NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Bob Knight Wise to Blow Off Indiana

Terence Moore — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:09:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Even before the start of both events during the past two days to celebrate the seven inductees into this year's Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame, everybody hoped. Everybody prayed. In fact, everybody who bleeds Hoosier red meant no harm, but they wanted Bob Knight to do the wrong thing.

Instead, Knight did the right thing.

He stayed away. And, yes, I know these aren't the same folks who used that myth nine years ago to get rid of the greatest college basketball coach ever.

About that myth: The bosses at Ohio State fired Woody Hayes in 1978 because he couldn't beat Michigan anymore as much as because of his slugging of a Clemson player during that Gator Bowl. Likewise, Knight was ousted at Indiana because he couldn't win in the NCAA Tournament anymore (not going past the second round in his last six appearances, including four first-round losses) as much as because of his tendency to punch, throw and choke stuff at the wrong time.

Knight's old Indiana bosses were just too cowardly to admit the truth.

Former Indiana president Myles Brand was the leader of them all, but he left to become head of the NCAA before dying of cancer two months ago. Not only that, most of his associates also are no longer around the Hoosiers.

Still, Knight was wise to suggest during the last few days that he'd rather chomp on his favorite fishing pole than return to his old kingdom.

"I told him he was welcome up to and including the day of the event," said Indiana athletics director Fred Glass, among those believing in Mother Goose and Flying Monkeys as they searched the horizon on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium for a white-haired guy looking bigger than life in a red sweater. In other words, this latest in two centuries of shaky Indiana football teams playing and losing to Wisconsin was secondary. So were those other Hall of Fame folks preparing to stand before the Parents' Weekend crowd at halftime.

This was all about Knight, 69, now retired and most recently the former head basketball coach at Texas Tech. He said he wasn't coming back to town. He said he didn't wish to have his rather large shadow smother the other inductees. Added Glass, in his first year as Indiana AD and Class of '81, "I never ever put in pressure on him to let me know if he decided to change his mind. So if he walked in and sauntered onto the field and said a few words, I would be thrilled and not completely surprised."

So much for Hoosier fairy tales. As was the case Friday night during the official induction ceremonies at Assembly Hall, former sports editor Bob Hammel of the local Bloomington Herald-Times was Knight's stand-in. Hammel shared a letter from Knight with the record crowd of 800 or so gathered, and Knight stated bluntly near the beginning of the letter, "I just have too much negative feeling toward some people and the things they did or did not do during my last few years and who had no understanding of either athletics or honesty."

Yeah, Knight needed to stay away, all right. Forgiveness beats the alternative in the long run for everybody, and such is even true for Knight, a notorious hardliner when it comes to his principles. It's just that, in the short run, he has earned the right to remain bitter for a while longer at all things Indiana .

One moment, Knight was the flawed but effective icon on campus. The next, he was set up for failure by a zero-tolerance policy that led to his firing after he made Indiana famous (or infamous, depending on your feeling about coaches tossing chairs) during his tenure with the Hoosiers from 1971 to 2000. He hasn't come within a vintage Robert Montgomery Knight yell of Monroe County since Brand devised that policy, then claimed Knight violated it on several occasions and then enforced it by shoving his coach out the Assembly Hall door in September 2000. This is the same Assembly Hall that featured most of Knight's record 902 victories as a head coach along the way to three NCAA championships and an NIT title.

This also is the same Assembly Hall that honored those new Hall of Fame members before an audience "nearly more than twice" the normal amount for the annual event, said Glass, who orchestrated Knight's inclusion into the Hall of Fame.

According to Glass, a corporate attorney in his native Indianapolis before returning to campus, the last time he encountered Knight was never. "Never talked to him. Never met him, but I watched him a lot as a kid, as a student and as an alumnus," said Glass, who only has corresponded with Knight through letters -- and Glass' message has been the same throughout: Please come back.

Said Glass, "You know, I had the emotions that all of the Hoosier Nation had back then (when he was fired). The highs and the lows. And I think when the smoke clears and the emotion comes out, it's still three national championships, 11 Big Ten championships, six Big Ten coach of the year awards, four national coach of the year awards, 11 Big 10 mvps, 26 All-Americans and the 98 percent graduation rate."

Knight didn't cheat, either.

That's why this Knight remains shiny throughout this storied basketball state that is the birthplace of John Wooden, the inspiration for the movie "Hoosiers" and more hoops on the side of barns per capita than any place in the universe.

"After all these years, I know everybody wants him to come back, because when you think of Indiana University basketball, you think of Bobby Knight," said Jim Hazzard, 47, an IT supervisor from Indianapolis who was among the early tailgaters in the Memorial Stadium parking lot. Hazzard is an Indiana State graduate, but he travels with his family from Indianapolis to a slew of Indiana football and basketball games in his 12-ton trailer that sports a banner on its front saying, "You're in Hoosier Country." Added Hazzard, "Bobby still has ties here, and I think he still considers this to be his home. I think deep down in his heart, he really wants to be here."

They want Knight here -- young and old.

The most popular Halloween mask around town last month was the Bobby Knight mask, which shows that his popularity spans the generations.

Take, for instance, the young and lively gathering this weekend at Kilroy's Sports Bar on Walnut Street near The Square downtown. It was its typically pro-Knight self. Said Paul Miller, 25, a bar manager, "The people I interact with are students, and they were really excited to hear he was going to be in the Hall of Fame. He was long gone when most of them came to school here, but who hasn't heard of Bob Knight?

"The other thing is, when it comes to students, he was sort of the bad boy of basketball, so all of the kids kind of like him for that reason. He also was the rebel, and that's very appealing to a bunch of them."

No wonder thousands of Indiana students flooded the middle of campus days after Knight's dismissal nine years ago in protest. To their delight, Knight sauntered into their midst, stood on a platform and told them to stay calm. He'd be OK.

Go in peace.

The only thing that remained in turmoil around Indiana after Knight's departure was his once-prolific basketball program. Although Mike Davis took many of the players that he inherited from Knight to the NCAA championship game two years later, the Hoosiers have spent the majority of their post-Knight years going from the telephone scandals of Kelvin Sampson to the six-victory disaster of last season.

Home attendance was so shaky in recent years that Indiana officials did something that they haven't done since the early days of Knight's tenure. They discounted some of the tickets inside of the 17,456-seat Assembly Hall.

It's all a shame. It's all a needless shame, too. Knight wasn't at the Bobby Bowden stage of staying long past his usefulness. Instead, Knight remained effective enough to retain the right to leave Indiana University on his own terms.

Now Knight has earned the right to return to Indiana University on his own terms, and those terms weren't to his liking this time.

There is hope, though. Said Knight in his letter to Hammel while speaking of Glass, "You mentioned in your letter to me that you would like to sit down and talk with me any place or any time. I would be willing to do this and would suggest you bring Bob Hammel with you as he would be a great help in your understanding why I feel as I do."

Actually, Hammel isn't necessary for that.

Just re-read everything I just wrote.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.

Bob Knight Wise to Blow Off Indiana originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Knight Remains Away from Indiana

Chas Rich — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Big Ten, Coaches, Media Watch

It really shouldn't come as a surprise that Bob Knight would opt not to attend his own induction into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame. His departure from Indiana was ugly, well-documented and Knight has never been one to easily forgive and forget.

Or maybe he is mellowing just a bit. Rather than not even respond to the invitation, Knight actually let Indiana know that he would not attend.Not just passing word along through an intermediary or via press release. He called Indiana's athletic director Fred Glass directly. A former sportswriter that is a longtime friend of Knight, will represent Knight at the ceremony.

The reason claimed is that Knight would not attend because he didn't want a media crunch that would ensue were he to attend, to overshadow the induction of many of his former players. That almost seems reasonable except for one thing. Considering Bob Knight is being inducted, regardless of his physical presence, he will overshadow the event.

