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(02/05/07 5:06am)
Kelvin Sampson can explain it to you quite simply.\n"Teams are better at home than they are on the road," he said in a press conference the day before IU's home win against Michigan on Jan. 27. \nWhen pressed by the same reporter to expand on the topic, he scoffed at the notion. \n"I've only answered that one 50 times in the last five years," he said. "There's nothing more to it than that. Teams are better at home. It's been like that since dirt."\nOf course, there are plenty of reasons why teams are better at home -- the crowd, court familiarity and in the case of IU's 81-75 loss to Iowa on Saturday, Mr. Adam Haluska and the Hoosiers' lack of assertion on the boards. But, in the end, it can really be boiled down to Sampson's simplistic explanation.\nUsually, only the elite of the elite finish with a respectable road record.\nThis team certainly has proven it can compete on the road, no question about it. They haven't been blown out once all year. But, there's quite a difference between playing tough and competing on the road and actually winning the game. IU is 2-6 away from Assembly Hall this season. \nIt seems near impossible that IU could stun No. 2 Wisconsin on Wednesday, snapping the nation's longest winning streak at 17 games in the process, and yet falter against a pedestrian Iowa team Saturday. But there the Hoosiers were, floundering in the second half, as Haluska -- no matter how erratic he looked at times -- dropped in shot after shot. Credit Iowa, a team that's been coming around in recent games.\nBut such is life on the road. And such is life in the Big Ten conference. \nThe Hoosiers embarked on what I called the most crucial stretch of the season with games at Connecticut and Illinois and home bouts against Michigan and Wisconsin the last two weeks. IU went 3-1 during that stretch.\nThis next slot of games should prove equally difficult. The Hoosiers, instead of sitting comfortably in third place in the Big Ten, now find themselves fighting to stay afloat.\nSure, IU doesn't have to play Big Ten powers Wisconsin or Ohio State again, but four of its six remaining games this month are on the road. Iowa is now only one down in the loss column to the Hoosiers. Michigan, Purdue, Illinois and Michigan State are looming close behind as well. \nWith the exception of the Hawkeyes, IU plays all those teams again this month. Three of those four are on the road.\nIt's gut check time for Sampson and his team. \nIf they can't figure out how to eek out a few wins on the road in the back half of their Big Ten journey, Sampson's debut season might not turn out as we've all been envisioning it.
(02/01/07 4:57am)
Tremendous. That's the word Kelvin Sampson used to define Wednesday night's win. \nMemory. D.J. White said it's one he'll have for the rest of his life. \nClaustrophobic. Why, that's what A.J. Ratliff is, and how he felt as students rushed onto the court following IU's 71-66 victory against No. 2 Wisconsin inside Assembly Hall on Wednesday night.\nAnd speaking of Ratliff, if you're still wondering where that player you were promised has been, the one awarded "Mr. Basketball" in the state of Indiana since his senior season at North Central High School, look no further than Branch McCracken Court on Wednesday night. He played with authority, confidence and seemed to add elements to his game never witnessed before. He drove the lane with a newfound terror for buckets. He dished passes as if he was this team's point guard. And, in the decisive minutes of Wednesday night's game, he was the man -- seemingly hitting every shot he took the last 12 minutes of the half. Well, actually he did make every shot he took the last 12 minutes, all five of them, including two free throw shots to boot. All that with a cast on his left wrist, one that's limited just how and where he can play on the court. \nThe past few years, the Hoosier squad has run into a brick wall around this part of the Big Ten season. Conference play that started out so promising quickly turned sour. But this team, led by first-year coach Sampson, has busted through that brick wall with a confidence and swagger not seen around these parts in some time.\nSure, there's still plenty of time for this ride to derail. But, are there seriously any of you out there that think it will?\nIn his post-game press conference, Sampson credited the crowd as much as his team for the Hoosier victory. Ratliff said it hasn't been like this inside Assembly Hall since the Duke game early last season.\nNo arguments here.\nIn the decisive last minutes of the second half, the students seated in the front row of section M banged on the railing so hard paint chipped off it and fell down onto my arm, as I sat tucked against the wall on press row.\nAs students funneled over the wall on the east side of the stadium and down into the alumni court side seats below, a group of middle-aged men were -- at first -- bombarded. Then, apparently swept up by the moment and the stadium's giddiness, they helped the throng of kids as each hopped over the railing.\nFor one night inside Assembly Hall, the apparent rift, however manufactured it may be between the alumni and students was non-existent. And hey, on nights such as Wednesday, who needs a student section?\nThe entire crowd was one unit basking in the warmth of a Hoosier victory. \nAnd everything, as coach Sampson would say, was "tremendous"
(01/31/07 11:25pm)
POSTGAME
(01/29/07 2:41am)
