A belated look at Indiana's loss to George Mason.

Well, we’ve seen enough key data to make an accurate estimate of Crean’s career. Given the astounding lack of significant improvement in team quality from last year to this, and especially given the poor performance of this year’s “great class” recruits (in contrast to their first year peers at other conference schools and power programs), it is clear that Crean will most likely win zero big ten games this year. It is also likely that Crean will become a fairly long-tenured, low average coach who will ride the exhaustion of the conference’s worst athletic administration (e.g., tens of millions of dollars should be flowing into the football program to support the nascent signs of major power seen in this year’s team, instead of wishful thinking and self-congradulations for a ridiculously small stadium improvement)— hence, not being fired, in spite of IU’s descent into a perennial bottom 3 Big Ten basketball program. The two singularly critical periods of his tenure (most critical: a winning record in the second half of last season; secondarily critical: the first 5 to 7 games of this season — the rest is mere consequence) have passed. No further opportunities for return to the elite will occur. The time frames of a John Wooden or Bob Knight have long since passed. In today’s world, one way or another, a breath-taking change must always occur right away (look at RR’s demise at Michigan — two years guarantees permanent failure. His career is over and will be a living hell until Michigan fires him). This has little to do with fan or alum impatience. It is the objective reality of sports at the top today — if nothing in the 2nd year, nothing but mediocrity can occur. It is most unfortunate, but absolutely carved in stone today (e.g., Calipari’s emphasis on recruiting and winning this year, Urban M’s turn around at Florida, etc.). If you disagree, read this again at the end of this season or the next or the next….. The solutions can only be either to acccept mediocrity or to round up the money now (again, tens of millions) and begin courting the best (e.g., of the Butler coach, Wisconsin coach ilk, etc.) and make the unimaginable real with money and commitment. IU will choose the former.