Knight Remains Away from Indiana originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NCAA President Myles Brand Dies at 67

Matt Snyder — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:07:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana

After a nearly year-long battle with pancreatic cancer, NCAA president Myles Brand died today. He was 67.

In 2003, Brand was named as the first-ever university president to take over the NCAA's top job. Among his many ventures, he made a significant push to get collegiate athletics more academically focused. He believed the NCAA sports -- namely football and basketball -- were too much like professional sports and he wanted to change the culture, using the phrase, "turn down the volume."

Brand is most famous, though, for being the administrator who helped take down Bob Knight at Indiana University.

In May of 2000, Brand -- then-president of Indiana University -- instituted what was called a "zero tolerance" policy toward Knight and his behavior. A few months later, Brand fired Knight for violating the policy. Students rushed to Brand's house on campus that evening and burned him in effigy.

Later, Brand would tell news outlets Knight's larger-than-life basketball persona made Indiana more of a basketball factory than an academic institution in the public eye and this needed to change. Brand left the school two years later, before becoming president of the NCAA in January of 2003.

In January of this year, Brand was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The NCAA has yet to decide how they will search for his successor and there are no clear rules of succession in place should the current president perish.

Brand is survived by his wife and one son.

NCAA President Myles Brand Dies at 67 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

One Hoosier's Plea to Coach Knight

Matt Snyder — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Big Ten, Coaches

A little over a week ago, Indiana University announced it would be inducting Bob Knight into its Hall of Fame. In the nine days since then, there has been no shortage of discussion around the state of Indiana, message boards, newspapers and local talk radio. Normally, the induction of someone with Knight's accolades wouldn't cause such a stir. He won three national championships, 12 Big Ten titles and went to the Final Four fives times in 29 seasons at Indiana. He's currently the winningest coach in Division-I history.

But that doesn't tell the whole story, of course.

Everyone who follows college basketball knows the general story of Knight's ugly divorce from Indiana, as he was dismissed by then-President Myles Brand in September of 2000. Since then, Knight has refused to acknowledge anything about Indiana University or his time there in any public forum. Thus, it's pretty easy to see why there is such a debate on whether or not he'll attend his own induction.

There are a few circumstances that should matter. First of all, everyone who had anything to do with his firing is long gone from the University's administration. The two coaches who followed him didn't do much to embrace the tradition and legacy of Indiana's program. Kelvin Sampson, in particular, reportedly didn't care at all for the history of the great program. Tom Crean, the current head coach, is doing everything he can to stress the program's prestigious past while also looking to the future. He recently spoke about Knight's induction to the University's Hall of Fame.

"I was all for it. It's just a matter of looking out and saying 'Let's get it done.' I think it will be fantastic to be able to walk into that building and have people walk into that building and know that their coach is honored with all of the other greats at Indiana, because certainly it's one thing to have him in the Naismith Hall of Fame, but with everything he did at Indiana, the shelf's not full yet. Let's get the shelf full and get him in there."

Still, will this be enough? Even Knight's biggest fans -- like myself -- have to admit he's among the most stubborn people to ever walk the hardwood, and that's saying something. He feels that everything he built was taken away from him unfairly and is obviously having a hard time putting that behind him. One would hope the athletic department considered his reaction before inducting him to their Hall of Fame. Is it worth inducting someone who will turn his nose up at you? With that question in mind, I personally hope they contacted him before the announcement and told him they wanted him to come. But we don't know if they did that because no one in the know is talking.

The people who are talking seem to all agree on one thing: We don't have the first damn clue whether or not coach will be coming back on November 6 (Induction day).

Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star asked Dick Vitale, who is currently a colleague of Knight's at ESPN. Vitale's answer? "I really don't know." Kravitz also asked Bob Hammel, long known as Knight's most-trusted confidant in a media for whom he mostly carried an outward disdain.

"Ultimately, I don't know what he's going to do, and whatever I eventually tell him, he's going to make up his own mind," said Hammel, who is part of the board that chooses Hall of Fame inductees. "My hope is that he comes and a lot of things can be tied together finally. I think he knows that I'd love for the cloud of tension to lift, and this is a step that might help achieve that."

Insidethehall.com, my favorite Hoosiers basketball blog, has a good compilation of excerpts from around the web.

Peegs.com, the rivals network Indiana affiliate, has posted a few thoughts from fans.

I asked a few of my friends -- fellow alums who attended every home game with me while we were enrolled -- what they thought.

"When I think about whether I want him to show up, I'm conflicted," said one of them. "On one hand, I want the fractured fan base to heal and him publicly acknowledging IU by attending would go a long way in doing that. On the other hand, I'm not sure I want him to show up because his presence would be taking away a lot of attention from the other inductees that certainly deserve considerable attention, too (example: former soccer coach Jerry Yeagley who won SIX national titles and made Indiana University one of the gold standards for college soccer in America). That said, I think the only real acceptable compromise is for him to make a public acknowledgment of thanks and then come receive his induction somewhere down the line at a basketball game or something so that everyone wins. I don't think he'll do that, though, and I also don't think he'll show up. It will be just one more chapter in the tumultuous history of Bob Knight and Indiana University."

"Do I want him to show up? Yes," said the other friend, my college roommate. "He is a hero to all IU fans and should be a part of the big day. The meaning behind the induction wouldn't be the same unless he was there. Many people will show up to see his induction ... I'd think it would be crazy.

"Will he show up? Yes. If he didn't show up I think it would hurt his legacy a bit and would be viewed as a slap in the face to Hoosier fans. He will show up and he will give a great speech and provide some entertainment."

This last quote is kind of an outlier. Through all these debates on message boards and over the radio, from what I can gather, most people either believe Knight will refuse to attend the festivities or just have the same feelings as Vitale (the "I don't know" camp).

Yes, Knight, like everyone else, has flaws. But he's not the monster many, from afar, think he is. I had the pleasure of meeting him once and was too intimidated to say anything. If you didn't grow up in Indiana in the late-80s, you don't know why I should be intimidated. You see, the Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis Colts were both irrelevant at the time. The Indianapolis 500 was a huge event but happened only once a year. In the State of Indiana, Bob Knight was king, a deity of sorts. You could identify his picture before you could read. So, yeah, I clammed up. I did get a second chance, though, the next week as I was walking to my locker room (I played baseball, and our locker room was in Assembly Hall). We arrived at the front door at nearly the same time. I made sure to be respectful, saying, "Hi, Coach Knight, how are you?" He replied and was incredibly nice. He asked what I was doing, then asked how I was adjusting to college ball. He didn't have to respond. Instead, he was genuinely caring and offered up a few nuggets of advice on adjusting to college life during our short conversation.

I tell this story to illustrate what I've heard from many who have met him. He was a nice person to legions of people, and the times he wasn't were the ones plastered across sports pages across the nation. If he was the out of control maniac many believe him to be, why is he showing such respect and being so nice to the Matt Snyders of the world? I'm a nobody, as are thousands of others he treated well.

Knight, on the other hand, is definitely somebody. A big somebody. He used to be the most famous person in Indiana. He's still toward the top of the list. Sure, he's a polarizing figure, but no one can deny what he meant to the university for nearly three decades. As they look to pay their respects to him as a Hall of Famer, his fans can only hope he's able to turn the page on what happened nine years ago. At some point, you have to move on, no matter how hard it might be.

I'm still hoping he's able to separate one thing from another. The fans who want to see him show up are not the ones who forced him out. We are the ones who stormed Brand's office that September evening (and, yes, I was there). We are the ones who gathered in Dunn Meadow September 11, 2000 to hear his farewell speech to the student body. We want to see him in Bloomington again, wearing that trademark red sweater.

My prediction in my heart of hearts: Knight shows up after having remained silent the entire time -- in a surprise entrance. If he waits until introductions at halftime of the Hoosiers' tilt against Wisconsin the following day, it will surely be the loudest that stadium gets all day -- and probably all season.

My realistic prediction: He's not going and he probably will never go back.

