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Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

Posted on: December 10, 2011 7:43 pm
Edited on: December 10, 2011 8:31 pm
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By Jeff Goodman

Tom Crean can celebrate however he wants after this one. He could be yelling and screaming buck naked in the lobby of Assembly Hall and it would be fine with me (OK, I take that one back).

I mocked the Indiana coach last season after he went bananas in the lobby of Assembly Hall following a home victory over Illinois. However, Saturday's victory against top-ranked Kentucky? Well, that's worthy of a full-pledged party well into the night for Crean and the Hoosiers.

This may wind up becoming a defining moment for the Indiana program in the Crean Era - one that had some fans and many around the country questioning whether the Hoosiers would be nationally relevant again.

Kentucky was more talented at every single position on the court, but Indiana took control of the game in the second half, and after blowing a 10-point lead, got a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Christian Watford for the 73-72 upset.

The Hoosiers showed mental resolve.

This Hoosiers team has officially turned the corner. They hadn't really beaten anyone of note until now (Butler and N.C State don't quite count), but should make their way into the Top 25 for the first time since Kelvin Sampson was running things and making illegal phone calls in Bloomington.

It was nice to see Assembly Hall rocking again because the fans in Bloomington are rabid - and are deserving of success. Indiana doesn't blow you away, but now Crean has enough talent and experience to compete with the big boys.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, however, and start proclaiming the Hoosiers as a clear-cut NCAA tournament team. The Hoosiers aren't going to challenge Ohio State for the Big Ten title. They remain undefeated, but still need to fare well in Big Ten play to ensure themselves of dancing come March.

Watford doesn't always show up, but it was Kentucky's Terrence Jones who played the role of the magician on Saturday, doing his best disappearing act with just four points and a lone rebound in the contest. Watford went for 20 points in the victory while freshman Cody Zeller, Will Sheehey, Victor Oladipo and Jordan Hulls all played well.

Crean has had a rough go thus far in his tenure, finishing near the bottom of the league each of his three seasons. Recruiting has certainly picked up in the past year or so and Cream got over one hurdle when he took down Butler's Brad Stevens last month. But this one was far more important.

Crean knocked off the No. 1 team in the land. The almighty John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats.

If that's not worthy of a party, I'm not sure what is.

Photo: US PRESSWIRE
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Category: NCAAB
Tags: Big Ten, Christian Watford, Indiana, Jeff Goodman, Kentucky, SEC, Terrence Jones, Upsets, Video
 
Comments

Since: Mar 16, 2007
Posted on: December 12, 2011 4:43 pm
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

And what's up with that picture of the scoreboard reading UK 75, IU 70 anyway?

Since: Mar 16, 2007
Posted on: December 12, 2011 2:10 pm
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

People who back a corrupt program hate. People who understand integrity do not. I can't use the verb I'd like to use concerning Kentucky. That's not hate, it's acknowledging the truth. For those morons who state that "[Crean} had  to be 8-0 this point in the season or he'd have been sent packing" (CN2's "Inside Kentucky Sports" Insight Network 12/9/11). That same moron stated the the IU-UK rivalry "was dead". What a moron. But that's the way a program like Kentucky works. Their credo is "WIN AT ANY COST". I'd be willing to bet that not one of those Kentucky "thoroughbreds" has EVER seen the inside of a classroom at UK. I have never doubted the skill and athleticism of any Kentucky team. But Kentucky is a revolving door for the NBA. Nothing more .How many UK players graduate? I really don't care what detractors of Crean or IU think. IU is back, after three yearof pain and humiliation. The world of NCAA Division I Men's basketball had better take notice.

Since: Dec 12, 2011
Posted on: December 12, 2011 1:51 pm
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

As an IU fan that was at the game, let me clear up a few things for people that can't seem to undestand. First, whether or not IU won that game, it was a great basketball game. If you disagree with that statement, you are either an embarrassed UK fan or simply do not like the sport. Next, Indiana beat Kentucky. This may seem like a simple statement, but it does mean a few things. Because it is not 20 years ago, the Indiana student body is not wrong in any way for rushing the court. We have been cellar-dwellars for the last few years, and the Hoosiers just beat the number one team in the country. They also beat a close rival. If that was any other set of schools, that would be fine, but people want the fans to "act like they've been there before". Well, chances are they haven't been there before, so how would they act like it? I am not proclaiming IU the best basketball team in the country, or even better than the Cats. But Saturday night, they won the game. That's all that matters, and the fans are allowed to (and should) party like its 1987. Wake up world- Hoosier basketball is back on the map.

