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(09/22/09 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rakeem Christmas, the No. 4 recruit in the nation for the class of 2011 “wants more for himself,” his coach, Kevin Givens, said.“One of the things we’re blessed with is to have a kid ranked this high come to an institution like ourselves,” said Givens, the coach at Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb. “It says a lot about him, his character and his aunt’s character.”Christmas is beginning his first season at the private school after playing at Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia.The Academy has a solid basketball history and was No. 22 in the nation, according to rankings from USA Today, during the 2007-08 season. However, it is also a highly-rated school academically, called “one of the top educational values available for families” by Private School Review.“They want something different,” Givens said of Christmas’ aunt and legal guardian, Amira Hamid. “They want the academic piece for this kid.”Christmas is 6 feet 9 inches and 230 pounds of athleticism, Givens said.“He’s solid,” Givens said. “Pure muscle.”He also has a long reach, with an 88.5-inch wingspan. Givens said that reach gives Christmas a decided advantage, along with his overall athletic ability.“He can do a little bit of everything,” Givens said. “He’s very aggressive to the basket in terms of slam-dunking and that sort of thing, and he has a nice touch from the 15- to 19-foot range, and also he can take the average 6-foot-9 guy off the dribble and score inside. He’s got a lot of things that he can do. For us, we’re going to put him in situations where he can do it all.”For Givens, “doing it all” entails putting up about 20 points per game and grabbing 10 to 12 rebounds for his team, something Christmas is rather accustomed to as a big man. Givens called Christmas “demonstrative,” meaning his abilities are distinguished from other players in his class.With Christmas being the No. 1 center in the class of 2011, that is obvious to Givens.What isn’t obvious to Christmas’ coach is his status on recruitment thus far. They haven’t spoken about it at all yet, mainly because that is currently not their priority.“One thing I want him to focus on is getting himself acclimated to the school,” Givens said. “We’re one of the top schools in the country academically, so that’s my first concern.” Givens said Christmas has taken the school switch in stride.“He’s been doing great academically, which we were sort of surprised at,” Givens said. “He’s making the transition. We’re also a religious-based school too, in terms of Christianity, so he has to make that transition, as well. We do realize that some of this stuff may be a culture shock, but so far, so good.”Hamid is also pleased with her nephew’s progress.“He really likes his new environment,” she said. “It’s a small school, so everybody knows him. The teachers have been very helpful. Everybody kind of really just took him in. It’s been a couple of weeks since school started, but it’s been going very well.”In a press release earlier in the summer, Christmas announced his move to the Academy and also released his top eight schools under consideration. His schools were Baylor, Florida, Georgetown, IU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas and Villanova.Hamid said IU has been a player in Christmas’ recruitment since about eighth grade and they hear from coaches Roshown McLeod and Tom Crean often. However, due to his new surroundings, Christmas has no plans to visit or have in-home visits with any of those schools this year.“He just transferred to a new school, so our focus has been on getting acclimated at ANC,” Hamid said. “The academics there are pretty tough.”Christmas has faced some challenges in his life, the main one being the loss of his mother when he was young.“My sister, who was his mother, passed away when he was 5 years old,” Hamid said. “He’s lived with us since he was 3 within my household. The plan always was once I moved up here, once I graduated from college, that he was going to live with me ... regardless of sports. That just sort of happened on its own.”Christmas is the first member of his family to work his way to this level of athletic prestige.“We usually have a lot of tall males in our family,” Hamid said. “But as far as the sports side, he’s definitely the first person to take it this far.”Givens hopes Christmas can help take his team far, as well.“Our front court will be 6 foot 11 inches, 6 foot 9 inches and 6 foot 6 inches,” Givens said. “We’re thinking we’ve got one of the best front courts in the country. We’ll have some size and we’ll have some depth. With that kind of front court, it looks like we may be one of the top 25 teams in the country. “He definitely takes us to that national caliber level.”As for shortening his list or making a decision, there is no timeline, Hamid said.“Whether it’s in January of ’10 or January of ’11 doesn’t really matter,” she said. “When we feel it’s right, that’s when everybody else will know about it.”
(09/09/09 3:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mike Jones, the high school coach of the latest IU commitment, Victor Oladipo, took time to answer questions about the DeMatha Catholic High School standout. Here’s what he had to say:What has Victor mentioned to you about his visit?Going into it, basically he was just looking for confirmation. He felt very comfortable over there ... he confirmed everything he knew about the coaching staff and felt like he could impact the program and the campus and everything is just great.How excited was he about his decision?My words wouldn’t do it justice. He called me and texted me the entire time he was there about how perfect it seemed. He just couldn’t stop gushing about how this is what he wanted to do. I think the only thing that kind of held him back from doing it while he was there is the rule saying you’re not allowed to do that. He said he didn’t want to leave. What are your thoughts on that?I think that’s just a credit to the state of Indiana and the people there. He’s not the type of kid that will just go anywhere and just immerse himself in it. The fact that he was able to go there and feel at home is very much a kind of indication as to what type of people and what kind of campus Indiana is.Will Victor be signing during the early signing period on Nov. 11?Definitely. There will be a press conference here for him and the rest of his 2010 teammates. They’ll all sign their letters at the same time.He mentioned he loves to guard the best man on the other team. How important is that for you and your team?It’s definitely a thing that not many young men get excited about, but he does. We talk here at DeMatha about legacy and talk about leaving something better than you found. Victor is the type of kid who, just with that simple thing of taking so much pride in his defense, then it’s something that all the young kids that coming in the program now – that all look up to Victor and want to be like Victor – I can emphasize that with them.What kind of impact has he made at DeMatha?He’s leaving somewhat of a legacy here in that he’s one of the best players to play here, and we can point to him to all of our younger guys and say, ‘This is the way it’s supposed to go. This is a kid who didn’t come in with all the hoopla and everything but just worked his rear end off to be the best player and the best student and the best person he can be.’He mentioned how personally he takes each loss and how he takes responsibility. How hard does he take losses and what does he do to rebound from them?He’s a big-picture guy. He takes every loss very hard, but he also is one of the guys to get the guys refocused again.He mentioned he is the only member of his family who has gotten an athletic scholarship. What does that mean to him? How does it affect him?He’s a very spiritual kid. I think a lot of the things that he’s able to accomplish is because he’s so driven and so passionate about succeeding because he knows his family is behind him and they want what’s best for him. The fact that he can boast about being the first one in his family is more so an indication of how proud he is that he can go to Mom and Dad and say, ‘Hey, you don’t have to pay for me to go to college.’ He said his goal is to go undefeated this year. As a leader, has he pressed that on his teammates?No, and I won’t let him. We’ve had that goal pretty much every year and it consumes us sometimes, so we won’t worry about that. We’ll just try to go 1-0 every time we play.How important is it that Victor does things right?He’s the leader. He has no choice because of his personality. So many of them look up to him and look to him for guidance and things like that. He knows that, and I think because he knows that he knows ... he has to be right all the time.How big of an impact does he have on his teammates?He’ll be one of the guys on this team to say ‘Hey, I’m going to support the soccer team tonight if anybody wants to roll with me,’ and, next thing you know, you’ve got a bunch of kids going to the soccer game.What does he have to improve on the most?He’s worked really hard on becoming a consistent outside shooter. Just continuing to work on that and to work on his ball-handling.We’ve seen that his nickname is ‘360’ in several places. Was that from one of his teammates?No. That’s just because he jumps so high. There are probably ... like five or six nicknames that people have tried to coin, and none of them have stuck. He’s Victor, and that’s all I’m going to call him.What about his personality?He’s a happy-go-lucky type of kid. He’s well liked by pretty much everybody.Do you have anything else you would like to add about his commitment?I really think that this is a perfect fit. We want all of our kids to get a scholarship or we want all of our kids to go on and be successful and be happy. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a position as I am right now, where I’ve felt so comfortable with the decision that he made. Not that he needs my approval, but I definitely support this and think it’s going to be great for both Victor and Indiana.
