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(11/10/08 5:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The differences between last season and this season for IU men’s basketball are endless. But perhaps this became most apparent on Friday night, when the new-look Hoosiers took the floor against an opponent for the first time. A brand new montage with the theme, “Passion for the past, excitement for the future,” played over the big screen before the Hoosiers took the court. An all new starting lineup, one featuring four true freshmen and a junior with lots of family in attendance, took the floor for tip off. And a new coach who, despite wearing a familiar blue shirt and red tie, displayed his style of basketball to the Hoosier faithful for the first time in his coaching debut.All the new firsts that took place on Friday night were predicated by a nervous team Friday afternoon during the team’s pre-game walkthrough. IU coach Tom Crean said the team had a quiet demeanor during the walkthrough, so the coaching staff ended it prematurely and tried a new tactic to loosen the team up before the game.“We cut it short and got them laughing and did a little mosh-pit jumping, and got them rolling,” Crean said. “We just kind of jump around. I’ll grab a guy or two and they get behind me, and they’re trying to mess up my hair or kick me in the back. We had some fun with it.” Once the game finally got underway, IU’s 21-2 blitz on the Ravens – a lead that was never in jeopardy – also eased the collective nerve of the team as it went on to a 103-71 triumph in its first of two exhibition games. Freshman Verdell Jones tallied 18 points and five rebounds and also confessed to being the guy who tried to kick Crean during their walkthrough mosh.“I think we had a little jitters,” Jones said. “Being in our first real game for most of us, our first college game besides Devan (Dumes) we had a lot of littler jitters. It was real nervous before the game, but I think after the first minute of the game we lost all those jitters.”With senior Kyle Taber still injured, the only player for the Hoosiers with much college game experience is junior Devan Dumes. The transfer said once the game got underway the team’s nervousness gave way to excitement.“I feel like once we got going, everybody saw that we’re capable of doing something special,” Dumes said. “So get your jitters out and let’s go.” With a big early lead that was never threatened, nobody on IU played more than 30 minutes, and Crean was able to play all 12 players eligible and healthy enough to play, meaning the entire team now has at least some college basketball game experience. Now with one game and one victory under their belts, Crean said he hopes the confidence gathered on Friday will carry over to their game on Tuesday against Bemidji State.“For us to come out and get the start that we had tonight, we got some steals, we got some run outs,” Crean said. “We started to get our confidence, and that’s exactly what we needed.”
(11/08/08 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s basketball team went on an 11-0 run to start the game and never looked back, easily defeating Division III Anderson 103-71 in Tom Crean’s coaching debut.Pacing the Hoosiers were junior Devan Dumes and freshman Tom Pritchard. Dumes scored 22 points while Pritchard added 20 points and 10 rebounds.The exhibition game marked not only the coaching debut of Crean, but the first time the new-look Hoosiers competed against another team. IU overwhelmed the Ravens, scoring 35 points off turnovers and 50 points in the paint while only committing 10 turnovers.Although Assembly Hall wasn’t a sellout, both Dumes and Crean said they were happy with the crowd that showed up. Both before and after the game, Crean went over to the south bleacher seats to talk with the students.Up next for IU is Bemidji State on Tuesday night at Assembly Hall. Dumes said the Hoosiers have little time to celebrate the team’s victory.“It doesn’t stop,” Dumes said. “There are no off days around here.”For more information, please check the Basketblog and pick up a copy of Monday’s IDS.
