After an early tumult, IU's new coach has Hoosier Nation in his corner

Before a Big Ten game, an NCAA Tournament appearance or a full season under his belt, Hoosier Nation has embraced IU coach Kelvin Sampson.\nIt wasn't always such a loving squeeze, though.\nWhen IU announced Sampson's hiring March 29, it was more of a cold shoulder. Hoosier fans were underwhelmed. Message boards were on fire with angry outcries. He wasn't John Calipari, Tom Crean or Mark Few, all rumored to be possible suitors to the Hoosier crown. Nor was he Steve Alford or Randy Wittman, "IU guys" who -- in lieu of the man himself -- could at least bring some of The General's spirit back to Assembly Hall.\nHe was, well, Kelvin Sampson. And there wasn't anything inherently exciting about that. \nBut since the initial reaction, the fans calmed down. There's always going to be a preliminary backlash when change occurs. Especially at IU, a place expecting excellence but reeling from a few straight years of substandard play under former coach Mike Davis. \nAnd Sampson has done a lot to quell the doubters himself.\nHe blazed a trail around the state of Indiana this summer, giving speeches and meeting Hoosier supporters. He's reached out to former players to gauge their input.\nThat, coupled with fans knowing his resume -- one that includes Sampson winning 20-plus games at Oklahoma in each of the past nine seasons -- made the doubters begin to realize just how good of a coach he is.\nAnd when Sampson wrenched prized recruit Eric Gordon from the grips of Illinois coach Bruce Weber and the Illini, his support grew again.\nAt Hoosier Hysteria on Oct. 13, the same day Gordon announced he would attend IU, Sampson received a raucous ovation from those in attendance. He's also been getting the loudest applause during pre-game introductions at Assembly Hall.\nStill, there are those who might never embrace Sampson. They feel his NCAA sanctions for recruiting law infractions are unacceptable, no matter how minor his penalty is.\nBut victories and championships will make some of them forget that stuff.\nSure, Sampson's been successful at every stop along the way and sports an impressive resume. And sure, he can win 20-plus games each year at IU, just as he did his last nine years at Oklahoma. He can be awarded The Associated Press' Coach of the Year as coach of the Hoosiers, just as he did when he headed the Sooners. \nBut unless Sampson wins a national title during his tenure here, he'll be known as a great coach who never quite put it all together, who never reached the top of the mountain, who never fully returned the team to where Hoosier Nation expects it to be.\nSampson's teams look and play rather similar to those of Bob Knight. They love to teach the game of basketball. They play inside-out and emphasize defense. Make a bad play out on the court? Sampson will yank you right out of the game no matter who you are, just like Knight. Can you imagine if Mike Davis would have pulled his players out of the game every time they made a mistake? Some games Marco Killingsworth and Robert Vaden would have played a combined five minutes.\nBut Sampson's been quick to point out that he's looking toward the future with his team and not into the past. He understands the IU basketball tradition, but he's anxious to leave his own mark. He is not Robert Montgomery Knight, nor should he try to be. But either way, the similarities exist.\nSo here Kelvin Sampson stands. Thirty years removed from IU's perfect 32-0 season and nearly 20 years from its last national title. Will he be the one to return IU to glory, or is he just another coach to forever live in Bob Knight's shadow?\nThis season should give us our first indication.