74 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/19/01 5:22am)
Interim head coach Mike Davis put it bluntly:\n"Illinois is just a better basketball team than we are," he said after Saturday's 67-61 loss to Illinois at Assembly Hall.\nThere's no mystery to why the Hoosiers lost -- the No. 7 Illini are stronger, deeper and more experienced than the Hoosiers. \n"This is definitely the most physical team we've played all year," sophomore guard Tom Coverdale said. "They're probably the best team we've played all year, because they're so deep and athletic and they're well-coached. When you have that combination, it's tough to beat them."\nIllinois took a 54-44 lead on a three-pointer by junior forward Lucas Johnson with 7:33 remaining and led by 11 with 2:37 remaining. Sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby cut the score to 65-61 with 32 seconds left, but IU couldn't get any closer. Illinois led for the game's final 26 minutes.\nIllinois' defense prevented the Hoosiers from running their offense, and prevented junior forward Kirk Haston from dominating the game. Haston made only 4-of-15 attempts from the floor. He led IU with 18 points, eight of which came from the free-throw line.\n"We got no open looks. We couldn't execute our offense," Davis said. "Sometimes it looked like we weren't running a play, because when we cut, they bumped us. They took everything away from us that we tried to do."\nIllinois head coach Bill Self said the game plan was to double-team Haston in the post, but his players were doing a good enough job playing one-on-one that he called off the double teams.\n"We challenged our guys to make (Haston) catch the ball a step further out, where he couldn't shoot his hook," Self said. "He didn't really get a chance to use his post moves. We wanted to make him a jump-shooter."\nHaston attempted six three-pointers, and the Hoosiers fired up 22. Six fell through the net. \n"It was tough for us (to) get any shots,'' Davis said. "I thought we shot some quick shots, but at the same time maybe we felt like that probably was the best shot for us. If I was playing today, I probably would have been shooting three-point shots, too."\nIllinois' bench played a crucial role in the game. The IU bench produced five points and two rebounds. The Illinois reserves scored 30 points and had 20 rebounds. Pre-season conference Player of the Year Cory Bradford didn't score.\n"Their guys off the bench so hard that it's no drop-off for them," Davis said. "The guys they bring in -- (junior Damir) Krupalija, Johnson, (sophomore Sean) Harrington -- those guys play a role but they play it so hard."\nThe loss essentially eliminates any hopes the Hoosiers had for winning the league. Earlier in the week, Davis said he wanted to "run the table" in the conference. Now, the Hoosiers are in fourth place, one-half game behind Ohio State.\n IU's schedule doesn't get any easier. The Hoosiers travel to No. 4 Michigan State Tuesday, then play at home against No. 19 Wisconsin Saturday.\n Davis said the Illini are better than either of those teams, especially on the defensive end.\n "This was the best team we've played this season," Davis said. "Even against Kentucky and Michigan State, we could get the ball inside and hit the wings. But that didn't happen today. Illinois took away everything"
(02/16/01 6:02pm)
After defeating Northwestern Wednesday, interim head coach Mike Davis said the Hoosiers can beat any team in the Big Ten. The rest of the league might have something to say about that.\nFirst up for the Hoosiers is conference leader No. 4 Illinois at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Assembly Hall. \n"My whole point for the last week and a half is to run the table," Davis said. "Our guys know that. We want to win four games for sure, because we want to get in (the NCAA tournament)."\nThen the Hoosiers play Tuesday at second-place Michigan State and next weekend at home against fifth-place Wisconsin.\n"This game is for second place," Davis said. "Saturday will be a really good test for us to see where we are as a basketball team. Right now our guys are playing with a lot of confidence." \nThree weeks ago, the Hoosiers were anything but confident. IU blew a 17-point lead Jan. 27 at Iowa, lowering its Big Ten record to 3-4, making them a long-shot to make the NCAA tournament.Since then, the Hoosiers have reeled off four consecutive victories, including triumphs on the road at Ohio State and Penn State, to improve their record to 7-4 and their standing to third place. IU sits two games behind Illinois. \nFor the Hoosiers to win the league, they would have to win all of their games, and Illinois would have to lose one of its final three games. Such a scenario would result in a tie between the Hoosiers and Illini. If Illinois (20-5) wins three of its next four games, the Illini will automatically clinch at least a tie for the title. If Illinois defeats IU and wins its remaining games, it wins the title outright. \nJunior center Kirk Haston has been a key component of IU's four-game winning streak. In those games he's averaged 24 points. Freshman forward Jared Jeffries has been IU's other consistent threat, averaging 17 points per game. The other member of IU's starting front line, sophomore forward Jeff Newton, played his best game of the season Wednesday night and will be an important factor in Saturday's game.\n"He just gives us a whole new dimension," Haston said. "When we have him going, it just takes a lot of pressure off some of the other guys that we have to rely on some for scoring. We have to get him doing that more consistently. He can just be a phenomenal player."\nIllinois, like IU, has a strong front line.\n"Illinois is very, very physical," said Northwestern coach Bill Carmody, who lost to the Illini 63-49. "They look bigger than these guys."\nIllinois has three players who average at least double-digits per game, including Frank Williams (16), Brian Cook (13) and Cory Bradford (10). Until Tuesday's game against Wisconsin, Bradford had made at least one three-pointer in each of his 88 career games --an NCAA record. The guard went 0-of-6 from the three-point line and scored just two points in the last-second win against the Badgers.