(09/08/09 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Victor Oladipo was praying for a sign before he came to IU for his official visit Thursday. Luckily for IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean and his staff, he got several.“After we finished playing with the guys, we went out to dinner,” Oladipo said of the moment he knew IU was the place for him. “Coach Crean was just breaking down my game and going over my weaknesses and my strengths and how I can fit in. Definitely another thing was waking up the next day and seeing my face in the paper. That set it off, too. I felt like that was the place for me.”Oladipo, the No. 133 recruit in the nation according to Rivals.com, committed Monday to playing college basketball at IU. His commitment came after a night of prayer and time with his family.“God had pointed me toward Indiana,” he said. “He was giving me signs. I felt like that was where He wants me to go.”Oladipo said another factor in his decision was his friendship with freshman Maurice Creek.“There was definitely chemistry with me and Maurice because of us growing up together,” Oladipo said. “He knows a lot of things I can do, and I know a lot of things he can do. “He’s like my big brother. I grew up watching him because he was always a grade older than me. He just showed me the ropes.”That chemistry also extended to the court with other players during scrimmages this weekend.“After the first couple games, I started learning how people play and seeing what people could do,” Oladipo said. “The second day, when we started playing, there was a lot of chemistry there.”Oladipo said he will make an impact on campus not just as a player, but as a man. His community efforts can attest to that, as he went to a soup kitchen near his high school, DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md., to get some of his required service hours.“It was a great experience,” Oladipo said. “I had never done it before. It makes you appreciate what you have.”Oladipo said he cannot wait to see what will happen a year from now when he is on campus as a freshman.“I really didn’t ever want to leave,” he said. “I just want to go back down there, and I can’t wait to be down there.”
(09/07/09 8:55pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Victor Oladipo was praying for a sign before he came to IU for his official visit Thursday. Luckily for IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean and his staff, he got several, and decided to commit to IU for college basketball.“After we finished playing with the guys, we went out to dinner,” Oladipo said of the moment he knew IU was the place for him. “Coach Crean was just breaking down my game and going over my weaknesses and my strengths and how I can fit in. Definitely another thing was waking up the next day and seeing my face in the paper. That set it off, too. I felt like that was the place for me.”Oladipo, the No. 133 recruit in the nation according to Rivals.com, made his decision today. His commitment came after a night of prayer and time with his family.“God had pointed me toward Indiana," he said of his commitment. "He was giving me signs. I felt like that was where he wants me to go.”Oladipo said another factor in his decision was his friendship with freshman Maurice Creek.“There was definitely chemistry with me and Maurice because of us growing up together,” Oladipo said. “He knows a lot of things I can do, and I know a lot of things he can do. “He’s like my big brother. I grew up watching him because he was always a grade older than me. He just showed me the ropes.”That chemistry also extended to the court with other players.“After the first couple games, I started learning how people play and seeing what people could do,” Oladipo said. “The second day, when we started playing, there was a lot of chemistry there.”Oladipo said he will make an impact on campus not just as a player, but as a man. His community efforts can attest to that, as he went to a soup kitchen near his high school, DeMatha Catholic High School, to get some of his required service hours.“It was a great experience,” he said. “I had never done it before. It makes you appreciate what you have.”Part of that stems from his Catholic background. He said prayer was a major factor in his decision, as it is in any decision he makes.“I’d been praying before I even went down there,” he said. “I prayed before I said I wanted to go there.”Oladipo said he cannot wait to see what will happen a year from now when he is on campus as a freshman.“I’m really didn’t ever want to leave," he said. "I just want to go back down there, and I can’t wait to be down there.”
