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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Committing to life as a Hoosier


Sampson has big plans for Indiana this year. Ultimately, he says results will matter most.
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Mike De Courcy Sporting News

If you travel deep enough into Kelvin Sampson’s soul, you will recognize the intensity of his desire to fit in as coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. Or you could just step down to his basement.

There, in the center of the game room, is a hardwood replica of the floor at Assembly Hall. The Tiffany-style lights over the pool table are done up in Indiana colors and logos, and the fridge has a huge IU decal on it, but that hoop floor dominates the room. It looks like … commitment.

You hire Sampson, you get the whole package: the wife, the family, plenty of cell phone minutes, even the basement floor. You get a coach who demands a level of effort nobody in Division I exceeds. That last element will affect IU players profoundly – already has, in fact – and fans will embrace the change because they adore visible effort. Ultimately, though, results will matter most.

“Sure, our practices are intense, but so what?” Sampson says. “If you’re not winning games, who cares? The purpose is to prepare your kids to play a certain way so that when the ball goes up they can reach back and touch something that can help them succeed.”

Any head coach will make his new team different, but improvement is harder to attain. Sampson’s arrival after a dozen years at Oklahoma, though, could help at least three Hoosiers players become dramatically more productives:

“Guard A.J. Ratliff. As a sophomore, his scoring average declined by more than a basket to 3.5 points. He attempted one shot every 4.7 minutes. Sampson believes Ratliff is capable of an additional 10 points per game. “The area we’re challenging A.J. in is to not worry about a missed shot. Shoot it!” Sampson says.

“Forward Ben Allen. Although Allen stands 6-foot-10, nearly half his field-goal attempts last season were from 3-point range. Sampson wants him to play more like a big man. “He was a 6-10 two guard,” Sampson says. “We want him to be a post player who can step out.”

“Forward D.J. White. White could become Big Ten Player of the Year after missing all but five games of his sophomore season. He averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman. Sampson wants more from White. “He’s got to be constantly looking for ways to improve,” Sampson says.

With the most important part of the recruiting work completed for his 2007 class – including a commitment from mega-prospect Eric Gordon of Indianapolis – Sampson is getting past the NCAA phone call violations at Oklahoma that undermined his transition to the new job. He is getting on with what he does best.

But as Sampson instills an unwavering work ethic, there are some things about Indiana basketball he won’t change: the candy-striped warmup pants, the absence of player names on uniform tops. In nearly two decades as a head coach, he has learned which fights to pick.

“You better embrace where you are,” Sampson says. “I’m a Hoosier now.”

Don’t believe it? There’s a sign on the game room wall that backs him up.