(10/31/08 2:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU coach Tom Crean wants people to get to know the Hoosiers before their first exhibition game on Nov. 7.The first chance to see the new-look IU squad came two weeks ago at Hoosier Hysteria. Then last Saturday the team scrimmaged at Assembly Hall shortly after IU’s Homecoming football victory against Northwestern. A third chance to catch a glimpse of the team comes Friday night at an event Crean has dubbed the “Haunted Hall of Hoops.”The doors of Assembly Hall will open at 7 p.m., and players will be available to sign autographs until 7:30 p.m.The event is planned to be something of a mixture of the last two live scrimmages, combining a more polished Hoosier squad seen last Saturday with the festivity of Hoosier Hysteria.“We’ll get loose with some practice things, but it will be more scrimmage-oriented,” Crean said. “Then we’ll do different things inside of the time-outs to have some fun. We want it to be intense when they’re on the court but still be able to utilize time for people to come in and have some fun, especially with the little kids.”In addition to the players signing autographs, Crean said the team also will be passing out candy, wrist bands and other prizes. The halftime entertainment of the scrimmage will be a costume parade for children.Leading up to the event, Crean was cagey with the media – and his players – about specifics concerning what would take place during the Haunted Hall of Hoops.Freshman guard Verdell Jones, who led all scorers with 30 points last Saturday, said he had no idea what the event would entail when asked after Hoosier Hysteria. Fellow freshman guard Nick Williams added during last week’s press conference that he still wasn’t sure about what would happen but added, “Knowing Coach Crean, he’ll have something up his sleeve.”When asked at Hoosier Hysteria if he would be sporting a costume, Crean quickly dismissed the idea. But during his weekly press conference Thursday, Crean said he was having second thoughts and might show up in costume. “I shouldn’t say that, because I probably will end up not coming in here in anything other than coaching attire,” Crean said. “But I have thought about it.”Being available to the Hoosier fan base has been a focal point for the new Hoosiers this season and something Crean has emphasized to his team through the course of the offseason.“That’s what coach preaches,” junior guard Devan Dumes said. “That’s what coach wants us to do – to get more acquainted with the community.”Crean added that along with being more open to the community, events like the Haunted Hall of Hoops are valuable to his team. They allow the Hoosiers to get more experience playing in front of people at a college gym, something most of the team is unfamiliar with. “I just want to put our guys in as many environments as we can within reason to play in front of a crowd – to have the band playing, the music playing,” Crean said. “It’s not like they have a whole lot of experience with playing at Assembly Hall.”
(10/29/08 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Being a two-degree alumnus from IU, as well as having a mother, wife and daughter with degrees from IU, left newly-named Director of Athletics Fred Glass describing himself as an “Indiana boy” Tuesday at his introductory press conference. Glass’ ties to the University ended up being a deciding factor in his landing the job. Bill Stephan, vice president for engagement and chair of the athletics director search committee, said while the IU ties weren’t the sole reason for the choice, they played a significant role in Glass’ selection.“I think that was important,” Stephan said. “Indiana’s a special place; it’s a unique place in many respects. Having someone who understands the history, the traditions, the aspirations not only of IU but of Hoosiers statewide; that was a very important factor.”Glass described his long-standing ties with and love for IU throughout the press conference. Glass told stories about playing football as a child and pretending to be players from IU’s 1968 Rose Bowl team. Glass also reminisced about his college years at IU, where during his senior year in 1981, the men’s basketball team captured its fourth national championship. IU sports also affected Glass’ personal life.“I met my wife at an IU football game. I proposed to her after an IU football game,” Glass said. “They were different games.”The new athletics director said the endless list of memories he has about IU makes getting the position the most important thing he will do in his professional life. “Not only because I’m an Indiana boy,” Glass said, “but it’s more exciting because I’m an Indiana boy. I am of and from this University and this state.”IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean attended his new boss’ press conference. Crean said having ties to the University isn’t important in and of itself, but having a strong passion for IU is a significant factor.“I’m not an Indiana guy,” Crean said, “but I feel pretty strong about Indiana, and I have a pretty strong passion for Indiana. I think that is the most important thing.”Crean added that given the current state of IU athletics, that passion is essential for the job. “You’ve got to have a real passion for what’s going on here,” Crean said. “(Glass) really seems to have that.”IU football coach Bill Lynch, who, like Glass, is a native of Indianapolis, said he too was impressed with the strong connection Glass has to IU. Lynch added that it’s an energy that runs statewide. “I think all of us that grew up in Indiana have a passion for this University,” Lynch said. “This is unique, in that he’s got two degrees from here, grew up in a family where his mother has two degrees, his daughter went to school here. That’s a real investment in the University.” But even with all of his stories and all of his ties to IU, Glass recognized that he wasn’t hired because of his former contributions to the University, but rather to contribute to the future. “This isn’t a trip down memory lane for me,” Glass said. “This is about the future, and this is about excellence.”
