He’s fully capable of it, obviously.” The Hoosiers turned the ball over seven times, allowing IU to control the tempo in the half-court game. It’s an area Hulls said IU must continue to improve on.“That’s something we’ve really been harping on in practice in the summer and in all those workouts is taking care of the ball,” Hulls said. While IU was able to get double-digit efforts from multiple players, last year’s leading scorer, junior forward Christian Watford, was limited to eight points. Watford, who averaged 16 points per game last season, is coming off an ankle injury. But Crean said Watford made his presence felt in the second half by putting the clamps on UIndy’s Adrian Moss, who led all scorers with 22 points.“I was really happy with the way Christian guarded,” Crean said. “We’re trying to get him integrated back because he’s been out for a while, and he’s really only had a couple practices that I would say are Christian Watford-level-of-play practices, but he came in tonight, and he defended.”Watford and the rest of IU will have a full week of practice to work out the kinks before they open the regular season with Stony Brook on Friday at Assembly Hall. But as he said before Saturday night, Crean said the emphasis is still on the defense.“Right now, our team defense has got to carry us, and eventually, we’re going to have to have some individual guys that can really lock people up, and we’re not there yet,” Crean said. “A lot of room for improvement, but a lot of improvement was made.”
(11/04/11 6:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s basketball team will kick off its season with an exhibition game against the University of Indianapolis at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Assembly Hall. Here’s a look inside the numbers of how IU has fared in exhibition games in the Tom Crean era:IU is averaging 88.83 points per exhibition game.IU’s opposing teams are averaging 61.17 points per exhibition game.Watford leads all IU players in points per exhibition games (minimum two games).Watford is averaging 20.5 points and 6.75 rebounds per exhibition game compared to 13.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per regular season game.Pritchard is averaging 9 points and 6.67 rebounds per exhibition game compared to 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per regular season game.IU averages a 27.67-point win in exhibition games compared to a 4.51-point loss per regular season game in the Crean era.
(10/28/11 2:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It has been the worst three-year span in the history of IU basketball.The IU men’s basketball team is 28-66 in the Tom Crean era. It is 8-46 in Big Ten play during that three-year period. On top of that, the Hoosiers are 1-26 in Big Ten road games under Crean.But you wouldn’t know it based on the perception gathered by the rest of the conference coaches at Big Ten Basketball Media Day on Thursday.“I think Tom Crean has it going in the right direction,” Minnesota Coach Tubby Smith said. “This year, they’re probably in better position than in the last couple years because the league is very talented, but I think there’s more balance from top to bottom.” Some of the parity Smith referenced could stem from teams like Illinois, which made the NCAA Tournament last year but lost four starters this year.The man at the helm of that Illinois program wasn’t afraid to share his distaste of IU prior to the 2008-09 season. Illinois Coach Bruce Weber infamously predicted that IU would “suck” that season.So, did Weber have similar thoughts on IU heading into this year? Not exactly.“I’ve said since last spring, the two teams with the most guys back and the most experience are Indiana and Iowa,” Weber said. “Now, they were your 10th and 11th place teams, so some people look at the good and bad of it. But I think both those teams could be major factors in our league.”Several Big Ten coaches talked about the instant impact of IU freshman Cody Zeller, who was Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in his senior season at Washington High School. Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said Zeller solidifies an IU team ready to take the next step.“You take Cody Zeller out of the mix, and I think everybody felt IU was going to be a good team this year,” McCaffery said. “You add him to the mix, and obviously that changes even more.”It’s no secret Zeller is the Hoosiers’ first McDonald’s All-American since Eric Gordon in 2007. It’s also no secret IU hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since Gordon’s single season in Bloomington.However Penn State Coach Patrick Chambers said the three-year, postseason drought does not define the IU program.“The perception of Indiana in my mind is the same,” Chambers said. “I don’t look at Indiana any differently if Tom Crean or Bob Knight was there.”Similar to the newly hired Chambers, another fresh face to the Big Ten also said the IU tide is turning quickly.“I can assure you that Indiana Basketball — and I think you’ll see it this year — is going back to the top to where the people of Indiana want it and expect it to be,” Nebraska Coach Doc Sadler said.Expectations are higher. IU students have already amassed last year’s season ticket sales in anticipation of improvement. Whether the Hoosiers will live up to that hype remains to be seen. One thing was made certain at Big Ten Media Day. No coach in the conference is looking at IU’s last three seasons as a barometer for this one.“I think you’re going to see Indiana take as big a jump as anybody,” Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said. “Indiana will be back. I know it’s not as fast as their fans want it nor is it as fast as Tom Crean wants it, but I think you’re going to see them take a big jump this year (and) then get consistent like we’re used to seeing Indiana.”
