LEESBURG - Indiana University men's basketball coach Tom Crean seemed just as impressed with the celebrity that drove him to the Tippecanoe Lake Country Club as IU alums were to see him.
Speaking to the Indiana Alumni Kosciusko County Chapter Monday, Crean flew into the Warsaw Municipal Airport, where he was picked up by Warsaw Community High School graduate Steve Hollar, a cast member in the movie "Hoosiers.""In my mind, that's the best sports movie ever made," Crean said.
Speaking for an hour-and-a-half, Crean gave alums an update on where the program is and where he feels it will be in the near future.
"I know we're not there, but we're further along than we used to be," Crean said.
In getting to where he wants to be, Crean commented that it starts with recruiting, where he's looking for a certain kind of player.
"I want to get a team of passion-filled winners," he said.
And that winning doesn't necessarily have to be relegated to the basketball court. The coach is also in favor of athletes participating in more than one sport, utilizing their athletic abilities.
Another trait he's looking for is basketball players from within the state of Indiana, which he currently has five of in Kory Barnett (Rochester), Derek Elston (Tipton), Jeff Howard (Westfield), Jordan Hulls (Bloomington) and Daniel Moore (Carmel).
"I want to get people from the area and the state, so families can see them," he said.
Crean has also reserved a verbal committment from Austin Etherington, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Hamilton Heights High School for the 2011 class.
Because the college and high school basketball seasons run parallel it can be difficult for Crean to check out local basketball practices, which is what he'd like to do.
"You can see a lot more in practice," he said.
Instead, he does get to basketball games at night and was also on hand at the IHSAA state championships, where he got a look at the Warsaw Tigers in March.
"I enjoyed watching your team in Warsaw," he said. "I like watching Doug (Ogle) coach. Joe Santa, the athletic director, also does a great job and his son Mike was probably the top manager I've been associated with. I've also been an Al Rhodes fan for a long time."
Commenting that he couldn't speak about the family too much because Marshall Plumlee still hasn't signed his letter of intent to play at Duke, Crean did talk about the success of Mason and Miles Plumlee.
"They got a national championship, which is great," he said about the boys being a part of the 2010 National Champion Duke Blue Devils. "When people succeed in this state, we have to be proud of them."
Now, it's the guys wearing the Cream and Crimson that Crean wants people to be proud of.
Among the guys he's expecting big years from are junior Verdell Jones, sophomore Christian Watford, as well as 7-foot, 277-pound junior college transfer Guy-Marc Michel.
"Guy has a 7-foot-8 wingspan, so he can scratch his knee without even bending over," he joked.
As for Jones, Crean anticipates the young man taking a big step forward.
"He's been making tremendous strides in his two years with us," he said. "Our players have been raving about him. His biggest area for improvement is his defense."
Senior Jeremiah Rivers will play a different role for the Hoosiers this season, playing less of the point, while Crean is also eager to see the athleticism of freshman Victor Oladipo.
"We'll be having a dunk contest during Midnight Madness," Crean said, referring to Oladipo's dunking ability which can be seen in mixtape form on YouTube.com
The Oladipo dunks will likely help gain national exposure for the university, exposure Crean welcomes.
"The more people see our gear, shirts, logos, anything they see, that just continues to help us," he said.
Despite going 16-46 during in his two years at IU, Crean has been impressed with the fan support he still sees.
"The foundation never wavered because of all the great fans we have," he said.
With that strong foundation, Crean hopes his team can help its fans feel proud again. Like the guy who has to keep hearing his Purdue fans gloat.
"Just tell your buddies to enjoy it while it lasts," Crean said.