(09/07/09 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ever since he was five years old, class of 2010 basketball recruit Victor Oladipo has practiced basketball religiously. But there is another side to Oladipo. As his coach at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md., Mike Jones, said, he “practices his faith – ‘religiously.’”“A lot of people can say they go to church every weekend or every Sunday, but it’s definitely something that he doesn’t just do for show,” said Jones, who speaks with Oladipo every day. “He really believes in it.” All of his years of hard work and prayer have paid off, it seems. Oladipo is now a top-rated recruit in the nation at shooting guard and has scholarship offers from several major universities, including IU. He came to Bloomington for an official visit Sept. 3, where he attended the IU football game against Eastern Kentucky and met with the coaching staff of the program.Oladipo has fought for everything he’s wanted since before he can remember.“As a kid, I was never given anything,” he said. “I had to go get it. I have to give 110 percent. I’m the only person in my family who’s gotten an athletic scholarship.”Oladipo’s impact stretches much further than the hardwood, Jones said. As a student at DeMatha, he is strong academically and does more than the school’s required community service hours.“He’s one of the guys that if I’m going out to do a clinic ... he’ll volunteer to go,” Jones said. “He’s one of the guys that, if he’s hurt, he doesn’t just sit on the side as the superstar that’s not playing. He’ll help clean the gym, he’ll help keep stats, he’ll keep score, he’ll do something to contribute. He’s a very selfless person.”Oladipo said he does all the little things right on the court, as well.“I think I do that well,” Oladipo, No. 133 in his class according to Rivals.com, said. “Taking charges, going for loose balls, rebounding.”Along those lines, Oladipo’s best on-the-court moment came last year in his team’s championship game when they played Gonzaga, where he made an impact as a role-player, not a superstar.“I had a quiet 14 points and seven rebounds, but I was doing all the little things – getting offensive rebounds, playing defense,” Oladipo said.Those little things, such as guarding the toughest players on the team, are the things Oladipo enjoys doing and wants to have on his shoulders.“I would probably blame myself for not getting on my teammates or not doing this or not doing that,” he said of taking responsibility for his team. “I’d feel like it was my fault.“My teammates expect nothing less than my full effort.”That is not to say that Oladipo is purely a quiet force on the court. He can also make plays and is an athlete who said his favorite part of the game is playing above the rim.“If you dunk, a lot of energy is brought to the game,” he said. “It gets people interested, and it gets your team pumped up.”It is important that he does those little things and also makes those big plays, Jones said. “He is our leader,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any question about that. He’s one of our most vocal players and a guy that brings a lot of energy to our team. He’s a lead-by-example type of guy, but he also has kind of grown into the role of our vocal leader.”Oladipo said he has IU in his top three – along with Notre Dame and North Carolina State – because of IU basketball coach Tom Crean. Jones said Crean and his staff were some of the first to scout out the three-star recruit.“I remember bumping into Coach Crean and Coach Bennie Seltzer last year at one of our first games during the season,” Jones said. “Coach Crean spoke at one of our clinics last year and definitely mentioned to me about his affection for Victor. So, they definitely have been in this a long time with him, even before a lot of people recognized how good of a player he was.”Crean also coached Oladipo’s favorite player, Dwayne Wade, at Marquette. “There are three great players in the world – LeBron (James), Kobe (Bryant) and Dwayne Wade,” Oladipo said. “Ever since I first saw Dwayne Wade play, I molded myself like him ... (Crean) can mold me into a player like him.”Oladipo said he believes he, like Wade, has unlimited potential when it comes to his game.“If I keep my work ethic, I could play on any level,” he said. “I really do feel blessed that God gave me this talent.”Jones called Oladipo “a special kid” and said he will create an impact at whatever school he goes to as much more than a player.“If he chooses to go to Indiana, then that campus will know he was there once he graduates,” Jones said.
(09/02/09 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Athletics Director Fred Glass is reaching out to IU’s faculty and staff to try to fill seats at non-revenue sports.Glass announced Tuesday that what he calls the “Olympic sports” will provide free admission to faculty and staff members in an effort to integrate athletics and the University.The plan stemmed from discussion of renewing free passes for department employees, who have had this perk for the past 30 years.“As we were going through that discussion, I sort of thought, maybe this was an opportunity to provide that not only to our employees, but to full-time faculty and staff,” Glass said.Like the student body, faculty and staff members can now get into these sporting events for free with a valid IU ID. One guest will also be allowed into the event free of charge.Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Kurt Zorn said he appreciates the effort by the athletics department to work with the University and believes the faculty and staff will react positively to it.“It will encourage people who may not have thought about going to one of the non-revenue sports to attend,” Zorn said.Zorn also mentioned the possibility of student-athletes encouraging their professors to go to their competitions and that there is a greater emphasis on the players doing so than in the past. This emphasis is designed to increase “intermingling among faculty and student-athletes,” Zorn said.“I think, at times, there is a possibility that faculty may view student-athletes to be a little bit different and not to understand the demands that are put on student-athletes to both be students and competitors,” Zorn said. “The fact that you may be able to encourage more faculty through this program to attend competitions will allow the faculty to see the student-athletes in a different setting and maybe better appreciate the demands that are put on those individuals in the other phase of their life at Indiana University.”Professor of business economics and public policy Bruce Jaffee, the faculty representative on the Athletics Committee, said there are some monetary risks to this program.“The faculty and staff have been pretty good with attendance at the Olympic sports that we charge for, especially women’s basketball,” Jaffee said. “There certainly will be a financial hit by letting those people in for free.”However, Jaffe, Glass and Zorn agree that in this case, it’s not about the money.“It’s really a great way to say ‘Thank you, faculty and staff, for your support of athletics,’” Jaffee said. “I think it’s really important. I think this is a great opportunity to thank them for their support and indicate that IU athletics is more than just basketball and football, as well.”
(09/01/09 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As painters work their way around the scoreboard pillars in the South End Zone, swirling around like the candy stripes they are painting onto the support beams, IU Athletics Director Fred Glass can’t help but glimpse into the future.His dream – his vision – is finally near. And whether it works out or not, one thing is for certain: the “game-day experience,” as he calls it, will never be the same at Memorial Stadium.“We’re sitting in this unbelievable new North End Zone facility,” Glass said, stretching his arms wide to showcase the building. “It’s really taken our stadium from being MAC-like or Missouri Valley-like to being Big Ten-like. We are a legitimate Big Ten stadium.”His motivations are not purely related to making students happy. The reasoning behind these developments is also related to the financial security of the department.“We’ve got to fill Memorial Stadium because we’ve got to support our football team and to get the kind of competitive advantage we want for football,” Glass said. “But that’s not the only reason we’ve got to fill Memorial Stadium. We’ve got to fill Memorial Stadium because those football revenues drive all of our other programs ... We’ve got to fill it because it drives all of the funding for our other sports.”In fact, in terms of how much money is spent per sport, IU is second from the bottom in the Big Ten, with Northwestern coming in last. IU is also third to last in football profit, topping only Northwestern and Purdue. “If you look at that list in descending order, it’s remarkably close to a descending list of the largest Big Ten football stadiums to the smallest,” Glass said. “That’s not an accident. Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State make more in one Saturday than I’ll make the entire season here at IU. We are at a dramatic disadvantage.” He also said, for better or for worse, the number of memories made in Memorial Stadium is directly related to the amount of IU graduates who come back for football games and donate to the University.“Athletics is gateway to a lifetime connection with the University,” Glass said. “I think the whole support structure of the University in terms of alumni is at stake when we’re talking about getting people connected to athletics.”Glass said he thinks the renovations and playing better football will help change all that.He described the new paint on the entryways, the retro scoreboard hanging outside on the North End Zone and many other new amenities. The goal of such attractions is to bring fans to a stadium that has a new face and, he hopes, a promising future.“They can come for the football, but I also think they come for the atmosphere,” Glass said.While Glass admits the stands won’t be completely full until IU’s performance picks up on the field, he said he wants to do all he can to bring up revenues until the team gets to where that takes care of itself.Some other plans he has for opening day include Knothole Park, an area in the South End Zone where children can play on a replica field just behind the southern goal post. Greek organizations, dormitories and other groups could place their letters or emblems around the park if they purchase a certain amount of tickets as a group.For fans near the end zones, there is another new feature they can bring home with them. The nets behind the field goal posts will be taken down this year, allowing balls to fly into the crowd. Glass said fans can keep any ball they catch. They will, however, be encouraged to throw an opposing team’s ball back onto the field, similar to the atmosphere in Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.Glass said he believes capturing the imagination of the student body is key. If these changes can accomplish that, the alumni, faculty, staff and residents will follow.“I think it would be a fun thing for me to go to,” he said. “I was a college student here. That was the kind of stuff I liked.”Glass also said he hopes for more ideas to come from his department and other members of the University for future use.“I tell our people, think Little Five,” Glass said. “We want it to feel like Little Five. The pageantry, the color, the collegiateness of it.”He reached out toward those candy stripes, his dream just outside his grasp – but not for long.On Thursday, it will become a reality.Indiana Daily Student reporter Ryan Campagna contributed to this story.
