It’s easy to see why Tom Crean hired Je’Ney Jackson as his basketball strength and conditioning coach. The guy is really good. He makes hard work, conditioning and strength training fun.
We got an up-close-and-personal look at Jackson’s approach during this week’s Survivor-Crean and Crimson Media Challenge. Conceived by IU assistant athletic director for media relations J.D. Campbell and endorsed by Crean, it was a chance for 25 media members who regularly cover the Hoosiers to showcase their fitness and athletic skills.
Or, for some, their lack of it.
IU basketball players helped out. Guard Jordan Hulls worked specifically with our group. He is, like all the players, a great guy.
Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves except for team trainer Tim Garl, who, for good reason, worried about somebody getting hurt, being hospitalized or worse.
We did sign a waiver absolving IU from responsibility in the event something bad happened.
In the end, nothing bad happened except for a few sore muscles and bruised egos. We lifted some weights, did some agility drills, ran a little, sweated a little and kept alive our dream that the 2012 Olympics is not out of reach
We told you Je’Ney is good.
*****
What’s it like to be Tandon Doss these days? Indiana’s junior receiver just got honored by the Biletnikoff and Paul Hornung Awards, which leads to an obvious question -- what are the Biletnikoff and Hornung awards?
The Biletnikoff Award goes to the nation’s top receiver. The Hornung Award goes to the nation’s most versatile player. Doss was honored by both in the wake of his jaw-dropping performance against Michigan.
Doss had 15 catches for 221 yards, the biggest day any college receiver has had this season. He also added 21 rushing yards (he runs the Wildcat formation), 111 kickoff return yards and 10 punt return yards. The total of 363 all-purpose yards was a career high. He’s second nationally by averaging 211.0 all-purpose yards a game.
For the season Doss has 23 catches for 323 yards and one touchdown in three games. He certainly can’t complain that IU coaches don’t use him enough.
Figure he’ll get used a ton as the Hoosiers (3-1) try to upset No. 2 Ohio State (5-0) in Columbus.
*****
In case you missed it, former IU assistant basketball coach Royce Waltman is the new addition to the Hoosiers’ radio broadcast team. He’ll join Don Fischer and Joe Smith in covering basketball games.
Waltman coached at Indiana under Bob Knight from 1982-87 and was on the Hoosiers’ 1987 national title team. He was the head coach at DePauw from 1988-92, the head coach at the University of Indianapolis from 1992-97 and the head coach at Indiana State from 1997-2007. He won more than 100 games at each school and led each to the NCAA tourney.
He recently returned to high school coaching as an assistant coach at Indianapolis Roncalli.
“Royce is one of the most highly respected coaches in his profession,” Fischer said in a university release. “His knowledge of basketball and his background at almost every level of the game will add much to our broadcasts.”
Waltman replaces Todd Leary, the former Indiana player whose broadcasting duties ended after his arrest last February for, and subsequent guilty plea to, a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme.
“As an assistant basketball coach at IU, I gained great admiration for the program and all its tradition,” Waltman said in the release. “It’s with great player that I return to the IU family.”
Friday, October 8, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Scoop On Cody Zeller’s College Choice
The call came just past midnight. The voice was a harsh whisper on the phone. Hoosier Deep Throat with another scoop.
“Meet me in the parking garage by the Wells Library in 30 minutes,” he said. “Tell no one.”
The garage was packed with shadows. The glowing end of a cigarette in a far corner told us where to go.
“It’s been a long time,” we said.
A figure moved in the shadows, but did not emerge. Hoosier Deep Throat. He took a final drag from the cigarette, dropped it to the concrete floor and crushed it out.
“Those things will kill you,” we said.
“So will losing 20 games a year.”
A cell phone rang nearby. It came from a student crossing a nearby street.
“We don’t have much time,” we said. “What’s the scoop?”
Hoosier Deep Throat sank back deeper into the shadows.
“Cody Zeller,” he said. “It’s a done deal.”
“A done deal for what?”
“He’s coming to Indiana. He’ll wear the Cream ‘n Crimson starting next year.”
We knew this was big. Zeller was a top-20 player, an in-state kid from nearby Washington. Fans believe he could be the centerpiece for a national title run. He would be, without a doubt, the biggest recruit of coach Tom Crean’s Indiana run. It would solidify the growing recruiting momentum that, in a few short months, had turned Cream ‘n Crimson gloom into blinding optimism.
“How do you know?” we asked. “Do you have any proof?”
