Anyway, here’s what we learned this weekend:

1. November keeps getting worse.

Last week I wrote that “We will remember November 2011 as one of the worst months in sports history.” Within hours of that post going live, I learned that two runners—21-year-old Jeffrey Lee and 40-year-old G. Chris Gleason—died during last Sunday’s Philadelphia Marathon. Later that morning news broke that Seattle Mariners and Tacoma Rainiers outfielder Greg Halman had been fatally stabbed in the Netherlands.

Things didn’t get any better this weekend.

Last Saturday Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion died following the Rattlers’ game against Bethune-Cookman. Shortly thereafter rumors circulated tying Champion’s death to hazing. On Wednesday Florida A&M president James Ammons fired band director Julian White, citing “alleged misconduct and/or incompetence involving confirmed reports and allegations of hazing.”

Yesterday morning ESPN’s Outside the Lines played an audiotape of a 2002 conversation between Laura Fine, wife of Syracuse assistant head basketball coach Bernie Fine, and Bobby Davis, who has accused Coach Fine of sexually assaulting him when he was a minor. According to the recording, Mrs. Fine was aware that her husband was having sexual relations with underage boys.

A third person also came forward this weekend to accuse Fine of sexual assault. While the third accuser is not related to either of the first two (who are step-brothers), he himself faces sexual assault charges.

Following these new allegations, Syracuse chancellor Nancy Cantor fired Coach Fine (who already had been put on administrative leave). Head coach Jim Beheim said that he supported the school’s decision and that he had “never witnessed any of the activities that have been alleged.” He also backed off remarks he made last week calling Davis a “liar” and suggesting that Fine’s accusers were “using ESPN to get money.”

2. David Stern, Billy Hunter, Derek Fisher, and Adam Silver are giving me the only thing I want for Christmas . . . I think.

Friday, NBA owners and players reached an agreement to end the 149-day lockout and open the 2011-12 season on Christmas. Players will get 50 percent of revenues, give or take 1 percent (depending on whether revenues meet, exceed, or fall short of expectations). The league softened its proposed luxury tax rule (which players had deemed unacceptable) and reinstated sign-and-trade and extend-and-trade provisions.

I really don’t care about the details. I’m just glad the NBA will be back. And while I’ve already missed watching Ernie, Kenny, and Charles on Tuesday nights, I can survive a few more weeks without the NBA as long as I know there will be pro basketball on Christmas.

The proposed 66-game season is certainly an improvement over the 50-games we got during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. It may even be an improvement over the standard 82-game season (though I would never suggest that the NBA permanently adopt a 66-game schedule).

Free agency will begin on December 9, 16 days before the season starts. Suddenly this year’s otherwise lackluster class of free agents got much more interesting.

Then again, the agreement between players and owners is still “tentative.” Simple majorities of players and owners must ratify the agreement. For this to happen, players will have to drop the antitrust suits they filed against the league and reform the union. Then the sides will have to reach agreements on minor issues such as drug testing, age minimums, and rookie salaries. All of these things will almost certainly happen.

But my Christmas dreams won’t be fully realized until all the papers are signed.

"Billy?" "Yeah, Dave?" "Let's end this thing. Let's do it for Josh." "You're right. We should end this for Josh."

3. 2011 Tim Tebow = x * (2006 Vince Young)

I’m not yet sure what x equals.

In October 2006 rookie Vince Young took over as the Tennessee Titans’ starting quarterback. His play was erratic. His stats were mediocre-to-bad. He had an unconventional throwing motion and often had to rely on his feet. The Titans had to change their offense to cater to Young’s strengths and cover his weaknesses.

But when Young took over as quarterback, the Titans started winning games. He led a team that began the season 0-5 to within a game of the Playoffs. And while 2006 Vince Young was anathema to fantasy owners, he led several game-winning drives in the 4th quarter and overtime.

He did the same thing in 2009. And again last Sunday against the Giants.

Each week, when I put together this list of things we learned over the weekend, I consider including a “2011 Tim Tebow = 2006 Vince Young” item. But I decided Sunday that my equation was not accurate. 2011 Tim Tebow doesn’t equal 2006 Vince Young; he is a caricature of 2006 Vince Young. He is 2006 Vince Young multiplied by a factor I have yet to identify.

2006 Vince Young sometimes made up for poor play with late-game heroics. 2011 Tim Tebow does that every single week.

2006 Vince Young attempted fewer passes than his peers and struggled with accuracy. 2011 Tim Tebow has attempted fewer passes than anyone who has started 6 or more games and has completed only 45.5 percent of them.

2006 Vince Young set a record for rookie quarterbacks by rushing for 552 yards. 2011 Tebow has already run for 455 in 9 games (including 2 early games in which he saw limited action).

2006 Vince Young took a once hopeless team to the brink of the Playoffs. Considering Denver’s remaining opponents (home games against Caleb Hanie’s Bears and Tyler Palko’s Chiefs and road games against the Vikings and Bills to offset a probable Week 15 loss to New England), I expect 2011 Tebow’s once hopeless Broncos to host a Playoff game.

The bad news for Tim Tebow: 2007 Vince Young wasn’t nearly as effective as 2006 Vince Young. Opposing coaches figured him out.

The good news for Tim Tebow: If Young had even half of Tebow’s attitude, he’d still be starting for the Titans. (I’m not sure that it’s possible to have half an attitude, but you know what I mean.)

4. The Texans will make the Playoffs, with or without a quarterback.

The Houston Texans are the only NFL team never to make the Playoffs. The Texans have finished over .500 only once in 9 seasons. (That was 2009. They were 9-7 and in a 4-way tie for the 2 AFC Wild Card spots. The tiebreakers favored the Jets and Ravens.)

At the moment the Texans are 8-3, 2 games ahead of Tennessee. The Texans also have a perfect record against the AFC South, including a 41-7 win over the Titans in Nashville, giving them the advantage should they need a tiebreaker. The problem is that Houston doesn’t have a quarterback. Starter Matt Schaub is out for the season with a fractured foot. Backup Matt Leinart fractured his collarbone during the first half of Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. Leinart will likely have surgery this week and is out indefinitely.

Third-stringer T.J. Yates, a rookie from North Carolina drafted in the 5th round who doesn’t even have a picture to accompany his ESPN.com player card, stepped in and played well enough not to give away the game. (Yates led only a single scoring drive; it resulted in a field goal late in the second quarter.) Yates will start again on Sunday, and the Texans plan to sign another quarterback this week. (Jeff Garcia, Brodie Croyle, Trent Edwards, and Jake Delhomme all have been mentioned as possibilities. I’m not sure any of these players is a significant upgrade over Yates, who at least has the advantages of being in shape and knowing the Texans’ offense.)

Who knows…Houston could end up playing a wide receiver at quarterback before the season is over. It worked for Kentucky.

But the Texans still have Adrian Foster, Ben Tate, and a top-5 defense. And they have that aforementioned 2-game lead over the Titans. The Titans could conceivably go 4-1 down the stretch. (They have games against a reeling Bills team, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and quarterback-less Houston.) Even so, Houston would need only 2 wins to keep pace. They can get those at home against the Panthers in Week 15 and on the road against the Colts in Week 16.

5. The Packers will finish the regular season undefeated, unless they choose not to.

The Discount Double Check guy won't be disappointed any time soon.