(09/01/09 4:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It only took two words for freshman Maurice Creek’s first day of classes to become much more meaningful.“You’re cleared.”Those words came from IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean during a phone call after one of Creek’s classes.To Creek, those words mean he will be able to play for IU this season. To fans, it means the 2009 IU basketball squad is one step closer to completion.Creek had waited nearly a month on the results of his SAT to receive permission from the NCAA Clearinghouse to play this year.“It was a great feeling. I’ve just been waiting for a long time and today – finally – it came,” Creek, the No. 56 player in the class of 2009, said. “I was like, ‘Wow. Yes. I’m done.’” Crean said he is proud of Creek for putting in the work and getting cleared by the NCAA.“It’s one of those things where we were never in doubt that it would happen, or overly nervous,” Crean said in a statement. “But there is certainly a sense of relief when he actually was cleared, and there was a sense of accomplishment when he was cleared. And to me that speaks volumes.”Creek said he contacted his family as soon as he found out.“I think it was my dad this time,” Creek said of who he contacted first. “My mom didn’t pick up the phone, but she usually gets that information first and foremost. Always family first and foremost.”Creek said the waiting process didn’t produce any doubts in his mind. “I worked all summer – hard,” Creek said. “It was just a process of waiting. You have to be patient at these points in time.”Since Creek was waiting for his SAT scores, he couldn’t practice or take classes with the team during the summer.However, he said he will not push himself beyond his limits.“You have to take your time with all that stuff,” he said. “You can’t rush through it.”As for personal relationships, Creek said he has stayed in contact with junior Jeremiah Rivers, freshmen Christian Watford, the No. 41 recruit in 2009, and Jordan Hulls, No. 107 and Creek’s roommate.Creek said the most important part of communicating was “trying to get a relationship early because that’s how the chemistry starts.”Besides focusing on academics this summer, Creek also worked out with his mother, father and two brothers every day.“We did my work that had to be done,” Creek said. “It was kind of a tough summer because you want to be here early with all the guys, but you can’t do anything about it. You just got to take your time, do what you got to do and get out.”Creek said he learned the importance of working hard and managing time this summer.“If you don’t plan your schedule, you can be all messed up and everything,” Creek said.The things he learned, he said, will translate directly into the collegiate scene.“You got to be a great student-athlete to do what you have to do on the court,” Creek said. “Time management will help me a lot in college, and I’m looking forward to it.”
(08/31/09 4:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It only took two words for freshman Maurice Creek’s first day of classes to become much more meaningful.After waiting nearly a month, he finally heard the words he had been waiting for almost all summer: “You’re cleared.”Those words came from IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean during a phone call after one of his classes, and they meant Creek will be able to play for IU in the 2009-10 basketball season. He was waiting on the results of his SAT to receive permission from the NCAA Clearinghouse to play this year.“It was a great feeling. I’ve just been waiting for a long time and today – finally, it came,” said Creek, the No. 56 player in the class of 2009. “I was like, ‘Wow. Yes. I’m done.’” Crean said he was proud of Creek for putting his work in and getting cleared by the NCAA.“It’s one of those things where we were never in doubt that it would happen, or overly nervous,” Crean said in a statement. “But there is certainly a sense of relief when he actually was cleared and there was a sense of accomplishment when he was cleared. And to me that speaks volumes.”Creek said he contacted his family as soon as he got the news.“I think it was my dad this time,” Creek said of who he contacted first. “My mom didn’t pick up the phone, but she usually gets that information first and foremost. Always family first and foremost.”The waiting process didn’t produce any doubts in Creek’s mind. He said he worked hard to and knew what the result of his efforts would be.“I worked all summer – hard,” Creek said. “It was just a process of waiting. You have to be patient at these points in time.”One disadvantage of Creek having to wait out for his SAT scores was that he couldn’t practice or take classes with the team over the summer. However, he said he will not try to push himself beyond his limits.“You have to take your time with all that stuff,” he said. “You can’t rush through it.”As for personal relationships, Creek said he had been in contact with junior Jeremiah Rivers and freshmen Christian Watford (the No. 41 recruit in 2009) and Jordan Hulls (No. 107 and Creek’s roommate).Creek said the most important part of that communication was “trying to get a relationship early because that’s how the chemistry starts.”Creek did not take the time over the summer just to work on academics. He also worked out with his mother, father and two brothers every day.“We did my work that had to be done,” Creek said. “It was kind of a tough summer because you want to be here early with all the guys, but you can’t do anything about it. You just got to take your time, do what you got to do and get out.”Creek said he learned the importance of working hard and managing time through his summer experiences.“If you don’t plan your schedule, you can be all messed up and everything,” Creek said.The things he learned, he said, will translate directly into the collegiate scene.“You got to be a great student-athlete to do what you have to do on the court. Time management will help me a lot in college, and I’m looking forward to it.”
(08/31/09 2:11am)
Bob Knight, coach of the IU men’s basketball program from 1971-2000, is
finally getting the recognition he got that September evening – this
time, from IU Athletics.
