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(03/18/06 5:30am)
Throw out the stats. Forget the ball skills.\nThe real issue at hand leading up to Saturday's Gonzaga-IU game is quite simple. It comes down to one question.\nWho's got the better 'stache?\nGonzaga's Adam Morrison has drawn attention all season for his fuzzy, caterpillar-like facial hair, but one Hoosier in particular feels a little under appreciated.\n"It depends on what style you like," junior Earl Calloway said. "But mine's sexier -- a little thicker."\nThe junior college transfer has stayed true to his soup strainer all season long. And even when Calloway was at his coolest Thursday -- scoring 18 and recording six steals -- his upper lip remained warm all the while.\n"I'm going to have to stick with my teammate," sophomore Robert Vaden said. "He keeps it lined up. Morrison's is kind of bushy."\nMorrison has received criticism all season long for his pre-pubescent looking patch of black hair filling the space beneath his nose. But at Friday's press conference, one reporter noticed the mustache filling in nicely.\n"I think I'm becoming a man in that area I guess," Morrison said. "This is all I can muster up."\nBut sophomore A.J. Ratliff may have found the real barometer for mustache measurement. And by his guidelines, Calloway claims the supreme 'stache.\n"It's the Pringles," Ratliff said. "He's like the Pringles man. Adam Morrison has just got the skinny Larry Bird one, but he has the big, thick Pringles can"
(03/18/06 5:15am)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Only three other teams in the country can relate to the predicament facing IU.\nMaryland, Memphis and Virginia are the only teams in the nation that know what it is like to play Duke's J.J. Redick and Gonzaga's Adam Morrison. After Saturday night, the Hoosiers will be able to relate.\nAnd perhaps the only thing scarier than playing both players is the tendency for one to upscale the other. Morrison played Maryland and Virginia first, and scored 25 and 27 points. Redick then dropped 27 and 35 in his two meetings with Maryland, and 40 against Virginia. But Memphis played Redick first and held him to just 15 points. Morrison then showed up Redick by scoring 34 against the Tigers.\nThat doesn't bode well for the Hoosiers who allowed 29 points to Redick in November.\n"I think we allowed (Redick) to get too many open looks," junior Rod Wilmont said. "We never made him work to get the ball, but I know tomorrow we're going to make Morrison work to get the ball."\nThe 6-foot-8 junior from Spokane exploded onto the national scene this year, averaging a nation-high 28.6 points per game. After watching tape of the lanky 21 year old, several Hoosiers said his danger comes in his versatility.\nMorrison's long arms allow him to post up and shoot hooks or jumpers over his defender, but he can drain the long ball just as easily, shooting 44 percent from range.\n"He's definitely the player of the year," IU coach Mike Davis said. "He's the best player."\nLearning their lesson from Redick, the Hoosiers understand that it's more important to defend a player of that caliber when he doesn't have the ball as opposed to when he does.\n"You have to keep him from getting it, because once he gets it, you're at his mercy," sophomore A.J. Ratliff said. "He has numerous amounts of moves, from ball screens to driving to the hole."\nRatliff, standing just 6-foot-2, will most likely draw a fair amount of time trying to guard Morrison. IU's guard talked to his friend Justin Cage of Xavier about guarding the player of the year candidate, and the main thing he learned was to keep his mouth shut.\n"Near halftime (Morrison) only had 10 points, so Justin started telling him 'Yeah, you're on lock'," Ratliff said. "But then (Morrison) went off for 35 points, so I don't think you want to talk trash."\nThough Ratliff spoke as if he would be seeing at least some time on Morrison, Davis wouldn't divulge exactly who would draw the assignment.\n"I was thinking about putting (my 7 year-old son) Antoine on him, but I couldn't get his eligibility before tomorrow's game," Davis joked. "No, we may put Errek Suhr on him."\nHaving been a defensive specialist in his playing days, Davis also went on to explain why he would have been able to contain Morrison.\n"They didn't call fouls in my day, so I would have won the battle," Davis said. "I would have fouled him every time."\nBut regardless of who guards Morrison, or how they approach the assignment, many of the Hoosiers understand that a player that talented will score his points. They key for Saturday may be simply limiting the rest of the Bulldogs.\n"In 32 games nobody has figured out, yet, how to stop him," Davis said. "So I don't think we can do it in two days. But I'm hoping that we can just contain everybody else"
(03/17/06 8:32pm)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Twice in the second half a loose ball ended up in the hands of sophomore Robert Vaden.\nTwice Vaden took that ball and drained an open look from three.\nAnd only twice in that half did the Hoosiers hold a lead over No. 11 seed San Diego State. Fortunately for IU, the second of those two similar occurrences came with only 3.3 seconds left. \nThe No. 6 seeded Hoosiers were able to steal victory away from the Aztecs Thursday night, 87-83, thanks in large part to two freakishly similar plays that resulted in IU's only two 3-pointers, and only two leads of the second half. \nWith almost eight minutes remaining, the Hoosiers had just ripped off seven straight points to climb within two of San Diego State. After a pair of free throws by junior Rod Wilmont, Vaden challenged the Aztec inbound and Mohamed Abukar threw an arrant pass to IU junior Earl Calloway. Calloway quickly swung a pass to Vaden, who netted a three to give the Hoosiers their first lead of the half.\nBut the Aztecs quickly fought back and climbed ahead until the game's final seconds. That's where, again, an arrant pass popped into the air only to land back into the hands of Vaden. The sophomore coolly stopped, paused for half a second, and then drained the shot that saved the Hoosiers' season.\n"I almost peed my pants there," junior guard Errek Suhr said. "It was great. This is what it's all about -- it was awesome."