I don’t care that the Packers are ranked 31st in pass defense and 25th in rushing. They’re going undefeated, unless Mike McCarthy decides to rest players after the Packers clinch home field throughout the Playoffs. Green Bay has games remaining against the Giants (away), Raiders (home), Chiefs (away), Bears (home), and Lions (home). None of those teams is bad, but none of them is going to beat the Packers.

The Lions on Thursday had the best chance of anyone to put a blemish on the Packers’ record. They were a division rival playing at home in a game with Playoff implications. But after halftime that game was never really in doubt.

The Giants, and their 3-game losing streak, will be playing on short rest when they host Green Bay next week. Caleb Hanie’s Bears aren’t going into Lambeau and upsetting the Packers. And I don’t expect either of the AFC West teams to put up much of a fight. Maybe the Lions, perhaps needing a win to secure a Wild Card spot, will surprise the Pack in a Week 17 revenge game. But don’t count on it.

6. Conference championship games might not be a good idea.

Thanks to Utah’s inexplicable home loss to Colorado and USC’s postseason ineligibility, 6-6 UCLA will be playing in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game. If the Bruins win, they will go to the Rose Bowl. If they lose, they will be ineligible for any bowl. Pac-12 teams play 9 conference games: 5 against teams in their division, 4 against teams in the other division. After a 9-game season, Oregon and Stanford are both 8-1. Yet 5-4 UCLA is one fluke win away from being the conference’s representative in one of college football’s premier bowl games.

Meanwhile in the SEC, even if Georgia were to beat #1 LSU in the conference championship game, LSU could remain #1 in the BCS. At worst the Tigers (because of their strength of schedule and a lack of undefeated teams from leagues stronger than Conference USA) would be #2. Depending on how Oklahoma State fares against Oklahoma, #2 Alabama could remain at #2, behind LSU, or rise to #1. We could end up with a situation where Georgia wins the SEC but LSU and Alabama play for a BCS National Championship. And Alabama could actually benefit from not having to play this weekend. The Tide doesn’t have to worry about picking up a second loss, losing key players to injury, etc.

At 7-1 Michigan State is a game better than any other team in the Big Ten, including Wisconsin, whom the Spartans beat on October 22. Yet, Michigan State has to face the Badgers a second time for the Big Ten title. The winner goes to the Rose Bowl. The loser could be passed over for a BCS Bowl spot in favor of Michigan, who didn’t qualify for the Big Ten Championship Game. (More on that later.)

Conference championship games aren’t going away. They make too much money for conferences and member schools. But they don’t make a lot of sense.

7. Michigan Wolverines fans shouldn’t plan on going to a BCS bowl game.

During Saturday’s broadcast of the Michigan-Ohio State game, broadcasters Dave Pasch and Chris Spielman (and not Urban Meyer) intimated that a BCS bowl bid was on the line for Michigan. Conventional wisdom says that, if the Wolverines—with their tradition and ginormous fan base that travels well—are eligible, a BCS bowl will take them as one of 4 at-large teams.

The question is: Will Michigan be eligible?

Ten teams play in BCS bowl games. Six are the winners of the automatic-qualifying conferences. One of the 4 remaining at-large spots will go to #4 Stanford. A team from a BCS conference that doesn’t win its conference but is ranked 3rd or 4th is guaranteed a BCS bid (provided that its conference hasn’t already earned 2 automatic bids). If Houston wins the Conference USA title next week, the Cougars will clinch another of the 4 spots. A third of the 4 slots will go to either LSU or Alabama, depending on whether LSU wins the SEC Championship game. If Georgia wins but LSU and Alabama remain as the #1 and #2 teams, the SEC will get 3 bids, including 2 at-large bids, and there will be no spots left for Michigan.

Michigan also has to finish in the top 14 of the BCS Standings to be eligible. Right now they’re #16. The Wolverines will probably jump the loser of the Big Ten title game; and they’ll probably jump Georgia if the Bulldogs lose to LSU. Otherwise, they’ll have to hope that Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma by a wide margin or that Kansas State loses to Iowa State.

Even then Michigan likely won’t rise above #14 in the BCS Standings. And who knows? Maybe the people at the Sugar Bowl will say, “How could we take #14 Michigan before #7 Boise State? That wouldn’t be fair!” (I’m just kidding. They’d never say that.)

8. Vanderbilt is bowl eligible.

For only the 2nd time since 1982 and only the 5th time ever, the Vanderbilt Commodores are going bowling. Sure, it helps that more than 63 percent of Division I-FBS teams get bowl invites, but after consecutive 2-10 seasons in Nashville, going 6-6 and nabbing a bowl bid is a big deal for Vandy and first-year coach James Franklin.

The Commodores reached the magical number 6 despite plenty of same-old-Vandy moments along the way. On their way into the end zone to clinch an upset of then #10 Arkansas on October 19, Vanderbilt fumbled the ball on the Arkansas 4-yard line; the Razorbacks returned the fumble 96 yards for a touchdown. Against Tennessee, Vandy quarterback Jordan Rodgers (Aaron’s little brother) threw an interception on the game’s final drive and another one in the first overtime. The first interception denied the Commodores a chance to attempt a game-winning field goal. Tennessee returned the second for a game-winning touchdown.

Vanderbilt came within a play of winning 4 of the 6 games they lost. And the future is bright for the Commodores. Next year they welcome the highest-rated recruiting class in school history, and 5-star quarterback prospect (and Indiana de-commit) Gunner Kiel reportedly made an unofficial visit last weekend and has an official visit scheduled this weekend.

9. Indiana is back.

Here I switch from football to basketball.

The Indiana football team, which failed to win a single game against an FBS opponent and could lose Gunner Kiel to Vanderbilt, is anything but back.

The Indiana basketball Hoosiers, however, got their biggest win of the young season Sunday, beating Butler 75-59 at Assembly Hall. (I could argue that Indiana’s victory against Evansville was a bigger deal, since it was on the road and since Evansville beat Butler. But Evansville hasn’t played in consecutive Final Fours.)

Indiana is 6-0 going into Wednesday’s game against NC State. And while the NCAA Selection Committee won’t care about IU’s wins over Chattanooga or Gardner-Webb, the Hoosiers have been impressive thus far in games against inferior competition. Indiana has won its 6 games by an average of 24 points; freshman Cody Zeller has exceeded lofty expectations, leading the Hoosiers in points and rebounds and shooting .725 from the field; and while depth could be a problem for Indiana, sophomore Will Sheehey is contributing 13 points per game off the bench.

If you want real Indiana Basketball analysis, check out Jerod and Andy’s IU Postgame Show, The Assembly Call.

And in case you missed it on Sunday:

10. So is Rick Majerus.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Rick Majerus, who learned under Al McGuire at Marquette, was one of the great coaches in college basketball. His 1988-89 Ball State Cardinals went 29-3 and nearly upset eventual champion UNLV in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Nine years later, he led Utah to the NCAA Championship Game. The Utes surrendered a double-digit lead and lost to Kentucky 78-69.

In 2004 Majerus retired due to health concerns. He returned to college basketball in 2007 as the coach of the St. Louis Billikens, but he has yet to earn an NCAA Tournament bid at SLU. His 2009 team went to the CBI final, but last year’s squad went 12-19.

