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Tom Crean looks to build hoops power at football-crazy Georgia

First-year Georgia men's basketball coach Tom Crean, whose past stops include Marquette and Indiana, believes the Bulldogs have what it takes to be a top program.
First-year Georgia men's basketball coach Tom Crean, whose past stops include Marquette and Indiana, believes the Bulldogs have what it takes to be a top program. First-year Georgia men's basketball coach Tom Crean, whose past stops include Marquette and Indiana, believes the Bulldogs have what it takes to be a top program.

By Associated Press 5 min read

ATHENS – Georgia men’s basketball coach Tom Crean can put a positive spin on pretty much any conversation.

Sure, it’s been a bit of a culture shock to go from hoops-crazy Indiana to a state that treats the sport with a collective shrug. But without batting an eye, he’ll tell you Georgia has everything it needs to become a basketball powerhouse.

“Coaching is coaching,” Crean said. “I don’t view it as being different.”

But the Bulldogs’ résumé is undeniable.

The program hasn’t won an NCAA tournament game since 2002. The most significant highlight in the school’s largely forgettable men’s basketball history came way back in 1983, when its first NCAA tourney appearance resulted in a run all the way to the Final Four. And that was the year N.C. State beat heavily favored Houston in a memorable title game, so Georgia’s participation is a mere footnote to most.