Which is such a shame. There are so many people who still revere him in these parts, and none of them have ever done anything wrong to him. If he wants to hate Brand and Clarence Doninger (the athletic director at the time of his firing who is not working for the university), that's fine. Neither of them have anything to do with this Hall of Fame ceremony. It's just a bunch of people who want to honor him. The words "Indiana University" shouldn't be offensive enough to Knight on their own, because they are just words. The overwhelming majority of the people in the Indiana Hoosiers' fan base want him to come back, if only for a few days.

Please attend, Coach Knight. If for no other reason than to prove that your feelings for the fan base still remain. We haven't forgotten about you, so please don't forget about us.

One Hoosier's Plea to Coach Knight originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

A Jordan Crawford Dunk LeBron Hasn't Yet Put Into Witness Protection

Ray Holloman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Xavier

Unless you live under the last rock that didn't come with Tweetdeck pre-installed, you've certainly heard about Jordan Crawford's alleged dunk over LeBron James, which ended up with Nike confiscating the tapes in the shoe giant's corporate version of Witness Protection.

Fortunately, Crawford's midnight madness dunk at Indiana (where he played for a season before transferring to Xavier last year), is available on YouTube. Watch Crawford soar over a rack of balls plainly trained to play defense by ex-Duke point guard Greg Paulus.

Now if Crawford would only be so kind as to dunk over LeBron in everything starring Kevin James.

A Jordan Crawford Dunk LeBron Hasn't Yet Put Into Witness Protection originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Kelvin Sampson's Appeal Rejected by NCAA

Chas Rich — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:26:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Big Ten, Media Watch

I have no proof that the people in the NCAA that evaluate appeals were laughing and giggling their way through Kelvin Sampson's appeal of his sanctions. I like to think they were. Most people had a good laugh when they found out Sampson was appealing. Not surprisingly, Sampson had his appeal officially rejected today.

Essentially the appeal by Sampson came down to two arguments. The first was that the committee misinterpreted the evidence that was the basis of the penalties. That is, all those excessive phone calls at Indiana, the three-way calls, the "mistakes" that were made. The committee just looked at them the wrong way. The 100 plus phone calls were simply individual mistakes and not reflective of a pattern.

The other claim was that the enforcement staff that investigated and brought the charges before the committee were biased against him. Of course those past violations from Oklahoma that were almost the same as what happened at Indiana should be ignored. To say nothing of how they factored into the harsher penalties on Sampson

The NCAA upheld the penalties handed down by the infractions committee that effectively banned him from coaching in the NCAA for five years. Hopefully Sampson will finally let it go.

He may be done in college basketball, but he still has a coaching future.He is an assistant in the NBA, and has always been a players' coach. His basketball acumen has never been questioned. Just his ethics.

Kelvin Sampson's Appeal Rejected by NCAA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

It Could Be Worse, USC, Ask a Hoosier

Matt Snyder — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, USC, Big Ten, Pac-10

In case you haven't been paying attention to the goings on of college basketball in the last few weeks, USC's 2009-10 basketball season has been already been summarily decimated. Tim Floyd resigned in the face of allegations against the program. In the wake, three incoming recruits have been granted their release from letters of intent to play for the Trojans. Plus, three players from last year's Sweet 16 squad have entered the NBA Draft early and now cannot change their minds. Factor in two graduations, and the team is left with only two players who logged regular, meaningful minutes in 2009, with no recruits of consequence.

It could be worse, though. Turn back the clock to last year at this time and direct your attention to the mess left behind by Kelvin Sampson at Indiana.

USC has already lost three recruits, two seniors, and DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett to the early entrant list of the NBA draft. Fortunately, though, they haven't had anyone transfer yet.

At Indiana, there were early entries into the draft, seniors, transfers and dismissals -- there was even a plant-throwing incident. When the dust settled, only Kyle Taber's 1.3 points per game returned in 2008-09 from a solid 2007-08 team.

Now, much for the Trojans hinges on what kind of coach they hire. It's awfully late in the game to be looking for a coach who could salvage any kind of a recruiting class for this coming season, so they'd better hire someone who can convince people like Dwight Lewis and Leonard Washington to stick around. Then, the task will be to build a recruiting class for the 2010-2011 campaign. Still, it's pretty doubtful things will get as bad for USC as they did at Indiana.

Though they aren't likely to land a coach as established as Tom Crean -- just check out Gary Washburn's top five candidates for the job (they aren't getting Jamie Dixon, by the way) -- USC still isn't looking at a 6-24 record with a 1-17 mark in conference like Indiana just endured, unless Lewis and Washington transfer and former North Carolina big man Alex Stepheson amounts to nothing.

If they do and the team is just as brutal as the Hoosiers were this past season, here are five ways to get through the season for Trojan basketball fans:

1. Get used to hearing things about "how hard" your team plays from the media. Soak it up and enjoy it, because it's much nicer than just saying they suck -- which is ultimately the truth.

2. Start talking about the future all the time. Something like, "Well, this is a good sign for next season, because tonight we saw [something complimentary, no matter how much of a stretch]and [another compliment, still heedless of the stretch]." When losing every game, even to schools like Lipscomb and Northeastern, there really isn't much else to discuss. Thus, clinging to things like a lower-than-usual turnover total, a freshman having his best game of the season, or a staunch defensive effort replaces any discussion about the outcome of the actual game.

3. Cling to next season's recruiting class. Indiana has a top-10 recruiting class for 2009-10 according to many outlets. That doesn't always translate to on-court success, but discussing it ad nauseum sure does anger Purdue fans. Give UCLA fans the same treatment.

4. Shower the new head coach with so much support it seems undue to those who cheer for other teams (again, Purdue fans hate hearing it). Inheriting a situation this bad isn't easy on the coach, so he needs to feel welcome and become invested in the job quickly. Sure, the money is nice, but it makes any human being want to succeed even more in an uphill battle when he feels like he has the full support of the students and alumni. Crean has immeasurable support from nearly everyone at Indiana, and he's maintained a child-like zeal for the job. It's not a coincidence.

5. Support the Pac-10 as a whole. I became the biggest apologist for every Big Ten team this past season -- to the point I actually pulled for the conference as a whole in the NCAA tournament. It gives you something positive to watch in the present.

Still, assuming there are no transfers, USC isn't falling into the meteorite-sized crater Indiana basketball fell into before last season. When watching Lil' Romeo bring the ball up court next season, please keep us in mind and be happy things didn't become completely unhinged.

Plus, the Trojan fans can take solace in one thing that us Hoosiers couldn't.

There's always football season.

It Could Be Worse, USC, Ask a Hoosier originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Nation's Best Coaching in Big Ten

Matt Snyder — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten, Coaches

In 2008, the Big Ten sent only four teams to the NCAA tournament. None reached the Elite Eight The Big Ten toiled down with mid-majors in conference RPI and were nationally maligned as the "Average 11." This past season, however, the league enjoyed a resurgence. It ranked only behind the ACC in conference RPI. Seven schools earned a berth into the NCAA tournament, and Penn State won the NIT. Michigan State toppled the defending national champions and two number one seeds en route to a national runner-up finish.

Don't dismiss it as a one-year outlier. The conference is on a major upswing, and you needn't look further than the coaches in the Big Ten to see why.

With the additions of Tubby Smith, Thad Matta and John Beilein in the past few years -- not to mention Indiana snagging Tom Crean after the catastrophic mess left behind by Kelvin Sampson -- the collective pedigree of the Big Ten coaches is off the charts. You have the recruiting acumen of Matta, the zeal of Crean, the grind-it-out defense of Bo Ryan, the back-door-cutting of Bill Carmody, the national championship credibility of Smith, the nearly unparalleled resume of Tom Izzo, and Gene Keady's protoge (Matt Painter). Top to bottom, this is the strongest coaching conference in the nation.

