FanNation

The headline is misleading. Verdell Jones is from Illinois, meaning he is "in-state" for the Chicago Tribune.

rlclouse | 05/09/08, 08:55 AM

Bassett, Ellis, Thomas, Holman all leaving (the first two for being ignorant undisciplined punks, Thomas for lack of effort, and Holman having been poached by departed assistant coach McCallum at Detroit Mercy). Yet even under the self-imposed sanctions Crean's recruiting well.

Next year will probably hurt, but it is becoming all too clear that Sampson and his entire staff were pure scum, from illegal recruiting and lying about it to tampering with other programs. Between tossing them and the departure and/or dismissal of all the barely literate ghetto trash, the program is headed in the right direction rapidly. Good riddance to all the garbage.

Nineteen-and-D'Oh! | 05/09/08, 09:38 AM

He'll transfer after Indiana gets smacked by sanctions due to recruiting violations and ARP scores.

The Warden | 05/09/08, 09:47 AM

We'll have to wait and see how things play out. So far so good. I'm just glad at this point that I don't have to be embarressed to be an IU fan. Sampson was trash and we shot ourselves in the foot when we hired somone with a shaddy reputation. In our quest to get back to the glory days of Bob Knight, we lost sight of what college sports are all about. Now atleast it looks like we are on the right path.

Hoosier Daddy 2 | 05/09/08, 01:11 PM

The writer who said the entire coaching staff were scum was off base. Dan Dakich is to be commended for his short tenure as head coach. He stuck to his principles even though he knew it would probably cost him a chance at keeping the job.

Gary 64 | 05/09/08, 01:45 PM

Dackich was neither considered or seriously considered for the new coaching vacancy They needed someone, who in know way, was connected in any way with sampson or his possible accomplices. Unfortunately for Dan this was a no win situation. His resume and slightly better than 500 record in the MAC while not showing he was the coach for the job. In reality McCallum did show a better resume for the job as interim. He helped recruitted most of the players on the team at that time.
He was Sampsons right hand man on the bench in game situations for the last 2 yrs. Even now his name has not been connected with any of the wrong doing. As much as I deplored what Sampson did he was a very good coach. All you can do is ask yourself ; WHY ?

fanaticbill | 05/09/08, 03:17 PM

IN state? nice work sports illustrated

TA4K | 05/09/08, 05:31 PM

Michigan fan, we are 13-1 in our last 14 games against you. I would be bitter to.

That's What She Said | 05/09/08, 06:09 PM

Hey what she said,

You'd have to have an extra chromosome to interpret what I wrote as being bitter. I never stated Indiana sucked. All I said is your program is in a WORLD of hurt. You must not follow the program closely enough to understand that. And the fact is that UM's bball program is right behind Indiana by that UM will have a ARP problem too. Heck do you even know what the APR is? Probably not with that extra chromosome you have.

The Warden | 05/09/08, 07:18 PM

How come no one has mentioned that I won Indiana?

Hillary Clinton | 05/09/08, 07:31 PM

He'll transfer after Indiana gets smacked by sanctions due to recruiting violations and ARP scores.
The Warden | 05/09/08, 09:47 AM

As an IU alum, I'd like to think that IU's proactive response to the allegations by firing Sampson would work to their advantage and merit a lesser penalty. They won't get off scott free, nor should they, because of Sampson's prior infractions. But the NCAA should cut them some slack. As for the ARP, Knight had an exemplary graduation record while he was coach. Davis and Dakich were both his disciples, so I'm sure they leaned on the players to take their studies seriously as well. Sampson, however, was another matter, given his flaunting the rules and the resultant transfers after he was fired. But again, hopefully IU will get the benefit of the doubt.

Apparently, Creen had an unblemished record at Marquette, a tough private school. So hiring him should also demonstrate IU's commitment to solving the problem, What I don't understand is how IU's AD survived this. His a** should have been canned before Sampson's. Hiring Sampson was stupid at best and incompetent at worst.

pwings | 05/09/08, 08:31 PM

Sorry: let me clarify. Dackich was NOT part of the gang I intended to slam. All the reports around here pointed to the administration pushing Dackich on Sampson (for now obvious reasons; a clean guy to step in if/when it all imploded for Kelvin). So in my mind he wasn't one of Kelvin's posse.