(10/24/11 3:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On a day when all the buzz surrounded a young quarterback not wearing an IU uniform, Tre Roberson made Hoosier fans notice one that was.Roberson became the first true freshman to start at quarterback in school history Saturday afternoon. Though the result for IU (1-7, 0-4) was a 45-24 loss to Iowa (5-2, 2-1), Roberson was 16-for-24 for 197 yards with a touchdown through the air. He ran the ball 16 times for 84 yards and another score.“He did fantastic,” sophomore wide receiver Kofi Hughes said. “I think he did great, especially for a first start, to have no turnovers or anything like that.”While the news of Roberson’s start broke hours before Saturday’s game, he said he had known since Monday. IU Coach Kevin Wilson said the decision to start Roberson was one he knew wouldn’t overwhelm the true freshman.“He definitely showed a calmness in games,” Wilson said. “It looked like the more he has played in the last two weeks, the better he has practiced.”Roberson showed that calmness early with the Hoosiers already facing a 7-0 deficit after the Hawkeyes scored on their opening drive.The reigning Indiana Mr. Football led IU on a 12-play, 88-yard drive that concluded with his first career touchdown pass to true freshman wide receiver Cody Latimer. During an opening scoring drive in which Roberson converted twice on third down and completed all four pass attempts, the true freshman said he got the boost he needed.“It gave me a lot of confidence, knowing that I could do this, and I could do this over and over again,” Roberson said. “That’s what I feel like in my mind that as a team, we can keep on scoring over and over.”IU kept that mantra on its next drive after another Iowa score. Down 14-7, Roberson marched the Hoosiers down the field again, converting third down after third down. This time, the 13-play, 73-yard drive ended with sophomore running back Stephen Houston punching it in from a yard out to even it up at 14-14. By day’s end, IU would rack up four drives of at least 70 yards, an accomplishment it had yet to achieve this season.“That’s really important,” Roberson said. “That just gives our team more confidence, knowing that we can start from way down and make it to the other side of the 50 pretty much any time we want.”Though IU didn’t continue to match Iowa’s offense, Roberson didn’t throw an incompletion until the beginning of the third quarter.Roberson connected with nine different IU receivers and led the Hoosiers to 414 yards of total offense, their highest output since a 38-21 win against South Carolina State on Sept. 17.“I’ve seen leadership out of him,” Latimer said. “He ran the offense well. He looked for everybody, threw some great passes and played hard.”Hughes said there was a reason Roberson looked as prepared as he was on Saturday.“He has been upstairs in that film room a lot,” Hughes said. “That’s a big thing. Tre is always with the coaches, always studying film and always getting better. “Tre is very humble where he can listen to a lot of different people, and he’s trying to do everything right. He’s not cocky at all, and I think that’s what makes Tre great, is that he’s open to learning and open to do more things.”Whether or not Roberson will be the quarterback of the future has yet to be determined. But for a kid who celebrated his 19th birthday Saturday, Roberson might have been the one who gave the Hoosiers a gift.“We only expect that when it’s everyone’s time to go out there that they do their job the right way,” Hughes said. “Tre was definitely above expectations.”
