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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Freshman guard Andre Owens announced Friday that he will not return to the men's basketball team next season. Owens has been granted a release from his scholarship at IU and will transfer to another school after finishing the academic year.\nOwens said he wants to play for a team with a more up-tempo offense.\nOwens, a former Perry Meridian High School standout, met with coach Mike Davis Friday to inform him of his decision to transfer.\n"I fully support Andre and the decision that he has made," Davis said Friday in a press release. "I know that such decisions are not easy ones to make. I met with Andre this afternoon and have indicated that everyone involved with the Indiana men's basketball program will do whatever we can to assist him in his future endeavors."\nThe 6-foot-2 Owens played in 30 games for the Hoosiers this season, averaging 4.7 points in 14.1 minutes per game. His career-high scoring game was a 22 point-effort Dec. 8 against Western Michigan.\nOwens has not declared where he will transfer to, stating that, "I have a lot of schools looking at me right now."\nBut he did leave open the possibility of rejoining former IU coach Bob Knight at Texas Tech. \n"(Texas Tech) may be one of my options," Owens said. "Coach Knight told us he'd have no problem with us transferring to play for him. I just want to go somewhere to play my style of basketball. But I'm not going to jump into a place that isn't right. I'm weighing my options."\nOwens' departure leaves the team's bench thin on scoring guards. Starters Dane Fife and Tom Coverdale play a substantial amount, and with Owens' transfer, sophomore Kyle Hornsby is the only significant threat remaining off the bench.\n"Coach (Davis) was bringing him along as fast as he could," Fife said. "I think Andre would have eventually been a really good player here. He just didn't have the patience. It's disappointing to see him go, but we'll find someone to fill his role. It's obvious we need help, especially at the (scoring) guard position."\nThe Hoosiers will be joined next season by 6-foot-1 point guard Donald Perry of McCall (La.) High School and 6-foot-7 forward Sean Kline of Huntington (Ind.) North High School.\nWith Owens' transfer, the Hoosiers will have an additional open scholarship and will likely bring in a third recruit for next year.\nOne player Davis will take a close look at is 6-foot-2 guard Marcus Hatten of Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College.\nHatten is the Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and averaged 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game this season. Hatten is also being recruited by Iowa State and DePaul.
(04/11/01 5:48am)
CHICAGO -- When World Wrestling Federation Chairman Vince McMahon announced Feb. 3, 2000, that he founded a new football league, curiosity surfaced. And when NBC became a co-owner of that league March 29, 2000, excitement for the inaugural season grew.\nBut since the XFL began play Feb. 3, 2001, media have focused more attention on national ratings and other measures of success than the teams and players within the league.\n"No league has ever been under as much scrutiny," XFL Senior Consultant Rich Rose said. "We were under a microscope from the start."\nFrom under a microscope, the XFL has assumed the role of an underdog. Critics have targeted the fledgling league, calling the frills pointless, the commentary bland and the football bad.\nMedia criticism of the XFL centers around the inability to maintain a solid television audience. \nThe intended demographic of the league, men ages 18-34, is the same as the loyal audience that brings McMahon's WWF a large viewing audience and countless revenue dollars. But the WWF fans haven't shown interest in the XFL.\nThe XFL's ratings on NBC have plummeted since the debut earned a 9.5 national rating, winning the primetime Saturday slot. The network audience has free-fallen to a 1.7 national rating in Week 10, the lowest among major networks. \nSunday afternoon games, broadcast on TNN and UPN, have enjoyed some success when compared to NBC's Saturday night games. \nBecause of the low ratings and lack of interest in Saturday night games, the league and the network are considering televising all games on Sunday afternoons next season.\n"There is a lot of talk that Sunday afternoons is when the viewing patterns have been established for pro football," XFL president Basil DeVito told The Associated Press. "What we're doing is learning from our mistakes and adjusting."\nOne major adjustment has been the response to the lack of publicity within the sports community.\nThe XFL was counting on media giants ESPN and FOX to broadcast highlights on "Sportscenter" and "National Sports Report," respectively. But since the inaugural XFL weekend, other networks have been reluctant to bring publicity to their competitor. And the XFL has suffered a lack of coverage from most major print media outlets. \nThe ABC/ESPN/Disney conglomerate and FOX have no stake in the league and failed to promote it, upsetting projected media attention. \n"There are some things that quite frankly we were unprepared for," DeVito said. "We didn't do everything well out of the gate."\nThe XFL has compensated by advertising on NBC during low-rated programming.\nThe lack of revenue and national ratings has lead to rumors of NBC turning its back on the league in favor of choice programming.\n"I think NBC would make a big mistake in dropping us," Chicago Enforcers coach Ron Meyer said. "We're just getting our feet wet."