(08/26/09 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>November will be a big month for 3-star basketball recruit Brandon Mobley.Along with beginning his final high school basketball season, he will also be making one of the biggest decisions of his life. Luckily for Mobley, he’s narrowed his choices down to three schools.Mobley recently announced he had whittled his possible college choices to Cincinnati, South Carolina and IU. He said he plans to visit IU in November and make a decision that same month, prior to the start of his final season at Windsor Forest High School.“I was liking the program when Eric Gordon was playing there,” Mobley said of the 2007-08 season. “Then, my old coach is an assistant coach down there. That was just a little icing on the cake for me.”Prior to coming to IU, assistant coach Roshown McLeod led the Atlanta Celtics, an AAU team Mobley played with.If the Atlanta Celtics sound familiar, it’s because David Williams, a player from that team, has already committed to IU.Williams, an unranked player picked by IU coach Tom Crean and his staff in April, said he has spoken with Mobley about choosing IU.“Of course I try to persuade him to come up there with me,” Williams said. “He’s just weighing his options and taking everything in.”Mobley said he sees the advantages of coming to play with Williams next year.“If I go there, I won’t be by myself,” Mobley said. “I’ll have someone I know there right off the bat.”Mobley and Williams spent three summers together on the Celtics, Mobley said. Williams said his play was enhanced by Mobley’s.“I feed off his enthusiasm and athleticism,” Williams said. “I see us working really good together.”Standing at 6 feet, 9 inches generally puts a player like Mobley near the hoop. However, Mobley’s AAU coach Corey Smith said Mobley has a great perimeter game that makes him a double threat.“He’s multi-skilled with length,” Smith said. “He can shoot the ball extremely well.”Mobley said his shooting ability creates mismatches on the court.“If it’s a bigger guy, I could take him on the perimeter,” Mobley said. “If it’s a smaller guy, I can take him on the post.” Mobley had experience working in a fast-paced game environment this summer with the Celtics.“We put him in a lot of pick-and-pop situations,” Smith said. “We played a lot of transition this year, too, so he was able to get up and down the court and also defend smaller perimeter players.”That style is what Mobley enjoys. He said it was refreshing to see the style of play Crean implemented with the Hoosiers.“I was looking at a couple of films on it a few days ago,” Mobley said. “He’s more of a run-and-gun type ... That’s what I’m used to.”As a player, Mobley said he knows there is room for growth. He said ball-handling is one of the areas he hopes to improve before reaching the college level.Weight is also an issue. Despite his height, Mobley weighs only 215 pounds.“He’s kind of light,” Smith said. “He needs to put on weight and add strength.”As November approaches, Mobley will try to focus on visiting colleges and developing as a player.As far as that deadline goes, Williams said he likes the Hoosiers’ chances at getting another 2010 commitment. “I think it’s highly likely,” Williams said. “It’s very possible.”
(08/19/09 9:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU wide receiver Tandon Doss said this year’s receiving corps might be one for the ages.“Everybody’s always talking about how good our receivers are,” Doss, a sophomore who garnered 107 yards receiving in IU’s win over No. 22 Northwestern last year, said. “I think we probably have the best receiving corps right now Indiana’s ever had.”This year’s group of wide receivers, led by Doss and fellow sophomore Damarlo Belcher, have an edge over other groups of Hoosier receivers in recent history because of the battles for starting spots, Belcher said. “There’s a lot of competition,” Belcher said. “Everybody’s fighting for their spot.”Despite the loss of their leading receiver from last year, Ray Fisher, Doss said he expects this year to be big for the Hoosiers, especially with he and Belcher as double threats, both in the short- and long-range passing game.“(Belcher is) a big receiver,” Doss said. “He has some speed on him. He has great hands. So, corners are going to expect to go deep with him and I get more short, intermediate routes.”That double threat isn’t the only weapon the Hoosiers must be able to effectively utilize, however. Both of these playmakers agreed the running game needs to pick up after last year’s struggles.“You have to have a running game to throw the ball,” Doss said. “That opens up a lot of opportunity for us to get the ball when the defenses have troubles holding down our run game.”Belcher said he is looking to prove doubters wrong this season, and he uses their words for extra motivation.“I’ve been on the computer a lot,” Belcher said. “I read a lot of articles. I get articles off the computer and I hang them up on my locker and just read them before practice.”He uses this motivational strategy to lead the younger receivers through practice and insiper them to perform.“If the youngers guys see me working hard, they’re going to start working hard,” Belcher said. “You just have to bring that intensity.”Consistency was one of the issues the Hoosiers dealt with last year, Belcher said, and he has taken steps to remedy that problem.“This year, I’m working on it,” he said. “And I’m getting better.”
(08/18/09 10:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU football player Austin Thomas said he and his teammates have nothing holding them back as they approach the Sept. 3 season kickoff.“The sky’s the limit with us,” Thomas said. “It’s just going to be as bad as we want it and as hard as we go.”In order to reach those new heights, coach Bill Lynch and his staff moved several wide receivers to the secondary, where Thomas (strong safety) and fellow senior Nick Polk (free safety) specialize.Polk said he feels the athleticism, speed and knowledge of how things are done as a receiver have helped former receivers such as Ray Fisher make the adjustment. Polk has been through it, as he switched from wideout to free safety his sophomore year.“You pick up on things pretty quickly just from being a previous wide receiver,” Polk said. “It’s easier to read routes because you’ve actually ran them before. As long as those guys come over and pick up quick, they’ll be pretty good.”Thomas said Fisher, a “phenomenal athlete,” has been a standout at the cornerback position during camp.“He’s definitely confident in what he’s doing,” Thomas said. “Ray’s one of the main guys fitting into the secondary right now, and he’s done a really good job of switching over.”Thomas said he hopes he and his teammates can avoid the injuries that plagued them last year and forced him to miss half of the season.Thomas, who was injured last season, went through rehabilitation from an ACL tear throughout the winter. He said he was ready to play by mid-May and he does not want to face similar troubles in his final season as a Hoosier.“I want to stay healthy as much as everybody else,” Thomas said. “I just want to be out there.”Thomas said he wants this, his final season donning the cream and crimson, to be memorable for the right reasons.“I think all the seniors do,” he said. “It’s something we all know we must do. As a senior class, we want to go out as winners, and we’ll do whatever we can to do that.”One of the things Lynch implemented in the off season in order to help meet that goal was the leadership council, a group of seniors and some juniors on the team who work together to foster team bonding and stress the importance of leadership among the other players, as well.“We’re getting everyone to show leadership in some way,” Polk, a member of the council along with Thomas, said. “Maybe helping out a younger guy or if you know something you can speak up.”Polk said the work he and others have put into taking charge has been contagious.“They take the leadership role from you and then they pass it on to the other guys,” he said.These changes, Thomas said, will affect the team in a positive way, at least on his side of the ball.“We’ll play harder,” he said. “That’s for sure.”
