The most fascinating part of these two Big Ten titles are how far apart they feel.
When people years from now look back to the record books, they will see two conference titles in a four-year span and likely think it was a run of dominance for IU men’s basketball. Historically, it might go down that way.
But it doesn’t feel that way.
The events since the 2013 Big Ten championship have caused enough strain to fill 10 years, let alone the two or three years between Big Ten titles. As the stars of the 2013 team moved on, frustration and pain followed.
The 2013-14 team came with the enthusiasm of the prior year of success but carried the burden of the previous season. So the masses were as disappointed as ever when the team underachieved and missed the postseason altogether.
This set the tone for how dire the strain became after off-the-court issues surfaced. Through a year and a half, players had run-ins with the law and trips to the hospital.
Things were bad. We’ve all heard of the “Tom Crean sucks” chant at his son’s basketball game.
Yet the only major consistencies between the 2013 Big Ten title and now are Crean and senior guard Yogi Ferrell. The players that seemed to be bad seeds or troublemakers are gone.
Crean is still in control of the program and has brought it through the gauntlet.
Crean receives plenty of deserved credit for bringing IU back from the Kelvin Sampson sanctions when he took over. But I’ve heard that song before. Now, it’s time to give him some respect for bringing the program back from his own rough period.
Crean’s first few years were a product of somebody else’s mistakes. One can play the martyr through that period.
The past two years were filled with players getting into trouble under Crean’s watch. There was an abundance of transfers and some confusing roster management. These could be seen as Crean’s rough periods.
And, to me, coming through that is even more impressive than the revival from 2008.
This team was trailing Notre Dame by 16 in December. It wasn’t looking great for Crean in Bloomington. Then, he lost star sophomore shooting guard James Blackmon Jr. And things got even harder.
Now, IU has earned at least a share of its second Big Ten title in four years. This coaching job has been the most impressive I have seen since he’s come to IU and maybe the best in the Big Ten this season.
Yet Crean and players haven’t been available to the media for a single Big Ten road game this season. Access for road games has been diminished to quotes provided through email. Things are going well, so why not speak to the media during these times?
There are still frustrations, and backseat coaches will always second-guess plenty of Crean’s decisions.
Regardless, I am willing to say Crean deserves to be the frontrunner for Big Ten Coach of the Year.
brodmill@indiana.edu
