Coach Robert Montgomery Knight had a great run at IU until the mid 1990s. Part of the signs of his downfall was lack of winning in the NCAA Tourney, and some of those problems were losing big Hoosier men like Eric Montross in recruiting (won a championship at UNC in 1993), playing his less talented son Pat Knight too many minutes (like I think Crean is playing the walk-on Howard now, although Howard contributes better than Pat used to), and ultimately not advancing in March Madness past the first round.
Enter Mike Davis. Many Knight supporters disliked him for not following the General as a loyal soldier and falling on the sword of the "no-tolerance" of former IU President Myles Brand, but most of us Hoosiers were very encouraged in making it to the 2002 National Championship game against Maryland in 2002.
But then came worse and worse recruiting and years: a few future NBA players (three still playing in 2014) flirted with committing to Bloomington and then backing out or going straight pro. Kris Humphries, Josh Smith, and Charlie Villanueva, notably.
At least Smith stated dedication to Mike Davis while going in the draft out of high school. The other two played at Minnesota and Connecticut one year before cashing out.
And IU dwindled. First losing in the NIT, then having a losing record. Ugh. Mike Davis capitalized on Knight's old guys and then petered out. He could not improve them, but rather went the opposite way.
Enter Kelvin Sampson, 2005. I was, as most others probably, greatly encouraged that he got past the first round in March of his first season in 2006. Better in 2007. But by 2008, notorious reports of texting and improprieties, including terrible team players' behaviour got him fired.
Enter Dan Dakich briefly, end of 2008, and then the cleansing, purging.
Bottoming out.
Crean ended up winning 6 games his first year, granted with many last minute sign-ons and walk-ons, but I still think they they should have won 10-15. The following years improved incrementally with 10 and 12 wins, but things were bad.
Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo and Jordan Halls, not to mention strong presence from Christian Watford and others like Will Sheehey brought IU back to formidability, ended by eventual national champ Kentucky hitting 35 of 37 FTs to cruise past the Hoosiers and their biggest struggle of the Big Dance in 2012 to their program's 8th title. At least they swung back to mediocrity the following year by getting bounced from the NIT. They revolve NBA talent like no program ever seen. But this is about IU more than Kentucky, sitting on 5 rings while they now have 8.
And IU came back with all the talent in 2013 and failed to old time nemesis Syracuse. Ugh. Are thye stuck, still?
Hence, the doubts with the current coach.
Similar to Knight from 1994 to his demise in Indiana in 2000, and then Davis from 2001-2005, Sampson 2006-2008, Crean has shown the ability to compete and win some big games, but there has been no Final Fours outside of 2002, as mentioned.
2007 was close to this feat with Sampson. If it had not been for the now outdated NCAA communication rules that Sampson could not seem to control, he may have been the answer for IU title number 6. Oh well. Myles Brand ended yet another Hoosier hope. (Brand went from IU to the NCAA presidency, may he rest in peace.)
But, even though the Hoosiers came up short last night to the #3 Spartans and pooched the game to Northwestern last Saturday, now sitting at 12-7 and 2-4 in the Big 10+, I still think the 2014 Hoosiers could out do-last year's underachievers, the ones I was pinning my hopes on, Athlon Sports and Prez Obama predicting would bring home the banner.
We shall see.
Despite giving up a 46-41 lead with 10 minutes left broadcast on ESPN, allowing two Indiana bred players, Gary Harris and Branden Dawson, to beat us, the Crean team may still have some pluck for the next months, and eventually years to come.
Go IU.
Fight. Fight. Fight. (Win?)
Edward M. C.
1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987, 20_ _?
Enter Mike Davis. Many Knight supporters disliked him for not following the General as a loyal soldier and falling on the sword of the "no-tolerance" of former IU President Myles Brand, but most of us Hoosiers were very encouraged in making it to the 2002 National Championship game against Maryland in 2002.
But then came worse and worse recruiting and years: a few future NBA players (three still playing in 2014) flirted with committing to Bloomington and then backing out or going straight pro. Kris Humphries, Josh Smith, and Charlie Villanueva, notably.
At least Smith stated dedication to Mike Davis while going in the draft out of high school. The other two played at Minnesota and Connecticut one year before cashing out.
And IU dwindled. First losing in the NIT, then having a losing record. Ugh. Mike Davis capitalized on Knight's old guys and then petered out. He could not improve them, but rather went the opposite way.
Enter Kelvin Sampson, 2005. I was, as most others probably, greatly encouraged that he got past the first round in March of his first season in 2006. Better in 2007. But by 2008, notorious reports of texting and improprieties, including terrible team players' behaviour got him fired.
Enter Dan Dakich briefly, end of 2008, and then the cleansing, purging.
Bottoming out.
Crean ended up winning 6 games his first year, granted with many last minute sign-ons and walk-ons, but I still think they they should have won 10-15. The following years improved incrementally with 10 and 12 wins, but things were bad.
Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo and Jordan Halls, not to mention strong presence from Christian Watford and others like Will Sheehey brought IU back to formidability, ended by eventual national champ Kentucky hitting 35 of 37 FTs to cruise past the Hoosiers and their biggest struggle of the Big Dance in 2012 to their program's 8th title. At least they swung back to mediocrity the following year by getting bounced from the NIT. They revolve NBA talent like no program ever seen. But this is about IU more than Kentucky, sitting on 5 rings while they now have 8.
And IU came back with all the talent in 2013 and failed to old time nemesis Syracuse. Ugh. Are thye stuck, still?
Hence, the doubts with the current coach.
Similar to Knight from 1994 to his demise in Indiana in 2000, and then Davis from 2001-2005, Sampson 2006-2008, Crean has shown the ability to compete and win some big games, but there has been no Final Fours outside of 2002, as mentioned.
2007 was close to this feat with Sampson. If it had not been for the now outdated NCAA communication rules that Sampson could not seem to control, he may have been the answer for IU title number 6. Oh well. Myles Brand ended yet another Hoosier hope. (Brand went from IU to the NCAA presidency, may he rest in peace.)
But, even though the Hoosiers came up short last night to the #3 Spartans and pooched the game to Northwestern last Saturday, now sitting at 12-7 and 2-4 in the Big 10+, I still think the 2014 Hoosiers could out do-last year's underachievers, the ones I was pinning my hopes on, Athlon Sports and Prez Obama predicting would bring home the banner.
We shall see.
Despite giving up a 46-41 lead with 10 minutes left broadcast on ESPN, allowing two Indiana bred players, Gary Harris and Branden Dawson, to beat us, the Crean team may still have some pluck for the next months, and eventually years to come.
Go IU.
Fight. Fight. Fight. (Win?)
Edward M. C.
1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987, 20_ _?
I am looking for evidence of my sports writings that might show that all my passion for watching the sports that I do add up to something of value...
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