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Following the General: Why Three Coaches Have Been Unable to Return Indiana Basketball to Greatness

2017

Synopsis

Mike Davis was a good man who was in a little over his head with Indiana as his first head coaching job. Kelvin Sampson opted to take shortcuts that ultimately cost him his job and set the program back several years. Tom Crean brought the program back but could never reach the level of consistency that the administration felt was enough for a blue blood program like Indiana. Three coaches, 17 years, and seven seasons on the outside looking into to the NCAA Tournament. In the previous 17 seasons under coach Bob Knight, Indiana had made the NCAA Tournament 16 times. In his 29 seasons at the school, IU only missed the NCAA five times.
In "Following The General", longtime Indiana beat writer Terry Hutchens talks to numerous former players, coaches and media people trying to determine what needs to happen moving forward for Indiana to get back to the days where playing in the NCAA Tournament is once again an every year occurrence rather than something the Hoosiers do on a less than consistent basis. He also takes a long look at the three coaches mentioned above and looks back at what went well and not so well in their time in Bloomington.

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