Do any of you out there need some comforting before Wisconsin rumbles into town Wednesday night? You know, that Badger squad that currently sits atop the Big Ten with a perfect 7-0 record, 21-1 overall mark and is ranked No. 2 in the country?\nWell, this is me, here for you.\nConsider this: \nIU has not lost at home this year. In fact, the Hoosiers are currently in the midst of their longest home winning streak in quite some time. With their victory against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, IU has now rattled off 13 straight wins at home, dating back to last season. Not since IU went on a 56-game run inside Assembly Hall from February 1991 to January 1995 has a winning streak reached this long. I wouldn't say 13 games is anything to clap your hands and say "yeah" about, but, hey, it's something ... right?\nHere's another number to get you in the mood. And by mood I mean, well, I don't really know what I mean by that. Anyway, the Hoosiers are a perfect 14-0 this season in games where they score 70 or more points. IU has scored more than 70 points in 10 of its 11 home games this season. Are you starting to feel good about this one yet?\nWell, how about this: The Badgers are only averaging a touch better than 61 points a game on the road in the Big Ten this season. Also, if you haven't noticed, the Hoosiers have been straight up clowning Big Ten teams at home. IU's average margin of victory in home Big Ten games is nearly 18 points a game.\nNeed some more comforting? IU is 1-0 against teams sporting celebrity look-alikes on their rosters. You see, Western Illinois has this player Troy Okeson. If Bill Walton and Dirk Nowitzki somehow had a baby, he would be their son. IU beat Western Illinois back in December. If you've ever watched a Wisconsin game in the last couple years, you'll surely notice Badger guard Kammron Taylor is comedian Chris Rock. It's an uncanny resemblance. It's also a resemblance brought up ad nauseam by any commentator ever calling a Badger game. So, here's me falling prey to that. Sorry.\nWith all these numbers in their favor, there is no way the Hoosiers can lose Wednesday night. Well, OK, yes there is. But hey, don't you feel better about the game already? \nOne last note: You can make a difference. Yes you, IU student! You see, there's one of these "white outs" proposed as a Facebook event for Wednesday night's game. As of late Sunday afternoon, 526 guests are confirmed for it. Now, this is by no means an official "white out." Perhaps the athletics department will make an official announcement about one if the movement gains enough steam today or Tuesday.\nBut remember kids, IU was 0-2 in games where Assembly Hall was clad in white tees last season.\nSo, perhaps a "red out" would be a better idea?
(01/26/07 8:37pm)
Um, sorry for the late arrival this post is making. (That can happen when you have a paper due on a Friday afternoon.)
(01/26/07 4:46am)
Usually in this column space, I try to write some breathy prose about the men's basketball team. You know, relating each game to the big picture of the season and telling you what it all means, man.\nLet's ditch that for a day.\nHere are your mid-season awards and accolades 66 percent of the way through the regular season. Whoops.
(01/25/07 3:30am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Not to get all predictably cliche on you here, but Assembly Hall -- the one in Champaign, Ill. -- is quite literally a gladiator's ring.\nThere's one entrance onto the court. The stands wrap around in an oval. There are no balconies. \nAs the Illini and Bruce Weber entered the court shortly before tipoff, there were cheers from the orange-clad faithful. Call it a hero's welcome, if you will.\nShortly afterward, the IU Hoosiers strutted out to jeers. And jeers. And more jeers. IU coach Kelvin Sampson, who seemed to take his sweet time before making his way onto the court, got the loudest boos of all. The Enemy had finally arrived.\nBut here were the Hoosiers, undaunted as they've been on the road all season, hitting shots early in the contest and taking the Orange Krush out of the game from the start. But then, something happened. Whether it was Illini coach Bruce Weber's decision to start double-teaming D.J. White, or IU's normally hot 3-point shooters going cold, or just a bad game (which happens to even the best of teams now and then), the Hoosiers started a slow crawl backward.\nHard to say exactly where it all unraveled. But, I do know this: The Illini crowd got to this team. They got to Sampson. For the first time all year, the crowd seriously rattled IU. They were timid. No one stepped up in crunch time. The Hoosiers scored 43 points the entire game. Let me remind you, IU had 41 points at halftime against Western Illinois earlier in the season.\nOnce things started to really go south in the second half, there was a rampant pulsation of noise from the stands. It was an all-out onslaught on a man who the fans know isn't really to blame for the whole Eric Gordon debacle -- but hey, they have to let loose anger on someone, and who better than him?\nHe's the face of a program that snatched a game-breaker, Mr. Eric Gordon, from their grips. He's the guy they'll surely hate for years to come.\nThis Illini team is not very good. They still have a case to make if they want to get into the NCAA tournament. Their win Tuesday night against a ranked opponent should help their cause. Illinois may not even finish over .500 in the conference this season.\nTheir win Tuesday night might be one of the few bright spots of the season. In their minds, there's at least something to savor from this season -- a win over the Enemy. They'll say, "At least we beat that cheater Sampson this year."\nExpect the Hoosiers to rebound. I said before the game this would be their toughest road tilt of the year and a difficult place for them to eke out a victory.\nBut this loss was frighteningly reminiscent of the ghost of Hoosiers past: the teams under former coach Mike Davis that self-destructed on the road.\nSampson gets animated on the sidelines. But Tuesday night, under the glare of about 16,000 souls all in unison against him, he seemed to ramp it up a notch. He constantly interlocked his fingers behind his head after he watched frustrating play after frustrating play from his squad. He stomped on the floor repeatedly. I can only imagine what he told his team in the locker room after the game.\nSampson will get another shot at this Illini team Feb. 10 inside his own Assembly Hall. A win is altogether possible.\nBut for one Tuesday night in late January, he and his team entered the gladiator's ring and were slain.
