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Doyel: Get rid of Greg Lansing? Has Indiana State lost its mind?


Muda69

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https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2021/03/02/indiana-state-get-rid-greg-lansing-have-sycamores-lost-their-mind/6886494002/

Note: URL is behind a paywall

Quote

He could win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament this weekend, I guess. Maybe that would convince Indiana State to bring back Greg Lansing. Or maybe not. Maybe the school decided long ago that it would let Lansing go when his contract expired in 2020-21.

Whatever the case, word is spreading that this will be Lansing’s last season at Indiana State. If you’re thinking the timing looks strange, well, way to go. You’ve been paying attention.

Even with its coach hamstrung by an expiring contract – try recruiting against the killers in the Valley with that albatross around your neck – Indiana State is enjoying its best two-year stretch in 21 years. That was 2000 and ’01, when Royce Waltman had something going in Terre Haute. And that two-year stretch by Waltman? It had been another 21 years since the Sycamores had been so good. That was 1979. Remember Larry Bird?

....

The thing is, Indiana State doesn’t even care about basketball. Not really. Not compared to the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference. Not compared, even, to how much Indiana State cares about football.

The Sycamores are throwing money at a Football Championship Series program – that’s what we used to called Division I-AA – and neglecting a basketball program trying to compete in an elite mid-major conference.

...

According to research by Jason Svoboda, a 2001 Indiana State alum who in 2007 created the most popular online Indiana State fan site – SycamorePride.com – the Sycamores spend less on basketball than anyone else in the Missouri Valley Conference. At $4.3 million, MVC leader Loyola doubled Indiana State’s $2.13 million investment according to the latest Equity in Athletics report, from 2018-19.

Indiana State’s investment in basketball that season was nearly $300,000 behind the No. 9 school in the 10-league Valley, Valparaiso’s $2.42 million.

Meanwhile, Indiana State spent twice as much on its FCS football program that year: $4.26 million. I like Curt Mallory, and think he's going to get football going at Indiana State. But check this out:

In its past three seasons, Indiana State football is 12-22 overall (.353 winning percentage), 8-16 in the Valley (.333).

In its past three seasons, Indiana State basketball is 47-37 overall (.560), 29-25 in the Valley (.534).

Half the investment. Twice the results. With the best season yet coming next year.

Sure, Indiana State. Get rid of your basketball coach.

...

—For the sake of argument, let’s take a really stupid position and see what that might look like. Let’s go ahead and say Indiana State chooses not to extend Greg Lansing’s contract. Let’s say he’s gone.

Know who else might be gone? Indiana State’s best young player in decades, sophomore Jake LaRavia, a 6-9, 230-pound point guard-slash-power forward out of Lawrence Central.

That’s not a threat. That’s as close as I come, without reading Jake LaRavia’s mind, to making a promise. Here’s the thing, and I said it back in December when I wrote about the Sycamores’ victory against Southeast Missouri State: LaRavia is a high-major player at a mid-major program, and everyone knows it. The NCAA has relaxed its transfer rules, allowing players who leave after a coaching change to be immediately eligible at their next school.

Let’s assume Indiana State has lost its mind, and announces soon that Greg Lansing isn’t returning. Within an hour, LaRavia will have scholarship offers from half the schools in the Top 25.

Think I’m kidding? I know coaches. They know LaRavia’s ability.

I’m not kidding.

But never mind that. What’s happening here is much bigger than any one player. This isn’t about keeping any particular player.

It’s about keeping this particular coach, who lands one or two Indiana All-Stars every year despite recruiting with an expiring guillotine, er, contract hanging over his head. It’s about keeping a coach who loves Terre Haute and is loved in return, a coach who has won more often at Indiana State (career winning percentage: .525) than anyone since Bill Hodges (.582 from 1978-82), and Hodges’ numbers are skewed by his 33-1 season with Larry Bird. Without Bird, Hodges was 34-47 at Indiana State (.420)

That’s what so many coaches do at Indiana State, a basketball school in name if not reality.

But if Indiana State hasn’t lost its mind, and does bring back Greg Lansing, it might become a basketball school yet.

I sure hope common sense prevails in the ISU athletic and administration offices, and Mr. Lansing is retrained.  Not renewing his contract would be a huge blow to the program.

 

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I don't disagree but maybe a nervous energy around Terre Haute that their Southern Indiana rivals in Purple are going to close the gap quickly with an experienced and successful Coach like Lickliter? I mean 0-18 in the conference after the McCarthy debacle to the 5-th place in the Mo Valley is a heck of jump while ISU and Lansing keep spinning tires in the middle of the pack the last 8 years or so.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/2/2021 at 1:12 PM, Muda69 said:

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2021/03/02/indiana-state-get-rid-greg-lansing-have-sycamores-lost-their-mind/6886494002/

Note: URL is behind a paywall

I sure hope common sense prevails in the ISU athletic and administration offices, and Mr. Lansing is retrained.  Not renewing his contract would be a huge blow to the program.

 

Thanks muda. I’m sure the program wants to have a presence in the big dance. $$$ talks. This guy is doing more than he is getting paid. 
higher profile coach, pony up ISU. No guarantee 

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  • 8 months later...

12 games into a new era with a retooled roster the Sycamores stand a 6-6 (bad loss to ball state) being the only black mark . Had a nice win by 30+ over ODU on a neutral court and a tough road loss by 12 to conference favorite Loyola-Chi . Home game vs Coppin State (1-14) will bring the Sycamores to a likely 7-6 recorded heading into conference play by comparison the last regular normal season Lansing had arguably his most talented roster since his 1 tourney team and entered the conference campaign at 7-4 would finish (18-12). Things off to a positive start in Terre Haute ?  

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