Will this be the last season we see Tom Crean in Indiana?
Things have not gone well for the Hoosiers over the past year or so. After earning a No. 1 seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, Indiana missed The Dance altogether last year. According to a report from Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com, Crean wasn’t on the same page with his players when they were winning, and he isn’t on the same page with them now.
“There is definitely a disconnect between Tom and the players,” a source close to the program told Parrish.
Indiana announced on Monday that three players have been suspended for two exhibition games and two regular season games. Sophomores Troy Williams and Stanford Robinson were suspended for allegedly failing drug tests. Freshman Emmitt Holt was cited for underage drinking after he hit teammate Devin Davis with a car and left him hospitalized in serious condition.
All of the off-court issues combined with just two tournament appearances in seven seasons have left Crean firmly planted on the hot seat, despite what Indiana athletic director Fred Glass wants us to believe.
According to Parrish’s report, Crean didn’t even have the respect of his players when they were winning two seasons ago.
“It’s just that those guys were so talented that they rallied around each other and won,” a source reportedly said.
Tyler Devitte, a manager who worked under Crean during the 2012-2013 season, confirmed the disconnect between Crean and his players and painted a picture of the Indiana coach as someone who is pompous and inconsiderate.
“Crean never learned my name and always called me ‘Detlef Schrempf’ or ‘Hey You’ despite me telling him my name is ‘Tyler’ over and over again,” Devitte explained. “I’d run errands to his house, drop off his kid, Riley, and he still wouldn’t make an effort to learn my name.”
If you’re interested in the inner workings of the Indiana basketball program, Parrish’s entire write-up is worth a read. The Hoosiers are expected to miss the NCAA Tournament again this season. With the way things have gone in recent weeks and months, Crean may not survive the year.