\nWhile the television audience has been disappointing, the XFL has seen surprisingly strong attendance.\n"If (the crowd) buys what you do, then that's your ultimate critic," Rose said.\nAbout 25,000 fans have passed through the turnstile at each game, surpassing projections by 5,000 per contest. San Francisco leads the league in attendance, averaging more than 34,000 fans per game, while Chicago is last at just more than 15,000 fans.\nThe allure of attending can best be described as a new, fan-friendly experience. The ticket prices are significantly less than those for an NFL game, averaging about $25, but it is the atmosphere that draws people to the stadiums. Large viewing screens, called "Jumbo-trons," are placed behind each end zone. In-game sideline interviews are shown on the Jumbo-trons and heard over the public address system, bringing the fans closer to the game.\n"The experience is different than any other sport," Rose said. "You want to see that."\nThe XFL can afford such luxuries for one simple reason -- money.\nWhile the NFL has a salary cap, player salaries are rapidly approaching $10 million per year. Major League Baseball just saw Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez sign a $252 million contract.\nThe XFL places restrictions on players and how much they can earn. Most players earn a $45,000 base salary for the season. Quarterbacks are paid $50,000 and kicking specialists $35,000.\nBut the potential for players for earn bonuses drives teams to victory.\nEach regular season game features a $100,000 bonus pool to be divided equally by players on the winning team. \n"This league is all about winning and money," Enforcers quarterback Kevin McDougal said. "If you win, you make more money."\nThe bonus pool increases to $300,000 for the first round of the playoffs. The bonus pool for "The Million Dollar Game," the XFL's Super Bowl, will be $1 million. \nWhat remains to be seen is the long-term success of the league. While media critics feel that the XFL is simply a football fill-in until the NFL season begins, XFL players, coaches and front office personnel hope that the league can endure and thrive.\n"I think it's going pretty well," said Enforcers running back John Avery, the XFL's leading rusher. "We've come a long way"
(04/10/01 5:05am)
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Enforcers were in a fight for their XFL playoff lives in the final regular season game Sunday night against the Orlando Rage. They won the fight.\nChicago's ball-control offense and swarming defense led the Enforcers (5-5) to a 23-6 victory, clinching a second-place finish in the Eastern Division and setting up a first-round playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Xtreme.\nThe Enforcers defense forced three Orlando turnovers and held the Rage (8-2), the league's best team, to 177 yards. Linebacker Jamie Baisley, an IU alumnus, led the Enforcers with 11 tackles and a forced fumble. Defensive tackle Don Sasa contributed a sack and an interception.\n"Our defense just played magnificent football for us," Enforcers coach Ron Meyers said. "It was just fantastic."\nChicago's offense was pretty good, too.\nQuarterback Kevin McDougal led Chicago's offense to two early field goals, but it was his execution of two big-yardage plays late in the first half that gave the Enforcers a 13-0 halftime lead.\nAfter a 32-yard run by McDougal left only 1:23 on the clock, a trick play gave the Enforcers an offensive jolt.\nOn the ensuing play, a fleaflicker, McDougal threw a 43-yard pass to wide receiver Junior Lord, bringing the ball to the three-yard line.\nAnother quarterback draw by McDougal gave Chicago its first touchdown of the night. Running back LeShon Johnson ran for the point after to make the score 13-0.\n"Coach (Meyers) made some great calls tonight," McDougal said. "We took a shot with those two players and we scored. That's what broke the game open."\nThe Enforcers put the game away early in the third quarter, when Chicago took the second half kickoff 72 yards, culminating in a 29-yard scoring strike from McDougal to wide receiver Aaron Bailey. McDougal's lob pass to tight end Willy Tate in the corner of the end zone accounted for the point after and gave the Enforcers a 20-0 lead.\nMcDougal completed 13 of 20 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. He rushed three times for 34 yards and a touchdown.\n"He's mobile and poised in the pocket," Chicago running back John Avery said. "That's what it takes, guys stepping up. And (McDougal) stepped up today."\nAvery, the XFL's leading rusher, carried the ball 10 times for 41 yards. In nine games, Avery is averaging 89 rushing yards per contest. He missed one game because of an injury.\nThe only blemish on the Enforcers' victory was a 51-yard touchdown pass from Rage quarterback Brian Kuklick to wide receiver Dialleo Burks on the last play of the third quarter.\nDespite the touchdown, Chicago completed the greatest story, thus far, of the first XFL season.\nBeginning the season 0-4, the Enforcers were written off as the inaugural league's worst team. But by winning five of its last six games, Chicago earned a playoff berth.\nChicago and Los Angeles will play April 14 for the right to advance to "The Million Dollar Game," the XFL's version of the Super Bowl. San Francisco and Orlando will play in the opposite bracket.\nThe game was dubbed appropriately because the winning team in the April 21 championship game will receive a million dollars, to be divided among players and coaches.
