College basketball’s season is nearing its stretch run, and the unveiling of the NCAA tournament bracket is only a month away.
There’s plenty we already know. Right now, Auburn is the best team in the nation, Louisville is the most improved team, and Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome are the best players. However, there are also a lot of questions.
To help us understand more, we recently caught up with Tom Crean.
The former Marquette, Indiana, and Georgia coach is now an analyst, working primarily with ESPN. Crean took Marquette to the 2003 Final Four and guided Indiana to a No.1 seed in the 2013 tournament. He shared his thoughts on the college basketball season and his viral moment with John Fanta.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Why is the SEC so dominant this season?
“Retention would be the biggest reason to me, and they have certainly the (NIL) money. … It’s a destination league for kids to come from anywhere in the country because you know you’re playing against the best. You’re going have an opportunity to get whoever is the best in the portal and you can recruit McDonald’s All-Americans all day long. Then you’ve got developers in that league. You’ve got good coaches. Florida is a great example. They had retention. They brought in Alijah Martin, Rueben Chinyelu, and Sam Alexis to build their depth. They’ve done a great job at development when you look at Micah Handlogten, Denzel Aberdeen, Thomas Haugh, and Alex Condon. Look where they’re at. They’re extremely well coached with a great staff.”
Are you surprised how much better Auburn is than everyone else?
“They have different ways they can beat you. The other day (versus Alabama), they were so hard to guard and they offensive rebounded the ball at a high level. They were like 1.24 points per possession. When they got stops, and when they got defensive rebounds and were gone. Their break was outstanding. They were at almost two points of possession. They had (six) blocks in the game. They’re deep. The best teams can play eight to nine and there’s not much or any drop-off.”
What’s wrong with Kansas, the preseason No.1?
“Their ball screen defense for two years hasn’t been close to what it’s got to be, except when Flory Bidunga is in the game. Then the ball screen defense is a little better. KJ Adams has to cover a lot of ground defensively to make up for some other guys. And it’s just not close. Hunter Dickinson has never been the guy that takes enough plays defensively, the way he should. Whether it’s his activity with his hands, his foot speed, whatever it is, he doesn’t impact the game defensively enough in the ball screen game and really in the post.”
How shocked are you by Louisville under first-year coach Pat Kelsey?
“I’ve said this on television a few times. If you go back to when they played Tennessee in the second half, and if you go back to after the initial start in the Kentucky game, they settled in and played winning basketball. You could say they’re pretty good. They’re right in these games. They just had bad starts. Is it shocking that they’ve won so many games? Probably. Is it shocking that they’re winning? No, not when you look at how many guys that he puts on the floor that can create real matchup issues, that can get to the rim, that can get fouled. He’s got a tremendous point guard. As much credit as Chucky Hepburn gets, it’s still not enough.”
How has Dusty May been able to succeed in his first year at Michigan?
“Michigan’s been fantastic. Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan were incredibly tough matchups a year ago in the front line. Danny Wolf is the equivalent at the forward spot. He’s obviously not Zach Edey or Donovan Clingan. He’s a different player, but how do you guard him? He’s such a good passer. He can make shots. He’s deceptively athletic. He’s done a great job of making Vladislav Goldin better.”
Has Cooper Flagg improved during the season?
“Defensively, he’s more aware off the ball. He’s not just relying on his length or athletic ability to cover ground, but he’s doing multiple things more often inside of a possession. He stays locked into the possession, which I think is strong with their whole team. He’s a good product of the fact they can switch one through five. I think his shot has continued to improve. I think his straight-line driving has continued to improve. He plays with his eyes up much more than he did in high school.”
How concerned should Rick Pitino be about St. John’s poor 3-point shooting?
“Oh, I would be. I think long-term, they’re going to have to make threes. If they lose a game, people (will) point to the free-throw shooting and 3-point shooting. But they’re covering so much ground right now defensively. They’re scoring off turnovers. They not only wear you down physically but take your confidence because it’s hard to find any openings to score.”
Indiana is looking for a new coach. What type of person would do well there?
“They need somebody who is committed to the grassroots of that state, understanding how the program was built, going back to the Everett Dean, Branch McCracken days, even before Bobby Knight. The way that people felt connected to (the program). Those qualities are paramount in a place like Indiana.
“You’ve got to have a proven system that’s flexible and adjustable. I think you have to make sure that you understand that great defense wins in this league. Being able to protect the rim and defensive rebound wins in this league. You’re not going to win in that league if you don’t have guard play and guys who can make shots at numerous positions.
“And then you better have some tough skin and have been through some three-game losing streaks in your life so you don’t panic when those days come because they will come and you have to be able to handle them.”
Could you tell us more about the Diet Coke spill with John Fanta last week?
“That was John’s Diet Coke, and that loose ball got every bit of that Diet Coke. What didn’t land in his lap landed in his workspace and on his computer. Fortunately, I had a cold, so I had some paper towels next to me. You don’t go to a broadcast thinking you’re going to need paper towels, right? But I had some paper towels. So, we had some stuff right there. And the action didn’t stop. We got it done quickly. We had fun with it. He showed his genius. He never broke stride.”
Great working with @John_Fanta tonight. For the record. It was John’s @DietCoke that spilled on him. I just put myself in charge of the cleanup. John never broke stride. Incredible Pro. pic.twitter.com/oF6aFv5K7x
— Tom Crean (@TomCrean) February 12, 2025
Are you now extra careful about where you put drinks while broadcasting?
“Oh, I never put it up there. I learned a long time ago to keep mine on the floor. I keep it on the floor, next to my bag or a waste basket. I don’t think John will have his drink on the table anymore after that.”
