Kevin Wilson Dismisses Top Receiver Damarlo Belcher from Team
by JustAJ on Nov 1, 2011 10:02 AM EDT
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PrintIn a series of events that seem to have escalated quickly, Hoosiers' top receiver and team captain Damarlo Belcher was kicked off the team in a surprise move yesterday. He was suspended against Northwestern this Saturday for "conduct detrimental to the team" and was released yesterday for "violating team rules". This is devastating for any chance of cobbling together a win to finish the season. The dismissal of Belcher and surgery on Duwyce Wilson's knee has eliminated all but one receiver with over 20 receptions on the year from the roster. It appears the rest of this season will indeed be a test of the young guys as there will likely be 14 freshman starters this Saturday and 6 sophomores to make up the 22 total starters from each side of the ball.
Belcher finished his career at Indiana just 2 receptions short of James Hardy's school record of 191 receptions. He has 2,225 career receiving yards at Indiana which puts him good enough for second all-time behind Hardy as well. Belcher was named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List before the beginning of the season. He was obviously expected to do big things for the Hoosiers in a transition year but injuries hampered his progress. When he finally was healthy this Saturday he was suspended. So he has been mostly disappointing this season. Still he had a lot to offer physically and this dismissal kills the offenses chances to move the ball against a good defense.
In the end, IU is losing more than Belcher. If Belcher can keep in shape and show up this spring in good form he will be in the NFL next year as a late round draft pick. The Hoosiers will have to continue to toil in terrible for the rest of the season. However, if this is a move Kevin Wilson felt he had to make then more power to him. Previous head coaches were the players' friends and we saw how that worked out. Perhaps Wilson's setting himself apart from the team will be beneficial when he demands performance. He has already chased of 12 scholarship players, it will be interesting to see if there are more on the horizon and if this youth movement in Bloomington can pay off.
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The whole scene around the program right now feels like about 5 minutes before the town meeting in Hoosiers. It’s either going to work out or end in disaster.
I hate to see both guys go, but I feel okay with what we have left, with Hughes and Latimer impressing in recent weeks. I like how the offense has improved, and I still am much more concerned about the defense.
The Crimson Quarry, SB Nation's Indiana Hoosiers blog
by John M (The Crimson Quarry) on Nov 1, 2011 10:25 AM EDT reply actions
quick update/correction to more accurately reflect the situation
The Hoosiers have now lost 19 players this year. 6 to injury, 1 to dismissal, 3 to early graduation, 10 to quitting.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
That's pretty damn staggering.
For God and country—Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo
No greater love, no sweeter sin, than red hot brass and ice cold gin.
by LoneStarHoosier on Nov 1, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
as senior offensive linemen Justin Pagan stated
after starting, losing his starting job, then winning it back…
I think it’s just guys taking coach Wilson and his coaching the wrong way, he’s going to be truthful and he’s going to be honest with you. You’ve got to take it and not focus on the bad part but actually listen to what he’s saying and not just be defensive. You have to actually listen. I personally had to go through that, too.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
Interesting quote. Very similar to what veteran IU basketball players used to tell younger guys about a certain coach: “listen to what he’s saying, not how he says it.”
The Crimson Quarry, SB Nation's Indiana Hoosiers blog
by John M (The Crimson Quarry) on Nov 1, 2011 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I guess they do have a lot in common. I mean between them they’ve won a total of 903 games.
Everything's more important with bunting.
by Veni Vidi Vici on Nov 2, 2011 1:06 AM EDT up reply actions
That is a fair point. On the other hand, Knight acted like that from day one. Obviously I am not drawing a direct comparison, but I was struck by the similarity between Pagan’s quote and what Knight’s players used to say.