(01/24/07 5:29am)
It's Friday night, a few ticks past midnight at Kilroy's Sports Bar. Girls are huddled together in line outside, shivering without coats as they wait for the patrons in front of them to get their IDs checked, pay cover and enter the establishment.\nInside, it's still relatively quiet. In the rather spacious lower level, some sit in booths, while others are posted up at the main bar, glancing at the large array of flatscreen TVs now and then, as they chat with old, or perhaps, new friends.\nCall it the calm before the storm.\nBecause within the hour, the place will swell. It will be packed, crowded and alive. It will be full of customers entertaining themselves in a seemingly endless string of activities. Some will be dancing upstairs, some will be playing pool near the back of the first floor, some, no matter how cold it is, will be drinking and smoking cigarettes on the bar's second-floor patio. Others will be downstairs, dodging in and out of the throngs of people, gulping drinks with friends as the night becomes increasingly blurry in their minds.\nBehind the hustle and bustle of this weekend crowd at Sports, stands the Prall sisters, managers Maggie and Liza.\nThink of them as the conductors of a large orchestra, simultaneously overseeing 850 patrons of their 14,000-square-foot, two-story establishment and heading a staff that can reach nearly 80 employees on the busiest of nights.\nAfter working in different capacities under the Kilroy's umbrella, Maggie and Liza came to Sports as managers in early 2004 and set out to consistently fill the spacious bar by making it a spot where everyone in town felt welcome. With this school year's spike in popularity, their goals seem to be coming to fruition.\n"When we came back to this store to run it together, we both sat down and said 'It's 14,000 square feet-- how are we going to fill this place consistently?'" Maggie said. "We had to really broaden our horizons and open the doors and please a lot bigger demographic than anybody else in town."\nOne of their first tasks was the placement of the DJ. Live music has been a staple of Sports since the mid-90s, but Maggie and Liza decided its popularity had dwindled a bit. The DJ had been downstairs and the live music on the top level prior to their arrival, but they made the decision to put the DJ on the second floor.\n"When we first got together and we needed a goal, the only thing that was very successful was the DJ," said Maggie. "If we got the people upstairs, then all we had to do was fill the downstairs, which is a lot easier to do because it's right inside the doors."\nAfter the upstairs was remodeled and the DJ was in place, their attention moved to the downstairs, which they remodeled this past summer with such elements as flatscreen TVs, a long bar on the south end of the first level and new paint on the walls, switching from green -- a Kilroy's staple since 1971 -- to brick red.\nNext, the sisters decided to restructure what they offered on select nights. Two weeks before first semester began, they decided to serve all drinks half-price on Wednesdays.\n"We fixed our Wednesdays overnight, which, for us, was a high-five," Maggie said. "Obviously, we make very little to no money on Wednesdays ... but our employees make good money and the customers are having the time of their lives and that makes them want to come back on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and any other Sunday that they might come out."\nSenior Jason Bowman, a frequent Sports patron, said the Wednesday night special that Sports offered early last semester kept him coming back all year.\n"I only went to Sports once last year," said Bowman. "'Half-price Wednesdays' is what brought me and my friends to Sports. It's always a good time, so we keep going back." Liza said the notion of a half-off night started out as a joke. But it eventually stuck and Maggie, who was wary of such a drastic change at first, was eventually convinced.\n"I had worked Wednesdays and they were dismal," Liza said. "It's tough to see this huge bar when we're slow. It's cry-yourself-to-sleep, it's painful."\nAnother institutional change made as first semester got underway was to feature dueling pianos on Thursday nights, something they'd been trying to pull off since last spring.\nIn addition to the new look, the nightly specials and the restructured entertainment lineup, Liza said they strive for each room to have a different atmosphere to appeal to the bar's diverse clientele. From the casual pool room in the back of the first floor, to the dance club vibe upstairs, there's a little bit of everything inside the Walnut Street establishment.\n"I think we're the most diverse bar in town," Liza said. "Every age, every color, every everything. You go upstairs, you go downstairs, anywhere you're at in the place it's a melting pot." \nAlthough Sports might be the "it" spot of the moment, Liza said that can change in an instant, as has happened to the bar in years past.\n"Because we were so hot for so long, some people were just sick of it," she said. "Same thing with (Kilroy's on) Kirkwood -- they're not necessarily doing anything different this semester, but people were there six nights a week last semester or last year, and now the whole thing kind of shifts, which we've experienced over the years." \nFor now, in the cyclical-patron cycle that is the Bloomington bar scene, Sports seems to have a firm hold on the market.