The other big-time leagues are all too top-heavy to compete with the Big Ten in terms of collective coaching strength. The ACC has Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski, a handful just a small step down, and then some dubious talents. The Big East has five or six really strong coaches, but a bunch of nobodies in the teens of their standings. John Calipari gives the SEC a boost, but they still aren't in the same discussion. The Big 12 has Bill Self -- had Illinois kept him I'd have an even better case -- and I love Jeff Capel, but the bottom of the conference leaves a lot to be desired. Seriously, as an Indiana alum, I'm very thankful we didn't get saddled with Pat Knight.

Additionally, the Big Ten coaches all had strong underclass rosters this season, most losing few players to graduation. They are also convincing players to stay in school longer, because only B.J. Mullens of Ohio State entered the draft early. That's right, there is only one Big Ten player who left school early in 2009.

As the 2009 Spring semesters across the midwest come to conclusion, let's take a look at each of the Big Ten schools and their respective coaches.

Bruce Weber, Illinois -- I've been critical of Weber in the past, saying that his early run was only due to the recruits left behind by Self. I'll stand behind a part of the argument, that Self is a better coach. That being said, the job done this past season by Weber was beautiful. Most of their high-minute guys were sophomores, so many thought they were a year away. Instead, they hung around the top of the conference all season. Weber developed young big men and had his team playing the most unselfish basketball in the conference. The offensive balance will be a big key moving forward as well.

Tom Crean, Indiana -- Going into the season, everyone knew the Hoosiers were going to be historically bad, and they were. The last month and a half, though, showed great promise. The Hoosiers nearly eliminated the blowout loss by the end, and even stayed competitive with the likes of Michigan State and Minnesota. The only loss to graduation is the incredibly hard-working albeit untalented Kyle Taber. Coming back are the more than a handful of freshmen who were thrown in the fire and a top-5 recruiting class, along with last year's top scorer Devan Dumes. The eyes are on 2010-2011, but don't be surprised if they arrive in the NCAA Tournament a year early.

Latest College Basketball Images

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo and dancers rehearse in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo rehearses in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo reacts as he rehearses a dance routine with his players in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, left, rehearses with director Greg Ganakas, as Izzo's son, Steven, 8, twirls a cane in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, center, plays the accordion as he rehearses with dancers Brittane Rowe, left, Kellyn Uhl, and Stephanie Koenig, right, in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, right, and his and wife Lupe rehearse in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo is surrounded by Michigan State dance team members as they rehearse in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, center, rehearses with wife Lupe, right, and choreographer Kellyn Uhl, left, along with Michigan State basketball players and dance team members in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Denver Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony hugs New Orleans Hornets' Rasual Butler after Anthony and his team won Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference basketball playoffs in Denver April 29, 2009. Anthony led all scorers with 34 points in the win. REUTERS/Marc Piscotty (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

Denver Nuggets' Kenyon Martin dunks over the New Orleans Hornets' Peja Stojakovic (back) during Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference basketball playoffs in Denver April 29, 2009. REUTERS/Marc Piscotty (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

Todd Lickliter, Iowa -- Actually, he's getting his teeth kicked in pretty well by the conference thus far, but it's a testament to the strength of his competing coaches. Remember, he took tiny Butler to the Sweet 16 twice and helped lay the foundation for the Bulldogs as a legitimate NCAA threat.

John Beilein, Michigan -- After a couple Sweet 16 runs (including one Elite Eight) at West Virginia, Beilein has quickly erased the Tommy Amaker era. The Wolverines made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998 this past season, and it wasn't just a token entry. They took down seventh-seeded Clemson (from the vaunted ACC!) in the first round. With Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims returning, look for them to take a few more steps forward next season.

Tom Izzo, Michigan State -- I think I have sufficiently covered them: Here and here.

Tubby Smith, Minnesota -- Winning 22 games and getting an NCAA tournament berth in just his second season was merely a sign of things to come for Smith. The Golden Gophers haven't lost a single rotation player from the 2009 roster, and they have a very solid recruiting class coming in yet again. As long as he doesn't take another job -- and he's being mentioned for many in the rumor mill -- the Gophers have a legitimate shot eventually to head to the Final Four for the first time in school history, excluding the scandal-tainted 1997 appearance that has been officially expunged from the record books.

Bill Carmody, Northwestern -- Before coming to Evanston, Ill., Carmody compiled a 92-25 record at Princeton -- including a ridiculous 50-6 record in conference play. He's had a tough go-round at Northwestern, but that's nothing new. The Wildcats have never been to the NCAA Tournament. The fact that Carmody had them on the bubble for much of the season is saying something.

Thad Matta, Ohio State -- The Buckeyes had zero seniors last season. Sure, they lose Mullens, but Matta is getting used to losing seven-footers after one season. It's the third straight time it's happened. He just brings another off the assembly line. This time it's Zisis Sarikopoulos, who will be eligible following his transfer season. The rest of the roster looks very solid, especially with David Lighty coming off injury. Throw in an extra year of growth for Evan Turner, Jon Diebler and Dallas Lauderdale, and the Buckeyes look especially strong for 2009-2010. The program isn't going anywhere, either, because Matta recruits as well as anyone in the nation.

Ed DeChellis, Penn State -- They did lose Stanley Pringle and Jamelle Cornley from the NIT championship squad, but at least Talor Battle -- an all-Big Ten first-teamer as a sophomore -- will be coming back to University Park. The valuable experience of playing deep into the postseason will help with the rest of the youth on the roster moving forward much more than a one-and-done in the NCAA would have. With that in mind, you could call their falling short of the NCAA Tourney a blessing in disguise for the good of the program.

Matt Painter, Purdue -- After learning under Keady, it's apparent Painter has tailored himself into a legitimate star coach. People who don't follow the Big Ten may be under the belief that 2008-2009 was a disappointment in West Lafayette. All along, though, most locals knew the real big year for the Boilermakers is destined to come next season. Only Nemanja Calasan is lost from lose who logged regular minutes this past season. With Keaton Grant getting a full offseason of rest and Robbie Hummel coming back healthy, the Boilers will be legitimate Final Four contenders.

Bo Ryan, Wisconsin -- If it wasn't for the presence of Izzo, Ryan would easily have the best background, on paper, in Big Ten play. He's been to the NCAA tournament all eight years he's coached the Badgers. They never lose at home. He has a 94-39 record in conference play, and has been to the Sweet 16 three times. Plus, he can crank that Soulja Boy. As long as he's at the helm, Wisconsin will always be relevant.

So, for almost the entire conference, the foundation is in place. Now it's time to enjoy the summer before getting down to business in the fall. That business is going to be having a prominent place in the national spotlight next March. I'm expecting eight Big Ten teams in the dance.

Nation's Best Coaching in Big Ten originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 04 May 2009 18:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Onion Peels: Duke, Carolina Have Similar Sunday Games, Different Endings

Will Brinson — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Boston College, Butler, Davidson, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, UNC, USC, Virginia, University of Miami, North Carolina

Onion Peels is a recap of last night's action and an unofficial Bill Raftery blog.

Duke and North Carolina were separated by a single game in the ACC standings heading into Sunday; little did Duke know it, but they nearly had a chance to tie the Tar Heels again. However, games against Boston College and Miami, respectively, ended the wrong way for the Devils.

Boston College 80, Duke 74: The same problems that have plagued the Blue Devils all season -- point guard play as well as lack of an inside presence -- came into play again Sunday afternoon.

Another problem, the ability to close teams out, was acknowledged by Gerald Henderson after the game:

"You can't mess around. If you have a team down you have to step on their throats," Henderson said. "That's been a problem with us this year - we haven't approached leads like that, so we need to change that."

Of course, the bigger problem again is at the point position. Greg Paulus played a whopping 25 minutes but only registered two points, two assists and dealing with four fouls. Additionally, Tyrese Rice was nearly unstoppable, hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch en route to 21 points, six boards and six assists. Joe Trapani, held to just five points in a loss to Clemson, posted 20 in 37 minutes while adding five blocks and seven boards.