Hoosier Deep Throat laughed and lit another cigarette. For an instant in the flash of light we saw a face before darkness swallowed it up. It was too fast for recognition. And yet …
“Proof will come when he signs the national letter of intent,” he said.
We knew Butler and North Carolina were still in the mix. Even if Cody had made his decision, nothing was etched in stone until he signed.
“Butler was the biggest basketball story of the century last year," we said. "North Carolina would be hard for anybody to resist. Sean May couldn't do it. The older Zeller couldn’t do it.”
Hoosier Deep Throat took a drag from his cigarette. “Cody is made of stronger stuff. His last official visit is at Indiana. You don’t think that’s a coincidence, do you?”
“We’d heard that’s just the way the schedule worked best.”
“You heard wrong. A coach will tell you, you want to be first or last on official visits. Never in the middle. The best position, by far, is to be last.”
Hoosier Deep Throat took another drag.
“Cody has made several unofficial visits to IU,” he said. “He’s not doing that because he likes to dodge deer on the drive up from Washington. Besides, North Carolina already has an inside commitment from 6-8 James McAdoo, the No. 8 guy in the Class of 2011.”
“And that means what?” we ask.
“You’re a big boy. You figure it out.”
We didn’t know what to say, so we said nothing. Silence enveloped us like a security blanket. Hoosier Deep Throat crushed out his cigarette with a stomp of his left foot.
“It’s a done deal,” he said, “and come November, you’ll see.”
And then he was gone.
His words, and their significance, lingered.
“Meet me in the parking garage by the Wells Library in 30 minutes,” he said. “Tell no one.”
The garage was packed with shadows. The glowing end of a cigarette in a far corner told us where to go.
“It’s been a long time,” we said.
A figure moved in the shadows, but did not emerge. Hoosier Deep Throat. He took a final drag from the cigarette, dropped it to the concrete floor and crushed it out.
“Those things will kill you,” we said.
“So will losing 20 games a year.”
A cell phone rang nearby. It came from a student crossing a nearby street.
“We don’t have much time,” we said. “What’s the scoop?”
Hoosier Deep Throat sank back deeper into the shadows.
“Cody Zeller,” he said. “It’s a done deal.”
“A done deal for what?”
“He’s coming to Indiana. He’ll wear the Cream ‘n Crimson starting next year.”
We knew this was big. Zeller was a top-20 player, an in-state kid from nearby Washington. Fans believe he could be the centerpiece for a national title run. He would be, without a doubt, the biggest recruit of coach Tom Crean’s Indiana run. It would solidify the growing recruiting momentum that, in a few short months, had turned Cream ‘n Crimson gloom into blinding optimism.
“How do you know?” we asked. “Do you have any proof?”
Hoosier Deep Throat laughed and lit another cigarette. For an instant in the flash of light we saw a face before darkness swallowed it up. It was too fast for recognition. And yet …
“Proof will come when he signs the national letter of intent,” he said.
We knew Butler and North Carolina were still in the mix. Even if Cody had made his decision, nothing was etched in stone until he signed.
“Butler was the biggest basketball story of the century last year," we said. "North Carolina would be hard for anybody to resist. Sean May couldn't do it. The older Zeller couldn’t do it.”
Hoosier Deep Throat took a drag from his cigarette. “Cody is made of stronger stuff. His last official visit is at Indiana. You don’t think that’s a coincidence, do you?”
“We’d heard that’s just the way the schedule worked best.”
“You heard wrong. A coach will tell you, you want to be first or last on official visits. Never in the middle. The best position, by far, is to be last.”
Hoosier Deep Throat took another drag.
“Cody has made several unofficial visits to IU,” he said. “He’s not doing that because he likes to dodge deer on the drive up from Washington. Besides, North Carolina already has an inside commitment from 6-8 James McAdoo, the No. 8 guy in the Class of 2011.”
“And that means what?” we ask.
“You’re a big boy. You figure it out.”
We didn’t know what to say, so we said nothing. Silence enveloped us like a security blanket. Hoosier Deep Throat crushed out his cigarette with a stomp of his left foot.
“It’s a done deal,” he said, “and come November, you’ll see.”
And then he was gone.
His words, and their significance, lingered.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Protecting Ben -- Line Keeps QB Up and Throwing
Lost amid all the hoopla surrounding Indiana’s dominating passing attack is this key fact -– the offensive line is protecting quarterback Ben Chappell like he’s never been protected before.
