it’s going to be an exciting year for hoosier basketball.

after the embarrassment of last season surrounding the long overdue departure of Kelvin Sampson (though i still contend he should never have been hired in the first place), the interim disaster of Dan Dakich, and the entire university program just basically giving up for the end of the season and rolling over dead in the ncaa tourney, there’s now this terrific story on espn.com of how IU is down to eight players for next season. so long to Armon Bassett, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas, and Eli Holman. this on top of already losing Eric Gordon, D.J. White, and Lance Stemler to early NBA careers or exhausted eligibility. big trouble? i’d say big opportunity.

these guys that left are a bunch of bitches. sure, they got totally dicked over by IU and Kelvin Sampson, no question. and in totally dirty typical Kelvin fashion, one of them is even leaving to play for an assistant from the Sampson era at Detroit Mercy, and it seems this was all orchestrated despite the NCAA rules prohibiting athletic department staff members from having any contact with an athlete from another school until that player is granted a release. it seems there’s still this strange allegiance to the coach they stood beside as he dragged the program and their futures through the mud. frankly, these aren’t the kind of guys i want representing the school. i think our new coach, Tom Crean, puts it best in this quote:

“Our staff is going to ensure that anyone who attends this University and wears the Indiana uniform will make this privilege among their highest priorities and not treat the opportunity as an entitlement,'’ Crean said. “We fully expect our student-athletes to accept the responsibilities academically, athletically and socially that come with representing one of the top programs in college basketball history.”

i’m happy to see a couple losing seasons while they bring back some much needed dignity to the program.

10 May 2008 | what i'm talkin' bout, sports | Comments