http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/56016/march-madness-mailbag-2
I know you’ve been riding Tom Crean a bit this year, so I was curious to get your take on his coaching in the first two games. Does Syracuse have a chance on Thursday? My gut tells me Indiana should roll, but throw in Crean vs. Boeheim and it evens out a bit.
—Joe
Here’s a breakdown of e-mails I’ve received this week: 50 percent “FGCU is awesome and their coach is awesome and his wife is awesome and I love them”; 25 percent “I hate this commercial so much”; 20 percent “I’m an IU fan and I’m terrified of what Tom Crean might do to our team”; 4.9 percent miscellaneous; and one guy who says that no matter where he moves he always ends up living next to an albino family. The point is this: Indiana fans are starting to realize that the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Hoosiers’ sixth national championship is their head coach.
As much as I enjoy ripping on Crean, he hasn’t been terrible in the tournament, although not putting Victor Oladipo on Khaliff Wyatt or using a single timeout against Temple were head-scratchers. Nonetheless, I think Indiana-Syracuse has less to do with the coaches and more to do with two players: Christian Watford and Michael Carter-Williams. Both have been inconsistent this season, but they both have a chance to have a huge game Thursday. As a 6-foot-9 guy who shoots almost 48 percent from 3, Watford will be able to get any shot he wants against Syracuse’s zone. He can wreak havoc in the high post or step out and knock down 3s. For the Orange, Carter-Williams will likely be guarded by Yogi Ferrell, who is six inches shorter than him, which means Carter-Williams will be able to shoot over his defender all game.
Never rule out the possibility that Crean might torpedo the Hoosiers’ chances, but I’m thinking the game will be decided by whether Watford or Carter-Williams plays better.
I know you’ve been riding Tom Crean a bit this year, so I was curious to get your take on his coaching in the first two games. Does Syracuse have a chance on Thursday? My gut tells me Indiana should roll, but throw in Crean vs. Boeheim and it evens out a bit.
—Joe
Here’s a breakdown of e-mails I’ve received this week: 50 percent “FGCU is awesome and their coach is awesome and his wife is awesome and I love them”; 25 percent “I hate this commercial so much”; 20 percent “I’m an IU fan and I’m terrified of what Tom Crean might do to our team”; 4.9 percent miscellaneous; and one guy who says that no matter where he moves he always ends up living next to an albino family. The point is this: Indiana fans are starting to realize that the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Hoosiers’ sixth national championship is their head coach.
As much as I enjoy ripping on Crean, he hasn’t been terrible in the tournament, although not putting Victor Oladipo on Khaliff Wyatt or using a single timeout against Temple were head-scratchers. Nonetheless, I think Indiana-Syracuse has less to do with the coaches and more to do with two players: Christian Watford and Michael Carter-Williams. Both have been inconsistent this season, but they both have a chance to have a huge game Thursday. As a 6-foot-9 guy who shoots almost 48 percent from 3, Watford will be able to get any shot he wants against Syracuse’s zone. He can wreak havoc in the high post or step out and knock down 3s. For the Orange, Carter-Williams will likely be guarded by Yogi Ferrell, who is six inches shorter than him, which means Carter-Williams will be able to shoot over his defender all game.
Never rule out the possibility that Crean might torpedo the Hoosiers’ chances, but I’m thinking the game will be decided by whether Watford or Carter-Williams plays better.