(10/20/08 4:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With fans and media free to witness the IU men’s basketball team’s first official practice Friday night, the Hoosier faithful got a glimpse into the kinds of tactics IU coach Tom Crean is using to improve his current group.One aspect of Hoosier Hysteria that is expected to be a staple in Crean’s regular practices this season are drills that produced a winner and a loser.Crean said in his lecture at the IU Auditorium on Oct. 6 that 70 to 75 percent of all drills in practice need to have a clear winner to help train the team for the rigors of the upcoming season.At Hoosier Hysteria, both the shooting competition and the scrimmage provided such training.Freshman guard Matt Roth, along with alumnus teammate Todd Leary, was crowned champion of the 3-point shooting contest. Leary hit a barrage of bank shots, while the sharp-shooting Roth delivered more conventionally.The outcome didn’t sit well with fellow freshman guard Verdell Jones, who along with teammate Chris Reynolds, didn’t make it out of the first round.“I was really disappointed in the 3-point shootout,” Jones said. “I thought we had the odds against us, but if we do it again, we’ll win.”Jones redeemed himself during the scrimmage, as he helped guide the red team over the white – players wore their practice jerseys to delineate teams.Junior guard Devan Dumes also helped guide the red squad to victory, saying those on the winning side had some bragging rights, but the gloating wouldn’t last for long.“We’ve got to go back to practice,” Dumes said. “I’ll get my laughs in tonight, though.”Crean said he hoped the brief glimpse of the team will give the IU fan base an idea of how hard this year’s team will battle during the season.“I want people to leave with an idea that this team is going to play with some energy,” Crean said. “That they’re going to be excited, that they’re going to come out and compete.”The competitions also weren’t limited to just the players. While Crean watched from underneath the north basket, two of his assistants, Bennie Seltzer and Roshown McLeod, worked the sidelines during the scrimmage. Seltzer coached the red team and McLeod the white. Crean spent much of his time teaching, shouting tips and instructions from his post.Bragging rights don’t apply for the coaches, however. Although his team won, Seltzer said he wouldn’t boast to McLeod about it.“Nah, that’s for those guys to have fun with,” Seltzer said. “We just kind of wanted to come out here and play hard, and both sides did that.”
(10/18/08 6:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Montages, surf boards, hula hoops and yes, even a little basketball were all part of Hoosier Hysteria in Assembly Hall on Friday night.Roughly 8,500 fans came to greet their brand new team – 12 players donned the Cream and Crimson for the first time in front of a crowd Friday – as well as pay tribute to Hoosier basketball legends of the past seven decades.Junior Devan Dumes and freshman Verdell Jones led the red team over the white in the actual scrimmage, although that came secondary to the other festivities that simultaneously paid homage to former IU greats and introduced a new group of potential ones to the IU faithful.Before the team took the court, montages for the 1976, 1981 and 1987 National Championship teams rolled on the dangling scoreboard over center court.In attendance were several past Hoosiers, going as far back as John Wallace, a 1946 graduate, to as recent as Adam Ahlfeld, from the class of 2008. IU coach Tom Crean, also in his inaugural year in Bloomington, enthusiastically credited the fans in attendance for their warm ovation of the former players.“I was able to step out and probably see 80 percent of the guys get introduced, and the crowd was awesome,” Crean said. “That was a meaningful thing. That puts it in perspective for me a little bit."For the group of players that will be taking the court this season, Hoosier Hysteria was a chance to make a splash with the fans for the first time.Before the scrimmage, a shooting contest took place, teaming six current players with a former legend of their choice as a teammate. In the championship round, freshman sharpshooter Matt Roth and Todd Leary emerged victorious over senior Kyle Taber and Ahlfeld.The team also worked on dribbling, shooting and lay up drills before finally competing in a scrimmage.Things were personal as well for some Hoosiers on Friday evening.The coaches were all introduced with their families.Dumes had a large contingent of family cheering him on. IU is the third college the junior transfer will play for, but Dumes said the first practice with IU had a different feeling than his first practices with Eastern Michigan and Vincennes.“I had more fun,” Dumes said. “I feel like I’m learning a lot; it was tremendous fun.”Jones, who along with Dumes participated in the shooting contest as well as being a member of the winning scrimmage team, said he felt the fans came into Hoosier Hysteria without a lot of knowledge of what type of team this year’s squad will look like.“I think they were unsure of what they were going to see today, but I thought we gave them a pretty good show,” Jones said. “They don’t know us, they don’t know what we can do, so we got to go out and show them.”Assistant coach Bennie Seltzer, who coached the winning team during the scrimmage, said Hoosier Hysteria was important for the fans to see, because even if fans could recognize a player, they now were able to see what type of basketball player they were.“Because we’re so new, no one really knows who our guys are,” Seltzer said. “But this is the first chance that everybody got a chance to kind of put the name with the face and watch those guys for the first time. I think it went well.”
