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BLOOMINGTON – Tom Crean stepped away from the lectern moments after he was introduced as Indiana’s men’s basketball coach and unfolded a T-shirt. On it were the words “Crean and Crimson.”
The marketing slogan is taken care of, but there’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding Crean’s new team.
Crean officially became the 28th coach in school history on Wednesday. He will be in charge of guiding a program that faces possible player defection and NCAA sanctions.
“Is it going to be a challenge? It’s probably going to be a greater challenge than even I realize, and I’ve thought a lot about it,” Crean said. “We have an incredible tradition during a very challenging time. And we’re going to build on the tradition.”
Crean and IU agreed to an eight-year, $18.24 million deal that will pay him an average of $2.3 million a season.
“This is going to take some time. We need everyone to understand we’re here for the long haul, we’re here to build,” Crean said. “I walked away from a very long contact (at Marquette), and I got one that I’m very proud of here when it comes to years.
“The years to me says volumes about what you want with recruiting. … We are here to build it in a way that’s going to be outstanding. We have no timetable, no promises to make, no numerical goals to hit right now. But we’re going to build it the right way.”
Crean spent nine years at Marquette, where he had a 190-96 record.
The Hoosiers went 25-8 in a season that was anything but normal.
Crean comes to Indiana in the aftermath of Kelvin Sampson’s resignation. Sampson’s stay came to an end 26 games into his second season shortly after the university released an NCAA notice of allegations, which included five potential “major” rules violations. Most were tied to alleged telephone recruiting violations. The NCAA will have a hearing on the matter in June, and a ruling could come a month later. IU hasn’t had a major violation since 1960.
“You can look at it as a challenge or an opportunity. Because I just got here, I have no choice but to look at it as an opportunity,” Crean said. “If you look at it as a challenge in the negative way, I never would have left what I had at Marquette. But if you look at this opportunity that’s inside of this challenge, that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”
Just which current players will join him is up in the air.
Freshmen Jordan Crawford and Eli Holman attended the news conference.
“(Leaving) crossed my mind, because the coach I came here for is gone,” Crawford said. “It crossed my mind. I thought about, I’m still thinking about it. I’m going to meet with the coach and we’ll go from there.”
Holman said he would spend the weekend discussing his future with his family and friends.
“I’m not just the type of guy to up and leave. I came in to hear what he had to say, which was positive,” he said. “I was going to give him the chance, whoever the coach was. Even if he was (former interim coach) Dan Dakich, I was going to hear him and give him a chance.”
Crean met with some of the players Wednesday morning.
“We didn’t turn it into a real give-and-take session. That will start when we have the individual meetings,” Crean said. “They invited everybody to be there. A couple weren’t. That’s where we move from. I’ll start meeting with everyone. I told them why I took this job, what it meant to me, what I gave up when it comes to the love I have for my players and that I’m looking forward to it.”
One player who did not attend was Eric Gordon. The freshman is contemplating a jump to the NBA, and a decision could come as early as Friday.
“I certainly want to talk to him and his family,” Crean said. “… I’d like to hear what he’s thinking. We’ll see.”
Crean said he didn’t have an answer whether sophomore Armon Bassett and junior Jamarcus Ellis would be invited back to the team. Both were dismissed by Dakich on Monday for missing two prearranged meetings.
“We’re going to take it hour-by-hour, and we’ll see how it all shapes out,” he said.
The Hoosiers could also lose top recruits Devin Ebanks and Terrell Holloway, who both have been granted releases from their letters of intent.
When it comes to recruiting, Crean said the strategy will be to work from “inside-out.”
“It’s so important that the state of Indiana understands this is the state university,” he said. “This is the university that has been on people’s lips and minds for decade after decade after decade.
“… This base of alumni is so strong that somebody in the state of Indiana should want to follow in that. It’s our job to help them understand that.”
lpope@jg.net