(01/22/07 5:05am)
Did you get that feeling? \nYou know, the one where you felt that at some point, the Huskies were going to fully seize their hyper-athleticism, breakthrough and take over the game for good? \nWell, a run here and a run there, and they were back in the game, even taking the lead on several occasions. \nBut as IU coach Kelvin Sampson said after his team's 77-73 victory against Connecticut, his team bent, but it did not break. \nIn the Kentucky, Duke, Butler and Ohio State games, his team broke. The final minutes were ridden with stalls, as IU found itself unable to string points together for a victory. Against Penn State and Connecticut, the Hoosiers seized up the strength and courage to muster out a win.\nThis is a team -- and more specifically a coach -- getting the most out of what it has. Take junior college transfer Mike White as an example. Heading into Saturday's contest, he'd only averaged eight minutes a game. He never started. Against the Huskies he did just that and played 32 minutes.\nWhite doesn't have much offensive prowess. Sampson, in his post-game press conference, said White would never be a "stat-sheet stuffer."\nBut he came up with some huge defensive plays. Not known for his free-throw shooting, he hit two key ones to tie up the game at 66 with 2:41 left. If you remember, he was 2-of-7 from the free-throw line against Duke. The Hoosiers lost that game by three.\nSaturday, he did what was asked of him by Sampson. That's all he needed to do. And he did it to near perfection.\nAgainst Kentucky, Rod Wilmont failed to even attempt a 3-point shot late in the game when the opportunity presented itself. Saturday, he took the shot. He nailed a deep three from well beyond the left wing. It was coldblooded. It put the Hoosiers up one. Shortly after, Connecticut's Stanley Robinson, who had terrorized IU all game, connected and IU found itself down one. \nNo worries. Here came Wilmont once again, driving down the lane (remember he's a shooter), hitting a jumper to put the Hoosiers up once again. It was a lead they'd never relinquish. \nIt seems that where once the Hoosiers faltered, they're now triumphing.\nThis is a credit to Sampson. He's proven to be an excellent game manager and has instilled confidence within this team.\nThis is essentially a very similar squad to last year's. IU has one talented big man and a bevy of 3-point shooters. But they play harder. They play smarter. They're all a year older. Last year's team doesn't win this game. \nThe Hoosiers have seemingly undergone a Beatles-esque transformation since November. They were an unkempt group of Liverpoolians back then, rampant with sloppy, turnover-ridden play, unsure of their identities or direction.\nNow, just as the fab four did, they've completely transformed themselves in a relatively short time. The Hoosiers now don suits and ties, complete with mop tops, fully aware of who they are and where they're headed. \nJust how far can this team go? Hard to say.\nBut for now, the Hoosiers are rising to the challenge.\nExpect this entertaining show to continue all the way into March.
