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Hoosiers eager to get glimpse at new-look team

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Tom Crean is changing the blueprint at Indiana.

After dealing with all the frustration, all the close calls, all the heartache and even a chorus of boos last season, the Indiana coach has spent this offseason plotting a new course. He’s poring through old films, breaking down tape from Connecticut’s national championship team and going back to his roots to fix the Hoosiers’ problems.

“Depth is not numbers, depth is consistency and we didn’t have enough consistency,” Crean said Tuesday when reflecting on last season’s troubles. “You know what, certain things last year, I’d have booed me, too, I really would because we were trying to get guys to find some kind of consistency on the court and we didn’t have enough. I don’t know where it’s going to be this year, but I like the upside of it.”

The Hoosiers are in the midst of a major overhaul — only some of which has been by choice.

Indiana has eight new players and a new assistant coach this season in hopes of turning around a 17-15 record that left them out of the postseason. And after three underclassmen were selected in the NBA’s top 10 draft picks over the past two years, the Hoosiers now lack a dominant big man to run their offense through.

So Crean has decided to play small-ball. This rebuilding project centers around junior point guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell and sophomores Stanford Robinson and Troy Williams, three players Crean credited with getting stronger and more refined since a season-ending loss to Illinois in the Big Ten tournament.

The Hoosiers have a new cast of 3-point shooters, too, starting with freshman guard James Blackmon Jr., the high-scoring guard who is the son of the former Kentucky basketball star.

Crean has also been dissecting old films from Louisville, Marquette, Villanova and Europe in addition to last year’s footage of UConn to figure out how they won with smaller lineups. His conclusion: Play faster, space the court and take advantage of speed and depth to create more fast-break chances.

But he’s still installing the system, meaning the Hoosiers won’t get their first real glimpse of how it will work until an early August trip to Montreal. Indiana is scheduled to play five games in six days.

“What we’re going to learn over there, I don’t know,” Crean said. “We’re going to go through some tough days. I mean we’re not going over there and winning all those games. No one’s walking over there and saying we’ve got to be 5-0 to be a success. We’ve got to get better every day, to learn how to have that chemistry and have that traction from the chemistry and have some two-way players that don’t get their head down when things aren’t going well.”

Will that be the answer to the Hoosiers’ struggles?

“We’re growing,” Crean said. “Where it leads, I’m just not sure yet because of the youth of it. But we’re expecting an awful lot out of juniors and a couple of sophomores when it comes to leadership on this team.”

Sophomore forward Collin Hartman will not play in Montreal and has been limited during summer workouts after tearing the ACL in his right knee in March.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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