Guard has seen it all

Donald Perry, IU's 6-foot-2 guard from Tallulah, La., is a junior juggling basketball practice, games, being a recreational sports marketing and management major and the pressure of the IU fans at home games. \nAs a freshman, Perry was a key part of IU's success in the 2002 NCAA Tournament and scored what was then his career-high 10 points in just 11 minutes of play during IU's victory over Oklahoma in the Final Four. \nBut now, it's two years later, and IU is struggling to even make the NCAA Tournament.\nPerry said he and the team at least expected one thing from this season.\n"You come into the year with expectations to win the Big Ten," Perry said. "That's our expectation every year as a team."\nPerry's best game of his career came at Assembly Hall against then-No. 4 Missouri Dec. 6. While the Hoosiers suffered a loss, Perry posted 13 points and hit three baskets from behind the arc. It was a game sophomore forward Sean Kline said showed Perry could control the game.\nFurther into the season, Perry is looking for more playing time but isn't seeing it from IU coach Mike Davis. Perry started at Northwestern, IU's most recent game, but only played 14 minutes and scored just two points. \n"It's up to me if I come out there in a game and play well," Perry said. "If I play lackadaisical, I won't play that much."\nIn order to improve, Perry said he would have to play better defense and make better decisions on the court. \nDavis said Perry needs to work on his concentration and the biggest part of his game is dribbling.\n"When you're six feet, you have to have a passion and intensity about you to really cause havoc," Davis said. "We're still working on that with Donald. Hopefully, he can improve in that area."\nPerry has started in 13 of IU's 24 games this season and averages 22.7 minutes a game. He is tied at sixth on the team in scoring with freshman guard Roderick Wilmont. They both average 3.4 points a game. \nWith freshman forward Jessan Gray-Ashley academically ineligible for the second semester of this season and freshman forward Pat Ewing Jr. out one game due to academic issues, dealing with school and basketball has been an obvious problem for some players on the IU team.\nPerry said it is really hard to be a student and an athlete.\n"Especially when the season starts and you're always traveling," Perry said. "You've got practice, and you're trying to fit your classes around your practice schedule, and it's tough."\nBesides being focused on improving on the court and keeping up with classes, Perry is just one of the 14 IU players dealing with the unsatisfied fans in Assembly Hall. \nHis view, however, is different than those of some of his teammates.\n"I understand where they're coming from with that," Perry said. "They are used to seeing us come out and playing and winning at home. You shouldn't lose five or six home games. That's uncalled for.\nAs for the booing, we've just got to take that as a challenge and feed off of it instead of getting mad at the fans and stuff like that. It should make us play harder I think."\nSince Perry's expectations to win the Big Ten this year have dwindled away -- the Hoosiers are currently only four teams from the bottom of the Big Ten -- he said he's focused on going on a winning streak.\n"I want to win from here on out," Perry said. "I just want to win every game we possibly can, and whatever happens, happens."\n-- Contact staff writer Natalie A. Trout at natrout@indiana.edu.