(10/09/08 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In most scenarios, people 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-5 are considered tall.Not the case in college basketball. The IU men’s basketball team has just three players on the team taller than 6-foot-6, making the Hoosiers an undersized Big Ten basketball team. By contrast. Purdue has five players taller than 6-foot-6, while Michigan State and Wisconsin have eight. In order to combat teams with taller personnel, freshmen Malik Story and Nick Williams are expected to play some power forward rather than their natural guard positions despite being 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4, respectively.Their roles on the team might not be what they expected coming to Bloomington, but IU coach Tom Crean said almost every player entering college goes through a change from what his role in high school was.Williams said the possibility of getting playing time as a forward wasn’t expected, but he’s still prepared to play there. “Any role to help the team,” Williams said. “I came in playing guard, and it looks like I got to play the four, but if that’ll help the team I’m willing to do it.”Playing out of position for a true freshman is a daunting task, but both Story and Williams seem ready for the challenge.Story, who said he once played against 7-foot NBA player Greg Oden, explained that he grew up playing against bigger people.“I’m used to it. ... My dad is 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 so I had to guard him in the post,” Story said. To guard taller players, Story said the key is to keep his feet moving and to use his quickness to his advantage. Story also mentioned heart and determination as keys that would lead to him successfully defending taller players. Williams agreed that attitude, along with preparation, will lead to success. “Being tough with them all the time, don’t let them punk me,” Williams said. “We have a great strength and conditioning coach who’s always making us run and lift weights, getting us ready for bigger and stronger players.”Along with Williams and Story, freshman Verdell Jones stands at 6-foot-5 and could also see time against bigger forwards. Despite weighing less than Williams and Story, Jones said he could add a different dimension defensively against taller players.“Use my length, I have a long wing span, I’m wiry,” Jones said. “I might not be stronger than the other guards, but I can use my length to my advantage.”Jones, like Story, said he has had to guard very physical players in the past that could help him at the collegiate level. Having a guard attempt to guard a taller forward will create mismatches for IU on defense, but Crean said it also is going to cause problems for the opposing team when the Hoosiers have the ball. Just like Story, Williams and Jones will have to play out of their element, but the players guarding them will too. “Nick and Malik have to play a four spot, that’s going to be tough defensively but somebody’s still got to come and guard them on the offensive end,” Crean said. “And that’s the kind of mind-set that we want to develop.”