Last night the Billikens beat Oklahoma 83-63 to win the 76 Classic. St. Louis is 6-0 with four double-digit wins against teams from major conferences (Oklahoma, Villanova, Boston College, and Washington). The Atlantic 10 is as good as it has ever been, but don’t be surprised to see St. Louis next to a single-digit number on your NCAA Tournament bracket.

Rick Majerus, with a Billiken (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

11. Expect a Horizon League team to make a deep run in March.

I’m not one to doubt Brad Stevens, but from what I’ve seen so far from Butler I can’t see the Bulldogs making a third consecutive run to the Final Four. But I expect another Horizon League team to be alive deep into the NCAA Tournament.

I’m talking, of course, about the Green Bay Lady Phoenix.

Following wins this weekend over Illinois and #25 Georgia Tech, the Phoenix are 5-0, #23 in the AP Poll, and #18 in the coaches’ poll. Seniors Julie Wojta (the team’s leading scorer) and Hannah Quilling (the team leader in assists) have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of their three seasons in Green Bay. As freshmen, they lost in the first round. As sophomores, they lost in the second round. Last year, they made it to the Sweet 16.

So when you print out your Women’s NCAA Tournament bracket in a few months, pencil in the Green Bay Phoenix for the Elite Eight.

Keep an eye on Francis Creek, Wisconsin's own Julie Wojta and the Green Bay Phoenix. (Photo from GreenBayPhoenix.com)

12. You need to see The Muppets if you haven’t already.

The Muppets didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but my expectations were impossibly high. It is a great movie, true to the spirit of the Muppets, and there are gags, musical numbers, and celebrity cameos for moviegoers of every demographic. Jason Segel and Amy Adams give great performances, as do Fozzie, Beaker, and Rowlf.

Most importantly, my kids haven’t stopped talking about it.

See it if you haven’t already.

The combination of power and speed over the course of the regular season is a great milestone to reach as a player and a strong individual accomplishment for any fantasy team.  If you were lucky enough to win your league, most likely one or more of the following players were on your team.

Special props to the (4) fantasy MVP’s of the year – Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Ian Kinsler, and Jacoby Ellsbury for reaching the 30/30 club.  Unless you were living under a rock, Kemp, Braun and Ellsbury were clearly raking all year long as they batted well over .300 for their teams.

All four of these gentlemen are talented and young enough to reach 20/20 next year with an outside chance of a repeat performance.

Here are the 20/20 hitters on the 2011 season.

This year there were a total of 12 members who reached the 20/20 club, which includes the 30/30 guys.  It’s interesting to see how only 5 of the 12 players’ teams made the playoffs; however, 9 of the 12 were on winning teams.

Justin Upton and B.J. Upton were the 1st set of brothers to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season.  Jason Werth and Ben Zobrist were each one stolen base short of reaching 20/20.  There were only 2 repeat performers from last year: Carlos Gonzalez &  Chris Young.

There were 7 members of the 20/20 club in 2010.  Obviously, Hanley Rameriz & Shin-Soo Choo sustained injuries that limited their performance.  Bobby Abreu lost his wheels even though he had 12 straight prior seasons of 20+ stolen bases.  Alex Rios ended up with only 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases while Drew Stubbs hit 15 home runs and stole 40 bases.   Drew Stubbs has the chance to easily make the club again next year.

As the 2012 fantasy baseball season is down the block and around the corner, look forward to seeing MSF’s fantasy baseball draft kit where we will provide a list of possible repeat performers in 2012, familar faces re-appearing, and new members who will reach this milestone.

**********

Follow me on Twitter – http://twitter.com/#!/John_Stangler

No matter how hard it is to watch your favorite basketball team be royally screwed over (I won’t even mention his name) and become the laughingstock of many college baskeball fans, I still watch every IU game I can. It’s not easy, but nights like last night make it worth it.

Tom Crean and Indiana AD Fred Glass (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

What was once a college basketball program that won consistently has been forced to take some serious steps backwards.

When Tom Crean was hired in 2008, no other college basketball coach had as hard as a job as he did. Many of the new players on the team were walkonsm and because of that IU had a 6-25 overall record and a 1-17 record in the Big Ten that first year. This was after a season when IU made the NCAA tournament.

This restructuring was going to take some time, and probably longer than some people expected.

The 2009-10 season brought improvement. IU went 10-21 overall and did manage four wins in the conference. It’s nothing to write home about, but to IU fans it was a sign that this program was heading in the right direction.

If there was anything we as an IU fan base had to believe in it was Tom Crean. We had to stay patient. We couldn’t let a few terrible years get us too angry with the head coach.

In some ways, I sympathized with him. To take the job he has takes balls. He’s risking his college coaching career if things don’t pan out too well in Indiana. And so I respect the man and want him to be successful, not only because I am a fan, but because I respect the dedication and the fact that he’s taking a risk with a basketball program you can tell he really loves.

Thursday night’s win was for all that dedication and the “never give up” attitude Crean has instilled in his players.

Nobody has doubted his or the players’ dedication. You can see it in their faces when they play. The Hoosiers have played well in other games but still come up short. That’s what these past years have been like. Dedication, but no reward.

Last night they got their reward: a victory over a ranked team, an event that hasn’t happened since beating Purdue on February 19th, 2008.

So, IU fans, savor this win. Know that it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment win, but an almost three year in the making win.

It’s things like this that keep that hope alive that Indiana can, once again, regain its place among the top of the Big Ten.

I’ll see you at Assembly Hall.

I know that there are three teams who have played and won two games this season, while Indiana has only won one. And I know that the Hoosiers didn’t really accomplish all that much by beating a struggling Michigan team at home, in what was essentially payback for a game IU should have won last year.

And, most of all, I know that Indiana has as much a chance of winning the Big Ten this year as this song has of winning a Grammy.

Still, ask any IU fan and they will tell you that, all things considered, this right here looks about as beautiful as this right here. (Yes, we take our basketball very seriously in Bloomington.)

The Hoosiers will most likely have a much tougher go of it tonight in Columbus than they did last weekend in the friendly confines of Assembly Hall. This is will be especially true if the Buckeyes’ all-everything player Evan Turner returns to the lineup, as it is now being reported that he will do.

I think I speak for Tom Crean all Hoosier fans when I say that Turner should not rush back. He suffered a very serious injury and should be extra cautious in making sure that he is totally healthy. Sure, we’d be disappointed not to get to marvel at his all-around brilliance, but we’d get over it.

Tonight will tell us a lot about this year’s Hoosiers. If we compete and make it a game on the road (Evan Turner or not), I’ll have a lot more faith in a possible 6- or 7-win Big Ten season. If we lay and egg and get blown out, it’s back to expecting 3 or 4 wins.

Looking forward to it. I think the Hoosiers will lose…but play well.

Tonight, Indiana @ Ohio State, 8:30 ET, Big Ten Network

Peegs Gameday Page

Add it up: another phone call violation (even though it was “minor” and self-reported); my publishing of a regrettable post filled with overreactions and hyperbole that I had to edit later; and, just a little while ago, Indiana being completely non-competitive at home in a double-digit loss to Northwestern — the first IU loss to the Wildcats in Bloomington since 1968.

Damn.

Obviously today does not rival the worst days of Coach Snake’s final season in Bloomington, but the events of the last 24 hours have still been pretty discouraging.

But that is the last negative sentence I am going to write tonight. Instead, I am going to focus on one of the very few positive lights I can see shining through the dense and dreary fog of what is now the twilight of the 2008-09 season.

