AE has been Hoosier-bound forever. That dude isn’t transferring. He’s really getting short shrift around here, the kid is 6’6” and can really play. 

The possibility for a “big Mo Creek comeback” is pretty slim in my opinion. 

@kmark22:disqus  needs to change his name to Kelin McGary Harris immediately.

 I remember watching the video last year when he said he was going to IU.  Nothing will wow you, but I thought he looked fundamentally sound, played within himself, and played with confidence.  I see him being similar to Kyle Taber in his contribution (or at least what Taber was when there was a team with him—let’s hope we don’t have to count on Howard to be the force down low like Taber became.)  One of the clips on him was against Carmel and Howard appeared to pretty much have his way with AJ Hammons (although I think Hammons may have been a freshman in that video, he still had 4 or 5 inches on Howard.)

Considering how he has been lobbying for others to commit to IU, AE should be knighted for services to the Cream and Crimson and not pushed out.

I admire how most of you have been gracious towards Capo on his decision to transfer.

The bigger question is why Capo didn’t develop the past two years. We’re all clamoring for ‘big guys’ and yet two have left the program in the last two years (Bawa and Capo).

If you’ve read my posts over the past year or so, you’ll see I’m a big supporter of Coach Crean. Yet at some point, you have to develop the kids you have.

Anyone else wonder what Brad Stevens would have done with Capo? What could he have done with Elston by now?

And please don’t point to Hulls getting better as something to give Crean credit for… that’s all Hulls and the kid’s work ethic, which has been there since he was wee little boy.

I’m still in Crean’s camp, but have what I consider legitimate concerns about his ability to develop talent, which is much different than recruiting it.

 Travis Diener, Jerel McNeal, Dwayne Wade, Steve Novak, all pretty solid and played under Crean.  Oluoma Nnamaka was a pretty good player, too.

I disagree with the majority your assessment.

“We’re all clamoring for ‘big guys’ and yet two have left the program in
the last two years – Bawa and Capo – both who were part of a Top 10
class.”

Bawa was considered a huge project in the class, and was barely ranked in the top 150. Capobianco was not in the top 150, and committed when Crean was scrambling for players after an atomic bomb hit the program. Saying they were part of a top 10 class is very misleading, as both were not key components to the class, and merely projects. Just because they transferred doesn’t mean that Crean didn’t try his best to develop a guy. Sometimes players just can’t play at the college level.

“Yet at some point, you have to develop the kids you have.”

This is correct. However, Crean, like every other coach in America, is going to have players that won’t develop for various reasons. Bawa was a foreign player with the body type to be a 5 at the college level, but not the IQ and the awareness necessary to succeed. Look at Hasheem Thabeet, another prime example of what happens when you don’t know the game. These kids were under the influence of a huge disadvantage to start with, and Bawa couldn’t put it together at the college level, whereas Thabeet cannot now. Capobianco was, as far as I’m concerned, a player reached for during the dark ages of this program’s probation period. Although he was great on his team, no recruiting service thought he would make a significant impact at the college level, and it showed. Would it have been nice for them to become solid role players? Ofcourse, but criticizing Crean for not developing players with severe talent and/or IQ problems seems ridiculous, when most coaches would have the same problems.

“Anyone else wonder what Brad Stevens would have done with Capo? What could he have done with Elston by now?”

No, honestly, I’d rather focus on my coach until the day he’s gone. I’m personally very happy with the coach I have, and again, I’m not sure Stevens would have had a use for Capo and/or Bawa, because you can’t teach what these players would need in 4 years. Developing talent and/or IQ takes years of experience playing full games i.e  high school/AAU. Stevens couldn’t put projects on the floor if he wanted to keep competing, just as I think Crean believes.

As for Elston, I personally don’t know what the deal is, whether its on the staff or on the player, perhaps a bit of both. However, what does it help to speculate? I am very happy to have Elston on our team, and with Capo gone, he will get more minutes. Hopefully, with some time, he will develop his physical skills and become a solid player, but at least give Crean a chance before you criticize his developing skills, especially for Elston. Despite the prevailing belief, a lot of kids take a while to develop and get used to the game. Not everyone is Jared Sullinger, my friend.

“And please don’t point to Hulls getting better as something to give
Crean credit for… that’s all Hulls and the kid’s work ethic, which has
been there since he was a wee little boy.”

So wait a minute. When a kid does well, it’s the kid’s work ethic and Hoosier mentality, but when the kid fails, it’s on the coach? Sounds biased to me that Crean shouldn’t get ANY credit for Hulls development. In the end, Capo didn’t have enough talent to be successful, and Bawa didn’t work hard enough or couldn’t put it together. Blaming the coach for being unable to turn two unprepared starters into solid players seems absolutely ridiculous.

Fair to point these names out Marcus. Crean’s had some success stories for sure. The question is what about all the other guys he’s coached and did they develop as they should. I’d say his record at IU is still poor in this regard and despite some of the players being less than B10 talent doesn’t sway me in this analysis… to me that’s what coaching is all about. Having said that, he’s got the big guns coming in next year and 2012/beyond. That should improve his odds moving forward.

I agree.  See post above. 

Once a Hoosier, always a Hoosier.

!!Thank you for the efforts Bobby!! 

Bawa was ranked #111! Your adjective “barely” is both “ridiculous” and false!

And Victor plans to jump 4 inches higher! 

Wrong! Whoever is the LEAST productive player, at any position, will move on. 

That statement defies all logic! You lose a guy who played about 6 minutes/game and scored about 1 point/game and you add a HS All-American, Indiana Mr. Basketball, 7′ Big, and you think that we stay “just as thin as last year”? Not even close.

 Wishful thinking, sadly.

And be prepared to pay your own way to an Ivy League school. 

I’m guessing the logic is that since IU extremely thin last year in the frountcourt, adding Zeller (obviously a massive upgrade) while subtracting another big leaves IU, in terms of bodies, just as thin and susceptible to the very predictable foul trouble for Pritch and Elston.  

And freshmen have been known to have foul issues as well, no matter how talented.

 Sure I can Loop, it’s a blog – I can say whatever I want, even illogical stuff. Just kidding. You make a good point. Maybe it was the two beers I had.

I think it’s Obama’s fault. Or George Bush. One of those two.

You could NOT be more wrong! They have GREAT financial aid packages, based on need, for every student, athlete or not!

A 6’1″ guy wouldn’t be ranked #111 on “potential,” but a 6’11″ guy frequently is.  You take a guy like that and you’re hoping he turns out like Hakeem Olajuwon and not Taju Olajuwon.  Usually it’s somewhere in the middle, but closer to Taju than Hakeem.

I still wish Bawa would have stayed at IU, but maybe gone over to the football field. At best he’d have become a monstrous pass rusher, at the least he’d have blocked a few field goals.

 Even Lawrence Funderburke?

To me Bawa was a 5 year guy, so you don’t pretend to know what his true benefit will be until after 2 full years of play and 1 year of red-shirt development. Just like countless bigs at WI over the last 10 years. If we had done that we would have 2 new 7′ players in the class of 2011, 1 starting his 4 year career, 1 starting his 3 year career. Indiana’s 2011-12 team would look pretty deep in 6’8 and over players with Zeller, Bawa, Pritchard, Elliston, and Watford, that is 5 out of 13 (38.5% of our scholarship players plus Howard).

 Still need one more to transfer or we won’t get all 5 2012 guys. My guess is that we never see Peter Jurkin wear an IU jersey.