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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

Defense looks top-notch

Both IU men's basketball exhibition games are in the books. Both were blowouts. Both featured a work-in-progress D.J. White and a surprisingly solid Armon Bassett, the backup/counterpart to Earl Calloway. Both displayed the sharp-shooting of junior college transfer Lance Stemler.\nBut what stood out above all else at this early-season juncture was the stifling, hard-nosed defense. \nJust ask University of Indianapolis coach Todd Sturgeon.\n"Their defensive pressure kind of wore us down. The fact is (IU) coach (Kelvin) Sampson's really got them defending hard," Sturgeon said during his media address following IU's 83-46 shellacking of the Greyhounds Friday night. "For crying out loud, they picked us up all over the floor the whole game." \nHe's right.\nWith IU up by more than 30 points during the second half Friday night, Calloway (who nursed a flu-induced, 102-degree fever most of last week, by the way) pressured the Greyhounds' point guard full-court on numerous occasions, as did Bassett when he took over defensive duties on Indianapolis' pointman.\nThat sort of defense is what IU basketball was known for under direction of former coach Bob Knight. The Hoosiers might not be the favorite to win the conference this year (Wisconsin) or have the most talent (Ohio State), but pressuring the opponent at every juncture is going to give IU a chance to succeed each year.\nThat's not to say the Mike Davis era didn't feature good defense. It just seems like early on under Sampson, the level of defensive play been raised a few notches -- perhaps back to Knight level.\nFor as much praise as Sampson gave his defense -- "There was a spurt in the second half defensively that I thought we were outstanding," Sampson said following the Indianapolis game -- he was also quick to point out its lapses.\n"I probably never am (happy with the defense)," Sampson said. "The toughest thing for a freshman to do is defend a screen. ... We had a chance at a five-count and Armon runs right into the middle of a screen. If Armon was in the forest, he'd run into the trees. That's a freshman. He'll get better at that as he goes."\nAs impressive as the Hoosier defense has been, the offense has struggled. It's been sloppy, out-of-synch and confused at points during the exhibition matches.\nBut that's OK.\nAs Sampson continues to stress, this is a group of men learning an entirely new offense under a new coach, and it's going to take some time for the Hoosiers to work as a unit.\n"When you've got a group like this and we're trying to figure things out, you're going to have some head-scratching possessions occasionally," Sampson said. \nThe Hoosiers start their regular season tonight against Lafayette College at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. They will take on either Notre Dame or Butler on Tuesday. During both games, there are going to be some hiccups on offense. \nAgain, that's OK.\nBut in 15 days, the Hoosiers take on Duke University in Cameron Indoor Stadium. If the offense isn't figured out by then, IU could be in big, big trouble.

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