And that positive light is Indiana senior forward Kyle Taber.

Tonight, during the Hoosiers’ defeat at the hands of Northwestern, Kyle Taber scored a career-high 12 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and blocked two shots while playing only 18 minutes because of foul trouble. Taber’s contributions tonight were solid, but not the most meaningful of his career; nothing for me tops his performance against Purdue last year when he scored 6 huge points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and had 2 assists plus a steal in an IU victory.

But the fact that Taber scored his single-game career high in the his second-to-last home game seems fitting. Kyle Taber is all about perseverance and improvement.

On Tuesday, March 3, Kyle Taber will take the floor of Assembly Hall as an Indiana basketball for the last time. He will do everything he can to help lead Indiana to an upset victory over the mighty Michigan State Spartans, and then he will participate in one of my all-time favorite Indiana traditions: the Senior Day speech. Kyle seems to be a man of few words, a guy who quietly goes about his business in a hard-working and diligent manner, so I don’t anticipate him talking very long.

However, what I do anticipate lasting very long — what I hope will last very long — is the standing ovation that Kyle Taber will receive from the Indiana faithful. I will not be there in person, but I will be standing and cheering from my spot in front of the TV (or computer, if I have to switch over to a radio feed to hear Kyle’s speech).

Kyle Taber is what Indiana basketball is all about. Check that — Kyle Taber is what Indiana basketball used to be about, and what we all hope that it will be about again under Tom Crean in the very near future.

As mentioned above, Kyle Taber has persevered and improved throughout his Indiana career. He has also achieved in the classroom, shown dedication to his team and school, and set a tremendous example for what a student-athlete should be about.

(By the way, the thought is occurring to me that I’d like to slap myself for wasting so much time last night writing that angry rant about the self-reported minor infraction. Sometimes in the daily to hourly search for story ideas, both bloggers and the mainstream media treat negative stories like bees treat honey, which is why guys like Kyle Taber don’t get more of the press and recognition they deserve.)

Consider the tumult that has enveloped Kyle Taber’s basketball career at Indiana. He walked-on as a Hoosier in 2005 during Mike Davis’ tenure after graduating from Evansville Central High School. Davis was later fired and replaced by the coach to whom I do not refer by name on Midwest Sports Fans. Once said coach was relieved of his duties for showing flippant disregard to the prestige and pride of the Cream & Crimson, Dan Dakick took over to end last season. Then Tom Crean became IU’s head coach before this season, the fourth head coach under whom Kyle Taber has played.

Before I go on, I do want to recognize our former coach who is now employed by the Milwaukee Bucks for one thing. In the Fall semester of last year, he awarded Kyle Taber a well-deserved scholarship. There is not much good that I or anyone can say about Kelvin Sampson, but I suppose he does deserve to at least be acknowledged by name one time for rewarding Kyle Taber for his contributions to IU basketball.

Throughout the five turbulent years that Kyle Taber has proudly donned the Cream & Crimson, he ostensibly has never lost sight of the most important reason why is attending Indiana University: to be a student.

Kyle was named Academic All-Big Ten as a freshman, as a sophomore, and as a junior; and I don’t doubt that he will make it a four-year sweep and be named Academic All-Big Ten yet against this year. For a program that became defined by academic problems in the aftermath of last season’s collapse, Kyle Taber stood tall as a 6’8, 220 pound vestige of what once was special about basketball players at Indiana Unversity but had become just a distant memory.

At the end of last season, Kyle Taber was named Indiana’s Most Improved Player. The honor was well deserved as Taber went from playing 14 combined minutes as a freshman and sophomore to playing 247 minutes for a team that many people thought at one point could challenge for a Final Four berth before collapsing. He started 4 games last season, shot almost 78% from the field (11-14) and grabbed 2.5 rebounds per game.

This season, Kyle Taber deserves to be named Indiana’s Most Improved Player again — and not just because he is one of only two returning players from last year. Taber has started all 27 games, and heading into tonight’s contest was averaging a career-high 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while playing 23.8 minutes per contest and shooting 50% from the field. All of those averages will receive a little bit of a bump when tonight’s stats are added in.

But in my opinion, Kyle Taber deserves more than to just be named Indiana’s Most Improved Player. Kyle Taber deserves to be named Indiana’s Most Valuable Player.

We all know that Kyle Taber is not the best player on this year’s team, and he certainly is nowhere near the most talented. He does not have the best stats, has not played the most minutes, and very well might lose to every other Hoosier but Tijan Jobe in a game of one-on-one. However, I cannot fathom an argument that could dissuade me from the thought that Kyle Taber is the Hoosier most deserving of being called the 2008-09 Most Valuable Player for IU.

Winning the Team MVP award would be a culmination of Kyle’s perseverence through five of the strangest and most trying seasons in Indiana basketball history. A Taber MVP would be a proclamation that Indiana basketball truly still does stand for character, integrity, hard work, improvement, dedication, academic achievement, and the perpetual placement of team above self.

Kyle should be named Indiana’s 2008-09 MVP not just because of a dearth of worthy candidates, but precisely because Taber is a worthy candidate in the truest sense of the phrase “most valuable.”

Tom Crean said from the beginning of this season that his goals were to build a foundation of accountability, heart, and work ethic. He knew, and we knew, that wins would be few and very far between. Unless we can walk away from this season knowing that we began laying the bricks for a return to Indiana’s foundation of excellence in each of these areas, then the 2008-09 season was a complete and utter failure.

I do not think this season was a failure by any metric other than the scoreboard. This team may not have won many games, but they have helped to develop the foundation of a program that will win again and win the right way. And there is no player who did more to help further the development of that foundation this season than Kyle Taber.

And all he did was continue doing what he’s done for his entire IU career.

Kyle Taber went from being a bench warming walk-on under Mike Davis, to the team’s most improved player under Coach What’s His Name, and now has become a legitimate Team MVP candidate under Tom Crean. Kyle Taber won’t show up in any IU record books, his number will not be retired, and he will never be considered among even the top 200 players to wear an Indiana uniform.

But if anybody ever asks for the personification of Indiana basketball, in my mind you can give them one name and sum up what it means to be a Hoosier: Kyle Taber.

Kyle helped us bridge the gap from a forgettable era of upheavel and destruction to the new era being fostered by Tom Crean that is aimed at delivering a return to a greatness. We may have begun this season with less experience than almost any other team in basketball history, but at least the experience we had provided a link in the form of Kyle Taber that allowed us to harken back to the good old days, while looking forward to the good new days that are forthcoming.

Presence and quiet leadership by example can absolutely provide significant value. Kyle Taber’s quiet leadership by example, in my opinion, was the most important presence on this year’s team. That’s why he deserves to be named IU’s Team MVP for 2008-09, and why he will forever go down as one of the truest Hoosiers in the great and proud history of IU basketball.

This blog clearly needs someone to edit the editor every now and again.

After doing a little more reading of words perhaps more informed and reasonable than my own, I’m not quite as worked up as I was when I originally posted this. I am still disappointed, and I still think there needs to be some public accountability, but I’m not ready to jump off a bridge as it probably seemed when I first posted. So I have edited this post somewhat from its original version. Here ya go.)