(01/19/07 4:39am)
Let's call this season a rebirth -- a renaissance, if you will. \nGone are the days of IU not competing on the road, looking sluggish on defense and certain individuals playing awful, lazy and sloppy but staying in the game regardless. (See: Robert Vaden, Marco Killingsworth.)\nIt's been nice for Hoosier Nation.\nBut this next stretch of games will really -- I mean really -- test this team. It starts late Saturday afternoon against Connecticut on the road. The game is certainly winnable. The Huskies have been floundering of late, losing three of their last four games. But they're still a team full of talent. Having 7-foot-3 shot-blocker Hasheem Thabeet on their side could neutralize D.J. White. And if IU isn't hitting from beyond the arc, it could spell t-r-o-u-b-l-e for the Hoosiers.\nTuesday, IU travels to Champaign, Ill. to take on the Fighting Illini. The matchup will be the toughest road game for the Hoosiers this season, no question about it. Remember that whole Eric Gordon thing? You know, the kid who verbally committed to Illinois because Mike Davis was here, then gave IU another look when Kelvin Sampson was hired and eventually decided to sign with the Hoosiers? Um, I'm thinking the Orange Krush student section hasn't forgotten that. Expect a chorus of boos all game. It's going to be a voyage into the belly of the beast.\nAgain, as is the case with Connecticut, IU has an excellent chance to beat the Illini. Most of their studs are gone to the NBA. Because of it, they're searching for their rhythm, starting out at a rather pedestrian 2-3 so far in Big Ten play. And the Illini have lost twice at home this season, something they rarely -- if ever -- do.\nA home bout with Michigan comes Saturday, the most winnable of the lot. \nThen another home game, which, with IU's perfect record at home, the Hoosiers should be fine with. Problem is, it's the Wisconsin Badgers coming to town Jan. 31. They are good -- real good. The Badgers sport an 18-1 record, senior talent and leadership and solid play on the wings and the blocks. It's all there.\n "It's a tough stretch, but I think we're up to the challenge," White said of the next few games. "Like I said before, that Penn State road game helped us out a lot with our confidence. I think we have the confidence that we can play anywhere and with anybody."\nAs I noted earlier this week, in Davis' last three seasons at the helm, the Hoosiers started out 4-1 in conference play just as Kelvin Sampson's Hoosiers have this season. Then mediocrity set in. Losing streaks occurred with frequency. The Hoosiers looked battered and beaten, incapable of rising up to the challenge at times.\nThe ball is now in Sampson's hands. Davis clanged it off the backboard. \nWill the new coach do the same? Or will he softly swish it through the hoop?\nExpect a sound a little more pleasant to the ears.
(01/17/07 5:07am)
Be honest. You're out there somewhere. \nYou're the one who didn't like IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan's decision to hire Kelvin Sampson back in March.\nYou're the one who wanted a big splash name, a John Calipari, a Mark Few or, gulp, maybe even a Steve Alford. You spent much of that first day of Sampson's hire ranting and raving on the message board or blog of your choice.\nDo you still feel like it was a huge mistake? Well, if you do, um, you're wrong. \nSure, there are going to be bumps along the way. No one person or team is perfect. They'll be seasons down the line when IU struggles. Heck, that might even happen later this season. And yes, Sampson certainly doesn't have a national or Big Ten title to boast about, yet.\nBut for the here and now, Tuesday night's 71-64 win against Iowa marks the Hoosiers' fourth straight Big Ten win. Save for somewhat of a defensive lapse during the last eight minutes of Tuesday's tilt -- these were convincing, both-end-of-the-court victories.\nIn the Hoosiers' three home Big Ten wins, they've led by 20 points or more in each. At Penn State on Saturday, they finally got over their road woes and battled back against a Nittany Lions team firing on all cylinders.\nThis year's Hoosiers squad is fun to watch. They've shown they can win in myriad ways, whether it be a combination of their defense or rebounding and hot 3-point shooting or strong inside play by junior forward D.J. White. \nAt this point, the Hoosiers seem well on their way to amassing 20 wins this season, something IU hasn't done since the 2002-03 when it won 21 games and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.\nAnd how about this one: With IU's 4-1 start in the Big Ten so far, Sampson is the first first-year IU coach since Branch McCracken in the 1938-39 season to start out winning four of his first five Big Ten games.\nIt's still somewhat early in conference play. There's plenty of time for IU to take a dive. Don't forget that during Mike Davis' last three years at the helm, the Hoosiers started 4-1 in the Big Ten. \nBut for now, the season looks bright. And you have Mr. Kelvin Sampson to thank for that.