\nVaden went from a question mark before the game, to an exclamation point after it. Playing on a bum ankle, Vaden had to wear two different sized shoes just to fit his massive brace. The Indianapolis native then proceeded to play a team-high 36 minutes and sink five 3-pointers to pace the Hoosiers with 18 points. \n"I felt like I was going to play a couple days ago," Vaden said. "This is one of the biggest games of my life, one of the biggest times of my life, and I wanted to be on the court." \nThough Vaden may have been the game's hero, Calloway certainly could qualify as the trusty sidekick. Calloway also scored 18, only missed one shot, assisted three buckets and tallied an IU season-high six steals. \nAnd whenever IU needed a basket most, Calloway answered. In the first half he capped a 9-2 run with an up-and-under scoop shot, followed by a crossover and finish that left his defender staggering on his heels. And in the second half, around the five-minute mark, Calloway scored on a drive, assisted the next bucket, scored again and finished the stretch with another drive and score -- this time getting fouled and sinking the free throw to tie the game at 76.\n"Earl Calloway was fantastic," IU coach Mike Davis said. "He looked faster than he's ever looked."\nAll but one of Calloway's eight field goals came from within the paint, so it served fitting that the Hoosiers netted a total of 51 (Calloway's jersey number) points from the post. The other key component to that statistic was senior Marco Killingsworth who shot just 3-7 for six points in the first half, but then went 5-6 for 12 points in the second. IU's 51 points in the paint nearly doubled the Aztec's 28, while the Hoosiers' 23 points off turnovers more than doubled San Diego State's 10.\n"It's fun coaching this team now, it really is," Davis said. "I'm proud of these guys because of their attitude."\nNow among the field of 32, the Hoosiers next face No. 3 seed Gonzaga who similarly had to fight off No. 14 Xavier to win, 79-75. The Bulldogs bring with them the nation's leading scorer in junior Adam Morrison -- a player defensive coach Donnie Marsh will surely see plenty of before Saturday.\n"I think I'm going to be seeing that guy in my sleep tonight," he said.
(03/16/06 5:53am)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Senior Marshall Strickland struggles to remember it. \nSenior Sean Kline said it feels like it's been 10 years.\nBut the reality is that IU last danced just three years ago -- it only seems longer. Strickland and Kline represent the only players on IU's roster to have worn cream and crimson in the NCAA Tournament. Seniors Marco Killingsworth and Lewis Monroe both have a Sweet 16 appearance to their names, but that came at Auburn.\nWhen tallying up the total minutes of tourney experience, this Hoosier squad seems like more of an anomaly compared to teams of the past. But Strickland has been quick to remind the younger players that the game remains the same.\n"We've just tried to remind them that it's still a basketball game," he said. "The rules haven't changed, no matter what you're playing for."\nIn 2003, the last time IU made the field of 64, Strickland played a much smaller role for the Hoosiers as a freshman point guard. Killingsworth's intentions to transfer were barely seeded. Sophomores A.J. Ratliff and Robert Vaden were just arriving on the Indiana high school basketball scene. And freshman Ben Allen had just turned 17.\nBut this time around all of those players hold vital stake in IU's potential success. \n"I feel like I have a lot more control over what happens," Strickland said. "Freshman year, you just kind of ride on the back of the team, but this year I'm out there making things happen."
(03/12/06 2:01am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- It took a long time for everything to settle in. After driving down streets whose names had been changed to represent every Big Ten team. After spending several hours in an arena that looked schizophrenic in its pallet of colors. And even after seeing rich alumni laughing with homeless men while talking basketball after the game. \nIt wasn't until several hours later, when the vast entirety of the day set in, that it became clear. Basketball is home in Indiana. \nConseco Fieldhouse is a pure basketball haven. And while the Pacers do it justice for the majority of the year, it took a tournament like this to really make it evident. \nThe Big Ten Tournament. There it was, in all its splendor. All season long, the Big Ten has been the top conference from an RPI standpoint, and today, every major force from within that conference would be butting heads -- all on the same floor.\nThe rest of this story is a running log of what happened during the game between No. 5 seed IU and No. 4 seed Wisconsin. The game was great, and each post helps capture that. But it must be noted that no words can fully capture the sheer magnificence of this day for a true basketball fan. \nIf you weren't there, you just won't know, but here's the best attempt one can make at trying to bring you get closer.
(03/12/06 2:01am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Age doesn't matter after a loss like that. \nWhen Rod Wilmont's last-second shot clanked off the iron and fell into the hands of the Buckeyes, the emotions were too much for men and children alike. Wilmont needed to be scooped up off the floor by his coaches and teammates as he buried his face in his jersey -- overwhelmed by the weight of 40 hard-fought minutes seeming to fall squarely on his shoulders.\nJust minutes later IU head coach Mike Davis needed to detour his route to the locker room in order to console his youngest son Antoine who sat weeping in his mother's lap.\nNeither a 7-year-old boy nor his 22-year-old idol could stay strong at a moment like that. \nBut the reality of the situation is far more reassuring than the image of streaming tears. This game doesn't fall solely on the shoulders of Wilmont -- he was actually the Hoosiers' best player. The season is not over. And more likely than not, this kind of loss probably helps IU's tournament seeding more than it hurts it.\nYes, a win would have been nice. But this team is going to the tournament. The only question remaining is where, and as what seed?\nNow on to the game log.
