SAN DIEGO -- Freshman guard A.J. Moye tried to fight back tears when he walked off the court after IU's 77-73 loss to Kent State Thursday in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Moye had just finished playing the best game of his career. He scored a career-high 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds, including two on offense in the final four minutes that delayed the inevitable -- the upset loss to the 13th-seeded Golden Flashes.
With the announcement of Mike Davis as IU's next head basketball coach, attention turned to next season. Davis said he expects all 11 players to return and for the two incoming freshmen, especially Donald Perry, to contribute. "If somebody leaves, it will be hard to replace them," Davis said. "I'm prepared to beg them to stay. Hopefully they understand we can win a Big Ten title and a national championship."
SAN DIEGO -- Junior forward Kirk Haston was named to the third team All-American squad Tuesday by the Associated Press. The first-team All-Big Ten player averaged 18.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in all games. During the Big Ten season he led the league in scoring (20.3 points per game), and finished second in rebounding (9.4 rebounds per game).
Mike Davis wondered if he was walking out of Assembly Hall for the last time as IU's men's basketball coach following IU's victory over Minnesota Feb. 28. But he was there again Wednesday when IU President Myles Brand removed the interim label from Davis' title and announced Davis' four-year contract worth at least $400,000 per year. "For the next four years, I plan on taking this basketball program to the next level," Davis said. "I look forward to bringing a lot of great players here and having a lot of great memories." Brand called Wednesday a "very important day in the history of IU basketball."
CHICAGO -- Mike Davis claims he isn't a fortune-teller. But IU's interim head coach winked at IU fans sitting two rows behind him with 90 seconds remaining as if he knew something good was about to happen. He was right.
SAN DIEGO -- Kent State is right where they want to be: in San Diego, as the underdog. "We really thrive in this role," guard Trevor Huffman said. "You can't be in a better spot than being the underdog because there's no pressure on you, it's all on the other team. We just go out there and play free." The Hoosiers, seeded No. 4, face Kent State, seeded No. 13, in the first round of the NCAA championships at 8 p.m. today in Cox Arena.
CHICAGO -- Bring it on. That was the message interim head coach Mike Davis sent to Illinois after IU beat Wisconsin 64-52 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. "I want to play the best team in the tournament," Davis said. "I want to play Illinois, because I feel we're playing the best basketball we've played all season."
Junior forward Kirk Haston said roommate and sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby has some of the ugliest feet he's ever seen. But how far the Hoosiers advance in the Big Ten tournament could depend on how Hornsby's right foot feels after spraining his ankle Saturday against Purdue.
CHICAGO -- Even the announcement that IU is seeded No. 4 in the NCAA men's basketball tournament couldn't cheer up the Hoosiers after they lost 63-61 to Iowa in the Big Ten championship game. "Some of the coaches had a sigh of relief," junior center Kirk Haston said. "And the players are pleased that we finally got the respect we deserve." The Hoosiers haven't been ranked in either the AP or Coach's Top 25 polls all season. But the NCAA tournament selection committee ranked IU in the top 16 teams in the country by making it a fourth seed.
SAN DIEGO -- Emotions ran high in IU's locker room after its first round game against Kent State Thursday. But they weren't positive emotions. IU lost 77-73 to a team almost everyone thought they would beat. Kyle Hornsby almost cried. Jeffrey Newton sat in silence. Dane Fife vented to the media.
Solutions by The State News