(03/15/01 3:57pm)
CHICAGO - The Indiana men\'s basketball team surpassed expectations and surprised many at last weekend\'s Big Ten Tournament.\nThe Hoosiers showed poise, heart and desire in fighting to a second place finish behind Iowa.\nThey proved to the country that IU can play ball with the best.\nAnd now the Hoosiers have a chance to prove it all over again.\nThe NCAA men\'s tournament selection committee thought enough of IU to rank it among the top 16 teams in the field.\nAs the No. 4 seed in the West region, the Hoosiers should be able to burst into the Sweet 16, a place they haven\'t been since 1994.\nIn the first round, IU will face No. 13 Kent State Thursday in San Diego, Calif.\nI don\'t know a thing about the Golden Flashes. But neither do the Hoosiers. Tom Coverdale didn\'t know what their nickname is. Kirk Haston didn\'t know what state they were from.\nBut, based on seeds alone, IU should have no problem.\nIn Round Two, the Hoosiers will face the winner of the game between No. 12 Brigham Young and No. 5 Cincinnati. It\'s likely IU will play Cincinnati Saturday. Bearcat guard Kenny Satterfield is Cincy\'s best player and the chore of defending him will be left to junior guard Dane Fife and sophomore guard Tom Coverdale.\nAfter containing Ilinois\' Frank Williams, the Big Ten Player of the Year, and Iowa\'s Dean Oliver, Fife and Coverdale should be able to slow Satterfield enough to allow a Hoosier victory.\nThe third round is where things get interesting. Bob Knight predicted IU\'s tourney run will end here with a loss to No.1 Stanford. But, the Hoosiers played so well in the last week that it\'s crazy to assume a blowout. And, a tight game gives both teams a chance to win.\nSay IU did win. According to seedings, they would face No. 2 Iowa State in the Elite Eight, East No. 1 Duke in the Final Four, and either Midwest No. 1 Illinois or South No. 1 Michigan State in the National Championship game. \nWow.\nA tough road by any measuring stick.\nBut hey, it could happen
(02/20/01 5:42am)
Some of the premier coaches in America are being considered as candidates to become the next head man of the Hoosiers.\nThere are long shots, dark horses and favorites among them, but all have been mentioned at one time or another as possible successors to interim head coach Mike Davis.\nWhile the experts spread rumors and look for answers, I have neatly compiled a short list of seven names who could coach IU next season:\n• Mike Davis -- The logical choice. The players have bought into Davis' coaching philosophy, which has given the team some stability this season. Not only that, but every player on the roster will return next season. If Davis is not brought back, IU will have it's third coach in three years, not exactly the way to take a program to the next level. \n• Rick Pitino -- An unlikely choice for IU because of his high salary demand. If there is a coach made for college basketball, it's Pitino. He can recruit. He can teach. He can win. But he won't be doing it at IU. The administration does not want another coach who will be bigger than the program. Pitino's reputation will land him at a high profile school, probably UNLV, but not IU.\n• Tim Floyd -- Several years ago while at Iowa State, Floyd was thought to be among the up-and-coming coaches in college basketball. Then he went to the Bulls and has languished in the cellar of the NBA. Floyd could bolt from pro game to college if the situation was right. \n• Rick Majerus -- The University of Utah coach is taking the rest of this season off following health problems and family issues. His reputation is unmatched, his coaching style is winning, and he wears red sweaters. But, he is still under contract to Utah. IU would have to buy out Majerus' current contract, in addition to paying a hefty salary. Again, not likely.\n• Randy Wittman -- The only former IU player and alumnus on the list would only be available should he be fired from his current position as head coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers have lost 22 of their last 27 games and Wittman might be let go after the season. According to a Chicago Tribune report, Wittman "has long been coveted by the university and would be a perfect fit..." \n• Larry Eustachy -- The current Iowa State coach is the hottest candidate on the list. Eustachy would become the favorite should Tom Jurich, the Athletic Director at the University of Louisville, become the next athletics director at Indiana. Jurich is the front-runner to replace Clarence Doninger and is close friends with the Cyclones' coach. The administration has already said the new athletic director will have a hand in choosing the coach. Eustachy has had a successful coaching career and has led Iowa State, 22-3, to a No. 6 national ranking this season.\n• Bob Knight -- Maybe it's just sentiment, but Knight will always be remembered as IU's head coach. Why not bring him back? He doesn't have a job, but has repeatedly said he wants to coach again. He recruited every one of IU's players and with a new athletics director being brought in, the animosity Knight had with Doninger would no longer exist. \nWhoever coaches IU next season will almost certainly be a success, as the Hoosiers will return a National Player of the Year candidate in Kirk Haston and a super sophomore in Jared Jeffries. The new coach will have the entire off-season to prepare for the schedule, something Davis did not have the luxury to do this season because of Knight's firing.\nI can see two scenarios on the horizon:\nThe first involves Jurich. If he gets the athletics director position, the job will go to Eustachy.\nIf someone else is the new athletics director, Davis will be retained. \nThere are plenty of coaches with solid resumes who would flourish as IU's head basketball coach. The only question is, which one do you choose?
