Crean, Hoosiers to square off with Anderson in 1st exhibition game

If you’re an IU basketball fan, consider this season must-see TV.

A new reality television show is debuting Friday, and it stars a charismatic coach who is attempting to restore pride and tradition in his new home.

The first of the season’s 32 scheduled episodes takes place Friday night inside Assembly Hall, when the Hoosiers and first-year coach Tom Crean host Anderson in the first exhibition game of the season.

In a season where the leading star has stressed to expect the unexpected, Crean said he is “anxious” to see the pilot episode.

“We’re going to be our own reality show this year,” he said Wednesday in his weekly press conference.

The show’s supporting cast is made up of 15 students from all walks of life.

One has played under four coaches and went from being a walk-on to the team’s top returning scorer. Another is relatively new to the United States and grew up in Republic of The Gambia. A few of the players were added to the team after playing well in open gym tryouts.

Crean confessed Wednesday that he and his family are obsessed with certain reality shows, including “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” He made the comparison to reality TV after pointing out he doesn’t know what to expect this season, and the team’s story will likely change throughout the year.

“There is not going to be any type of normalcy or regular ebb and flow,” he said. “And I’m kind of looking forward to that though, there’s no other way.”

When IU’s 28th men’s basketball coach makes his debut during an exhibition game Friday night, he’ll be coaching against a small Christian Division III school with a roster completely composed of in-state talent.

“Anderson is a proud program with a great tradition,” Crean said. “This will be one of their only opportunities to play in Assembly Hall. We’ll never underestimate that.”

The Ravens have 10 players returning from their 15-12 team last season. They are led by senior guard Mike Russell, who averaged 15.3 points per game last season, and junior forward Ryan Fultz, who averaged 13.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season.

Junior guard Devan Dumes, who played his high school ball at Decatur Central in Indianapolis, said he’s played against a lot of the players on Anderson’s team, including Russell, and he said he is looking forward to the game Friday night.

He is ready for a change of pace from the intrasquad scrimmages.

“I think we are getting tired of playing against each other,” he said.

While the game is just an exhibition, freshman guard Nick Williams said the team is focused on winning.

“I don’t think you’re a real basketball player if you don’t want to win,” he said. “Getting better means winning. ... Trying to win is our goal.”

The Hoosiers have been working furiously in their limited practice time to prepare for the upcoming season. Crean said some of the main areas his coaching staff is focusing on are “how much we want to run,” switching defenses and shot selection.

He said it’s not fair to his players to expect them to absorb so much in a short period of time, but to their credit, they are “fairly quick learners, in the sense that after we go through it a bit, they pick it up.”

Earlier this week, Crean saw a preview of the reality TV show to come. On one end of the practice court, he had six potential walk-ons trying out for the team. On the other end, Crean was working several current Hoosier players through individual workouts.

“That’s where we’re at,” he said. “If we don’t smile and enjoy it a little bit, it’s going to be a very disheartening experience, and I don’t want it to be that way. I want it to be exciting and fun.”