Indiana held off a pesky Tennessee State team led by former Ohio Valley Freshman of the Year, Bruce Price. Price had 34 points for the game…However the big new was that Eric Gordon went down in the first half with what the trainers described as a bruised backside. Sitting courtside doing the game for the Big Ten Network, I was disapointed that I wouldn’t have an opportunity to watch him perform in person. One thing I did learn about him watching him go through the morning shoot around. He is all business. His work ethic and attention to detail were of a four year veteran. And as Kelvin Sampson said, “when your best player sets a tone like Eric, it is easy to get everyone else’s attention.”
When Gordon went out Sampson was force to play guys out of position. They were already shorthanded with Jordan Crawford and AJ Ratliff not suited to play. Crawford should be back for the Kentucky game while Ratliff will return after the end of the Fall semester.
It was a trio of seniors who came up big for the Hoosiers. DJ White started the game 8 for 8 from the field and ended up with 29. He is a lottery pick in my book. He not only scored inside, but is capable of making the mid range jumper. Mike White came off the bench to coral 10 rebounds and Lance Stemler hit two big threes to maintain a working margin for Indiana.
Two great coaching moves Kelvin Sampson has made already this season. First, by electing to sit Gordon the rest of the game he gave his team an opportunity to discover other ways to score. Secondly, his decision to remove the redshirt from Mike White will pay dividends in the Big Ten.
Perhaps, the best insight by Coach Sampson was his belief that there are no big wins or big losses in November. You are just trying to find out what you have as a team. The loss to Xavier showed him the inexperience inside. Hence, the reinsertion of Mike White into the lineup. Also, that loss helped them win on the road at Southern Illinois. It was the first Hoosier road win against a ranked opponent since 2002. It will give them tremendous confidence going into the league season.
