Looks Like This Would Be a Good Year to Give Up Scholarships for Indiana

Given the way the 2008-09 season is shaping up, it may be a bad year for Indiana fans to have quit smoking, drinking, amphetamines and sniffing glue. Indiana is down to one scholarship player from last year (and he was a former walk-on). The school just finished presenting its case before the NCAA Infractions Committee. The school has spent a fortune on legal bills from the Kelvin Sampson affair -- to say nothing in terms of buyouts for the former coach, assistants and soon to be former athletic director.

The school already pulled one scholarship for the 2008-09 season as self-punishment for the Sampson stuff -- to demonstrate to the NCAA the sincerity of their shame. Now, they are taking two more scholarships from the 2008-09 season to forestall any possible penalties for next year with regards to the Academic Progress Report (APR).

Since the end of last season, IU has lost seven players with eligibility remaining. Eric Gordon went to the NBA. Brandon McGee, DeAndre Thomas, Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis were dismissed from the team. Eli Holman transferred and Jordan Crawford also left.

Privacy laws prevent disclosures about the players' academic standing, but Crean has described IU's situation as "crisis mode" and said he "inherited a tremendous amount of dysfunction."

There are other reasons to take what appears to be a severe hit this season.
This would be the first time Indiana had problems with its APR, and very likely wouldn't have faced any scholarship penalties. Doing it now, however, is about demonstrating to the NCAA that they are taking academics seriously.

Of course no one would ever think that there would be other reasons. Like, the fact that with all the chaos of the coaching change, player turnover, and loss of a lot of recruits. It has left the Hoosiers with only 9 scholarship players for next season, and unlikely to add more than maybe one other.

That would still leave them with 3 open scholarships for 2008-09. A number that just happens to be the amount of scholarships Indiana took away from itself for the Sampson violations and now the APR numbers.

It also plays to the theory of "ripping off the bandage" rather than slowly peeling it off the knee. It stings a little more in that moment, but it is over quickly and not a long drawn out instance.

The final key to taking the hit now is it provides a clear line for Coach Tom Crean to move completely forward after what was already a painful transition. Not to mention it reminds Indiana fans very clearly that this is all Kelvin Sampson's fault for a lost season.