(03/10/06 5:28am)
IU basketball and history generally form a glowing alliance. \nThere's very little in the annals of IU lore that needs to be shied away from. Five national championships rank IU as third best among all Division I programs, and 20 Big Ten titles are second most all-time to Purdue. But for perhaps the conference's most storied program, there still exists a black eye. The Hoosiers have never won a Big Ten Tournament. It's one of the few pieces of history that actually works against the cream and crimson. \nBut history can work in so many ways. And all this year's team is worried about is the present.\n"I think we've got a lot of momentum," sophomore forward Robert Vaden said. "Everybody's happy and everybody's playing together right now."\nBut for the eight years of the tournament's existence, momentum hasn't mattered. During that time, the Hoosiers have won a regular season title, even gone to the Final Four, but they've never entered the postseason on a winning streak. \nThen again, one could say history shines favorably on the Hoosiers this go-around. Nobody on their side of the bracket has ever beaten them in a Big Ten tournament. The cream and crimson are 4-0 all-time against Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State. Only Illinois, Iowa, Purdue and Minnesota have bounced the Hoosiers from the tourney. \nWhen looking at it that way, the team would have a good chance of getting into the finals. Whereupon, of course, it would be met by potentially more damning history. Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois are all alive on the other side, and the Hawkeyes and Illini are responsible for six of IU's eight tournament losses.\n"We're playing good right now, so it doesn't matter who we play," junior guard Rod Wilmont said. "We know that we've got to play with energy and fight."\nBut that's all overlooking the matter at hand Friday. Wisconsin enters the game in an eerily similar fashion to its last meeting with IU. The Badgers have dropped consecutive games and separated themselves from the conference elite. \nSeeing that Wisconsin dominated IU in that game and gave the Hoosiers their worst loss of the season, it would seem as though history sides with America's Dairyland on this one. \nOr does it?\nThe only time IU ever even sniffed Big Ten Tournament prowess was in 2001 when it lost by two points to Iowa in the finals. That year, the Hoosiers started their journey with a game against Wisconsin in a battle between the four and five seeds -- just like this year. IU handled the No. 21 Badgers and gave them a 12-point loss. \nSo if history has a tendency of repeating itself, IU's crystal ball would look a little less hazy. \nAll of this can either add up to something or equate to nothing. The Hoosiers can continue their streak of struggles in tournament play, or they can follow their alignment of stars back into another championship game.\nThe media and fans can use that history to clutter up the pre-tournament chatter. But at 2:30 p.m. Friday, 10 men will step onto the floor at Conseco Fieldhouse, and all the clutter will clear. The tipoff will be tossed from a clean slate.\nFor the rest of the weekend, the past will be left in the past, and IU will only be focused on one thing: Making history.\n"We feel good," IU coach Mike Davis said. "(The players) are over everything now, and there's no more uncertainty in the air about anything. We're just relaxing and playing"
(03/06/06 6:20am)
For the past several weeks, IU coach Mike Davis has been quick to respond to questions about the NCAA Tournament. No sooner than the question is asked, Davis usually insists that the team is simply focusing on the next game.\nBut after Saturday's road win over Michigan, the question came up again. This time, Davis stood silent -- a little longer than normal -- fighting back a gentle smirk.\n"Well, I am developed as a coach now and I understand you can't say anything about the NCAA Tournament," he said. "They've got a lot of people on the committee that understand that right now we are playing good basketball. So I feel really good about our chances right now, being 9-7 in the league."\nBut then Davis fell back on the company line.\n"I'm not going to say we're in, I'm not going to say we're out," he said. "We've just got to keep playing good basketball."\nGood basketball is precisely what has IU back in the NCAA Tournament, according to many experts. ESPN analysts Jay Bilas and Fran Fraschilla told the Indiana Daily Student Sunday they felt IU had secured itself a bid in the Big Dance, and ESPN "Bracketologist" Joe Lunardi has IU seeded eighth in the Minneapolis region in his most recent bracket.\n"Every win this time of year helps your cause," Bilas said. "I thought Indiana had a really good résumé before the win at Michigan, but that just made it stronger."\nFraschilla likened this year's Hoosier squad to last year's West Virginia team. The Mountaineers entered last February as a mere blip on the tournament radar. But in its final games, the team got hot, made a nice run in the Big East Tournament and came within a couple baskets of a Final Four appearance.\n"They are both teams that play in a competitive league, that have been scratching and clawing for the last month," Fraschilla said. "Those sort of teams are dangerous because of their level of intensity."\nBilas agreed that although the Hoosiers might only secure a middle seed, they should be considered just as dangerous as the higher-seeded teams. \n"They are a major threat," he said. "At times they are very good, but at times they have been very beatable. When they are playing well, there's not a team out there that they can't compete with."\nConsensus among most analysts seems to have IU seeded between seven and 10. As an eight or nine seed, a first-round win would mean a second-round matchup against a top seed. The Hoosiers have already played two of the projected No. 1 seeds, Duke and Connecticut.\nBut Bilas stressed that there is still a lot of basketball to be played. IU will try and help its seeding at 2:30 p.m. Friday when it plays Wisconsin at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. IU lost to Wisconsin earlier this season in the depths of team turmoil surrounding Davis' job security.\nWith a win against Wisconsin, IU could find itself in a second-round rematch against No. 1 seeded Ohio State -- who IU beat earlier this season at home.\nRegardless of how the tournament shakes out, people are starting to take notice of IU's recent resurgence. \n"Some teams are backing their way into an at large, Indiana is playing into one," Fraschilla said. "Indiana seems to be peaking while others are going in the other direction"
