No Cinderella story here, just good basketball

IU is in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, did anyone else notice? \nI did, maybe you did. But nationally it seems people have overlooked the upstart Hoosiers.\nIU is not an eleventh seeded sleeper and there was no breathtaking buzzer beater to propel the team into the next round. The game was played late on the west coast and the average middle age college basketball follower had the next day's suit on the hanger and was snoring before tip off of IU's first round game. \nMeanwhile, young and enthusiastic IU coach Mike Davis was leading the team he took over as an interim coach two years ago to the third round of the tournament. And he was doing it the way IU always has -- with good basketball.\nThe Hoosiers just took care of business. They beat inferior teams, which in the NCAA Tournament is not always an easy task (see Florida). \nIU dominated Utah in the first round by hitting shots early and setting the pace for the rest of the game. Three Hoosier players scored in double digits and IU never let the Utes closer than 12 points in the second half.\nAnd across the nation no one really said a word.\nIt was more interesting to talk about UNC Wilmington's thrilling victory against USC in the first round prior to the start of the Hoosiers' pounding of Utah. America loves a fairy tale. Saturday the Hoosiers put the mid-major UNCW team back on the plane for a long flight across the country. \nUNCW was utterly confused early by the Hoosiers' classic game plan -- tight half court defense, good screens and technical basketball. In the first round, UNCW quickly adapted to the high flyin', west coast ballin', outrun em' style of the Trojans. But they were bothered by the Hoosiers' fundamental basketball.\nIt was beautiful to watch.\nWhen the Seahawks star guard Brett Blizzard began to take over for his team and knock down shots, IU responded. When the Hoosier lead was reduced to three points Davis and his team did not panic. Davis decided to run offensive sets for superstar sophomore Jared Jeffries who scored 11 consecutive points late in the second half. The Hoosiers sealed the win with a 10-4 run.\n Most impressive was the play of A.J. Moye who frustrated Blizzard on defense after defensive specialist Dane Fife fouled out. Moye also added four crucial free throws in the final minute and finished with 12 points.\n But it seems the Hoosiers are being slighted in terms of exposure, since all anyone could talk about was Duke almost losing to Notre Dame. Maybe it's because the Hoosiers are powered by spot shooting and defense, not vertical leaps; or because they are supposed to win and that doesn't make for exciting commentary. Regardless, IU is still playing basketball, which only 15 other basketball teams can claim.\nNow Davis can take a deep breath and enjoy the feeling of taking his team to the Sweet Sixteen in vintage IU fashion.\nNational exposure aside, the Hoosiers are getting all the gratification they need from the students and fans who, for eight years, have waited for this run.