According to a report posted Tuesday night at IndyStar.com by Mark Alesia, Indiana University self-reported an impermissible phone call made by assistant coach Roshown McLeon to 2009 IU signee Bawa Muniru. As a self-imposed punishment, Tom Crean and his assistants did not make any phone calls for a week in December. Here is an excerpt from the rather brief story by Alesia:

According to the report, when assistant coach Roshown McLeod left a voice mail for Muniru on Oct. 25, it was the school’s third call to him in a week — exceeding the NCAA limit by one.

Coach Tom Crean, who normally makes one call per week to recruits, placed two to Muniru — the Sunday and Wednesday before McLeod’s call on a Saturday.

The report said Crean “simply made a mistake,” thinking his Sunday call had counted against the previous week’s allotment. The athletic department’s compliance department discovered the violation.

There is no confirmation of when the compliance department discovered the illegal call. My assumption would be that it was in December during a routine check of the phone records and that the penalty was imposed immediately. Regardless, there are a couple of key questions that come to mind for me immediately:

1. If the impermissible call was, in fact, found out about in December, it would have to have been at least five weeks after the call was made. Considering the catastrophic effects of illegal calls under the previous coach, why would Coach Crean and the compliance department not be doing constant audits of the phone records to ensure compliance?
2. If the basketball program is conducting real-time audits of the phone records, and the impermissible call was caught immediately after it happened, then why did the self-imposed ban wait until December? Conveniently that would have pushed it to after the November signing period.

(Update: New post over at the Hoosier Report appears to clear these questions up some. The post provides a link to the self-report form. Seems like the Hoosier Report actually engaged in legit journalism, unlike me who just flew off the handle and published statements I later had to tone down. Here are the basics, according to the Hoosier Report:

“The report indicates that on October 25, Roshown McLeod made what was the third call of the week to Bawa Muniru. Tom Crean had made a call on that Sunday, and again on Wednedsay. Because of IU’s practice schedule, he thought the Sunday call had been made the previous day. IU found the violation on November 21, reported it on December 10, and imposed a sanction of no calls for a week in December. It sounds as if the staff has a good system for preventing these sorts of issues–the head coach and the responsible assistant each make no more than one call a week to a recruit–but it failed in this instance because of a misrecollection by Crean as to the date of the first call. McLeod made what he thought was his one call of the week, but he didn’t have it. Expect howling from the usual quarters, but I don ‘t think this is a major concern, just a major annoyance.”

Either way, I find it difficult to look the other way or play the “it’s only one call” card after what we went through almost exactly a year ago. An impermissible phone call? Seriously? For obvious reasons, of all the minor/secondary violations that could occur, this one is truly the most major of annoyances — at a minimum.

I know that it sounds worse that it probably is in reality, but “honest” mistake or not, I still think it’s unacceptable and I don’t understand why we are only hearing about this now.

The illegal phone call reportedly took place on October 25th and the program served its self-imposed suspension in December. It’s now February 24th, and according to the report by Alesia they obtained the report through a public records request. I would expect Tom Crean to explain this with full disclosure the moment he found out that an error had taken place. And to all those who say that these types of violations happen all the time, I say fine; but how often do they happen the year after a school sees its entire program crumble because of the same violation (albeit in a much higher quanity)?

That’s why I think there is ample reason to warrant an explanation from Crean.

Based on the circumstantial evidence, it sounds to me like Coach Crean and the basketball program hoped this would stay under the radar. I have read many message board posts tonight that suggest exactly what the IndyStar article says: that college basketball programs report minor recruiting violations all the time. Perhaps this is so, and I’m a little out of touch. Still, I just think that considering the circumstances, Crean and IU should been out in front of this one, even if they thought it would stay quiet.

I’m glad I decided to stay up and edit this because my original post does seem a little unreasonable now that I’ve gotten over the shock of seeing “Indiana”, “Tom Crean”, and “recruiting violations involving phone calls” in the same story. I am just quite passionate about the integrity of Indiana basketball and the continued rebuilding of the reputation and commitment to rules and ethics that defined IU athletics under Bob Knight and Bill Mallory while I was growing up. In fact, I care about that much more than winning, and I believe that we must repair our basketball program’s broken code of ethics before we can even think of rebuilding the proud tradition of excellence on the floor.

I have been firmly in Tom Crean’s corner every second of his tenure so far. I have kept my expectations in check for wins and losses this year, and have been vocal in staying positive and upbeat during the least successful on-court season in the history of the program.

But I will not keep my expectations in check for integrity.

IU fans and non-IU fans can rationalize this “just one call” any way they like and say it’s not a big deal. And in the grand scheme of things, maybe it’s not. Shoot, for all I know little slip-ups like this may very well have occurred under Coach Knight. As the IndyStar article says, “schools routinely turn themselves in for minor violations of the NCAA’s complicated rules.”

Well guess what? Most schools in most seasons are not struggling to tread water in the wake of a horrific ethics scandal that rocked the foundation of their once proud and integrity-filled program; but that is where Indiana’s basketball program currently finds itself. And it means there is a different level of accountability, in my opinion.

The combination of time, location, and circumstance implore an unyielding and impermeable commitment to airtight intregity. Based on this report, a violation slipped through. I don’t think anything happened that is egregious or that Tom Crean should be tarred and feathered for; and, as some over at Peegs have suggested tonight, Crean and IU perhaps should even be getting some amount of credit for reporting the violation in the first place.

Under normal circumstances this would not really be a huge deal to me considering the realities of college basketball recruiting, but I still think that given the circumstances of the last year, even a violation this “minor” should have been followed by explanation and full disclosure at the time. I am probably in the minority in thinking this, but so be it.

What do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Luckily I didn’t fall asleep before I could edit what was probably not a very well thought out post originally. I’m still disappointed that even a minor violation had to be reported, and I believe that Tom Crean should address this soon — hopefully after an IU win over Northwestern tonight. More than anything, I think I’m just still pissed at the ass clown who was coaching here before, the one who created the mess that made me cry wolf as my first instinct upon reading the IndyStar story tonight.

My main source of excitement all year long has been the promise of moving forward and closing the door on the immediate past. What I read tonight immediately swung that door back open and brought everything from last year right back to the forefront of my mind. Hopefully with time that knee jerk reaction will subside.

All I want is to believe beyond any doubt that IU is back to playing completely by the rules and taking steps each day towards banner #6. For a moment tonight that belief was shaken, for what I really hope is the last time.

The game is now over, with the Boilermakers winning 81-67. My prediction was a 4-point win for the Boilers, I think they were favored by 22, and it ended up at 14. I guess that sounds about right. Here is the IU-Purdue box score if you’re interested.

While I am never happy about a loss, especially to Purdue, I think Indiana represented itself it well by playing hard, looking competent for stretches on the offensive end, and not allowing Purdue to ever run away with the game. Until E’Twuan Moore’s three-pointer with about 3:30 minutes left, the Hoosers were hanging around between 6-10 points down, just a few quick threes away from making it a game. But Moore’s three was a dagger that pushed the Purdue lead to 12 and effectively ended IU’s hopes of a comeback.

Here are a few observations and things we learned today:

1 – It is an absolute travesty that IU and Purdue are only playing once this year

This point is really too obvious to spend a lot of time worrying about. Does the Big Ten conference just stick its head up its own rear when it decides on the schedule? Certain rivalries should always be played twice a year, end of story. Indiana should always play Illinois and Purdue twice a season, no questions asked. I’m not even saying anything else because it is the one thing that IU and Purdue fans can agree on. There should be a meeting in Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers might not win, but they certainly could make it a competitive game. Now that this game is over, the fact that IU and Purdue are only playing once this year is really starting to piss me off.