(03/06/06 5:50am)
Big Ten beware:\nSeveral reports have cited a 6-foot-8, 270-pound man terrorizing several cities throughout the Midwest. Known as the "Killer," he appears to have no tregard for those who cross his path - no matter what size. Most recently, he tortured 255-pound Graham Brown of Michigan for 19 points and 13 rebounds. His coach, Mike Davis, called it his best game. He only appears to be getting stronger.\nThe senior forward from Montgomery, Ala., is formally known as Marco Killingsworth. But while the name is well-known, it's his game that is reaching a new level. \nKillingsworth shot 69 percent Saturday to culminate a four-game stretch during which he averaged 53 percent shooting. In the five games prior, the senior only averaged 43 percent shooting per contest. \n"This was probably his best game," IU coach Mike Davis said. "He had seven offensive boards. He didn't commit any serious fouls ... That's the player we need for us to be a good basketball team."\nBut Big Ten teams shouldn't let the kind words fool them. This man's wicked ways appear to be climaxing, as evident by Killingsworth's final shot Saturday.\nWith less than a minute left, the Hoosiers trailed by two points. In cold blood, the "Killer" proceeded to dribble through his legs, crossing over his defender. He then stepped back and confidently knocked down the 15-foot jumper. And just like that, the game was tied.\nEven his coach was awestruck.\n"Wow. Marco. Did you see that?" Davis said to reporters. "You guys would have killed me after the game if he would have missed that shot. Between the legs, pull up. Man, I felt like I was watching an And1 video."\nNote the casualty with which Davis dropped that "K" word. Perhaps what is even scarier is the Killer's quickness to downplay his own evil doings.\n"That's one of them playground moves right there," he said with a grin. "It's something that just happened ... He just staggered out, so I took the jumper."\nKillingsworth had taken 329 shots during the season, but he still managed to pull out something nobody had seen before with No. 330.\n"I couldn't believe it," Davis said. "I mean, I've never seen him do that in practice. That's the first time I've seen that move."\nThe regular season is now over and the stage has been set for Killingsworth to become notorious nationwide -- not just in the Big Ten. And based on IU's final field goal Saturday, junior Rod Wilmont said a bigger stage should suffice for this "Killer."\n"Big players step up at big times," Wilmont said. "That's a big-time shot right there. That's a pro shot right there"
(03/03/06 4:49am)
When the Hoosiers belted out "Auld Lang Syne" on New Year's Eve, they did so as one of the nation's top-scoring teams. They paced the Big Ten in assists and even led the nation in shooting percentage for a spell. \nBut since conference play began, IU has ranked last in only two categories -- field goal percentage and assists. \nThe plagues of coaching change turmoil are evident in the stat book, but the past three games reflect a team reborn. IU has turned back the clock by shooting 45 percent from the field, 41 percent from three and averaging more than 15 assists per contest.\n"When we played well early in the season, we averaged 17 assists per game," IU coach Mike Davis said. "For some reason we got away from that, and now we're getting back into that rhythm."\nBesides the recently acquired clarity about their coach, the Hoosiers can attribute their recent upswing to the emergence of three players. Senior guard Marshall Strickland has become a consistent scoring threat, junior guard Earl Calloway has cemented his role as starting point guard and freshman Ben Allen has kept the Hoosiers from regressing when senior Marco Killingsworth takes to the bench.\nAllen has increased his minutes in each of the past three games, and contributed with timely shots. Calloway has vastly upped his floor time as well as his production -- scoring a season-high 11 points against Purdue Wednesday.\n"If everybody is collapsing down on Marco we, as guards, have to be ready to score," Calloway said. "That's the main thing I've been trying to prove to the people -- that I can score."\nStrickland best embodies the IU resurgence, joining Killingsworth and sophomore Robert Vaden as the team's top scoring threats. In the past three games Strickland has \naveraged 18 points per game on 57 percent shooting and 67 percent three-point shooting.\n"I think I'm playing well," he said. "I think I'm getting better. I think the key, this time of season, is to keep improving."\nSaturday's game against Michigan offers the last opportunity for IU to improve itself offensively, as the Wolverines rank last in scoring defense, three-point defense and second to last in field goal defense during conference play. Both teams stand at 8-7 in the Big Ten, and the game's winner will secure a first round bye in the conference tournament.\nBut after fighting through all those numbers, allow coach Davis to nullify the numerics. \n"We're not going to put numbers on it," Davis said. "We're just going to stay focused."\nThe final number of interest is 2:30 p.m., when IU takes the court Saturday in Ann Arbor.
(02/27/06 5:31am)
Drive.\nThe word carries so many meanings to former IU forward Landon Turner. Twenty-four summers ago, a drive to Cincinnati left Turner paralyzed. His basketball career was over, feeling below his chest was lost and for all intents and purposes, he had struck a dead end on the road of life.\nBut Sunday Turner found himself back in Assembly Hall. Back on the floor he once dominated. Back in front of thousands of cheering Hoosiers. How did he make it?\nDrive.\nLandon Turner never had a Senior Day. Just one year removed from the 1981 National Championship, Turner spent his senior season in a wheelchair after getting in a car accident near Columbus, Ind., earlier that summer. Turner remained unconscious for five days after the accident.\n"That morning, just before they left, he called here to ask my husband for directions to Cincinnati," said Rita Turner, Landon's mother. "The next time I heard anything was when his good buddy called and said they had an accident."\nLandon's road to recovery started rather symbolically -- with a teammate. Rita Turner vividly recalled the visitor that shifted everything back into gear.\n"Ray Tolbert's voice woke him up," she said. "I remember walking up the hallway and I saw Ray dancing a little jig and shouting, 'I woke him up! I woke him up!'."