The Crimson Quarry, SB Nation's Indiana Hoosiers blog
by John M (The Crimson Quarry) on Nov 2, 2011 8:05 AM EDT up reply actions
it will be interesting to see how next year pans out
Wilson obviously gets a pass this year with a new system, not his players and a shaky foundation to start on. I usually go with the three year rule for basketball coaches. I think I’ll go with the four year rule for Wilson. He needs time to get guys that fit his system in there and in college football so many guys redshirt that it could take an extra year.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
Surely the recruits are going to line up to play for this guy
Should have hired Mike Leach
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
and that’s not counting the assistant coaches who have left as well.
Everything's more important with bunting.
by Veni Vidi Vici on Nov 2, 2011 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Why would they count? Has there been anything other than speculation suggesting that these guys left for any reason other than the reality that Michigan, Boise state, and Nebraska are better opportunities than Indiana?
The Crimson Quarry, SB Nation's Indiana Hoosiers blog
by John M (The Crimson Quarry) on Nov 2, 2011 8:07 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah those assistant coaches were gone within weeks of their arrival
it was an opportunity gained situation for them. Would have been dumb for them to not take those jobs.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
How do all of these departures alter our recruiting picture?
Does the 2012 class grow? What are the implications?
For God and country—Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo
No greater love, no sweeter sin, than red hot brass and ice cold gin.
son of a....
I just had a lengthy response typed out to this and my page backspaced. So I’m just going to give a quit synopsis of what I wrote.
2012 will likely stay at 20-23 players. IU currently has 18.
2013 will be the new focus for a larger and hopefully more talented class.
The implications of this on the recruiting trail is that it is going to take a certain mental toughness to put up with Wilson, but if there is faith in his ability though not necessarily his methods everything will be alright.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
In the Wisconsin game, Belcher got dinged up on a reception, and never came back into the game. On the post-game interview with Fischer and Suhr, Wilson commented on this, to the effect that Belcher’s body language told him that he did not want to go back into the game. I don’t think that’s the reason that he was suspended and then dismissed. But in the interview, Wilson sounded incredibly annoyed by the situation. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s not going to tolerate wimps, losers or people who give a partial effort in practice. Pagan’s quote above kind of confirms that.
Not surprised
You could watch this wreck take place in slow motion. It is too bad for Belcher, he has had quite a career and you hate to see it end on this note. As for the program, time will tell. While I am new to following the Hoosiers this close, I have been a casual fan for years (my mother is IU class of ’54, my grandfather class of ’27?- and was manager of the football team and my daughter is a Freshman). The school has now invested in a football program and Wilson is not going to take half measures. Historically IU has attracted guys that wanted to “be college football players”, not “play college football”. Wilson has signaled an end to that mentality. He will play those players who give 100% to the program and in practice. A lot of coaches say this, he means it. It is evident by the players getting playing time. He would rather go 1-11 playing guys playing hard and making rookie mistakes (like blown coverage, and missed assignments) than go 4-8 with more talented or experienced guys who can beat the bottom dwellers (or hold the score of the game to a “respectable margin”).
Doing it the right way™ in your own mind and going 1-11 is a classic case of “pride coming before the fall.”
Everything's more important with bunting.
by Veni Vidi Vici on Nov 2, 2011 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions
dude you gotta cut the first year coach some slack
and it’s not like newIUfan is saying I’d rather go 1-11 the right way than 11-1 the wrong. He’s merely stating that being terrible and working towards a future with effort players is better than being barely mediocre with golden calf players that can go through the motions and just survive on talent.
-Contributing Writer at The Crimson Quarry.
Well, Coach Crean could have won more games early on if he had stuck with guys like Armon Bassett, Jamarcus Ellis, Deandre Thomas, etc. I’m not suggesting that the football program has anything approaching the social problems that the Sampson-era basketball program had, but sometimes imposing his will early on is important for establishing the program. If the veterans are a) more capable than the youngsters who are playing; and b) are buying in to what Wilson expects of them, then he is nuts to have them on the bench. I would have to assume that either a) or b) isn’t the case.
The Crimson Quarry, SB Nation's Indiana Hoosiers blog
by John M (The Crimson Quarry) on Nov 2, 2011 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions
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