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(02/18/08 5:34am)
A week of disappointment ended on a high note for the IU men’s basketball team when the No. 13 Hoosiers defeated No. 10 Michigan State 80-61. \nBut in a week that saw the program’s immediate future fall into doubt because of new allegations from the NCAA regarding IU coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff, even a victory against a top-10 opponent was a bittersweet moment for Hoosier fans. \nSenior forward D.J. White left the contest at the 4:55 mark of the first half after getting his shot attempt blocked by a Spartan defender. White hit the floor hard and was helped off the court to the locker room. He returned to the bench a few minutes into the second half with his left knee wrapped with ice. The senior finished the game with six points and two rebounds.\n“The doctors said we should hold him out, and I said ‘Absolutely,’” Sampson said. “If it doesn’t feel right to him ... that kid is too valuable.”\nSampson said team doctors thought White’s knee did not suffer structural damage. White was scheduled for an MRI Sunday, but IU Athletics spokesman J.D. Campbell said the procedure took place later than expected, and his status will not be known until Monday. \nThe Hoosiers (21-4, 10-2) had one of their best outings of the season, but started the game slowly as Michigan State jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first seven minutes. Spartan guard Drew Neitzel controlled the game early, scoring 14 first-half points. IU could not get into an offensive rhythm in the game’s opening minutes as IU took bad shots and did not try to get White established in the low post.\n“We had a hard time that first four, five minutes of getting them stretched,” Sampson said. “Once we got them stretched we had Eric (Gordon) and Jordan (Crawford) and Armon (Bassett) running in and out \nof screens.”\nAfter settling down and spreading the court on the offensive end, the Hoosiers responded with a 14-3 run of their own to tie the game at 18-18, capped off by Gordon blocking a Neitzel 3-point attempt and then running down for an explosive dunk to send the fans to their feet.\nLess than two minutes later, the Hoosiers took a 23-22 lead on a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Bassett and never looked back, starting a run on the strength of two 3-pointers from junior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis. Ellis ended the game with 12 points and four rebounds.\nGordon said Ellis’ 3-pointers were crucial in the Hoosier run.\n“I would say his start to the game made the big impact,” Gordon said. “My (dunk) was just to tie it up, but his shots had the most biggest impact.”\nGordon scored a game-high 28 points en route to setting the all-time IU freshman scoring record, passing Mike Woodson’s 500 point campaign in the 1976-1977 season.\nMichigan State tried to cut the Hoosier lead in the second half, but for the most part, IU cruised the rest of the game to victory. The real story of the second half was the emotional response of Hoosier fans and Sampson. The Hoosier faithful chanted Sampson’s name with less than two minutes remaining while the embattled coach emphatically jumped into Bassett’s arms as the final seconds ticked off the clock.\n“Yes, I think so,” Sampson said when asked if the game meant a lot to him. “But, you know ... the game is about these kids. I think basketball is so much bigger than \none person.”\nThe Hoosiers next face rival and conference leader Purdue (21-5, 12-1) Tuesday night at Assembly Hall.
(02/16/08 7:38pm)
IU President Michael McRobbie praised IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan at a Friday press conference for the athletic department’s efforts in uncovering infractions committed by IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and members of his coaching staff.\n“I would like to note that we have arrived at this painful situation because the athletics director and his compliance staff did their job,” McRobbie said. “They diligently monitored recruiting operations within the men's basketball program and quickly and fully reported the irregularities they found.”\nThe NCAA sent IU a list of allegations against Sampson and the IU program for Sampson’s violation of sanctions he received for making impermissible phone calls when he was the head coach at Oklahoma. The sanctions followed Sampson to IU.\nAn intern in the athletics department discovered a strange pattern of recruiting calls during a routine auditing process. The discovery launched an internal investigation by the University and its legal counsel, Indianapolis law firm Ice Miller.\n“The system Indiana University has established for enforcing compliance worked, and I take confidence in that,” McRobbie said.\nMcRobbie’s endorsement of Greenspan seemingly ended any speculation that Greenspan could lose his job. Greenspan hired Sampson in March 2006 while Sampson was being investigated by the NCAA. The decision to hire a coach under NCAA investigation drew criticism, but Greenspan defended Sampson, saying the program would follow all NCAA rules.\nBeyond his endorsement, McRobbie appointed Greenspan to head an investigation into the latest NCAA report. Greenspan has seven days to respond to McRobbie and offer recommendations on what to do with Sampson.\n“I am announcing that I have directed the athletics director to oversee an immediate investigation of these new allegations and make an assessment as to whether they are credible and accurate,” McRobbie said.
(02/15/08 5:20am)
The IU men’s basketball team has little time to sulk about its tough loss to No. 15 Wisconsin Wednesday night, because another top-ranked team will visit Assembly Hall Saturday.\nThe No. 13 Hoosiers will host No. 10 Michigan State a mere 72 hours after a heart-breaking 68-66 loss to the Badgers. A last-second, banked-in 3-point shot willed in by senior Brian Butch sealed the Hoosiers’ fate.\nThe Spartans also enter the prime-time showdown off a loss to Big Ten conference-leading Purdue on Tuesday night. IU coach Kelvin Sampson said the game is crucial for his Hoosiers in their quest for a Big Ten championship.\n“Their backs are a little bit to the wall,” Sampson said about the Spartans. “They are coming off a tough loss to a really, really good team. And we are coming off a tough loss. It is a really important game for both teams.”\nThe team is covered by a cloud of controversy after the NCAA released allegations against Sampson and the program. The NCAA upgraded the self-reported violations the University submitted to it in October from secondary to major. Sampson is still the Hoosiers’ coach, but ESPN reported Thursday that Sampson’s job is hanging on a “game-by-game” basis.\nSenior forward D.J. White said after the Wisconsin game the off-the-court distractions surrounding the program will not affect the team’s performance on the court.\n“Nothing outside’s affected the team,” White said. “We’re a family, we stick together through whatever. Tonight has nothing to do with anything, we just didn’t win – that’s the bottom line.”\nAdditional attention will be focused on Saturday night’s game because ESPN’s College GameDay will visit Bloomington for the battle between two top 15 teams. The program will run live from Assembly Hall at 11 a.m., previewing Saturday’s slate of college basketball games. ESPN will begin broadcasting the show at 9 p.m.\nThe Michigan State contest is the fourth of a tough five-game stretch during which the Hoosiers have just two days off between games. IU won the first two games, road contests against Illinois and Ohio State, but lost some momentum with the loss to Wisconsin.\nSampson said he knew this period would present a difficult test for his young team.\n“We are in a stretch where we are playing a game every two days,” Sampson said. “Arguably one of our better games of the year on Sunday and then you play a really tough-minded, really good Wisconsin team. I knew this would be a tough stretch.”\nSampson refused to comment further about the NCAA’s new allegations after the Wisconsin game, saying his focus is on the team and the upcoming game against Michigan State – a game in which Sampson thinks the crowd at Assembly Hall will be loud. \n“Michigan State is one of those games where there is going to be an incredible atmosphere in here,” Sampson said.