\nThe inner drive Landon's coach once instilled in him now had far greater significance. Turner spent roughly five more months in the hospital recovering before finally going home. There, Landon spent years adjusting to an entirely new lifestyle -- his immediate family providing the most assistance. \nBut it was Landon's extended IU family that kept him from ever feeling alone in his journey.\n"Once you're a member of the IU basketball family, coach (Bob) Knight would see to it that you are never forgotten," Rita Turner said. \nFlashing forward to Sunday, more than 20 years had passed and Turner's former coach seemed like a distant memory around campus. But Sunday's applause from several thousand IU fans served as proof that Hoosiers don't forget. \n"I usually get standing ovations when I do my motivational speeches and stuff, but it is good to get a standing ovation from the IU fans that really know what I went through," Landon Turner said. \nTwice he brought the Assembly Hall crowd to its feet -- once at halftime and again after the game. \n"I never thought that would happen," Rita Turner said. "I would have thought (he would receive a standing ovation) maybe only as a player, but not under these circumstances. But hey, that's IU faithful. That's how IU fans are."\nMost of IU's roster isn't old enough to remember Landon Turner the player. To them, he's far more inspirational than just another ball player. \n"He means a lot to us," senior guard Marshall Strickland said. "He's a guy that we kind of look up to ... He's an influence and we have a lot of respect for him and everything that he's done."\nTurner's senior day finally came Sunday. In his speech, he said that after 25 years, there were a lot of people to thank. He then unraveled several feet of paper -- proving humor can withstand all obstacles.\nTurner first thanked God, then thanked his coach before removing his earring -- just as Knight had always insisted. He thanked his family, saying "I love you for life," and then he thanked the fans. \nAs Landon wheeled himself off the court, part of his journey finally ended. The place where he once drove through the lane and attacked the basket now represented a far more compelling drive -- from the elation of a championship, to the frustration of an accident, to an ovation from the fans who never left him. \nAs Knight said in November 1992, "You are never going to be driven anywhere worthwhile, but you can sure as hell drive yourself to a lot of great places. It is up to you to drive yourself there." \nSunday afternoon, Landon Turner finally made it. \n"It was 25 years, and I guess 25 years is a long time, but it was very special to me," he said. "I enjoyed that"
(02/24/06 6:04am)
Calling it senior day might not do justice to Sunday's game against No. 18 Michigan State. \nPlaying their final game inside Assembly Hall will be a senior, a fifth-year senior, two transfers and a head coach. Between guards Marshall Strickland and Lewis Monroe, forwards Marco Killingsworth and Sean Kline, and coach Mike Davis, all that's missing is another swing man and a few assistants for the Hoosiers to field an entire team of deportees. \n"A ton of emotions will be running through them from tip to buzzer," assistant coach Donnie Marsh said. "We've just got to try and get those guys to keep that in check, channel it the right way on the floor and recognize that the ultimate goal is for them to have a win."\nSunday's game will fall exactly 364 days after the last time the Hoosiers and Spartans met in Bloomington, a game in which IU upset then-No. 9 Michigan State 78-74 in overtime. Unfortunately, 49 points worth of that game will be missing this time as Bracey Wright has left for the NBA and D.J. White is still sitting with an injured foot. \nThen again, Davis hinted at a possible White return in his weekly radio show. The sixth-year coach promised a surprise of some sort for Sunday's senior day, along with calling White "50-50" for the game. \n"If we could get D.J. White back, that would be a big-time boost," Davis said on Monday's radio show. "That would be like Willis Reed coming back for the Knicks. We'll see where he is next week."\nNo doubt the seniors would be glad to see White return, especially Killingsworth, who only recorded one rebound in the last meeting with Michigan State. But Marsh said he doesn't expect a repeat performance.\n"Certainly rebounding-wise, (Killingsworth) has really picked it up," he said. "He's doing what we call rebounding outside his area. Not just the ones that come to his side, he's going to the other side of the basket to get those rebounds."\nKillingsworth draws a tough matchup in Michigan State's Paul Davis. The 6-foot-11 forward defines versatility with the ability to post up or step back and drain deep shots. Davis averages 17.9 points per game to Killingsworth's 17.7. The difference -- Davis is the third leading scorer on his team.\nThe two men should battle one-on-one for much of the game as the Spartans tend to stick to a man-to-man defense. But after IU's last win against Penn State, Killingsworth addressed the other battle being waged around campus -- Hoosier haters versus the team. \n"That's their business," he said. "We're just trying to keep winning. That other stuff will take care of itself. We've got some real, true fans out here and we've got some fake ones."\nSunday should be conflicting to say the least. On a day designated for reflection and remembrance, IU remains desperate for a boost to its NCAA Tournament resume -- like a win over a ranked opponent.\n"It's definitely going to mean more to me because it's my last game (at home)," Davis said. "It's definitely going to be a sad time, but then again, it's going to be a great time"