(10/17/11 3:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Victor Oladipo sang like Usher, freshman Cody Zeller dunked repeatedly and junior Derek Elston drained half-court shots.But Hoosier Hysteria belonged to Will Sheehey.The sophomore forward put on a show for the crowd of 16,100 that filed into Assembly Hall on Saturday for the annual basketball kick-off event. Not only did Sheehey steal the slam-dunk crown from the reigning champion Oladipo, he also unofficially poured in 12 points in the team scrimmage.Senior forward Kory Barnett said a little imagination was the only way Sheehey was going to be able take down Oladipo.“I give it all to Kory Barnett,” Sheehey said. “He was like, ‘Will, to win, you’ve got to do something more creative than (Oladipo),’ which is tough.”The dunk Sheehey referenced was a dual effort from himself and senior guard Daniel Moore. A former high school soccer player, Moore received an underhand toss from Sheehey off the backboard. Moore then headed the ball back to Sheehey, who threw it down for the alley-oop.While the multi-sport alley-oop was a new sight to Hoosier fans, Sheehey also gave IU fans a blast from the past.Sheehey reenacted the Feb. 5 dunk against Iowa’s Melsahn Basabe that made him a YouTube sensation. This time, however, the role of Basabe was played by 6-foot-9-inch senior Tom Pritchard.The dunk once again ignited a Hoosier Hysteria crowd that freshman Remy Abell said was at a capacity he had never witnessed before.“I really was surprised,” Abell said. “I expected it to be packed, but not that packed.”The raucous crowd also saw a side of Sheehey it hadn’t seen before. Keeping up with the creativity mantra of the evening, Sheehey snapped away his candy-stripe pants to show off a pair of retro IU shorts that reached his mid-thigh.Sheehey said Barnett provided the inspiration behind the wardrobe alteration.“I don’t know where he got them from,” Sheehey said. “I think he’s got a red and a white pair. I think they were Calbert (Cheaney’s) shorts, to be honest with you. No, I’m just kidding. They’re not.”Sheehey did his best imitation of Cheaney, the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer, in the team scrimmage to conclude the event. The 6-foot-6-inch forward, who averaged 4.8 points per game as a freshman last season, was the main source of offense for the white team.Sheehey led all scorers, with the exception of junior guard Jordan Hulls, who scored 13. For a player who scored in double-digits three times during his freshman campaign, the night was an offensive outburst for Sheehey.IU fans came to Hoosier Hysteria in larger numbers than any previous year in the Tom Crean era. All were eager to get a sneak peak of what was new about the 2011-12 IU squad. Sheehey said he did everything he could to try to show them.“It’s kind of hard to explain,” Sheehey said. “Anytime you see a crowd that big — and it grew so much since last year — it’s a good feeling to know that many people back you up.”
(10/17/11 2:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Victor Oladipo sang like Usher, freshman Cody Zeller dunked repeatedly and junior Derek Elston drained half-court shots.But Hoosier Hysteria belonged to Will Sheehey.The sophomore forward put on a show for the crowd of 16,100 that filed into Assembly Hall on Saturday for the annual basketball kick-off event. Not only did Sheehey steal the slam-dunk crown from the reigning champion Oladipo, he also unofficially poured in 12 points in the team scrimmage.Senior forward Kory Barnett said a little imagination was the only way Sheehey was going to be able take down Oladipo.“I give it all to Kory Barnett,” Sheehey said. “He was like, ‘Will, to win, you’ve got to do something more creative than (Oladipo),’ which is tough.”The dunk Sheehey referenced was a dual effort from himself and senior guard Daniel Moore. A former high school soccer player, Moore received an underhand toss from Sheehey off the backboard. Moore then headed the ball back to Sheehey, who threw it down for the alley-oop.While the multi-sport alley-oop was a new sight to Hoosier fans, Sheehey also gave IU fans a blast from the past.Sheehey reenacted the Feb. 5 dunk against Iowa’s Melsahn Basabe that made him a YouTube sensation. This time, however, the role of Basabe was played by 6-foot-9-inch senior Tom Pritchard.The dunk once again ignited a Hoosier Hysteria crowd that freshman Remy Abell said was at a capacity he had never witnessed before.“I really was surprised,” Abell said. “I expected it to be packed, but not that packed.”The raucous crowd also saw a side of Sheehey it hadn’t seen before. Keeping up with the creativity mantra of the evening, Sheehey snapped away his candy-stripe pants to show off a pair of retro IU shorts that reached his mid-thigh.Sheehey said Barnett provided the inspiration behind the wardrobe alteration.“I don’t know where he got them from,” Sheehey said. “I think he’s got a red and a white pair. I think they were Calbert (Cheaney’s) shorts, to be honest with you. No, I’m just kidding. They’re not.”Sheehey did his best imitation of Cheaney, the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer, in the team scrimmage to conclude the event. The 6-foot-6-inch forward, who averaged 4.8 points per game as a freshman last season, was the main source of offense for the white team.Sheehey led all scorers, with the exception of junior guard Jordan Hulls, who scored 13. For a player who scored in double-digits three times during his freshman campaign, the night was an offensive outburst for Sheehey.IU fans came to Hoosier Hysteria in larger numbers than any previous year in the Tom Crean era. All were eager to get a sneak peak of what was new about the 2011-12 IU squad. Sheehey said he did everything he could to try to show them.“It’s kind of hard to explain,” Sheehey said. “Anytime you see a crowd that big — and it grew so much since last year — it’s a good feeling to know that many people back you up.”
