Former IU coach Tom Crean was the visitor on this week’s Hoosier Hysterics podcast.
Within the later a part of the episode, Crean, an ESPN analyst, was requested for his ideas on this season’s IU workforce and roster.
Right here’s a transcript of Crean’s feedback, which embrace a ton of perception on the personnel:
On why he feels good about this season’s IU workforce and the way he sees the brand new gamers integrating with the newcomers:
“I’m going to begin with what has to enhance. And I feel the fellows that they acquired, after which we will get into specifics if you would like, however I feel what has to enhance from watching a lot, and once more, I’m watching as an analyst, I’m actually not, you realize, my guys aren’t there anymore. As soon as Robert Johnson and Newkirk left and guys like that, they’re not there. To me, they’ve acquired to go the ball higher. They actually do. Passing has gotta be at a premium for that workforce as a result of I do assume they’ll shoot it higher.
“I feel, once more, their spacing goes to be essential, the ball shifting goes to be essential. I feel they’re going to have guys knock down some open pictures, OK, like Mackenzie (Mgbako), can he knock down open pictures or is he going to attempt to manufacture pictures? Is he going to attempt to take pictures dribbled into a man with 19 seconds, 18 seconds on the shot clock? That doesn’t work. However should you get the man, you kick it to him and also you get him an open 3, he acquired higher at doing these issues.
“I feel that a part of it will be actually, actually essential. I feel getting (Oumar) Ballo to, and I might guess that they’re going to do that, I might guess that the conditioning facet and getting him to have the ability to play more durable goes to be there. I feel that’s what he wants and I feel that’s what Indiana will want. Getting him to be a multi, even at his dimension, getting him to be a multi-dimensional defensively. Ensuring he’s good together with his fingers within the choose and roll. Be certain he can guard at the very least a dribble. Be certain he can hedge and recuperate and get again. Possibly he gained’t be the rim shot blocking presence that Kel’el Ware was or possibly he gained’t be the positional defender that Trayce Jackson-Davis was, however he’s acquired to be a mix of that with that dimension and skill on the rim to create some distortion and deform these views and defend it.
“I like the child from Illinois (Luke Goode). Once more, there’s no purpose, for Indiana to succeed, they usually have it now, there’s no purpose they’ll’t get extra open pictures with that workforce that they’ve. (Kanaan) Carlyle, I’ve liked him since he was a freshman in highschool. He’s one of many hardest taking part in, hardest minded, get after you, guard the ball… however he performs at one pace, proper? They’re going to have to have the ability to get him to alter some speeds. I like the man, I actually do. That complete group. Isaiah Collier, Carlyle, that complete group. We have been recruiting them exhausting (at Georgia). I like Carlyle.
“(Myles) Rice, I feel is a key in that he’s gotta be… I’ve watched him for a very long time, too, as a result of he performed with Jabari Smith in highschool. A few issues he’s gotta get higher at. The shot has gotta get higher. The footwork of the shot, the moving into the shot, the consistency of the observe by of the shot. Getting higher when… he can actually pound the dribble to get to the rim, he’s gotta get that pound to get his shot off. He’s gotta be… I shouldn’t say he’s gotta be, I’m not teaching him, I don’t imply it that method, he’s at his finest when he’s not simply searching for his shot. Let’s put it that method after which he’s shifting the ball. I feel he can go within the choose and roll. I feel he can throw it forward.
“The areas that I feel may harm Indiana is that if they’re not nearly as good at having the ability to play by the size. Like Rice has struggled in opposition to size, he’s struggled with larger guards, he’s struggled on the rim. Having a plan for that. That’s one purpose we taught the ice motion, the drive beneath the board motion with Yogi (Ferrell) as a result of Yogi needed to go to the rim however Yogi wasn’t sturdy sufficient to take care of a few of that size. So Yogi may create extra motion, create extra open seems for others and for himself by driving it beneath the board and the entire sudden Yogi grew to become such a greater layup maker as a result of he wasn’t all the time attempting to problem the protection. Little issues like that that it’s important to do, I feel that’s going to be actually, actually essential for them.
