Tuesday, January 25 Alford wants relationship with icy Knight By Rick Morrissey Special to ESPN.com

The teacher will meet the student on somewhat equal terms Tuesday night. It might help things if they were actually on speaking terms, but then again, maybe not.

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Bob Knight already is one of the more fascinating figures in America, never mind college basketball, and his fire can singe an entire arena. Steve Alford, his former player, is the All-American boy who continues to make good without Knight's help. It's probably too combustible a combination. And it's too good a story.

When Alford walks onto the floor of Assembly Hall on Tuesday, it will be the first time he will have done so as Iowa's basketball coach. He was a star at Indiana and helped lead the Hoosiers to the 1987 national title. He is a hero in Bloomington, a former high school Mr. Basketball who did what many young basketball players dream about in Indiana: He played for Knight.

But something has happened between the two, something that has driven a truck-sized wedge between them. Alford thinks he knows what that something is. After graduating from Indiana in 1987, he wrote a book called "Playing for Knight." One problem: Knight reportedly didn't appreciate his name being used in the title. Alford told ESPN on Sunday that he has heard Knight is upset about the book, which Alford says painted a positive picture of his former coach. He also says he wouldn't have turned out the way he did without Knight's help.

They have not spoken with each other in more than a year.

"I want a relationship," Alford said. "I hope coach wants that as well. I have great respect for him. I admire him greatly."

Alford said that at the Big Ten's annual media gathering in October. Knight doesn't seem in any particular hurry to repair their relationship.

"The local paper (in Bloomington, Ind.) had the headline: 'Knight doesn't speak to Alford,' " Knight said. "Why wasn't the headline: 'Alford doesn't speak to Knight?' I never saw Alford to speak to him. I didn't walk over to speak to him, nor did he walk over and speak to me."

Alford has coached against Knight once, in 1997, when they were on speaking terms. Indiana beat Alford and Southwest Missouri State 78-66 in the Hoosier Classic in Indianapolis.

	Bobby Knight wonders what the fuss is about coaching against a former player.

"It was uncomfortable in Indianapolis because I'm shaking hands with the guy and then going the opposite direction," he said. "Coach has had a lot of players but very few players that grew up in the state of Indiana dreaming about playing at Indiana and playing for him like I did.

"It will be real uncomfortable in Assembly Hall because I've always gone to the same bench (there). I think that's where the uneasiness comes in."

A lot has changed since that last meeting, the biggest being that Alford likely will be recruiting heavily in Indiana and competing against Knight.

Knight's Indiana family tree features a lot of former players and assistants who now make a living as head coaches. He said he doesn't understand the fuss over Alford's visit.

"This is just one player," he said. "I've never made an issue out of playing (Evansville's) Jimmy Crews. (Duke's Mike) Krzyzewski played for me. Jimmy played for me. Alford played for me."

The crowd reaction at Assembly Hall should be interesting. There will be some split loyalties.

"I've always had a great appreciation for the fans of Indiana, and I think them to me likewise," Alford said. "I don't think it will be anything but respectful. I'd be surprised if it was different than that. I'm just in the Big Ten now. I'm at a different school. They still respect that. I think there will be good respect shown both ways, and then once the ball goes up, there will be an awful lot of fans rooting for the red and white. That's the way it should be."

As for the game itself -- there is a game, after all -- Indiana (13-2) figures to have little problem with Iowa (7-8). But maybe Alford will say something to motivate his team. Something about winning one for the coach.

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