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 staff 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 staff 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 believe the blokes that they bought, after which we are able to get into specifics if you’d like, however I believe what has to enhance from watching a lot, and once more, I’m watching as an analyst, I’m actually not, , 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 bought to move the ball higher. They actually do. Passing has gotta be at a premium for that staff as a result of I do suppose they will shoot it higher.
“I believe, once more, their spacing goes to be essential, the ball transferring goes to be essential. I believe 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 in the event you get the man, you kick it to him and also you get him an open 3, he bought higher at doing these issues.
“I believe that a part of it’s going to be actually, actually essential. I believe getting (Oumar) Ballo to, and I’d guess that they’re going to do that, I’d guess that the conditioning side and getting him to have the ability to play more durable goes to be there. I believe that’s what he wants and I believe that’s what Indiana will want. Getting him to be a multi, even at his measurement, getting him to be a multi-dimensional defensively. Ensuring he’s good along with his fingers within the decide and roll. Ensure he can guard a minimum of a dribble. Ensure 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 bought to be a mix of that with that measurement 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 cause, for Indiana to succeed, and so they have it now, there’s no cause they will’t get extra open pictures with that staff 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 vary some speeds. I really like the man, I actually do. That complete group. Isaiah Collier, Carlyle, that complete group. We have been recruiting them arduous (at Georgia). I like Carlyle.
“(Myles) Rice, I believe 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 comply with by means of 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 manner, he’s at his greatest when he’s not simply in search of his shot. Let’s put it that manner after which he’s transferring the ball. I believe he can move within the decide and roll. I believe he can throw it forward.
“The areas that I believe may harm Indiana is that if they’re not nearly as good at with the ability to play by means of 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 cause we taught the ice motion, the drive underneath the board motion with Yogi (Ferrell) as a result of Yogi wished to go to the rim however Yogi wasn’t robust sufficient to cope with a few of that size. So Yogi may create extra motion, create extra open seems to be for others and for himself by driving it underneath the board and the entire sudden Yogi turned such a greater layup maker as a result of he wasn’t all the time making an attempt to problem the protection. Little issues like that that it’s a must to do, I believe that’s going to be actually, actually essential for them.
“However I believe once you have a look at their means to shoot the ball this 12 months. 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 staff.
“(Malik) Reneau has gotta make a leap. He’s gotta get a proper hand. In case you have a look at his prices on the finish of the 12 months. In case you 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 12 months, he wouldn’t put the ball in his proper hand, proper? And rating going to the bucket along with his proper hand. All the sudden he’s making an attempt to show his physique, there’s a cost. These are the issues that must occur. However they must occur at each program, not simply Indiana. Weak hand improvement, deal with these forms of issues, being able to shoot, enhancing your passing, these are the basics that each program in America has bought to be locked into. And I’ve by no means seen Mike (Woodson) apply, I’ve by no means seen Indiana apply, I’d suppose they’re. These are the keys for that staff to get higher as a result of I believe they’ll defend simply nice. I believe they’ll have depth. However with the ability to play by means of contact, with the ability to play by means of the size, with the ability to hold their steadiness once they get hit, , all of these form 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 figuring out the gamers and never figuring out something about their summer season. So I’m simply supplying you with from final 12 months. They’ve to enhance. Reneau has gotta turn out to be a constant outdoors shooter. Two bigs is okay in the event you’re creating assist. Trayce Jackson created assist as a result of he may decide you aside. And also you needed to carry assist to the publish.
“Ware may step out and make a couple 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 normal 1-2. Folks play five-out and so they play high-low… when your bigs or your massive doesn’t must be guarded away from the basket, OK, you’re mainly taking part in 4 on 5 if he can’t shoot and he can’t actually harm individuals with passes… and I’m not speaking about passing out of the publish. If he can’t actually move 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. In case you can’t pull the opposite bigs as much as guard, you’re taking part in 4 on 5 constantly. I lived it early on at Indiana. Proper, we lived that. You’ve got gotta be so artistic 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 normal assertion. I believe Reneau bought higher as a shooter. He’s gotta have the ability 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 an enormous distinction. There’s an enormous distinction. And I take advantage of that as a normal assertion as a result of I coached like that eternally. That was one of many obsessions with issues that we did was with the ability to go together with each fingers, rating with each fingers, dribble with each fingers, move with each fingers, defend with each fingers. It’s such an enormous a part of it. I believe that’s going to be the important thing it doesn’t matter what lineups Indiana performs.
“They need to have a extremely fast, quick staff, doubtlessly, irrespective of who they’ve within the sport. And that’s even with Ballo actually not the very best runner. It’s arduous to protect him. The break at Arizona two years in the past was ridiculously good. And he was an enormous a part of that. He was an enormous a part of that. As a result of they threw it forward. That they had Tubelis, they’d Ballo, I’m not saying he’s a speedster, he’s not Cody Zeller however he doesn’t must be, proper? He can get within the lane, he can seal and you may’t get round him. And so they bought so many guys that may make performs. They need to have numerous enjoyable teaching that staff.”
Filed to: Tom Crean