(02/20/06 5:55am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The fog might have lifted, but the mood has yet to brighten around IU.\nStill in the wake of IU coach Mike Davis' resignation announcement, the Hoosiers dropped their fifth straight game in a 70-58 loss to No. 14 Illinois. IU has now lost seven of its last eight contests, and has yet to win a road game in conference play.\nExternally, the two programs couldn't appear more contradictory. Illinois (22-4, 8-4) has won six of its last eight games, and now sets the pace atop the Big Ten. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers (13-10, 5-7) have a lame duck coach, sit at seventh place in the Big Ten and are back on the dreaded bubble that's haunted them the past two seasons.\n"We're not worried about the NIT," junior guard Earl Calloway said. "We want to go to the tournament. If it happens, it happens, but our main focus is finishing strong in the Big Ten and going to the tournament."\nThough the Hoosier losing skid remained in tact, Davis said Sunday's loss at least showed potential for a turnaround.\n"I thought we took a step in the right direction," Davis said. "I saw some guys fighting harder than they normally fight, and I saw some guys missing shots that they normally make. This was a tough game for us to play after last week."\nLooking back at the past week, the Hoosiers have dealt with the following: a missed game because of illness for Davis, a flock of media speculation about Davis' future with the team, a trip to Pennsylvania, a loss in Pennsylvania, Davis' official resignation, and, capping it all off, a trip into one of the most hostile environments in the country -- Illinois' Assembly Hall. And just for good measure, Illinois decided to hold its "Paint the Hall Orange" game Sunday to encourage fan enthusiasm.\n"It's been a challenging week, but you know, that helps us develop as young men," Calloway said. "We all knew the situation before we came up here to school. It happened, so you've got to deal with it and move on."\nPerhaps no team was better qualified to testify about the Hoosier squad's new look than Illinois. Davis has said that IU's best game of the season was against Illinois on Dec. 17, when the Hoosiers won 62-60. Illinois coach Bruce Weber summed up IU's metamorphosis best.\n"They've lost their swagger," he said. "There is no doubt; they are a different team than you saw in December."\nIU now comes back to Bloomington for a week that welcomes Penn State and No. 16 Michigan State. Hoosier fans are no longer in the dark about Davis' future, but the spotlight now turns to IU's tournament status.\n"It's time for us to win some games," Davis said. "I told our guys after the game, you can think about it and lose, or you can go out and win, and play hard, and try and do something special"
(02/16/06 9:47pm)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ‑ A speculative week has seemingly climaxed as multiple media outlets reported Wednesday evening that IU men's basketball coach Mike Davis has resigned.\nAccording to the reports, Davis will remain with the team for the rest of the season, but an official resignation announcement could come from the University as early as today. A Sports Illustrated story cites an unnamed source within the athletic department.\n"If I say something, I'll say the wrong thing," Davis said after Wednesday night's game. "Trust me, I've been on TV the last three days, so I just need to keep my mouth quiet and focus on our basketball team."\nThe announcement could cap a three-year saga of supposition that appears to have reached the breaking point after a 72-54 loss at Wisconsin last week. Players told the Indiana Daily Student that, on the plane ride home from Madison, Davis told his players he would resign at season's end. \nThat correlates with media reports that said Davis informed University officials more than a week ago of his resignation. The SI story also added that Davis' attorney and IU have already negotiated the terms of his departure.\nIU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan told Davis prior to the season that Hoosier basketball needed to see a resurgence and a return to top form.\n"While we share this common goal and are both confident that it will be reached, we also know that our record the last two years is not up to the standards to which Indiana is accustomed and to which we aspire," Greenspan said in a March 22, 2005, press release.\nAccording to Davis' contract, obtained by the IDS Wednesday, the IU head coach will not be paid for the final two years of his contract if he resigns, unless a separate negotiation has been worked out. Davis was due to make $450,000 during the final two years of his deal, not including any promotional income. IU would owe Davis an additional $300,000 in performance incentives if he saw his contract through in good standing to June 30, 2008. \nBut Davis and IU President Adam Herbert had been in negotiation since Monday, said IU student trustee Casey Cox.\nTrustees, University officials and IU media relations officers, including IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre, refused to comment on media reports of Davis' resignation.\nIU trustee Vice President Pat Shoulders said it was time to make a polite departure from the Mike Davis era, but Shoulders said he had received no confirmation from authoritative IU sources about Davis' resignation and was responding only to media reports. \nDespite the reports, the Hoosiers remained quiet after their loss to Penn State.\n"I don't know what's going on," junior guard Rod Wilmont said. "I'm just here to play, that's all. I see stuff on TV, but everybody sees that."\nNow that the Davis resignation yarn has appeared to have spun its last thread, the team hopes fan focus can shift back to basketball. Senior guard Marshall Strickland said centering on basketball has been Davis' goal all along.\n"He wants us to just play," he said. "He's trying to get us to just block everything out, get on the court and have fun with the game."\nThe Hoosiers are no strangers to speculation. Davis' job status has been a topic of debate for nearly every one of his six years coaching IU.\nAfter his interim season replacing former IU coach Bob Knight, many speculated that former Hoosier Steve Alford would leave Iowa to take the head coaching position. But Davis was named the head coach, and the team made an appearance in the National Championship game the following season -- silencing critics for the time being.\nIn 2004, IU failed to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 19 years, and rumors started to spread. Davis returned last season, but missed the tournament again -- inciting even more grumblings. Among the rumors was gossip that Davis would take a head coaching position at Tulane University.\nBut nothing compared to the past week. Davis doubters began stepping forward after IU dropped a Jan. 29 road game to Minnesota, which had been 0-6 in conference play. Skepticism continued to rise as the Hoosiers lost three of their next four, but the fires reached their hottest points last weekend when Davis failed to appear at a home game against Iowa due to illness. In the wake of the Wisconsin loss and rampant rumors that he had resigned, Davis' absence only expanded his pool of unpopularity. In an unscientific poll on www.idsnews.com, more than 75 percent of voters said they wanted Davis to resign.\nCheck www.idsnews.com for updates.\n--IDS campus editor Sam Nissen and senior writer Michael Zennie contributed to this report from Bloomington.
