LEESBURG — Indiana University men's basketball coach Tom Crean made his annual pilgrimage to the area Tuesday.. Speaking to the Kosciusko County chapter of the Indiana University Alumni Association at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, Crean let alums, and others, know about the academic standards for his team, as well as this year's expectations on the court. "Last year, we just had two (recruiting) commitments, and although I can't talk about them, that number has grown in a big way," Crean said. "Another number we've seen grow is our (Academic Progress Rate) score." Taking over a program in disarray following the resignation of Kelvin Sampson, who left the Hoosiers with a two-scholarship reduction because of NCAA violations, Crean entered a situation which required a lot of work on the court as well as in the classroom. "When we got here, we were working with 19 (failing grades) with three weeks to go (in the semester)," Crean said about the academic standard of the program at the time of his arrival. "Now, we got that down to 11, but that was the worst in the program's history. By far." In his first full year at IU, the basketball team's APR rose from 866 to 878, then hit 929 for the 2009-10 season. Expecting that number to rise once more, Crean made it clear that he's attempting to translate the success in the classrooms to Assembly Hall. "We're looking for the success on the basketball court to follow the same trend as our academic success," he said. And it's by no mistake that grades are improving, as are season records, based on the players Crean is bringing in. The jewel of this year's recruiting class was Cody Zeller, a 6-foot-11, 215-pound three-time state champion from Washington High School in Indiana. Outside of being a five-star recruit, the 15th-ranked prospect by rivals.com can also do it in the classroom. "He got one A- in his life," Crean said about Zeller. "I got to meet that teacher, and I could see that he could be tough. Cody was the salutatorian of his class and by the time he gets into class Monday, he'll already have 22 credit hours. He's almost a sophomore before he even takes his first freshman class." The addition of Zeller shouldn't only help the team's APR rise, but it will also give Crean a solid inside presence as the Hoosiers look to turn the corner. In Crean's first season, the Hoosiers went 6-25, but improved to 10-21 in his second season and 12-20 last year. "Everybody needs to step up and they've known that since the end of the season," Crean said. A pivotal two-game stretch in the Hoosiers' 2010-11 season came when they defeated No. 20 Illinois 52-49 at home on Jan. 27, then turned around and lost 84-83 in overtime at No. 25 Michigan State. IU went on to defeat Minnesota a game later, but the win over the Golden Gophers would be the last of their season, as the Hoosiers lost nine straight, including a 61-55 loss to Penn State in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. But it was in the Michigan State loss that Indiana lost Maurice Creek to his second knee injury of the season. Christian Watford also suffered a broken bone in his wrist. "There was a challenge issued to Christian before the Michigan State game, and you could hear a pin drop during that meeting," Crean said. "After that, he could have clammed up and sat in the corner or fought back." Watford scored 21 points in the loss, but the wrist injury would plague him the rest of the year and Creek would also be sidelined, making it tough sledding the rest of the way. Last year's injuries showed IU's lack of depth, but Crean is optimistic that is changing with some good recruits not only coming in this season, but also signed on for next year. And those players, such as Zeller, may take an active leadership role. "Regardless of age, players may be leaders from the moment they walk in," Crean said. And with the mixture of youth and experience, the IU coaching staff believes the good times will be returning to IU, evidenced by assistant coach Steve McClain. "It's not only fun because it's coming, but because of the guys it's coming with," McClain said. And the coaching staff, along with all the alums through the country, are hoping its with these guys as well." "Winning is winning, and it's awesome," Crean said. "We gotta get back to it."