He’s only been sacked four times in four games, which is impressive considering IU averages 42.2 passes a game, by far the most in the Big Ten. He threw 64 times against Michigan.
This is key because Chappell will never remind anyone of Antwaan Randle El. He’s very accurate and not very mobile. His inability to run was one of the reasons why IU switched from the spread attack to the pistol formation last season.
That’s not a knock, by the way. Chappell is a true pocket passer who, when given enough time, is as accurate as any quarterback in the nation. The line is giving him time and that’s a big reason why he’s thrown 12 touchdown passes and one interception.
“I’ll take Ben over anybody, but he’s not a running quarterback,” coach Bill Lynch said. “Teams have a pretty good idea where he’s going to be.
“When you throw it that many times (against Michigan) and to be sacked only twice, I thought the line really battled.”
The line of center Will Matte, guards Aaron Price and Justin Pagan, and tackles Andrew McDonald and James Brewer has been healthy and solid all season.
“I’m really proud of the way our offensive line’s played,” Lynch said.
If one of the linemen gets beat, tailback Darius Willis is often there to back them up. The sophomore has become especially good at picking up blitzes.
“That’s why Darius is such a good player,” Lynch said. “He’s not about his numbers or anything like that. He played over 70 plays as a tailback (against Michigan), and he pass blocked on probably 40 or more of them. He’s a very smart player, so he recognized the stunts. He’s done a good job.”
The Hoosiers will need that, and a lot more, to beat No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday. They haven't won at Ohio State since 1987 and have lost 15 straight to the Buckeyes.
Still, if ever there was a recent IU team that could beat the Buckeyes, this is it.
He’s only been sacked four times in four games, which is impressive considering IU averages 42.2 passes a game, by far the most in the Big Ten. He threw 64 times against Michigan.
This is key because Chappell will never remind anyone of Antwaan Randle El. He’s very accurate and not very mobile. His inability to run was one of the reasons why IU switched from the spread attack to the pistol formation last season.
That’s not a knock, by the way. Chappell is a true pocket passer who, when given enough time, is as accurate as any quarterback in the nation. The line is giving him time and that’s a big reason why he’s thrown 12 touchdown passes and one interception.
“I’ll take Ben over anybody, but he’s not a running quarterback,” coach Bill Lynch said. “Teams have a pretty good idea where he’s going to be.
“When you throw it that many times (against Michigan) and to be sacked only twice, I thought the line really battled.”
The line of center Will Matte, guards Aaron Price and Justin Pagan, and tackles Andrew McDonald and James Brewer has been healthy and solid all season.
“I’m really proud of the way our offensive line’s played,” Lynch said.
If one of the linemen gets beat, tailback Darius Willis is often there to back them up. The sophomore has become especially good at picking up blitzes.
“That’s why Darius is such a good player,” Lynch said. “He’s not about his numbers or anything like that. He played over 70 plays as a tailback (against Michigan), and he pass blocked on probably 40 or more of them. He’s a very smart player, so he recognized the stunts. He’s done a good job.”
The Hoosiers will need that, and a lot more, to beat No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday. They haven't won at Ohio State since 1987 and have lost 15 straight to the Buckeyes.
Still, if ever there was a recent IU team that could beat the Buckeyes, this is it.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Receiver Commits to IU, Council Injured, Pryor Healthy
If you’re a standout high school wide receiver, why wouldn’t you want to play at Indiana?
You’re going to get a ton of opportunities, as veterans Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher can attest.
Those opportunities were among the reasons by Dayton (Ohio) receiver Cody Lattimer has orally committed to the Hoosiers. He is extremely versatile, a trait IU coaches seek. He also plays quarterback and running back for Jefferson High School. Last year he caught 45 passes for 960 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 270 yards and six TDs. He even found time to play linebacker and recorded a team-leading 95 tackles.
At 6-3 and 210 pounds, Lattimer runs a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, has a 38-inch vertical jump and bench presses 325 pounds.
If he can tackle in open space, look out.
Rivals.com ranks Lattimer as the No. 16 player in Ohio. He’s a three-star recruit.
IU now has 22 commitments for the Class of 2011.
On the Hoosiers injury front, cornerback Richard Council is out for “an extended period of time” according to coach Bill Lynch after injuring his knee on Michigan’s last pass play.
Yes, that’s the same play that basically gave the Wolverines the victory. Lynch did say on the Big Ten teleconference that Council will not miss the rest of the season.
