Hoosiers prepare for 1st full offseason under Sampson

It’s been more than a week since IU’s 54-49 loss to the UCLA Bruins in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Already, the Hoosiers are beginning their offseason work and preparing for the 2007-08 campaign.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson said the squad will now focus on catching up academically, but the players will also begin their offseason workouts soon.\n“Strength training will be a huge point of emphasis (in the offseason), especially for the young kids,” Sampson said last Thursday during his weekly news conference. “We do a lot of explosive work and a little bit of everything. With the rule set up for time allowed, we have to shut down everything the week before finals, so we have a three-week window to practice.”\nThe first-year IU coach said the offseason will be key for several players – especially juniors A.J. Ratliff and Lance Stemler, who can both take care of injuries they sustained during the season. Ratliff wore a brace on his wrist for most of the year, while Stemler played with an injured ankle that he had surgery on last Friday.\n“In addition to his wrist injury, (Ratliff) really hurt his thumb,” Sampson said, “so I looked at his turnovers, and it is hard to get upset with his play, because he was playing with only one hand. A.J. showed a lot of courage, and the same with Lance. Lance is a kid that has a really bad ankle, and it affected his shot.”\nOne thing the Hoosiers might have to prepare for this offseason is the departure of junior forward D.J. White. White, who was named second team all-Big Ten this season, remains uncertain of his future with the Hoosiers and might enter the NBA Draft. Sampson said last week that he has encouraged White to thoroughly explore the option.\n“I have talked to D.J.’s parents, and I think it would be an injustice to not find out where his value stands,” Sampson said. “Sometime in April they will do a mock draft. D.J. could be a first-rounder or a high pick. If that’s what D.J. wants to do, then I will support him 100 percent.”\nAs the Hoosiers stand now, 10 players will return to the squad next season, eight of whom are on scholarship. The roster number will jump to 15 with the addition of the five-member recruiting class, which many consider one of the best in the nation.\nSampson said now the focus of the program will be about developing players.\n“Jamarcus Ellis is a great player, and people just haven’t seen him,” he said. “There are a lot of reasons why the focus will be on Eric (Gordon), as he is from Indiana and an outstanding player. When people get to know Jamarcus, Brandon McGee, Eli (Holman) and Jordan (Crawford), they will see their excitement about coming to Indiana. All of these kids will have the opportunity to help us on some level.”