(01/12/07 4:59am)
If you've been following this column at any sort of frequency this season (thanks, all three of you), you've surely noticed I've shone particular praise upon IU's defense.\nI've called it stifling, hard-nosed and blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. \nThere's really not much more I can say.\nThis team can defend. It can rebound. Get used to it. This is Kelvin Sampson Basketball. This is now IU Basketball. \nIn addition, the home blowout wins this week against Michigan State and Purdue showed the Hoosiers' offensive versatility.\nOn Sunday against the Spartans it was junior forward D.J. White leading the charge with 21 points, as the Hoosiers' wingmen floundered from beyond the arc, going 3-of-17 for the game.\nOn Wednesday night the Boilers' defense swarmed White all night long. He only had six shot attempts all night.\nNo worries, though. There was junior guard A.J. Ratliff and freshman guard Joey Shaw, who combined for a perfect 6-of-6 from 3-point land.\nIU has so many players right around the same talent level that when a few struggle one night, another group of them shines. It's someone different showing up every night and getting it done. This certainly isn't a one- or two-man team. \nAt this current juncture, there's no reason for Hoosier Nation to believe IU won't keep chugging along and grab one of the top spots in the Big Ten. As I said earlier this week, after Ohio State and Wisconsin, there's a bulk of teams all vying for the third spot in the Big Ten, and IU appears to be emerging as the best team out of the lot.\nSo, as of now, things seem to be falling into place quite well for the Hoosiers and their first-year coach. \nExcept for one thing. \nIU hasn't won on the road this season. If they're going to rise up from that Big Ten middle crop, they're certainly going to have to snatch a few victories away from Assembly Hall.\nNow, save for perhaps the Butler game up in Indianapolis on Nov. 14, the Hoosiers went into hostile environments and competed quite well. But at Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State they became stagnant in the final minutes of close games and eventually lost. \nThey've shown particular resolve and lack of fear on the road, something Mike Davis squads lacked at times.\nPenn State provides the perfect opportunity for IU to notch its first road win Saturday afternoon.\nIt's a far less intimidating environment inside the Bryce Jordan Center than, say, Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium or Kentucky's Rupp Arena. And Penn State certainly isn't at the same talent level as Duke, Kentucky or Ohio State.\nWhen Sampson first came to IU back in March, White told his new coach one of his goals was to win on the road -- something that wasn't done with much frequency under Davis.\nSaturday's game might finally give White what he's been hoping for.
(01/08/07 5:05am)
This isn't your normal Michigan State squad. \nSaddled with injuries in the ever-important early fall months of the season, the Spartans were forced to use assistant coaches to fill in for players during practice sessions.\n"It's probably the worst year I've had as far as practices," said Spartan coach Tom Izzo, who is in his 12th season as coach at Michigan State. "Everyone thinks I've enjoyed this team -- I haven't enjoyed them at all. It's not their fault, we just don't practice. We can't practice. There's not enough players to compete against ... Everyone loses some players, but no one was as slim as us to start with."\nIzzo now has sophomore guard Maurice Joseph and freshman forward Raymar Morgan back. Both missed a number of games in December. Morgan also missed the Spartans' Big Ten opener, a loss at Iowa on Thursday night.\nIt's going to be a trying year for the Spartans, who are now 0-2 in Big Ten play, as they look to find some semblance of cohesiveness as a squad while conference play drags on. \nLate Sunday afternoon, the Hoosiers simply out-mustered, out-played and out-hustled the Spartans at every turn during their 73-51 victory in \nAssembly Hall.\nFor one of the few times all season, IU looked like the far superior athletic squad on \nthe hardwood.\nThe Hoosiers were a terror on the boards, racking up 12 on the offensive end, which aided in its 17 second-chance points for the game.\nSenior guard Errek Suhr was up to his old tricks again, drawing offensive fouls and playing tough, pressure defense against larger and more athletic opponents.\nAt one instance after a missed 3-point attempt by junior forward Lance Stemler in the first half, Errek "Mr. Scrappy" Suhr dove out of bounds for the errant rebound on the sideline, tipped it back to Stemler, who himself dove on the floor to gain possession. Soon after, the ball was into the big man, D.J. White, and it was another easy two-point bucket for the junior forward.\nThat's been the Hoosiers' calling card this season. \nThey don't have the most athletic squad in the conference or a game-changing standout player. Although if White continues to improve at this clip, that's certainly up for debate.\nBut they'll outwork you. They just seem to want it more than their opponents. \nAnd they've finally figured out coach Kelvin Sampson's offensive structure and are scoring in their sets with far more frequency. That's key for the Hoosiers, who have struggled at times on the offensive end. They've shown more discipline with the ball the last few games and have significantly lowered their turnover rate from the start of the season.\nAfter Big Ten powers Ohio State and Wisconsin, the \nconference is wide open. There's a logjam of talent and skill between IU, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Michigan State.\nIt's going to come down to hustle, smarts and heart if IU is going to emerge from that middle pack and grab the third -- or perhaps a higher spot -- in conference.\n"We don't have a large margin of error," Sampson said. "We don't have a lot of size. We just have to make up for it in different areas. For us, we just have to scrap and claw and fight and find ways to win."\nThat style should suit the Hoosiers well as the Big Ten season rages on.