North Carolina 69, Miami 65: The fact that Miami was 14-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points didn't seem to bother the Tar Heels, even though Jack McClinton, with 35 points last night, was a pretty big thorn. In the end though, it was Ty Lawson who again looked like Carolina's MVP and -- despite being sick -- managed to score 21 points while dropping what amounted to the game winning three pointer with just over 10 seconds remaining. Miami's a dangerous team, obviously, but the Tar Heels holding on gave them a two game ACC lead and seemingly, based on their remaining schedule, locked sights on this year's conference title.

Elsewhere: Arizona State, behind Jeff Pendergraph's double-double, helped kick Southern Cal a little further off the bubble. Virginia managed to really honor Sean Singletary, upsetting No. 12 Clemson at home. Nationally ranked Butler stumbled for the second time in two weeks, despite Matt Howard's 30 points, as they head into a February 21 matchup with Davidson, this time to Loyola-Chicago and Jordan Hicks, who poured in 23 for Loyola. Illinois took care of Indiana by double figures in a game that should really be more important.

Onion Peels: Duke, Carolina Have Similar Sunday Games, Different Endings originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Big Ten Update: Penn State Is Cooked, But Badgers Are Back

Matt Snyder — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

A few weeks ago I did a halfway point roundup for the Big Ten, in which I buried Wisconsin and hailed Penn State to no end. Boy, do I look like an idiot now. Since then, Penn State crumbled, while Wisconsin has done a 180.

The Nittany Lions were embarrassed by Michigan, lost at home to Wisconsin, and handily lost at Purdue. They now sit just 6-6 in conference play, and their RPI has plunged into the 80s. With road trips to Illinois and Ohio State -- not to mention hosting Illinois and Minnesota -- it would appear they are fading back into obscurity.

The biggest problem? My halfway point pick for conference player of the year has been dreadful since. In fact, if I was ego-centric enough, I'd think I cursed him. Talor Battle has gone 7-38 from the floor in the past three games for 19 total points -- including an 0-7 for zero point stink-bomb at Purdue Wednesday night. The Boilers didn't even need to waste Chris Kramer on him, as 5'9" freshman Lewis Jackson did the bottling up. Battle still leads the conference in scoring, which shows how big he had been before these past three disasters.

Anyway, sayonara NCAA hopes for PSU. They are NIT bound, once again.

Wisconsin, on the other hand, is right in the thick of things for an NCAA tournament birth. They've won three straight to right the ship from a near disastrous six-game losing streak. They should be able to handle Ohio State at home -- considering they beat Illinois easily at home last week -- and then win in Indiana. This would make them 8-6 in the conference and 17-9 overall. Their RPI has them in the top 30 due mostly to their herculean scheduling (third toughest schedule in the nation).

In other words, there isn't much reason to believe they'll miss the tourney. What a difference three games can make.

Who?
Purdue's struggled mightily without Robbie Hummel, but Wednesday they were given a scoring jolt from unknown reserve Bobby Riddell, a 5'9" senior who initially walked-on. He received extended minutes due to E'Twaun Moore's foul trouble and Hummel's injury, and made the best of it. The diminutive guard scored 13 points on 5-7 shooting -- including 3-4 from behind the arc -- to help get the Boilers back on track.

Close, But ...
Our own UM alum Chris Burke discusses that familiar feeling emenating from Ann Arbor. It's a shame, considering how well they've fared against top-flight talent from other conferences.

What Could Have Been
Had Michigan State not faltered at home to clearly inferior Northwestern and Penn State teams, they'd be looking at a number one seed in the Big Dance. Instead, with an RPI hovering around 7 and upcoming road dates with Purdue and Illinois, they'll be fighting for a 2.

How Refreshing
Tom Crean didn't appreciate the dirty play of his own Devan Dumes last week in Michigan State, so he promptly suspended him indefinitely. Last season, Kelvin Sampson suspended select players one game at a time without announcing why. We came to later find out about rampant drug use on the team. Do the math. Crean is taking a hard line stance against something much more excusable, despite the fact that Dumes is his primary offensive option. Hoosier fans haven't seen a coach discipline his players with such vigor since you-know-who, and this guy doesn't even get violent (unless it's with the band leader).

Power Rankings/Tourney Watch
As we did last time around, we'll list the teams probability of heading into the NCAA Tourney like they are an NFL player on the injury report (playing, probable, questionable, doubtful, out). Currently, the Big Ten sits second in conference RPI, with many teams toward the top in NCAA strength of schedule, so you can expect six teams to make the dance.

1. Michigan State (playing) - No question.
2. Illinois (playing) - Won't lose more than six conference games.
3. Purdue (playing) - Adjusting to life without Hummel, though it won't be easy.
4. Ohio State (probable) - Not much can ruin them now.
5. Minnesota (probable) - Not playing well of late ...
6. Wisconsin (probable) - We'll see if they can keep it going.
7. Michigan (questionable) - They still have a shot.
8. Penn State (doubtful) - I guess they just belong down here, huh?
9. Northwestern (doubtful) - Hanging from a very thin thread.
10. Iowa (out) - Played role of spoiler against Northwestern.
11. Indiana (out) - Got their conference win. Anything else is gravy.

Big Ten Update: Penn State Is Cooked, But Badgers Are Back originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Big Ten: Halfway Point Roundup

Matt Snyder — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

With just over a month in the books and most teams having played about half their conference schedule, let's check out the big boys of the Midwest. We're seeing a slight upheaval when it comes to traditional powers, as Indiana and Wisconsin sit in the bottom third of the standings, Northwestern is respectable, and Penn State is in the mix toward the top.

At this point, the conference is very balanced, and much stronger than it has been in recent years. They have a shot at seven bids for the Big Dance, but six is the more likely number.

Most Surprising Team
It's gotta be Penn State, even though there have been quite a few surprises. The Nittany Lions have been one of the league's doormats for the past half decade, but now they are a team to be reckoned with. They still have a bit of work to do on their tourney resume, as their non-conference strength of schedule was awful, but I like their chances. They need to get these next two games against Michigan and Wisconsin before a rough patch in the schedule (at Purdue, vs. Minnesota, at Illinois, at Ohio State). Runner-up: Northwestern.

Most Disappointing Team
It's not even close. Wisconsin has always been a tourney team under Bo Ryan, and they always win consistently. The Badgers hadn't even lost four straight conference games since 1998, but they currently sit with a six-game skid -- after beginning conference play 3-0. Sure, they've played a tough schedule, but do they have any really impressive wins? Beating Penn State at home or winning at Virginia Tech were the best wins, and they both went right down the wire. Runner-up: Michigan.

Player of the Year
Talor Battle of Penn State leads the conference in scoring, assists (he's tied), 3-pointers (he's tied), is third in assist-to-turnover ratio, and is tied for eighth in steals. He carried them for stretches in their big win -- at Michigan State -- and has proven he can hit the clutch shot when needed. Runner-up: Kalin Lucas.

Coach of the Year
I may have given this to Tubby Smith, but the Gophers were just summarily dismantled due to the wrath of the Spartans Wednesday night. I may have given this to Ed DeChellis, but he's been failing at Penn State for quite a while to all of a sudden become a genius. Instead, I'm going with Bruce Weber. Illinois was awful last season, to the point that many believed he may have survived only on the talent left by Bill Self in his first few years. This year he's doing it with youth and balanced scoring. This is easily a better coaching job than his national runner-up, as they were obscenely talented then. Runner-up: Smith.

Defensive Player of the Year
It's Chris Kramer again. There's no one else really close to this pest. You saw what he helped do to Stephen Curry, right? Runner-up: Evan Turner.

Power Rankings
We'll do this in the form of an NCAA Tournament watch. I'll use the NFL injury report scale to illustrate the team's likelihood of playing in the Dance (playing, probable, questionable, doubtful, and out).

