It's possible that this will be the last season Tom Crean coaches in Indiana.
After securing a No. 1 seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the Hoosiers missed out on The Dance completely last season. There is a large divide between Crean and his players, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com.
"There is definitely a disconnect between Tom and the players," a source close to the program relayed to Parrish.
IU announced Monday that it had suspended three players for two exhibition games and two regular season games. Sophomores Troy Williams and Stanford Robinson were reportedly punished for failing drug tests. Freshman Emmitt Holt was cited for underage drinking after he struck teammate Devin Davis with a vehicle, and Davis is in serious condition in the hospital due to a head injury.
The repeated off-court issues coupled with only two tournament appearances in seven seasons has Crean's seat getting increasingly warm. IU athletic director Fred Glass has expressed support for his embattled coach, but many think Crean's issues with players and lack of results will ultimately be his downfall.
"But what happens when Crean posts a losing record in the Big Ten for the fifth time in seven seasons?" Parrish wrote. "And misses the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons? And doesn't secure the type of recruiting class that excites anybody? And has more off-the-court issues (because history suggests he'll have more off-the-court issues)?"
Members of the team apparently did not respect Crean even when they were a No. 1 seed.
"It's just that those guys were so talented that they rallied around each other and won," a source reportedly said.
Tyler Devitte, a manager who worked under Crean in the 2012-2013 season, described him as "rude and condescending."
"Crean never learned my name and always called me 'Detlef Schrempf' or 'Hey You' despite me telling him my name is 'Tyler' over and over again," Devitte explained. "I'd run errands to his house, drop off his kid, Riley, and he still wouldn't make an effort to learn my name."
The Hoosiers will kick off their regular season on Nov. 14 against Mississippi Valley State.