“However I feel while you have a look at their capability to shoot the ball this yr. If Mackenzie will get able to shoot, will get good pictures, (Trey) Galloway can shoot the ball, Goode can shoot the ball. Carlyle can shoot the ball. Myles Rice has gotta get higher as a shooter to maintain it sincere so there’s not that drop off assist, get it to the elbow assist that may occur. I like their workforce.
“(Malik) Reneau has gotta make a bounce. He’s gotta get a proper hand. For those who have a look at his prices on the finish of the yr. For those who return to the Nebraska sport, he didn’t rating the final 16 minutes of the sport. I don’t even know what number of (fouls) he performed with, however like, a few of his prices later within the yr, he wouldn’t put the ball in his proper hand, proper? And rating going to the bucket together with his proper hand. The entire sudden he’s attempting to show his physique, there’s a cost. These are the issues that should occur. However they should occur at each program, not simply Indiana. Weak hand improvement, concentrate on these forms of issues, being able to shoot, bettering your passing, these are the basics that each program in America has acquired to be locked into. And I’ve by no means seen Mike (Woodson) follow, I’ve by no means seen Indiana follow, I might assume they’re. These are the keys for that workforce to get higher as a result of I feel they’ll defend simply superb. I feel they’ll have depth. However having the ability to play by contact, having the ability to play by the size, having the ability to maintain their steadiness once they get hit, you realize, all of these type of issues are going to be key.”
On if there’s any concern with taking part in two bigs:
“In the event that they didn’t get higher, yeah. And once more, I haven’t seen these guys and I actually haven’t heard something about these guys. I say all of this not understanding the gamers and never understanding something about their summer time. So I’m simply supplying you with from final yr. They’ve to enhance. Reneau has gotta change into a constant exterior shooter. Two bigs is ok should you’re creating assist. Trayce Jackson created assist as a result of he may choose you aside. And also you needed to deliver assist to the put up.
“Ware may step out and make a number of extra pictures. To not the extent that he thought he may, however you continue to needed to guard him on the market.
“I’ll use this for instance and that is extra of a basic 1-2. Folks play five-out they usually play high-low… when your bigs or your large doesn’t should be guarded away from the basket, OK, you’re principally taking part in 4 on 5 if he can’t shoot and he can’t actually harm folks with passes… and I’m not speaking about passing out of the put up. If he can’t actually go from the elbow or the highest of the important thing space. If he can’t execute an excellent handoff which drives into the handoff man’s defender to create some kind of assist from his man. For those who can’t pull the opposite bigs as much as guard, you’re taking part in 4 on 5 persistently. I lived it early on at Indiana. Proper, we lived that. You’ve gotta be so inventive in the event that they don’t have to protect your bigs previous the elbows, previous the 3-point line. Once more, I’m simply utilizing that as a basic assertion. I feel Reneau acquired higher as a shooter. He’s gotta be capable to really feel the sport higher, proper? Play random basketball higher, do extra than simply depend on his left hand. And gamers get like this. They get, OK, are you left hand dominant or are you left hand dependent? And there’s a giant distinction. There’s an enormous distinction. And I take advantage of that as a basic assertion as a result of I coached like that endlessly. That was one of many obsessions with issues that we did was having the ability to go along with each fingers, rating with each fingers, dribble with each fingers, go with each fingers, defend with each fingers. It’s such an enormous a part of it. I feel that’s going to be the important thing it doesn’t matter what lineups Indiana performs.
“They need to have a very fast, quick workforce, probably, regardless of who they’ve within the sport. And that’s even with Ballo actually not the very best runner. It’s exhausting to protect him. The break at Arizona two years in the past was ridiculously good. And he was a giant a part of that. He was a giant a part of that. As a result of they threw it forward. They’d Tubelis, they’d Ballo, I’m not saying he’s a speedster, he’s not Cody Zeller however he doesn’t should be, proper? He can get within the lane, he can seal and you’ll’t get round him. They usually acquired so many guys that may make performs. They need to have numerous enjoyable teaching that workforce.”
Filed to: Tom Crean