(02/16/06 6:07am)
By Brian Janosch\nbjanosch@indiana.edu
(02/14/06 6:15am)
As Hoosier coach Mike Davis continues to try to fulfill his job description and coach basketball, he finds himself continually answering questions about his job -- not his team. For the second day in a row, Davis' comments made national headlines as he addressed the media during a Big Ten teleconference. \n"It doesn't make any sense," he said. "I've been under fire for the past weeks by not just the fans, but the media. And we were one game out of first place during that time. We were ranked in the top 20 during that time."\nDavis compared recent circumstances to Orlando Magic star Steve Francis under achieving amid trade rumors, or a family being nervous about a company downsizing.\n"The things I'm trying to get (the team) to do should never even be involved in being a coach," Davis said. "I should be trying to coach basketball and these guys should really enjoy their college career ... I don't know if I've had a team that's had positive memories out of this whole deal since I've been here."\nDavis, his staff and the veteran players have been in this position before. This marks the third consecutive season that Davis has had to address job-related questions. In an effort to try and cease those distracting questions and focus on basketball, IU media relations announced that the team has closed its practices to the media indefinitely.\nAs for the reason why the skepticism seems relentless, Davis said it may have been destiny all along.\n"I just think Indiana needs to have one of their own," he said. "They need to have someone that has played here so they can embrace him ... I'm not upset about it, I'm not disappointed about it. I think they need that, I really do."\nThe sixth-year head coach wasn't necessarily saying that's what IU needs in the future, but rather that's why he has faced criticism over the years. He added that his players deserve better than that. \n"We had a really good thing going this year," he said. "But when you hear what you hear, it doesn't make any sense when you're a game out of first place."\nThough the Hoosiers have dropped in the Big Ten \nstandings since the doubters and naysayers first reared their heads, Davis said that is still no \nexcuse. \n"Even Minnesota was 0-6 and not one possession did I feel like (their fans) weren't in the game and pulling for their team," he said.\nMonday evening, assistant coaches Donnie Marsh and Kerry Rupp filled in for Davis on the Mike Davis radio show. Davis went straight home after Monday's practice, but called in to the show and spoke for a few minutes.\n"I'm struggling, but hopefully I can shake it," Davis said of his illness. Davis said the illness prevented him from watching the first half of the Iowa game, and he didn't know anything until his son called him at \nhalftime.\nRegarding IU's upcoming game against Penn State, Davis called it a "must win," but said his team stepped up its play by the end of Monday's practice.
(02/14/06 5:26am)
As Hoosier coach Mike Davis continues to try to fulfill his job description and coach basketball, he finds himself continually answering questions about his job -- not his team. For the second day in a row, Davis' comments made national headlines as he addressed the media during a Big Ten teleconference. \n"It doesn't make any sense," he said. "I've been under fire for the past weeks by not just the fans, but the media. And we were one game out of first place during that time. We were ranked in the top 20 during that time."\nDavis compared recent circumstances to Orlando Magic star Steve Francis under achieving amid trade rumors, or a family being nervous about a company downsizing.\n"The things I'm trying to get (the team) to do should never even be involved in being a coach," Davis said. "I should be trying to coach basketball and these guys should really enjoy their college career ... I don't know if I've had a team that's had positive memories out of this whole deal since I've been here."\nDavis, his staff and the veteran players have been in this position before. This marks the third consecutive season that Davis has had to address job-related questions. In an effort to try and cease those distracting questions and focus on basketball, IU media relations announced that the team has closed its practices to the media indefinitely.\nAs for the reason why the skepticism seems relentless, Davis said it may have been destiny all along.\n"I just think Indiana needs to have one of their own," he said. "They need to have someone that has played here so they can embrace him ... I'm not upset about it, I'm not disappointed about it. I think they need that, I really do."\nThe sixth-year head coach wasn't necessarily saying that's what IU needs in the future, but rather that's why he has faced criticism over the years. He added that his players deserve better than that. \n"We had a really good thing going this year," he said. "But when you hear what you hear, it doesn't make any sense when you're a game out of first place."\nThough the Hoosiers have dropped in the Big Ten \nstandings since the doubters and naysayers first reared their heads, Davis said that is still no \nexcuse. \n"Even Minnesota was 0-6 and not one possession did I feel like (their fans) weren't in the game and pulling for their team," he said.\nMonday evening, assistant coaches Donnie Marsh and Kerry Rupp filled in for Davis on the Mike Davis radio show. Davis went straight home after Monday's practice, but called in to the show and spoke for a few minutes.\n"I'm struggling, but hopefully I can shake it," Davis said of his illness. Davis said the illness prevented him from watching the first half of the Iowa game, and he didn't know anything until his son called him at \nhalftime.\nRegarding IU's upcoming game against Penn State, Davis called it a "must win," but said his team stepped up its play by the end of Monday's practice.
(02/13/06 5:29am)
Life's troubles can be notorious for their peculiar timing.\nThe day after rumors began surfacing about IU coach Mike Davis resigning, he was mysteriously absent from pregame introductions. But before the rumor mill could spin out of control, word came that Davis was home ill. It marked the coach's first absence from the IU sidelines not related to a suspension.\nAssistant coach Donnie Marsh took over head coaching duties, and said he and Davis spoke about five times before the 70-67 loss to Iowa. Marsh said Davis started feeling sick the day before, and his condition only worsened before the noon tip-off.\n"We talked right before pregame meals early at 8:30," Marsh said. "(Davis) said, 'I don't think I'm going to make pregame. I'm just going to try to ride it out and be there at 10:30.' We talked again at 10:30, and he was actually feeling worse."\nBut as speculation continued to rise, the stomach virus wasn't the only thing making Davis sick. In an interview with ESPN's Andy Katz Saturday afternoon, Davis said the recent criticism was hurting his squad.\n"I watched (Saturday's) second half and you could see we were playing with no energy," Davis told ESPN. "It's really a shame. (The critics) have no idea what they've done to the players."\nAfter the game, instead of talking about the loss, several players found themselves answering more questions about their coach. Senior guard Marshall Strickland has traveled similar paths before, and said the speculation is nothing new to him.