(02/14/08 9:53am)
IU coach Kelvin Sampson received a mixed reaction when he stepped onto the court Wednesday night at Assembly Hall before his No. 13 men’s basketball team battled No. 15 Wisconsin.\nSampson did not take the floor until less than two minutes before introductions. A crowd of cameras and people lined the path from the locker room to get a view of the Hoosier coach.\nWhen Sampson was announced in pre-game introductions, he received boos and cheers from the Hoosier faithful in Assembly Hall. Some students showed their support for Sampson by sporting the blue shirt and red tie combination the coach wears every game.\nDespite the mixed reaction in the introduction, when the ball was tipped, the fans supported the team with the same intensity they have had in any big game during the Sampson era. \nThroughout Wednesday, IU basketball message boards and blogs were filled with Hoosier fans calling for Sampson’s job and discussing possible replacements for the second-year coach. Before the Wisconsin game, most Hoosier fans that talked to the IDS were disappointed in Sampson and thought the program should move in a different direction.\nIU junior Matt Levinson said he was upset with the recent allegations.\n“It’s no surprise,” Levinson said. “I already knew it was coming.”\nLevinson, a self-described long-time Hoosier basketball fan, said he was disappointed in Sampson’s actions because they damaged the reputation of a program that has long prided itself on following the rules.\n“I can tell you one thing,” Levinson said, “I don’t think Coach Knight would ever have this kind of problem. I feel like it has tarnished our integrity.” \nIU alumnus Matt Reese of Brownsburg, Ind., said he thinks IU should take swift action to lessen the potential punishment the NCAA will give the Hoosiers in a meeting this June.\n“I was a little disappointed,” Reese said. “It’s tough to see this – it happened at Oklahoma. I think the right thing to do is to cut ties with him immediately because the NCAA is more lenient if you take action instead of them taking control.”\nThere were, however, a number of fans that supported Sampson staying as the head coach for the Hoosiers. Freshman fan Corey Knight, who was decked out in candy-stripe warm-up pants and an IU T-shirt, said he wants Sampson to stay because he has elevated the program back to a high status in the Big Ten conference and the country.\n“I would like to see him stay – look what he’s done to the program,” Knight said. “He got Eric Gordon, and that’s awesome. I am 100 percent behind him.”\nOthers will continue to support Sampson because he is the head man of their beloved Hoosier basketball program.\n“I still support whoever we have as the coach because I am a big IU fan,” senior and IU softball player Jennilee Huddleston said.\nMost fans who want Sampson to be terminated did not have a suggestion for a successor. Reese, however, threw out a couple of names familiar to Hoosier fans that he would like to see on the IU sideline next season.\n“I like (current IU assistant coach) Dan Dakich as an alumnus, but we also have Bob Knight,” Reese said. “You can never count that out.”
(02/14/08 6:10am)
After the University received a list of five major violations committed by IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff, IU fans took to message boards and blogs, almost unanimously calling for Sampson’s job. Some fans began discussing potential replacements before any action is taken by the NCAA or the University against Sampson.\nSampson’s contract with the University can become void if he violates NCAA regulations, but the University has yet to exercise that right, said IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.\nIn the press conference, Greenspan and Associate Athletic Director of Compliance Grace Calhoun addressed the allegations sent to the University from the NCAA and also Sampson’s future with the program.\nGreenspan said Sampson will continue to coach the team until further notice. Sampson met with the team Monday morning to talk about the allegations made public and how the team will continue on its quest to win a Big Ten Championship. But Greenspan said he was not privy to the details of the meeting.\n“Kelvin is coaching our basketball team,” Greenspan said. “The relationship a coach has with his players and how they react to this is (as) unpredictable as 10 20-year-olds can be.”\nThe contract Sampson signed with the University on April 20, 2006 states that Sampson could be suspended without pay or terminated if he violates any NCAA regulations.\n“If the Employee is found to be in violation of any NCAA regulations, the Employee shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action set forth in the provisions of the NCAA enforcement procedures, including suspension without pay or termination of employment for significant or repetitive violations,” the contract states.\nThe University will continue its investigation as it prepares to send a response to the NCAA within 90 days. IU is scheduled to appear in front of the NCAA Infractions Committee on June 14.\nGreenspan stressed that the University will not rush to judgment but will instead wait until all the facts are collected before making recommendations to IU President Michael McRobbie.\n“On major issues of personnel and budgetary issues and some others, my position is almost always to make a recommendation to the president and, in many cases, the ultimate decision rests with the president,” Greenspan said.\nGreenspan hired Sampson in March 2006 while the coach was under investigation by the NCAA for making 577 impermissible phone calls during his tenure as head coach at Oklahoma.\nThe University restricted Sampson from traveling off-campus and making phone calls to recruit prospective student-athletes during his first year with the Hoosiers. It was during this time that Sampson and his staff committed more impermissible phone calls, prompting an NCAA investigation after the University self-reported the violations last October.\nThe NCAA report sent to the University said Sampson “failed to deport himself in accordance with the generally recognized high standard of honesty normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics by providing the institution and the NCAA enforcement staff false or misleading information.” \nThe University has 90 days to reply to the report, but questions will still remain about Sampson’s future in Bloomington. However, Greenspan said Sampson will continue to coach the Hoosiers until further notice.\n“I expect him to coach tonight and I expect him to coach in the foreseeable future,” Greenspan said. “We have work to do. While we’re going to be expedient – which I think is what is expected of us – we’re also not going to rush to judgment and have a faulty conclusion.”
(02/13/08 4:55am)
The Big Ten basketball championship could be decided at Assembly Hall.\nThough no champion will be crowned during the upcoming three-game Hoosier home stand, the conference race will become clear after Wisconsin, Michigan State and Purdue visit Bloomington over the next \nseven days.\nThe IU men’s basketball team has an opportunity to take a commanding lead in the standings if it can defend its home court and beat the three other teams contending for the Big Ten championship. IU (20-3, 9-1) trails conference leader Purdue (20-5, 11-1) by a half-game in the standings.\nFirst up for the No. 13 Hoosiers is No. 15 Wisconsin, which defeated IU 62-49 Jan. 31. Senior forward D.J. White said the team is looking forward to the three-game stretch.\n“We’ve got three of the best teams in the league back-to-back, so we have to be ready to play no matter if it’s at Assembly Hall or wherever,” White said.\nThe Hoosiers are in a position to win the conference title thanks to two close road victories last week over Illinois and Ohio State. The Hoosiers were fortunate enough to escape Champaign with a victory after Illinois forward Shaun Pruitt missed three free throws, any of which would have given the Illini the victory.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson said the two road wins were a good building block for the rest of the season.\n“We actually talked about that after the (Illinois) game,” Sampson said. “We dodged a couple of bullets there – some missed free throws. I think the fact that we found a way to win was a positive message to our team.”\nThe Hoosiers have struggled at times to play consistently on both ends of the court, but in recent games IU has had more consistent offensive and defensive production. \nThe team has been unable to find a reliable third scorer, with the duo of White and freshman guard Eric Gordon, the two leading scorers in the Big Ten, shouldering the load. Sophomore guard Armon Bassettand freshman guard Jordan Crawford have scored in key situations the last two games and could possibly fill that void for IU.\nThe defense has found success by playing more zone defense instead of Sampson’s traditional man-to-man system. The head coach is happy with \nthe results.\n“I think our team is coming together – we are progressing as a unit,” Sampson said. “We have been slow to develop this year for odd reasons, but different reasons actually. Now that we are hitting a really tough part of the season, it is encouraging to see our kids starting to play better now.”\nWith the three other Big Ten contenders coming to Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers need to keep up its improved play to win its first Big Ten championship since 2002.\n“I am very excited,” White said. “For one, playing for a Big Ten title of course. Two, just being back home at Assembly Hall for three games. I think it will be electric in Assembly Hall.”
(02/11/08 6:07am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 14 IU men’s basketball team showed no signs of an emotional hangover after last Thursday night’s game against Illinois as the Hoosiers won their second-straight road game in Columbus Sunday, defeating Ohio State 59-53.\nAfter the game, IU coach Kelvin Sampson said the coaching staff had some concern there could have been a let down from such a young team after a tough game. The Hoosiers defeated Illinois in double overtime just three days prior to the game against Ohio State.\nFreshman guard Eric Gordon said he was exhausted in the days after the Illinois game – where he was the center of attention in his first visit to Champaign since he broke his verbal commitment to the Illini.\n“I was real worn out,” Gordon said of the days following the Illinois game. “I think I played like 45 minutes out of the 50, but it was a tough game.”\nGordon showed no signs of fatigue against Ohio State as the freshman played 35 minutes, scoring 15 points in the process. \nSenior forward D.J. White shined again for IU in a matchup with 7-foot center Kosta Koufos. White tallied another double-double for the Hoosiers, scoring 21 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.\nIU played a 2-3 zone exclusively against the Buckeyes who, Sampson said, are the best team in the Big Ten at spreading the floor. The defense worked and slowed down Buckeye sharpshooter Jamar Butler, who went 2-8 from the floor and scored just four points.\n“Every shot he took he is capable of making,” Sampson said of Butler. “The only thing we tried to do was to make sure that we did not go under any of those on-ball screens.”\nWith the Hoosiers leading 29-21 at the half, Ohio State responded out of the locker room with an 8-2 run that cut the IU lead to two points – the closest the Buckeyes would get to IU for the rest of the afternoon.\nThe Hoosiers countered Ohio State’s run with a 9-0 run of their own, increasing the IU lead to 11 points with 13:14 left on the clock. White said he was proud of the way his team stayed calm after letting its lead evaporate to start the second half.\n“I think we’re growing up,” White said. “Earlier in the year if we would have took a hit, we would have never bounced back. But we took a hit and kept going.”\nThe Hoosiers never relinquished the lead, but the Buckeyes kept the game close until the final horn. IU took care of the basketball, committing just seven turnovers and taking quality shots for most of the game. Sampson praised his team’s patience on the offensive side of the floor.\n“Sometimes you have to take what the defense gives you,” Sampson said. “I thought our shot selection was really good.”\nAfter the game, Sampson said he is happy with the improvement his team has shown throughout the past few games. He said players were finding their roles and cited the matured play of freshman guard Jordan Crawford. Crawford scored just eight points against the Buckeyes but contributed a career-high seven assists to the win.\n“This team keeps improving,” Sampson said. “This was probably a kind of slow-developing team by anybody’s standards, but we are starting to get better.”
(02/10/08 10:13pm)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 14 IU men’s basketball team showed no signs of an emotional hangover after last Thursday’s game against Illinois as the Hoosiers won its second straight road game in Columbus Sunday, defeating Ohio State 59-53.\nFreshman guard Eric Gordon played 35 minutes, scoring 15 points in the process. \nSenior forward D.J. White shined again for IU in a match-up with 7ft center Kosta Koufos. White tallied another double-double for the Hoosiers, scoring 21 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.\nWith the Hoosiers leading 29-21 at the half, Ohio State responded out of the locker room with a 8-2 run to cut the IU lead to two points – the closest the Buckeyes would get to IU for the rest of the afternoon.\nThe Hoosiers countered Ohio State’s run with a 9-0 run of its own, increasing the IU lead to 11 points with 13:14 left on the clock. White said he was proud of the way his team stayed calm after letting its lead evaporate to start the second half.\nThe Hoosiers never relinquished the lead, but the Buckeyes kept the game close until the final horn. IU kept good control of the basketball, committing just 7 turnovers, and took quality shots for most of the game. Sampson praised is team’s patience on the offensive side of the floor.
(02/08/08 6:24am)
Are IU and Ohio State rivals on the hardwood?\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson faced that question during his weekly Big Ten teleconference on Monday.\nSome Hoosier fans have considered the Buckeyes a rival ever since Ohio State head coach Thad Matta out-recruited former IU coach Mike Davis for the services of Indianapolis natives Greg Oden and Mike Conley. The duo led Ohio State to the national championship game last year before leaving Columbus for the NBA.\nSampson’s reaction to the question was mixed.\n“I’m not real sure how to answer that question,” Sampson said. “I’ve been here one year and parts of a second and we have only played Ohio State once. Ohio State’s program is on such an upswing, I’m sure they think everyone is a rival for them. When you are a really good team, everybody gets up to play you.”\nSampson went on to conclude Ohio State is not a rival, noting that the Hoosiers already have a debate within the fan base as to who is IU’s biggest rival – Kentucky or Purdue. The relationship between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes could become more heated during the recruitment of high school sophomore DeShaun Thomas of Fort Wayne. One of the top prospects in his class, Thomas had verbally committed to Ohio State before telling the Indiana Daily Student he had begun to reconsider his initital commitment Jan. 13.\n“Purdue is the rivalry here and then Kentucky would be the other,” Sampson said. “I don’t think you can have 10 rivals, not in the sense of what a rival is.”\nMatta said he doesn’t spend much time thinking about if IU or Michigan was his team’s biggest rival. He added that since become the Buckeyes have won the last two Big Ten championships, every conference game is going to be a challenge.\n“I feel like every game we play is a rival game,” Matta said. “I think rival games are more fan- driven than coach-driven.”\nThe No. 14 Hoosiers will look to ride the momentum of Thursday night’s win at Illinois when the team travels to Columbus Sunday. The game comes right before IU’s crucial three-game home stand against Wisconsin, Michigan State and rival Purdue. The stretch of games at Assembly Hall will go a long way in determining the Hoosiers’ shot at the Big Ten championship.\nThe Hoosiers fell to Ohio State 74-67 last year in the only matchup of the season between the two teams. Senior forward D.J. White tallied 11 points and 8 rebounds for the Hoosiers while guarding Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft.\nThis season, White will be the blue-chip prospect, in the midst of a career year for the forward. White picked up his fourth Big Ten Player of the Week award, one shy of the all-time record in one season, held by former Purdue player Glenn Robinson.\n“Right now I’m just on a high, trying to play well right now,” White said in a release. “This is my fourth award this year and it means a lot to me.”
(02/08/08 6:20am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - A Hoosier shooting guard was a thorn in the side of the Illinois basketball team Thursday night as the No. 14 IU men’s basketball team defeated the Illini 83-79 in double overtime.\nHitting two back-to-back three pointers gave the Hoosier freshman guard 18 points on 7-13 shooting, including 4-6 from beyond the arc. It was an impressive performance for a freshman in a hostile environment.\nBut that stat line didn’t belong to Eric Gordon. It belonged Jordan Crawford.\nGordon was the focus of the Illinois fans and players heading in his first trip to Champaign after de-committing from the Illinois program in Oct. 2006. There was some controversy during pre-game handshakes as Illinois guard Chester Frazier chest-bumped Gordon instead of the traditional handshake.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson said the incident was a non-issue.\n“I think he was hyped,” Sampson said of Frazier. “We didn’t make a big deal of it. It may have shook up E.J., I don’t know.”\nWith Gordon struggling offensively during the first half, Crawford gave the Hoosiers a spark on the offensive side of the court with seven points after checking in midway through the first period.\nThe team didn’t talk about picking Gordon up if he were to struggle with the intense pressure put on by the Illinios student section, the Orange Krush, Crawford said. The Hoosiers knew they could find ways to score even if Gordon, the Big Ten’s leading scorer at 21.8 points per game.\n“We didn’t talk about it as a game plan,” Crawford said. “We just knew there would be times for us to step up and we did.”\nCrawford’s big moment came during the first overtime with the Hoosiers trailing 66-63. The guard hit back-to-back three pointers, propelling the Hoosiers to a 69-66 lead with just 1:53 left in the first overtime.\n“I just had to do what I could for us to win,” Crawford said when asked about the shots.\nIt wasn’t the first time Crawford performed well on the road - he scored 16 points against Minnesota on Jan. 17. Illinois coach Bruce Weber said he knew Crawford could give the Hoosiers an offensive lift.\n“Crawford’s made big shots (this season),” Weber said. “He’s either very hot or very cold. (Today) He made some big shots.”\nCrawford has had an up and down season as he has struggled at times adjusting to the college game. Sampson said in his radio show last Monday that Crawford’s play would be crucial for the team coming down the stretch.\nCrawford said he is becoming more comfortable in the offense as Sampson has instructed the guard to be more assertive in the offensive sets.\n“He says I have to play with freedom,” Crawford said.
(02/07/08 6:59am)
It’s the game everyone has been waiting for.\nSure, the IU men’s basketball team has faced opponents with better records than Illinois and certainly there will be more crucial games down the stretch in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, but no game has been anticipated by fans on both sides of the Wabash River more than freshman guard Eric Gordon’s first trip to Champaign.\nGordon de-committed from the Illinois program and head coach Bruce Weber in October 2007 - just months after Kelvin Sampson became IU’s head coach. The Indianapolis native’s decision became national news when Gordon became a hero in his home state and a villain in the “Land of Lincoln.”\nGordon said he isn’t going to let the off-court distractions take away from his performance on the hardwood against Illinois.\n“You just have to follow the game plan,” Gordon said in a statement. “I know there is a lot of history between me and them, but we just have to follow the game plan to get a win.”\nSampson and the No. 14 Hoosiers (18-3, 7-1) need a win to keep pace with Big Ten leader Purdue, who boasts a 9-1 conference record. IU has struggled to play up to its potential, Sampson said. After losing two consecutive games to Connecticut and Wisconsin, the Hoosiers bounced back last Sunday with a victory over Northwestern.\n“During a basketball season there are so many peaks and valleys and right now we are not playing as well as I think we are capable of playing,” Sampson said in a statement. “I saw some better things (Sunday) against Northwestern but we just have to keep playing better.”\nTonight kicks off a five-game stretch for the Hoosiers that includes big games against Purdue, Michigan State and Wisconsin – all contenders for the Big Ten championship.\nThe Hoosiers will have to address issues on both ends of the court to improve and compete for the Big Ten title, according to Sampson. Outside of the duo of Gordon and senior forward D.J. White, the Hoosiers have struggled to find consistent offensive production. On the defensive end, IU does not have the intensity it showed last season.\n“We have had stretches this year where we have done it well, we just have not been consistent in that area in terms of being more hard-nosed and tougher,” Sampson said.\nIU won the first meeting against the Illini in Bloomington, 62-58, with Gordon and White leading the way, scoring 17 and 15 points, respectively. It was one of Illinois’ best performances of the Big Ten season as the Illini have stumbled to a 2-8 record in conference play.\nDespite Illinois’ struggles this season, White expects the game to come down to the wire just as the first matchup did.\n“Every game I can remember playing against Illinois has gone down to the final seconds,” White said. “I expect the same (on Thursday), that it will come down to the end.”
(02/04/08 8:33am)
The IU men’s basketball team escaped Assembly Hall with a 75-63 victory over Northwestern Sunday afternoon, ending a two-game losing skid.\nThe No. 11 Hoosiers (18-3, 7-1) started off slow, but switched to a zone defense that sparked a 23-16 run midway through the second half, propelling IU to the 12-point win in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson said switching to the zone at the 10:50 mark of the second half helped stop a hot-shooting Northwestern team.\n“We were able to dictate their shots,” Sampson said. “It’s hard to get them out of their offense.”\nThe Hoosiers have struggled on the defense end for most of the season, but have shown glimpses of improved play during stretches the past few games. Freshman guard Eric Gordon said the defensive effort improved after halftime.\n“Second half, we played with a lot more energy and effort on defense,” Gordon said. “It’s all a mind-set for the players. It’s obvious what we have to do.”\nThe duo of Gordon and senior forward D.J. White led the way for the Hoosiers. Gordon scored a game-high 29 points on 8-14 shooting from the field, adding four assists and four rebounds along with a good defensive performance. White recorded his 14th double-double of the season with 26 points and 13 rebounds.\n“I know coach Sampson doesn’t think this is a two man team, and it’s not,” Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. “But those two guys killed \nus today.”\nBoth teams played little defense in the first half as the Hoosiers and Wildcats struggled to keep each other off the scoreboard. Northwestern played an almost-perfect opening half offensively, shooting 63.6 percent from the field including 7-9 from beyond the arc. A steal leading to a breakaway layup for Northwestern guard Jeremy Nash gave the Hoosiers a slim 40-37 lead at the end of the first half.\n“Their offense was clicking in the beginning,” Gordon said. \nAfter the team’s worst offensive output of the season last Thursday against Wisconsin, Sampson said the offensive effort was better this game, especially against a tough Northwestern zone.\n“Our execution was a lot better,” Sampson said. “That isn’t an easy team to score against.”\nIn a surprise move, junior forward Kyle Taber earned his first career start Sunday. The Evansville, Ind., native logged 24 minutes, recording four rebounds and a block in the process. Taber entered the contest against the Wildcats averaging 4.4 minutes per game.\nSampson said in his weekly meeting with the media that the team needed improved play from the power forward position. He said Taber gives the Hoosiers good rebounding and does all the little things well.\n“I thought he did a nice job out there,” Sampson said. “He just has to play his role.”\nFreshman guard Jordan Crawford left the game in the first half with an ankle injury and did not return to action. Sampson said Crawford turned his ankle and didn’t know how long the freshman would be affected.\nThe Hoosiers are back in action Thursday night when IU travels to Illinois to take on the Illini.
(02/01/08 6:02am)
MADISON, Wis. - IU coach Kelvin Sampson had one reason why his No. 11 Hoosiers fell to No. 13 Wisconsin on Thursday night.\n“It seemed like every time we had a chance to get the lead down to six or five we couldn’t finish,” Sampson said.\nThere was no bigger chance for the Hoosiers than a trip to the free throw line from senior forward D.J. White.\nThe Hoosiers scrapped and clawed their way from a 20-point deficit, cutting the Wisconsin lead to 50-43 on the strength of a 17-6 run sparked by strong defense and scoring from freshman guard Eric Gordon.\nTrailing by seven with 6:08 left in the contest, White stood on the free throw line with the chance to cut the Wisconsin lead to five. White missed the first free throw of a one-and-one, stopping the momentum of the Hoosier run.\nThe senior forward buoyed the Hoosiers for most of the game while his teammates struggled, leading the Hoosiers with 22 points and 17 rebounds, but reflected on the missed free throw after the game.\n“We didn’t capitalize on our chances,” White said. “I missed a front end of a one-and-one, Armon came down a had a wide open three. Shots just didn’t fall.”\nMissed opportunities were the theme of the game for the Hoosiers (17-3, 6-1 Big Ten). IU fell to fourth place in the Big Ten with the loss. Wisconsin moved into a three-way tie for first place with Michigan State and Purdue, all three teams boasting a 7-1 conference mark.\nSampson pointed to the missed free throw as a crucial turning point in the game.\n“I thought a key part of the game was, after we were down by 20 and cut it to seven with a chance to get it to five and D.J. White was at the line with a one-and-one,” Sampson said.\nIU never recovered from the free throw miss as the Badgers capitalized down the stretch and ultimately cruised to a 12-point victory. Gordon, who scored 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, was unable to regain the scoring touch he discovered during IU’s 17-6 run in the second half.\nSampson said he wants Gordon to drive to the basket more in key situations, something the star freshman has gone away from in the last few games.\n“The thing he (Gordon) has to start getting better at, that he was really good at earlier in the year, is that he has to return to getting to the free throw line,” Sampson said. “Because he can.”\nSampson said the team can build on this game as he was happy with the player’s effort despite a poor shooting night. Next time, Sampson said, the Hoosiers will have to make the key plays at the right time like the Badgers did Thursday night.\n“Our defense was good tonight,” Sampson said. “In critical situations, they were better than us. When they needed a critical basket, they got it.”
(01/31/08 4:53am)
The No. 11 IU men’s basketball team will face its toughest road challenge to date when it takes on Wisconsin today.\nThe Hoosiers own a perfect 4-0 road record this season, but Wisconsin’s Kohl Center has been one of the toughest places for a road team to win in the nation during Badger coach Bo Ryan’s tenure in Madison.\nThe Badgers own a 103-6 home record during Ryan’s seven seasons as head coach. More impressive is that Ryan has only lost two Big Ten conference games in that span, both times to Illinois.\nThe Hoosiers have come close to winning in Madison during the Ryan era, falling 62-60 in a closely contested game in the 2004-2005 season under former coach Mike Davis.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson will make his first visit to the Kohl Center because the Hoosiers did not play at Wisconsin last season. Like any road game, Sampson said the key to success Thursday night is rebounding.\n“One thing that can’t not be there on the road is rebounding,” Sampson said during the weekly Big Ten teleconference. “You have to rebound to win on the road.”
(01/28/08 5:37am)
Hosting a short-handed Connecticut squad Saturday afternoon, the No. 7 Hoosiers lost their second game of the season, falling 68-63 to the Huskies.\nConnecticut played without guards Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins after Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun suspended the two players Friday afternoon for violating undisclosed team rules. The suspensions left a void in the Huskies’ offensive attack, but Connecticut did not miss a step en route to upsetting the Hoosiers and snapping IU’s 29-game winning streak at Assembly Hall.\nThe Huskies’ effort came as no surprise to IU coach Kelvin Sampson, who said he expected Connecticut to rally around the adversity surrounding its team.\n“We’ve been on the other side of this enough to know how big (of a situation) they were in,” Sampson said. “We told our guys we played a game similar to that this year. I thought those guys being out helped us in a way. It kind of brought us together.”\nSampson was referring to the Hoosiers’ 70-51 victory over Kentucky on Dec. 8, when IU played without freshman guard Eric Gordon and sophomore guard Armon Bassett. \nThe Huskies outrebounded, outshot and outhustled the Hoosiers in every facet of the game, said Sampson. The postgame reactions from Sampson and Calhoun were on opposite ends of the coach-speak spectrum, with Sampson obviously left disappointed in his team Saturday afternoon.\n“I wasn’t proud of our effort,” Sampson said. “That’s what was disgusting to me.”\nCalhoun called the win one of the most memorable in his Hall-of-Fame career, putting it on the same plateau as his two national championship victories over Duke and Georgia Tech.\n“The pride I feel with them and the hugs I gave to them are why athletic competition brings out the things in people that are very special,” Calhoun said.\nThe Connecticut defense stifled the Big Ten’s top-scoring team, holding the Hoosiers 16 points under its season average. The Hoosiers were unable to get to the charity stripe all game, attempting only eight free throws during the contest. Additionally, IU tried to make up for its lack of offense by forcing shots throughout the game, connecting on only 37.1 percent of its shots.\nPart of the stagnant Hoosier offense was due to the interior presence of Connecticut’s 7-foot-3 center, Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet affected the game in many ways, Calhoun said, some that were not evident on the stat sheet.\n“Hasheem Thabeet made two blocks and 20 detour signs,” Calhoun said. “They went in and they left without him ever blocking a shot.” \nHe was particularly effective against senior forward D.J. White, who put up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds on 5-13 shooting, but only scored four second-half points.\nIn addition to White’s struggles, IU’s leading scorer this season, Gordon, managed only 14 points on mediocre 5-16 shooting.\nBassett, who led the Hoosiers with 18 points, attributed the Hoosiers’ offensive woes to not making the extra pass.\n“Probably for the first time, a couple of us probably played a little selfish, probably took some shots that we haven’t taken all season,” Bassett said.\nThe Hoosiers will have little time to dwell on its loss before preparing for a showdown between two of the top teams in the conferences. IU resumes conference play next Thursday when it heads north to face No. 11 Wisconsin on the road.\n“We still have a good team,” Sampson said. “I don’t worry about records. All I am interested in is this team bouncing back (and) learning from our mistakes.”
(01/27/08 7:26pm)
Hosting a short-handed Connecticut squad Saturday afternoon, the No. 7 Hoosiers lost their second game of the season, falling 68-63 to the Huskies.\nConnecticut played without guards Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins after Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun suspended the two players Friday afternoon for violating undisclosed team rules. The suspensions left a void in the Huskies’ offensive attack, but Connecticut did not miss a step en route to upsetting the Hoosiers and snapping IU’s 29-game winning streak at Assembly Hall.\nThe Huskies’ effort came as no surprise to IU coach Kelvin Sampson who said he expected Connecticut to rally around the adversity surrounding its team.\n“We’ve been on the other side of this enough to know how big (of a situation) they were in,” Sampson said. “We told our guys we played a game similar to that this year. I thought those guys being out helped us in a way. It kind of brought us together.”\nSampson was referring to the Hoosiers’ 70-51 victory over Kentucky on Dec. 8, when IU played without freshman guard Eric Gordon and sophomore guard Armon Bassett. \nThe Huskies outrebounded, outshot and outhustled the Hoosiers in every facet of the game, according to Sampson. The postgame reactions from Sampson and Calhoun were on opposite ends of the coach-speak spectrum, with Sampson obviously left disappointed in his team Saturday afternoon.\n“I wasn’t proud of our effort,” Sampson said. “That’s what was disgusting to me.”\nCalhoun called the win one of the most memorable in his Hall-of-Fame career, putting it on the same plateau as his two national championship victories over Duke and Georgia Tech.\n“The pride I feel with them and the hugs I gave to them are why athletic competition brings out the things in people that are very special,” Calhoun said.\nThe Connecticut defense stifled the Big Ten’s top-scoring team, holding the Hoosiers 16 points under its season average. The Hoosiers were unable to get to the charity stripe all game, attempting only eight free throws during the contest. Additionally, IU tried to make up for its lack of offense by forcing shots throughout the game, connecting on only 37.1 percent of its shots.\nPart of the stagnant Hoosier offense was due to the interior presence of Connecticut’s 7-foot-3 center, Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet affected the game in many ways, Calhoun said, some that were not evident on the stat sheet.\n“Hasheem Thabeet made two blocks and twenty detour signs,” Calhoun said. “They went in and they left without him ever blocking a shot.” \nHe was particularly effective against senior forward D.J. White, who put up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds on 5-13 shooting, but only scored four second-half points.\nIn addition to White’s struggles, IU’s leading scorer this season, Gordon, managed only 14 points on mediocre 5-16 shooting.\nBassett, who led the Hoosiers with 18 points, attributed the Hoosiers’ offensive woes to not making the extra pass.\n“Probably for the first time, a couple of us probably played a little selfish, probably took some shots that we haven’t taken all season,” Bassett said.\nThe Hoosiers will have little time to dwell on its loss before preparing for a showdown between two of the top teams in the conferences. IU resumes conference play next Thursday when they head north to face No. 11 Wisconsin on the road.\n“We still have a good team,” Sampson said. “I don’t worry about records. All I am interested in is this team bouncing back (and) learning from our mistakes.”
(01/25/08 3:43am)
Now the season can really begin.\nThe No. 7 IU men’s basketball team (17-1, 6-0) is off to its best start since the legendary undefeated 1975-1976 National Championship team, but has faced just two teams – Illinois State and Xavier – inside the RPI top-50.\nThings are about to change.\nThe Hoosier’s game Saturday afternoon against Connecticut (13-5) starts a stretch of eight difficult games where IU will face five teams ranked inside the RPI top-50. Two of the three games against teams outside the RPI top-50 are rivalry games where rankings and records can be thrown out the window – at Illinois and at home against Purdue.\nFreshman guard Eric Gordon acknowledged that the upcoming stretch of games will be challenging, but said the Hoosiers have faced good competition throughout the season.\n“A lot of people say we haven’t played many good teams yet, but I think we are up to the challenge to play against these high-ranked opponents,” Gordon said.\nConnecticut comes into Assembly Hall riding the momentum of back-to-back wins against then-No. 13 Marquette and Cincinnati. IU coach Kelvin Sampson praised Connecticut’s development from last year, citing center Hasheem Thabeet and guard A.J. Price as two examples of the improved play from the Huskies.\n“They’re just a much more mature team than when we played them last year,” Sampson said of the Huskies.\nStanding over seven feet tall, Thabeet anchors a defense that leads the nation with 9.06 blocked shots per game. Thabeet averages 3.9 blocks per game, making him the top blocker in the Big East Conference.\nThabeet’s presence will not change the Hoosiers’ style of play as both White and Gordon said they are not going to back down from the shot-blocking machine.\n“Obviously, they are a great shot-blocking team but we aren’t going to try to do anything differently to try to avoid that,” White said.\nThis is the fourth and final year left on a contract between the two schools. Connecticut won the first two match-ups, but IU will look to even the four-game series after winning 77-73 last season in Hartford, Conn.\nSampson said on his weekly radio show that he did not know who the Hoosiers would add next year to replace Connecticut on the schedule, but assumed it would be another made-for-TV contest against another national power.\nA non-conference game during the Big Ten season is nothing new to the Hoosiers, who have faced non-conference foes during conference play three of the last five seasons. Sampson said the team’s mindset is the same regardless if the game counts toward the conference standings.\nThe contest against Connecticut and the Hoosiers’ upcoming stretch of games will go a long way in showing how good IU can become and what seed the team should expect to receive in the NCAA Tournament. \n“I still think this team is going to continue to improve,” Sampson said after Wednesday’s game
(01/23/08 7:00pm)
Iowa coach Todd Lickliter wasn’t wearing rose-colored glasses when he looked back on IU’s 79-76 victory over his Hawkeyes on Jan. 2.\n“It was a three point game, but it wasn’t near that close,” Lickliter said during the weekly Big Ten teleconference. “We were able to shoot some three’s in at the end and make it closer than it really was.”\nThat might have been a bit of an understatement from the first-year Hawkeye coach.\nLeading by 10 points with 1:55 left on the clock, IU managed to escape a 3-point barrage from Iowa guard Justin Johnson. Johnson scored 19 of his 29 total points in the final 115 seconds, including a four-point play and a 40-foot 3-pointer, which the senior banked off the glass. After the game, Kelvin Sampson said Johnson’s shooting display of six consecutive 3-pointers reminded him of “Fourth of July fireworks.” \nSampson again praised Johnson for the once-in-a-lifetime performance he put on against the Hoosiers.\n“I don’t know what you say,” Sampson said. “Just pat him on the back and say those were great shots.”\nJohnson’s effort almost single-handedly won the game for the Hawkeyes and overshadowed a dominating defensive performance from IU during the first 18 minutes of the second half. The Hoosiers were not able to keep up with Johnson’s output at the end, missing several free throws down the stretch to keep the game alive.\n“We were trading those threes for going to the line and making one out of two (free throws) – that was not a very fair trade-off,” Sampson said. \nThe No. 7 Hoosiers (16-1, 5-0) will host Johnson and the improving Hawkeyes (9-10, 2-4) at 9 p.m today.\nFor Lickliter, who coached at Butler for the previous six seasons, the scheduling of the Big Ten is different from other conferences in which he has coached. Teams will play some conference foes twice before playing each team in the conference.\n“We played them here earlier, which is kind of unique, because I don’t know if I’ve done this before where we haven’t played the other teams and we are returning a game already,” Lickliter said.\nThe Hawkeyes will come into Assembly Hall with some confidence after winning two of its last three games, including an upset of then-No. 6 Michigan State Jan. 12. Sampson spoke about Iowa’s improvement since the last time the two teams met on his weekly radio show Monday evening, saying the Hawkeyes have done a better job of getting the guards and front court players in sync. \nPart of the improved chemistry is because of teams focusing on Johnson’s shooting, forcing other players to pick up offensive slack, Lickliter said. Johnson has hit 59 three-pointers this season, connecting on 35.8 percent of his attempts.\n“As of late, they are playing him a lot tighter, but he is opening up things,” Lickliter said. We are getting more play inside and playing off of him.”\nThe Hawkeyes will have to rely on Johnson and improved play to pull the upset against All-American candidates freshman guard Eric Gordon and senior forward D.J. White, along with the rest of the Hoosiers.
