The Movement will move on without Patterson

On Aug. 15, 2010, Ron Patterson, a junior from Broad Ripple High School, committed to IU as the second member of 2012 men’s basketball recruiting class. It was the moment “The Movement” began.

Two years later, “The Movement” — the term coined by Patterson to represent IU basketball’s return to elite national status by signing good recruits and winning national championships — will continue without Patterson.

Two years after the day of his commitment, it was reported that Patterson did not meet IU admissions requirements and would be denied admission to the University.

The decision to deny his admission was made by a subcommittee of the Faculty Athletics Committee after Patterson struggled through the summer faculty sponsorship system, a system to help potential student athletes raise their academic performance.

The immediate impact of the decision effectively made Patterson the odd man out of the scholarship bind that IU Coach Tom Crean would have faced entering the season, as 14 players were signed to only 13 scholarships.

Through his long-time Amateur Athletic Union Coach Chris Hawkins, Patterson said he was “devastated and hurt.”

“It’s just shocking,” Hawkins said to Inside Indiana. “I mean, you know, there’s not too many words you can use as far as how the family feels, as far as how he feels.”

It’s hard not to feel bad for a guy in Patterson’s situation, as his dream of playing for the Hoosiers in Assembly Hall has come to a dramatic halt.

But after this season is said and done, Patterson’s exit could be viewed as addition by subtraction for IU.

While Patterson’s scoring ability will be missed, realistically, how much game time would he actually have seen?

At 6 feet 3 inches, Patterson would have been slotted in to be a two-guard with ballhandling and shooting ability.

IU already has 6-foot-4-inch Remy Abell, 6-foot-5-inch Victor Oladipo and 6-foot-7-inch Will Sheehey in front of Patterson on the depth chart based on overall experience and ability at both the two and three positions.

The potential that IU would have, had Patterson stayed for more than one season cannot be overlooked. The reality of Hoosier basketball entering the 2012-13 season is that “The Movement” really began last season.

The future is now, and IU needs to focus on winning this season and not what might happen down the line.

With the scholarship oversign situation figured out, Crean and his staff don’t have to worry about rounding out the roster anymore and can return to coaching.

While it may be with some sadness that Hoosier fans learned the man who started “The Movement” was denied into the University exactly two years after the day he committed to play for IU, down the road Aug. 15 might be seen as the day “The Movement” ended and the road to the National Championship began.

— mdnorman@indiana.edu