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Five Takeways: Tom Crean Press Conference

Tom Crean spoke to the media today for the first time since Bloomington went all to hell. Here's a look at the highlights.

By Kyle Robbins
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

If you spent your afternoon avoiding the #iubb hashtag this afternoon, here's what you missed from Tom Crean's first meeting with the media since Devin Davis' accident & the suspensions of Williams/Robinson were announced:

1. For the most part, Crean took accountability for the actions of his players. With the condemnation coming from all directions over the last 3+ days, Crean said, for the most part, all the right things when it came to taking accountability for his players' actions. Clearly emotionally broken at points, he discussed the ongoing process that is instilling discipline in young men in the program.

Unless you're wanting the man to turn in his keys to Cook Hall at the podium, that's about all you can ask and expect a coach to say on the matter.

2. Devin Davis has a long road to recovery, but is improving. Crean says that we can expect an update from Dr. Larry Rink soon on Davis' condition, but did indicate it would be a long process. Certainly did not mention any timetable to return to basketball activities, as is and should be furthest from mind. In addition, Crean also mentioned that he was the one that broke the news to Davis' family about the accident.

3. Crean tacked on an extra game from the handbook-indicated punishment for Williams & Robinson's failed drug tests. It seems Tom Crean had some level of autonomy when handing down the suspensions for Troy Williams and Stan Robinson in adding an extra game. But, as #IUTwitter, points out -- that's at odds with the sentiment he expressed during Monday's call in show.

It's reasonable to think Crean would be flustered and hot-under-the-collar on Monday and might have misspoken. Still, that doesn't explain exactly why he was able to add a 4th-game to the suspension if the policy calls for three.

Obiviously, there's conflicting information here somewhere. I have not personally read this policy, so I'd feel out-of-place trying to decipher the standard rule and whether of not Crean has any sort of autonomy in this instance. It's important to remember: when dealing with drug and alcohol suspensions, specific rules and past standards exist for how an offense of that nature has been treated. You can't just randomly decide to up the penalty based on public pressure and outrage; that creates scapegoating and simply takes pressure off a coach or an institution by throwing an excessive penalty on a student-athlete that would be deemed excessive and unjust based on the actions of other comparable cases that didn't get that level of attention. In sum: the four-game suspensions are probably far less nefarious than you think, for whatever reason you might think they'd be nefarious in the first place.

4. Deja Vu is very real. Presented without comment.

Most answers of Tom's today were good. Some were ghost-written by Bob Knight.

5. This whole thing is, probably, much more on the players than anyone on the coaching staff. Coaches can preach discipline until they're blue in the face. Clearly, past players had bought in to the atmosphere in Tom Crean's program. As far as this group, this factoid is extremely telling.

Indiana takes on D-II NorthWood University tomorrow night in an exhibition matchup.

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