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Indiana announces 2013 Tailgate Tour dates

by Alex Bozich in Media | April 29th, 2013

042913edc Indiana Athletics announced dates and times for the 2013 Tailgate Tour on Monday. Here’s the complete release from IU media relations: (Note: Tom Crean is scheduled to appear in Jasper, Indianapolis and Starlight.)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The IU Varsity Club has released the schedule for the annual, summer IU Athletics Tailgate Tour, presented by Smithville. The 2013 tour features seven stops; five head coaches; Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass; and sportscaster Don Fischer.

The Tailgate Tour allows Hoosier fans to support IU Athletics and learn about the success of student-athletes both on and off the field. It also allows IU’s head coaches to provide insights on the 2013-2014 athletic seasons.

“There are so many fans that bleed cream and crimson,” said Glass. “And, IU’s fans have been so tremendous this year in their support of the Hoosiers. Student-athlete success would not be possible without their support. That’s why we are really looking forward to hitting the road again this year to show our appreciation and share insights on what to expect this fall.”

Head coaches featured on the tour will include: Tom Crean (men’s basketball), Curt Miller (women’s basketball, Sherry Dunbar (volleyball), Kevin Wilson (football), and Todd Yeagley (men’s soccer). Each of the seven 2013 Tailgate Tour stops will include one or more of the featured head coaches.

“Tailgate Tour events are great opportunities for fans to connect with each other and build on IU’s excitement and energy,” added Glass. “We’ve got a lot of great events planned on the tour and can’t wait to see a ton of Hoosiers, both young and old.”

Each Tailgate Tour event will feature a reception or meal and program. Event times and prices vary for each event. Guests will also have an opportunity to purchase 2013 football season tickets at each tour stop.

The Tailgate Tour is organized by the IU Varsity Club, IU Alumni Association and the I Association. It is sponsored in part by Visit Bloomington.

The complete schedule is available after the jump.

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Tags: 2013 Tailgate Tour, Fred Glass, Tom Crean

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That’s A Wrap: Tom Crean

by Justin Albers in Commentary | April 18th, 2013

Welcome to “That’s A Wrap,” our recap of the 2012-2013 Indiana Hoosiers. Today: Head coach Tom Crean.

Tom Crean knew the Indiana job would be a challenge when he accepted it some five years ago. He had to rebuild the program from the very bottom, and he successfully restored it to a place where the Hoosiers could be the No. 1 ranked team in the preseason.

What Crean has accomplished has been truly remarkable and praiseworthy. But the difficulty of the head job in Bloomington didn’t end when Crean got the top recruits to start coming to town or when he built a team that earned a No. 1 seed this season. Crean dealt with a number of different challenges this season.

The most difficult one was expectations. The Hoosiers had plenty of them this season, and they sometimes struggled to handle and live up to those lofty expectations. They were expected to win, and when their season ended early with a Sweet Sixteen loss to Syracuse in Washington D.C., it was viewed by some as a disappointment.

Indiana accomplished some great things this season. It won a Big Ten title outright for the first time in 20 years. Beat Michigan twice. Beat Michigan State twice. Won at Ohio State. Earned a No. 1 seed. Reached the Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive year. But the Hoosiers didn’t win it all, and when you play or coach at a school that has hung five banners, championships become the standard to which you are held.

In some ways, Crean handled the expectations well. He did numerous national radio and television interviews in which he was charismatic and engaging. He continued to develop his players throughout the season and constantly reminded the media that the team hadn’t accomplished anything because of its preseason ranking.

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Tags: Tom Crean

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Cody Zeller declares for 2013 NBA Draft

by Justin Albers in Media | April 10th, 2013

IUMSUITH0005 Those close to Cody Zeller said they didn’t know what his decision would be in the days following Indiana’s season-ending loss to Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen. His older brother Tyler, now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was even asked about it before Tuesday night’s game against the Pacers.

But in reality, Zeller kind of knew all along. It’s time to go to the next level.

“After awhile, you just kind of know,” Zeller said at a press conference in Assembly Hall on Wednesday afternoon. “I kind of knew, barring a serious injury, that this might be my last year.”

And so you have it. The young man who helped bring Indiana basketball back will forego his final two college seasons and enter June’s NBA Draft. He joins teammate Victor Oladipo, who declared for the draft on Tuesday.

“I know what we’re losing,” Indiana coach Tom Crean said, “I’ve got the stat sheets. But I don’t dwell on that. People were really looking forward to the opportunity to come play with Cody and win with Cody, and that’s exactly what they did.”

Zeller is projected by many experts to be a lottery pick, though his stock has slipped some from the beginning of the season. Zeller averaged 16.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Hoosiers last season.

When he told his teammates about his decision to declare, Zeller said they weren’t surprised.

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Tags: Cody Zeller, Tom Crean

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Oladipo declares for NBA Draft; Zeller next?

by Justin Albers in Media | April 9th, 2013

040913ws It was the right decision, and it came as little surprise. But nevertheless, Indiana’s Victor Oladipo officially announced on Tuesday afternoon that he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27.

“I swayed back and forth, especially throughout the season,” Oladipo said at a press conference on the Assembly Hall floor. “I just felt like this is what was best for my family.

“I’ll always be a Hoosier until the day I die.”

Oladipo, a first team All-American, is projected to be a lottery pick by nearly every NBA draft expert, and is currently No. 5 in Chad Ford’s latest mock draft for ESPN. He will graduate with a bachelor’s degree on May 4, his 21st birthday.

