Tom Crean is content playing one game a season in Indianapolis -- just not two. One week after Indiana announced it would not renew its contract with Kentucky because of a dispute over where the rivals should play, Crean explained the reason for the split: The games belong on campus. "First off, someone asked me do you not want to play neutral sites? We have neutral sites," Crean told reporters Tuesday night before meeting with fans at Lucas Oil Stadium. "When the Crossroads Classic came in, that became something that was going to be locked in every year. Even though it's in Indianapolis, it's a neutral site. It's not a home site. You always want to have the ability to play in exempt tournaments. We've done that in the past. We have it this year, playing in New York. So there's three right there." The ending of a series between the two border state rivals and two of college basketball's most prestigious programs has been a hot topic around the state since Indiana athletic director Fred Glass announced the decision. Indiana and Kentucky have met annually since 1969, almost always in December. The series started at campus sites before moving exclusively to Freedom Hall in Louisville and the Hoosier/RCA Dome in Indianapolis from 1991 through 2005. In 2006, the games moved back to campus and were played at Kentucky's Rupp Arena and Indiana's Assembly Hall. But after the top-ranked Wildcats lost on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Bloomington, Ind., in December, fans rushed the court as some players for both teams were lying on the floor. It was Kentucky's only loss during the regular-season. While the Wildcats beat Indiana in an NCAA tournament game en route to their eighth national title, they had been negotiating to move the series back to neutral sites. Read more: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...om-crean-defends-decision-end-series-kentucky
