Download the CBS Sports App today and get instant tournament news and alerts, plus play Brackets!
What began as a promising season for Indiana was derailed by injuries to key players, among other things, which has some in Bloomington getting antsy about head coach Tom Crean and his future with the program.
The Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament when the field of 68 teams was announced on Sunday, finding themselves NIT bound just a year removed from a regional semifinal loss in the Big Dance and a Big Ten regular season title.
The embattled head coach is no doubt under intense scrutiny from a win-hungry fan base. But if it were up to Dallas Mavericks owner (and IU alum) Mark Cuban, it seems he’d have no concerns about his seat getting hot. The outspoken owner took to Twitter on Wednesday to give Crean a public vote of confidence.
I think @tomcrean is a great coach. @IUBB_Hoosiers is fortunate to have him. https://t.co/6KyR3SftDe
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) March 15, 2017
Indiana finished the season on Tuesday in a first round NIT loss to Georgia Tech and an 18-16 record. Will he be in town for one more year? That question hasn’t been answered. But according to our own Matt Norlander, his buyout drops significantly on July 1. So only time will tell if he’ll be on the sidelines again next season.
Indiana falls at Ga. Tech in NIT, IU’s season is over. Crean’s buyout is $4 million. That number drops to $1 million on 7/1. One more year?
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 15, 2017