(08/13/09 12:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Verdell Jones III amassed the third-most minutes on the IU men’s basketball team in 2008 with 799 total, despite nursing an injury for three games after an early-season win against Cornell. This summer, he has been working to keep those minutes up and continue growing on and off the court.“I had great training. ... Lifting and getting stronger,” Jones said, explaining why he decided to stay in Bloomington. “I really wanted to meet the freshmen too, so those were pretty much my two main reasons.”Jones said he has been with team members every day, be it playing, lifting or hanging out.“It’s been great,” he said. “It’s definitely helped us get closer. We became close real quick. We’re playing great together, getting used to each other’s tendencies and stuff like that. It’s been very beneficial.”Jones said he is not the only member of the team to benefit from the offseason training.“All the other players have been playing great too, so I’m really excited,” Jones said.There’s been more to the summer than lifting and shooting hoops for this Hoosier and his teammates. Jones said he has spent time with the other players here for the summer playing video games, watching movies and going to the pool.“We have a lot of fun off the court too,” Jones said.Given his experiences this summer, Jones said he is more than willing to make the commitment to stay in Bloomington again after the next spring semester.“I think academically and sports-wise, it’s a great benefit to come here in the summer,” he said. “I can take harder classes and knock them out of the way, and I can be at the gym every day, too.”Hoosier fans who worried about the eligibility of incoming basketball players Maurice Creek and Bawa Muniru can breathe a cautious sigh of relief.Muniru, a member of the 2009 recruiting class, was spotted playing at the Ora L. Wildermuth Intramural Center on Aug. 11 with several of his teammates and former Hoosier D.J. White, who now plays in the NBA for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Muniru only recently arrived on campus because of eligibility issues. He needed to complete a summer course in order to meet IU academic requirements.While there are still questions about his eligibility, seeing as he has not yet been cleared by the NCAA to play college ball, Muniru’s presence suggests all went well with his summer course and he will eventually be released to play for the Hoosiers in the 2009-10 season.Creek has not yet arrived on campus and is still waiting to see if he is eligible based on his scores on the SAT.
(08/12/09 11:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU volleyball team has its sights set on one goal as the fall approaches. That goal is etched on the back of every practice jersey. It is said by players during practice as they tell their teammates their focus for the day.From 5-foot-2 libero Caitlin Cox to 6-foot-3 middle blocker Ashley Benson, from freshman Kelci Marschall to former basketball player and fifth-year senior Whitney Thomas, no matter their differences, the goal is the same.It boils down to three words: “Make It Happen.”The team’s commitment to follow that mantra inspired returning players to remain in Bloomington for the summer and brought incoming freshmen to campus early.“I think it’s good that we all made the commitment to stay here because it’s not mandatory,” junior right-side player and middle blocker Taylor Wittmer said. “The freshmen made the commitment to come early just so we can start getting bonded as a team and start getting in shape. We had a lot of fun with it.”Since the beginning of the summer, Wittmer and others have willingly participated in morning workout sessions, which involved weight lifting, running and conditioning drills, as well as afternoon open gym practices. Wittmer said the summer began with distance running and then progressed toward more volleyball-specific drills as official practices drew near. She said she felt the extra work will give them an edge on their competition.“It will help us a lot,” Wittmer said. “Since we’ve already done that, it’s kind of like now we’re just learning how to mesh on the court, and I think that will really help us out.”With nearly four hours of workout time together daily, team members also spent time together off the court at cookouts, trips to the Monroe County Fair and boat excursions on Lake Monroe, sophomore setter Mary Chaudoin said.“With so many freshmen coming in, I think we needed to spend that time together and get to know each other so, now that we’re in preseason, we can just get the work done,” Chaudoin said.Chaudoin said she remembered the freshman experience and how unsettling it can be, which is why the team wanted its seven newcomers to get extra time to acclimate. “Last year, when I came in as a freshman, it was scary,” she said. “You get nervous. It’s a new environment. I think all the things that we’ve done have made them more comfortable with us.”Wittmer said getting to know the new players is beneficial in more ways than one.“Knowing your teammate off the court helps so much on the court,” she said. “Sometimes people can’t take certain things, and, if you learn that about them, then you’ll have better team chemistry on the court.”The jump on developing chemistry is going to be an advantage once the season begins Chaudoin said. Trust, she said, is extremely important on the court, especially once the action picks up.“If a ball’s coming at you, you’ll know, ‘OK, she’s got it,’” Chaudoin said.The freshmen have also benefited from working with the returning players during the summer. As practice began and the pressure to perform increased, they had an outlet.“They can kind of look to us,” Wittmer said.Chaudoin said she was glad she committed to putting in the extra time.“It’s been a fun summer,” she said.
(08/10/09 12:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before members of the IU football team could begin spending time practicing on the field or lifting in the new North End Zone facility, last week, it was time for something more important.“Everybody sees them play in this stadium on Saturdays,” football coach Bill Lynch said. “They’re judged by how they perform on a given Saturday afternoon or Saturday evening. We know there’s a lot more to their development. We want them to learn to give back.”The time had come for them to do so.For the first time, the Hoosiers partnered with the Bloomington Boys & Girls Club on their home turf and brought about 75 members of the group to Memorial Stadium on Thursday for a day of fun and games with some of the children’s favorite athletes.“I think it’s particularly important that we do it with kids,” Lynch said of the community service his team does. “Our guys know they’re very fortunate to be Big Ten football players. Any time they can give back to kids, I think it’s special.”The event began last winter, when Lynch asked members of the team’s newly formed leadership council to pick two groups they wanted to interact with as a part of their community service. One of those groups was the Bloomington Boys & Girls Club.Senior Jammie Kirlew, defensive end and member of the council, said he knows the benefit of such programs.“I was in Boys & Girls Club when I was younger,” Kirlew said. “It was a great time. You always remember those experiences.”Kirlew was one of the team leaders at the event and led the groups through the tackling station. He said he couldn’t help but feel enthusiasm for the service he and his teammates were providing to the children.“I just got into it,” he said. “I was having fun with the kids. When you see those expressions, when you see how much fun they’re having, that just has to have a big impact on you.”Lynch agreed that the event was beneficial to both parties involved.“Any time we do something like this, you find out that your own players maybe get as much or more out of it than the kids themselves,” he said. “So many of these guys here got their start – whether it’s in athletics or just in getting mentored by people in a place like a Boys & Girls Club – in the communities where they came from. I think they remember.”Lynch said the leadership council and team-building events such as the afternoon’s activities with the Boys & Girls Club are meant to help his players take ownership of their team rather than be “renters.”“If you’re a renter, then you just don’t have the same investment, and it’s easy to get out of it when it gets tough,” he said. “When you’re an owner, there’s an investment, and you’re going to fight for your home. You’re going to fight for whatever you own.”Kirlew said he feels these off-the-field experiences will result in on-the-field progress. For now, though, it’s not about putting up wins but putting forth service.“This will always be a memorable experience for them,” he said.For Lynch, his players’ progress is obvious, even without seeing them on the field in full gear.“We think we got a bunch of owners that checked into the hotel today,” he said.