(02/15/01 6:00am)
As the last man on IU's depth chart, freshman forward Mike Roberts knows he'll only see action in blow-out games.\nKnowing Northwestern has won one game in the conference in the last two years, he was hoping the regulars would give him a chance to get off the bench and into last night's game.\nThey didn't let him down in the 78-54 win against Northwestern.\nRoberts entered the game for junior forward Kirk Haston with 3:57 remaining and IU holding a comfortable 65-45 lead against Northwestern.\n"I thought it was really good that Mike Roberts got a chance to play, because he's a guy who, in practice every day, works really hard," interim head coach Mike Davis said. "He battles every day and he's really helped Kirk (Haston) improve."\nAlthough the game was decided by the time he entered, Roberts said he was happy to contribute and give starting forwards junior Kirk Haston, freshman Jared Jeffries and sophomore Jeffrey Newton a well-deserved rest. The trio combined for 47 points and 26 rebounds. Newton played his best game of the season, scoring 17 and grabbing five rebounds.\n"We didn't have an answer for those guys," Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. "We didn't know too much about Newton, because everyone talks about Jared Jeffries and Kirk Haston." \nEach time Roberts touched the ball, the crowd cheered as if the game were on the line. It erupted when he went to the free-throw line and calmly sank a pair with 1:21 remaining. Less than 30 seconds later, he received the ball in the low post, spun, shot and watched as the ball went in and he was fouled. \n"It was exciting. I want to eventually be a player who plays a lot," Roberts said. "I thought I did a decent job except for (a missed free throw). I was more confident tonight because I've been practicing well recently. If you play well against Kirk and J.J., there's no reason you can't play with these guys."\nAs Haston walked off the court after the game, he put his arm around the new crowd favorite, who was smiling from ear-to-ear.\n"He was telling me that he wanted to get a dunk on one play," Haston said. "It was great to see the fans recognize how much work he puts in. He may be the most improved player since he first came in this summer."\nWith the starters accounting for 75 percent of the Hoosiers' offense, IU's bench isn't relied on for scoring. Sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby is the most consistent threat off the bench because of his ability to shoot and hit three pointers. He is 31-of-73 from behind the arc in the 22 games he's played in. Hornsby scored three points against the Wildcats.\n Freshman guard A.J. Moye has seen increased action off the bench during conference play. He's averaging 11 minutes and 3.4 points during conference play. His trademark is hustling and rebounding, especially on the offensive end. He has 24 offensive rebounds and 27 on the defensive end. \n "He's come a long way since the first day," Davis said. "He brings a lot of energy to the floor. He's a lot like Illinois' (Sergio) McClain was during his freshman year." \nDavis decided not to play freshman guard Andre Owens for three games, but he played 13 minutes against Northwestern and scored two points.\n"I wanted to get Andre some playing time and his attitude has really changed," Davis said. "I think he's ready to play and he's grown up. He's on the sideline cheering for guys. He's a talented player and can help us be a really good basketball team."\nJunior forward Jarrad Odle was a starter at the beginning of the season. But until last night had played only 48 minutes during the Big Ten season. He averages just 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. \nDavis walked off the floor at halftime with a scowl on his face even though IU was leading 38-22. When he came back on the floor after halftime, he was smiling. In the locker room, he reminded the Hoosiers they didn't get a vote in the Top-25 polls because they have built big leads and let them slip away. He said IU's propensity to lose leads has come into play when deciding who to play.\n"We've had opportunities to play (reserves), but as a coach I'm afraid to put them in because of the way we lose leads," Davis said. "I've been a little timid to play some guys. \n"But Mike is a guy who I wish everybody on our team could act like, and play like. He never, ever, complains about anything"
(02/14/01 2:47pm)
Interim head coach Mike Davis said forwards Kirk Haston and Jared Jeffries will not enter the NBA draft following this season.\nNBA draft expert Chris Monter said it's for the better.\n"They're not going anywhere," Davis said. "They're both having good seasons and when you have good seasons like they're having, things tend to fly around like that."\nJeffries, a freshman, said Sunday after IU's 72-59 victory against Michigan that he was considering a jump to the NBA.\n"I'm going to have to figure out what the rules are so I don't get myself in a bind," Jeffries told the Indianapolis Star. "But I do want to figure out what's out there and what my options might be."\nHaston, a junior, also wants to keep his options open but won't make any decisions until after the season. Haston is one of 10 finalists for the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's player of the year award.\n"Until the last game is over, I really won't think hard about it," Haston said. "I just want to keep playing hard to put myself in position to be able to have that choice, if it presents itself and seems to be in the best interest for me."\nMonter, who operates www.MonterDraftNews.com and College Basketball News, said he hopes both Hoosiers stick around for another season.\n"I hate to see kids make the jump into the NBA," Monter said. "It would be a big advantage for them to stay and improve their strength."\nJeffries is averaging 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in the conference. Davis said he should be the Big Ten freshman of the year, and Monter likes his potential as an NBA player.\n"A lot of people would see his potential," Monter said. "A team definitely would take a gamble on him (should he enter after this year). He's a very skilled player. He's got long arms and he's a quick leaper. But does he have the strength to fight for the rebounds? And his free throw shooting is questionable."\nDavis said he is confident Jeffries' father, Tom Jeffries, will help Jeffries make the right decision.\n"His dad is a good guy who understands what is going on," Davis said.\nHaston leads the Big Ten in scoring (21.1 ppg) and is second in rebounding (9.6 rpg) in conference play. \n"He's really improved throughout his career," Monter said. "He's become a much better outside shooter. But if you look at all the great power forwards in the NBA -- Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett -- and how does he match up against them?"\nHaston and Jeffries combined for 56 points against Michigan Sunday. \n"I just want to keep playing like I am so I'll have options," Haston said. "I want to be part of a great team, which is one of the things I haven't been a part of."\nAgainst Michigan wasn't the first time the duo carried the Hoosiers' on their backs. In three other conference games they were the only Hoosiers to score double-figures. Against Purdue they combined for 38 of 66 points. Against Michigan State they combined for 43 of 59 points. At Wisconsin they scored 29 of 46 points.\n"Kirk and Jared know that we have something special going on here at IU," Davis said. "This will be an outstanding basketball team next year"
(02/12/01 6:14am)
It's safe to say IU would have lost to Michigan if junior forward Kirk Haston or freshman forward Jared Jeffries didn't play like an all-star.\nInterim head coach Mike Davis did.\n"If we don't have Kirk Haston and Jared Jeffries tonight, we're in serious trouble," Davis said. \nHaston and Jeffries combined for 56 of IU's 72 points. Michigan scored 59.\nFor the second consecutive game, Haston topped his previous career high, scoring 30 points and adding eight rebounds. After the game, Davis compared him to former IU guard A.J. Guyton, last year's Big Ten Player of the Year.\n"I think Kirk is the player of the year," Davis said. "Guyton was the guy who was scoring points for us, and everybody knew it so they keyed on him. Now, they're trying to focus on Kirk, but he steps out to the three-point line. There's no question he's playing better than anyone in the Big Ten."\nJeffries topped his previous career-high of 21 points with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Davis said Jeffries should be the Big Ten's freshman of the year.\n"There's no other freshman in this league, maybe in the country, who are doing the things he's doing for their team -- he brings the ball up the court, rebounds it, and he's our best post defender," Davis said. "Jared is kind of like Indiana basketball -- expectations are so high for him. People think every night he's going to come out and give you 26 points and 12 rebounds."\nWith six points, freshman guard A.J. Moye was IU's third-leading scorer. Moye, and the rest of IU's guards combined to make 5-of-20 shots from the field, and 1-of-12 from behind the three-point line.\n "I thought our inside guys did a great job for us, but our guards didn't hit any shots," Davis said. "It's tough to win in a clean fashion when your guards shoot the ball like that."\nJunior guard Dane Fife said he was thankful Haston carried the team.\n"Kirk showed that if the other guys aren't hitting, he can put us on his back," said Fife, who made one of five shots. "We don't expect him to do it for us every game, but he did it today."\nHaston scored 20 in the first half after starting 0-for-5. During one 90-second span he scored eight consecutive points. During another stretch, he scored nine consecutive for the Hoosiers.\n"I thought it was a good move when Coach Davis brought me over (early in the game) and said 'I want you to be more patient and let the game come to you,'" Haston said. "I was rushing my shots a little bit.\nJeffries scored 12 of IU's 14 points during a 14-minute stretch, during which Michigan cut the Hoosier lead from 17 to eight. After the game, he was treated for dehydration.\n"I'm more impressed with him every day," Haston said. "He's showing a lot of maturity for a freshman, and he's helping carry the load for us. He's a Mr. Do-it-all. I feel really comfortable having him to pass it to and him to pass it to me"
(02/09/01 6:05am)
