Coming home again: Dakich gets first win as coach in Assembly Hall

Stepping out on the floor of Assembly Hall Tuesday night was a different experience for IU interim coach Dan Dakich, compared to his first coaching gig at Bowling Green.\n“For 10 years, I looked out a window of my office hoping cars would be pulling in the parking lot so there would be a crowd at Bowling Green games,” Dakich said. “So it was different to walk out there for 17,000 people, and I wasn’t holding signs.”\nThose 17,000-plus fans were not disappointed as Dakich and the No. 12 IU men’s basketball team defeated Ohio State 72-69 to move into a tie for first place in the Big Ten.\nDakich was promoted to interim coach last Friday after former coach Kelvin Sampson resigned in the wake of five major violations alleged by the NCAA on IU’s program. After Tuesday’s win, Dakich said he didn’t have any extra emotions heading into the contest.\n“I don’t mean to disappoint, but I am happy as hell that we won,” Dakich sad. “I am aware that Indiana basketball fans live and die with the basketball team. I am also aware that Indiana basketball fans are hurting. I did think about that walking off the court, about how great this place is.”\nIU started the game with a lot of energy, taking a 30-17 lead with 2:35 left in the first half. It seemed the Hoosiers were about to pull even further ahead, but fatigue set in and IU let the Buckeyes back into the game. Ohio State made the game interesting, battling with the Hoosiers back and forth in the second half, but the Buckeyes were never able to make the play to take the lead.\n“We are going to take tomorrow off and might just have the shoot around on Thursday because of how fatigued I think they are,” Dakich said. “They are warriors.”\nDakich has continued to say throughout his brief stint as head coach that he is not going to try to change many things, as the team has had a lot of success this season. Ohio State coach Thad Matta agreed with Dakich’s statement, saying the Hoosiers played similar to the first game against the Buckeyes this season, a 59-53 IU victory on Feb. 10.\n“We talked about it and said they are not going to try and reinvent the real,” Matta said. “I think they were pretty consistent from what they did the first game.”\nTo the players, however, Dakich has made one minor adjustment which he thinks will help the team offensively.\n“He emphasizes the run more,” Bassett said. “He tells us that we are the best team playing fast he has been around. Not change, but emphasize to get into the open court.”\nThere has been speculation since the NCAA allegations were made public on Feb. 13 on who will coach the Hoosiers next season. Many coaches have been targeted as candidates, but Dakich said he would like to have his name considered.\n“If you don’t want to coach at Indiana, then you really don’t want to coach,” Dakich said. “This is the best place in America in my opinion, and it always has been and it always will be.”