Insider Q&A: Will IU fans get off Tom Crean's back?

When last we spoke, all was quiet in Bloomington, more or less. That isn't the case anymore.

Indiana's entire roster is on campus and in the throes of summer workouts as July approaches. With that in mind, we've opened the floor to another round of your questions:

Q: Matt Marsden opens us up: "Tom Crean's seat might not be much cooler than it was at the end of the last season. What needs to happen this season for fans and the athletic department to have more confidence in Crean in the long term?"

A: First of all, I think it's fair to say the athletic department is standing firmly behind Crean. Fred Glass never wavered last season, and he certainly should have no cause to now.

As far as the fan base, generally a season comparable to the Big Ten title-winning campaign in 2013 should be enough -- in my opinion -- to make Crean's case. He will have been able to build multiple teams across different generations of players that competed for a conference championship. A deep NCAA tournament run would obviously also do much for his public support.

You're never going to win unanimous support. That's just reality. But a season spent competing at the top of the conference would be a strong statement.

Q: @_AJmorris asks: "Is IU overrated compared to Purdue this year? Or the other way around?"

A: I don't think either is overrated. Both should be firmly in the mix for the conference title, and while both have some questions to answer (IU on defense, Purdue beyond the 3-point line), each program should have an outstanding season.

It is, once more, ridiculous that they'll only play once this winter.

Q: @KlinkerMk asks: "Is that last scholarship going to be filled?"

A: Funny you should ask, as we wrote on that subject just more than a week ago.

The short answer is that I'm not sure, and that there's a decent possibility it won't be. When Tom Crean spoke on the subject during his annual swing by Huber Winery in early June, he didn't sound like a man overly consumed by it.

If IU finds the right fit, then yes. That could be a recruit or a transfer, perhaps even one that would have to sit out the upcoming season. But I don't think anyone is treating that like a necessity. There's a chance it isn't filled this season.

Q: @FloridaHoosier1 asks: "I see some Dennis Rodman in Troy Williams. Would today's game allow a player to be anywhere near that aggressive after rebounds?"

A: We'll have to stay apart on the Dennis Rodman comparison, but admittedly, I think the answer is no. In various ways -- freedom of movement, contact rules, stricter enforcement of defensive rules -- basketball has been made into a different game from what it was 20 years ago.

Is it significantly less physical? I'm not sure the difference is as drastic as some would make it out to be. But it has changed, and the answer to your question is probably not.

Q: We'll let the venerable @AssemblyCall take us home with a pair of questions. First: "IU is giving fans cool peeks behind the curtain with SnapChat. Are a lot of other big-time programs doing this as well?"

A: Some are, to my understanding. I'm not sure how many are using it as regularly as Indiana. This appears to be a master list of programs or departments that are now using Snapchat (though it doesn't include Indiana, so it must be a bit dated).

As a social media engine, Snapchat is evolving in many ways. Here's an interesting article from TIME examining how colleges are generally using it to connect with students.

Q: And to finish things off, from @AssemblyCall: "Where do you place Bo Ryan on the all-time list of Big Ten coaches?"

A: That's a tough question to get my arms around, frankly. Ryan isn't at the top, but he's certainly close to it.

According to Sports-Reference, he's seventh all-time in wins among Big Ten coaches, and both Branch McCracken and Piggy Lambert are within passing distance this season, depending upon Wisconsin's final win total.

Ryan has been to the NCAA tournament in all 14 of his seasons in Madison, a testament to his unbelievable consistency.

And while Dick Bennett deserves credit for getting things started in Wisconsin, Ryan is the man who made the Badgers into the league-dominant outfit they are today. The idea of Wisconsin as a Big Ten power in basketball 25 years ago would've sounded absurd, but Bo Ryan made it reality.

He doesn't have the national title on his resume that many will look for in comparing him to Tom Izzo, Bob Knight, etc. But neither do Gene Keady, Lou Henson or Thad Matta, and I think we can agree that those are all names that will stick in Big Ten lore long past their retirements.

So to wrap the question back around to an answer, Ryan is surely one of the best coaches in Big Ten history, and perhaps the most underappreciated coach -- at least until the last two seasons -- of his era in college basketball. He's in the upper crust.

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.