Indiana upsets #20 Illinois

[Da Coach]

Indiana, sespite being riddled with injuries, upsets Illinois 52-49. This should be a boost to Tom Crean's recruiting.

http://www.indystar.com/article/2011...Ctext%7CSPORTS

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/3530631-419/indiana-wabash-fields-gleaming-hay.html

box score-

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201101270271

In another Big Ten upset, Michigan beat Michigan State 61-57. Former BU recruit Zack Novak was Michigan's leading scorer with 19 (6-8 on threes)-

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201101270358

[BradleyJD]

I stated here in the past that Crean would create a winner at IU, if he could get the time to build from the rubble.

There were a couple of people who said he would not win there.

This is only one game, but you could see by his reaction and the fans in attendance that this means much more than one game.

[tornado]

Illinois played extremely poorly -- shot 32% and only 25% from long...
Most people still saw an Indiana team that's going to struggle to put up more than 60 points, get several shot clock violations per game, and which gets only 6 assists on 48 shot attmpts..
They are banking a whole bunch on one top recruit coming in next year -- Cody Zeller -- although IU still has little or no presence in the paint and Cody Zeller is not really the answer to that problem and he's less of a post player than either of his two older brothers....

The oldest Zeller, Luke Zeller, who was every bit as highly touted, went on to a 4 ppg career at Notre Dame.
Tyler Zeller is maybe a bit better, but still just now reached 500 career points at UNC with only a year left there.
Time will tell....and many of Crean's big name recruits are still just high school freshmen and sophomores...
but remember he's already had TWO top 10 recruiting classes and is only barely out of the Big Ten basement.

[Braves4Life]

I'm not really a fan of Tom Crean but have always felt he was a good coach. Most good coaches can turn any program around in 3-5 years. This is year three for Crean and it appears that they have turned the corner. I predict IU will be an upper half Big 10 team next year and go to the NIT, and they will be Top 5 Big 10 and go to the NCAA in year 5. It can be done with a new coach who knows what he's doing.

[Braves4Life]

....but remember he's already had TWO top 10 recruiting classes and is only barely out of the Big Ten basement.

They'd be Top 3 in the MVC this year with that team and would probably contend for a Valley title next year, IMO.

[tornado]

I will believe it when I see it -- but I think IU is still 3-4 years away...
Their one real Big Ten-level talent, Watford, is averaging 17 pts, 6 reb, and has been projected in some mocks to possibly be in either the 2011 or 2012 NBA drafts..
If they lose him, then they could be back in the basement for 3-4 more years until the next batch of recruits get their feet wet.

BTW -- despite a whole lot more hype and better press....Tubby at Minnesota really hasn't done a whole lot better than Dan Monson did...
The Big Ten seems to pretty much always have 5 or 6 teams at the top and 5 or 6 at the bottom and they don't change up very often......

[lefty]

What bothers me is the Illini....another game they should have won and just played pathetic.....and they have decent talent.....how long until BW is on the famous hot seat?

[tornado]

...It can be done with a new coach who knows what he's doing.

That's what they thought at Oregon State..

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2011/01/cal_85_oregon_state_57_craig_r.html

[MacabreMob]

They'd be Top 3 in the MVC this year with that team and would probably contend for a Valley title next year, IMO.

UNI
7-3 in MVC
tied for 3rd with Indy St

UNI vs Indiana (neutral floor in Las Vegas Tourney)
UNI won 67-61

Evansville
5-5 in MVC
tied for 5th with Creighton

Indiana vs Evansville (at Indiana)
Indiana won 67-54

So maybe Indiana would be behind UNI (and Indy St) but ahead of Evansville (and Creighton)... putting them at 5th?

[cpacmel]

Their one real Big Ten-level talent, Watford, is averaging 17 pts, 6 reb, and has been projected in some mocks to possibly be in either the 2011 or 2012 NBA drafts..

I think that Jordan Hulls is a pretty good player as is Verdell Jones. And Rivers is one of the top defensive players in the Big Ten. That kid can really guard people.

[FarmerClone]

UNI
7-3 in MVC
tied for 3rd with Indy St

UNI vs Indiana (neutral floor in Las Vegas Tourney)
UNI won 67-61

Evansville
5-5 in MVC
tied for 5th with Creighton

Indiana vs Evansville (at Indiana)
Indiana won 67-54

So maybe Indiana would be behind UNI (and Indy St) but ahead of Evansville (and Creighton)... putting them at 5th?

By this type of logic, Iowa beat UNI by 11 and Indiana by around 20 so the Hawks would be what, tied for first in the MVC, while they are currently last in the Big Ten

[MacabreMob]

By this type of logic, Iowa beat UNI by 11 and Indiana by around 20 so the Hawks would be what, tied for first in the MVC, while they are currently last in the Big Ten

I was thinking it's more like this....

Mo St is in 1st...

who lost to Tulsa...

who lost to Appalachian St...

who lost to Texas State...

who lost to Houston Baptist!

Houston Baptist is currently #345 in the RPI (which is the worst RPI ranked team)!

Houston Baptist - #1 in the MVC

[Buesch N Chips]

All I know is, being a BU, Illini and Bear fan the past week has been torture. Let's go Cubbies!

[bert notorius]

I give a lot more credit to Bruce losing the game than Crean winning it.

Indiana is funny bad.

[Future Walk-On]

All I know is, being a BU, Illini and Bear fan the past week has been torture. Let's go Cubbies!

If the Cardinals don't win the World Series I might go insane....

Sorry you are a Cubs fan and will have to wait till football season!