1. Michigan State (playing) - They are playing for seeding.
2. Purdue (playing) - When Robbie Hummel comes back, you'll see the loss at Ohio State was an aberration.
3. Illinois (playing) - Not many weaknesses here.
4. Minnesota (playing) - Strong RPI, and they'll win at least 11 conference games.
5. Ohio State (probable) - They are finding their way without David Lighty.
6. Penn State (questionable) - That RPI is still scary for an at-large bid.
7. Michigan (questionable) - Above Northwestern based upon early victories over Duke and UCLA.
8. Northwestern (questionable) - They still have work to do, but they have the potential to sneak into their first bid ever.
9. Wisconsin (doubtful) - It's possible for them to right the ship, but I'm not seeing it.
10. Iowa (out) - Still a year or two away.
11. Indiana (out) - We knew this was a throw-away year, but there is hope.

The Big Ten: Halfway Point Roundup originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tom Crean Was Excited Last Night

Will Brinson — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:51:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Iowa, Big Ten, Coaches, Fans, Video

Tom Crean won his first Big Ten conference game Wednesday night (It's a Swingers moment, "Our little baby is all growsed up") and, understandably, the guy was a little excited. Although, perhaps tackling the leader of Indiana's band was a bit much, no? Seriously though, while I want to criticize him for being overly exuberant, as Ryan Corazza said, it's hard not to love the guy for being enthusiastic. And besides, he's not Kelvin Sampson. So that's an immediate plus.

Tom Crean Was Excited Last Night originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Hoosiers Finally Win a Big Ten Game

Matt Snyder — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:05:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Iowa, Big Ten, Coaches

In their ninth try, the young Hoosiers finally gave Tom Crean his first Big Ten win as the head coach of Indiana University. This was the first win for Indiana in nearly two months, as they had tied a school record with 11 consecutive losses. Still, this seemed like a natural progression, as they had been keeping games close for the past three weeks.

Behind the hot shooting of Devan Dumes, the Hoosiers built a 20-point lead early in the second half. Down the stretch, however, Iowa closed the gap, coming within three on a few different occasions.

It was a sight Hoosier fans had seen before. They blew 20-point leads at home to both Michigan and the ever-challenging Lipscomb during this losing streak. Tonight was the night, though, as two late steals and the clutch-shooting of Dumes -- who ended with 27 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including 5-5 from three -- iced the game for good. They eventually had a 68-60 win to show for their efforts.

This game wasn't about the two worst teams in the Big Ten, though. It was the payoff for a group of kids who labored through more than a few embarrassing blowouts, and were predicted by many to go winless in conference play. As I said, they recently began to scrap their way to several close finishes, and now they can experience the elation of a conference win.

The roster is a patchwork group, basically thrown together over the course of one summer, as he reached to pick up the pieces of a nearly-destroyed program. The regular playing rotation consists of a two-time transfer, a senior who initially walked-on, and seven freshman. None of these players were highly touted, and many will take a bit of a backseat next season when a talented recruiting class arrives in Bloomington. What they did Wednesday night was to help restore hope and promise to the program Kelvin Sampson so flagrantly tried to destroy with his nefarious actions.

They probably won't win another conference game, but I won't be surprised if they battle to one or two more. Either way, they have now experienced the payoff for all their efforts, after waiting through eight hard-fought losses. It was very satisfying to see the joy in their eyes, especially after watching a team last year who probably (save for D.J. White) would have just quit playing hard had they lost half as many games in a row.

The best part? Tom Crean was cool, calm, and collected in victory. He's knows where this ship is headed. This insignificant (to outsiders) win was merely the first baby-step of many in a long journey back to national prominence for the cream and crimson. We'll see you in 2011, Hoosiers -- if not sooner.

Hoosiers Finally Win a Big Ten Game originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Kelvin Sampson Appealing Punishment

Matt Snyder — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:10:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Oklahoma, Big 12, Big Ten, Campus

After the dust settled in the NCAA's investigations of Kelvin Sampson, the former coach of Indiana and Oklahoma was virtually banned for five years from coaching college basketball.

It's not a hard-and-fast ban, but the process schools would have to go through to hire Sampson make it likely not worth the effort -- especially considering the baggage he already carries.

Today, the Indianapolis Star reported that Sampson is appealing his punishment. As you can expect, the grounds for appeal are quite lame, and don't appear to have much chance to stick.

His first claim is that testimony from Sampson's fall-guy, Rob Senderoff, was misinterpreted. You might remember Senderoff as the member of Sampson's staff who was summarily dismissed when charges resurfaced toward the beginning of last season. Simply put, we're still expected to believe Sampson had no idea Senderoff was placing these phone calls. Furthermore, when he patched in Sampson on a three-way call, we're supposed to believe that Sampson had no idea it was against the rules. Thus, in his mind, Sampson's not guilty of unethicial conduct, which the NCAA concluded he was.

The second charge is a beauty as well.

The second is that the NCAA enforcement staff, essentially the prosecutor in the case, was biased and showed a prejudgment of guilt by requesting a hearing before all of the interviews were complete.

Isn't that rich? The committee was biased against a guy who blatantly neglected to follow their orders after already being placed on probation, threw a member of his staff under the bus, and accepted a buyout the second the investigation got close to taking him down. He was working for the San Antonio Spurs just weeks later.

If he really didn't do anything wrong, why was he so hasty in accepting a buyout? Why flee to the NBA so quickly? Where's the fight? It sounds to me like a guilty man was salvaging what he could of his career, and the evidence found by the NCAA reaffirmed my opinion -- shared by nearly all Indiana fans.

Even if Senderoff shows up to take all the blame for Sampson, which would be one of the most amazing turns of events in history, Sampson was still his boss. The university was held responsible for a "failure to monitor," so Sampson should have been watching his staff closely as well.

Also, are we to believe the embarrassing grade point average, alleged drug use, and mass exodus of his players -- after the season -- was all a huge coincidence? Tom Crean came in and raised expectations for off-court behavior, and every single one of Sampson's scholarship recruits fled Bloomington like it was a crime scene, leaving a trail of failing grades and flying plants in their wake.

Is the appeal a form of fighting for what is just? I don't know, nor do I care. I don't believe his intentions are for the greater good. No matter what Sampson does anymore, I can't rationalize his actions as anything other than selfish and -- likely -- unethical. If I'm wrong, so be it. He's made this bed for himself by nearly ruining two programs.

Of course, I'm sure that wasn't his fault. Nothing ever is.

Kelvin Sampson Appealing Punishment originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

FanHouse in the Stands: The Hoosier Faithful are Still Strong

Matt Snyder — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Penn State, Big Ten, Fans

It's no secret I'm an alumnus of Indiana University. I went to every single home game for the four years I was there, and again attended every single game the season after I graduated -- I used my student ID to purchase season tickets at the discounted student price; how savvy is that? Since then, I've always made it down to Bloomington for at least one game per season.

This past Saturday -- against Penn State -- was that one game for this season.

I'll admit, when I took my camera and anticipated writing this FanHouse in the Stands, I was planning on writing about how the atmosphere pales in comparison to the past.

Really, could you blame the fans if I was right? My collegiate roommates and I often reminisce about having to literally yell into each others' ears just to discuss the game because it would get so loud in there. Over the years, I've spoken with a few former Hoosier players -- and even some opposing players -- and they always say the same thing: "I can't believe how loud it gets in there." When you walk into an arena, and hundreds are walking around wearing candy-striped pants, you know you have die-hards on your hands.

I'm not trying to say we are definitely better fans than places like Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina, or Kansas. Not in the least.

What I am saying is that I fully expected a school who has seen tons of hoops success to see a gigantic dip in the crowd atmosphere department, because their current team will probably lose all 16 Big Ten games. The Indiana program is one of the most storied in college basketball, and -- thanks to our good buddy Kelvin Sampson -- it's a scrap heap in 2009.

Here's the thing, though: I was wrong.

