| | By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Two hours before the official start of Indiana's Midnight Madness, the first full Hoosier workout in 29 years without Bob Knight in complete and total control of the IU basketball program, interim coach Mike Davis walked across the floor in an empty Assembly Hall.
Davis paused before he crossed the court, looking up at the empty stands and the banners commemorating Hoosier championships. He was clearly trying to soak it all in during one of the few quiet moments Friday afternoon. Before heading into the locker room, Davis stopped, looked back, and said of Assembly Hall: "It's an amazing place, isn't it? I just hope that the fans get behind us."
Davis paused again. "I know they'll get behind the kids."
The undertone was clear. Davis was understandably concerned whether the Indiana faithful would get behind him, and support him through the biggest opportunity in his coaching career.
Davis has been through a tumultuous couple of months, going from Knight's side before the media,
defending his former boss against allegations of improper physical contact
with a student, to succeeding Knight as the head of the Indiana program.
While some may question the apparent about-face in Davis' loyalty toward
Knight, the practical approach was to steadfastly defend Knight until his
fate was decided, then do what was best for himself and his family. What
was best was to pursue and land the IU job, interim tag and all.
In speaking with Davis, he is trying to make it clear that he is now in control of the Indiana program, and sink or swim, he is going to do things his way. Davis gives a public air of confidence, in himself and his
team, and wants it known that he is in charge.
"This is my opportunity to show what I can do. I am prepared for this, and I am going to what I am
comfortable with, and do it my way," Davis said. "I am in charge of every
detail now."
Davis is not looking back to Knight's tenure, the last three years of which Davis was a Knight assistant, but to the future.
The players are united behind Davis, but at the same time are careful to be respectful, and almost dutiful, to Knight. In speaking with the players, they are looking forward to playing under Davis' more quiet, low-key style. But they are also mindful of how different things will be without Knight running things.
Dane Fife said, without hesitation, that the team is in full support of Davis, but will be playing the season for Knight, to honor
him. Kyle Hornsby said since the players could not have Knight, they
were glad to have Davis, but seemed to know that things will never be quite
the same at Indiana.
The changes under Davis will be easy to see on and off the court. Davis will move away from Knight's motion offense and strict reliance on man-to-man defense, in favor of more set play-calling and changing defenses including zone and
trapping. Practices will be open to the media, and sometimes to the public,
which is an amazing departure from Knight's tenure. "Practice Closed, No Admittance" is still painted on the black doors that lead to the playing floor at Assembly Hall, a stark reminder of the way things used to
be at IU.
The media will have greater access to the players, and the IU locker room will be open to the media after games. Of course, the players will be asked tough questions from time to time, but on the first day of
practice, it was apparent that several of the players are uncomfortable with
dealing with the media, principally because they have little experience in
doing so.
Hornsby, after giving an answer about his contacts with Knight since the firing, was not comfortable with his response. He asked politely if it would not be used for a television interview Friday.
"That didn't come out right, and I don't want coach Knight, or anyone else, to get the wrong idea. I just didn't know how
to answer that. Is that okay?" Hornsby asked.
Of course it was. While his answer came out just fine, one could understand how he felt. Hornsby, like every player who we spoke with hours before Midnight Madness, is a nice kid caught in the middle of a tough situation. He has
intense feelings toward Knight, and still very much want his approval, and resume a relationship with him.
Yet these players also want to stay at Indiana and play ball, while a dismissed Knight wants to move forward. Loyalty to a
former coach, and the reality of life with a new one, can be a fine line for
a youngster to walk, and these kids have to do it with the eyes of the
college basketball world upon them.
As the players ran onto the court after the clock struck midnight, the Indiana fans rose from their seats and cheered loudly. It has been several months of true madness in Bloomington, and Hoosier supporters wanted to let loose about something positive, instead of venting about the negative. As the players were introduced one by one, then the assistant coaches, Mike Davis stood just off the court and watched as each Hoosier received a nice round of applause.
When Davis was announced over the Assembly Hall public address system, the building erupted, and Davis smiled
as he walked onto the court to greet his team. No longer alone on the Assembly Hall court, Davis was again soaking it all in, no longer concerned that the fans would be behind him. They were.
His players huddled around their new interim coach, Davis seemed buoyed by the crowd reaction,
and the look of relief on his face was unmistakable. At least for now, Davis is in charge, and he intends to be in charge well after this testing season is over.
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