In the meantime, cornerback Adrian Burks is Council’s likely replacement, although Andre Kates and Greg Heban also are in the mix. Not in the running are Lawrence Barnett and Lenyatta Kiles. Both started the season as cornerbacks, then were switched to safety after Chris Adkins was injured.
Whoever starts seems certain to get tested at Ohio State on Saturday. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has put up similar numbers to that of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson.
Yes, that is scary.
For the record, Pryor completes 65 percent of his passes for 1,015 yards (eight yards more than Robinson), 12 touchdowns (five more than Robinson) and three interceptions (two more than Robinson).
Oh, and just in case you thought Pryor would be limited because of a leg injury suffered against Illinois last Saturday, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said the quarterback will be fine for the game.
You’re going to get a ton of opportunities, as veterans Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher can attest.
Those opportunities were among the reasons by Dayton (Ohio) receiver Cody Lattimer has orally committed to the Hoosiers. He is extremely versatile, a trait IU coaches seek. He also plays quarterback and running back for Jefferson High School. Last year he caught 45 passes for 960 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed for 270 yards and six TDs. He even found time to play linebacker and recorded a team-leading 95 tackles.
At 6-3 and 210 pounds, Lattimer runs a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, has a 38-inch vertical jump and bench presses 325 pounds.
If he can tackle in open space, look out.
Rivals.com ranks Lattimer as the No. 16 player in Ohio. He’s a three-star recruit.
IU now has 22 commitments for the Class of 2011.
On the Hoosiers injury front, cornerback Richard Council is out for “an extended period of time” according to coach Bill Lynch after injuring his knee on Michigan’s last pass play.
Yes, that’s the same play that basically gave the Wolverines the victory. Lynch did say on the Big Ten teleconference that Council will not miss the rest of the season.
In the meantime, cornerback Adrian Burks is Council’s likely replacement, although Andre Kates and Greg Heban also are in the mix. Not in the running are Lawrence Barnett and Lenyatta Kiles. Both started the season as cornerbacks, then were switched to safety after Chris Adkins was injured.
Whoever starts seems certain to get tested at Ohio State on Saturday. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has put up similar numbers to that of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson.
Yes, that is scary.
For the record, Pryor completes 65 percent of his passes for 1,015 yards (eight yards more than Robinson), 12 touchdowns (five more than Robinson) and three interceptions (two more than Robinson).
Oh, and just in case you thought Pryor would be limited because of a leg injury suffered against Illinois last Saturday, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said the quarterback will be fine for the game.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Doss And Receivers Want To Bear Indiana's Burden
After four games, there is no doubt -– Indiana has to win with its passing game.
Receiver Tandon Doss has just one thing to say about that:
Bring it on.
“I love it,” he said. “As receivers, we want to put the team on our backs. I hope we keep doing it.”
Doss has a lot of love to give after his record-setting effort against Michigan. He caught 15 passes for 221 yards. He added 21 rushing yards, 111 yards on kickoff returns and 10 on punt returns. That gave him 363 all-purpose yards, which is the third best in school history.
That leads to the obvious question -– who are the two people ahead of him?
First is tailback Anthony Thompson. He had 416 all-purpose yards at Wisconsin in 1989, 377 of them via the run. Receiver Thomas Lewis had 367 yards against Penn State in 1993.
Oh, Doss’ 15 catches were one off the school record set by Jason Spear against Purdue in 1997.
Doss’ receiving yards rank fourth in school history. Can you name the three people ahead of him?
Take a deep breath.
Third is Nate Lundy. He had 256 yards at Colorado in 1980. Can you guess the other two?
Take a moment.
Second is Tyrone Browning. He had 258 yards against Western Michigan in 1998.
Are you ready for the record holder? It’s Thomas Lewis. He had 285 receiving yards against Penn State in 1993.
Doss, by the way, is the new main weapon in the Wildcat formation, and if it didn’t do much against Michigan, figure it will in the future. Doss might even throw from it given he played some quarterback while at Indianapolis Ben Davis High School. IU quarterback Ben Chappell said Doss has a strong arm, although it might not always be the most accurate one.
Joining in on the receiving fun against Michigan was Damarlo Belcher. He had 10 catches for 91 yards. Terrance Turner had seven catches for 56 yards. Tailback Darius Willis had seven catches for 53 yards.
This means that Chappell isn’t shy about spreading around the wealth. It also means that teams can’t just target one receiver because the Hoosiers have too many weapons for that to work.
All this is great if you’re a Cream ‘n Crimson fan, but IU still lost a winnable game to Michigan. The defense isn’t good enough, and that’s a shame, because this really could be a special Hoosier team with even decent defense.
