Former NBA players join basketball staff

At times, Ben McDonald looks like he hasn't lost anything from his game in the 15 years since he first started playing in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a recent practice, McDonald drained about a dozen three-pointers in a row.\nNot bad for an assistant coach.\nMcDonald joined the Hoosiers' staff over the summer, coming from the Nike All-America Basketball Camp staff. He played college basketball at the University of California-Irvine.\nMcDonald played in 114 games for the Anteaters and was elected to the school's hall of fame. Cleveland took him with the 50th pick of the 1984 NBA draft.\nHis focus at IU will be working with frontcourt players.\n"My biggest role is getting guys ready for practices before we start playing," McDonald said. "And working on the little things and keeping guys sharp."\nHaving only spent a few months with the Hoosiers, McDonald hesitates to make predictions about this season.\n"I don't know about the talent level in the Big Ten, but if we prepare and do the things we need to do, we'll be competitive," he said.\nMcDonald has been working with sophomore forward Jared Jeffries in the post, trying to create more options for Jeffries. Since more teams will double Jeffries this season, McDonald said Jeffries has worked to polish his game.\n"Opponents will double team him a lot. We'll have to find ways to keep him moving and get him shots," McDonald said.\nJeffries said after the Hoosiers' pre-season win against Athletes in Action Nov. 4 that McDonald has helped prepare IU to replace the rebounds they lost when Kirk Haston left for the NBA.\n"Coach McDonald's done a great job of working with us on rebounding with two hands and getting in position," Jeffries said.\nAlong with McDonald, Jim Thomas also joined head coach Mike Davis' staff this summer as an assistant coach. \nBut Thomas is not new to Bloomington. \nHe was the sixth man on the 1981 national championship team and earned NCAA All-Tournament Honors.\nThomas was selected by the Pacers in the second round of the 1983 NBA Draft and spent time with the Clippers and the Timberwolves and played for four teams in the CBA from 1988-1992.\nThomas said he will share the experiences he had as a Hoosier and in the NBA and CBA, but will work extensively with backcourt players.\n"I'll be working with the guards and with recruiting," Thomas said. "Just doing the things (Davis) would need me to do as far as working with the players. Mainly I'm working with the guards."\nTen years ago, Thomas said he made an attempt to get back to IU as an assistant coach but things didn't work out. He still had a desire to join the Hoosiers' coaching staff eventually, but didn't know if he would get his wish. Eventually, he would.\n"I was able to play ball and get back into (coaching) with Toronto," Thomas said. "From that standpoint I didn't think I would be coming back. \n"It just so happened that the opportunity came about. Coach Davis and I talked and I thought it would be a good time to try it"