Indiana: Strong Starts, Bad Finishes
There is no question the Kelvin Sampson era may have put Indiana's men's basketball program in a bind for the future, a bind that a talented coach like Tom Crean might not be able to overcome.
Crean, who came to the Hoosiers after nine successful years at Marquette University that included one Final Four appearance, knew what he was getting into when he signed on to the job. The one thing he can't seem to shake, however, is a pattern of strong starts and weak finishes.
Take the 2008-09 season, for example. It was a strong month of November for the Hoosiers as they won four of the six games played. Then things deteriorated quickly. Indiana dropped 23 of its next 25 games, only winning against TCU and Iowa, to finish the season 6-25 overall.
Or how about 2009-10? That year, Indiana was 6-6 in its non-conference slate, and it managed to lose to then fourth-ranked Kentucky by only 17 points. Soon, the calendar changed years, and Indiana went 4-15 the rest of the way to finish at 10-21. It was still a four-game improvement, but it was way below Indiana expectations.
Last year may have been the cruelest blow of all. Indiana won seven of its first eight games and started off 9-2 before a six-game losing streak kicked in. After that 9-2 start, the Hoosiers were 3-18 the rest of the season.
When does Indiana turn the corner? Keep in mind Crean will get some more leeway than other coaches might. His nine-year track record of success at Marquette speaks volumes. Even though Marquette reached the NCAA Final Four just once, Crean managed to get his teams to the NCAA or NIT so there was some success.
At Indiana, it has been three years, three straight losing seasons, three first-round exits in the Big Ten tournament. A fourth might be in order, but there are people pleading for patience.
Kevin Ferrell and Hanner Perea, a 5-11 point guard and 6-8 power forward respectively, have given solid verbal commitments to Indiana. Ferrell is an in-state recruit from Indianapolis, while Perea hails from Choco, Colombia. Both have skills that could turn the program in a positive direction.
It's going to take some time to turn the program in the right direction. This year's non-league schedule is not a cakewalk by any means. There are games against Butler, North Carolina State, Kentucky and Notre Dame, and Indiana opens the Big Ten with games against Michigan State and Ohio State.
Read the in-depth preview for Indiana Men's Basketball
