Opener chance to start on right foot

One year and two days after the beginning of the worst IU men's basketball season since 1970, the Hoosiers hit the court Tuesday night at Assembly Hall hoping to return the program to its historically winning ways.\nThat road to redemption starts Tuesday against Indaiana State University with tip-off set for 6 p.m.\nIU prepped for the season with two exhibition games. The first, a blowout victory against Bellarmine University, showcased a dominating second-half performance. The second exhibition, a 57-47 squeaker against Southern-Illinois University Edwardsville, displayed a young team still experiencing growing pains.\nIU coach Mike Davis said he had no concerns following the SIUE victory heading into the season opener, but the memory of last season still persists.\n"You can never erase last year," Davis said. "But we're a completely new team this year. We have new players, new uniforms, new coaches, and we're excited because we think we have something good going on here."\nOne "good" thing Davis might be referring to is the additional scoring threats this Hoosier team potentially has with Marshall Strickland, D.J. White, Robert Vaden and an improved Pat Ewing Jr. Last season, junior Bracey Wright led IU, averaging 18.5 point per game, while being the Hoosiers' only go-to guy.\nHowever, Wright has struggled through the two exhibition games. In the two contests, The Colony, Texas, native has averaged only 9.5 points per game, roughly half of his average last season, to go with a combined seven of 18 shooting.\nEwing said Wright's role has changed on this Hoosier team.\n"He doesn't have to shoot all of the shots now," Ewing said. "We've got a lot of options this year. Bracey's still Bracey. He knows he's our go-to guy."\nIndiana State knocked off Coastal Carolina University 70-46 Friday night at home in its inaugural game of the 2004-05 campaign. The Sycamores were led by junior guard David Moss' 24 points as well as senior forward Amani Daanish's 12.\nLast season, the Sycamores finished a lackluster 9-19, but return four starters from last year, led by Moss, who averaged 13.6 points per game in 2004. \nIU leads the overall series 15-4, but has lost the last two times they've met the Sycamores. In 2000, Davis' first year as head coach, the Hoosiers dropped a one-point game in Terre Haute. One year earlier, IU lost 63-60 in Assembly Hall.\nWilmont said every game for the Hoosiers will be a war -- starting Tuesday against the Sycamores.\nThe No. 1 priority for IU's quest to return to basketball respectability, Wilmont said, does not involve the Xs and Os; rather, it involves each other.\n"Communication - if we talk, we are a real good team," Wilmont said. "If someone messes up, but we're talking, that can help us out a lot. We're a young team, and if we talk and help each other, we'll be alright."\n-- Contact sports editor John Rodgers at jprodger@indiana.edu.