How Rodney Dangerfield can help the Hoosiers

You often hear Rodney Dangerfield complain about how he never gets any respect. And he may be right -- one often overlooks his great comedic performances in films such as "Caddyshack" or "Back to School." (For the sake of this article, I won't mention the film "Ladybugs." Also for the sake of this article, I will start talking about basketball. Just hang on a sec).\nMuch like Dangerfield, coach Mike Davis must feel his team isn't getting the respect that it deserves. A year after finishing one win away from raising a sixth National Championship banner to the Assembly Hall rafters, nobody is prepared to believe the Hoosiers will be making the trip to New Orleans for this year's Final Four. \nThis, of course, is understandable. It's hard for any team to go to the Final Four in consecutive years.\nBut most experts aren't even projecting a Big Ten Championship for the Hoosiers. As is seemingly always the case, the pre-season accolades are drifting toward Tom Izzo and Michigan State. \nLike a junior high girl looking at a poster of N'SYNC, the national media just seems to go a little overboard when it comes to evaluating the Spartans, who seem to prematurely lose their top players to the NBA Draft each year. Not that MSU won't be plenty good this year -- they will be. It's just that no one seems to think they are ever capable of dropping a notch or two.\nBut when IU loses its top player two years in a row, what happens? \n"Oh, those guys don't have a chance. Wait 'til next year," people say.\nAt least IU is in the Top 25 -- barely. Sportsline.com has the Hoosiers entering the season ranked No. 23 in the nation, exactly six spots behind … Western Kentucky? Sure, the Hilltoppers had a pretty sweet run last year, going 28-4. But to rank them ahead of every team in the Big Ten except for Michigan State? I guess I forgot how tough Sun Belt conference rivals like Arkansas State and Denver were. (No, not the Nuggets, but Denver University. Not that the Nuggets are any better).\nA bigger disgrace is that five teams from the SEC are ranked higher than IU. With the exception of Kentucky, have you ever seen an SEC team go deep in the tournament? Of course you haven't, SEC teams always lose in the first round. (You can forget aberrations like Florida's 2000 Championship game appearance). \nSEC fans don't even know that basketball season starts until the Sugar Bowl is over. And how can a team be expected to do well in the tournament when spring football practices are the hot topic on campus? \nI won't totally berate the national media here; there is plenty of reason for them to be skeptical. IU did lose three players in Jared Jeffries, Dane Fife and Jarrad Odle. But there are a number of factors that can bring success back to Assembly Hall this year.\nExpect Tom Coverdale to come out with guns blazing as he plays true to his all-Big Ten form. And don't be at all surprised if this is the year we see A.J. Moye blossom into a superstar. He didn't make the all-Big Ten team in the preseason, but I have a feeling he won't be left off the ballot when the year comes to an end.\nBig men Jeff Newton and George Leach will have to pick up the void left by Jeffries. If they play anything like they did under the pressure and scrutiny of the national spotlight in last year's tournament, there should be no problem.\nYou might have heard they've got some freshmen on the IU roster this year as well. And judging by some action during scrimmages, it looks like they can be expected to make a big impact in the Big Ten this season.