"In the Beginning, There Was...Crimson; Crean and Crimson."

Crean and Crimson.  Famous since the introductory press of first year Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean, the phrase been one of the most popular shirt sayings for the past few months.  The phrase will be brought into fruition tomorrow night as the first year head coach and the Hoosiers face Northwestern State at 7:00 p.m. inside Assembly Hall. 

This game will answer many of the questions the Indiana nation has held for last nine months or so, ever since the cancerous violations began to plague the storied program. 

For Indiana, every win is a must win.  I've said it before: An NIT birth this season is deserving of a banner right next to the 1987 banner hanging behind the north basket (figuratively).  I've heard predicitons that range from zero, to five, to 11 wins for Indiana. 

Personally, I do not believe they can exceed a ten-win year, and I'm not saying that would be a negative.  Looking at the non-conference schedule, the first two games are ones Indiana should in fact win; with the second against IUPUI on Tuesday night. 

Unfortunately, it's dumb luck that the circumstances coincide with the year Indiana returns to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational for the first time since 2002, the year in which the Hoosiers came off of an appearance in the national championship.  6-6 is very possible for the Hoosiers in terms of the non-conference schedule.  

Iowa seems to be on paper the only team Indiana has a chance of being favored against this year.  But, as Kansas City Coach Herm Edwards said a few years back, "That's why you play the game."  Finishing off the non-conference schedule strong would give the Hoosiers a great deal of momentum coming into the conference opener Januaray 3rd in Iowa City.

It was evident to me in the first two exhibition games that this Indiana team has bought into the system.  Rarely was an opposing basket or defensive stand due to a lack of effort or positioning, but to being out-matched.  That is something in and of itself Indiana will have to get used to throughout the year. 

If I were you, tomorrow I'd expect an Assembly Hall containing around around 12,000 people.  A lot of season ticket holders sell their non-conference games (no matter the year), and this game being on a Saturday night during the heat of the college football season doesn't help the ticket office's cause.

While the record of the 2008-2009 Indiana team, attendance of tomorrow's game, and what the Crean era has in store down the road remains in question, one thing is for sure:  Crean and Crimson comes into effect at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow.

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