After a week off from games, sophomore guard Tom Coverdale said it's time to get back to business. Not that he hasn't enjoyed the time to rest -- he's averaging nearly 38 minutes per game -- but he's looking forward to playing Michigan at 1 p.m. Sunday in Assembly Hall.\n"We're rested for the most part," said Coverdale, who played only 41 minutes all of last year. "My legs are wearing down a bit, but I don't get winded during the game. But my legs were sore after playing 45 minutes at Penn State."\nSunday's game is a re-match of a 70-64 Michigan victory Jan. 9 when the Hoosiers allowed four Michigan players to score in double-digits. Coverdale said the Hoosiers didn't have their heads in the game because they were coming off an upset win against then-undefeated Michigan State. \n"When we played up there, we came out real flat," Coverdale said. "I don't think we were ready to play."\nInterim head coach Mike Davis said he doesn't want that to happen again.\n"Hopefully, we can come out Sunday with a different approach and a different attitude," Davis said. "We've worked on some things over the break. The bad part about the break is that it gives people more time to tell the players how good they are. I'd disconnect their phones, but people send them e-mails." \nLaVell Blanchard led the Wolverines in the last match-up with 21 points and is third in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 18.6 per game. IU center Kirk Haston leads the league in scoring and is second in rebounding, averaging 20.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.\nThe junior attributes a large part of his scoring to the three-point shot, which he has added to his arsenal this season after three years stuffed with time spent closer to the bucket. Haston's newly expanded shooting range has been crucial in two games this season. He clinched IU's victory against Michigan State with a three-pointer, and he sent the Penn State game into overtime with another three-pointer. \n"I started working on my outside jumper over the summer," Haston said. "And when I got back to school (former) coach (Bob) Knight wanted me to work on shooting from the top of the key. I just keep trying to expand my game."\nDavis said Haston's game is almost limitless.\n"He can play for a long time after he leaves Indiana," Davis said. "He's tough offensively because he wants the ball."\nWith the Hoosiers sitting alone in fifth place in the Big Ten, this game is important.\n"We have to come out and play our game," Coverdale said. "We have seven games left and want to win every one of them," Coverdale said. \nDavis isn't looking that far ahead, but is counting on his Hoosiers to stockpile some wins heading into a three-game stretch in which they don't leave Assembly Hall. Wisconsin and Northwestern await next week, and the Wolverines invade Sunday. \n"The three home games is crucial for us -- we want to win two home games for sure," Davis said. "That will give us 16 wins with two home games after that, which we should win. We want to try and split on the road, with either Michigan State or Purdue"
(02/08/01 4:36am)
By defeating No. 4 Michigan State 77-66 Tuesday, No. 6 Illinois took over sole possession of first place in the Big Ten with an 8-2 record in the league.\n"They've been the team to beat in the Big Ten," Illini forward Cory Bradford said of the Spartans. "These guys have been kicking our butt the last couple of years."\nThis year, Illinois got the upper hand as Bradford led all scorers with 22 points. \nBut don't hand the Illini the title quite yet. \nThey have the toughest schedule remaining out of the conference's top three teams -- Illinois, Michigan State (18-3, 7-3 Big Ten) and Iowa (17-4, 6-2). The Illini play four of their final six games on the road, including a trip to Assembly Hall Feb. 17. \n"We've been in this position before," Spartan coach Tom Izzo said. "I don't think the Big Ten is won in one game. (We have) some young players and they have to grow and realize one, two or three mistakes can cost you a game." \nThe Hoosiers (14-9, 5-4) are tied for fifth in the Big Ten with Purdue.\nRecker wrecked\nIowa forward Luke Recker, who played two seasons for the Hoosiers, is likely to miss the rest of the Big Ten season with a broken right kneecap. He said the injury occurred in Iowa's 71-66 victory against visiting IU Jan. 27.\nThere are four weeks left in the regular season, which ends March 4. According to the team physician's timetable, Recker could be back for the Big Ten tournament, which begins March 8.\n"Luke's loss is a big one," Iowa coach Steve Alford said. "His scoring and leadership on the court are why (we're) third in the league standings. He's a guy who you can go to late in the game. He's pulled us out of a lot of games this year."\nRecker scored 27 points against Indiana and sparked the Hawkeyes, who trailed by 17 points at halftime. \nAlford brought in former Hawkeye Kyle Galloway, whose back pain forced him to leave the team before the season started. Galloway will fight the pain and make a comeback for the now-depleted Hawkeyes. \n"It's just a timing issue and a matter of how well his back can hold up," Alford said. "He knows our system and played an awful lot last year. I think he gives us another body in practice who can help us get ready for games."\nBack pain forced Galloway to sit out much of the 1998-99 season, in which he was granted a redshirt year. Galloway returned last season and gave the Hawkeyes a perimeter threat, averaging 8.5 points and was second on the team in three-pointers.\nTwo Gophers out for season\nMinnesota forward John-Blair Bickerstaff broke his right leg Tuesday night in the Gophers 66-59 victory against Northwestern. It's the same leg he broke last year and appeared to be in almost the exact place, just below his right kneecap.\nIn addition to Bickerstaff, the Gophers will have to go the rest of the season without forward Michael Bauer. He underwent surgery for a broken left arm Sunday, one day after breaking it in Minnesota's loss at Purdue Jan. 27.\nBauer scored 19 points in Minnesota's 78-74 overtime victory against IU Jan. 20, while Bickerstaff added 10. The Hoosiers play host to the Gophers Feb. 28.\nThe Associated Press contributed to this report.
(02/07/01 5:29am)
Lawyers for the IU Board of Trustees filed their response to a request for admissions submitted by a group of 46 plaintiffs. The plaintiffs accused the board of violating Indiana's Open Door Laws by meeting in two groups of four the day before IU President Myles Brand fired former men's basketball coach Bob Knight. \nIn a brief dated Jan. 16, the trustees claim many of the plaintiffs' 99 requests are irrelevant, including ones for Brand's private conversations with Knight, information regarding an executive session meeting May 14 and communications between Brand and various trustees. \n"The trustees have responded to many of the requests -- in which the plaintiffs want the trustees to admit certain facts -- but did not when the information sought is both irrelevant to the motions, sensitive, confidential or subject to attorney-client privileges," states the defendants' brief in support of their motion for protective order.\nBut some of the admissions in the brief contradict statements made by trustees or Brand during interviews with the IDS in September 2000.\nThe lawsuit claims Brand and the board of trustees deliberately skirted open door laws Sept. 9. It asks the court to void Brand's decision and to enjoin the trustees from future violations, along with attorney fees, other costs and proper relief.\n"We're pleased with the admissions, but we would have liked more," plaintiffs' lawyer Gojko Kasich said. "They've admitted they met and had informal meetings, now it's a question of what else happened during those meetings."\nEllen Boshkoff, the trustees' lawyer, said she cannot comment on pending litigation.\nThe trustees admit Brand instructed them to appear at his house Sept. 9 to discuss Knight's employment. They also admit Brand was to have a meeting with four trustees at 10 a.m. and four other trustees after that time.\nBut they deny "Brand met purposely with eight of the trustees in order to purposely avoid a quorum and consequently evade the requirements of an open meeting law as required by Indiana Code 5-14-1.5-1," the brief states.\nThis contradicts statements trustee Cora Breckenridge made Sept. 15 to the IDS. \n"The President told us he purposely didn't want a quorum of trustees," Breckenridge said. "He was having a meeting with four trustees at 10 o'clock and a meeting with four trustees after that. The ninth (trustee John Walda) was out of the country."\nThat isn't the only contradiction of previous statements in the brief.\nThe plaintiffs' request asks the trustees to admit the following: "On Sept. 9, 2000, Myles Brand met with at least eight members of the board of trustees of IU with the intent of obtaining the perception of the trustees regarding the termination of the contract of Robert Montgomery Knight, the IU men's basketball coach." \nThe trustees admit in the brief, "… on Sept. 9, Brand had informal discussions with two groups of trustees regarding a personnel matter. Otherwise defendants deny this."\nThe denial contrasts statements Brand made to the IDS Sept. 15.\n"I wanted to brief the trustees, but most importantly I wanted to get their perception," Brand said. "I asked each of the trustees, 'What is your opinion?'"\nBrand also sent an e-mail to various individuals Sept. 26 in which he wrote, "I took this opportunity to meet with the trustees in small groups, explain my thinking and receive feedback."\nKasich said he is amused with many of the trustees' responses.\n"Nothing surprises me about this case anymore," Kasich said. "These people are hanging themselves on their own words."\nThe trustees said in the brief that on Sept. 9 they were not aware that if five or more of them met at the same place at the same time to discuss the termination of Knight, they would be in violation of Indiana's Open Door Law.\nBut six of the trustees are lawyers -- president John Walda, vice president Frederick Eichhorn, Stephen Backer, Stephen Ferguson, Peter Obremskey and Ray Richardson. \nBacker was adamant during an IDS interview Sept. 15 that the board did not violate state laws.\n"No way. Absolutely no way," Backer said. "As my understanding of the Sunshine Law, there's no way."\nIn addition to other admissions, the trustees said minutes were not recorded during a May 14 executive session meeting. \n"That walks into part of our suit that says the May 14 meeting violated the Open Door Law," Kasich said. "Even when you have an executive session you're supposed to keep minutes, and they didn't do that."\nBut Sandy Barger, staff attorney for Indiana's public access counselor, said minutes of an executive session do not have to be recorded. A memorandum must be posted outside the meeting before it happens, she said, and it must list what is to be discussed, but it can be general.\n"The memo can simply be a list, for example, litigation or disciplinary action," said Robin Roy Gress, secretary for the board of trustees. "There are no minutes taken at any executive session."\nThe memo for the May 14 meeting states they discussed litigation, job performance of employees and they "received information concerning individual's alleged misconduct and status as employee or student."\nKasich also submitted a request to depose Brand, University counsel Dorothy Frapwell and each of the trustees. The trustees believe such depositions "could be used improperly, possibly to question witnesses about matters that are confidential under state law," according to the brief.\nA hearing on the trustees' brief and responsive briefs is set for March 2. A hearing on the motion for summary judgement is set for June 15, which could end the lawsuit if Judge Cecile Blau rules in favor of either side.
