There's a solid discussion going on already, so I'm a bit hesitant to switch gears like this, but I think this is interesting enough to warrant its own post.
We've been - as we usually do the few days after a big IU game - trolling the major media sites that covered IU to get their takes. Two heavies in the press room in Durham the other night were Andy Katz from ESPN and Skip Myslenski of the Chicago Tribune, both of whom cover college basketball exclusively (as you probably already know).
Anyway, both wrote their columns about two traditional powers experiencing early season growing pains, reflecting each coach's optimism after an ugly, hard-fought game Tuesday night. They columns are similar for a reason - they're both right on. Here's Myslenski's. Here's Katz's.
But if you scroll to the bottom of Katz's piece, you'll see the most thought-provoking paragraph of either column. He writes:
Six games into his first season at Indiana, Sampson is still trying to see how the pieces fit in Bloomington. The Hoosiers (3-3) still host Charlotte and Southern Illinois and play at Kentucky and Connecticut among highlighted nonconference games. Then they must go through a Big Ten that is top-heavy with Wisconsin and Ohio State. With highly touted guard Eric Gordon out of Indianapolis coming in 2007-08, Sampson just wants to survive this season and, ideally, make the postseason (the NIT will do).
First of all, I'll ignore the 3-3 record typo, because I make mistakes all the time that sometimes aren't caught by desk or copy editors. It just happens, and it's not fun for anyone. Except the people who get to point out the mistakes. They love that. We all know IU is 3-2, and it's fair to assume that Andy Katz knows that too. So let's let it go.
But the core here is Katz's expectations for the Hoosiers. The "NIT will do?" Really?
Sampson has alluded to the fact that his team is still growing and developing, that they are still trying to form an identity. It's one of his favorite things to talk about, in fact. But here, Katz seems to have set the bar really low, insinuating that even an NIT berth would make Sampson happy in his first year. (It's possible Sampson has talked to Katz about this off the record, because Katz talks to everyone, but I find it hard to believe the coach would be so defeatist already.)
This is a team with growing pains. But it is also a talented team and, as we saw in Durham the other night, a deep team. Once they really figure Sampson's system and their roles within that system out, they have the chance to be a good team.
Even with Eric Gordon headed to Bloomington next season, it's hard to imagine the NIT satisfying anybody - least of all, IU's fans.
What do you think? Should Sampson be happy with an NIT berth this year? Would you be, or do you expect an NCAA appearance? Let us know in the comments.
