IU Insider Q&A: 'No indication change is coming'

And so we have come to the end of this long journey together, another Indiana basketball season completed.

We've been doing these mailbags all winter long, and there aren't many topics I can think of that we haven't addressed, IU basketball-related or otherwise. It's been a lot of fun.

We'll sign off with this one today, but as interest permits, expect these intermittently during the offseason. For now, let's get to your questions:

@CFrodd asks: "Do you think Yogi Ferrell stays for his last year?"

That's a 50-50 proposition right now. His father told our man Gregg Doyel that it's a conversation he and Yogi planned to have after the season ended, and with his name drifting in the late-first-to-early-second-round range, he would be foolish not to.

Based on what I've heard, there's no firm decision. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised by either outcome.

@LarryMooshaker asks: "How likely is it that Thomas Bryant comes to IU?"

I would say as likely as any other finalist right now. Syracuse has freed up some space so despite its NCAA-mandated scholarship restrictions, I think there might be room for him there. And Kentucky is something of a wild card, involved but perhaps not as all-in on Bryant as Indiana, Syracuse or Missouri.

But I think the Hoosiers have as good of a shot as anyone in that mix.

@WesBecu tweets: "All the focus has been on a 5. Assuming we land a big, who is most likely to start at the 4? Most natural?"

A good and valid question.

Let's assume Indiana does land Bryant, and keeps all of its other key pieces. I think it would, in that scenario, be very hard to overlook Troy Williams.

He led Indiana in rebounding this season playing what Tom Crean sometimes admitted wasn't the most natural position for him. But with Bryant and Hanner Mosquera-Perea both on the roster as well, he could play the four and still behave more like a wing, because Indiana would be able to set up with a more traditional post presence more often.

I'll admit, I haven't seen enough of Thomas Bryant to judge how he might play next to Mosquera-Perea. But given Williams' strengths and the pace at which Indiana likes to play, it would be hard to overlook him at that four spot, in my opinion.

@joliesdad asks: "I am not one but for those who want Tom Crean terminated who would be included as his most likely successor?"

Well I think it's first important to point out that there's no indication change is coming. And this answer isn't entertaining speculation, just addressing a hypothetical.

That said, it's hard to tell exactly what would be a realistic aim for Indiana. Fans would presumably want an earth-moving name, but I think any such search would be a test of where the job stands currently in the national landscape. It's tough to produce a hard list of names until you can gauge that strength.

But again, I'll use this opportunity to address future questions when I say that such a change does not appear to be imminent, as of the penning of this mailbag.

From Ben, a complicated question: "Dan Dakich has made appropriate references in recent weeks to what Indiana basketball's culture has become and what it should represent -- defensive fundamentals and effort has been fleeting at best, and the successful divorce from the coach Knight legacy and former players. My question is this -- how has coach Crean done in this regard? And is it enough?"

I rather heavily annotated Ben's email (sorry Ben), simply because even on the Internet, we only have so much space, and this answer is long.

Ben rightly pointed out the specter of Bob Knight, one that I've argued doesn't tower over Indiana the way that it used to. But that doesn't mean it's not there.

There's always this danger in trying to talk about "culture" in a place where success was tied so tightly to one person. How do you divorce yourself from that cult of personality, but retain ideals and characteristics your fans can see and touch and feel?

Tom Crean rightly talks about wanting to recruit players that fit his program's identity, that work hard, are respectful, do well not just on the court but also in the classroom and make fans proud. But isn't that what every coach wants?

What I've come to believe is that "culture" is often just a substitute for "winning," especially when it comes to college athletics.

Consider Alabama football, where they tried replacing Bear Bryant with Ray Perkins. A 'Bama man, the thought went, would carry on Bryant's "culture." Instead, he was out in three seasons, despite a healthy winning percentage.

Gene Stallings was a former Bryant player who took Alabama over and won in Tuscaloosa, but he was also already a proven coach in his own right. And after he left, the Crimson Tide moved rapidly through a succession of coaches -- Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price, Mike Shula -- before finally landing Nick Saban. Now Saban, also a winner well before he reached Tuscaloosa, has his own statue.

My point in that comparison is, when fans talk about culture, I think there's a genuine desire for something to hang onto. But at a program like Indiana, or Alabama, or Notre Dame, that "culture" must always be a winning one, or it's not going to be considered successful. And if it's something totally different from what came before, but it includes winning, then it will still be accepted.

I don't know if this answered your question perfectly. It's a broad topic that snakes out in many directions. I tried to wrap my arms around as much of it as I could.

@Geoff_Mounts asks: "Who else oversigns? Is Tom Crean the only one?"

No, he's not. I wouldn't call it a common practice (though it's more common in football), but it's used around the country. Rick Pitino, for example, has done it.

What I've said before and will say again about Crean's oversigning is that it's a habit that he talks about openly. That tends to train the spotlight on him more often than some of his peers, who might do it less often or not talk so willingly about it.

That's not an excuse. I think oversigning as a general practice has benefits and pitfalls, and I do believe it has hurt Indiana in some ways in Crean's tenure. But I would not look at him as a lone wolf in this discussion either, because he's not.

@Geo10136 asks: "Is there a way to gauge how many #iubb fans are pro-Crean? I think he deserves more time. John Wooden took 15 years to win his 1st title."

There's really not, absent political-style polling, I suppose. I do not think you are alone in your support of Tom Crean, however. In moments like these, one side can tend to be vocal enough to make the other seem miniscule. I don't doubt there's widespread apprehension among IU fans right now. Just not sure it's as unanimous as some might have you believe.

MUSIC OF THE OFFSEASON

Thanks for an enjoyable season, everybody. Signing off for now. Enjoy every sandwich.

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.