Crean loses another recruit

[Avenue Commons]

I think many of us overestimated what weight the name of a program, that has been largely unsuccessful since bob knight, would carry with 16 year olds.  Crean and myself included.  He may have only one more year to show significant improvement before he gets canned.

This is only year two, with the third year coming up. He, and any other coach in his position, deserves at least 4 years so a whole class of "their guys" can work through the program.

Good luck to him. It looks like he needs it.

[hairy worthen]

That is quite an assumption. Have you talked to the Walker family? Do you know the priorities of his father?  Do you know what they are thinking? Is it really a problem to want to go to a school close to home? If his priorities are out of line, as you assume...why is Minnesota one of the finalists?

Get a clue.

The kids father said they were looking at schools close to home. Jeez loosen up the spinchter a little its friday

[EdmontonBruiser]

Now hold on a minute.  Aren't we talking about the program that Dwayne Wade would have crawled over hot coals to go to?

While this comment was made sarcastically the sad fact is that Tanned Tommy Crean actually said this in public. Can there be anything more revolting than this self-promoting jackass? This comment, perhaps more than any other, reeks of his lack of class, dignity, and honor. That man is beneath our contempt. I await his demise as coach of It's Indiana, It's Indiana!

[Golden Avalanche]

The kids father said they were looking at schools close to home. Jeez loosen up the spinchter a little its friday

Massive douchey-ness is a trait for some.

[Dawson Rental]

That is quite an assumption. Have you talked to the Walker family? Do you know the priorities of his father?  Do you know what they are thinking? Is it really a problem to want to go to a school close to home? If his priorities are out of line, as you assume...why is Minnesota one of the finalists?

Get a clue.

OMG, I've been flamed!

"Do you know the priorities of his father?  Do you know what they are thinking?"

Yes and Yes  Thanks to the efforts of mr.MUskie (blame him, blame him) who on March 23, 2010 01:51:52 PM on this very board in a thread entitled aptly enough "Recruiting Question" posted the following:

Zagoria reports:

Craig Walker [Maurice's father] said the current list for his son includes Seton Hall, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Marquette and St. John's. He added that South Florida, Oregon State and Memphis have also expressed interest.
"My thoughts are that Maurice  will probably stay in the East somewhere," Craig said. "As parents, we'd rather he play in the East side of the country in the Big East. We know we can hop on a plane and be there in an hour."

"If his priorities are out of line, as you assume...why is Minnesota one of the finalists?"

I do not have any information in regard to this apparent change in outlook by the family, thus I will refrain from making any kind of answer based solely on speculation.

[Tugg Speedman]

This is only year two, with the third year coming up. He, and any other coach in his position, deserves at least 4 years so a whole class of "their guys" can work through the program.

Good luck to him. It looks like he needs it.

I guess the point is "his guys" are not an especially talented group.  Certainly not what "It's Indiana" expected.  Should we all hold our breath that Crean can get this group, or any group, to outperform expectations?

[CrimsonNCrean]

IU fan here...

And I can tell you all that the "luster" is wearing off with the "energizer bunny"... 

Davis recruited well at IU, he just did not recruit the state well and it cost him his job. 

Kelvin was a fantastic recruiter....    look at the NCAA tourney right now..  X's Calloway and Holloway, IU defectors   Ebanks was a IU sign, Armon Bassett for IU another IU transfer...   That would be one hell of a team right now...   

Crean has been a huge disappointment in my mind, he is not a good game coach and regularly gets badly out coached in games.  His team totally quit on him the last 12 games of the season last year.  He is begging 3 star recruits to commit to IU and they are blowing him off.  He had Kyrie Irving all but locked up and lost him.  Ughhhhhhhh..   

The state of Indiana is LOADED in the 2011 and 12 classes and he has got to hit it big in both of those classes or I think he will not be around 4 years from now.

But.. all that said he does appear to have a solid base in place right now, and all we are missing is a couple "difference makers" the question is can Crean pull them in?????

Losing Moses hurt, but actually IU is bottlenecked at SG and Carlino is just that...  he is not a PG (which IU needs), I have seen him play at South several times and he does not even play the point for his HS team...  Dee Davis does (an X recruit, that IU did not even look at }

Oh well time will tell....   IU has been irrelevant for going on 20 years now a few more can't hurt....   

