Indiana center throws tantrum, police called

[Da Coach]

What a bizarre story. Because my son went to Indiana (along with a lot of my money ), he is a big Indiana fan. So I follow things pretty closely there, too. It was looking like things were on a fast track to recovering with the hiring of Tom Crean. But.....
As recently as this morning, insiders there were sure that talented redshirt center Eli Holman would be returning next season to play for Crean. But apparently he went to Crean's office this morning and surprised the coaches by announcing he was transferring. What happened next is unclear, but he apparently became irrational and police were called.
More bad news, and unwelcome negative publicity for Indiana.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3377706&campaign=rss&source=NCAAHeadlines

http://indiana.scout.com/a.z?s=170&p=2&c=751781

http://indiana.scout.com/2/751799.html

[Braves4Life]

More IU Wierdness

This really makes you wonder what kind of kid K. Sanctions was recruiting to IU...............



--Freshman center Eli Holman threw another potential wrench into Indiana's rebuilding project Thursday, telling coaches he intended to transfer before apparently throwing a tantrum in their office that required a call to the campus police.

The meeting, which coach Tom Crean described as cordial initially, certainly did not end that way.

"His behavior took me, along with the other people in the office, by surprise," Crean said in a statement released by the university. "We saw him as a danger to himself and wanted to take precautionary measures to help him. We felt bad for Eli and, hopefully, were able to help him."--

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3377706

[Da Coach]

Update from IU paper

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=50825&comview=1

[tornado]

Eli Holman shoved (reportedly "head-butted") a ref during his junior season in high school, and was suspended the entire rest of his junior season.

Then when he was a senior, he was riding in a car that was involved in a drive by shooting and holman got hit with a bullet in the back as the Cadillac he was riding in pulled into a motel where Holman said he was going to a party.

So the kid hasn't play much basketball since his high school sophomore season, and now he is going to sit out another year!. this kid is obviously trouble waiting to happen, and here are some other reports from the IU premium boards about the topic of the argument yesterday.

Holman was being warmly welcomed back because he is one of the few returning players Tom Crean has.
He reportedly had some special requests for living arrangements.

Crean said. ........"Holman didn’t get the answers he wanted, and that’s when things escalated."

I guess the answers Holman got were that he wasn't going to be allowed to have special treatment.

So in the end, with Gordon being one-and-done, and Basset, Jamarcus Ellis, and now Holman causing so many problems, it is clear that IU's willingness to both hire a cheater & recruit talent regardless of character, Samspon has hurt the program!


additional........
here is Tom Crean's official statement/release
"The following is Crean’s statement:

“We met with Eli Holman this afternoon. He had a good meeting with our assistant coaches earlier in the day. I felt like he still was not sure whether or not he wanted to be here which surprised me because everything we have seen from him had been very positive in terms of staying at Indiana and moving forward.

“I have no idea what made him change his mind and arrive at this point. He indicated that he would like to leave Indiana, although I was hopeful that we could work through this situation to come to an arrangement we both were comfortable with and to take some time to make a decision.

“The conversation was very cordial but unfortunately, it did not end that way. His behavior took me, along with the other people in the office, by surprise. We saw him as a danger to himself and wanted to take precautionary measures to help him. We felt bad for Eli and hopefully were able to help him.
“I do not anticipate Eli being back at Indiana. We will do our best to help him move forward and wish him well.”

[tornado]

This leaves Indiana with only THREE returning players who were recruited scholarship players. They also will have Kyle Taber who was originally a walk on, and possibly a couple other walk ons and their new incoming freshmen, including Matt Roth.

The three returning scholarship players, Jordan Crawford, Brandon McGee, and DeAndre Thomas, plus the walk ons, amount to only 20% of the minutes played last season, and only 18% of their scoring, and only 17% of their rebounding coming back.
They will definitely have a lot of playing time for the freshmen, but there is still the possibility they might not be playing in the post-season.

IU facts....
5 NCAA Championships, last one 1987
Big Ten Tournament Titles...NONE
All Time Big Ten Tournament Record... 8-11
Last Big Ten Regular Season Title...2002
IU has had only one sub-.500 record since 1969-1970, when they were 7-17 and last in the Big Ten at 3-11.
In 2004 (under Mike Davis, they were 14-15) and they might just fall well under that next year.



