Quick thoughts on the chaos.

I don't think it's chaos, really. None of us really know what is happening on the inside. Still, I'm glad that I've not had much computer time since Thursday and that I am following the IU coaching search from afar, and typing this post with Gulf breezes blowing through the room. It makes it a little easier to stomach, and it also means that I have had time to read only the sources I trust and not the media chatter, which inevitably portrays anything more than a 24 hour coaching search as a fiasco. Briefly:

• Bennett? Damn. I guess it's something of a moral victory that IU quickly targeted the guy who I really thought was the obvious choice, and it's a disappointment that he said no. I think IU remains a top tier job, but it also presents some unusual challenges on a good day: intense fan interest, high expectations, instant celebrity status within the state, and among some of the fan base, certain narrow expectations about style of play. And the warmup pants. And of course, this isn't a good day. It's better for Bennett to have said no than to have taken the job with mixed emotions. But I'm still disappointed.
• There's lots of chatter, and the chatter that I trust makes me think that IU's worst case scenario is an extremely well-regarded young coach (I'm speaking generally). IU may have to pay a bit more in years and money given the situation, and that's fine. There's no cause for panic.
• There may be cause for panic in the short term. As most have read already, Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis have been thrown off the team. All evidence is that these guys are malcontents, but what frustrates me is that they don't play like malcontents. Both are steady, reliable players who don't stand out as bad guys on the court. Ellis, in particular, does nearly everything well. According to the Hoosier Scoop, these guys hope that they will be reinstated by the new coach and will remain enrolled. We shall see.