You’re probably familiar with this post from a couple of weeks ago where we passed along word that IU was seeking recommendations to name the student section. A considerable amount of discourse ensued in the comments, so it’s only appropriate that we pass along that the nominees have been selected and the voting process is underway. Here are the details:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - IU Athletics is now in the second phase of the design contest for the official 2009 Basketball Student Section t-shirt, as fans can now cast their online vote for the winning name that will go on the t-shirt. The names that you can choose from are:

• Creaniacs
• Crean Machine
• Crimson Guard
• Crean’s Crew
• Candy Stripers
• The Hall Monitors
• Crean’s Army
• Crean Nation
• Branch’s Bleachers
• McCracken Maniacs

Admittedly, I’m not particularly thrilled with any of these names, but if I voted (which I won’t), I’d go with The Hall Monitors or Candy Stripers. As well as the Izzone has worked out at Michigan State, I’m not sure it’s a great idea to name the student section after any coach. For instance, what if IU had named the student section after Kelvin Sampson? Of course there are no parallels between Tom Crean and Sampson and I’m sure it would work fine, but it wouldn’t be my first choice. (Of the Crean names, Creaniacs is the best. By a landslide.)

Crimson Guard should be thrown out because, well, it’s um, not creative or catchy. And if you’re going to name the student section, which I’m not sure is completely necessary, you might as well attempt to do it right. I know Indiana’s court is named after Branch McCracken, but would using his name resonate with anybody that’s not super familiar with IU hoops? You could probably do a poll of students in the lobby at Assembly Hall and a fair percentage would not be able to tell you who McCracken was.

That leaves us with The Hall Monitors and Candy Stripers. This is the point where I would flip a coin and … tails it is. Okay, The Hall Monitors it is.