[Canadian Dimes]

Crean has  a solid base in place....

Seriously that base is good for maybe an Ncaa tournament the year after next.  Additonally, nothing is ever "solid" with Crean.  He has already fired an assistant coach mid season, and if history is any guide expcet 2-3 or more players to leave.  And they are not always the ones you want to leave

[4everwarriors]

But, I was led to believe IU is a Top 5 program, no?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Crean has  a solid base in place....

Seriously that base is good for maybe an Ncaa tournament the year after next.  Additonally, nothing is ever "solid" with Crean.  He has already fired an assistant coach mid season, and if history is any guide expcet 2-3 or more players to leave.  And they are not always the ones you want to leave

No, the assistant coach was fired at the end of the regular season, the 2nd to last game of the year....not exactly "mid season."  Query, do you know why the assistant coach was fired?

And yes, a few players will likely leave.

Better get that spelling up to snuff Hayward, your slip is showing.

[ChicosBailBonds]

But, I was led to believe IU is a Top 5 program, no?

All time, without a doubt...well for most folks.  A few have them at #6


http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/1004/cbe1.pdf

http://www.insidethehall.com/2009/10/05/espn-all-time-rankings-indiana-no-5/

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28116552/ns/sports-college_basketball/

http://www.prepticket.com/album/823292:Album:92650/market/national/id/823292:Photo:92632

[NavinRJohnson]

The class of 2011 is everything to Crean...plenty of really good in-state talent. If those guys end up signing with the likes of Kentucky, Purdue, Ohio State, etc., he's pretty much screwed (unless of course he can find even better players somewhere else). Cleaning up/building the program and landing those top flight players close to home is what he was brought in to do, because it is just what he did at MU.

I4 fans are not going to sit by quietly while Calipari, Matta, Painter etc. play deep into March with kids that call Indiana home, while IU's 3 star roster goes to the NIT (maybe). Its not over yet by any means, but to say the next couple month time period is critical to Crean is putting it mildly. So far its obviously off to a pretty rough start.

[NavinRJohnson]

The other thing he could do is strike gold with a player as he did with Wade. The what if game is admittedly rather pointless, but had he not found Wade, how long would he actually have been at MU? Jackson, Novak, Diener, etc., all good players to be sure, but a 68-52 record in the two years before and after Wade is obviously not very impressive. Without finding the greatness that was Dwyane Wade, I find it hard to believe he would have survived more than 4 years or so. MU fans were growing impatient prior to the Final Four, and that bought him an awful lot of slack afterward, but IU fans are not MU fans. They are way worse.

The reality is, this is a guy who in 7 seasons without #3 won a grand total of one NCAA tournament game and zero conference titles.

That guy could be in the class of 2011, but he has to land him.

[Canadian Dimes]

when is the last time anyone recalls an assistant coach gets fired during the season? 

Chicos can rationalize it all he wants but the question stands when was the last time you saw it? 

On it's own maybe no big deal?  But with Crean's history of assistants bailing and player turnover , my guess is it is just more of the same.  Gotta blame someone why not blame everything on the asistnat and fire him.

Bottom line if you are a top 100 player and have Purdue, kentucky, Louisville and others...how many are going to buy into Cream's dream and come play for a team that had won 16? games combined in 2 years.  Throw in all the "rumors" about how the players dont like him, the history of transfers, and the fact that he is a complete tool and I would not bet on him signing a good class.  heck 1 4 star kid from Indiana just decommitted!

[HoopsMalone]

It's tough for Crean with Butler and Purdue doing so well.

[GOO]

If I were an Indiana fan, the thing that would conern me is that the only time Crean really had success recruiting, is when he had playing time to sell.  He has had playing time to sell, and lot's of it, but still can't reel in recruits of the caliber that he needs to get.  Other than Creek, no one impresses me at all on Indiana (now, I have only watched a few games, so maybe I'm way off).  And if Creek's injury is like Fulce's split knee - it could be more than a year before he is at 100% - and he maybe better off redshirting (or if he wants to transfer, this would be the time to do it so he can redshirt this coming year).  I have no idea of which players are rumored to be leaving Indiana - but history suggests some will leave.  I think Crean has found a couple of assistant coaches that are willing to work for him, so that is a positive he has going, as maybe he won't loose an assistant this off season.