(02/02/01 5:24am)
Penn State's Joe Crispin practically lived a nightmare the last time he faced the Hoosiers. The sharp-shooting guard made only 3-of-15 shots in IU's 77-69 victory Jan. 17.\nHe gets his chance for redemption Saturday as the Hoosiers travel to Penn State to face Crispin and the Nittany Lions (11-4, 2-3 Big Ten) at 4:30 in the Bryce Jordan Center.\nJunior guard Dane Fife was a big part of Crispin's off-night. Fife held Crispin to zero field goals in the first half, and 10 points on the night. He has averaged 20.8 points per game this season.\n"Fife locked in on him throughout the course of that game," interim head coach Mike Davis said. "To hold Joe Crispin to zero field goals in the first half is a tremendous job. But at home, with the crowd getting into it, he can score 35 or 40 points."\nCrispin isn't Penn State's only dangerous weapon. Titus Ivory averages 16 points per game, while Gyasi Cline-Heard adds more than 14.\n"You have to play them hard the whole game because they have three really good three-point shooters," Davis said. "When you have three guys somebody has to be hot. If three are hot, you're in trouble. If two are hot, you're in trouble. If it's just one, you try to keep him to a minimum."\nDavis stressed the importance of this game, saying it is IU's (13-9, 4-4) biggest game of the year.\n"In this conference, if you can take care of home and get two wins on the road, that's good enough for third or fourth in the league," Davis said. "To win this would be like plus-two, and that's 10 wins."\nThe Nittany Lions disrupted the Big Ten standings Wednesday by upsetting No. 6 Illinois 98-95 in overtime. After twisting his ankle in the first half, Ivory scored 27 points. Cline-Heard added 19 and Crispin scored 16.The loss dropped Illinois into a 3-way tie for first with Michigan State and Iowa.\n"The biggest thing is that they made shots, and we didn't pressure them out of what they wanted to do," Illinois coach Bill Self said. "They have range of 25 feet."\nIn the last IU-Penn State matchup, Davis primarily used a lineup consisting of three guards and forwards junior Kirk Haston and freshman Jared Jeffries. Without a dominant inside player on Penn State, Haston scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Jeffries scored 15 and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds. "I think Jared is the freshman of the year in the Big Ten, " Davis said. "He handles the ball, he rebounds and he scores."\nThat game also served as the debut for freshman guard A.J. Moye. He came off the bench with fire to ignite the Hoosiers. He is averaging 12.4 minutes per game during the conference season, after averaging six minutes during pre-conference play.\n"Early in the season, Coach told me to be patient … 'you can't conquer the world in one day,'" Moye said. "Just be patient, and when your time comes, be ready"
(02/01/01 6:02am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Although freshman George Leach scored only two points and played just 10 minutes, teammate Kirk Haston said Leach deserves the MVP award for IU's 70-67 victory against Ohio State. \n"He carried us in the first half and kept (OSU center Ken) Johnson really off balance," Haston, a junior center, said. "Johnson must have been thinking he was looking in a mirror on defense. (Leach) played a key role in this win."\nJohnson is one of the Big Ten's all-time best shot blockers and this year's leader. He has 19 blocks in his last four games. Leach has 19 blocks for the season. But for one half, the freshman looked as if he was one of the Big Ten's all-time shot blockers, swatting four shots, and adjusting the course of numerous others in his 10 minutes of playing time.\n"I knew this would be the perfect game to use Leach, going against Ken Johnson," interim head coach Mike Davis said. "George really contested shots well and I wanted to do something different tonight."\nLeach was aggressive on offense as well. He attacked the basket with an array of post moves and short drives. At halftime, he scored only two points to go with two rebounds, but his impact was greater than the stat sheet indicated. The 6-foot-11 Leach was able to counter the presence of the 6-foot-11 Johnson. \nJohnson started the swat-fest in the first minute by blocking a shot by sophomore forward Jeff Newton. Johnson scowled at Newton with intimidation. Two minutes later, Newton was on the bench in foul trouble.\nEnter the freshman. Leach didn't back down from last season's Big Ten defensive player of the year. He stood in with the poise of a seasoned veteran, blocking two of Johnson's shots. Johnson scowled each time, as if to say, 'This is my house. I'm the one who swats the shots. Not you.' \nMeanwhile, freshman forward Jared Jeffries had a solid first half, scoring 10 points and grabbing four rebounds. Haston played nine minutes and scored three points in the first 20 minutes. \nAt halftime, Ohio State (13-8, 4-5 Big Ten) led 32-31, but Johnson, who averages 12.9 points per game in the Big Ten, was limited to four points. \n"I learned a little bit more about shot blocking -- how to time it, go up, and get it," Leach said. "I was just playing off adrenaline the whole time. I wanted to show coach Davis that he doesn't have to worry when he puts me in."\nEarly in the second half, Johnson went right at Newton, dropping his shoulder into Newton's chest as he went for a shot. Referee Ed Hightower called a foul on Newton, who said he felt Johnson initiated the contact. Newton fouled out after playing just nine minutes for the game and scoring four points.\nWith Haston playing better in the second half -- 15 points in 19 minutes -- and Jeffries playing solid defense against Johnson, Davis couldn't find a spot to play Leach, even though he wanted to. \n"George could have played 20 minutes tonight," Davis said. "I wanted to put George back in, but Kirk was playing well, hitting big shots and playing defense."\nAs Haston went up for a dunk on a fast break, Johnson stuck his hand between the ball and rim, sending Haston's shot backward, igniting the Value City Arena crowd with just over seven minutes to go and the Buckeyes holding the lead.\nWith just about 40 seconds remaining and IU up by one, Haston had the ball again, with Johnson defending. Haston tried his hook move. It clanked off the rim and into Johnson's hands. Then Haston became another hero of the day when he stole and inbounds pass and went all the way for a layup to give IU (13-9, 4-4 Big Ten) a three-point lead with 39 seconds left. He stole the ball on Ohio State's next possession too. But after the game he didn't want the credit. \nDavis and Haston gladly gave it to Leach, who handcuffed OSU's big man.\n"George Leach can be way better than Ken Johnson," Davis said. "He's got a scoring touch. The future is really bright for George but he's got to be patient. He's playing behind the best guy in the league at that position. There are going to be games where the opposing team has a big guy and George could get a lot of minutes."\nthe league at that position. There are going to be games where the opposing team has a big guy and George could get a lot of minutes"
(01/29/01 4:59am)