“I truly support what he’s doing,” said Indiana coach Tom Crean. “There’s no question that he’s got the physical abilities, the mental capacity, maturity and focus, the emotional well being and spiritual background to go put himself in the position to take this next step.”

There’s no doubt the Hoosiers take a hit because of Oladipo’s decision. He, along with Cody Zeller, played a large role in helping Indiana return to the elite level. It will be impossible to replace him on next year’s team.

But what should not be lost in all of this is the way in which Oladipo accomplished what he did. He did it the right way. He came in as an under-recruited athlete, worked tirelessly, became a basketball player, grew into a leader, earned his degree, and then left.

Over the years, college basketball seems to have gone in the wrong direction. But in almost every way, Oladipo represents what is still right about the college game.

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Tags: Tom Crean, Victor Oladipo

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HD Video: Victor Oladipo declares for the 2013 NBA Draft

by Stuart Jackson in Video | April 9th, 2013

Victor Oladipo and Tom Crean met with the media this afternoon to announce Oladipo’s decision to forgo his senior season and enter the 2013 NBA Draft.

Watch and listen to the entire press conference in the embedded media player below:

Tags: Tom Crean, Victor Oladipo

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Glass on IU season: “It was absolutely a success”

by Justin Albers in Media | April 5th, 2013

021412a When Indiana lost in last Thursday’s Sweet Sixteen game against Syracuse, the naysayers came back out in full force. Many commenters and some national voices criticized the way IU’s season ended after the Hoosiers failed to advance farther than a season ago.

Indiana athletic director Fred Glass hears all that chatter. He spent a good portion of his interview with Inside the Hall on Thursday night talking about the things that have been said and defending Tom Crean, even when he wasn’t asked to do so.

“He won the Big Ten title by beating Michigan twice and Michigan State twice,” Glass said. “Tom Crean coached the heck out of that game at Michigan, including a great coaching job down the stretch. We exorcised a lot of demons for people who said we couldn’t win on the road, Cody [Zeller] wasn’t the go-to guy, this or that. And I thought we established Victor Oladipo as the Big Ten Player of the Year. Trey Burke’s a great player, but I thought Victor sealed being the Big Ten Player of the Year, and I sure as heck thought Tom Crean sealed being Big Ten Coach of the Year. Great respect for Bo Ryan, but I thought that win sealed Tom winning that. But you control what you can control.”

In some ways, the Hoosiers underperformed in the NCAA Tournament. They were a No. 1 seed, after all, making them the favorites to make this weekend’s Final Four in Atlanta. They missed open shots. They struggled to attack the zone. They couldn’t stop Michael Carter-Williams.

But in other ways, they ran into one of the nation’s hottest teams. Look at what Syracuse did to Marquette in the Elite Eight (and the Golden Eagles should be used to that zone).

Either way, there’s no denying the fact Indiana accomplished a great deal this season. The year may have ended early than expected, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good one.

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Tags: Cody Zeller, Fred Glass, Tom Crean, Victor Oladipo

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Indiana’s dream season ended far too early

by Justin Albers in Commentary | March 29th, 2013

WASHINGTON — Jordan Hulls sat at his locker room in the Verizon Center, tears welling to his eyes when asked questions about the season and about his special senior class.

For four years, Hulls had dreamed of the opportunity he and his teammates had in front of them. They were a No. 1 seed, a favorite to reach the Final Four in Atlanta. All this after beginning from the very bottom with the NCAA Tournament a mere pipe dream.

This wasn’t supposed to end so soon. This was Indiana’s Dream Team, one constructed with so much talent and chemistry, it may never be replicated by Tom Crean and his staff. You can recruit all the top 50 players you want, but you can’t make them like each other and play together the way these guys did. There will never be an Indiana team quite like this again.

Crean and his staff know that, which is what made this one hurt more than most. The Indiana coaching staff remained in the Verizon Center locker room until after 2 a.m., and the team bus didn’t pull out of the arena until 2:21 a.m.

“There are no words to describe how I feel,” junior guard Victor Oladipo said after Indiana’s 61-50 loss to Syracuse in the Sweet 16. “I love playing with these guys. I’ll never forget this team for as long as I live.”

He should remember the good moments from this season. This team has earned that. Wins at Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. A Big Ten outright championship. Two All-Americans. A No. 1 seed. A second straight trip to the Sweet 16.

But, fair or not, the loss to Syracuse will probably always stick to the memories of the Indiana players the most. It was an opportunity missed, it turned an otherwise terrific season into a giant disappointment. The Hoosiers went to the Sweet 16 last year. This year, they needed to go further. They should have gone further.

“It’s over,” Hulls said, his voice cracking. “It’s just tough. We prepared so hard, we just didn’t go out there and execute like we needed to. It’s a terrible way to go out.”

All week long, we talked and heard about the challenge of the Syracuse 2-3 zone. The Hoosiers seemed confident on Wednesday, acting like they were prepared for the unique defense they would see.

But they were not. Twelve turnovers in the first half told you that. As hard as they may have prepared for Jim Boeheim’s team, they didn’t know and never did figure out how to attack and score against the zone.

“They’re length is not really something you can practice against,” Hulls said. “We turned the ball over, didn’t hit shots. We were overthinking, didn’t quite know what we wanted to do at certain times.”

The Hoosiers made a run in the second half — they got it to within six points at one point — but they couldn’t sustain it for a fairly simple reason: They didn’t make shots. To beat the Syracuse zone, you have to make some perimeter shots to loosen it up. Indiana was 3-of-15 from beyond the arc.

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Tags: Cody Zeller, Jordan Hulls, Syracuse Orange, Tom Crean, Victor Oladipo

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