2 – If Purdue shoots well in March (and Hummel is healthy), they can make a tournament run

I am impressed with this Purdue team. They struggled out of the gates in the Big Ten season but are playing really well right now. They play suffocating man-to-man defense and have solid continuity on offense. And when E’Twuan Moore is shooting the ball well from outside they become especially difficult to defend. The big caveat is Robbie Hummel’s health. I don’t think they have enough multi-dimensional players to compete with the top teams in the nation if Hummel is out, as evidenced by their 1-3 Big Ten record without him. With Hummel in the game, however, he provides that one guy with size who can do a little bit of everything.

3 – JaJuan Johnson is talented, but will never realize his potential until he learns how to focus

Full disclosure: This is the first full Purdue game I have watched this year, so Boiler fans can correct me on this one if I am wrong; but JaJuan Johnson really seems to lack focus. He played a very good game today though. 14 points, 10 boards, and 5 blocks. He showed range on his jumper, obvious athletic ability, and has undeniable talent. Yet, he made some really careless turnovers and got caught out of position a number of times on defense. And while I love Tom Pritchard and Kyle Taber, they are not in the upper echelon of big men that Johnson will have to face come March. If Johnson increases his ability to focus, he could be a monster as a junior and senior. He’s so talented, he may be anyway.

4 – Indiana has a team full of role players, but two guys have emerged as pieces to build around for the future

Nick Williams, Devan Dumes, Matt Roth, and Malik Story all bring unique individual abilities to the floor, and all will be solid players in the cream and crimson for the next year (Dumes) or three (the others, all freshmen). However, on a good team that can contend for a Big Ten title, they should be bench players who fill specific roles playing 10-15 minutes a game. And I don’t think that is a knock on them at all. They are getting tons of playing time as freshman because IU had so little coming back this year, and will be better players because of it. But each has critical deficiencies that put ceilings on their potential:

• Nick Williams is too short to be a guy who lacks quickness and handle
• Devan Dumes is not consistent enough as a shooter and plays out of control with the ball
• Matt Roth is a non-factor if he is not getting open looks from 3, and lacks quickness to get open if defenses focus on him
• Malik Story is simply average from a skill standpoint and athletic ability standpoint

With all that said, all four of these guys have tremendous heart and because of it they have been more productive than their respective talent and skills would suggest they’d be. They have also continued to fight in the midst of an awful season and will forever have my appreciation and respect, as well as that of Hoosier fans everywhere. And while they will improve moving forward, these are the kind of guys who should be like Pat Graham, Brian Evans, and Todd Leary on the 1993 team: solid role players who are not asked to do more than they are capable of doing and who contribute to a winning team.

There are two guys on this year’s team, however, that are proving to be future starters that IU can build around: Tom Pritchard and Verdell Jones.

Pritchard has been pretty consistent all season, though his play dipped a bit recently. I thought he played well today though. He was active offensively, made some tough shots, did a solid job on the boards, and played well with fouls in the second half. He finished with 12 points and 8 boards, which I think will be a similar line to what he’ll put up as a senior when he plays Purdue. Pritchard has obvious deficiencies in foot speed, overall athletic ability, and free throw shooting — only one of which he can really do anything about. But he is a physical presence with decent skills and a high basketball IQ. He can be a Matt Nover-type contributor who you can pencil in for 10-14 points and 8-10 boards every night. He is almost that right now as a freshman.

In terms of improvement, no Hoosier has improved more from the beginning of the season to now than Verdell Jones. Honestly, at the beginning of the season I was wondering why we gave him a scholarship and why he was playing so much. He looked scared, he turned the ball over left and right, and had no physical toughness. Over the last few weeks, Jones has shown off his offensive abilities and become a much more poised leader with the ball in his hands. He still does not dribble especially well and makes lazy passes, and he simply has to get stronger, but 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in his first trip to Mackey is nothing sneeze at.

I thought Verdell was outstanding today. For the first time all season I thought he looked completely comfortable on the floor. He made some beautiful passes, did a great job of pulling up for the 10- to 15-foot jumpshot, and led an IU offensive attack that played pretty well, all things considered, against a team that really knows how to lock down on defense.

Verdell Jones also has one huge advantage that cannot be taught: height. At 6’5, he is a tough matchup for most guards in the Big Ten. He has gotten eaten alive though by shorter, quicker players this season when he is careless with the ball; but as his ball-handling and decision-making improves he is going to become a really tough matchup on a night-in, night-out basis. With talented players Maurice Creek and Christian Watford, among others, coming in at the guard and wing spots next season, this year’s freshmen will have more competition for playing time. Verdell Jones is proving that he has the talent to be a starter on a top-flight Big Ten team. If he can continue grow physically, as a ball-handler, and in the mental aspect of the game, we could be looking at a player who puts up stat lines like today’s on a nightly basis.

5 – The IU-Purdue rivalry is going to be really fun again

In the late 80s and into the mid-90s, the IU-Purdue rivalry was awesome. Calbert Cheaney against Glenn Robinson. Brian Evans against Cuonzo Martin. AJ Guyton against Chad Austin. And of course, Bob Knight against Gene Keady. Over the last decade or so, while the game is always exciting, it has lacked that extra bit of star power and top-level performance. A major part of it has been the two programs’ transition from legendary coaches to the guys at the helm now. Another part of it is a huge lull in the two programs’ ability to keep the top in-state talent at home. And honestly, it has been rare recently for both teams to be really good at the same time.

But I think with Tom Crean and Matt Painter settling in as the long-term stewards of Indiana and Purdue basketball, this rivalry is on the right track towards becoming one of the elite rivalries again on a yearly basis.

Painter has done a great job of building a solid nucleus around in-state players. Tom Crean is bringing some good Indiana kids in next year and supplementing them with top-flight national talents like Creek and Watford. Give IU one more year to settle in next season, and then I think these two programs are poised to be in the upper third of the Big Ten for the next decade. And with these two coaches we know that the games will be extremely physical and hard fought.

For once, I am not completely despondent after a Purdue loss. I have resigned myself to the pitiful fate of seeking moral victories in every loss. The state of our program demands it. Today, the Hoosiers showed that they have two starters and four solid bench players ready to go for next season. Assuming three or four of the new guys are ready to step in and contribute right away, we can look forward to a still young but much more talented team next season that should be ready to compete for a Big Ten title again in 2011.

And hopefully, God willing, moral victories will no longer be an option.

Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment, and perhaps I’ll feel differently if today’s game goes as every expert predicts it will go (read: blowout), but there is still always something special when Indiana and Purdue take the court together. Today is no different, and in fact is a little extra special because it is the first meeting in what should be a long and competitive rivalry between two outstanding coaches: Tom Crean and Matt Painter.

I am about to do something that I rarely do, and that may shock anyone who knows me. So brace yourselves. But I am about to give someone affiliated with Purdue a compliment.

I really, really like Matt Painter as a coach. Obviously I hate his guts because he coaches for Purdue, and I want to see him lose every game, but I respect what he is building in West Lafayette, and his teams embody what I am optimistic that Tom Crean can build in Bloomington (just better, of course). Painter has produced a team with many home-grown kids from the state of Indiana that protect their home floor, play tough and physical defense, and make every game a battle. They are not flashy, but they are solid and successful. And I can tell you this: I’m already penciling Purdue in for the Sweet 16 and the brackets aren’t even out yet.

