Tom Crean holds up a shirt after being introduced as the new Indiana Hoosiers basketball head coach in Bloomington, Ind., Wednesday, April 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Story Created:
Apr 26, 2008 at 1:06 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Apr 26, 2008 at 1:06 PM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana University will allow coach Tom Crean limited off-campus recruiting time after originally denying him visits because of self-imposed sanctions, school spokesman J.D. Campbell said Friday.
Crean will have 10 off-campus recruiting days between now and July 31.
Before the change, the school only allowed assistants Tim Buckley and Bennie Seltzer to recruit off campus. The restrictions followed alleged recruiting violations by former coach Kelvin Sampson.
Indiana's self-imposed sanctions include a one-year extension of the NCAA's recruiting restrictions on phone calls and the loss of a scholarship for the 2008-09 season.
The Hoosiers still face a June hearing in front of the NCAA's infractions committee. Anything more handed down by the NCAA could hurt recruiting for the next several years despite the possible enticement of immediate playing time at a school that owns five national titles.
Indiana already has had some recruiting success, even with the limitations.
Former Decatur Central star Devan Dumes signed a national letter of intent to join the Hoosiers on Tuesday.
Dumes was an honorable mention selection to the 2006 Indiana all-state team. He spent one season at Eastern Michigan, averaging 8.1 points, before transferring to junior college last season. At Vincennes University, Dumes averaged 16.9 points and set the school's single-season record with 109 3-pointers.
On Monday, guard Nick Williams, the top player in Alabama, also signed with the Hoosiers. Williams initially signed with Marquette but was released by the school after Crean accepted the Indiana job on April 1.
Forward Derek Elston of Tipton High School has already said he will honor an earlier commitment to Indiana, and last week forward Bobby Capobianco, of Loveland, Ohio, announced he would sign with Indiana this fall.
Indiana was left with only six returning players after starting guards Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis were dismissed from the team hours before Crean was hired as coach April 1 and Big Ten freshman of the year Eric Gordon announced he would enter the NBA draft on April 7. Crean has not decided whether to reinstate Bassett, Ellis or both.