While the atmosphere inside Assembly Hall was not what I've seen with past teams, it was nothing about which any of us Hoosier faithful should be embarrassed. Though the Hoosiers couldn't get past that six/seven point barrier for most of the game, the fans were right with this team until the very end. It got loud many times, people stood at huge moments, and chants were present. I have to give props to the current group of student fans, because we are cheering for a team who probably won't win a conference game, yet those student sections never went quiet.

I'm always proud to have attended Indiana University, but the experience Saturday night made me even more proud to be a fan of the basketball program. While they are a really awful team right now, the program is in good shape moving forward. The fans? Well, I'm a fan of the fans.

Snapshots

Anyone remember Chris Reynolds? How about Todd Lindeman?

Here's coach Tom Crean in action. I had the pleasure of sitting close enough that I could actually hear him coaching. I'll say this, he is incredibly zealous, and he never stops teaching. I loved it. I was already a huge fan, but now my support has multiplied dramatically. You would have thought he was coaching a national championship contender the way he went about his business all game.

Here are a couple shots of the student section behind one of the baskets. I love the enlarged faces they hold up, because it was such a mixed bag. You have Tiger Woods and Bill Lynch. You have Oprah and Brian Evans. You have Cameron Diaz and Alan Henderson. Oh, and Sponge Bob Square Pants. You can't see everyone I named in these pictures, but they were all there.

Final Thoughts

Finally, I just want to ask one question about the game: Why in God's name was Penn State not posting up Jamelle Cornley all game? The Hoosiers have no one who could even come close to stopping him on the block, yet he couldn't have had more than eight touches down low.

Either way, Penn State got the victory, and the Hoosiers continued their march towards perfecting futility in the Big Ten. The Hoosier faithful, however, will not stop supporting their troops.

As I said above, I'm proud.

FanHouse in the Stands: The Hoosier Faithful are Still Strong originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NCAA President Myles Brand Has Pancreatic Cancer, Prognosis 'Not Good'

Will Brinson — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Campus, Fans

Myles Brand is notorious for valuing academics above athletics while serving as NCAA president. He is also famous for dismissing Bob Knight from Indiana University following a 2000 incident.

And now he is, sadly, making headlines with an announcement Saturday that he has pancreatic cancer and that things, from a long-term perspective, do not appear good.

"I have pancreatic cancer," the statement said. "The long-term prognosis is not good. I am currently undergoing chemotherapy, and I am receiving excellent care. I will know in the next several months the success of this treatment."

"Having been blessed with good health all my life, it is particularly frustrating to have to miss significant portions of the [NCAA Convention] to attend to a medical condition," the memo said. "Nevertheless, I have promised to be a good patient and follow my doctors' requests."

Brand's absence forced NCAA veep Wally Renfro to give the "state of the NCAA" speech instead; however, the AP reports that Renfro does not plan on assuming the majority of Brand's duties, despite Brand's current medical issues.

The reality is, though, that chemotherapy and attempted recovery will greatly sap Brand's energy. It would be surprising if he continued in his presidential role, but, at the same time, there have been more shocking recovery stories in recent years.

And briefly, as someone who has had a couple brushes with the exact same issue on a somewhat personal level recently, I'd like to give my thoughts and prayers to the Brand family as they hope for a speedy recovery.

Sports Stars Who Fought Cancer

NCAA president Myles Brand reveals he has pancreatic cancer and that the long-term prognosis is not good. Click through to see what other sports figures have fought cancer.

John Russell, AP

Former Bills quarterback and congressman Jack Kemp, who Bob Dole says is "a tough guy of deep faith," revealed his battle with cancer in early January. He intends to continue his involvement in charitable and political work.

Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images

Golf legend Seve Ballesteros was released from a Madrid hospital in early December two months after having surgeries to remove a brain tumor.

Stuart Franklin, Getty Images

Swimmer Eric Shanteau found out he had testicular cancer a week before qualifying for the Olympic team, but he postponed treatment so he could compete in Beijing. He's currently cancer-free and has returned to competitive swimming.

Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images

Australian soccer star Craig Moore underwent surgery to battle testicular cancer, but he is expected to make a successful recovery.

Robert Cianflone, Getty Images

Lance Armstrong survived his bout with testicular cancer and went on to win seven consecutive Tour de France titles. Armstrong is now planning to make a comeback and chase his eighth crown.

Peter Dejong, AP

Former NBA player Wayman Tisdale, seen here in 2006, had part of his leg amputated because of bone cancer. "This may sound drastic, but I have put it in God's hands and now have peace, knowing that this is the best way to put this disease in check," he said.

Brad Barket, Getty Images

Jim Calhoun underwent 33 radiation sessions over summer 2008 to battle skin cancer. The UConn hoops coach said he plans to continue coaching.

Ned Dishman, Getty Images

Maarten van der Weijden, who was given only a slim chance of survival after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2001, swam past the favorites to win a gold medal in one of the most grueling events of the Olympics -- the 10-kilometer open water marathon race.

Robert F Bukaty, AP

Bruce Snyder, who has coached football at Arizona State, California and Utah State, admitted in July 2008 that he has cancer through a statement released by Arizona State's sports information office.

Tom Hauck, Getty Images

NCAA President Myles Brand Has Pancreatic Cancer, Prognosis 'Not Good' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Michigan Storms Back From 20 to Beat Indiana: The Fallout

Matt Snyder — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Michigan, Big Ten

If you want a game recap, you can check one out. Here, we focus on more than that. The one thing I will say that is left out of the recap is the six missed free throws in overtime by the Hoosiers. Those all came before a few tack-on free throws by the Wolverines. Simply put, IU still should have won, if they could just hit their damn charity shots.

What is the fallout for each team?

Indiana

This game showed that the Hoosiers, no matter how hard they play, are simply not in the same league as the rest of the Big Ten this season in terms of talent. When you have a 20 point lead at home with only 18:46 left in the game, it should be in the bag.

The problem is that Indiana doesn't have the type of player who can take over and ensure the lead doesn't get blown -- like D.J. White could have. The leadership is lacking because no one who played significant minutes last year is back -- with all due respect to my boy, Kyle Taber. The talent is lacking because Tom Crean has basically had to start over.

Devan Dumes would be the closest thing at this point, but he was playing at Vincennes JuCo last year. Nick Williams and Verdell Jones could get there, but they are only freshman. Some freshman can learn to take on the load early in their careers, but those are dynamic NBA-type talents playing on teams who know how to win. Indiana's just not there yet.

This isn't like the last blown 20 point lead at home -- yes, it just happened in the last home game to Lipscomb. The young Hoosiers should take confidence away from this game in the fact that they were able to build a 20-point lead against a team as talented as Michigan.

As I've said before, hopefully the team can keep themselves into things mentally as the season progresses -- and the beat-downs add up -- because next year's recruiting class is an elite one. By this time next year the worm will have started to turn and by the 2010-2011 season, this will be a distant memory. Williams, Jones, Tom Pritchard, and others need to keep this in mind and keep chugging along.

Michigan

Simply put, you can't get down 20 points to Indiana if you want to remain in the thick of the Big Ten race. That would have been a devastating loss. That being said, they showed a will to win and battled back through the adversity of an awful first half. Now they'll get what should be a sure win at home against Iowa, and take a 3-1 league record into Illinois next week.

This is actually quite a significant movement for the young Wolverines. They are in year two of the John Beilein regime, and still growing. This game should be a stepping stone for them. Anytime they find themselves down on the road in the upcoming weeks, they'll remember this comeback and think they have a shot to comeback. Don't discount the mentality of a team, especially one still finding its way. With the talented DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris leading the way, a swagger could make this team very intriguing in late February and March.

Overall

As long as both teams focus on the positive, while trying to learn from the negative, this is one of those games where both teams should come away feeling better about themselves. They can look to build upon the effort. That means something different for both teams, obviously, but the message is the same.