When I said they were all scum I meant all of Kelvin's own choices were s**tbags, not everyone who technically served on his staff. My bad for not being more clear on that!

Nineteen-and-D'Oh! | 05/09/08, 09:27 PM

How in the heck did Bruce Weber lose this recruit out of his own town?? No way that happens if Self is still in Champaign

TenRingsSTL | 05/09/08, 11:43 PM

Weber has had a hard time landing the difference makers. He needs to nail a guy or two who are warriors, guys who show up to play every night. He gets some good players, but not the one's he needs to put them over the top.

Hillary Clinton | 05/10/08, 12:02 AM

Why would you want to play for a team that will be under sanctions unless you plan on making a foolish jump to the NBA right away. Should have signed with Minnesota or some other team.

timewalker | 05/10/08, 12:37 AM

I am with you timewalker, dont know what the kid was thinking. The only reason he picked IU is because of PT and there will plenty. Also, his dad is a handful. If sanctions hit IU especially not playing in the post-season and in schollies, then he will playing 4 years for a losing mediocre team.

Daxangel | 05/10/08, 12:48 AM

As good a coach, and as nice a guy, that Bruce Weber is, this will absolutely be his last year at Illinois. You cannot consistently lose your own Illinois talent and expect to keep your job. Weber is done at IL.

LSH99 | 05/10/08, 01:40 AM

As good a coach, and as nice a guy, that Bruce Weber is, this will absolutely be his last year at Illinois. You cannot consistently lose your own Illinois talent and expect to keep your job. Weber is done at IL.
LSH99 | 05/10/08, 01:40 AM

That was Davis' undoing at IU. The "last straw" was when Sean May went to North Carolina, The faithful NEVER forgave Davis for that. May was from Bloomington, Indiana and his father, Scott May, was an All-American and Player of the Year on Knight's first National Championship team "back in the day". His son was considered an absolute "lock" for Indiana. When he went to North Carolina and led them to a Championship, the show was over for Davis.

pwings | 05/10/08, 04:31 AM

That was Davis' undoing at IU. The "last straw" was when Sean May went to North Carolina, The faithful NEVER forgave Davis for that. May was from Bloomington, Indiana and his father, Scott May, was an All-American and Player of the Year on Knight's first National Championship team "back in the day". His son was considered an absolute "lock" for Indiana. When he went to North Carolina and led them to a Championship, the show was over for Davis.
pwings | 05/10/08, 04:31 AM
Report Offensive Comment

The last straw was when Gordon, Oden, and Conley committed to other places. There is no excuse for them to not get every great player in Indianapolis. Thing is, they still aren't getting them. IU is a dead program.

Fight Me, I'm IrishR#1 | 05/10/08, 07:56 AM

That was Davis' undoing at IU. The "last straw" was when Sean May went to North Carolina, The faithful NEVER forgave Davis for that. May was from Bloomington, Indiana and his father, Scott May, was an All-American and Player of the Year on Knight's first National Championship team "back in the day". His son was considered an absolute "lock" for Indiana. When he went to North Carolina and led them to a Championship, the show was over for Davis.
pwings | 05/10/08, 04:31 AM

The last straw was when Gordon, Oden, and Conley committed to other places. There is no excuse for them to not get every great player in Indianapolis. Thing is, they still aren't getting them. IU is a dead program.
IrishR#1 | 05/10/08, 07:56 AM

IrishR#1,
I forgot about Oden and that was a huge loss. But I'm not aware that there was any connection between Oden, Gordon or Conley and IU other than proximity.
Sean May, on the other hand, is the son of an All-America alum and the fans and media both assumed that he was a lock for IU.

I'm sure there was shock when Luke Walton went to Arizona and not UCLA or Patrick Ewing's son went to IU and not Georgetown. Family is considered a stronger bond than geography. Look on any major college roster and you'll see plenty of players from out of state. Family over geography is the point I was making and I stand by that.

As for IU being a dead program, no way!! For the kid who wants to play basketball and stay in Indiana, IU is still the place to be. It's primarily a basketball school unlike Purdue and Notre Dame which are still football schools. It's very attractive because it has a good coach, great tradition and, because its roster is thin, offers the chance to play immediately in a highly visible program. It will take a year or two, but IU will recover.

pwings | 05/10/08, 04:01 PM