(01/07/07 9:05pm)
POSTGAME:
(12/21/06 2:38am)
Well, in the end it's another win for the Hoosiers, 77-69.
(12/11/06 3:40pm)
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- There the Hoosiers were, at it again. Down five points with 2:01 to play, freshman Joey Shaw stripped the ball from the University of Kentucky's Ramel Bradley near IU's basket. Shaw hit a layup. The Hoosiers were now down three.\nOn the ensuing UK possession, senior Earl Calloway picked Derrick Jasper's pocket near half court. Calloway sped down the court and attempted a layup. Jasper, however, was there for a block, and he knocked the ball out of bounds.\nStill IU's ball. Still a chance to tie the game or trail by one. \nBut after two Shaw misses under the basket and an errant three-pointer by senior Rod Wilmont, IU never scored again. \nSo it went for the Hoosiers in their 59-54 loss to UK on Saturday afternoon in Rupp Arena. Fantastic offensive rebounding for second- and third-chance opportunities. Relentless defense. Hustling for loose balls. Terrible shooting.\nJust how terrible?\nTry 50 missed shots.\n"You have to make shots," IU coach Kelvin Sampson said after the game.\nThe Hoosiers have out-rebounded all eight squads they've played this season. I think they've out-defended all of them as well.\nBut the offense continues to be the one question mark for this team. \nAfter struggling to establish himself in the post all season, D.J. White played like the D.J. White Hoosiers fans remember from his freshman year. He was hitting shots over double teams. He played under control and looked fluid. White finished the afternoon with 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.\nDespite his effort, what IU has relied on in lieu of White all season -- hitting three-pointers and outside buckets -- was nonexistent Saturday afternoon. IU had its looks. They just didn't fall.\nThe always-on Lance Stemler had his worst shooting game of the season. He was 0-of-7 from the floor, including six missed threes. Calloway finished 2-of-10 for the game.\nCouple White's play with IU's usual outside-shooting performance, and come Big Ten season, this team will be tough to beat -- \nwhether at home or on the road.\nMuch like IU's performance against Duke earlier in the season, Saturday's game again proved this Hoosier squad can compete to win in a hostile environment on the road.\nThey were unafraid and aggressive.\nYou couldn't always say that about a Mike Davis team. (Anyone remember that 61-42 loss at Minnesota last season? Geez.)\nLet's flip that 50-missed-shots statistic around. IU missed 50 shots -- 50 shots! -- but still had a chance to win the game Saturday. The team was in a stadium known for its intimidating environment, filled to capacity with 24,253 fans. \nThat's a plus. \nAs Sampson addressed the media after the game, White sat next to him perusing the stat sheet.\nAt one point, his eyes lit up.\nPerhaps he had just run across IU's field-goal shooting for the game: 22-of-72.\nDid we really miss 50 shots?\nYes, D.J., the Hoosiers did.\nIt probably won't happen again all season. But because of it, Kentucky squeaked by with a victory. \nThe Big Ten teams won't be so lucky.
(12/09/06 5:04pm)
UK plays some good D, Stemler launches a tough three. It's nowhere near on target. UK ball and probably the game.
(12/08/06 5:39pm)
Hey, want to hear an obnoxiously corny and unfunny rivalry joke? \nGreat, me too.\nSo there's a Hoosier fan sitting quietly in a chair. He's fishing out of a bucket. A gap-toothed and barefoot Wildcats fan asks the Hoosier fan what he's doing. \nHe responds: "I'm fishing for suckers." \nThe Wildcat fan asks: "How many have you caught?"\n"You're my eighth one today," replies the Hoosiers fan.\nPresumably, at some point, this lame joke was shared between an IU supporter and a Kentucky one in either Indianapolis or Louisville -- the neutral sites this match-up has rotated between each year since 1991. \nThe stadiums were split 50-50. There was a sea of red on one side, a sea of blue on the other. \nVisceral shouts and screams rang from the rafters to each opposing side.\nThis year, the Hoosiers will find themselves in a sea of blue. On Saturday, IU plays the Wildcats in Lexington, Ky., at Rupp Arena.\nIs it for the better or worse? \nWell, I think part of the luster of this series has always been the polarizing fan bases cooped up in such a small area of the country. Although the state lines don't quite determine your loyalties (Hoosier fans come from Kentucky, too, you know), it's a special thing having that sort of crowd atmosphere due to each game's close proximity to each fan base.\nThat's gone this year.\nIt's still a tough pre-conference season game for each team, but it takes a bit out of it for the fans. \nIU coach Kelvin Sampson isn't worried about too much of that, though. \nHe's more concerned with using this tough non-conference game as a stepping stone for his team's continued improvement. He also wants to see how senior guards Earl Calloway and Rod Wilmont and junior guard A.J. Ratliff look on the road after not seeing much time in the second half against Duke University earlier in the season.\n"The thing about this game is, those three guys that didn't play the second half, they got to prove they can play on the road," said Sampson.\nBoth Kentucky and IU have traveled similar roads and sport similar squads this season. Kentucky is a modest 5-3 with losses against three ranked squads -- the University of North Carolina, the University of Memphis and UCLA. IU boasts a 5-2 record with loses to two ranked teams, Butler and Duke.\nThe Hoosiers have their big man in junior forward D.J. White, who averages averages 7.7 rebounds a game. Center Randolph Morris, Kentucky's low-post presence, averages 7.8.\nThe Wildcats sport the high-scoring guard duo of Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley, while IU has its own guard tandem of buckets in Wilmont and Ratliff.\nEach offense hinges on one standout low-post presence backed by solid guard play.\n"The Kentucky game is a rival game, it's a huge game," Wilmont said. "We played probably one of our best games last year against them. They're gonna come out and they're gonna remember that game from last year and what we did."\nFor those of you who don't remember, IU smacked Kentucky 79-53.\nAnd Hoosier fans -- whether in attendance or not -- would like Rod and crew to lay that smack down once again.