(02/06/01 10:13am)
Dane Fife, nice job. A career-high 15 points on six of nine shooting, including three of three from three-point range proves you can score.\nKirk Haston, well done. \nA career-high 29 points and a clutch three-pointer with 3.9 seconds to play to send the game into overtime. Sweet shot.\nJared Jeffries, way to go.\n15 points and 14 rebounds is a studly line for any freshman, let alone one in the Big Ten. \nTom Coverdale, good work.\nWhile playing all 45 minutes, you had 13 points, five boards and four assists, committing only four turnovers. \nBut Saturday's 85-78 win at Penn State was not a picture-perfect game. \nIU blew an 18-point halftime lead and proved it cannot put away teams in the second half of games.\nThe Hoosiers had Iowa down by 19 in Iowa City, Minnesota down by 13 in Minneapolis and Wisconsin down by nine in Madison. The Hawkeyes, Gophers and Badgers each came back and beat IU.\nAnyone see a trend?\nI can think of one thing that would contribute to the Hoosiers allowing these teams back into their respective games: halftime adjustments.\nThey make them. We don't. \nBut fear not, Hoosiers; redemption is ahead.\nTwo very winnable games against Michigan and Northwestern at home await IU. We can prove to everyone in the nation that Indiana can bury a weaker team.\nA challenge has been issued: Blow out the Wolverines and Wildcats.\nABOVE THE RIM\nAnyone seen Andre Owens lately?\nThe freshman guard hasn't seen action in two games. Why? Good question.\nI think I just saw Jeffrey Newton hustle. \nThe 6-foot-9 sophomore forward had just four points on 2-of-9 shooting in 38 minutes of play. Oh yeah, and six rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. \nMike Roberts, how's that bench treating you? \nWhen IU is up by 20 points against Penn State, why can't we get this guy in the game? The frosh from Oregon gets no love.\nJulius Smith, where do you buy your bow ties?\nI have decided Smith, an assistant coach, is the best-dressed coach on the team. Davis has some pretty sharp suits and is a close second. The bow tie is coming back. It's all about style. \nWait: Haston just missed another free throw.\nKirk is our money guy and had a fantastic game against the Nittany Lions. But c'mon, three of nine from the foul line is worse than Shaq. \nWhat can't A.J. Moye do?\nIn five minutes against Penn State, my favorite freshman scored five points, grabbed a rebound and had one block. Talk about a spark off the bench. Get this guy some minutes.
(02/02/01 5:26am)
Well, we finally won a Big Ten road game. It's about time.\nBefore Wednesday night's 70-67 victory at Ohio State, the Hoosiers had gone almost a year without a conference victory away from Assembly Hall.\nThe win moved IU's record to 13-9 (4-4 Big Ten) with eight games remaining, three on the road.\nI only have one thing to say to the team.\nDo it again.\nRemaining away games include Penn State, Michigan State and Purdue. The Hoosiers should beat Penn State and play a close game in West Lafayette. IU will most likely get rolled by the No. 5 Spartans, who are looking to avenge a 59-58 loss to the Hoosiers earlier this season.\nIU is 2-5 on the road, with wins against Notre Dame and Ohio State. The Hoosiers need to extinguish their road woes and play fundamental basketball if they hope to begin a road winning streak. \nBut IU cannot continue to play inconsistently down the stretch of the season with the quality of opponents it plays.\nThere are some keys to the rest of the season that will weigh heavily on the success of the Hoosiers.\n• Junior guard Dane Fife has to become an offensive threat. Defensively, he is the team's stopper, but is a ghost on the other end of the floor. Fife had a pathetic shooting performance against the Buckeyes, going 0-2 from the field and 1-4 from the foul line. He finished with one point and one rebound. \nFife was on the floor for 35 minutes and was an offensive nonfactor. He needs to average eight to 10 points per game for the remainder of the season to take some of the scoring burden off of junior forward Kirk Haston and freshman forward Jared Jeffries.\n• IU must make more free throws. The Hoosiers shoot a dismal 62 percent from the line, while their opponents average 72 percent. Haston and Jeffries, IU's leaders in foul shots, are shooting only 66 and 62 percent, respectively. \nThe team must make these crucial one-pointers if they hope to keep pace with Michigan State in East Lansing.\n• Sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby needs to become a solid all-around player. Undoubtedly, Hornsby is one the best three-point shooters in the conference. Hornsby hits at 44 percent from beyond the arc, but would be even more effective if he was not just a spot-up shooter. With a dribble drive off a faked three-point shot, Hornsby could get his teammates and himself in better position to shoot. \n• Sophomore guard Tom Coverdale has to better defend the point guard position. A converted shooting guard, Coverdale was given to the task to run IU's offense. Coverdale hasn't done a poor job, considering he plays out of position. His fault is that he does not have the foot speed to defend quicker players. The Hoosiers must help Coverdale pressure their opponents' ball-handler. \n• Give freshman guard A.J. Moye more minutes. This kid can flat-out play. He rebounds, hustles for loose balls, is a sound defensive player and contributes on offense. He is a "baller" in every sense of the word. He has received a total of only 24 minutes in the past two games, but will only get better with an increase in playing time.\nThe Hoosiers have nothing but opportunity ahead of them. The opportunity to prove that they can win on the road. The opportunity to play consistently. The opportunity to improve as a team.
