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Six Indiana University men's basketball players have been cited for alcohol violations or have failed drug tests this year, including a student who was hospitalized Saturday after being struck by a vehicle driven by a teammate. That player had also been drinking, and neither student is of legal drinking age. Two other players were cited for underage consumption in April after trying to use false identification to enter a bar during the traditionally raucous weekend of IU's Little 500 bicycle race. One of those same players was suspended from the team this week after failing a drug test, as was a second player. In February, another player was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
The news inspired several editorials this week, both locally and nationally, calling for IU coach Tom Crean to get his team under control or to be fired. "This isn't a problem," wrote the Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel. "This is an epidemic. And it falls on Crean for two reasons. One, he recruited these guys. Every one of them. He and his staff identified them in high school, targeted them, got to know them, signed them, brought them here. Screwed that up, clearly.
"Two, he's now their coach. Not their father, but something close to a father figure. As close as it gets on a college campus, honestly. He's their leader, mentor, role model. Or he should be. And if he's not? He's doing something wrong."
