The former IU head coach walked onto Branch McCracken Court with a quick handshake and a smile for fans and former colleagues who passed by. He met IU Coach Tom Crean and his staff at halfcourt, who greeted him with a hug.
When his name was called as part of pregame introductions, Davis raised a hand to a receptive Assembly Hall crowd.
“It was really nice to see him get that reception,” Crean said. “That says a lot about Indiana fans.”
When Davis walked into the press room after his team’s 83-64 loss to IU, the smile was still there.
“It’s the first time I’ve lost a game here, and I’m not sad,” he said. “I’m disappointed.”
Davis’ Texas Southern squad was put in an early hole by a stellar first-half performance from IU freshman guard Robert Johnson. The freshman tallied 17 points, adding three rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes.
Johnson finished with 21 points to lead all scorers.
“I thought Robert Johnson was outstanding tonight,” Crean said. “There really wasn’t even a time I wanted to take him off the floor.”
IU entered halftime with a 15-point lead but cooled off, outscoring Texas Southern by four points in the second half. The Hoosiers shot 62 percent from the field in the first half and just 52 percent in the second.
The second-half slump dropped the Hoosiers to 57 percent shooting on the night — still a sharp upgrade on their 45 percent from the field last season.
Playing without two of its top three post players, IU was outrebounded for the second time in its first two games. The ?Hoosiers pulled in 32 rebounds against the Tigers’ 34.
Crean said the 19-point final margin didn’t show how competitive Monday’s game was on the floor.
“We knew we were playing a really good team,” he said. “Mike is an outstanding coach, but he also brought in a really good team ... he’s got a lot of talent on that team.”
Despite the loss, Davis joked and smiled through his post-game press ?conference.
It wasn’t the result he wanted, but Davis came back to Assembly Hall one last time.
“I’m where I am today because of Indiana basketball, and I wanted to at least come in before I quit coaching and play a game here,” Davis said. “I owe Indiana way more than anything. Just so excited to be back.”
