The opening two weeks of the season put a tax on Crean’s shortened bench.
The Hoosiers essentially lost four potential rotation players just days before the start of the season. As a result, Crean has been experimenting with unusual lineups through the Hoosiers’ two exhibition and two regular ?season games.
But reinforcements are on the way. Freshman forward Emmitt Holt, sophomore forward Troy Williams and sophomore guard Stanford Robinson will return from suspension tonight at 8 p.m. against No. 22 SMU.
“They have to fit into what we’re trying to do,” Crean said. “That doesn’t happen easily, but it has to happen. We’ll have to work through that and see how that all goes and blend them in.”
During their suspensions, Crean said the players spent more time in practice focusing on their individual games.
The trio still practiced with the team but moved to the practice squad when specific game preparation took place.
Williams started all 32 games for the Hoosiers last season. Robinson started in nine, appearing in 32 games. Holt, who joined the program in August, is expected to add much-needed height to a depleted frontcourt.
Without them available, Crean mixed and matched with his lineups in the first two weeks.
He used the same starting five each game: junior guards Yogi Ferrell and Nick Zeisloft; freshman guards James Blackmon Jr. and Rob Johnson; and junior forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea.
In IU’s two regular-season games, the starting lineup outscored opponents by 20 when they were on the floor together.
After that, things got messy.
Crean used 14 unique lineups in IU’s 83-64 win against Texas Southern on Monday after using 19 unique lineups against Mississippi Valley four days before.
Against Texas Southern, four of IU’s 14 lineups were used more than once. Six lineups were used 1:22 or less while another six were used for at least 2:35.
The suspended players were not allowed on the bench during the four-game suspension. Instead, the trio watched the games from the locker room, taking notes and telling teammates what they’d seen at halftime.
Junior guard Yogi Ferrell said the film study could have actually been advantageous.
“I feel like maybe they’ve had the advantage because they’ve been watching the games really and giving us pointers,” Ferrell said. “They’ve kind of got the upper hand, and I think they’re going to go on and do what we need to do — move the ball, just kind of gel with our ?offense.”
Crean never revealed just how much the previously suspended players will immediately play in their first game. He said the team would find out more in practice Wednesday during final tune-ups for the Thursday game.
Regardless of Crean not hinting at a starting lineup, the effect the players will have is undeniable.
Williams and Holt may be able to provide a bit of much-needed rebounding while Robinson will look too add more depth to an already deep guard rotation that has carried most of the heavy lifting offensively early on.
Regardless of the capacity, the team is ready to welcome Holt, Robinson and Williams back.
“I know they’re anxious,” Zeisloft said. “We’re anxious to get them back, too. We’ve been wanting them to be with us the whole time.”