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Interim head coach Mike Davis needed a moment to himself after IU's 71-66 loss to No. 17 Iowa Saturday. He just finished watching his team squander a 17-point halftime lead and fall to 3-4 in the Big Ten.\nThe second half was not a pretty sight for Davis.\nHe watched as junior guard Dane Fife committed his fourth foul with more than 17 minutes remaining and Iowa making its 20-4 run to gain the lead. Fife was guarding junior Luke Recker, former Hoosier player and Iowa's most powerful offensive weapon.\n"I knew Fife was going to have foul trouble because Recker is a really smart guy," Davis said. "He's does a lot of tricky things to cause fouls. But it really hurt from the leadership standpoint for him being out. We kind of fell apart.\n"Fife is the key guy defensively for us, but the other guys just kind of stood around, just kind of watched them."\nDavis watched Iowa (16-4, 5-2 Big Ten) outscore IU 45-23 in the second half. He watched IU make only nine fields. He watched Iowa out-rebound IU 28-12. He watched junior forward Kirk Haston and freshman forward Jared Jeffries combine for four points.\n"We threw them about four different presses at them in the second half and threw in some zone and just wanted to get Haston and Jeffries out of their comfort zone because they were incredible in the first half," Iowa coach Steve Alford said. "We made them quick-shoot a little bit. I don't think Haston touched the ball much in the second half, so that's an advantage to us."\nHaston dominated the first half. He scored 10 points to go with 10 rebounds, and Jeffries also had 10 points as IU built a 19-point lead with 5:34 remaining in the first half.\n"We just executed, and we only gave them one shot," sophomore guard Tom Coverdale said. "They only had two offensive rebounds before we only gave up one shot and that's what gave us the lead."\nBut the second half belonged to Recker, who played two seasons for IU (12-9, 3-4 Big Ten) before transferring to Arizona for a semester then to Iowa.\nWithin the first four minutes of the second half, Recker made a trio of three-pointers, scored 11 points and made one steal to help Iowa close IU's lead to four. He capped the game by making a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left to give Iowa a five-point lead.\n"I think they ran some different plays just for Luke in the second half," said Fife, who was roommates with Recker and sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby. "You know Luke works hard. He's a scorer and those were just plays they had set up for him."\nThe loss was IU's 11th consecutive outside the state of Indiana. They play Wednesday at Ohio State, at which time Coverdale expects that streak to end, and Saturday at Penn State.\n"We can definitely sweep the next two games," Coverdale said, "if we play defense. We've just got to keep working hard. We haven't been able to play sound defense on the road for an entire 40 minutes yet. \n"If we do that, we can beat anybody"
(01/29/01 4:57am)
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Dane Fife and Luke Recker embraced after No. 17 Iowa's 71-66 victory against IU. It was the first time the former roommates played against each other in a game that mattered.\nFor IU Hall of Famer Steve Alford, now Iowa's head coach, it was just another win, not too much sweeter than any other.\n"After the game I just told Dane, 'I still love you like a brother,'" Recker said. "Dane is a great friend of mine, so is Kyle (Hornsby). All those guys. They're all good people. But for 40 minutes we weren't friends."\nThey've been on opposing teams dozens of times in pick-up games -- as friends trying to outplay each other. But Saturday afternoon they were bitter enemies fighting for a win in the Big Ten conference.\nFife, a junior guard, started the game defending Recker, who averaged 16 points per game during his sophomore -- and final -- year at IU. \nRecker ran inside. Fife followed. Recker ran outside. Fife followed. \nRecker ran around two screens. Fife followed. Wherever Recker went, Fife was right there, holding Iowa's scoring leader to 10 first-half points on 3-of-7 shooting.\n"Luke's a good player. Actually, he's a great player," Fife said. "But we felt we could guard every single one of their players effectively. I think the main thing was we just had trouble, well, particularly I think myself, adjusting to the way the (referees) called the game. A couple of us got into foul trouble and couldn't play Indiana defense."\nThe Hoosiers (12-9, 3-4 Big Ten) held a 43-26 halftime lead, but it wouldn't last long. \nRecker scored a pair of three-pointers in just over two minutes to cut the lead to nine. He finished with 27 points, 17 in the second half. Less than one minute later, Fife picked up his fourth foul sending him to the bench with 17 minutes remaining, the Hoosiers up by 10 and the Hawkeyes (16-4, 5-2 Big Ten) making a run.\n"We had Dane on Recker, and that hurt us when he got into foul trouble," sophomore guard Tom Coverdale said. "A couple of those fouls we didn't think he committed."\nRecker scored 11 points in Iowa's 22--4 run that gave the Hawkeyes the lead with 14:08 remaining. Recker scored 15 points from behind the arc. While Fife was on the bench, either Coverdale, sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby or freshman guard A.J. Moye guarded Recker.\nAll Fife could do was watch and cheer on his teammates.\n"I think I played 20 minutes, and normally I play about 36," Fife said. "It was pretty frustrating to know you couldn't do anything about it except watch."\nAfter the buzzer sounded, Recker and Fife met again and congratulated each other.\n"He just said, 'We're still boys. You guys play hard. Great game,'" Fife said. "The usual things a good friend would say to another. I just congratulated him and told him he played a heck of a game."\nAlthough it might seem that Recker's history with IU has ended, Recker was quick to point out it has not.\n"This chapter isn't over," Recker said. We may see Indiana in the Big Ten tournament or in the NCAA tournament. You don't know. And I have to play them next year in Bloomington."\nAlford is continuing a short history against Indiana, instead of for it. Alford played four years for former coach Bob Knight and led IU to the NCAA title in 1987. This was his third game against IU as a coach, his first victory. \nAlford's father Sam, an assistant coach, said he doesn't expect his son to leave Iowa City anytime soon. He cited family as the main reason no Alford would leave Iowa. One of Steve's brothers recently moved to the city.\n"I love working with Steve," Sam Alford said. "It's a joy to come to work with him. I can see all five of my grandkids everyday. I couldn't ask for a better situation because we're very family oriented. \n"I left (a high school coaching position in) Newcastle because of family. I wanted to stay with Steve and coach with him. I will probably never ever leave Steve. I will probably finish my career where he does."\nAlford was happy just to have another win in the conference, and the fact that it came over IU had little importance to him, he said.\n"They're an outstanding program with an outstanding tradition," Alford said. "You just look at the history of Indiana basketball with what they've done and I was a part of that, so I know what it takes to beat Indiana. Anytime you get a win you gotta feel good about it."\nBut Sam knows his son well.\n"Inside, I'm sure he has a warm, fuzzy feeling," Sam Alford said. "He has such a great respect for IU, I don't think he'd show too much outward emotion like 'I beat Indiana."
(01/24/01 3:31pm)
Mike Davis wasn't going to let it happen again. \nSaturday in Minnesota, the Hoosiers blew a 13-point lead with fewer than three minutes remaining. \nTuesday night against Purdue, IU didn't fall apart. The result was a 66-55 victory for the Hoosiers.\nAfter junior guard Dane Fife missed a pair of free throws, Davis, the interim head coach, called a time out with the Hoosiers up 52-45. The Boilermakers (12-6, 4-3 Big Ten) were surging and 3:20 remained. He didn't have to remind the players about the Minnesota game. They watched the game film as soon as they returned from the airport.\n"Nobody really had to say anything like 'remember Minnesota,'" junior forward Kirk Haston said. "That kind of sticks in your head. You don't have to talk about it. Every individual guy kept thinking to themselves, when they made their run, this is where we find out if this is going to be our falling point in every game."\nHaston led the Hoosiers with 24 points and 15 rebounds, while freshman forward Jared Jeffries scored 14 and grabbed six boards.\nSophomore guard Tom Coverdale scored only three points, but as point guard, he was instrumental in IU's ability to finish the game strong.\n"We had a situation where we could have folded but we stayed strong," Davis said. "(Coverdale) understands that the ball needs to be in his hands to calm everyone down."\nIU (12-8, 3-3 Big Ten) exploded out of the gate at the beginning of the second half.\nAfter surrendering a jump shot to junior guard Joe Marshall, IU went on an 8-0 run, extending its lead to 38-25. Haston capped the run with a short jumper, and fans at Assembly Hall rose to their feet as Coverdale triumphantly raised his hands in the air.\nThe Boilermakers responded by taking a time out and going on a 10-0 streak of their own. Purdue cut the lead to three before Davis called time out, and put Haston back on the floor.\nSoon, Haston was screaming for the ball.\n"Right here!" he shouted to freshman guard A.J. Moye, who couldn't get it to Haston because of Purdue's weak-side help.\nHaston had reason to call for the ball. He had just scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in less than four minutes to propel IU to a 48-37 lead with 8:50 remaining. He scored eight points in the first half, more than any other player on the floor, to add to six rebounds and a steal.\n"Kirk stepped up and made some big shots for us tonight," Davis said. "I'm proud of him defensively right now because he's giving the effort."\nAfter the game, Fife said he was happy just to get a win in the conference, and whether it was against Purdue or Northwestern didn't matter much.\n"It's a Big Ten win and I think we should be happy with any win in the Big Ten, be it home or away," Fife said. "I'm from Michigan, so I never really paid much attention to the IU-Purdue rivalry"
(01/22/01 5:39am)
MINNEAPOLIS -- The disappearance of a 13-point lead against Minnesota wasn't a huge mystery after IU's 78-74 loss to the Gophers. The only question is who's to blame.\nInterim head coach Mike Davis said fingers should be pointed his way.\n"We did a great job except for the last three minutes of the game, when we fell apart, and I'll take full responsibility for that," Davis said.\nFreshman guard A.J. Moye said the blame lies on the players.\n"There's nowhere else to point the fingers at except the players," Moye said. "It's our fault. It's not the coaching staff's fault. Coach Davis has done a great job getting ready, but we don't finish. Bottom line, we don't close it out."\nStatistical Differences\nThere are some statistical reasons Minnesota (15-3, 3-2 Big Ten) prevailed. Minnesota scored 20 points off 12 IU turnovers in the second half and overtime. That's almost half of the Gophers' 45 points in the final 25 minutes. Meanwhile, Minnesota turned the ball over only nine times, just once in the second half.\nIU (11-8, 2-3 Big Ten) made only two-of-15 three-pointers. That dropped the Hoosiers to 23 percent shooting from behind the arc during conference play. Before the Big Ten season started, IU made 41 percent of its three-point shots.\nGuards go off\nBefore IU traveled to Minneapolis, Davis said the Hoosiers would attack the Gophers inside with junior forward Kirk Haston and freshman forward Jared Jeffries. They combined for 27 points. But it was IU's guards who provided the majority of the scoring, a rarity this season for IU.\nSophomore guard Kyle Hornsby scored 14 off the bench while starters sophomore Tom Coverdale and junior Dane Fife scored 12 points each. Combined, they averaged just 12 points during the previous Big Ten games.\n"Our guards played well, and they scored," Davis said.\nBig Boys\nIU set a season record by blocking 11 of Minnesota's shots. Jeffries had five, Haston three and sophomore forward Jeffrey Newton two. Moye also recorded one block. The previous season high was eight against South Alabama. The three forwards also combined for 27 of IU's 45 rebounds. The Gophers grabbed 36, led by Dusty Rychart with 16.\nNewton's return\nAfter sitting out the Penn State game Wednesday, Newton returned to the starting lineup. He scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds in 34 minutes of play. Davis said it was one of Newton's better games. Newton said he has a better appreciation for playing time.\n"When you sit out, you realize how valuable those minutes really are," Newton said. "I was ready to go back out there and give it my all."\nJunior forward Jarrad Odle, who also did not play against Penn State, did not see action in Saturday's game.\nQuotable\nMoye: "You can't expect them to roll over and play opossum. You have to kick them while they're down."\nMinnesota's Kerwin Fleming: "We sensed their fear and that made us work even harder to create more turnovers"
(01/22/01 5:17am)
MINNEAPOLIS -- The game appeared to be well in hand. IU held a 13-point lead with less than three minutes to go, and Minnesota wasn't threatening.\nBut looks can be deceiving.\nMinnesota implemented a full-court press, and within those three minutes, the Golden Gophers tied the game and sent it to overtime, where they prevailed 78-74 Saturday in Williams Arena.\n"I sensed Indiana starting to fold when we put a little pressure on them," Minnesota's Kerwin Fleming said. "They started turning the ball over, and the crowd got on our back. After that, it was all over."\nMinnesota's streak started with a layup by Dusty Rychart with 2:54 remaining in regulation. With the lead cut to seven, the Hoosiers (11-8, 2-3 Big Ten) committed a turnover on three consecutive possessions and the Gophers (15-3, 3-2) scored each time. Freshman forward Jared Jeffries' pass sailed over sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby's head. Then, junior guard Dane Fife made a bad pass, and junior forward Kirk Haston repeated the mistake.\n"We sensed their fear, and that made us work even harder to create more turnovers," Fleming said.\nFife ended the 10-point run by making one of two free throws, giving IU a two-point lead. Gopher Shane Schilling tied it with 25 seconds remaining, setting up IU for the final play of the game. Sophomore guard Tom Coverdale dribbled and watched the clock run down. He made his move, and took an awkward shot from about 16 feet away and missed. Interim head coach Mike Davis ran onto the floor arguing that Coverdale was fouled.\n"I thought he got fouled, but you can't really call a foul in the last two seconds of a game," Davis said. "Let the game be decided on the shot instead of calling a foul. That was my fault for losing control.\nCoverdale probably didn't get fouled that hard anyway. It was a desperation shot."\nHaston cut the lead to one with a free throw with 1:39 remaining in overtime. On IU's next possession, Hornsby missed an inside shot, and Terrance Simmons grabbed the rebound and called timeout with 29 seconds remaining.\nIU implemented its own press and forced the Gophers into a 10-second violation for not crossing half court. Davis called timeout to set up a play that could give IU the lead. Hornsby received the ball at the top of the key. He had and saw a shot, but decided to drive the lane. His shot missed, and the rebound resulted in a jump ball with 3.7 seconds left. \nThe possession arrow pointed IU's way, and the referees initially gave the ball to IU. But after a conference with the sideline official, they correctly handed the ball -- and essentially the win -- to Minnesota.\nThe Hoosiers had one last chance after Fleming extended the lead to 76-74, but Fife's inbounds pass hit the scoreboard over the court. The scoreboard is out of play and the ball went to Minnesota. Rychart sealed the game by making two free throws with 3.2 seconds left.\n"We have to close out games," freshman guard A.J. Moye said. "Once you get somebody down, you have to finish them."\nExcept for the final minutes, Davis said his team played well. After Rychart opened the second half with a layup, the Hoosiers went on a 10-2 run to give them a 48-38 lead. \nHaston scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Hornsby scored 14; Coverdale and Fife each added 12.\nJeffries sat out the majority of the first half with two fouls. He finished with 10 points and five blocks.\n"Hopefully, we can learn from this experience and improve on how we finish games," Davis said. "I'll grow from this loss and so will the players"
(01/21/01 8:13pm)
Minnesota guard Terrance Simmons said before the season started that the Gophers just wanted to have fun this year. They weren't interested in wins and losses because the team doesn't have a lot of talent. \n"We need to go out there and have more fun and create a positive attitude," Simmons said. "We realize we can't compete with everybody in this conference, but we know that we can go and upset guys like Michigan State, Illinois and Indiana."\nAn academic fraud scandal in 1998, which was resolved last fall, is finally in the past, but it left the cupboard a little bare. The Gophers have only nine scholarship players.\n"It was like a huge storm," Minnesota coach Dan Monson said before the season. "But now, the clouds are starting to break up and you can see a little sunlight."\nSimmons certainly didn't expect to be having this much fun this late in the season. The Gophers (14-3, 2-2 Big Ten) are playing better than any expert predicted. Their only losses came against No. 9 Georgetown in Hawaii, at No. 11 Illinois and at Ohio State. They defeated No. 19 Wisconsin at home and outlasted Purdue at home Wednesday.\n"They have a good coach and really good guards," interim head coach Mike Davis said. "Simmons is good and (Dusty) Rychart is a mismatch at the center, because he's really a small forward."\nThe Hoosiers play at 12:47 p.m. Saturday at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The game will be televised by ESPN-Plus after the presidential inauguration. \nDavis said he sees a weakness he feels IU can exploit -- in the post. Minnesota's tallest starter is 6-foot-7 Travarus Bennett. IU freshman forward Jared Jeffries stands 6-foot-9 and junior forward Kirk Haston is 6-foot-10.\n"What we have to do, is really expose them on the inside like we did against Penn State," Davis said. "They don't have a big guy in the middle. They're missing an inside presence."\nTo do that, Jeffries and Haston will need to play well, as will forwards sophomore Jeffrey Newton and junior Jarrad Odle, who did not play against Penn State. \nDavis said he wanted to send them the message that they need to play hard when on the floor. He said Newton played well in practice Thursday. But have they learned their lesson?\n"We'll see," Davis said. "Hopefully, because we need them to play."\nDavis isn't certain who will start, but he said he will begin the game with three guards and two forwards, most likely Haston and Jeffries. Freshman guard A.J. Moye, who gave the Hoosiers a spark Wednesday night, will most likely be the first off the bench again Saturday, Davis said.\n"I think we can win at least the next three or four games," Davis said. "My point is that we surprised everyone when we beat Michigan State. Imagine how surprised they would be if we run the table"
(01/18/01 5:20am)
Freshman A.J. Moye didn't run to IU's huddle after Penn State called a timeout in the second half. \nHe skipped.\nSmiling and slapping hands with his teammates, Moye was enjoying his playing time in IU's 77-69 victory over Penn State.\nHe might not have been the key difference -- that honor goes to either junior guard Dane Fife for shutting down Penn State's Joe Crispin. Or perhaps the title should go to junior forward Kirk Haston, who scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. But Moye was a big factor in the game.\nHe was the first Hoosier off the bench and contributed effort, hustle and toughness that interim head coach Mike Davis has been looking for all season.\n"I'm going to play the guys who are going to come out and fight," Davis said. "Moye did that for us tonight."\nMoye came in with 15:13 remaining in the first half, replacing sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby. Moye's defensive assignment was to cover guard Titus Ivory, who is built like he plays football for the Nittany Lions. The substitution looked like a strategic move based on size by Davis.\n"Guys who are going to play hard are going to play," Davis said. "As long as Moye plays hard, I'm going to play him."\nMoye snuck inside for an offensive rebound on a missed hook shot by Haston and put in a shot off the backboard to give IU a 23-11 lead. Later, Moye battled with Penn State's Jamaal Tate for a loose ball and forced a held ball. Moye played 16 minutes in the first half and scored five points to go along with six rebounds, four on the offensive end.\n"Moye's been grabbing rebounds like that in practice for the last five or six days," Haston said. "He's just a beast going after the ball. I love having him in there."\nIn the Big Ten season, Moye played one minute at Wisconsin and two against Michigan State. For the year, he's seen 87 minutes of action in 13 games.\n"I try to go out there and bring emotion and hustle to the team," Moye said. "Everyone on this team can shoot ... I got a lot of energy.\n"Early in the season, Coach told me to be patient ... you can't conquer the world in one day. He said just be patient, and when your time comes, be ready."\nDepending on the starting lineup, usually either junior forward Jarrad Odle or sophomore forward Jeffrey Newton are first off the bench. Davis decided not to play either.\n"I'm tired of begging guys to play," Davis said. "I just want some fight."\nWhile IU's bench contributed to the win in the form of Moye and freshman guard Andre Owens, Penn State's bench failed to help the starters. The three Hoosier reserves who played more than one minute scored 20 points, including nine by Moye and eight by Owens. Penn State played eight players off the bench who combined for only 11 points.\nBut that was to be expected. Penn State's scoring leader off the bench is sophomore Brandon Watkins, who averages 2.7 points per game. The next six players average less than two points per game.\n"This is the most fun I've had," Moye said. "It's really the first time I've played. Basketball to me is fun. Even on the bench, you'll see me waving towels and getting the crowd into it. Basketball is still the game I fell in love with in my driveway when I was 5 years old"
(01/16/01 6:03am)
Interim head coach Mike Davis said his guards need to step up their play, a sentiment shared by starting guard Dane Fife.\n"It seems like we've scored only about eight points in the last three games," said Fife, a junior. "We've got to help out these big guys on the offensive end."\nIt's more than eight, but not much. IU guards have scored only 29 points in IU's three Big Ten games. That's only 17 percent of the Hoosier offense.\n"I need a guard to step up and do something," Davis said. "I need a guard to make a basket. I need one to step up and get double figures."\nFreshman guard Andre Owens is the only guard to have scored double figures in a Big Ten game. He came off the bench at Michigan to score 10 on four-of-eight shooting Jan. 9.\nFife and sophomore guard Tom Coverdale said the problem lies in IU's execution.\n"We aren't getting shots because we're not working hard enough to get open, and we may not be getting good enough screens to get the looks," Fife said. "Most of us don't have the quickness to create our own shots, and maybe we're not creative (enough) to get our own shots."\nAfter Coverdale, IU's starting point guard, scored 30 points Dec. 5 at Notre Dame, opponents have defended him differently than before his offensive explosion. Teams are denying him the ball, which prevents him from starting the offense and limits his scoring. \n"Tom has got to step up and play better for us," Davis said. "It's been tough for him because teams are really getting into him and taking the ball out of his hands."\nCoverdale said it all goes back to execution.\n"We just have to find our open man," Coverdale said. "If they keep the ball out of my hands, Dane is going to have to step up and start the offense. But that wasn't the problem at Michigan. We didn't execute even when we got into the half-court (offense)."\nAgainst Michigan, IU made only three-of-18 attempts from behind the three-point line, and made three-of-10 against Michigan State, three-of-nine at Wisconsin. That's 24 percent. Before the Big Ten season, IU was making 41 percent of its three-point shots.\n"They're basketball players; they practice every day," Davis said. "And it's time that they play a good game"
(01/10/01 5:49am)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Two days after knocking off No. 1 Michigan State, the Hoosiers lost to unranked Michigan 70-64.\nFreshman forward Jared Jeffries scored 15 points to lead the Hoosiers. Junior forward Kirk Haston added 13 while freshman guard Andre Owens scored 10.\nThe game was decided down the stretch as Michigan (7-6, 1-1 Big Ten) outscored IU 13-9 in the final six minutes of the game that included a 9-2 run. But poor field goal shooting, combined with inconsistent defense and a lack of effort throughout the night, didn't help the Hoosiers.\n"It seems like that win was all for nothing," sophomore guard Tom Coverdale said. "We just wasted one and you can't do that if you want to win the league."\nMichigan's starting front line of Josh Asselin, LaVell Blanchard and Chris Young combined for 45 of Michigan's points, while all Michigan guards combined for 17 points. Blanchard led all scorers with 21.\n"They played hard defensively and forced Haston and Jeffries into tough shots," IU interim coach Mike Davis said. "We couldn't stop their inside guys. Every time they wanted a basket they went inside. Every time they missed, they got the rebound and put it back in. Michigan's inside guys flat-out dominated our inside guys."\nIU (10-7, 1-2 Big Ten) struggled to find good looks at the basket when trying to execute its half-court offense. The Hoosiers made only 35 percent of their shots from the field and only three-of-18 from behind the arc.\n"Defensively we played very well," said Michigan's Asselin, who scored 14 points. "Our post play was excellent and our guards stepped it up down the stretch."\nThe fast break was IU's most effective -- and sometimes its only -- weapon. On back to back possessions in the first half, IU successfully pushed the ball up the floor for easy baskets. Haston scored on a dunk, then Owens buried a three-pointer on the next possession to stretch Michigan's lead to 22-19. Even 6-foot-9 forward Jeffrey Newton got into the fast break action. He went coast-to-coast for a layup early in the second half.\n"When we ran, we had it, but we didn't run all night," Coverdale said. "We just didn't play the kind of defense we played in the first two Big Ten games."\nAfter Josh Moore scored to give Michigan a five-point lead, the Hoosiers scored eight consecutive points, the longest streak by either team in the first half. Haston and Owens scored four each during the run. Owens also scored back to back fast break baskets later in the game, the first coming on a finger-roll over Blanchard. The Wolverines responded with seven unanswered points and took the lead 31-27 lead. Michigan led 33-32 at halftime.\nThe Hoosiers were dealt a blow with 12:10 remaining in the first half when sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby had to leave the floor with a cut on his face. He dove for a loose ball and his head hit the court and bounced up like a ball. Blood instantly started dripping from his forehead. While play continued, he stumbled to his feet, looking dazed. He sat on the floor while IU trainer Tim Garl held several towels over the cut. Coverdale was immediately taken to the lockerroom.\n"That may have been the only effort play we had all night," Davis said.\nIn the second half, he sat on the bench with a bandage on his forehead above his right eye and did not play.\n"(Team doctors) were worried about the fact that I was disoriented when they brought me off the court," Hornsby said.\nJeffries got off to a slow start. He made only one of seven shots in the first half and one of two free throws. Jeffries returned to form in the second half to score 12 points. At times he seemed bothered by a sore lower back.\n"They battled Jeffries and Haston. When they cut through the lane they got hit," Davis said. "Michigan shot the ball and went for the offensive rebound. When the ball was loose they came up with it. They deserved to win this basketball game."\nOwens' eyes didn't leave the ground as he walked out of Crisler Arena until he reached the team bus.\n"It makes you feel embarrassed. People can say, 'Oh it was just a fluke they beat Michigan State,'" Owens said. "We should have beat them but we didn't"
(01/08/01 5:40am)
Thousands of fans -- many of them IU students -- stood in the bleachers screaming and waiting for the final 8.3 seconds of Sunday's game. \nGoing into the final time out, IU was down by two, 58-56. Security guards and ushers held yellow ropes across the baseline to prevent fans from storming the court.\nThe clock started again. \nSophomore guard Kyle Hornsby stood near the top of the key with the ball. Junior forward Kirk Haston came off a screen on the left wing. He caught Hornsby's pass with two seconds left. He fired it up from behind the three-point line. \nHaston's shot was good, lifting the Hoosiers to a dramatic 59-58 victory against No. 1-ranked Michigan State. A concrete wall couldn't have kept the Hoosier faithful off the court.\n"I just let go of the rope and got out of the way," security guard Jerry Stoute said. "I didn't want to get rope burn."\nJunior guard Dane Fife was the first player to race onto the court with the fans.\n"It was like a frat party out there," Fife said. "I was laying on the ground and thought, 'I better get up.' I stayed on our end and had a good time with the students. Hornsby got elbowed in the pile when they tackled Kirk. I stayed away from that."\nThe whole scene was eerily similar to the last time the Spartans played in Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers made a quick putback with half a second left to give IU an 81-79 victory Feb. 26. Until Sunday, it was the last time Michigan State had lost. The Spartans reeled off 23 consecutive victories.\n"This was a lot like last year, but this is better," Fife said. "It's a little more exciting that last year's tip-in because Michigan State is No. 1."\nOn paper, the Spartans (12-1, 1-1 Big Ten) entered the game as the superior team. They lead IU (10-6, 1-1) in nearly every major statistical category during the season including scoring, defense, rebounding, turnovers and shooting percentage . \nBut the Hoosiers held the Spartans to 38.9 percent shooting from the floor, and forced 19 turnovers from a team that averages 14 per game.\n"I'm happy we lost," Spartan coach Tom Izzo said. "You get what you deserve, and we got what we deserve. We didn't play Spartan basketball today. IU outplayed us and outworked us."\nHaston finished with a game-high 27 points and freshman forward Jared Jeffries added 16. Haston made 11 of 21 shots including three three-pointers. Sophomore guard/forward Jason Richardson led the Spartans with 15 points.\nRichardson missed the front end of a one-and-one with 29 seconds left. It would have given Michigan State a three-point lead. Sophomore guard Tom Coverdale grabbed the rebound and called a time out. \nTwo missed shots, two fouls and three free throws later, the Hoosiers called a time out. \nIn the huddle, Davis told his team to run the play "23 Special," which would give either Hornsby or Haston a three-point look.\n"When I let it go, I couldn't see it because Randolph was in my face," Haston said after the game. "It felt good when it left my hand. When it went through, the first thing I did was look up at the clock, and I saw all zeroes. Then Coverdale tackled me -- along with the student body."\nHaston said he felt a sense of redemption after the game. At last week's Wisconsin game, he missed a free-throw that would have completed a three-point play. He also missed the front-end of a one-and-one down the stretch against the Badgers and a crucial shot against Missouri. \n"I told Kirk that this erases everything up to this point," Davis said. "I had no idea this game would come down the the last shot."\nAfter the shot fell through, Haston said, he thought about shooting 500 shots with his uncle and 2-on-1 games against friends.\n"I've made that shot probably about 1,000 times in my backyard against my next-door neighbor and a friend of his," Haston said. "Usually it came down to a three-to-win or two-to-tie, so I have to give some credit to them."\nThe score was close throughout the game. IU's largest lead was only three points, and Michigan State's was six. The Spartans outrebounded the Hoosiers 42-28. But Davis said the reason IU won can't be found in the box score.\n"This just proves that the only way we can win is to play hard and with passion," Davis said. "I told our guys to remember why we won this game; we won because we fought. There's no reason why we can't come out like that every night"