(01/26/01 5:07am)
In two months, the real season will begin.\nIt's been called "March Madness," tourney time, but no matter what it's called, it's where every college basketball team wants to be.\nThe NCAA tournament is the ultimate goal for all teams.\nBut will IU be among the 64 teams that make it?\nThe Hoosiers (12-8, 3-3 Big Ten) will need a strong push in their final 10 games to enter the tournament field.\nAs history shows, sometimes a low-seeded team can make a run for the championship once in the tournament.\nSixth-seeded Florida reached the title game a year ago and No. 8 seeds North Carolina and Wisconsin danced into the Final Four.\nTo shake up the tourney, IU will first have to finish with a kick and have a strong showing in the Big Ten Tournament. \nSome say IU will need at least 18 wins to make it to the big dance. The Big Ten is tough enough that most teams with a decent conference record will make it.\nWill IU?\nThe Hoosiers have a three-game road trip starting Saturday, before finishing with five of their last seven games at home.\nThe opportunity is there if the Hoosiers can grasp it.\nI predict that after losing at Iowa Saturday, IU will begin a four-game winning streak. The Hoosiers should beat Ohio State and Penn State on the road and Northwestern at home.\nAt that point, IU would be 16-9 at that point, 7-4 in conference play. \nA brutal five-game stretch closes the season.\nAfter Illinois at home and Michigan State on the road, both probable losses, the Hoosiers finish at Assembly Hall with Wisconsin and Minnesota before heading to West Lafayette to face Purdue in the final game of the season.\nThe last three games will determine IU's postseason fate.\nIf the Hoosiers can win out, a 19-11 record (10-6 Big Ten) would most likely secure a No. 6, 7 or 8 seed.\nBut that's a big "if."\nIU lost close games earlier in the season at Wisconsin and Minnesota, but will have a definite advantage at Assembly Hall.\nThe Hoosiers beat Purdue at home by 11, but will be on the road in a rowdy Mackey Arena for the season finale.\nI think IU will go 2-1 in the final three games, giving them 18 wins, placing them directly atop the proverbial bubble.\nThe Hoosiers can't have any more letdowns against inferior opponents. Losses against Ohio State, Penn State or Northwest-ern would devastate an attempted run for the NCAA Tournament.\nC'mon IU, saddle up, play well and create some madness of your own in March.
(01/23/01 5:32am)
aise your hand if you miss Bob Knight.\nIf your hand is up, you're not the only one. Without the General, IU basketball is lacking something.\nThat something is an integral part of every major IU rivalry, most evident in tonight's clash against Purdue.\nWhat helped make the IU-Purdue matchups so electrifying in the past was the Gene Keady-Knight coaching battle. Nowhere in the country could a fan find two coaches who better reflected the intensity and passion of their players. \nEvery time the Hoosiers and Boilermakers played, the game seemed to take on added significance. Every game was a war, and players and coaches laid every ounce of determination on the line. \nWith Knight gone, the rivalry won't be the same.\nThe drama that the Red-sweatered messiah brought to the game was unequaled.\nIn 1985, Knight erupted at Assembly Hall, throwing a chair across the court during the Purdue game. He was ejected from the game and suspended for an additional game.\nBut that wasn't the first time Knight added fuel to the fire.\nIn 1981, Knight brought a donkey wearing a Purdue hat to his television show. Needless to say, he angered many Boilermaker fans and officials.\nKnight contributed a lot of energy and emotion to the showdowns with Purdue. \nInterim head coach Mike Davis, through no fault of his own, just hasn't had the time or shown the fire that built one of the greatest rivalries in collegiate athletics.\nIU has always placed an extra emphasis on beating its enemies in West Lafayette. This year should be no different.\nBut I just don't see it.\nI don't see how the struggling Hoosiers can match the effort against Purdue. And, with tough road games at Iowa and Ohio State looming, tonight's contest could be considered a must-win. \nIt could also be a show-me game.\nShow me that IU can defeat Purdue without Knight.\nShow me that the Hoosiers can bounce back after an overtime loss to Minnesota.\nShow me that our team has the heart and effort to beat the Boilermakers and begin a winning streak.\nGames are won by the players on the court, but a coach's motivation and demeanor will determine the attitude and effectiveness his team.\nKnight was a terrific motivator and his demeanor was shown through the never-say-die attitude of his players.\nKeady is a great coach who prepares, expects and receives the most out of his players.\nDavis has yet to prove he can challenge his Hoosiers and get results.\nBut, this is your game, coach Davis.\nThis is your chance to make your mark on a great rivalry. This is your chance to begin your own IU legacy. Show me something.