(10/09/08 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In most scenarios, people 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-5 are considered tall.Not the case in college basketball. The IU men’s basketball team has just three players on the team taller than 6-foot-6, making the Hoosiers an undersized Big Ten basketball team. By contrast. Purdue has five players taller than 6-foot-6, while Michigan State and Wisconsin have eight. In order to combat teams with taller personnel, freshmen Malik Story and Nick Williams are expected to play some power forward rather than their natural guard positions despite being 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4, respectively.Their roles on the team might not be what they expected coming to Bloomington, but IU coach Tom Crean said almost every player entering college goes through a change from what his role in high school was.Williams said the possibility of getting playing time as a forward wasn’t expected, but he’s still prepared to play there. “Any role to help the team,” Williams said. “I came in playing guard, and it looks like I got to play the four, but if that’ll help the team I’m willing to do it.”Playing out of position for a true freshman is a daunting task, but both Story and Williams seem ready for the challenge.Story, who said he once played against 7-foot NBA player Greg Oden, explained that he grew up playing against bigger people.“I’m used to it. ... My dad is 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 so I had to guard him in the post,” Story said. To guard taller players, Story said the key is to keep his feet moving and to use his quickness to his advantage. Story also mentioned heart and determination as keys that would lead to him successfully defending taller players. Williams agreed that attitude, along with preparation, will lead to success. “Being tough with them all the time, don’t let them punk me,” Williams said. “We have a great strength and conditioning coach who’s always making us run and lift weights, getting us ready for bigger and stronger players.”Along with Williams and Story, freshman Verdell Jones stands at 6-foot-5 and could also see time against bigger forwards. Despite weighing less than Williams and Story, Jones said he could add a different dimension defensively against taller players.“Use my length, I have a long wing span, I’m wiry,” Jones said. “I might not be stronger than the other guards, but I can use my length to my advantage.”Jones, like Story, said he has had to guard very physical players in the past that could help him at the collegiate level. Having a guard attempt to guard a taller forward will create mismatches for IU on defense, but Crean said it also is going to cause problems for the opposing team when the Hoosiers have the ball. Just like Story, Williams and Jones will have to play out of their element, but the players guarding them will too. “Nick and Malik have to play a four spot, that’s going to be tough defensively but somebody’s still got to come and guard them on the offensive end,” Crean said. “And that’s the kind of mind-set that we want to develop.”
(10/08/08 3:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The two presidential candidates weren’t the only ones doing a bit of politicking Tuesday night.IU coach Tom Crean shook hands, signed autographs and took pictures with students Tuesday night, all after sending a message similar to one laid out the night before when he spoke at the IU Auditorium.Crean pleaded with IU students at the Hoosier Den in Foster Quad to purchase season basketball tickets.“Get your things in order, you don’t want to miss this,” Crean told those in attendance. “I don’t know where it’s going, but you don’t want to miss this.”On Monday, Crean spoke in a more formal setting. In a more laid-back scene Tuesday, a projector screen replaced the red curtain of the auditorium stage, and a montage replaced Crean’s lecture.The montage showed highlights and images of former Hoosier greats, ranging from the 1976 championship team all the way to the 2002 Final Four squad. Intertwined in the highlights of Hoosier basketball were images of enthusiastic IU fans from last year, prompting Crean to say those are the fans needed back this season.“That’s real,” Crean said about the montage. “That is Indiana right there.”Crean’s appearance was a part of Chalk Talk, a segment where IU coaches come to the Hoosier Den and talk with the student body.Crean took the phrase “chalk talk” to heart.Before the montage, Crean took time to break down film, showing highlights of his Marquette squad from a year ago, hoping to give fans a glimpse of what IU will look like this season. Feverishly showing various highlights of different plays and offensive set ups, Crean talked about what made his offense successful.Unselfishness, ball movement and changing the tempo were all values Crean stressed when talking about his offense. Crean said while at Marquette his teams could run over 200 plays, but due to the rare inexperience of IU this season he will not subject the team to that many plays.“We’re going to have to find a lot of different ways to win,” Crean said. “This is not going to be a conventional team.”The montage also showed highlights of last season when ESPN’s College GameDay came to Bloomington. Crean said ESPN is coming back to IU for Hoosier Hysteria, indicating experts are still taking notice of the Hoosiers.“They’re paying attention to Indiana. That’s why all of you have got to be so into it and so jacked up,” Crean said. “Because it’s just going to be a matter of time.”After the film session and montage, Crean once again answered questions from the crowd. The idea of bringing students closer to the court resurfaced, but like Monday night, Crean said he hasn’t had a chance to be educated on the issue, and again took the opportunity to urge fans to purchase tickets.“The greatest focus for us,” Crean said, “is we’ve got to get every student possible in that building.”
