Usually in this column space, I try to write some breathy prose about the men's basketball team. You know, relating each game to the big picture of the season and telling you what it all means, man.\nLet's ditch that for a day.\nHere are your mid-season awards and accolades 66 percent of the way through the regular season. Whoops.
MVP: D.J. White\nAfter a slow start, White has asserted himself as a versatile player on both sides of the ball. He's racked up five double-doubles on the season. His scoring ability has had opposing teams picking their poison against IU all season. Teams ask themselves, "Do we double down on White, or do we go with one defender on him, limiting IU's 3-point shooting ability?" It would be a real shame if White went pro after this season with Eric Gordon coming in next year, but I'd expect him to stick around for another year.
Best game: Western Illinois\nFor those of you who don't remember, IU pummeled the Leathernecks by a score of 92-40. The Hoosiers were firing on all cylinders that night and everything just seemed to fall into place. An honorable mention goes out to IU's wins on the road against Connecticut and Penn State.
Best individual performance: Rod Wilmont against Penn State\nThis was straight-up ridiculous. Did Rod even miss a shot in that first half? Although he cooled off a bit in the second half, he finished 7-of-17 from 3-point land and tallied career highs in points with 25 and rebounds with 12.
Most improved: Xavier Keeling\nSome thought Keeling might redshirt before the season started. He didn't get much playing time once it began. But slowly, Kelvin Sampson seems to have gained confidence in this Huntsville, Ala., native and he's made the most out of his minutes in the game. And, for the most part, he's played mistake-free basketball. An honorable mention for this one goes out to Mike White.
Most consistent: Kelvin Sampson\nSporting the blue shirt and red tie every game, IU's new coach has preached defense and rebounding since he got here and that's what his team has been known for early in his tenure. Since the season started, at almost every post-game news conference he said something to the effect of, "This team is better than it was last week, than it was last month." And well, he was right.
Best bench cheer: Errek Suhr's bow and arrow\nAlthough Adam Ahfeld definitely deserves a mention here, nothing quite comes close to Suhr's reaction after a 3-pointer. He sometimes reaches back over his shoulder, grabs an imaginary arrow, lines it up in his imaginary bow and shoots it upward. Classic.
Most fun to watch: Joey Shaw\nSure, he's been inconsistent, and sure, he still has room to grow and weight to put on. But when Shaw is slashing to the basket or spotting up for a 3, there's just something about it that's undeniably enjoyable. (That was lame, but you get what I mean.) An honorable mention for this one goes out to White, A.J. Ratliff and Wilmont. You could throw Earl Calloway and Armon Bassett into that mix, too.\nDon't agree with me? Have any of your own to add? Head over to the BasketBlog at www.idsnews.com/basketblog and let me know what you think. It's the Internet, baby. Let it fly.