Since: Dec 12, 2011
Posted on: December 12, 2011 11:38 am
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

While being degraded over which basketball program you follow may seem like an insult to many, it is NOT something to be taken personally when those insults are coming from a KEntucky Mildcat fan.  Since they obviously have not background in class, sportsmanship, honor, honesty, or for that matter, no knowledge of college basketball, why would anyone take them seriously.

And in a few years, when Calapari is on his way to ruin ANOTHER program, UK is enduring another set of sanctions from NCAA for gross misconduct and blatant cheating, IU will go on with the knowledge that our program doesn't need to buy wins....we earn 'em the old fashioned way.....By kicking UK in the butt and sending them home whining. 



Since: Dec 5, 2011
Posted on: December 12, 2011 9:01 am
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

Just try and enjoy your win without becoming obsessed.  Haters gonna hate, that is true.  You got 5 wins in the past 21 tries; enjoy it, don't start hatin..

Since: Oct 18, 2011
Posted on: December 12, 2011 12:34 am
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

@ezcatchfishing...my point exactly...was that meant to be a counterpoint or something? Coach Cal even said that in the post-interview. I don't think you realize why I wrote what I did. It was in response to someone claiming the lack of fouling at the end of the game had nothing to do with the outcome. It's all would've/could've/should've and fun to speculate. Fact is what should've happened...happened. But it's fun to discuss the possibilities.

I'm a University of Louisville fan. I could care LESS who won. I was merely speaking as an avid fan of college ball.

Since: Mar 16, 2007
Posted on: December 11, 2011 9:41 pm
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

I have been an IU fan since 1975. I don't want to go into Knight's being back-stabbed and the corronbative action of the AD (I can't remember his name, nor do I care to) in his hiring of that Kentucky-level gangster, Sampson. The cowardly University president and his cronies tried to kill IU basketball tradition. It worked for three years. We're back. Take notice NCAA Division I Men's basketball. IU is back. Now about Crean. It is Kentcky thinking that says that Crean's job was in jeopardy because of his three-year purgatory. IU doesn't work that way. It takes time to resurrect a murdered program. Crean has done it, with honor and with dignity. Two things Kentucky doesn't understand the meaning of. I am not going to write what I really feel about Kentucky and its so-called tradition. I am not going
to address the idiots and their moronic babblings about making light of the Indiana student body celebrated a hard-earned victory, nor those denigrating Crean. Those who do so ARE idiots and their comments ARE moronic. IU basketball IS HONOR, IS TRADITION, and IS BACK. Kentucky nay-sayers can cry all they want. The final score was IU 73, Kentucky 72. Enough said.

Since: Dec 11, 2011
Posted on: December 11, 2011 9:23 pm
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

Umm, yeah, true.  We get to storm our FOOTBALL field like once a decade.  Finally ending a streak of losing, even against a gnarly stinky crap team like UT had out there this year - and winning with a WR at QB - I'd say it was well-earned.

You think you can win 1 against Big Blue Nation this year, Vol-guy?  Bring it.. 

Since: Oct 9, 2007
Posted on: December 11, 2011 7:55 pm
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

Wasn't it Kentucky who just 2 weeks ago stormed the field after they beat a 5-7 Tennessee football team? 



Since: Nov 27, 2006
Posted on: December 11, 2011 7:45 pm
 

Indiana's win worthy of Crean celebration

Coming from a student in the student section last night....everyone serisouly needs to lighten up.  We rushed the court, big deal.  How did that influence youre night in the least while you were sitting at home?  Were you somehow personally offended at this notion that we rushed our own court?  if so, I say again...lighten up.  Ive been going to every game the past few years and we have been just awful, so no I personally have neevr "Been there before"  Try to look at it from our view, thats if UK fans are capable of using that much brain power, and see that over the last 3 years we have finished at the bottom of the big ten and thats all I know.  Now when we beat the #1 team in the nation at home on a national broadcast youre telling me to cool my jets?  That idea seems classless to me.  Youre still the same team and you can debate that you are actually better having lost that game.  Remember its just a game, everyone is there to have fun, and I had a blaaaast.
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