(08/09/09 11:36pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Below is a summary of the IU football program’s recruitment progress for the class of 2010 during the summer months. Thus far, coach Bill Lynch and his staff have brought on 21 recruits for the 2010 team, including five three-star players and nine two-star prospects, according to Rivals.com.For each recruit’s ranking, check the IDS football blog, Under the Rock.MAYAndre KatesPosition Defensive BackFrom Brooklyn, New YorkStats 6 feet, 195 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.4 secondsFun Fact Kates was the Hoosiers’ first commitment of the 2010 class. He had committed to the University of Florida back when he graduated high school in 2006, but academic and financial issues forced him to play the first years of his college ball at a junior college.JUNEAntonio BanksPosition Running BackFrom Middletown, OhioStats 5 feet 11, 210 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.54 secondsFun Fact Banks ran for nearly 1,000 yards and recorded 12 touchdowns in his junior season at Middletown High School.Jibreel BlackPosition Defensive EndFrom CincinnatiStats 6 feet 2, 253 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.8 secondsFun Fact Black fielded offers from 18 other schools, including six Big Ten schools, before committing to IU, according to Rivals.com.Marlandez HarrisPosition Offensive LinemanFrom Springfield, Ill.Stats 6 feet 4, 255 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.9 secondsFun Fact Harris’ team was the Class 6A champion in Illinois last season. He is looking for another state title this coming year.Leneil HimesPosition Tight EndFrom Plymouth, Ind.Stats 6 feet 3, 245 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.77 secondsFun Fact Himes was the first in-state player to commit to the Hoosiers in the 2010 class.Ryan PhillisPosition Defensive EndFrom Boardman, OhioStats 6 feet 3, 235 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.78 secondsFun Fact Phillis is one of four defensive ends to commit to IU during the summer, all of whom are from Ohio. He is No. 11 on OhioVarsity.com’s defensive end prospect rankings.Xavier WhitakerPosition Running BackFrom Brookfield, Wisc.Stats 6 feet 2, 195 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.84 secondsFun Fact Whitaker was being recruited by IU as an athlete and could be seen on defense or at wide receiver.Logan Young Position Wide ReceiverFrom MuncieStats 6 feet 5, 190 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.5 secondsFun Fact Young was a member of the Indiana Junior All-State team.JULYPete BachmanPosition Defensive EndFrom CincinnatiStats 6 feet 5, 245 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.78 secondsFun Fact Bachman is the No. 10 defensive lineman in Ohio, according to OhioVarsity.com.Cameron ColePosition Defensive BackFrom CincinnatiStats 5 feet 11, 175 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.41 secondsFun Fact Cole is the No. 12 cornerback in Ohio, according to OhioVarsity.com.Jack DentonPosition LinebackerFrom Zionsville, Ind.Stats 6 feet 2, 235 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.62 secondsFun Fact Denton is the No. 14 overall prospect from the state of Indiana, according to Rivals.com.Cody EversPosition Offensive LinemanFrom Appleton, Wisc.Stats 6 feet 4, 317 poundsFun Fact Evers was named a Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Region player and was a First-Team All-Conference selection as a junior.Bill IvanPosition Offensive LinemanFrom Charlevoix, Mich.Stats 6 feet 5, 250 poundsFun Fact Ivan was an All-Area selection as both a sophomore and junior in the state of Michigan.Tim O’Conner Position Wide ReceiverFrom CincinnatiStats 6 feet 4, 190 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.5 secondsFun Fact O’Conner is the No. 47 player overall in his state in the class of 2010.Matt PerezPosition Running BackFrom Park Ridge, Ill.Stats 5 feet 11, 200 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.55 secondsFun Fact Perez has an official squat max of 540 pounds, according to Rivals.com.Harrison Scott Position Defensive EndFrom New Albany, OhioStats 6 feet 3, 248 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.8 secondsFun Fact Scott told Matt Weaver of Inside Indiana, an affiliate of Rivals, that his main reason for choosing IU was its reputation as a “great academic school.”Ishmael ThomasPosition LinebackerFrom DetroitStats 6 feet 4, 210 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.62 secondsFun Fact Thomas had 74 tackles and 18 tackles for loss as a junior in high school, according to Rivals.com.Brian WilliamsPosition SafetyFrom Suwanee, Ga.Stats 6 feet 1, 175 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.4 secondsFun Fact Williams had five interceptions as a junior, according to Rivals.com.Matt Zakrzewski Position LinebackerFrom Traverse City, Mich.Stats 6 feet 3, 220 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.7 secondsFun Fact Zakrzewski was the third player from Michigan to commit to IU.AUGUSTDrew HardinPosition SafetyFrom Lousiville, Ky.Stats 6 feet, 191 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.5 secondsFun Fact Hardin runs track for his high school and placed sixth and fifth in state in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles during his junior year.Kofi HughesPosition AthleteFrom IndianapolisStats 6 feet 2, 197 pounds, 40-yard dash time: 4.44 secondsFun Fact Hughes plays quarterback for his high school, which won the Class 4A state championship in Indiana last year.
(08/06/09 12:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Matt Carlino, the first 2011 commitment for IU’s basketball program, will be playing with a familiar face when he hits the Assembly Hall hardwood.The face will be that of Austin Etherington, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Hamilton Heights High School in Arcadia, Ind., who committed to the IU basketball team Monday, becoming the second class of 2011 recruit to commit to IU.The two have played together and competed against each other several times at camps and other events. Carlino took time to talk to the Indiana Daily Student about the new commit and what it means to the program and to himself. Here’s what he had to say:On Etherington’s commitment“I’m really excited. I got to play with Austin at the Elite Camp in June. I thought we played pretty well together. I played against him. He’s very talented and a really good guy, too, so I’ll be really excited to play with him.”On Etherington’s abilities“He can shoot the ball really well for how tall he is. He’s a good decision-maker, and he just plays the game very well and very smart.”On his relationship with Etherington“We talked to each other. I talked to him (Tuesday) just to tell him how excited I am to be able to play with him when we both get there. We talked at Elite Camp a lot. It’s just a good thing that he’s committing now. Our class looks a lot better.”On other players committing“I think there’s a good chance that players will look at me and Austin and like what they see and like Coach Crean and all that they’ll be able to get done. I think there’s a good chance that will interest some recruits.”On the future of the program“I am excited. It’s going to be a real good deal there. I’m excited to see how Coach Crean does with everything. I think he’ll have a good year this year, and it’ll just keep getting better. I’m real excited.”
