It could be a tough beginning for Tom Crean and Indiana, but it will be short-lived

FINDING WINS IN BLOOMINGTON

Nov. 22, 2008

So far so good.

It could be a tough beginning for Tom Crean and Indiana, but it will be short-lived.

Two games and two wins for Tom Crean and the Indiana Hoosiers. Both Northwestern State and IUPUI figure to challenge for league supremacy in their respective conferences so don’t be quick to simply dismiss the wins. For the 2008-09 Hoosiers, every win is big.

Let’s beat them while we can. That should be the rally cry for everybody on Indiana’s schedule this season. 2008-09 has the
look of a very long and arduous season in Bloomington, IN. But it will be short-lived.

The Hoosiers will be back in the hunt sooner than you think.

Tom Crean has a 10-year contract, which would be a lot more important elsewhere, but not at Indiana. It’s one of a handful of
programs in America that can consistently recruit nationally (Duke, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, Syracuse, UCLA).

Crean’s former boss Tom Izzo has built Michigan State into a power in large part by keeping the local kids at home. They have been able to get players from other points on the map, but not at the same consistency as the Duke’s, Kentucky’s and Indiana’s of the college basketball world (another example of the tremendous job Izzo has done).

Like the others on the list, the name ‘Indiana’ gets you into the mix. Add to that the fact that Crean can talk a dog off a meat truck and you have the necessary things in place to turn the program around quickly.

Crean’s ability to recruit will have Indiana back among the Big Ten’s elite within a couple of seasons and they will be among the national elite shortly thereafter.

BEST MID-MAJOR LEAGUE

From top to bottom last year, the Horizon League was as good if not better than any mid-major conference in America. This year the league may be even better.

For the past few seasons Butler has carried the banner for the league and with the help of sophomore Matt Howard, head coach Brad Stevens will have Butler in the mix again. But the Bulldogs, which are ranked No. 10 in the preseason Mid-Major Top 25, might be the fifth or sixth best team in the league.

Cleveland State is the preseason favorite, but Wright State figures to challenge along with Illinois-Chicago and Valparaiso. Detroit, Loyola (Chicago) and Wisconsin Milwaukee will be better come January and Youngstown is a year away from being one of the top teams in the league.

And then there is Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Head coach Tod Kowalczyk has one of the top mid-major players in America in Mike Schachtner. The 6-foot-9 senior didn’t finish last season strong and the Phoenix faded, but Schachtner is back at full strength and UWGB returns basically everyone.

Yeah I know they lost in the opening round of the Glenn Wilkes Classic (Daytona, FL) to division II Rollins College but it's still early.

Look for Schachtner to be a mid-major All-American by season’s end and look for Kowalczyk’s team to be in postseason.

STARTING FIVE

The Mid-Major All-America team could expand to a 50-player team and there would still be some difficult cuts. There are a lot of really good basketball players working their craft at the mid-major level, but I’ll take this group of five who aren’t getting a lot of national attention. We’ll win a lot of games…

It starts at the point with Derrick Mercer (5-9, senior, American). Teammate Garrison Carr was selected as the preseason Player of the Year in the Patriot League, but Mercer is the guy that makes them go. He distributes the ball, but more importantly -- He makes plays on both ends of the floor.

Tywain McKee (6-2, senior, Coppin State) runs the offense for coach Fang Mitchell, but he is more of a scorer playing the point. Those abilities were on display during last season’s MEAC tournament championship game when he poured in school tournament record 33 points in an upset win over top-seeded Morgan State.

Every team needs a physical presence and J'Nathan Bullock (6-5, senior, Cleveland State) brings that and more to the court every night. Bullock is one of ten players in school history with at least 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. He has excellent
quickness and great hands. NFL scouts should eye Bullock and San Diego’s Rob Jones.

Chris Devine (6-8, senior, UC Santa Barbara) is everything a coach would want in a player. He can play both the small and power forward position. He can handle the ball and he can rebound. Offensively he can score off the bounce, with his back to the basket or from beyond the arc. He’s a three-time All-Big West selection.

Jason Thompson was the 12th pick in the first round of the NBA draft (Sacramento Kings). Now NBA scout are now taking a long look at his brother, Ryan Thompson (6-6, junior, Rider). Thompson is explosive off the dribble and can handle the ball. Like his big brother he works hard and is committed to becoming a better player. He’ll be in the NBA in two years.

PROMOTION

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http://gozags.cstv.com/inspiredseason/

Matt Drake is a senior writer for collegeinsider.com. EMAIL MATT