Basketball starters spark stellar play

As an elementary student, college basketball coach was my response when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to cut the net down after a championship victory, to teach future superstars, or to celebrate like Jim Valvano.\nThank you Mike Davis for proving why coaching college basketball is a dream I will never realize.\nDavis must have been delirious after his trip from Alaska to Chapel Hill at the tip off of Wednesday night's Big Ten vs. ACC showdown with North Carolina. Maybe his brain was still frozen, because there is no way he was thinking rationally when he drafted IU's starting lineup. \nImagine my elementary school dream comes true and I am taking my Hoosiers to the Dean Dome, the Taj Mahal of college basketball. The game is nationally televised against one of the nation's most historic programs in North Carolina. Forget their early season struggles, the Tar Heels are still tough to beat at home. As coach I would give the nod to experience and start the guys who have risen in big games, made the big shots and seen the most minutes. Makes sense right? Wrong.\n Coach Davis is living my dream because he is willing to do the unconventional. Starting freshman Donald Perry, and sophomores George Leach and A.J. Moye instead of three proven juniors Tom Coverdale, Jeffrey Newton and Kyle Hornsby was as logical to me as not studying in advance for a test. So now I will be studying well in advance.\nFrom the opening tip-off, Moye proved that he not only deserves to start for this team because he plays hard, but that he has the strength and shooting range as well. Leading the Hoosiers in scoring with 20 points, Moye's performance stunned Tar Heel players and brought a new versatility to the the Hoosier's small forward position. In 33 minutes Moye was 4-7 from three point range and 7-12 overall. He grabbed a team high six rebounds and one steal. His counterpart, Hornsby, was 1-4 on three-pointers and 1-4 overall in seven minutes of play. \nIn 17 minutes, Leach accumulated six points on 3-5 shooting. He also swatted four shots to bring his career high to 20. Yes 20. Leach has 11 more blocks than his next closest teammate Newton who has nine.\nDavis knew something that I didn't know. He knew that Coverdale believes he owns the point guard position. Starting Perry, a good player in his own right, sparked Coverdale\'s play. In 34 minutes off the bench, Coverdale scored 17 points, did not turn the ball over and was 6-6 from the free throw line. Coverdale has not missed a free throw in 14 attempts this season. \nDavis has convinced his players that the person playing the hardest and best at the time of the next game will see the floor regardless of experience. He has moved the spotlight away from Jeffries and balanced the scoring attack. In the season's first five games, the Hoosiers have had five different high scorers including career high's of 20 points from Moye last night and Fife against Alaska-Anchorage. \nI still think Davis is crazy, and I still think I will never be a college basketball coach. Davis' team is 4-1 and still yet to play a game within a 12 hour bus trip of Bloomington. Davis has given nine players over 70 minutes of court time. He knows that with the Ball State, Notre Dame and Kentucky games approaching he will need team depth and big plays from unlikely players. \nFive games into this season Davis has proven he is in full control of his team and their destiny. Undoubtedly he has shown that my coaching dream is impossible.\nI hope he never becomes a sportswriter.