(12/06/06 11:43pm)
POSTGAME:
(12/04/06 1:32pm)
Earl Calloway, Rod Wilmont and A.J. Ratliff sat on IU's bench for much of the second half during the Hoosiers' 54-51 loss to Duke University Tuesday night.\nCertainly, you'd expect at least some combination of these three to see the floor during crunch time in such a tough nonconference affair.\nSo was IU coach Kelvin Sampson sending a message to the trio?\n"Oh, there was a message," Sampson said Thursday afternoon.\n"I threw five guys out there to start the game, they didn't play very well," Sampson said. "You know, I just didn't see a lot of confidence with that group. ... We competed the second half. You look out there and you've got a walk-on and you've got two freshmen on your perimeter, but it doesn't matter. Those guys played good. That's what matters."\nSampson was referring to the likes of senior Errek Suhr and freshmen Joey Shaw and Armon Bassett. Each played in lieu of Calloway, Wilmont and Ratliff while they rode the pine in Sampson's proverbial doghouse.\nWhat does this all mean for the Hoosiers?\nFirst, let's get a few things straight: This team needs Earl Calloway on the floor. It needs Wilmont out there, too. And Ratliff's defense is essential to Hoosiers' success. \nDuring the NCAA Tournament last season, Calloway was nothing short of spectacular. Same goes for IU's Nov. 13 win against Lafayette College earlier this year. The senior guard scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and had nine assists as well.\nHe's a scorer and leader. His quickness helps, too.\nWilmont is this team's spark plug. He's instant energy any time he's on the court. Rod is IU's Red Bull if you will. He's also a great three-point shooter and the team's most prolific scorer.\nRatliff's offensive prowess isn't quite that of Rod's or Earl's (although the potential seems to be there), but his wingspan gives him an advantage over most opponents he guards.\nAll three need to be an integral part of this team if the Hoosiers expect to be successful this season.\nSome have raised concerns on the Basketblog (by the way, thanks to all that made the live blog a success during the IU-Duke game) that Sampson's philosophy of pulling his players out of a game when they commit mistakes is detrimental to the team. If a player is constantly worrying about screwing up and getting yanked from the game, he'll be too preoccupied with looking over his shoulder at Sampson to play relaxed.\nThe first-year coach seemed to quell that notion Thursday afternoon during a press conference.\n"Making mistakes isn't a crime. It's OK to make mistakes," Sampson said. "But don't repeat it. That's the message you send these kids. And don't get mad at them because they didn't play good. I can't do that. That doesn't help anybody. I spent most of the day yesterday ... Earl came by, Rod came by. They wanna know, 'Coach, what can I do?' You know that's their attitude. They wanna help the team."\nSampson said that all three of them (Calloway, Wilmont and Ratliff) are kids of high character and will respond to his "message."\nSampson also said he expects Calloway to play a lot better in IU's Saturday night matchup with the University of North Carolina-Charlotte at Assembly Hall. \nOnce Calloway, Wilmont and Ratliff start to minimize these mistakes and get back to where they need to be -- and Suhr, Shaw and Bassett continue to impress -- Sampson will have a lot more depth at the guard position. \nThat's a good thing. Options are nice.\nBut first, the trio must respond to their coach's message. Will it happen Saturday night against Charlotte?\nMaybe, maybe not.\nWhenever it does happen, this team will be a lot better for it.
