Hoosiers take down Bryant, Crean with contract extension

Even before the IU men’s basketball team tipped off against Bryant Friday night in Assembly Hall, Hoosier fans already felt like they had won.

Before the Hoosiers took the court, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass grabbed the microphone and told the 17,472 fans in attendance that he and IU Coach Tom Crean had worked out terms for a two-year extension on Crean’s contract, meaning the coach will be in Bloomington until at least 2020.

IU basketball fans took to their feet in approval, overjoyed that the coach who had taken the Hoosiers from the depths of the Big Ten to preseason No. 1 was in it for the long haul.

But Crean said his new contract came about because of more than just conversations between him and Glass.

“It wouldn’t be possible without the players who have persevered and who have been here,” Crean said. “Without their resiliency and toughness and their desire to win and compete and do things the right way...they’ve helped us try to get this to be as model of a program as it can be.”

Off the momentum of the Crean announcement, the Hoosiers took down Bryant in the team’s first regular season game, 97-54.

The Hoosiers stormed out to an early 7-0 lead, initiated by a 3-pointer from senior guard Jordan Hulls.

It appeared as though the Hoosiers had learned from their slow start in the team’s only exhibition game against Indiana Wesleyan the previous week, but Bryant began to creep back.

With the help of three 3-pointers, Bryant outscored the Hoosiers 15-7 during the next two minutes and 25 seconds to take the team’s first lead of the game, 15-14.
But it would be Bryant’s last lead.

The IU offense, sparked by seven rebounds in the first half from senior forward Christian Watford along with freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell’s 10 points in his first half of college basketball, the Hoosiers took a 48-28 lead into the locker room at halftime, even with IU’s nine first-half turnovers and junior forward Will Sheehey in foul trouble.

Both teams traded 8-2 runs to open the second half, and the Hoosier lead still stood at 20 points, 58-38, with 13:22 left in the game. Just seconds later, though, Bryant’s Andrew Scocca fouled out. Vlad Kondratyev, the second of the Bulldogs’ three 6-foot-8-inch players, would foul out as well, leaving Bryant simply unable to size up with the Hoosiers as the IU lead continued to grow.

With 9:06 remaining, off a Watford three-point play, the IU lead grew past 30 off a Watford three-point play and it didn’t dip under 30 for the rest of the game as the Hoosiers cruised to their first win of the season.

Yet even with the seemingly easy win, Crean said he felt like the Hoosiers made great strides while taking down the Bulldogs by more than 40 points.

“It’s one thing to win, but it’s a whole other thing to improve while you’re winning, and I think we improved inside this game tonight,” Crean said. “The key is that we continue to improve inside every game and between those games.”

Though he only shot 33 percent from the floor, Watford made his presence known Friday, setting a career-high of 15 rebounds to go along with 15 points as one of six Hoosiers in double figures.

Zeller added a double-double as well, leading the team with 18 points to go along with 10 boards.

Sophomore guard Remy Abell and freshman forward Jeremy Hollowell each added 12 points. Ferrell tossed in 10 points to go along with his game-high seven assists, and Sheehey scored 10 as well before fouling out midway through the second half.

Several players echoed that although Zeller and Watford’s performances were special, it was the Hoosiers’ depth that stood out Friday and hopefully will continue the rest of the season.

Abell, who only averaged three points a game last season, said that he made it a point in the offseason to consistently contribute in IU’s rotation. Friday was only the second time he has scored in double-digits in his career at IU.

“I just want to play my role,” Abell said. “Everybody has a role on the team, and whatever they need me to do, I want to do it and help my team. I’m a winner, and I want to win, so whatever it takes, that’s what I want to do.”