Himmelsbach | IU hoops outrage is about wins

It's hard to believe that just 20 months ago, the Indiana University basketball team was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. It had two top-five NBA draft picks in its starting lineup. It had an energetic if eccentric head coach who seemed to have repositioned the Hoosiers amid college basketball's upper class.

Then the Hoosiers were upset in the Round of 16 by Syracuse. Then last season they stumbled to a 17-15 record and didn't play in a postseason tournament. And this preseason they are not one of the 53 teams that received a vote in the Associated Press poll.

And now, beyond the on-court struggles, signs have emerged that the Hoosiers might have a culture problem, too. Last week, freshman forward Emmitt Holt struck teammate Devin Davis with a car. Holt was cited for underage drinking and has been suspended for four games. Davis remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Then on Monday, sophomores Troy Williams and Stanford Robinson were suspended for four games, reportedly for failing drug tests.

(The fact that two of the games in these suspensions are exhibitions is a rant for another day. They are called exhibitions because they do not count. It is not a punishment to miss a game that does not count.)

Anyway, this rush of off-court issues has given rise to the notion that this is a program in turmoil, that coach Tom Crean has lost control. It is a convenient moment for the disenchanted to call for Crean's job. In fact, during Crean's radio show on Monday night, the first caller essentially asked Crean why he still deserved to be employed by IU.

But let's not kid ourselves here. Yes, college sports fans love to show outrage about a team's off-the-court issues—as long as it's not their team. When it is their team, they generally get defensive and wonder why everyone is picking on them. They generally come up with reasons why the mistakes players made are an aberration, not a sign of faulty leadership.

So why is this different? Why is there this growing momentum behind the idea that Tom Crean is to blame for IU's missteps, and that Tom Crean must go? Well, it has more to do with wins and losses than many people care to acknowledge.

The recent news of the Hoosiers' transgressions provided a convenient opening for those who have become frustrated with the direction of IU basketball. It provided the perfect chance to pile on. If IU reached the Final Four last season and reeled in a top-five recruiting class this season, Crean would probably be receiving praise in Bloomington for his swift and aggressive punishments this week.

Look, none of this is to say that IU does not have a culture problem, or that those within the program are happy with its direction, or even that the Hoosiers love Tom Crean. It sounds like there are very real issues that need to be addressed, and it sounds like there is some disconnect within the program. And as the leader of Indiana basketball, Crean is responsible for the repair.

But I think we should also be careful not to confuse outrage about the Hoosiers' lukewarm future with darts thrown at Crean for these recent incidents. Like it or not, winning cures just about everything in the wacky world of college sports, and losing invites scrutiny at every turn.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at 502-582-4372 by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.