I was watching one of the last games of the season, and Crean seemed so much more animated then normal - like he was trying to have more energy then the players to show them/will them to play harder.  The clapping and pacing were beyond anthing I had ever seen him do at Marquette.  He seemed desperate and at a loss as to what to do.  I think this job is taking a toll on him.  Maybe it was a show for the fans and administration, to look the part of the coach who is on top of it and being supportive and positive towards his player.  I really thought he looked a little nuts.  If he doesn't get it turned around some in the next year, Crean may need to get out if he isn't pushed out. 

[ATWizJr]

when is the last time anyone recalls an assistant coach gets fired during the season? 

Chicos can rationalize it all he wants but the question stands when was the last time you saw it? 

On it's own maybe no big deal?  But with Crean's history of assistants bailing and player turnover , my guess is it is just more of the same.  Gotta blame someone why not blame everything on the asistnat and fire him.

Bottom line if you are a top 100 player and have Purdue, kentucky, Louisville and others...how many are going to buy into Cream's dream and come play for a team that had won 16? games combined in 2 years.  Throw in all the "rumors" about how the players dont like him, the history of transfers, and the fact that he is a complete tool and I would not bet on him signing a good class.  heck 1 4 star kid from Indiana just decommitted!

Didn't the assistant get fired the second last game of the season?

[Brewtown Andy]

If he doesn't get it turned around some in the next year, Crean may need to get out if he isn't pushed out. 

I doubt he's walking away from 8 years worth of money, and I doubt Indiana's interested in paying him all of it at once.

[GOO]

Ya.  I doubt Crean would simply walk without some $.  But they could agree on a buyout at less than what is remaining on his contract.  If things don't work out, it would be very hard to show up for work and perform as required by the contract, when all your doing is collecting a paycheck and everyone wants you gone.

[79Warrior]

when is the last time anyone recalls an assistant coach gets fired during the season? 

Chicos can rationalize it all he wants but the question stands when was the last time you saw it? 

On it's own maybe no big deal?  But with Crean's history of assistants bailing and player turnover , my guess is it is just more of the same.  Gotta blame someone why not blame everything on the asistnat and fire him.

Bottom line if you are a top 100 player and have Purdue, kentucky, Louisville and others...how many are going to buy into Cream's dream and come play for a team that had won 16? games combined in 2 years.  Throw in all the "rumors" about how the players dont like him, the history of transfers, and the fact that he is a complete tool and I would not bet on him signing a good class.  heck 1 4 star kid from Indiana just decommitted!

wow, reading all the jilted ex girlfriends rants makes me wonder how Crean lasted 9 years at MU and got himself 2mm plus a year contract.

[Brewtown Andy]

Ya.  I doubt Crean would simply walk without some $.  But they could agree on a buyout at less than what is remaining on his contract.  If things don't work out, it would be very hard to show up for work and perform as required by the contract, when all your doing is collecting a paycheck and everyone wants you gone.

It's kind of hard to believe that anyone else would want the job if Crean's gone before half his 10 year contract is up, either because he bails, or because the university bails on their commitment to let him rebuild the program.

[ATWizJr]

Ban all Crean threads.  Yesterday's news.

[CrimsonNCrean]

But, I was led to believe IU is a Top 5 program, no?

IU has 5 NC banners that are not going anywhere.....   

We will be back, but it probably wont happen under TC... 

[CrimsonNCrean]

It's kind of hard to believe that anyone else would want the job if Crean's gone before half his 10 year contract is up, either because he bails, or because the university bails on their commitment to let him rebuild the program.

Crean will get more than a fair chance to prove himself...   I thinking at least 5 years...  If he can't get going by then,...   then he should be let go...   There is simply to much talent in state not to...

But if he flops in the 11 and 12 classes he is in big trouble...

[CrimsonNCrean]

Didn't the assistant get fired the second last game of the season?

yes, the rumor is that he was telling recruits untruths (he is the reason Irving backed out on us, supposedly )

Ro was also rumored to be in the ear of some of the players causing static, which I can believe because something went bad wrong mid season in the locker room.....   

All rumors, but the bottom line is Crean is in charge...  he is the one that should be held accountable.