PS-- now Holman issues an apology

http://www.idsnews.com/basketblog/

[PTownHawkeye]

The three returning scholarship players, Jordan Crawford, Brandon McGee, and DeAndre Thomas, plus the walk ons, amount to only 20% of the minutes played last season, and only 18% of their scoring, and only 17% of their rebounding coming back.

Actually, according to ESPN, DeAndre Thomas is ALSO leaving.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3378521

[Da Coach]

It's also been reported that Thomas is an academic casualty.

[tornado]

Wow, that drops their returning scoring and rebounding to only about 10%!
Anyone know if MR is still strong in his commitment?

[Out of Balance]

This leaves Indiana with only THREE returning players who were recruited scholarship players. They also will have Kyle Taber who was originally a walk on, and possibly a couple other walk ons and their new incoming freshmen, including Matt Roth.

The three returning scholarship players, Jordan Crawford, Brandon McGee, and DeAndre Thomas, plus the walk ons, amount to only 20% of the minutes played last season, and only 18% of their scoring, and only 17% of their rebounding coming back.
They will definitely have a lot of playing time for the freshmen, but there is still the possibility they might not be playing in the post-season.

IU facts....
5 NCAA Championships, last one 1987
Big Ten Tournament Titles...NONE
All Time Big Ten Tournament Record... 8-11
Last Big Ten Regular Season Title...2002
IU has had only one sub-.500 record since 1969-1970, when they were 7-17 and last in the Big Ten at 3-11.
In 2004 (under Mike Davis, they were 14-15) and they might just fall well under that next year.



PS-- now Holman issues an apology
http://www.idsnews.com/basketblog/

What years was BK there? What was his W / L record? What was his Championships and Tournament Records? What was his Player Graduation %?

[mportsch]

I have seen rumors today that Jordan Crawford is leaning towards transferring as well. That would leave IU with this squad for next year:

PG Devan Dumes Jr. (JUCO)
SG Matt Roth Fr.
SF Nick Williams Fr.
PF Kyle Taber Sr.
C Tom Pritchard Fr.

PF Brandon McGee So.
PG Daniel Moore Fr. (recruited walk-on)
PG Brett Finkelmeier So. (walk-on)

That is a godawful team - I think they'd be last in the Big Ten, behind even Northwestern (who is starting to get better little by little).

I expect Crean will try to add another player or two to his 2008 class, but there aren't many highly regarded players left on the board at this stage. PG Verdell Jones of Champaign is planning to announce his decision on Monday, and it looks like it is down to Minnesota, Indiana, and Arizona. I am guessing Minnesota will be his choice.

Indiana might have to hold walk-on tryouts just to fill the bench!

As far as Roth goes, you can't really fault him for sticking with IU - he'll get as much playing time as he can handle his freshman year, and probably his sophomore year as well. Then, as a junior and senior, Indiana might start getting enough of a talent base to be competitive again, but Roth would be established enough that he'd likely remain part of the rotation. Who knows, by his senior year he might be playing significant minutes for an upper-half Big Ten team, which would certainly exceed my expectations for what he could accomplish in college. I'm not saying IU will necessarily be back that soon, but there's a chance.

[scout4126]

I'd expect Verdell to commit...

[amckillip]

What years was BK there? What was his W / L record? What was his Championships and Tournament Records? What was his Player Graduation %?

Bobby Knight's last i dunno, decade or two there, he pretty much lived off reputation. He didn't really graduate players at nearly the rate everyone pretended nor did he really do anything huge in the NCAA or Big Ten.

[Scouter]

Wow, that drops their returning scoring and rebounding to only about 10%!
Anyone know if MR is still strong in his commitment?

I would not expect Roth to back out of his commitment.

[Beninator]

I would not expect Roth to back out of his commitment.

yeah..not too many worthwhile places left with available scholarships...

[JBinPeoria]

Bobby Knight's last i dunno, decade or two there, he pretty much lived off reputation. He didn't really graduate players at nearly the rate everyone pretended nor did he really do anything huge in the NCAA or Big Ten.

What ESPN and the rest of the media made of Bobby Knight was such a joke compared to what has happened to this program now. I remember basketball players doing well and pursuing higher eduational goals such as law and medicine during the BK era. I also remember more than $1M donated to the campus library by BK. If BK is sitting on some lake laughing his butt off right now...I wouldn't be surprised. And the bottom line is...Indiana made the wrong decision and went down so many terrible roads just ruining the reputation that BK built.