Michigan Storms Back From 20 to Beat Indiana: The Fallout originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Coaches Think There Could Be 7 or 8 Big Ten Teams in NCAA Tourney

Matt Snyder — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten, March Madness, Coaches

I've been trying to impress upon the FanHouse readers for a little while that the Big Ten is back to being a strong conference this year, but it seems to me the coaches are getting a bit ahead of -- or maybe too proud of -- themselves for it being early January.

Illinois coach Bruce Weber said as many as seven teams will play in the tournament. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo predicted as many as eight.

Alright, guys, step away from the microphone.

In order for a conference to get eight bids, there's going to have to be a ton of unusual circumstances. First of all, the top eight teams are going to have to basically win every single game over the bottom three. With Indiana and possibly Iowa, I could see that. Northwestern, though, has enough potential to win four or five conference games. Second of all, the teams must all have built stellar non-conference resumes, and Penn State, to name one, did not.

I agree that there's a strong top eight and a bit of a fall-off after that. Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin will most certainly be getting in. You'd think Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota will continue on their early season success and be serious contenders. Ohio State needs to right the ship without David Lighty, and Penn State is going to need to win a few of those close games -- instead of just playing Wisconsin close.

I'm a huge supporter of the Big Ten, but it's more realistic to believe six teams are getting in while two good ones -- one of them being Penn State -- are headed to the NIT.

Coaches Think There Could Be 7 or 8 Big Ten Teams in NCAA Tourney originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Big Ten Roundup: Penn State on the Rise, Ohio State Falling, and Michigan State Up Top

Matt Snyder — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:34:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

We learned a few things in just one week of Big Ten play. All of them point back to one conclusion: This is a strong league, nearly from top to bottom.

Michigan beat Duke at home. Wisconsin went into Michigan and won this past week, yet had trouble at home against Penn State. Purdue made Davidson look horrible, yet they lost at home to Illinois. Illinois proceeded to go into Michigan and lose. The one thing we could definitively say is that Michigan State looks like the best team in the conference after winning in Minnesota. Of course, Northwestern hung with the Spartans in East Lansing yesterday.

Dan Shanoff is one of those taking note of the Big Ten resurgence, as he referred to the conference as "Big East Lite" today.

Team to Watch: Penn State
Wisconsin, coming off the aforementioned triumph in Ann Arbor, had trouble with the feisty Nittany Lions in the Kohl Center -- a place in which they have only lost twice in Big Ten play under Bo Ryan. The upset would have been quite a feat for Ed DeChellis' program. They have an outstanding inside-outside duo in Jamelle Cornley -- who plays like a very poor man's Charles Barkley -- and Stanley Pringle. While eventually they'll need much more balance -- the two combined for 46 of Penn State's 61 points in Madison -- they provide an impressive foundation.

Team in Trouble: Ohio State
As I wrote in the wake of the Minnesota loss, they really seem to need David Lighty. He's not the most dynamic player in the Midwest or anything, but he is a leader and high-energy guy. This situation is a good illustration of what losing a "glue-guy" can do to a team. He won't be back for about another month, either. This could seriously handcuff their NCAA Tournament chances.

Game of the upcoming week: We would be looking at Michigan State's battle Saturday, but I'm keeping this strictly to conference games. We'll have to wait all the way until Sunday, but it will be worth the wait when Wisconsin visits Purdue (1:30 EST, CBS). You can rattle Purdue down-low with post scoring, so Marcus Landry is going to be a huge key for the Badgers.

Other good ones: Michigan State hosts Ohio State, immediately followed by Purdue's visit of Penn State tomorrow night. The Spartans and Boilers should both prevail, but you never know.

Clunker of the week: I hate it when teams play non-conference games during conference season, but usually they are at least worthwhile -- see Kansas at Michigan State this coming Saturday in East Lansing. Friday night in Columbus, however, Ohio State is hosting Houston Baptist. Huh?

Conference Power Rankings After Week 1
1. Michigan State
2. Wisconsin
3. Purdue
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Minnesota
7. Penn State
8. Ohio State
9. Northwestern
10. Iowa
11. Indiana

The tough decisions were numbers three through five, and deciding between Penn State and Ohio State for seven. I believe Michigan State is head and shoulders above everyone else at this point, but the season is young. It was really easy to slot Wisconsin second, and Minnesota slides in nicely at six, due to only handling a crumbling Ohio State team at home. Iowa is not a good team at all, and I now think my Hoosiers can win a game in conference play when they host the Hawkeyes February 4.

Big Ten Roundup: Penn State on the Rise, Ohio State Falling, and Michigan State Up Top originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Big Ten Conference Season Set to Begin: A Quick Once-Over

Matt Snyder — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

Just when I was ready to start tooting the Big Ten's horn, again, for being on their way back to a powerhouse conference, Ohio State gets embarrassed by West Virginia and Iowa gets trounced at Drake. Those were quality opponents, sure, but it was a good time to capitalize on the impressive Michigan State and Purdue wins during the weekend prior to Christmas.

Regardless, I have to root for the conference as a whole this year to maintain some level of sanity, as my alma mater has now lost consecutive games to Northeastern and Lipscomb. What a way to build momentum heading into January, huh?

Conference season for the Big Ten kicks off Tuesday night in Mackey Arena, as Purdue hosts Illinois in what is shaping up to be quite the contest. On paper, the Boilers are easily the favorite and should handle Illinois. They very well could. The Fighting Illini, however, have only lost one game all season -- a two-pointer to undefeated and 16th ranked Clemson. Sophomore seven-footer Mike Tisdale has really come into his own in the past four games, and he'll pose a major problem for the Boilers down low. I like Purdue here, but it's gonna be a doozy.

The second game this week is also a stellar contest, as the Michigan State Spartans will travel to Minnesota and get a taste of The Barn. It's really difficult to win in that place when the Gophers are mediocre. This year they are better than mediocre, as they bring a 12-0 record in with a neutral court victory over the hype machine from Louisville. If Michigan State shows up, they'll be a much tougher test, but ultimately I'm taking Minnesota to continue their early season confidence-building roll.

Other big games this week: Wisconsin at Michigan (Wednesday afternoon), Ohio State at Minnesota (Saturday mid-day), and Illinois at Michigan (Sunday mid-day).

Player to watch: Other than the aforementioned blossoming Tisdale, let's keep an eye on how DeShawn Sims fares against two quality opponents at home. He's a dark horse for the Big Ten player of the year, but the Wolverines will have to win home games like these for him to be considered. His leadership and development will be tested greatly.

Pre-Conference Power Rankings

1. Purdue -- The losses to Oklahoma and Duke were a blessing in disguise. This team is now grounded and even more motivated.

2. Ohio State -- They'll have to prove that game against WVU was a fluke, but I believe they will.

3. Michigan State -- Hey, no more ACC teams on the schedule, so it should be smooth sailing.

4. Illinois -- Yes, I'm buying into them. They're young, but balanced and unselfish.

5. Michigan -- As I said above, big week.

6. Minnesota -- I wanna see them beat someone other than an overrated Louisville team. According to my earlier prediction, they will this week. We'll see how it goes.

7. Wisconsin -- They won't get any lower than this, but have they really done anything to inspire confidence against any of the top six at this point? They've lost to the only good teams they've played and barely squeaked by the likes of Iona, Idaho State, and Long Beach State.

8. Penn State -- They haven't been relevant in a long time, but this team is showing signs of the life. The only problem is they haven't played anybody. At least they get to start with Northwestern at home.

9. Northwestern -- They'll take down a few of the titans at home this year with their stellar outside shooting, but there's still just not enough talent here to stay in contention for the league title.

10. Iowa -- It's gonna take Todd Lickliter more time to turn things around completely.

11. Indiana -- Sigh. There's a ton of separation between 10 and 11 here. It really is the Big Ten this year. I have to keep my eyes on the future.

Big Ten Conference Season Set to Begin: A Quick Once-Over originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments