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(01/20/08 3:12am)
MINNEAPOLIS - One stat stood out to IU coach Kelvin Sampson after his team’s 65-60 victory against Minnesota Thursday night.\nIt wasn’t 46.8 percent, 40.9 percent or 16 - representing for the shooting percentage from the field, beyond the arc and the rebounding margin on the evening for Sampson’s No. 9 Hoosiers. \nNo, to the head coach, the most prominent number of the game was 26 – the number of turnovers committed in one of the toughest gyms to play in the Big Ten, Williams Arena. \n“It was a weird game,” Sampson said. “Twenty-six turnovers and find a way to win on the road I don’t know if I’ve been in a game quite like that.”\nTubby Smith’s teams are usually known for their tough man-to-man defense, but Minnesota had shown zone looks and some trapping presses, Sampson said before the game.\nThe Gophers did indeed run some press defense off of made baskets. The Hoosiers struggled in the first half as the team had not faced the press all season.\n“Their press really hurt us,” Sampson said. “They were the first team that pressed us.”\nThe pressure resulted in an array of turnovers for the Hoosiers. Sampson said one of the only positives of the turnovers was that they were the result of arrant passes going out of bounds – allowing the Hoosiers to set up its defense.\nIn particular, freshmen guards Eric Gordon and Jordan Crawford struggled protecting the ball in a hostile road environment.\n“I kept telling Eric and Jordan in the timeout that we are wearing red,” Sampson said jokingly after the game. \nMany of Gordon’s seven turnovers were the result of trying to push the flow of play Sampson said. While the expectations each game are sky high for the talented Gordon, Sampson reminded the media that he is still a freshman.\n“Some of Eric’s turnovers were just unforced,” Sampson said. “Like all kids that have ability, they just try to do too much sometimes. Certainly he can play a lot better and I think he will.”\nThe Hoosiers made adjustments in the second half, forcing the Gophers to stop pressing midway through the final period and drop back to different half-court sets. Sampson said by getting the ball to the middle of the court the Hoosiers could use dribble penetration to help break the press.\n“Just getting the ball to the middle of the court,” Sampson said. “The press only works if you make mistakes I know that sounds simple, but all we did different is get ‘Tone (junior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis) to the middle of the floor.”\nDespite the 26 turnovers, the Hoosiers escaped the Twin Cities with it’s third conference road win of the season and remained tied atop the Big Ten standings with Wisconsin at 4-0.\n“It’s frustrating, but it’s a learning process, and we all know that,” senior Lance Stemler said.
(01/17/08 3:47am)
In his first significant appearance in three games, sophomore guard Armon Bassett played a key role off the bench in IU’s 62-58 victory over Illinois on Sunday. \nWith his ankle heavily taped because of bone chips, Bassett scored 11 second-half points on 3-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Two of the sophomore’s 3-pointers came at crucial situations with the game in the balance.\n“Bassett was huge,” Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “He made some big ones down \nthe stretch.”\nA starter for most of last \nseason, Bassett and senior guard A.J. Ratliff are the only two returning backcourt players for the Hoosiers. Having that leadership and experience made a difference in the game, IU coach Kelvin Sampson said.\n“Armon has been in those situations before and Jordan (Crawford) hasn’t,” Sampson said. “Armon started almost every game last year, so he handles some things.”\nBassett has missed four games this season because of suspension and injury. In addition, he left early against Iowa, logging just three minutes of playing time before heading to the bench. \nGetting Bassett healthy is important, said Samspon, because of his ability to run the offense and the confidence he brings to the court.\nFreshman guard Jordan Crawford has filled Bassett’s spot at point guard, but has struggled with turnovers. Freshman guard Eric Gordon and junior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis have also taken turns running the offense.\nBassett’s experience with the system helps him make big plays, senior forward D.J. White said.\n“He has two years under coach Sampson’s system,” White said. “He knows what Coach expects and he made big shots and big plays offensively and defensively for us.”\nIt is uncertain how long the bone chip injury will affect Bassett’s play, and to what extent he can contribute to the team day-by-day. He practiced sparingly before the Illinois game, but managed to play 18 minutes on the tender ankle.\nBassett said he has been receiving several forms of \ntreatment daily, including pain-killing shots.\n“It’s hurting, but I’m just going to play,” Bassett said. “I am going to have to play through some pain.”\nWhile important to the offense, Bassett really helps at setting the defense for the Hoosiers, Sampson said. Bassett has embraced this role and wants to be a leader on both sides of the floor.\n“Just toughness and ball pressure,” Bassett said when asked what he brought to the defense. “I told coach Sampson when I got healthy that I am going to change our defense back around. That’s what I was really going to concentrate on.”\nBut because of the injury to his ankle, how many minutes Bassett will play today at Minnesota, or in any game this season, is in question. Bassett said he would like to get about 20 to 25 minutes a game, but will play whenever Sampson calls his number.\n“As long as they put me out there, I’ll play,” Bassett said.
(01/14/08 8:17am)
Gordon 1, Weber 0.\nWhile both coaches said Sunday afternoon’s matchup between IU and Illinois was just another game, there was intensity surrounding the first meeting between freshman guard Eric Gordon and Illinois coach Bruce Weber.\nIn the first go-around, the No. 10 IU men’s basketball team prevailed 62-58 in a game that came down to the final few seconds.\nLeading by two with 33 seconds to play, sophomore guard Armon Bassett missed an off-balance shot, giving Illinois a chance to win the game.\nIllinois guard Demetri McCamey drove to the basket for the tying score when senior guard A.J. Ratliff blocked the ball out of bounds, giving Illinois one final chance.\nOn the inbound play, Illinois forward Brian Randle missed an open 3-pointer which led to a scramble for the loose ball.\n“The game is on the line,” senior forward D.J. White said of the final defensive stand. “We want the ball to win, and we played hard getting after the ball.”\nEventually, Bassett ended up with the ball and was fouled. The sophomore hit his two free throws to ice the game for the Hoosiers.\nDespite playing just 18 minutes, Bassett’s play was instrumental in the Hoosier victory Sunday, Sampson said. The sophomore has been limited in action recently due to a bone chip injury in his ankle, but gave IU a boost off the bench with his defense, ball-handling and clutch three-point shooting in the second half.\n“Bassett was huge,” Weber said. “He made some big ones down the stretch.”\nThe Hoosiers shot just 38.8 percent from the field, including 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, as the offense never seemed to click against one of the better defending teams in the Big Ten.\n“I think the sign of a pretty good team is finding ways to win games when you are not on top of your game,” Sampson said. “I don’t think we played as well as we’re capable of playing.”\nGordon seemed anxious in the first few minutes of the contest, committing a turnover and missing his first three shots before hitting his first basket nine minutes into the game. The freshman had a game-high 17 points on 4-10 shooting from the field. \n“I was pretty excited,” Gordon said. “I knew this would be a big game for us, but we looked at it like another Big Ten game.”\nHad his initial commitment to Illinois stood– Gordon de-committed from the Illini in October 2006 – he could have been in the visitors’ orange and blue at Assembly Hall. The Indianapolis native decided to stay in the Hoosier state after Sampson took over the struggling program from Mike Davis.\nWeber did not have any direct interaction with his former star-recruit Gordon, as he did not shake hands with the IU players after the game.\nRegardless of Weber’s feelings toward Gordon, Sampson said he was pleased with the way his team responded.\n“Bottom line is we found a way to win the game,” Sampson said. “That’s what this thing is all about.”
(01/11/08 5:31am)
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.\nInstead of London and Paris, the phrase borrowed from Charles Dickens is a tale about Bloomington and Champaign. The tale of the two cities was authored by freshman guard Eric Gordon and his decision to de-commit from Illinois and commit to IU in October 2006. It was a decision which captured national headlines and severely altered each team’s expectations for the 2007-2008 season.\nIn the three seasons prior to Gordon’s decision, the Fighting Illini had won two conference championships and finished second in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers, on the other hand, failed to reach the NCAA tournament during two of the years and had its head coach, Mike Davis, resign.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson replaced Davis and soon secured Gordon’s commitment, a move which won over the Hoosier faithful before Sampson had coached a single game for the cream and crimson.\nWhen the No. 10 Hoosiers (13-1) host Illinois (8-8) Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall, the role reversal will be backboard-clear between the two conference rivals.\nIU heads into Sunday’s contest riding a nine-game winning streak and a national ranking while Illinois has dropped five out of eight games heading into Thursday night’s game at No. 21 Wisconsin.\nWhile the Fighting Illini have struggled of late, Sampson said that Illinois will pose a test for his team.\n“I know they’ve struggled as of late, but every team will struggle during the season,” Sampson said. “Its not like they are getting blown out, they could have won every one of those games.”\nIllinois has continued to play strong defense despite losing games – the Illini rank fifth in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing 61.4 points per game. The Illini defense will be a challenge for the Hoosiers, Sampson said. \n“They are as good as man-to-man as there is in the conference,” Sampson said. “It starts with (Chester) Frazier.”\nIllini senior Shaun Pruitt will give the Hoosier big men trouble on both ends of the court. Pruitt is averaging 12.6 points a game and grabs 8.1 rebounds a game, fourth in the Big Ten conference.\nPruitt averaged 9.2 points and 9.3 rebounds last year in three games against IU during which Illinois went 2-1.\n“We had a lot of problems with Pruitt last year,” Sampson said. “I think he is one of the best big guys in this league. Plus he is a senior.”\nThe rebounding battle between Pruitt and senior forward D.J. White should be one of the more interesting subplots of the game. White is the leading rebounder in the Big Ten and is coming off a career-high 22 rebounds against Michigan. The duo was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated earlier this season when the magazine recognized Indiana and Illinois as one of the rising rivalries in the country.\n“I know 22 rebounds again is probably unlikely,” White said. “I hope to do it again sometime, but I just need to play like I’ve been playing, play with confidence, play hard.”
(01/09/08 5:47am)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It started with a block.\nOne possession summarized senior forward D.J. White’s career performance against Michigan Tuesday night.\nTwo minutes into the second half, White grabbed the rebound after blocking a shot from Michigan’s Manny Harris. On the offensive end of the court, a missed layup was recovered by Michigan, and White intercepted a Michigan pass and dunked it while being fouled. After sending in the dunk, White let out a primal scream while looking into an ESPN camera – letting the Michigan faithful know that there would be no comeback for the Wolverines. A free-throw completed the old-fashioned 3-point play. \nAll the momentum Michigan had built at the end of the first half came to a screeching halt thanks to White’s efforts on \nthe play. \n“Just playing hard,” White said of the play. “Coach (Kelvin) Sampson always says when you play hard, good things happen.”\nThe No. 10 Hoosiers cruised to an easy 78-64 victory, thanks in large part to White. The Alabama native scored 21 points and grabbed a career-high 22 previous career-high by seven rebounds.\n“It was my first time getting 20 rebounds in a game and it feels good,” he said.\nWhite’s 22 rebounds were the most since Alan Henderson against Cincinnati in 1992 and ranks as the 13th highest output in Hoosier history. White is currently the Big Ten Conference’s leading rebounder at 10.9 per game.\nFreshman guard Eric Gordon said White has been a team leader off and on the court.\n“He’s been big time,” Gordon said. “It’s hard to expect a man to get 22 rebounds. He’s been our leader.”\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson praised White for his rebound effort.\n“He just takes a lot of pride,” Sampson said. “He did something tonight I’ve never had someone do before – sign the bubble twice.”\nAn IU player signs the bubble, a device used in rebounding drills, if he grabs 10 or more rebounds in a game. White has scribbled his name all over the bubble this season, with Tuesday night marking his 10th double-digit rebounding effort this season.\nSampson said White has improved his rebounding from last season by being more assertive and taking pride in grabbing boards.\n“He’s grown up a lot,” Sampson said. “He’s gotten tougher. Big kids that don’t rebound are either not aggressive or don’t have a feel for it. I think last year D.J. wasn’t aggressive.”\nWhite agreed with Sampson when asked what’s changed in his game since last season.\n“Just being more aggressive,” White said. “I just want to go out and be aggressive. Every time the ball is in the air, I try and pursue it.”\nWhite rounded out his performance with two blocks, one steal and an assist. After a couple of slow games to start the season, White has put together a string of several strong outings for the Hoosiers.\n“He’s been good every night,” Sampson said.
(01/08/08 5:27am)
Heading into every game, junior guard Jamarcus Ellis has a goal in mind: Sign the bubble.\nDuring practice, a clear, plastic bubble covers the basket during rebounding drills. IU coach Kelvin Sampson allows any player who grabs 10 or more rebounds in a game to sign the bubble. \nIt should come as no surprise that D.J. White, the top rebounder in the Big Ten, leads the team with nine double-digit rebounding efforts this season. What may surprise some Hoosier fans is that Ellis is the only other person to pull down 10 or more rebounds this season, and he has signed the bubble four times. \n“Trying to keep up with D.J. is a hard job,” Ellis said. “That is just something I have to do and I love doing it.”\nEllis’s passion for basketball, outside of scoring, is one of the reasons he has quickly become one of IU coach Kelvin Sampson’s favorite players. Ellis has logged more minutes (412) than any other Hoosier, and his unselfish style makes him a fixture in IU’s lineup.\nThe 6-foot-5 guard is the fifth best rebounder in the Big Ten, averaging 8.0 rebounds per game, and he ranks first in rebounds among guards in the conference. Junior forward and childhood friend DeAndre Thomas said Ellis has always had a nose for rebounding.\n“He has been like that since we were younger,” Thomas said. “He has that mentality of he wants that rebound, he is going to go get that rebound, and nobody is going to take it from him.”\nEllis and Thomas both transferred to IU this season from Chipola (Fla.) Junior College. The two had success at the junior college level, particularly Ellis, who was named NJCAA player of the year last season. During his award-winning season, Ellis recorded four triple-doubles and averaged 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. \nAfter dominating the competition in junior college, Ellis said the transition to Division I basketball has “been a big jump.”\nSampson has continued to praise Ellis for doing the little things to help the Hoosiers win. While Ellis does not capture the headlines for flashy play or scoring points, his name consistently adorns the stat sheet. It’s not that Ellis can’t score – he tallied 15 points against Iowa – but the junior will defer to high-power scorers such as White and freshman guard Eric Gordon.\n“He doesn’t need to score,” Sampson said. “He scores because we need him to, not because he needs to. There are some guys that they need to score. If they aren’t scoring, they don’t feel like they are helping you. Jamarcus figures it out.”\nArmed with a well-rounded game, Ellis has set his sights this season on achieving the second triple-double in IU history. In 1971, Steve Downing notched the lone triple-double against Michigan, scoring 28 points, pulling down 17 rebounds and blocking 10 shots.\n“We talked about the only triple-double in IU history and (Sampson) is like, I should be the player who pulls out the second triple-double,” Ellis said. “I am going to work hard at it and try and do my best to get one.”\nEllis has also been the only IU guard to see action in each game this season. The Hoosier guards have missed a combined 19 games because of suspension and injury.\nFor Sampson, the most important quality in Ellis is his winning attitude.\n“I think he is a winner,” Sampson said. “I am not sure you can say that about every kid you coach over the years. There are some kids that have that little quality about them.”
(12/31/07 5:30am)
The Indianapolis Colts ended the regular season Sunday night by losing to the Tennessee Titans 16-10. \nThe Titans earned the sixth and final spot in the AFC playoffs with the win and a date with San Diego Chargers next weekend. \nWith the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs secured two weeks ago, many of the Colts starters, including quarterback Peyton Manning, saw limited action before heading to the bench.\nEven with the Colts starters sitting the second half, the Titans had to come from behind to secure their first playoff bid since 2003. \nA Tennessee fumble midway through the third quarter gave the Colts the opportunity for its first touchdown of the night. Backup quarterback Jim Sorgi found rookie wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give the Colts a 10-7 lead.\nOn the following Titans possession, starting quarterback Vince Young was knocked out of the game with a quadriceps injury, forcing veteran back-up quarterback Kerry Collins into action.\nCollins led the Titans to three scoring drives capped off by field goals from kicker Rob Bironas.\n“We got a lot of things done, but we just didn’t get the score like we wanted it,” Colts head coach Tony Dungy said.\nAlthough the team took the loss, Dungy said it was good to get fringe players experience.\n“We got to see some guys in some situations that was good to see,” Dungy said. “They got a taste of what playoff type football is all about.”\nBefore exiting the game, two Colts players achieved individual accolades. Manning surpassed the 4,000 passing yard mark for the 8th time in his 10 seasons by going 14/16 for 95 yards. Most of Manning’s passes were to wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who took the NFL lead in receiving yards (1510) with 12 receptions and 87 yards. Wayne also recorded his first 100 reception season with 104 catches.\n “We had some things in mind,” Dungy said. “To get Reggie that 100 catches. That’s something that doesn’t happen often.”
(12/31/07 12:30am)
On a day when he set franchise positional records for receiving, Colts tight end Dallas Clark’s most memorable play came with his feet as the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Houston Texans 38-15 Sunday at the RCA Dome.\nFacing a fourth down and two yards to gain on Houston’s 31-yard line, the Colts lined up in a power running formation, looking to muscle its way to a first down. Instead of running inside, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning handed the ball off to Clark on a reverse, catching the aggressive Texans defense off guard. Clark gained 15 yards on the play, keeping alive a drive that resulted in a touchdown.\n“We are not a team that does trick plays,” Clark said. “This was a good opportunity and it was exactly like it was drawn up. It was just great execution by everyone.”\nThough his lone run will make the highlight reels, for Clark, Sunday’s game will be remembered as a record-setting outing for the fifth year veteran from Iowa. With his six receptions and two touchdowns against the Texans, Clark broke Colts franchise records for receptions and touchdowns by a tight end, an honor previously held by Hall-of-Famer John Mackey.\nClark, who won the John Mackey award in college as the nation’s top tight end, said he felt privileged to set the records.\n“To be in that category with him is a true honor,” Clark said.\nClark was just one of many players with solid outings as the Colts extended their home winning streak against the AFC south to 10 games.\nColts coach Tony Dungy said he was proud of his team’s performance since he wants players to keep improving as the playoffs approach.\n“We talked a lot this week about what we wanted to accomplish,” Dungy said. “Winning the game was number one; we also wanted to do some things a little bit better and I thought we did.”\nThe Texans took the opening kickoff and drove 76 yards to take an early 7-0 lead. The Colts responded the next drive with a field goal and a defensive stop on the Texans’ next possession.\nTrailing 7-3, the Colts put together back-to-back 92-yard touchdown drives to gain a 17-3 lead. The game was never close from that point on.\n“We really didn’t have good field position,” Manning said. “Anytime you can go the whole distance there, it can be pretty deflating for the defense. We hardly had any third and longs. Anytime you can stay in that kind of mode, it means you are doing good things on first and second down.”\nManning, 28-35 for 311 yards and three touchdowns, eclipsed the 30 passing touchdown mark for the fourth time in his career Sunday. \nEntering the game, the Colts had already clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and a first-round bye. Although the game was meaningless for seeding purposes, Clark said the team wanted to keep momentum heading into the postseason.\n“I think it shows you the mindset of this team and the maturity of it,” Clark said. “Guys could have easily gone through the motions, but we went out there and had a lot to prove to ourselves and to get better.”\nStarting running back Joseph Addai and starting wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez both left the game with injuries. Dungy said after the game that both could have come back in, but he decided to err on the side of rest.\nDungy said he will evaluate the team before making any decisions for next week’s game against Tennessee.\n“We’ll take a look at it,” Dungy said. “We still have some things we want to do better. There will be some guys we hold out next week. Especially after we get the medical report.”
(12/31/07 12:26am)
In its last contest before Big Ten Conference play, the IU men’s basketball team defeated Chicago State 97-59 Saturday night at Assembly Hall.\nThe No. 13 Hoosiers (11-1) used an 11-0 scoring run in the opening three minutes to build an insurmountable lead for the visiting Cougars.\nThe run began with a three-point play from senior forward D.J. White and was followed by consecutive three-pointers from freshman guard Eric Gordon and sophomore guard Armon Bassett, who returned to action after a three-game suspension for violating team rules.\n“I thought we were ready to play,” IU coach Kelvin Sampson said. “We had really good practices when we came back from break. We had a lot of bounce, a lot of energy.”\nThe Hoosiers used the momentum from the opening minutes to dominate the first half, taking a 48-19 lead into the locker room despite shooting just 35 percent from the field. Sampson characterized the half as the “hardest” his team had played all season.\n“We dominated every phase of the game,” Sampson said.\nHowever, one statistic stood out to the second-year coach: rebounding. IU out-rebounded the Cougars by 21 before halftime. For the game, the Hoosiers won the rebounding battle 56-26.\nIU continued its strong play in the second half with solid performances from D.J. White and Gordon.\nWhite recorded his 7th double-double of the season with 21 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.\nGordon scored 22 points on just 3-12 shooting from the field. The freshman standout did shoot a perfect 14-14 from the free-throw line.\nSenior guard A.J. Ratliff missed his second straight game with a sprained ankle. Ratliff, who missed the previous 10 games before his injury due to poor grades, has yet to suit up for the Hoosiers this season. Sampson said he expected Ratliff to play Wednesday night against Iowa.\n“He could have played tonight,” Sampson said. “I think the main reason talking to (IU trainer) Tim Garl was cutting. He didn’t look good on it at the shoot around.”\nWith the win, the IU extended its home winning streak to 26 games. The streak is the fourth longest in the nation and the fourth longest in IU history. IU won 56 consecutive games at Assembly Hall from 1991 to 1995.\nSampson credited the fans for their support as 16,016 were in attendance.\n“These are the best fans I’ve ever seen,” Sampson said. “That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact.”\nWith the pre-conference schedule complete, the team now shifts its focus on winning IU’s first Big Ten Championship.\n“It’s a tough physical league,” White said. “It’s about focus. It’s tough to win on the road, but if we want to win the conference this year we have to win on the road.”
(12/27/07 2:42pm)
The IU men’s basketball team used a 20-4 run to start the second half Saturday afternoon en route to a 73-46 victory over Coppin State.\nThe victory gave the No. 13 Hoosiers their 10th victory of the season and extended their home winning steak to 25 games. IU coach Kelvin Sampson has yet to lose in Assembly Hall.\nThe Eagles arrived in Bloomington during the early hours of Saturday morning after driving from Milwaukee through the night following their loss to Marquette Friday night. However, 10 minutes into the game, the Hoosiers seemed like the team with tired legs, clinging to a mere four-point lead.\n“The first half we were still recovering from the six hour bus ride from Marquette,” Sampson said jokingly after the game. “My bad; that was the other team.”\nCoppin State did not seem like it had spent the night on a bus, as the team played hard from the opening tip until the final second. The Hoosiers struggled early against the Coppin zone, missing open shots and turning the ball over.\nIU went into the locker room leading just 28-26 on 28 percent shooting from the floor. While the Hoosiers struggled from the field, Sampson credited Coppin State for a gritty first-half effort.\n“I’m not sure if that first half won’t be a lesson to us down the road,” Sampson said. “For their kids to come in and play like they did in the first half says a lot about (head coach Ron) ‘Fang’ (Mitchell) and his kids.”\nIU picked up its defensive effort to start the second half, holding Coppin State to 20 points on 30 percent shooting. The improved defensive effort translated into more offensive opportunities, which led to 45 points for the Hoosiers in the second half. \n“We weren’t perfect, but I thought we did better,” senior forward D.J. White said\nD.J. White had a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds. A lot of his baskets came off of penetration from freshman guard Eric Gordon and junior guard Jamarcus Ellis. In the second half, IU did a better job of breaking down the zone defense, Sampson said.\n “Our offense was really good in the second half,” Sampson said. “I didn’t think we had a lot of energy. The second half, we played good. We are good against the zone. Once we spread them and drove them, we got a lot of easy baskets.”\nSenior Mike White had another good outing for the Hoosiers, scoring 10 points and five rebounds in the winning effort. IU is undefeated since Sampson’s decision not to redshirt Mike White following the Xavier game. Mike White has helped the team with his consistent effort, Sampson said. \n“Mike’s greatest attribute is that he is so mature,” Sampson said. “He doesn’t have highs and lows. He’s just solid and that’s why I think he fits so well in our lineup.”\nGordon finished the game with 15 points, but shot just 2-13 from the field. Sampson said he was pleased that Gordon was able to get to the free-throw line and score when his shots were not falling.\n“Today they just didn’t go in,” Sampson said of Gordon’s attempts.
(12/10/07 3:39am)
Fans on both sides of the Ohio River might have guessed the IU men’s basketball team was ripe for an upset once they heard that freshman guard Eric Gordon and sophomore guard Armon Bassett would sit out of Saturday’s game against Kentucky.\nThe No. 15 Hoosiers had played short-handed in several games so far this season, but never without the services of its leading scorer, Gordon, for a whole game. Add in the suspension of Bassett, who sat out for violating an unspecified team rule, and the Hoosiers were left with only two guards for their annual rivalry game.\nTo fill the void left by Gordon’s absence, IU coach Kelvin Sampson and the Hoosiers relied on senior forward and leader D.J. White early in the game. White started off strong – scoring, creating opportunities for his teammates and rebounding – but fell into foul trouble, limiting him to only 10 minutes in the first half.\nWith White joining a growing list of IU starters on the bench, Sampson relied on several role players to propel the Hoosiers to a 37-25 half-time lead en route to a 70-51 victory over the Wildcats.\n“They are playing without three starters basically in the first half on only 10 minutes from one of three starters, so I think you can say ‘Well, this ought to be easy,’” Kentucky coach Bill Gillispie said. “But until we get better at executing and taking advantage of opportunities, we are going to struggle no matter who we play against.”\nWhile Kentucky did struggle on the offensive end, Gillispie was quick to give credit to the contributions from the Hoosiers filling in for Gordon and Bassett.\nWhite – who notched his fifth consecutive double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds – was helped in the front court by senior forward Mike White, seven points and three rebounds, and junior forward DeAndre Thomas, 11 points and five rebounds. \nSampson said with D.J. White in foul trouble, Thomas came in and logged crucial minutes.\n“I thought him coming off the bench really juiced us,” Sampson said. \nThere was even a time in the second half when the two Whites were joined by Thomas in the lineup – a move dictated by the lack of available guards. \n“Better enjoy it – it will never happen again,” Sampson said jokingly.\nNobody, however, came up bigger than freshman guard Jordan Crawford. Returning from a three-game suspension and playing against his older brother Joe, Crawford scored a game-high 20 points.\nCrawford credited the outcome to a team effort.\n“We all contributed together,” Crawford said. “We all had to step up, because we had players out.”\nWith Gordon, Bassett and senior guard A.J. Ratliff expected to return the line-up soon, IU will have more options and will be able to distribute minutes to rest players. Though the team has been thin the past few games, Sampson said in the long run, this four-game stretch could be crucial for the team’s development.\n“I think there are always blessings in disguise in everything,” Sampson said. “Maybe if everyone had been there, none of them would be playing with as much confidence.”
(12/07/07 4:54am)
A sibling rivalry will continue in the midst of one of the most anticipated games in all of college basketball this season.\nThe Crawford brothers – IU’s Jordan and Kentucky’s Joe – will face off Saturday for the first and likely only time in their careers as the No. 15 Hoosiers host the rival Kentucky Wildcats at Assembly Hall.\nThe pair of brothers from Detroit are at opposite points in their college careers. Jordan is just starting his freshman campaign with the Hoosiers, while Joe is one of the senior leaders for the Wildcats.\nThe two brothers are close friends and speak almost every day on the telephone about college basketball and life, Jordan said. \nThe IU freshman characterized the relationship “like any other brotherhood.” Surprisingly, when Joe entered middle school, the two began to drift on the hardwood, rarely playing basketball with one another. When the brothers did play together, Jordan Crawford said they would get on each for little mistakes like most brothers do.\nAnd of course, there was the typical brotherly roughhousing.\n“Oh yeah, he beat me up a lot,” Jordan Crawford said.\nDespite their close off-court relationship, there will be no love lost once the Crawford brothers step onto Branch McCracken Court.\n“Oh, there is going to be a little trash talking,” Crawford said. “But I am trying to focus on the win. I am not trying to make this an individual battle, because it is way more than that.” \nThat may be understating the situation. The Hoosiers (7-1) will take on long-time rival Kentucky (4-2) for the 51st time in the two schools’ histories. A typical Hoosier bar argument would debate whether Kentucky or Purdue is the bigger rival, but at this point in the season no game looms more important than the one on Saturday.\n“None of the other games matter to these fans except Kentucky and Purdue,” Jordan said. The freshman, who is coming off a three-game suspension for violating an undisclosed team rule, said IU coach Kelvin Sampson is stressing the importance of the game.\n“He wants us to come out and win.” \nThe sibling rivalry will be one of the side stories in the annual border war between IU and Kentucky. The IU players, though, have jokingly played the game up to tease Jordan as he prepares to go against his older brother.\n“We joke with him about it in the locker room, calling it the Crawford Bowl,” senior D.J. White said. “I think he is very excited about playing his brother.”\nWhile the players are having a good time teasing Jordan, Sampson said he hasn’t given any extra thought to the Crawford duel, but did say Joe would be a challenge for the Hoosiers on Saturday.\nJoe is averaging a team-high 18.3 ppg for the Wildcats.\n“This is a kid that is going to have a chance to play basketball for a long time,” Sampson said of the older Crawford. “Joe will present problems for every team that has to face him.”\nThe two brothers have continued to talk this week leading up to the game, but Jordan said they would cut off communication as the tip-off approaches.\nJordan said he has improved since his brother last saw him play. Their play on the court will answer the question of which brother is better – one Jordan will readily answer.\n“I am by far,” he said when asked which brother was better. \nAnd what would Joe say about that?\n“Yeah, that’s what he would say,” Jordan responded laughing.
(12/04/07 5:23am)
On the strength of senior forward D.J. White’s best performance of the season, the No. 15 IU men’s basketball team held on for a 84-72 victory over Tennessee State.\nThe Hoosiers came away with the win, but not without paying a price, as freshman guard Eric Gordon went down with an injury toward the end of the first half. Gordon has been diagnosed with a bruised tailbone, but IU coach Kelvin Sampson said he expects Gordon to return to action Saturday against Kentucky.\nGordon scored eight points, 18 points fewer than his season average, on 1-of-4 shooting in just 12 minutes of action before sustaining the injury.\nWith IU’s first scoring option out, it was up to White to become the team’s primary offensive weapon. White, who was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, scored 20 first-half points on a perfect 8-8 shooting from the field in the first frame. \n“I had to step up,” White said. “When (Gordon) went down we all knew we had to step up our play.”\nTo Tennessee State coach Cy Alexander, White “was the difference” in the game.\nThe senior forward scored a career-high 29 points on 11-16 shooting. White tallied his forth double-double of the season by grabbing 13 rebounds.\n“I think D.J. is starting to take pride in the double-double,” Sampson said.\nIU took control early, jumping out to a 16-point lead in the first nine minutes of the contest. The Hoosiers kept the lead in the teens for the remainder of the half, taking a 13-point advantage into the locker room.\n“I couldn’t have asked for a better 17 minutes to start the game,” Sampson said. “Our defense was outstanding.”\nHowever, without Gordon, the Hoosiers struggled at times offensively in the second half. The Tigers began running a full-court press which forced several IU turnovers because of “sloppy ball handling” and brought the game within seven points with eight minutes remaining in the game. \n“I was worried about the second half a little, especially when E.J. went down,” Sampson said.\nWith seven minutes remaining, IU began to pull away thanks to two consecutive three-pointers from senior forward Lance Stemler. The shots stretched the Hoosier lead to 11 points. The Tigers never got the deficit back into single digits.\nSenior forward Mike White logged a season-high 30 minutes, scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds.\nTennessee State guard Bruce Price kept the Tigers in the contest throughout the evening, scoring a game-high 34 points, including seven 3-pointers from long range.\n“He’s tough, isn’t he?” Sampson said. “You have to respect a kid like him. He was the toughest guy on court tonight.”\nIn the end though, IU was able to withstand Price and the Tigers, completing a grueling stretch of seven games in 15 days with different players missing time for suspension or illness. The Hoosiers now look to get some rest and focus on school before Saturday’s showdown with the Wildcats.\n“We really needed to get through this game tonight,” Sampson said.
(12/03/07 5:10am)
CARBONDALE, Ill. – A year after finishing 3-8 on the road, the IU men’s basketball team won its first road game of the season Saturday night against a tough Southern Illinois squad 64-51.\nThe win snapped Southern Illinois’ 15-game home winning streak.\nWith seven newcomers to this year’s team, including five freshmen, many members of the No. 15 Hoosiers had never played a true road game in Division I basketball. However, the Hoosiers gained some experience playing in front of a hostile Xavier crowd during the finals of the Chicago Invitational Challenge.\nThe 9,345 Saluki fans waiting for the Hoosiers at SIU Arena were a bit rowdier than the crowd in Chicago, senior forward D.J. White said.\n“We sort of had an away game against Xavier, but it was nothing like the environment here,” White said.\nSaluki fans booed and jeered IU during warmups 30 minutes before tip-off and continued throughout the game. The crowd’s favorite targets: IU coach Kelvin Sampson and freshman guard Eric Gordon.\nThe team faced some early trouble, falling down by four which got the home crowed excited for the upset. White, one of two senior captains on the squad, said the veterans told the younger players that they would have to play through adversity on the road.\n“Just stay poised,” White said he told his teammates coming into the game.\nThe Hoosiers listened to their leader’s advice, settled down offensively and took a six point lead into halftime.\nComing out of the half, the Hoosiers had the chance to take control of the contest, but went on a three-minute scoring drought which included three turnovers from sophomore guard Armon Bassett.\nAt the first timeout, Sampson took Bassett aside, telling his point guard to be patient on the offensive end.\n“I was pretty mad about those (turnovers),” Bassett said. “But it happens, and I can’t let it get to me.”\nThe Hoosiers primarily played a 2-3 zone in the second half, which held Southern Illinois to only nine points in the first 16 minutes after intermission, deflating the home crowd in the process and giving the Hoosiers a 14-point lead.\nIU played tough defense during those 16 minutes, forcing turnovers and blocking shots. \nThe Salukis helped the Hoosier cause, shooting 32 percent from the field in the second half and missing several open shots. \n“Sometimes the ball just doesn’t go in,” Sampson said. “But I thought that our kids played hard enough and tough enough together to win the game. That is good for us.”\nSampson said he was proud of the way his team bounced back from the Xavier game with two wins. The Xavier game exposed a lot of the Hoosiers’ weaknesses and gave the team a chance to improve, he added.\n“I think we learned a lot of lessons from that game,” Sampson said.\nWith five consecutive home games to close out the year, it is very possible for IU to be 11-1 heading into the Big Ten season. For Sampson though, it is improvement each game for which he is striving.\n“Our team is getting better,” Sampson said. “We are learning to play with each other. It takes time to do that.
(11/28/07 5:49am)
The IU men’s basketball team improved its record to 5-1 by defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 83-79 Tuesday night in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson remains unbeaten at Assembly Hall during his tenure at IU after the Hoosiers extended their home winning streak to 21 games. A crowd of 17,230 almost saw the home winning streak come to an end as the Yellow Jackets pushed the No. 15 Hoosiers for the entire 40 minutes.\nSenior forward D.J. White anchored the Hoosiers in a game that saw six ties and 10 lead changes. White scored 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting and tied a career-high by grabbing 14 rebounds. In addition, White tallied three blocks and two steals as IU responded with a win in its first outing after losing to Xavier Saturday night.\nIU looked to establish White’s presence early after the senior seemed lost in the Hoosier offense at times in the first few games of the season. Sampson said he knew White would become more involved in the offense as the season progressed.\n“D.J. comes to play,” Sampson said. “He likes to play against good teams. He’s a senior and he has a lot of pride.”\nJunior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis said the team takes its cues from White, who gives the team its fire.\n“D.J. is our leader,” Ellis said. “When D.J. is all riled up, everyone is riled up. When D.J. is there, we are there.”\nEllis followed White’s lead, as the junior scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half, many of them coming in crucial situations in the game.\nEllis and the rest of the Hoosiers were able to drive on the Yellow Jackets all game, allowing IU to get to the free-throw line 38 times, something that was crucial for the win, Sampson said.\nFreshman guard Eric Gordon scored a game-high 29 points, but committed eight turnovers, something Sampson attributed to “being jittery.”\nEnding any speculation of redshirting, senior forward Mike White played 20 minutes, scoring two points and grabbing six rebounds.\nSampson said he was pleased with the way his team responded to the Xavier loss, and speculated that his team would not have progressed as much during the last two days without experiencing a setback.\n“I think we are going to continue to get better,” Sampson said. “I just didn’t overreact to that. A game like Saturday would have been a waste if we hadn’t been able to draw something from it.”
(11/28/07 2:48am)
The IU men’s basketball team will look to rebound from last Saturday’s loss when the Hoosiers host Georgia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at 7 p.m. today on ESPN.\nThe team experienced some growing pains in last weekend’s Chicago Invitational Challenge by pulling out a win against Illinois State and falling to Xavier in the final, something IU coach Kelvin Sampson said to expect with a young, inexperienced team.\nWhen asked about the development of freshman guard Jordan Crawford early in the preseason, Sampson said that Crawford, like many young players, had the attributes of a successful player, but he needed to tighten some bolts to become a complete player.\nAfter Saturday, Sampson could use the analogy for more than his first-year guard. The No. 15 Hoosiers entered the season with high expectations from the media and fans. These expectations were founded on the arrival of six newcomers, headlined by high school All-American Eric Gordon.\nFew deny the team is rich in talent, but Saturday’s loss showed the Hoosiers must improve if the team is to live up to its Top 10 billing.\nWhile fans may be panicking after the early season loss, Sampson has continued to say that IU has a ways to go before becoming a complete team.\n“They have a better team than we do right now,” he said. “But it is November 24th. Games like this can only help you. One thing you learn over the years in coaching is you just don’t overreact to stuff.”\nIn his 25 years as a head coach, Sampson said he has learned not to overreact to bumps in the road, especially when trying to teach new players his system.\n“The thing about young kids is that they are going to make mistakes,” Sampson said. “We will get back and break this tape down and hopefully get better from it.”\nThe Hoosiers (4-1) will look to improve on its 2-4 all-time record and four game losing streak in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge when the Yellow Jackets swarm Assembly Hall.\nIU has had close games in the last three Challenge games, falling to teams ranked in the Top 10 each time. Last season, sophomore guard Armon Bassett’s 16 points were not enough as the Hoosiers lost to Duke at Cameron Indoor \nArena, 54-51.\nGeorgia Tech could have been highly ranked this season if not for the departures of Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton to the NBA Draft just one season into their respective collegiate careers.\nThe Yellow Jackets, much like Xavier, rely on veteran leadership – the team’s top three leading scorers are one junior and two seniors – instead of young stars. If the Xavier game is any indication, the Hoosiers will have to learn how to play against experienced teams as the \nseason progresses.\n“This is a learning experience for the young guys and us older guys, also,” senior forward D.J. White said.
(11/26/07 3:19am)
With 4:31 remaining in the first half of Saturday’s Chicago Invitational Challenge championship, junior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis hit a jumper to pull the IU men’s basketball team within one point of Xavier.\nThe score standing 27-26 in favor of Xavier, the No. 8 Hoosiers had the opportunity to mitigate the effects of a disappointing first half by keeping the deficit close or even take the lead into the locker room.\nHowever, the same problems that characterized their sloppy start of the game plagued the Hoosiers during the final four minutes of the first period, as the Musketeers went on a 13-3 run to take a 40-29 lead into halftime.\n“We missed about four or five wide open shots,” IU coach Kelvin Sampson said. “(Ellis) missed a one-and-one. That maybe would have been seven or eight points that we would have had.”\nThe Hoosiers went 1-of-6 from the field down the stretch in the first half; a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Armon Bassett was the only basket for IU. Many of the missed shots were uncontested, but the Hoosiers just could not get the ball to rim in.\n“This is a simple game – you may hear me say that a lot this year,” Sampson said. “When the ball goes in, your offense is good. We had a lot of shots that we have been making the whole year not go in tonight.”\nXavier, on the other hand, went 5-of-9 during the final minutes of the opening frame. \nSampson was more concerned with his team’s failure to execute than Xavier’s offensive production.\n“The 13 is not what bothered me,” Sampson said. “They got the 13 – one was on a kickout three, one was on a play that should never work but worked and then we missed a lot of open shots.”\nThe final 35 seconds of the half were deflating to the Hoosiers. \nIndianapolis native Stanley Burrell hit a 3-pointer for Xavier that bounced off the rim twice before falling in the basket.\nThe Hoosiers tried to respond by feeding the ball to senior forward D.J. White in the post. White made an aggressive move to the basket, and was whistled for his third personal foul on a questionable charge call with two seconds remaining. \nXavier then ended the half with a full-court pass to guard/forward B.J. Raymond, who hit a shot from the corner as time expired. \nDown 11, the Hoosiers never recovered in the second half. IU could only manage to cut the deficit to nine during the second 20 minutes of action, as poor shooting and foul trouble prevented a run from developing.\n“We had a lot of great looks,” Sampson said. “I liked the shots we were getting. Some of them were forced.”\nBoth Sampson and White said the game would be a learning experience for the younger, less experienced players.\n“It’s early, we had lots of people who haven’t been in those type of situations yet,” White said.
(11/23/07 12:49pm)
For the first four minutes of Tuesday’s game, the No. 8 IU men’s basketball team looked like it would be in for a battle against the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.\nThe Seahawks surged to an 18-8 lead at the first media timeout thanks to sloppy turnovers by the Hoosiers and successful offensive sets by UNC-Wilmington.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson credited UNC-Wilmington for its hard play to start the game, adding his team will have a target on its back because of its high national ranking.\n“They came in ready to play, all these teams do,” Sampson said. “It’s a different deal when you are ranked high. That (game against you) becomes their primary focus.”\nAfter falling behind, Sampson did not try many different line-ups, saying “I’ve always allowed kids to play out of it.”\nThankfully for Sampson, his team did play itself out of the deficit.\nTrailing by 10 with 15 minutes remaining in the first half, IU went on a 31-8 run in 11 minutes en route to a 95-71 victory over the Seahawks. The win extends the Hoosiers’ winning streak at Assembly Hall to 20 games.\nSampson said his team gave its best performance of the year in responding to the early 10-point deficit.\n“I thought there was a 25-minute stretch there, if you take away their start, that’s the best we’ve played all year,” Sampson said. “Our defense continuously caused problems for them. It’s good to see the ball pressure, getting out on the wings.”\nFreshman guard Eric Gordon helped catalyze the Hoosier offense by scoring nine of his game-high 30 points during the IU run. Gordon also contributed on the defensive end, despite picking up two early fouls. \n“Coach just told me to play hard,” Gordon said. “All I had to do was deny the man instead of playing him hard on the ball.”\nSophomore guard Armon Bassett said it wasn’t until the team decided to play hard on the defensive end that the Hoosiers began to take control. \n“Once we decided to start playing, we turned the game around,” Bassett said. “That’s been the story for us the first couple of games. We just need to get off to a good start.”\nBassett scored 19 points on 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Senior forward D.J. White, junior forward DeAndre Thomas and freshman guard Jordan Crawford joined Bassett and Gordon as the five Hoosiers that scored in double digits.\nThe overall play of the Hoosiers was impressive, Seahawks coach Benny Moss said.\n“There aren’t many weaknesses on that team,” Moss said. “They are big; they are strong on the front line. They have great guard play that can not only shoot it, but get to the basket. And then they get after you defensively. When you combine those things, you have one of the best teams in the country.”\nSampson said the adversity in the beginning was good for his team, saying it was another opportunity to improve as the season progresses.\n“We can be good,” Sampson said. “I think every team will present another challenge. All the mistakes we are making early in the year, I see us adjusting to us.”
(11/19/07 4:50am)
The 100-49 victory on Nov. 17 over Longwood put the No. 8 IU men’s basketball team one step closer to claiming its first hardware of the season in the Chicago Invitational Challenge.\nThe Hoosiers will play one more game at Assembly Hall on Nov. 20 against UNC-Wilmington, before heading to Chicago for the semifinal and finals of the second-year tournament. The Hoosiers play Illinois State in the semifinals on Nov. 23 regardless of the outcome of the Nov. 20 game.\nThe winner of the IU-Illinois State game faces the winner of the Kent State-Xavier game on Nov. 24 for the title. All games will be shown on the Big Ten Network.\nJunior forward DeAndre Thomas said having games on consecutive days does not make too much difference for players.\n“I just come ready to play every time I get on the floor,” Thomas said.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson said he likes the setup of the Challenge in comparison to the Maui Invitational or PreSeason NIT, where teams do not have any home games.\n“I’d much rather play in this tournament than that (Preseason NIT),” Sampson said. “Any exempt tournament that we are playing two games at home and two games on a neutral court is a good deal, if you are playing two at home.” \nIn addition, the Challenge consists of four guaranteed games, something the Maui Invitational or Preseason NIT cannot promise. With seven newcomers to the Hoosiers, Sampson said the extra game is valuable for coming together as a team. \n“I like the four games; they still count the same,” Sampson said “I like the idea of four games versus three, especially with our team. We have so many new guys.”\nBut before making the trip up I-65, the Hoosiers will celebrate Thanksgiving.\n“The good thing about having a program like ours is we are like family,” Sampson said. “Karen and I’ve been married for 28 years. In those 28 years, I don’t think we’ve ever spent a Thanksgiving without our team. So our team is our family and they are our family. We’ve always been close-knit off the court.”\nWhile some of the players have the ability to go home, others are unable to get home and will spend the holiday in Bloomington with the Sampson family.\n“The guys who can get home, we like for them to go home and spend Thanksgiving with their family,” Sampson said. “If they can’t, they know they are going to be at \nour house.”\nOnce classes end on Nov. 20, the team is no longer limited by the NCAA on practice time. With a few days off from school and two games to play, the extra time will be spent on making improvements, Sampson said.\n“We aren’t going to practice any more, but we may watch more film,” Sampson said. “It gives us a chance to go back to the North Alabama and Pembroke games to break down our mistakes, contrasting those to what we are doing better now.”
(11/16/07 4:04am)
IU is down by one point.\nOne-and-two-tenths seconds remain in overtime.\nJunior forward DeAndre Thomas is on the line about to shoot two free throws.\nAfter a couple of dribbles, Thomas calmly sinks the first free throw. One shot remains to give the Hoosiers the victory.\nHowever, on the second free throw, Thomas faces a challenge he has never seen on the basketball court.\nAssistant coach Dan Dakich runs up, shaking his arms at Thomas as the forward’s second free throw rims out – IU must now win the game in double overtime.\nThankfully for Hoosier fans, Dakich has not lost his mind, running out onto the court during a crucial moment of an important game. This situation instead happened in an individual workout before Wednesday’s practice (Thomas won the game from the line in “double-overtime”).\nBy now, it has been well-documented that Thomas put in hours of work during the summer to get his weight below 300 pounds. While the team was impressed by that feat’s implications for the future success of Hoosiers, senior forward D.J. White said Thomas has to keep up his hard work outside of practice.\n“He knows that’s something he has to work on to help this team if he wants to play longer and help us out,” White said. “He’s working on it every day, coming in early and working on the treadmill.”\nThomas, a junior-college transfer, had a solid debut in the cream and crimson, tallying 11 points and three rebounds in 22 minutes of action. Thomas played extended minutes to start the second half. Earlier in the season, Sampson said he expected Thomas to be most effective in four-to-five-minute stretches. \n“I was wrong,” Sampson said. “You can print that.”\nLast season, White was the Hoosiers’ only pure post player. Adding Thomas into the mix allows Sampson to rest White or play the two together, depending on the matchup.\n“DeAndre allows you to play with D.J.,” Sampson said. “I don’t know if he could have done that two weeks ago or three weeks ago, but that’s been part of our plan.”\nWhite said he can notice a difference this season with Thomas on the team, adding another dimension to the offense.\n“(He) frees me up, frees the guards up,” White said. “Teams just can’t focus on one post player, because he’s good around the basket. It does a lot for our offense.”\nAlthough Thomas is not very tall for a post player, Sampson said his width makes up for that. \n“A couple of those kids blocked his shot,” Sampson said. “But he battled, got it and laid it in.”\nFans may have been surprised by the impact Thomas had in the opener, but White said the team knew Thomas could contribute right away for the Hoosiers.\n“It doesn’t surprise me,” White said. “I see him every day in practice. It may surprise a lot of other people, but it doesn’t surprise us.”