(01/18/01 5:25am)
With road games against Minnesota, Iowa and Ohio State and a highly anticipated visit from Purdue to Assembly Hall, IU needed and captured a breakout win against Penn State.\nBut can IU carry the momentum into those next contests?\n"I hope so," junior guard Dane Fife said. "If we don't, we're screwed."\nThe defense led the win, but the major surprise of the evening belonged to interim head coach Mike Davis.\nDavis changed his starting lineup and bench rotation yet again.\nHe played freshman A.J. Moye, usually a spectator, 30 minutes, while starter Jeffrey Newton and contributor Jarrad Odle watched the entire game from the bench. Freshman George Leach also received playing time after seeing action in only nine previous games.\nWhy would a coach change his rotation with the heart of the Big Ten season in the imminent future?\nA coach should be making changes within the first 10 games, finding what works and what doesn\'t, looking for player combinations that will spark his team.\nThe 18th game of the season is not the time for these changes. If Davis wants to be successful the rest of the year and on into post-season play, he'd better know something that no one else does.\nNow is not the time for experimentation.\nFind something that works, and use it. If benching Newton and Odle and playing Moye and Leach is something that will win games, do it.\nGranted, Moye did play well, scoring nine points and pulling down eight rebounds, four offensive, but Leach saw only seven minutes of action and was a nonfactor.\nIn his post-game press conference, Davis spoke of the lack of effort given by his players, saying that he shouldn\'t be begging them to play. They should want to play, he said.\nApparently Newton and Odle weren't giving the effort. Rather than bench them, try motivating them; it's included in the job description of coach. If one thing doesn't work, do something else.\nThe major point is that with a new coach, a new offense and a team that features no seniors, some stability will be necessary for IU's culmination of talent to eventually peak.
(01/11/01 6:18am)
The Mike Davis era is in its interim phase, but obvious strategic blemishes have tainted what was once thought to be a promising young team.\nA lack of toughness and effort by the players has made the team vulnerable to increased scrutiny and losing.\nThe most troubling issue is the team's inconsistency. How can IU beat the nation's best team, Michigan State, then fall to Michigan, one of the worst teams in the Big Ten?\nThe Hoosiers lack identity and presence on the court. Rather than dictating tempo and controlling the pace of a game, IU plays to the level of its opponent and struggles to achieve respectability. \nA 10-7 overall mark (1-2 Big Ten) is a disappointment because the team has individual talents but has not been able to mesh those talents and perform at a high level.\nIU is leaning too much on the shoulders of highly-touted but overrated freshman forward Jared Jeffries. Without an established place on the team, Jeffries has been floundering, taking poor shot attempts from the field and a dismal 59 percent from the free throw line. Once Jeffries enjoys a clearly defined role and begins to excel in that role, he will be a better player and the Hoosiers will be a better team. \nThe Hoosiers' main offensive threat is junior forward Kirk Haston. With a wide array of shots ranging from a baby hook to a 15-foot jumper, Haston is looked on as the premier big man in the conference. Playing 28 minutes per game, Haston's production is outstanding at 17 points and eight rebounds per contest. But Davis has not taken advantage of Haston's abilities in the second half of games, turning a threat into a decoy. For example, Haston made only one field goal in the second half of Tuesday's 70-64 loss at Michigan.\nHaston needs to be on the floor toward the end of close games. His offensive game has to be better used by Davis. Often double-teamed, Haston has the ability as a passer to kick the ball out to the wings where sophomore guards Tom Coverdale or Kyle Hornsby can fire three-point attempts.\nHaston is doubled because junior guard Dane Fife is not a scoring threat. Fife averages only four points per game and has never taken more than eight field goal attempts in a game. As an offensive liability, a defender can take advantage of Fife's weakness and double-team other players. \nFife has to take more shots and create the illusion that he can hit an open jump shot. \nThe Hoosiers' scoring has sputtered for long stretches during games because of a lack of an offensive rhythm and the lack of a go-to player.\nIU uses much of the shot clock, passing the ball around the perimeter before setting up a play. Often, the play breaks down, and the Hoosiers force a poor shot. Because IU does not have a playmaker who can create his own shot, the team has to call plays earlier and find weaknesses in its opponents' defense. \nThe Hoosiers need to reassert themselves as a team and realize that the Big Ten schedule will destroy any hopes of an NCAA tournament berth if the team cannot focus better. Close games need to be wins, but for that to happen, Davis has to motivate his players to want more. Davis needs to rethink his strategy for the Hoosiers to become a more aggressive, effective and winning basketball program.
