Players owe loyalty to team, not coach

With the appointment of assistant basketball coach Mike Davis as interim coach, IU has made it over one hurdle. \nThe University has chosen someone who already knows the players and can take our team through a difficult transitional period. It would have been foolish to do otherwise. IU basketball doesn't need a fresh face now; it needs someone who can make the transfer of power as seamless as possible. At least now, when the players walk into the locker room, they'll see a familiar face in charge. \nThe next hurdle is keeping the rest of the team together. And this one is up to the men's basketball players.\nSince Bob Knight was fired Sunday, one of the biggest questions on everyone's minds has been about the team: Who will stay and who will go? The answer depended as much on the players as the choice for interim coach. After IU made its move, it was up to the players to determine the course of this 2000-2001 season.\nAnd they've made the right choice. So far, everyone seems to have their priorities in check and players are remaining committed to the team. \nJunior guard Dane Fife was one of the first to publicly consider jumping ship. He said Monday that he would transfer to another school, but the next day, he told CNN he was keeping his options open. Freshman A.J. Moye also indicated he would leave IU. Both have now decided to stay.\nWhat IU needs now isn't more ego, grandstanding or more big changes. What both the team and the University need is stability. Part of that will come from Davis, but the majority must come from the players. So far, so good.\nMany of these players, particularly the younger ones, came to IU because of Knight. But by their own admission, when they got here, they became part of a larger family. Now they're living up to their responsibility, not just to IU but to their team. If Knight really is the father of this family, then just because daddy's gone doesn't mean the kids should walk out, too. \nShould the players be upset? They have every right to be. But should this have driven them off the team? That would have been more than immature, it would have been irresponsible. But they've all come through and decided to give IU another year. They might have hedged their bets and cried "foul" at the way Knight's situation was handled, but when it really counted, they remembered the most important thing.\nThe jersey says "Indiana," not "Bob Knight"