(09/30/08 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a letter to the NCAA released Monday, the IU Athletics Department denied it failed to monitor the IU men’s basketball program’s recruiting practices under former coach Kelvin Sampson.For several reasons listed in the letter, the University asserts the allegation is “not an appropriate finding.” “We have submitted our response as instructed by the NCAA,” Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan said in a statement released Monday. “(IU) President (Michael) McRobbie has consistently stated his strong belief that the IU athletic department met or exceeded standards in the area of monitoring, and we hope for a successful adjudication of this allegation.” The letter suggests that if the NCAA enforcement staff – a professional investigative staff – did not include a failure to monitor charge, the Committee on Infractions should not have either. It also asserts that the “vast majority” of impermissible calls could not have been detected because of false information reported by the coaching staff. Additionally, the University claims its “two-tiered” compliance monitoring system – which includes each coach’s phone log and the end-of-year audit comparing those logs with actual phone records – is more in-depth and effective than most others among surveyed FBS schools. According to the letter, less than half of all “Division I FBS schools” collected office phone and cell phone records, which IU did. Former assistant Jeff Meyer included a letter in the response which stated, among other things, that the compliance staff worked “diligently” to monitor the IU men’s basketball program. “I did not question the commitment to compliance oversight in the face of these sanctions by the IU athletics administration or the seriousness of the matter at hand,” Meyer said in the letter. The response also says IU met its “obligation” to monitor Sampson and his assistants, given the coach’s history of infractions, as evidenced by their self-reporting of Sampson’s infractions and subsequent self-imposed disciplinary action.“The University, in short, did the right thing,” the report reads.In alleging IU failed to monitor its men’s basketball program, the NCAA presented as evidence logs from 117 impressible phone calls that occurred between May 2, 2006, and July 17, 2007, as well as a list of 37 NCAA violations that occurred as a result of those calls. The charge itself blankets the period between May 25, 2007, and July 31, 2007.The allegation exhibits reveal when and to whom all calls were made, which coach made them, what phone was used to make the calls and how long each call lasted. There are also explanations as to why each call was impermissible. IU’s response argues the University did everything within its power to enforce the rules, but Sampson and his coaching staff’s blatant deception made it difficult for IU to detect any violations sooner than they did.“The vast majority of improper calls were not detectable, because the former coaches provided false information and data,” according to the report.An example of such deception within the report was the use of the coaching staffs’ home telephones, something IU did not monitor. According to the report, the coaches were responsible for telling the University if they used their home phones to make recruiting calls, and when the coaches were asked by the compliance staff if they ever had, all claimed they did not.The report states the compliance staff did, however, check the monthly cell phone bills of the coaching staff, as well as office phones for all of the men’s basketball coaches, regardless of whether or not they declared usage of said phones.The report claims one of the reasons the University did not demand to see those home phone records was because they couldn’t have foreseen that step being a necessary one.The report cites the coaching staff’s dishonesty as the reason it took as long as it did for the University to discover and report the infractions. Still, the letter claims that the compliance staff was prompt when called into action. According to the report, IU launched “an immediate and comprehensive inquiry at the first indication of the potential violation.”The failure to monitor allegation was the sixth violation against the men’s basketball team stemming from Sampson’s impermissible phone calls. IU originally had until Sept. 17 to respond to the allegation, but the day before the response was due the NCAA committee on infractions changed the deadline to respond to Sept. 26.Initially, the NCAA charged IU with five violations. But after a hearing in June, the Committee on Infractions levied the sixth.
