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| Wednesday, February 12 Updated: February 13, 10:29 AM ET Indiana's season headed south in a hurry By Andy Katz ESPN.com |
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Mike Davis was caught in the moment. And, quite frankly, who wasn't back on that cold December night? Indiana had just exacted a measure of revenge on Maryland, on national television, beating the defending national champions in overtime before a raucous Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. No one would have blamed the Indiana coach for saying just about anything. So, as the teams left the court and Davis waited for a sideline interview to begin, he leaned over and said, "I don't know if we'll lose a game."
Then he smiled, flashing that infectious Davis grin that has warmed many Indiana fans since he took over for Bob Knight in September of 2000. The Hoosiers hadn't really played that well until midway through the second half and into overtime, at which time Tom Coverdale took the game over and away from Maryland's Steve Blake. The redemption of beating the team that defeated the Hoosiers eight months earlier in Atlanta in the 2002 title game was sweet for Davis and the players. They talked in the locker room of making another run, this time to New Orleans. It wasn't so much cockiness, but boy were those Hoosiers confident. And why not? Indiana had just come off the islands as champions of the Maui Invitational -- posting wins over UMass, Gonzaga and Virginia the previous week. They had one of the best freshman in the country in guard Bracey Wright -- the Maui MVP. His classmate, Marshall Strickland, had to be one of the top backup guards at the time. Coverdale was shooting the ball well, so too, was fellow senior Kyle Hornsby. A.J. Moye was Mr. Energy and Enthusiasm. The forwards Jeff Newton and George Leach were imposing and could score from the 3-point line (Newton) to the glass (Leach). Even Sean Kline got major minutes in place of Leach in the win over Maryland, proving the Hoosiers had some depth. It was easy to believe what Davis said at the time. That Indiana didn't look like they could lose. Well, the Hoosiers have lost a few since then. No, IU has lost a bunch -- eight of 17 since the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, to be exact. And it's safe to say, it's getting close to rock bottom in Bloomington. Indiana had lost five in a row heading into Wednesday's game against Michigan. The Hoosiers, who ended the skid with a 63-49 victory over the Wolverines, are actually closer to playing their way out of the tournament at 14-8 and 4-5 in the Big Ten then returning to the Final Four. The smile on Davis' face, on any of the Hoosiers' faces, had been replaced by the anguish of a skid that isn't easily explained. This has been one strange trip in Bloomington. Davis had what is becoming an annual meltdown. The first year, the interim year, he questioned his coaching. The second year, the first full-time year, he blasted officials and got a one-game suspension. This year, the one after reaching the national title game and earning a fat new contract in the spring, it happened on the court. The place: Freedom Hall. The date: Dec. 21. The scene: The final seconds of what turned out to be a 70-64 loss to rival Kentucky.