(08/06/09 12:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Nearly every day at the IU Outdoor Pool, one might see a 68-year-old former Olympian swim next to an IU graduate student. A student could also spot an 85-year-old IU alumnus performing the backstroke while a current IU senior warms up alongside.To members of the IU Masters Swimming Club, age is nothing but a number.And Joel Stager, a professor in the kinesiology department and director of the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming, wouldn’t have it any other way.“(The swimmers) all interact as colleagues and friends,” said Stager, who has swum with the club since the late 1970s. “I can’t think of a whole lot of groups that are like that. ... Age doesn’t become much of an issue in the water.”Forty-two members of the team will be competing in the U.S. Masters Swimming Long Course Nationals running Aug. 6-10 at the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis Natatorium. The event is the second of two national events supported by the U.S. Masters Swimming, a group founded in 1970 to promote continued competition for former swimmers.“The people who swim at nationals are frequently people who used to appear in the Olympics or are really top-quality swimmers,” said Peter Finn, a swimmer on the IU Masters team and professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. “You have quite a range of people.”The swimmers have different motivations for heading to the pool on a daily basis. For the older members, training sessions promote wellness and can potentially slow the aging process.“Our research interests are sort of tied in with our hobby,” Stager said of his and Finn’s swimming schedule. “Our data basically shows that there may be as much as a 15-year offset between the chronological age and the biological age. A 60-year-old Master’s swimmer may look like more like a 45-year-old.”Senior Kayla Abbott said she enjoys time in the pool with the IU Masters despite the age difference.“You can get a lot of advice from them because they have a lot of experience,” Abbott said.For former Olympian and IU alumnus Alan Somers, the main draw to the swimming lanes is the social aspect.“You wouldn’t think that people who have their head underwater all the time would socialize very much, but you do at the end of the pool and in the locker room and that sort of thing,” Somers said.The 68-year-old competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics, finishing fifth and seventh in the 400-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle, respectively. He was 19 at the time. After his swimming career, he studied to become a neurologist and brought a practice to Bloomington about 15 years after graduating. His return also resulted in his comeback to the pool.Somers said he will swim with the club for nationals in the relays, although he has mixed feelings on the subject.“It’s a form of post-traumatic stress disorder in that when you go to these Masters meets, you get the same feeling I’ve had before – a lot of anxiety and that sort of thing,” he said.Somers said he feels the races take a greater toll on him as well.“When you get in these meets, you tend to swim hard, and it’s really painful,” he said, grimacing at the thought. “I end up going faster than I intended to go. I don’t know if I really want to feel all that pain at this age.”Despite the possible aches and pains, Finn said he expects his team to compete at a high level.“We’re actually hoping that we might be able to win the nationals,” he said.Finn said he has reason to believe the team is capable of such a lofty feat. The IU swim team, currently under the direction of coach Ray Looze, has a long history of excellence dating back to its first men’s NCAA championship title in 1968.Some of the swimmers from that era as well as several former Olympians make up the IU team heading to the IUPUI Natatorium.“It exposes kind of a statement to the quality of IU swimming as well as just the community at IU,” Finn said.Despite the strength of the team, Stager said he faced jitters about racing against top competitors from across the country. While he said he generally has performed well at these meets, he said he never knows what to expect from his opponents.“The closer it gets, the more anxious I become about the whole thing,” he said. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”
(08/02/09 11:16pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mark Deal will, like many, never forget Jim Johnson, the former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator who passed away July 28 at the age of 68.“He was kind of gruff on the outside, but you knew he really cared about you on the inside,” said Deal, associate director of IU football operations. “He would kind of give you a little wry smile underneath his moustache.” Johnson had IU ties. He was the linebacker coach under Lee Corso from 1973-76. After that, he went to Notre Dame and, as the defensive backs coach, helped lead it to a national championship in 1977.Deal, a center on IU’s football team during Johnson’s time at IU, knew him well, despite the fact that he coached players on the other side of the ball. As Deal said, “you’re close with all of the assistant coaches you play for.”Deal worked closely with the players Johnson coached. As a center defending the 4-3 defense IU ran at the time, he had to. And Johnson was never quiet about letting players know when they put up a good block against his linebacking corps. “If you did something good against the linebackers, he appreciated that as a coach,” Deal said. “Instead of screaming at his guys and being mad at them, he would compliment me on my play. He would take the time to compliment someone in another position if they did a good job.”Deal went on to coach at Wabash College after his time at IU. When he would come to recruit in South Bend, he would visit with Johnson, who was still coaching at Notre Dame at the time.“He was the best friend in the world to have ... just like all of the staff was at that time,” Deal said.Deal and Johnson remained close as Johnson made the transition to professional football coaching. At the NFL combine every year in Indianapolis, they would go out nearly every night after workouts and catch up with each other.“It was always, ‘Hey, how’s your family?’” Deal said. “He just was such a warm guy. That part of it was really neat. It was just a good relationship.”Johnson was the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles until a few days before his death, and, under him, the Eagles were ranked second in the league in sacks from 2000-2008. He manufactured 26 Pro Bowl players and helped lead the Eagles to seven playoff appearances during his 10-year tenure.In 2001, he was diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Then, in January, he announced a tumor was the cause of back pain that kept him off the field during two playoff games in the 2001-02 season.Deal spoke with some of the other coaches who had been in contact with him, and they said he was fighting the cancer and doing well.“That’s why this was kind of a shock,” Deal said. “He was planning on coming back.”Still, there were signs that all was not well. Deal began to suspect there was a complication when the Eagles announced July 24 that Sean McDermott, former coach of the Eagles’ secondary, would take over Johnson’s position.“You knew something was wrong then,” Deal said. “That wouldn’t be Coach Johnson. If he was healthy enough, he was going to be out there, for sure.”As Deal suspected, all was not well. Just days after the decision was made, Johnson passed away.Deal, unlike many, will not remember Johnson most for his time in the NFL.Still, he will remember him as a coach.“It’s a sad day for, obviously, the NFL, and it’s a sad day for IU because he was one of IU’s great assistant coaches,” Deal said. “No doubt about it.”