Nike Elite ready for final game

Mike Davis isn't asking much of his team tonight when IU meets Nike Elite in the Hoosiers' exhibition finale at 7 p.m. in Assembly Hall. \nHe just wants his defense to double its production, slicing in half the number of points Athletes in Action posted in IU's 105-59 exhibition victory 10 days ago.\n"We need to hold them to 30 points instead of 59," Davis joked Monday. "I hope we play the same (as against AIA). The first (game) was pretty good."\nIt was, as IU blasted AIA before a 10-day layoff that allowed the Hoosiers to prep themselves for a season that starts Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. \nA repeat performance won't be easy tonight. Nike Elite -- the team formerly known as Marathon Oil -- boasts an eight-player roster that includes players with college basketball experience at Florida, Arkansas, Kansas State and Marquette. \nIU edged Marathon last season 79-75 and crushed the same team 105-78 in 1999. \nThis season, Nike Elite (3-5) has won two in a row -- over Penn State and Michigan -- before meeting Ohio State Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio. Tonight's meeting with IU will be Nike Elite's 10th of 11 exhibition games and fourth consecutive meeting with a Big Ten foe. \nJust like Davis, Nike Elite coach Glenn Sergent has a simple agenda. \n"I'm sure Davis plans on kicking our butts, but we plan to make life difficult for him," said Sergent, who has been coaching the exhibition team since its inception and is in his 26th season. "We do all we can to kick their rear ends. It's our job."\nThat job has entailed a trip along the East Coast and across the Midwest, where Nike Elite has beaten up -- an 86-66 thrashing of Penn State -- and been beaten up -- a 105-77 shellacking from UConn. Sergent's bunch is led by former Florida standout Ted Dupay, who was suspended by the NCAA and kicked off Gator coach Billy Donovan's team after allegedly gambling. Dupay scores 10.8 points per game and hands out 5.8 assists while running the offense with former Drake guard Curt Smith. \nThe opportunity to play against Dupay, whose Florida Gators advanced to the Final Four two seasons ago, is something the Hoosiers are relishing. \n"I'm looking forward to it," said freshman guard Donald Perry, who will likely match up against Dupay at some point tonight. "He'll help get us ready for the season."\nDupay leads Nike Elite's three-point barrage, which consists of 174 (21.7 per game) attempts and 55 makes (31.6 percent). Dupay and Smith have combined to fire 98 of the team's 174 three-point shots. \nIU wasn't trigger shy last season from three-point range and showed much of the same attitude against AIA. The Hoosiers hit 11-of-19 attempts and buried AIA early with seven first-half three-pointers. \nDavis said he has no concrete plans for tonight's game, but indicated the Hoosiers, much like they were before squaring off against AIA, are growing tired of practice. \n"We just want to get a game in without taking any risks," Davis said. "We need to be together on defense."\nDavis' defensive wishes will be more difficult tonight thanks to a balanced scoring attack from Nike Elite. In its nine games, Nike Elite has had three or more players in double figures eight times. Center Rick Hughes (Thomas More College) has been the hot hand lately, scoring 26 points against Michigan and 18 at Penn State. On the thin, eight-man roster, Hughes has played all 40 minutes in two of the last three games. Hughes is one of four players at six-foot-eight or taller, but the height hasn't helped; Nike Elite is being out-rebounded by nearly seven rebounds per game and six on the offensive glass. \nSergent employs a motion offense that includes numerous screens and enables his opponents to get a "college look," he said, stressing defense. Nike Elite has given up more than 84 points per game and allowed opponents to shoot nearly 46 percent from the field. Still, Sergent and company have provided stiff competition and have been leading or within five points at halftime in each of its games. \n"Teams want us to be capable of winning ... so they can use it as a learning process," Sergent said. \nThe game will test IU, if not on the floor, then in its frame of mind. The Hoosiers will have only three days to prepare for Charlotte, something that initially had Davis spooked. Since then, he said he's happy about the schedule, which will familiarize the team with the hectic Big Ten schedule, which often features three games a week. \n"It will help get us prepared for stretches in the Big Ten where we play Wednesday, Saturday, Tuesday," junior forward Jeff Newton said. "We want to play hard, have fun and send a message that we'll play hard every night."\nRedshirt update\nDavis said Monday he still isn't certain what he'll do with freshman forward Sean Kline, who played physically with senior forward Jarrad Odle and sophomore forward Jared Jeffries at practice Monday. \nKline will dress tonight, but it's likely he won't see playing time. Kline will also dress and travel to Charlotte, N.C. and the Great Alaska Shootout in case he's needed. That, Davis said, depends on the play of Odle and sophomore center George Leach.\n"He's playing pretty good. I'd hate to not play him a whole lot, (this season)," Davis said. "He can really help us in the future."\nNewton thinks Kline might have an immediate impact. \n"Right now, Kline is playing good enough to help us out," he said. "He's playing really hard."\nSophomore forward Mike Roberts is still nursing a chipped bone in his right foot and wore a walking cast again Monday. Davis said he doesn't know whether Roberts will redshirt when he returns.