WDRB.com: Crean’s non-traditional approach includes Denny Crum

  • 07/05/2012 12:06 pm in

WDRB.com: Crean’s non-traditional approach includes Denny Crum

So it was no surprise the videos Crean was studying the other day were not from his team’s unexpected 27-win season. They were videos of teams coached by a guy Crean has long admired – Denny Crum.

They were videos of the 1980 and 1986 University of Louisville teams that Crum directed to NCAA titles. Specifically, they were clips of how those teams, the ones with so many interchangeable parts, played Crum’s trademark switching defense.

“We’ve got a chance to have more depth,” said Crean, who has talked with Crum about visiting IU practices. “We have a chance to pressure the ball more. We definitely have more length. We can do more switching. That’s why I’m so interested in looking at the old Louisville teams of Denny Crum and how they did that.

“There’s so many more opportunities we have defensively right now because of our length and versatility. That’s how we have tried to recruit it. Get versatile, multi-dimensional, multi-positional guys. And try not to get too many people that can’t shoot the ball.”

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