Can it be fixed? In simple terms, yes. As senior linebacker Tyler Replogle said, “It came down to tackles, angles and execution. We can get better.”
We’ve heard similar themes for 15 years, with no success. Indiana seems as likely to thrive on defense as the Buffalo Bills are to win a game. Sure, there’s always hope that something will kick in, perhaps as soon as Saturday’s game at No. 2 Ohio State.
We’ll believe it when we see it.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
IU-Michigan Draws Basketball Recruits
You’d better believe Tom Crean used the IU-Michigan game as a chance for unofficial basketball visit mania. Why wouldn’t he? A sell-out crowd, a festive atmosphere, a chance to showcase a Cream ‘n Crimson vision where football matters and glory is just a few plays away.
In the end, of course, it was Michigan that made the plays that mattered most, but that doesn’t diminish the message. Crean wants recruits on campus because he believes it’s a huge selling point. Recruits such as Washington’s Cody Zeller (yes, this is a very good sign), La Lumiere’s Hanner Perea and Hamilton Southeastern’s Gary Harris, experienced those points this weekend. So did Devin Davis and Darryl Baker, plus verbal commitments Peter Jurkin and Austin Etherington. Players participated in an open gym.
Crean, of course, continues to seek out the young and talented. Now offers to the Class of 2014 include Indianapolis Park Tudor guard Trevon Bluiett and Brownsburg guard Jaraan Lands. It’s these players’ first offers, although they are being recruited by Purdue, LSU and Illinois.
Crean had earlier offered and received oral commitments from Fort Wayne Bishop Luers guard James Blackmon and Indianapolis Tech forward Trey Lyles.
Lyles, by the way, is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 player in the Class of 2014 by ESPN. Blackmon is No. 7 while Bluiett is No. 22.
At this rate, Crean will have offered a hundred players in the Class of 2014 by December. Of course, he doesn’t have 100 scholarships to give. At the moment, he has two, but over-offering is standard operating procedure in recruiting these days. It will all work out in the end, especially given it’s four years before that end.
Crean’s approach is simple and increasingly effective. Get after players at a young age, show them you care, tell them why Indiana is their perfect choice, showcase the university’s facilities and atmosphere, and let nature take its course.
Basketball nature has taken a Cream ‘n Crimson turn after a couple of years in NCAA sanction-filled purgatory. Crean is getting commitments and building a recruiting foundation to exploit the continued run of strong in-state talent.
As for the football Hoosiers (3-1), well, they’ll have to regroup quickly in the wake of their 42-35 loss to Michigan. Once again they failed to take advantage of opportunities. Yes, there might have been some missed Michigan holds on the final drive, but IU was in position to make game-changing defensive plays and did not. This has been a long-term problem that has to end. Is this group capable of ending it? Another opportunity comes Saturday at No. 2 Ohio State.
That will likely be another loss. After that there’s a home game against Arkansas State, and three other winnable contests -– Illinois, Northwestern and Purdue. IU can reach seven victories if it sweeps these games. It has a chance if it can play just average defense.
Is that asking too much?
Friday, October 1, 2010
Replogle's Return Fuels IU's Prospects
Here’s all you need to know about Indiana’s chances of beating No. 19 Michigan today and, perhaps, alter the direction of the program for the next decade:
Tyler Replogle is back.
The senior linebacker missed last Saturday’s win over Akron as a precaution for a concussion and he still leads the team in tackles. In two games he has 19. Safety Mitchell Evans and linebacker Leon Beckum both have 17 in three games.
Replogle is the key to IU’s defense. He’s the tough-minded soul of a unit that has not played to its coach’s belief. That has to stop. Replogle has to lead the way be word and deed.
If that sounds like too much pressure for a guy who is not the second coming of Ray Lewis, well, somebody has to step up and no defensive player fits the role as well as Replogle.
With him IU can beat Michigan. Without him, it ain't happening.
The Hoosiers, of course, can’t beat Michigan by just defense. They have to score, punish with the run, control with the pass. They need balance and imagination and the tenacity to take the Wolverines’ best shot with a better shot of their own.
The game looks to be a sell-out, and that’s as it should be. This might not be a perfect football team, it has flaws and areas of weakness and inexperience. But it has enough to win with, certainly at home in front of a raucous, supportive crowd.
This is the moment, the team and the opponent. It’s time, at long last, to show these are the new, for real Hoosiers.
It’s time to win.
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