Davis simply lost it, he went wild on an official in the final three seconds against Kentucky, after what he thought was a foul on Wright on a drive to the basket. He got two technicals and tossed out of the game. He nearly got an extended leave of absence from the Big Ten when there was talk of a six-game suspension. But Indiana and the league office settled for one game. But, the damage was done. The distraction from his outburst carried over from that game in Louisville to a trip to Temple the following Saturday after Christmas. Indiana was flat. They lost to a then 1-6 Owls' team, and lacked the passion they had shown so much of during their Maui Invitational title run. Indiana lost that game with the specter of Davis' pending suspension hanging over the team. Davis traveled to Philadelphia not knowing if he would have to sit six games. By the following Monday, he learned he had to sit one and missed the Ball State game in Muncie the next day -- New Year's Eve. The Hoosiers won on the final night of 2002, as Wright poured in 31 points. Everything seemed all right heading into 2003. Indiana won two of the next three, but the wins were against a rebuilding Charlotte and an awful Penn State at home, and the loss wasn't just a 81-69 setback at Ohio State. Wright scored 20 points in that game and played 37 minutes. But he suffered a pinched nerve in his back. He was gone for the next four. Even though the Hoosiers won three of four games -- with wins over Northwestern, Illinois and Ohio State at home -- Indiana still wasn't right. And it showed when they went to Purdue -- the fourth game without Wright. The Hoosiers were embarrassed, losing by 22 points to their rival. That loss was the first of four straight on the road. And they lost them all -- to Michigan State, to Louisville, to (gasp!) Northwestern. The skid continued with a loss at home to Michigan State last Saturday. The stats during IU's five-game skid support losing:
Ah, but there is more. Indiana was first in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game prior to Purdue (8.35). But since then, the Hoosiers are shooting 25.5 percent on 3s (25 of 98). Indiana was locking teams down prior to Purdue, holding opponents' shooting to 38.4 percent. But in the past five games, the Hoosiers' defense is allowing teams to shoot 47.7 percent, and has allowed three teams to shoot at least 50 percent in the past four games. Historically, it's the fourth such stretch of games in 23 seasons that Indiana had allowed three opponents in a four-game span to hit 50 percent or more. In the previous two seasons combined, Indiana had allowed only two opponents to hit at least 50 percent from the field. It's enough for a freshman to speak up. And Wright is ready to take over the leadership role in Bloomington if one of his senior teammates doesn't start to speak up. "The big thing on this team is that our seniors -- 'Cov' and Kyle aren't really vocal," said Wright. "Our practices are really sometimes too quiet. Nobody says anything. It's like somebody just died. "Somebody has to step up, if it's me or Marshall or somebody that doesn't play a lot. But somebody has to. We need a constant voice from the team that will push us." Following the loss to Michigan State two weeks ago in East Lansing, Coverdale didn't seem too concerned. He said the team would be back to being a contender, not only in the Big Ten, but on the national scene. But prior to the game, the Hoosiers weren't too thrilled that Moye wouldn't be suiting up -- even though he was ill. The Hoosiers' staff was surprised when Moye said he couldn't go. He returned three days later to score seven points in the 96-76 loss at Louisville. Wright cited the length of IU's road trip (he wasn't the only player or coach complaining about the Big Ten's schedule-makers) and his aching back as two contributing factors to the skid. He said there are other Hoosiers with injuries who haven't complained either, like Leach, who has had a broken nose, "and a lot of sprained ankles by everyone." Still, with eight regular-season games and the Big Ten tournament ahead, the Hoosiers are taking the familiar approach of it's "us against the world", feeling everyone has given up on them nationally. But, for things to turn around, Indiana must correct a number of problems on the court, like a lack of ball movement, shooting too quickly, gaping holes in their defense and overall poor shooting from the perimeter. "We weren't really focused on basketball," Wright said. "We were focused on the rankings. We showed good signs of life against Michigan State and good signs of teamwork and passion even though we didn't win. We're heading in the right direction because we're competing again. ... We just need more vocal leaders." They may need more than that. While plenty has transpired between preseason practice and the midway point of the Big Ten season, Davis is taking the initiative to make changes before the season escapes him. Davis has to try something. Davis had planned to change the lineup prior to the Michigan game. Strickland was going to start at the point with Coverdale moving to shooting guard and Wright to small forward. Hornsby would come off the bench as the designated sharp-shooter, although he's only made three 3-pointers in the past five losses. The hope was that Coverdale would be able to curl off screens more effectively if he wasn't at the point. He had a 2.41 assist-to-turnover ratio prior to the Purdue game. Since then, Coverdale has 16 assists but 19 turnovers. If the lineup is altered, moving Strickland into the starting five wouldn't be a shock. Back in October, before all the good and bad of this season, Strickland looked like the best point guard in the new crimson and cream colors. Coverdale was the top shooter and Wright the best wing scorer. Maybe shaking up his lineup will work. It better, or else the Hoosier nation will wonder how this season could spin out of control, so fast, without explanation. Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. |
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