(10/13/11 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>He just underwent his third major surgery in the last 22 months, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at Maurice Creek.Creek, who had surgery Monday to repair his torn Achilles tendon, addressed the media Wednesday for the first time since the injury. Instead of having a ‘woe is me’ attitude, Creek spoke about his comeback. After all, he has been through this process a couple times already.“It happened. It’s not the end of the world,” Creek said. “It can’t be something where I put my head down. I’ve got to just take it one step at a time.”Unlike his first two injuries, this one took place off the court. Creek said he was walking down the stairs in his apartment when he stepped on a stair wrong, causing the back of his left foot to slip out. He felt a snap.Creek called it a “freak accident” and said he initially thought it was a sprain because he could still walk on it. But after the training staff tried to work on it, Creek said it felt sore, and he knew something was wrong. IU Coach Tom Crean said Creek’s return for this season is “highly doubtful.” Fortunately for IU, because the injury happened before the season, Crean said he is certain Creek will redshirt and not lose a year of eligibility.But don’t think Crean wants Creek to alienate himself from the team just because he won’t be in uniform.“My challenge as the caretaker of this program is to help him grow no matter what,” Crean said. “We’re going to continue to find ways that he can help this team, even when he’s not on the court, that not only help them in the short term and help us in the short term but will help him in the long term with the growth process he’s on.”Creek’s teammates were present to support him in the Assembly Hall media room Wednesday. But for the rest of the season, those roles will be flipped.“I look at it as me being a coach,” Creek said. “Like I said, I’ve been through this road before, and I was coaching these guys when I was hurt the last two times.”The only time Creek hasn’t been recovering from injury at IU was the first part of his freshman campaign when he averaged 16.4 points in the first 12 games he played. Since Creek was injured in December 2009, he has played in 18 games for the Hoosiers. Crean said he’s never seen anybody bitten by the injury bug like Creek.“There’s some things I know and some things I don’t know, but I’ve never met anybody that has had to deal with that at his age,” Crean said. Creek repeatedly stressed how his teammates are the ones who are going to get him through yet another rehab process. In addition to the support of his teammates, Creek also received a flurry of condolence tweets and was trending nationally on Twitter following the announcement Monday.It remains to be seen whether Creek will be able to come back and play without injury for two more years as a Hoosier, but Crean said Creek will be ready to return to the role he once had.“What he’s dealing with today is one thing, but I just have a strong feeling he’s going to come back in a big way,” Crean said. “I’ve seen how his maturity and his toughness and all of those things have to serve him through these first couple injuries, and I think they’ll do it again.“There’s a lot left in this story to be written. These are all part of the chapters, there’s no doubt about that. There’s a lot left in his story, and it’s going to be fun to watch him go through it.”
(10/11/11 3:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Athletics released a statement Monday announcing that junior guard Maurice Creek underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles. The University said the incident occurred “away from the court” and that Creek’s status for this season is still undetermined.“This is a devastating blow for someone who has worked so hard to get himself in a position to help this program again,” IU Coach Tom Crean said in the official release. “He is going to receive the best medical care possible, and we will take his recovery one day at a time. I think the most important thing that we can do is to make Maurice know that despite his injury, he can serve a very vital role in helping our program, and we will actively keep him involved every day.”Creek, who underwent his third major surgery in the last 22 months, was still recovering from a right patella fracture. He has played in 30 games for the Hoosiers after averaging 16.4 points per game as a freshman.After leading all freshmen in scoring through the first nine games of the 2009-10 season, Creek’s career took a sudden halt. Creek broke his left patella in December 2009 and fractured his right patella last January. According to IU Athletics, Creek has not officially been ruled out for the entire season. The 6-foot-5-inch guard had resumed basketball activity prior to the Achilles surgery but was not expected to be in uniform at the start of the season.Within minutes of the official news release by IU Athletics, the IU guard was trending nationally on Twitter. Though Creek won’t be on the IU sidelines anytime soon, he has the support of his head coach. “All of our energy is devoted to Maurice in helping him through this latest setback,” Crean said in the official release. “I know he and his family have always appreciated the thoughts and prayers they receive from Hoosier Nation.”— Connor O’Gara
(10/10/11 9:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Athletics released a statement Monday afternoon announcing that junior guard Maurice Creek underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. The University said the incident occurred “away from the court,” and his status for the upcoming season has not yet been determined.“This is a devastating blow for someone who has worked so hard to get himself in a position to help this program again,” IU coach Tom Crean said in the release. “He is going to receive the best medical care possible and we will take his recovery one day at a time. I think the most important thing that we can do is to make Maurice know that despite his injury, he can serve a very vital role in helping our program and we will actively keep him involved every day.”Creek, who underwent his third major surgery in the last 22 months, was still recovering from a right patella fracture. The guard has played in 30 games for the Hoosiers, averaging 16.4 points per game as a freshman.—cjogara@indiana.edu