(Pause. I am going to wash my hands now because I feel dirty and traitorous for having typed the previous paragraph.)

All that said, I wouldn’t trade Tom Crean for Matt Painter, and even though Purdue is better than Indiana this year, the fact remains that the ceiling for greatness in Bloomington is and always will be higher than in West Lafayette. At the end of the day, while Purdue has us 21-20 in Big Ten titles, the five national championships and 8 Final Four appearances dwarf the modest success that Purdue has had on a national level. Now that we have a coach who can build a winner the right way, and for the long-term, the Hoosiers should be able to elevate to the height of that ceiling once again.

And hopefully today is a step in the right direction.

A lot has been written over the past 36 hours about the frustration that Tom Crean showed after Thursday night’s loss to Wisconsin. He was not particularly amicable with Bo Ryan during the post-game handshake, and did not stay around long to answer questions with the media. Apparently, at least according to this forum thread, such behavior was his M.O. after particularly tough losses while at Marquette. Call me crazy, but I doubt IU fans will hold that against him. We have a little bit of experience with coaches who do not always display the height of their jocularity after losses.

To be perfectly honest, I felt the same way after the Wisconsin loss. I’ve stayed pretty positive all year, but that second half was pathetic. We looked tired, lacked focus, and did not even play up to our modest capabilities. We were terrible and non-competitive. I don’t think too many people realistically expected victory, but we all certainly expected a better effort than that. Tom Crean has stayed remarkably positive all season long in the face of some of the most dire circumstances and results any big-time college basketball program has ever experienced.

I’ll forgive him if every now and then the frustration boils over.

I hope and expect that the team saw every bit of that frustration in the locker room. If we play against Purdue in Mackey today like we played at home in the second half against Wisconsin, we’ll lose by 30 points. If we bring the effort and intensity we have brought all season long we can make it a semi-competitive game and at the very least not be embarrased. Like many, I will be rooting as hard as I can and hoping for the best, but I’d be shocked if IU pulled off a victory. It sure would be a beautiful thing, but while I hate Purdue with every fabric of my being, I don’t disrespect them enough to predict an IU win on their home floor. Not this season anyway.

I did say at the beginning of the year that if we went 1-15 in the conference, but beat Purdue, that I would consider the season a success. We already got our one win against Iowa and it remains to be seen if this year’s Hoosiers are capable of a second. But if somehow — by some combined stroke of luck, serendipity, and downright divine intervention — the Hoosiers are able to sneak out of West Lafayette with a win, it will erase an entire season of frustration and disappointment and make the whole ugly experience just a little more palatable.

I’m not holding my breath, but I’m certainly holding out hope.

Whatever happens today boys, just go out there and play hard and give your best effort. We have known all year as fans that we have to keep our expectations in check; but only for Wins and Losses, not for effort, focus, and heart. We left a lot to be desired in the second half of Thursday, but today presents a great opportunity to attone. Let’s send a message to Purdue and the rest of the Big Ten that we are not years away from competing. Go out there and compete today and show everyone that the pride of the cream and crimson endures, even in the face of tremendous struggle and frustration.

I’ll be in front of my TV cheering for all 40 minutes and believing every second that we’ll find a way to win (rationality goes out the window once the ball is tipped…always). I don’t ask for much, just to see that same effort and belief in you.

Go IU!

Official Game Info:

• TV: Big Ten Network
• Time: 2:00 ET
• Location: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette

Prediction: Purdue wins, but the Hoosiers make it a far more competitive game than anyone expects. 62-58 Boilers

Mired in NCAA sanctions and perhaps the worst basketball season in school history, and on the heels of a complete collapse from the football program in 2008, fans of Indiana University have had little to cheer about during the past calendar year.

That all changed this past Saturday night when Miss Indiana Katie Stam became the first Miss America from the Hoosier State in the 88-year history of the pageant.

Her whirlwind weekend did not end Saturday night in Las Vegas, however. We have breaking news here at Midwest Sports Fans that Indiana University head basketball coach Tom Crean immediately called Katie Stam, a communications student at the University of Indianapolis, to offer her a basketball scholarship at IU. Stam, a native of Seymour, immediately accepted the offer.

“We are very excited to be adding Katie Stam to the basketball program here at IU,” said Tom Crean in a statement made up completely out of my own wandering imagination. “One of our goals is to rebuild the proud winning tradition here in Bloomington, and I am confident that having someone on the team who has actually won something will help us do that.”

Crean cited a FoxNews article titled “Indiana Student Crowned Miss America” as his inspiration for offering her a basketball scholarship. When told that the headline was false, and that Stam actually attendeds the University of Indianapolis, Crean appeared undettered — a probable manifestation of his desperation to just get a win…somehow.

Crean and the Hoosiers currently sit at 0-6 in the Big Ten conference after dropping a heartbreaking game to the Minnesota Golden Gophers at home on Sunday. While the difficult season was expected for the Hoosiers, who play 7 freshman, a junior transfer, and a former walk-on among their regulars, it does not mean that it has been any less difficult for IU fans to handle.

“Have I seen her play? No. Will she be eligible to play for us, considering she is a girl? I don’t know. Does she even have any basketball ability? That remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, unless she he has both of her hands amputated between now and our next game, she should help us cut down on turnovers,” explained Crean.

“I’m sure,” Crean continued, “that Verdell Jones and Daniel Moore will take expection to a girl starting over them, but it will give them a chance to sit and learn a little bit. Heck, Ryan Finkelmeier won’t even play anymore now that we have another guard, but he sprayed his shorts when I told him who his new teammate would be, so at least he’s on board with it.”

Perhaps among the traits that attracted Crean to Katie Stam are the heart, desire, and toughness that she displayed in winning the grueling Miss America competition. Stam fought off a throat infection, laryngitis, and 51 other contestants to be crowned Miss America. She admitted to having trouble sleeping one night last week and even had to take medicine to help her fight the throat infection. Luckily, she got her voice back by Thursday and was able to drop dimes of wisdom like this, which helped her pull out the kind of W that has eluded this year’s Hoosiers:

During the interview portion of the competition she decried the use of performance-enhancing drugs among professional athletes and discussed the definition of glamour. “That beauty that you feel on the inside, it’s that confidence, that radiance inside of you, that’s what glamour is,” Stam said.

In addition, as the picture to the right clearly shows, the other contestants for Miss America (especially Miss Tennessee on the right) would have rather driven a stake through Stam’s muscular thigh than lost the Miss America crown to her. No doubt, Stam’s perseverence in the face of such competitive pressure is something that Crean feels Stam will add to the Hoosiers this season. Additionally, Hoosier legend Bob Knight would clearly be impressed by Katie Stam’s game face.

“Look, we’re getting desperate here. We all knew this season would be trying, but we keep coming so damn close and just can’t figure out a way to win. Katie Stam may not be able to shoot, she may be female, she may not even go to school at IU, but at least she’s won something. That’s more than we can say about our guys right now, and hopefully the winning attitude she displayed Saturday night will rub off on the team,” explained Crean.”

“Plus,” he continued, “I think Katie Stam and Mario Lopez may end up being a package deal, and what struggling sports team couldn’t use A.C. Slater?”

