| | Associated Press
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana Hoosiers spent most of the past seven months wishing they could just play basketball.
Now, they finally have that chance.
"Yes, we're ready to get the season started," interim coach Mike Davis said before the Hoosiers strolled into Assembly Hall for Midnight Madness on Friday. "I think our guys are tired of me, probably, they just want to play."
Perhaps they're tired of the 6 a.m. runs and individual workouts that Davis has monitored so closely almost from the moment he stepped into the Indiana job just 31 days ago.
They're also weary of distractions from university investigations into Knight's conduct. An allegation from a freshman student led to Knight's firing, Davis' hiring and nearly a player revolt.
In the month since those events, though, things have settled down and the Hoosiers have been looking forward to this, the start of basketball season.
"It's all about these guys being able to focus," Davis said. "We're trying to keep them focused, that's the main thing.
"We've seen it go and come, and there's a distraction every now
and then. But we can kind of tell them that's a part of life."
In this case, it's also part of a new era.
With Knight out at Indiana, Davis has taken over and made changes, the most visible of which will be on full display Friday -- 3-point shooting and dunk contests and the inclusion, for the first time, of the women's basketball team.
"I just think it's a great opportunity for us to get some exposure," women's coach Kathi Bennett said. "And what a way to
start the season."
Still, the Hoosiers aren't sure what to expect.
Neither Davis nor the players know how fans will respond in the
wake of Knight's ouster.
The last time a large crowd gathered at Assembly Hall was Sept.
10, the day of Knight's dismissal. Back then, thousands of
students, angry students, gathered to protest Knight's dismissal.
The players remain hopeful that another large crowd, with a much
different attitude, will show up for Midnight Madness.
"It would be really, really awesome and very much appreciated
if people fill this thing up and show their support for us," guard
Kyle Hornsby said.
Nobody wants to see that more than Davis, who still hasn't
spoken with Knight.
"It should feel different," he said. "I've been involved in
basketball for 32 years, so I'm just excited to be on the floor
coaching.
"I'm excited about the fact that this is my first time in this
position."
Even though Friday night was just practice No. 1.
But to Davis and the Hoosiers it's a whole new beginning, a
start to something they've craved ever since mid-March when Indiana
was upset by Pepperdine in the NCAA Tournament.
It's also an opportunity to finally put all the distractions behind them.
"I am ready to go," Davis said. "I think we have a couple of
guys who are banged up right now. I don't know if they're banged up
because of a serious injury or if they're banged up because they're
tired of seeing me. But I think we're ready to start playing."
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