(01/21/08 8:40am)
For 32 minutes Sunday afternoon, Penn State would not go away.\nThe Nittany Lions’ three-point shooting and their pesky zone defense kept the dynamic Hoosier offense in check for most of the contest. But in the end, it was not enough as the No. 9 Hoosiers prevailed, 81-65.\nDespite missing All-Big Ten senior Geary Claxton, who suffered a season-ending left knee injury earlier in the week, Penn State played the Hoosiers close deep into the second half. A two-pronged attack of Jamelle Cornley and Talor Battle, along with excellent three-point shooting, pulled the IU lead to just 58-56 with eight minutes remaining in the game.\nA made free throw from senior forward D.J. White at the 8:27 mark in the second half sparked a 23-9 IU run to close the game. White finished the game with 22 points and freshman guard Eric Gordon led the Hoosiers in scoring with 25. Sophomore guard Armon Bassett came off the bench to add 18.\nWhite, along with Gordon and junior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis, led the Hoosiers offensively during the crucial stretch. \n“It was a stretch where we needed to pick it up,” White said. “We needed someone to step up.”\nThe run capped an almost perfect half of basketball by the Hoosiers, as the team shot 63 percent from the field and committed just four turnovers. IU coach Kelvin Sampson did not make a single substitution in the second half, staying with White, Gordon, Ellis, Bassett and senior forward Lance Stemler on the court.\n“Second half in terms of execution, moving the ball, shots -- it’s as good as we’ve played all year,” Sampson said.\nPenn State was unable to match the offensive output of the Hoosiers down the stretch, Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said.\n“I thought we played pretty good for 30 minutes… and then we missed some critical shots that we need to make,” DeChellis said.\nThe Hoosiers picked up their defensive effort in the second half, led by the example of Ellis. The reigning National Junior College Player of the Year locked down Penn State’s perimeter attack and finished with 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. \n“I think it all started with our defense,” Ellis said. “I think we started to pick it up in the last seven minutes of the game.”\nIU has not been as consistent on the defensive end as last year’s team, but has the potential to be a very good defensive team, according to Sampson.\n“We are not as good defensively as we were last year because of (former IU guard) Earl Calloway,” Sampson said. “The thing I’ve noticed with this team is that we are good defensively when we have to be. But we are improving.”\nWith the win, the Hoosiers extend its home winning streak to 27 games. In addition, the win also enabled Sampson to break former IU coach Branch McCracken’s home winning streak to start a career at 26 games. \nSampson credited the fans and the players for the wins, saying the crowd has carried the team to victory in several games during his brief career at IU.\nThe team has made protecting home court a priority since Sampson’s arrival, White said.\n“We believe every time we step on this court we should win,” White said.
(01/21/08 1:48am)
For 32 minutes Sunday afternoon, Penn State would not go away.\nThe Nittany Lions’ three-point shooting and their pesky zone defense kept the dynamic Hoosier offense in check for most of the contest. But in the end, it was not enough as the No. 9 Hoosiers prevailed, 81-65.\nDespite missing All-Big Ten senior Geary Claxton, who suffered a season-ending left knee injury earlier in the week, Penn State played the Hoosiers close deep into the second half. A two-pronged attack of Jamelle Cornley and Talor Battle, along with excellent three-point shooting, pulled the IU lead to just 58-56 with eight minutes remaining in the game.\nA made free throw from senior forward D.J. White at the 8:27 mark in the second half sparked a 23-9 IU run to close the game. White finished the game with 22 points and freshman guard Eric Gordon led the Hoosiers in scoring with 25. Sophomore guard Armon Bassett came off the bench to add 18.\nWhite, along with Gordon and junior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis, led the Hoosiers offensively during the crucial stretch. \n“It was a stretch where we needed to pick it up,” White said. “We needed someone to step up.”\nThe run capped an almost perfect half of basketball by the Hoosiers, as the team shot 63 percent from the field and committed just four turnovers. IU coach Kelvin Sampson did not make a single substitution in the second half, staying with White, Gordon, Ellis, Bassett and senior forward Lance Stemler on the court.\n“Second half in terms of execution, moving the ball, shots -- it’s as good as we’ve played all year,” Sampson said.\nPenn State was unable to match the offensive output of the Hoosiers down the stretch, Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said.\n“I thought we played pretty good for 30 minutes… and then we missed some critical shots that we need to make,” DeChellis said.\nThe Hoosiers picked up their defensive effort in the second half, led by the example of Ellis. The reigning National Junior College Player of the Year locked down Penn State’s perimeter attack and finished with 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. \n“I think it all started with our defense,” Ellis said. “I think we started to pick it up in the last seven minutes of the game.”\nIU has not been as consistent on the defensive end as last year’s team, but has the potential to be a very good defensive team, according to Sampson.\n“We are not as good defensively as we were last year because of (former IU guard) Earl Calloway,” Sampson said. “The thing I’ve noticed with this team is that we are good defensively when we have to be. But we are improving.”\nWith the win, the Hoosiers extend its home winning streak to 27 games. In addition, the win also enabled Sampson to break former IU coach Branch McCracken’s home winning streak to start a career at 26 games. \nSampson credited the fans and the players for the wins, saying the crowd has carried the team to victory in several games during his brief career at IU.\nThe team has made protecting home court a priority since Sampson’s arrival, White said.\n“We believe every time we step on this court we should win,” White said.