Indiana hires Elston as director of player development

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana coach Tom Crean hired former player Derek Elston as the new director of player development Monday.

The native of Tipton, Indiana, will help with mentoring, life skills, administrative operations and support services.

Elston played on the Hoosiers' 2012 Sweet 16 team and the 2013 Big Ten regular-season championship team.

The move comes after an offseason in which three Indiana players were kicked off the team, and in the midst of a 19-month series of legal run-ins that have included some of the program's best-known players.

Elston scored 498 points in an injury-marred college career and earned academic all-league honors and the Big Ten's sportsmanship award as a senior. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in sports broadcast communication and a master's in sports administration, he played two seasons overseas.