(10/30/00 6:00am)
Scrappy. Feisty. Dane Fife.\nIn a three-minute span in the second half of Sunday's annual Red and White intrasquad scrimmage, the 6-foot-4, 200 pound junior guard displayed the character that defines him as a player.\nAfter nailing a 15-foot jumper, Fife drew a charge from freshman guard Andre Owens quashing a possible fast break, and tied up Owens at mid-court by diving on a loose ball. On the ensuing possession, Fife missed a shot, dropped back on defense and stole the ball back, before feeding freshman Mike Roberts for one of his seven assists.\n"Get the ball to people, hit the open shots and guard people," Fife said. "That's my role, simple as that."\nFife scored 19 points, contributed four rebounds, three steals and took three charges, while playing all 30 minutes in the scrimmage.\n"I think Dane's a scrapper," freshman forward Jared Jeffries said. "He really gets after it. He does a lot of the dirty work for us. It's his role to lead us by his example." \nFife averaged 4.9 points, 3 rebounds and led the team with 49 steals last season. With the graduation of guards A.J. Guyton, Michael Lewis and Luke Jimenez, Fife will be looked upon by his teammates to embrace new responsibilities both on-and off-the-court.\n"Definitely, I consider Dane the team leader," freshman guard A.J. Moye said. "The team's going to go where Dane goes. If Dane remains strong, fundamentally sound, and as vocally strong as he is now, the sky's the limit for us. But we're going to go as Dane goes."\nFife controlled the tempo in the first half in leading the White team to a 44-31 halftime lead. He handled Owens' pressure surprisingly well, providing a stable flow of offensive production, committing only two turnovers.\nThe Red team began closing the gap early in the half, but the White team broke the game open, utilizing 12 second-half points from freshman forward George Leach to blow out the Red team 77-55. \nFife's presence on the defensive side of the ball rattled Owens', holding him to six points on 2 of 6 shooting.\n"Andre really struggled today," coach Mike Davis said. "I think Dane really got into his head. I think Dane is good at that."\nIn the second half, Fife played for the Red team and again shut down Owens. His relentless hounding of the freshman translated into numerous fast break layups and odd-man rushes. \n"Dane is really playing well right now," Davis said. "He's playing with confidence, he's playing loose, he's shooting the ball well. He's just got to continue to play the way he's been playing. \n"Dane is a tough competitor. We need for Dane Fife to come out here and play 30 minutes a game and play well"
(10/25/00 5:28am)
I hate the Mets. I don't particularly like the Yankees either. \nA "Subway Series" is probably the worst thing that could have happened to major league baseball.\nIf I were from New York, I would love it. Two hated rivals battling for supremacy. One city cheering for two teams. It would be a great atmosphere to be a part of.\nBut I'm not from New York. And this series sucks.\nEverything the World Series stands for is being ridiculed this year.\nThe Mets and Yankees are two of the highest spending clubs in the league and seem to have an arrogance about them that makes anyone outside of New York cringe at the thought of another championship.\nI did like Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens throwing a piece of a bat at Mets catcher Mike Piazza in Game Two.\nThat said, I hope the Yankees make quick work of the Mets so the misery will end.\nNOTE: The Mets beat the Yankees 4-2 in game three on Tuesday. The Yankees lead the series 2-1.\nCellar dwellers:\nWhat is up with the Chicago Bears?\nSitting at 1-7 and in the NFC cellar, the Bears have struggled with only two things this year.\nOffense and defense.\nCade McNown has been the quarterback no one thought he would be, throwing seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. His season is not going well. He was drilled last Sunday against Philadelphia by Eagles linebacker Mike Caldwell, putting him out 4-6 weeks with a separated shoulder.\nIf the Bears had a running game, he could pick up the slack, but Curtis Enis became another Penn State bust, in the mold of Blair Thomas and Ki-Jana Carter, and James Allen just is not the answer.\nAnd the defense?\nWell, it just isn't that good.\nSurprises:\nThe biggest surprise, from a team standpoint, has been the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. Coach Dennis Green has once again developed a great player from his quarterback-friendly system.\nRookie Daunte Culpepper has been solid, if not spectacular, in leading the Vikings to seven straight wins to open the season. Culpepper has thrown for 1,671 yards including 14 touchdowns against only seven interceptions. He has four rushing touchdowns.\nFrom an individual standpoint, New Orleans running back Ricky Williams has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Saints. He has rushed for 772 yards and six touchdowns for the 4-3 Saints. Williams has also amassed 272 yards and a touchdown receiving the ball.\nAfter being drafted behind Colts running back Edgerrin James and playing poorly through an injury-plagued rookie campaign, critics said the man that New Orleans traded their entire draft for would be the biggest bust in NFL history.\nWilliams has since silenced those critics and put together a string of five consecutive 100-yard rushing performances and is the frontrunner for Comeback Player of the Year.\nWasted:\nAfter spending $49.95 for a Mike Tyson/Andrew Golota heavyweight fight that was nothing more than six minutes of pain for Golota, I realized two things.\nFights are almost never worth the money spent for them.\nAnd pay-per-view fights should be pro-rated.\nIt is ridiculous that a two-round brawl should cost the same as a 12-round split decision.\nA pro-rated fight would assume that a 10-round fight would cost about $50. The two-round joke that was last Friday's bout would cost a mere $10.\nWorthless:\nI have realized two things about college football.\nGreat fans are needed for success.\nAnd IU does not have great fans.\nAt a school where the tailgate is often more of a spectacle than the game, IU (3-4, 2-2 in Big Ten play) should be pretty satisfied with its record, considering Memorial Stadium is usually filled to only one-third of its capacity.\nOnce students realize that Michigan and Ohio State have dominant programs, mainly because of the 110,000 fans that fill their stadiums each Saturday, IU might actually begin to build a football tradition.\nCan't Wait:\nThe NBA season will soon be upon us and the Lakers will begin defending their title.\nThe field should be wide open this year, with the Blazers, Sonics, Knicks and Spurs each having legitimate playoff runs.\nIt will be interesting to see how the Orlando Magic mesh Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady, how Shawn Kemp and Dale Davis will fit into Portland's rotation, and if Isiah Thomas can actually coach.\nCount on the biggest shocker to be the emergence of the Los Angeles Clippers. Led by young guns Darius Miles, Lamar Odom, Quentin Richardson and Keyon Dooling should entertain fans and even win a few games here and there.