There is not word yet on when Katie Stam will join the Hoosiers, or if she will even be allowed to. One thing is for sure though: having her in the lineup certainly would not appear to decrease the Hoosiers’ chances of getting one Big Ten win this year, but it would at least give Hoosier fans like me something to smile about while mired in the muck of the Kelvin Sampson aftermath.

Photo Credits:

• Top Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
  
• Bottom Photo: Isaac Brekken / AP

Anyway, there was one note of interest I found regarding the basketball program, and it dealt with a player who no longer wears the cream and crimson: Eric Gordon. It seems as if last year’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year has injured his ankle and will be out for a couple of weeks. Luckily for Gordon, the injury does not appear to be too serious and should not set him back too much as he prepares for his rookie season.

I haven’t posted much about IU basketball yet on Midwest Sports Fans, but that will definitely change once basketball season rolls around. Reading the article about Gordon reminded me of the frustrating memories of the last year of being an IU basketball fan. It still boggles my mind to think about what a quagmire of awfulness last year became after such a promising start to the season.

The two players I felt the worst for were Eric Gordon and D.J. White (who seems to be getting involved and off on the right foot with his new team: the Oklahoma City Thunder). Both of these guys were having unbelievable seasons before the entire program began to unravel thanks to the malfeasance of selfish jackass and shameless liar Kelvin Sampson. I am pretty sure that D.J. White left IU with the full appreciation and adoration of IU fans. His commitment to the program during his five years in school was great to see, and his consistent improvement was a testament to his work ethic and attitude.

But something tells me that the feelings of IU fans towards Eric Gordon are probably pretty mixed; and I think that’s a shame. With so much hoopla (and controversy) surrounding his arrival in Bloomington, and his blazing start, I think that the bar of expectations was probably set at unrealistic levels. The injury to his wrist did not help, and obviously there was only so much Eric Gordon could do when the lack of discipline and direction sunk the program on and off the floor during the second half of the season.  (What did you expect?  Everyone knows that IU basketball players are hardasses. Wait a minute…)

Had Eric Gordon been a senior last year and displayed similarly poor ball handling and shot selection, perhaps frustration with his play could be understood. But for a freshman, Eric Gordon was remarkably consistent (in terms of effort, though not with his shooting unfortunately) and in hindsight played with pretty respectable intensity and commitment night in and night out considering the circumstances of the program. A lot was placed on his shoulders, and I think he did about as well as could have been expected, if not better. It can be easy to take the talents of great young players for granted sometimes, and forget how young they are. As fans we sometimes focus on the few things these great players are struggling with or not doing, as opposed to truly appreciating all of the things that they are doing.

I always felt that Jared Jeffries was never properly appreciated for his time at IU. He came in with the billing of a superstar wingman, bu ended up settling into a role as a very good player who dictated IU’s offense with his superb passing from the post. He was a valuable member and the most talented player on a great 2002 squad that was a team in every sense of the word and advanced to the championship game. But Jared Jeffries did not take over games, could not score at will, and never quite lived to the “superstar” status that everyone expected. Regardless, he was the best player on one of the ten most memorable IU teams ever. Still, he is overshadowed by other players from that team like A.J. Moye and Tom Coverdale who were more fan favorites than Jared Jeffries. It can be easy to forget that many of the openings they found on the offensive side of the ball were a result of the attention paid to Jeffries in the post, and his ability to make passes that got the ball into the right place for his teammates to score.

Jared Jeffries and Eric Gordon were two of the most celebrated recruits to come to IU during the 20 years I have been closely following IU basketball. Neither stayed long, and neither completely fulfilled the promise and expectations placed upon them by the IU faithful. But they should both be appreciate and admired for the contributions and results that they did produce, and I am looking forward to following Eric Gordon in the NBA. I certainly hope he can find more stability than he had during his one year at IU, and I am anticipating that he will blossom and become a very good NBA player, if not a star.

I was frustrated by the disappointment that tinged many of the comments by IU fans about Eric Gordon’s play last year. I think he was treated somewhat unfairly, and that most of it was a function of the IU fans’ general frustration and disappointment with how last year’s team turned out. As we move away from the wreckage of last year, I hope that IU fans who harbor any negative thoughts about Eric Gordon are able look back at his short time in Bloomington and appreciate the one year we had with him. There is not one sane and rationally thinking IU fan that would not take him back on campus in a heartbeat; but now that he has left campus, I sincerely hope that he has the full support of IU fans everywhere as he embarks on his professional career.

[tags]indiana hoosiers, college basketball, eric gordon[/tags]

For the first time in a while, news regarding Indiana basketball is starting to become consistently positive.  Crean and Crimson indeed.

According to the Indianapolis Star, Indiana and Tom Crean recently received a verbal commitment from Christian Watford, a 6-8 small forward out of Birmingham, Alabama.  Watford is ranked anywhere from No.12 to No.34 by various recruiting services.  According to recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons, the commitment of Christian Watford moves Indiana into a tie for the top 2009 recruiting with North Carolina.

All I have to say is…hell yes!

The Indianapolis Star article compares the composition of IU’s 2009 recruiting class to that of Purdue’s 2007 class, which as far as I’m concerned is an outstanding compliment.  The main difference is that Purdue’s class was comprised of all kids from Indiana high schools (or at least all but one, I’m pretty sure).  However, like the 2007 Purdue class, IU’s incoming class for 2009 includes players at every position who have played together during summer tournaments.  That ability to build rapport and camaraderie before stepping on campus is invaluable.

Currently, Indiana’s 2009 recruiting class looks like this:

Jordan Hulls, 6’0, PG, from Indiana, 3 Star

Maurice Creek, 6’5, SG, 4 Star

Christian Watford, 6’8, SF, 4 Star

Derek Elston, 6’8 PF, from Indiana, 4 Star

Bobby Capobianco 6’8 PF/C, 3 Star

In addition, Indiana is high on the list for 6’11 center Bawa Muniru from Ghana, who has risen into the Rivals top 150 after improving immensely from the raw prospect he was when he moved to the U.S.
The members of the 2009 class should, theoretically, all have a chance to step right in and play as freshman.  As we all know, Indiana has only one holdover from the Kelvin Sampson debacle: former walkon Kyle Taber.  To simply field a team, Tom Crean did an outstanding job of acquiring 5 3-Star recruits, and a 7-0 center who is raw…but is still 7-0.

The 2008 class includes Nick Williams, Malik Story, Verdell Jones, Devan Dumes and Sampson recruits Tom Pritchard and Matt Roth.  I cannot wait to see all the new guys this upcoming season, but none come to Indiana with the reputations of guys like Watford and Creek.

Recruiting rankings can obviously be flawed, and just because a class is ranked high does not guarantee success.  But being ranked high is certainly better than being ranked low (as I nominate myself for the Mr. Obvious award).  Most importantly, the success that Tom Crean is having assembling his 2009 class is bringing positive news to an Indiana fan base that has been consistently beaten down over the past year or so.

Thank you, Kelvin Sampson, for coming in and pissing all over the wonderful tradition of IU basketball that its fans treasure.

I have become a natural skeptic after the Sampson debacle, but Tom Crean is definitely instilling hope and confidence in IU fans everywhere that the page can be quickly turned, and that within a few years IU can be back to competing for Big Ten titles and making deep runs in the NCAA tournament; and, most importantly, doing it ethically and legitimately.