(09/25/08 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When asked about his team earlier this month, IU coach Tom Crean’s first response was, “We’re going to be small.”While the Hoosiers might be undersized, one rather noticeable exception to that statement is Tijan Jobe. Jobe, a junior college transfer from The Gambia – a small country in Africa – is a 7-foot, 255-pound center, who is the only healthy player on the team, other than freshman Tom Pritchard, taller than 6-foot-6. Even after injured senior forward Kyle Taber returns to the lineup, Jobe is still expected to see considerable action this season, purely because he fills IU’s glaring need for a big man.Last season at Olney Central College in Illinois, Jobe averaged four points and four rebounds. But with his size and length, Jobe said he can be an asset for the Hoosiers on defense.“Of course, I have a long wingspan,” Jobe said. “I’ll make use of that.”Offensively, Jobe said his coaches have been working with him to help develop a mid-range jump shot. Although Jobe admits he prefers to have his back to the basket on offense, he said the coaching staff has been working with him on facing up on to open lanes for the guards. Jobe said his big role on offense will be to set screens for the many guards on the team and create open space for them to make plays. Quizzed about the way the team is coming together, the big man said he has noticed changes in every player on the team since they’ve started playing together.“Everybody’s getting better everyday,” Jobe said.Jobe is one of 11 new players on roster, but unlike most, the 7-footer has previous ties with Bloomington. He arrived to the United States via the African Hoop Opportunities Providing an Education Foundation, an organization run by Mark Adams, a Bloomington resident. The tallest new Hoosier said he lived in Indiana before going to high school in North Carolina.Jobe said since he has come to the United States, he hasn’t been able to go back to The Gambia, and although he said he loves Bloomington and has a brother and sister who work in Washington, he still misses his home.“I miss all my friends back home,” Jobe said. “I miss my family.”Jobe said he hopes to be able to visit his family overseas next year, but until then, he will be counted on by Crean, a man impressed with Jobe’s work ethic.“We feel he has a lot of room for growth in the sense of improving on both the defensive and offensive end, and we love the fact that he plays extremely hard,” Crean said in a May press release when Jobe signed to play with the Hoosiers. “His height and wingspan is something that our team was in great need of.”The coach on staff responsible to help Jobe’s growth will be Roshown McCleod, a former NBA player hired to help develop the Hoosier’s big men. Jobe said he has practiced against McCleod, but he wouldn’t go into who outplayed who. When asked if he could “take” McCleod in a game, Jobe quietly said, “probably, maybe.”
(09/11/08 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>According to vegasinsider.com, a sports gambling information Web site, the IU men’s basketball team’s odds of winning a national title this year stand at 300-1 – same as seldom-feared small school Siena and a long way from highly regarded in-state rival Purdue, whose odds are 20-1.Such can be expected for a team with eight freshmen and only two returning players. IU coach Tom Crean admitted his team is in a rebuilding year, and wins will be tough to come by.“Perspective is going to be such a unique thing this year,” Crean said. “We’re in as uncharted waters as there have been.”While not many victories are expected, freshman guard Nick Williams said the team is still striving for excellence, and no excuses will be made during the year.“We don’t want that excuse that we’re young, less talented,” Williams said.Crean said the team’s speed will be an assett that could create matchup problems in some games.“We’re going to have a certain amount of speed and quickness,” Crean said. “Shot selection is going to be a key for this team.”Freshman guard Verdell Jones agreed with Crean, calling the Hoosiers’ speed “a great asset.”Jones noted that traditional Big Ten Conference play is dominated by big men, and he and his teammates hope to create mismatches with their agility and speed. “You can’t guard what you can’t catch,” Jones said.Because of the situation, Crean admitted he will have to rethink some of his coaching strategies during the season to give his team the best chance at winning.While the coaching staff might constantly preach and work on improvement in man-to-man defense, for example – a staple of Crean’s teams at Marquette – the coach said it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what will be run in games. The reason for practicing and building on certain philosophies but doing different things in the games is to keep the team positive and pick up a few unexpected wins during what is widely regarded to be a rough year to come in Bloomington.“We’ve got to find a way to steal games,” Crean said.In addition to trying to keep the team positive, Crean also hopes such wins will keep the passionate Hoosier fan base positive. Crean credited the fans for their enthusiasm thus far, adding that he hopes the fans will stay as excited later in the season.“It’s been awesome,” Crean said of the fan support he’s received so far. “It’s a passion that’s hard to describe.”While the odds are against the Hoosiers – figuratively and literally – to make much noise this season, Crean and his Hoosiers like their odds when it comes to pulling a few surprises along the way.“They’re anxious to get better. It’s an exciting group to be with because of their attitudes,” Crean said of his young team. “We’re going to make the most of it.”