(09/14/00 6:45am)
Indiana was down 73-72 with under 15 seconds to play. Smart passed to Thomas in the post. Thomas kicked it back out to Smart. From the baseline, Smart, to win the game …\nIn the 1987 NCAA title game, senior guard Keith Smart's 15-foot jumper from the left corner with six seconds remaining in the game won the national championship, 74-73 against Syracuse.\n"Everybody had a picture of Keith Smart's shot," Bob Knight said. "I have a picture of Daryl Thomas' pass. We probably went from a low-percentage shot with Daryl under pressure, throwing a really good pass and getting a basket. And that pass was the key in that game."\nIt was Smart's shot that clinched Indiana's third and final national championship of the Knight era. But, it was Thomas's pass that made an imprint with Knight. And, although Smart's shot is perhaps the most vivid moment in college basketball history, it was a different Smart circumstance that make an impact with his former coach.\n"Smart's key play in the game was at a timeout with 29 seconds to play," Knight said. "I had told junior forward Steve Eyl to foul (Syracuse forward Derrick) Coleman. Well, they foiled that a little bit by putting Coleman out-of-bounds, which was a pretty good move to start with, because now he's not going to get any in-bounds pass."\nAfter the pass to Orangemen center Rony Seikely, Eyl immediately left Coleman and began double-teamed Seikely. But, as Seikely received the ball, he tossed it back to Coleman who was just stepping in-bounds.\n"Keith Smart fouled Coleman, which was a great play, that was even better (than) the shot he made. It was a really good shot, from a good spot for him. He's a good baseline shooter. But thinking and rotating up, trying to get the ball, not getting it and foul Coleman." \nSmart's foul stopped the play at 28 seconds when Coleman missed his free throws, leaving IU a chance to win the game. \n"Those two plays were just great basketball plays. I just like the way that that team came together. That was a really cohesive, competitive team." \nKnight's coaching technique in the final minutes of the 1987 championship game was only a glimpse into the aura of greatness that surrounding Knight. \nDigger Phelps, a longtime friend and the head coach of the Notre Dame basketball program from 1972-91, faced Knight 16 times during his career, emerging with only four victories.\n"He owned me," Phelps said. "When he got focused on games, he coached as well as anyone. (Knight is) one of the great ones ever. And (IU) will miss him."\nIsiah Thomas, current head coach of the Indiana Pacers and former IU player, was a member of the unheralded 1981 team that won the national title. Thomas noted Knight's attributes as a person contributed to his success as a coach. \n"His methods of motivating are much more mental than physical," Thomas said. "He continually takes players and makes them better. That's how you should measure coach Knight. (He) maintained a high level of excellence that we take for granted."\nAfter 763 coaching victories, 11 Big Ten titles and national titles in 1976, '81 and '87, Knight reflected on what it meant to win a championship. \n"It's a culmination of all of the things that you're doing. Everything that you've done in that season has come together to make you, at least for that season, the best team there is"
(08/30/00 5:38am)
Inequities in the national sports community leads to an inauspicious product on the playing field. While it seems as though several leagues have taken precautionary measures such as salary caps and exemptions to ensure and endorse team parity, our national pastime has fallen behind in producing a consistent, qualitative Major League Baseball federation.\nThe NBA and NFL hold competitive contests, provoking fan interest and media exposure. While players in these leagues help define their teams and draw attention, it's the team owners and league offices that have placed restrictions on themselves, thus eliminating the "rich get richer" philosophy that is so dominant in MLB.\nQuestion: How are the Minnesota Twins, which opened the season with a $16.5 million payroll, supposed to compete with the New York Yankees, who opened the season with a $92.5 million payroll? \nAnswer: They aren't.\nThe Yankees can basically buy championships by signing the best players to the biggest contracts, while the Twins struggle with low talent and an even lower budget. It's no wonder the Yankees have claimed the World Series title in three of the last four seasons. \nMeanwhile, in the NBA and NFL, teams rapidly attain success and sustain failures.\nThe St. Louis Rams of the NFL went from the worst team in their division at 4-12 in the 1998-99 season to the 13-3 Super Bowl champions in just one year. \nThe Chicago Bulls, the NBA's prototypical basketball team for the past decade, won six titles in the 1990s. But the Bulls have struggled recently, faltering to a 17-65 to a year ago.\nIn the past two seasons, the Hawks, Rockets and Bulls have experienced major dropoffs, while the Mavericks, Raptors and Kings have rapidly improved and should make the playoffs next season, and possibly contend for the title.\nThe difference between the NBA, NFL and MLB is parity. Baseball is a league of have's and have not's, and before the season starts, the average fan can almost accurately predict who will make the playoffs or win the World Series.\nIn the NFL or NBA, ask four fans who will make the playoffs and four different answers will be given. \nMLB needs to re-examine the status of their league and make changes accordingly. Regulated team and player salary caps need to be formed and then scrutinized.\nLos Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Kevin Brown signed a seven-year $105 million contract in 1999, which averages out to $15 million per year. The Twins entire team makes just a shade over that. \nHow can the low-salaried teams supposed to compete with the rich kids of baseball?\nThey can't. And as long as these trends continue, they won't.