\n"I've already been through it worse," he said. "Sophomore year, probably, was the lowest. I'm just trying to lead the young guys. I think it probably takes a toll on the young guys the most."\nFreshman forward Ben Allen couldn't have proved Strickland more correct. After answering just two or three game-related questions, the barrage of coaching quandaries started pouring down. At one point Allen became so overwhelmed he said, "I'm just confused, man. I don't know what's going on."\nBut he also added that the entire ordeal has forced the team to bond together.\n"We've been calling a lot of meetings as a team," Allen said. "We've just got to stick together as a team because it is us who's getting the job done out there. You can't blame any of the coaches. You can't say anything about the coaches, it's us five guys."\nIn those meetings, seniors like Strickland are helping some of the younger players cope with the external distractions. This is the third year in a row that a season's end has been marred by coaching rumors.\n"It's not that tough on me," Strickland said. "I feel like I'm wearing armor. None of this stuff fazes me anymore."\nNext, the Hoosiers will march into Penn State to play the Nittany Lions who recently upset No. 6 Illinois. IU has not won a conference road game all season, and it's no secret that the negativity isn't helping matters. But the team hopes to take a page from John Lennon and Paul McCartney and prove that, even amongst turmoil, all you need is love.\n"We're staying together as a team," junior guard Errek Suhr said. "We all love each other. Coach Davis loves us. We love Coach Davis and all the assistant coaches"
(02/09/06 7:12am)
MADISON, Wisc. -- Forget Vegas. What happens in the IU locker room stays in the IU locker room.\nFor more than half an hour IU coach Mike Davis kept his team in the Kohl Center locker room after a 72-54 loss to Wisconsin -- its second worst of the season. As has been the case all season, what was said after the game wasn't shared outside closed doors.\n"I was thirsty," Davis said sarcastically after the extended stay. "I was grabbing some water. We didn't have any in the locker room, so (Wisconsin) coach (Bo) Ryan sent out and got me some water. There's a certain type of water I like to drink."\nWednesday night's loss ranked among the worst games of the season for the Hoosiers, as the team shot a season-low 29 percent from the field and 19 percent from three. \nThought recent skepticism has risen about the IU coaching staff (a group of students representing www.firemikedavis.com threatened to petition outside the Connecticut game), junior guard Earl Calloway said changes need to be made from the bottom up, not the other way around.\n"We've got to redefine us as a team," he said. "The coaches are giving us great plans, great strategy and great pregame. As the players, we've got to go execute what they do. They give us the right things, we've just got to get it out there on the court."\nA general consensus among the players who spoke after the game was a necessity to use the loss as a motivational tool for Saturday's game against Big Ten pace-setter Iowa. The Hoosiers have seen firsthand evidence of what teams are capable of doing when pushed against the ropes -- such as Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin -- and they hope to do the same again the Hawkeyes.\n"We need to keep this as a motivational tool," Calloway said. "You can't forget a 20-point loss."\nThe Hoosiers head back to Bloomington for two more days of practice before a Saturday showdown with the Hawkeyes. IU now sits in seventh place in the Big Ten, but the Hoosiers have yet to lose a conference game in Assembly Hall.\nIU won't begin its technical work until today's practice, but much of the mental preparation has already begun.\n"(Coach Davis) said a lot of things," senior guard Marshall Strickland said. "We're just going to be ready for Saturday"
(02/06/06 5:35am)
Assembly Hall cleared from another loss to another top-ranked team. In the somber student section, a red-caped gorilla comforted his banana friend whose stem had long since wilted to the left. \nThe image perfectly conveyed the juxtaposition of pregame hype and postgame remorse that surrounded Saturday's 88-80 loss to No. 1 Connecticut. \nNo. 22 IU (13-6, 5-3) set a season high with 77 shots, and a season low with seven turnovers. And had it not been for the middle 13 minutes of the game, the Hoosiers would have won 68-47. Unfortunately, they did play those minutes, and Connecticut outscored IU 41-12 in that span.\n"That is a great basketball team we played today -- the best I've seen," IU coach Mike Davis said. "I am glad that game is over. I watched film on them this week and you get scared to death of those guys because of their talent level."\nNo player better embodied that talent than the Huskies' Rudy Gay. The 6-foot-9 sophomore played to his potential with 19 points and 12 rebounds -- both game highs.\nFor the Hoosiers, Killingsworth had his worst shooting day of the season at 31 percent, and foul trouble limited his availability. He salvaged a 15-point effort by shooting 7-8 from the free throw line.\n"I keep saying this over and over, Marco is definitely the presence we need," Davis said. "When he goes out of the game, it definitely affects our play."\nIU controlled the first 13 minutes against Connecticut (19-1, 7-1) as Killingsworth attacked the basket, and guards Rod Wilmont and Marshall Strickland poured in threes. \nBut with IU leading by nine, Killingsworth collected his second foul at the 6:43 mark. Two minutes later the game was tied, and by halftime Connecticut led by five.\n"Early in the game, and I'm being very candid with you, I thought the game was going to get away from us," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "(Killingsworth) gets two fouls and the game changes."\nDespite starting Killingsworth in the second half, the tempo didn't change. The Huskies scored 10 points in two minutes to start the half, and five minutes later the score was 63-43.\n"It seemed like they hit every shot in the beginning stretch of the second half," Wilmont said. "A few of them were pretty well-contested, but they just kept hitting them."\nThe recipe for a Hoosier comeback consisted of a little luck and whole lot of junior guard Earl Calloway. After a 3-pointer by sophomore Robert Vaden to come within 15, Calloway controlled the pace. On several consecutive possessions, the junior college transfer bolted through the Connecticut defense for easy baskets. \nCalloway's offensive charge, compounded with his ability to press on defense, brought IU back within seven points before the Huskies finally pulled away.\n"We showed character and we showed fight," Calloway said. "We got down, and we still continued to fight and lost by eight."\nAfter the game, Davis commended his players for playing through scrutiny. He said not many players could play through the criticism that surrounds the team right now, having lost three of its last four games. \nDavis concluded by saying the team is still in second place in the Big Ten, although it slipped into a tie for third by the end of the day. He added the Hoosiers still have plenty of talent and, more likely than not, other teams will lose to Connecticut.\n"It is really a shame that this team has to go through what it has to go through sometimes, and read or hear what they have to hear," he said. "No one should pat you on the back when you lose a basketball game, but no one should crucify you when you are right there in the hunt"
