PMTPMT DB
Tom Crean

Tom Crean

Guest
2017 — 2022
6W·1L·2P·0 open
.778
AVG
1.000
SLG
481
SHU
+0.27
TVOA
+0.67
SHRP
+$23.8
BNKRL
3W
STRK
1.4
ENTR
college basketballbasketballlife9 scored

All Takes

Win
Take Slip·Mar 23, 2022
#PMT-2022-0323-19641
Tom CreanTom Crean

Kansas is the most dangerous team left because they can win in many ways

I'll go with Kansas because I think they have so many guys that can beat you and, and, and they can defend. I mean, they can really defend... they've got some real spurtability that where they can knock you out, because they've got such quickness, they've got such speed. They don't have to rely on any one aspect of the game to beat you.

Kansas won the 2022 NCAA National Championship.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 23, 2022
#PMT-2022-0323-19642
Tom CreanTom Crean

Eric Musselman is the most innovative coach in the Sweet 16

There's no question. It's Eric Musselman and it's Eric Musselman versus the field. I mean, he he's, he he's very unique... he's going to find different ways to guard you and they don't panic. That's the thing about Arkansas.

Subjective assessment of coaching innovation, though Arkansas's success as an underdog supports this.
Push
Take Slip·Mar 23, 2022
#PMT-2022-0323-19643
Tom CreanTom Crean

Purdue's size and foul-drawing ability makes them a nightmare matchup

Purdue is such a dangerous team because they score from two, they score from three... Zach Edey is the number one offensive rebound percentage guy in the country... those two and [Jaden] Ivey get fouled an amazing amount, so they can beat you at the foul line.

While factually true about their stats, their 'dangerous' nature failed to prevent an upset by St. Peter's.
Void
Take Slip·Feb 19, 2018
#PMT-2018-0219-13107
Tom CreanTom Crean

Bob Huggins had a legitimate gripe regarding the free throw disparity against Kansas

with that last night, there's no question that he [Bob Huggins] had a legitimate concern because both teams are extremely aggressive... that amount of free throw difference, that was the most, that was the biggest margin of free throws Kansas has ever had in a Big 12 game. I mean, that's amazing stuff. So he had a legitimate gripe.

Crean is stating his professional opinion on a specific game's officiating balance.
Win
Take Slip·Feb 19, 2018
#PMT-2018-0219-13108
Tom CreanTom Crean

Virginia is susceptible to in-game lulls because they don't get to the free throw line enough

Virginia because I really like them but they've got that reputation that they don't commit a lot of fouls well they don't get fouled very much either so like they're not shooting very many free throws and on those nights when you're not making your shots you've got to have something else that you can go to.

This was extremely accurate. Just weeks later, #1 overall seed Virginia lost to #16 seed UMBC in the first round of the NCAA tournament, partially because they went cold from the field and only shot 12 free throws.
Push
Take Slip·Feb 19, 2018
#PMT-2018-0219-13109
Tom CreanTom Crean

Trae Young and Oklahoma are struggling with fatigue and spacing, not a lack of talent

I don't see him [Trae Young] playing as quick as the last week or so... I think the whole mental fatigue, physical fatigue, everybody's got that in February. Sometimes you just got to get back to playing quicker... if his team can stay committed to the spacing and they've got to start to string some stops together, I think they'll be just fine.

Oklahoma continued to struggle, losing in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament to Rhode Island. Young's efficiency never fully recovered to early-season levels.
Win
Take Slip·Feb 19, 2018
#PMT-2018-0219-13111
Tom CreanTom Crean

Gonzaga is currently undervalued and capable of a deep tournament run

My initial reaction to that question [dark horse] would be Gonzaga. I think they are really good. I think they can go to the bench. I think Rui Hachimura is a potential breakout star... I really like their team.

Gonzaga entered the tournament as a #4 seed and reached the Sweet 16, where they lost narrowly to Florida State.
Loss
Take Slip·Feb 19, 2018
#PMT-2018-0219-13110
Tom CreanTom Crean

Virginia Tech is a dark horse to make a deep run in March

You know who I like? Because I think they're deep enough. I like Virginia Tech... I like their team because they can beat you different ways. Now, they've got to defend better... I think they can do that. So that would be a team just off the top of my head in that realm that I would look at.

Virginia Tech was a #8 seed and lost in the first round to Alabama, 86-83.
Void
Take Slip·May 31, 2017
#PMT-2017-0531-1520
Tom CreanTom Crean

Grit is the ability to keep your confidence when your results aren't being met

I think grit is the ability to keep your confidence when your potential is not being met or when the result is not being met in a particular time in life or in a particular moment... When things aren't going well, can you continue to play without being distracted, without letting doubts, without letting the doubters get in and knock you off your game?

This is a subjective definition of a personality trait.
Win
Take Slip·May 31, 2017
#PMT-2017-0531-1521
Tom CreanTom Crean

I want to coach at a championship level again

Well, I want to coach. But I want to coach. I want to go to a championship capacity type program... having the job taken from us like that [at Indiana], I mean, I've never let it get in and take my nerve or create doubt that I can't do this at the highest level.

Crean took the Georgia job in 2018, which is a high-major job, though they did not reach championship heights during his tenure.
Win
Take Slip·May 31, 2017
#PMT-2017-0531-1522
Tom CreanTom Crean

I will likely work in television this upcoming year

I would think this year... It's very likely going to be television. And I feel like I can go in there and learn a lot. I never looked at television or media or radio or anything other than it being a very hard task to be very good at.

Crean worked as an analyst for ESPN for the 2017-18 season.
Void
Take Slip·May 31, 2017
#PMT-2017-0531-1523
Tom CreanTom Crean

Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo are the best and most versatile players I've coached

The best guys – were the most versatile guys because they made everybody else better. And I think the thing about a guy like Dwyane Wade, the thing about a kid like Victor [Oladipo], Jerel McNeal and Wes Matthews were like this for us at Marquette. Those guys didn't have to score and they didn't have to be making shots to have their presence felt in a big way.

This is a subjective expert opinion from the coach who trained them.
Void
Take Slip·May 31, 2017
#PMT-2017-0531-1524
Tom CreanTom Crean

LeBron James is in a unique ballpark of basketball intelligence

Dwyane said this about LeBron. Dwyane is very smart, incredibly smart player... Dwyane said, I'm smart. He said, I know I'm smart. I'm not even in the same ballpark as this guy. And he's pointing at LeBron in the sense of how smart he is on the court... LeBron's in a very, very unique place for his mindset.

Widespread consensus among players and analysts supports LeBron's elite IQ.
Void
Take Slip·May 31, 2017
#PMT-2017-0531-1526
Tom CreanTom Crean

Duke's 2015 comeback was due to Grayson Allen putting pressure on the whistle

Mike [Krzyzewski] really went into a complete, we're going to drive the ball game. He put a lot of pressure on the whistle... they have an incredible record when they were getting into the bonus at the 12-minute mark of each half... you could see it because they kept driving Grayson Allen from the left wing to the middle. It was the Grayson Allen coming out part of him. If he doesn't get them in the bonus that quick, it's a different game.

This is a professional observation of game tactics.
Win
Take Slip·May 31, 2017
#PMT-2017-0531-1527
Tom CreanTom Crean

Lonzo Ball is one of the most prolific passers and has incredible vision

I reserve judgment on any of that other than that he is one of the most prolific passers and has incredible vision. I don't think there's very many guys that have come across in a period of time like that.

Consensus scouting reports and his subsequent NBA career confirmed Lonzo as an elite-level passer.