CHEERS FOR SAMPSON.Byline: STEVE DILBECK SACRAMENTO - The applause was -- shall we say? -- on the muted mut·ed adj. 1. a. Muffled; indistinct: a muted voice. b. Mute or subdued; softened: muted colors. 2. side. Polite stuff. Almost of the required variety. Kelvin Sampson Kelvin Sampson (born October 5, 1955), a Lumbee Indian, is the men's basketball coach of the Indiana Hoosiers at Indiana University. He previously held the same position at Montana Tech (1981-85), Washington State University (1987-94) and University of Oklahoma (1994-2006). was coming to Indiana, to the land of Hoosiers and John Wooden and toddlers who start dribbling before walking. Maybe three years earlier, when Oklahoma had put together four consecutive remarkable seasons, it might have had the faithful in rapture. But the Sooners had slipped to three pretty good years, plus Sampson was now under NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association scrutiny. There were no cartwheels, no hallelujahs, no cries that all was saved. Then, of course, he wasn't Bobby Knight -- or maybe worse -- one of Knight's proteges. He wasn't, alas, a true Hoosier. Yet one year on the job and Sampson has done a remarkable job of winning over nonbelievers. In just one season, he has had the fans at Assembly Hall chanting his name. He has seen the Hoosiers go 21-10 and defeat Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament can mean: Men's Sports
RECAPTURE, war. its place among college basketball's elite. "Looking back, this has been a fast year," Sampson said. "This year has been incredible fast for us. I don't think it could have gone any better." Sampson will try to keep his surprising ride going tonight when Indiana meets UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX in an NCAA second-round game at Arco Arena Current arenas in the National Basketball Association Western Conference Eastern Conference . Like Howland at UCLA, Sampson is taking over one of college basketball's most storied programs, trying to return it to glory, trying to mix a respect for the tradition while establishing a foundation for the future. "I think our fan base is excited about our future," Sampson said. "And I think that's what Ben has done at UCLA. "The greatest thing a coach can do for a program is give the community, university hope. That's the most important thing we could do this year -- give our fans and the people who love and care about Indiana basketball hope and get excited for the future." There were plenty leery of Sampson's hire. He was not Steve Alford Stephen Todd Alford (born November 23 1964) is a retired American basketball player and the current head coach of the University of New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team. Alford, a former college basketball star and NBA player, was born in Franklin, Indiana and he grew up in New or any former Hoosier great. He was not some hot young coach like Gonzaga's Mark Few. And then there were those phone problems. The NCAA said there had been 577 illegal calls made to recruits while at Oklahoma. Shortly after being hired at Indiana, he was given a one-year suspension on off-campus recruiting and making phone calls to recruits. It was not the best beginning. But one step at a time, he began to win over the skeptics. First -- apparently mastering the art of text messaging Sending short messages to a smartphone, pager, PDA or other handheld device. Text messaging implies sending short messages generally no more than a couple of hundred characters in length. -- he signed Eric Gordon Eric Gordon (born December 25, 1988 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American basketball player. The 6-4, 205 lb. Gordon played his High School basketball at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. , perhaps the most highly sought after high school guard in the country. Gordon had previously spurned spurn v. spurned, spurn·ing, spurns v.tr. 1. To reject disdainfully or contemptuously; scorn. See Synonyms at refuse1. 2. To kick at or tread on disdainfully. v. former Indiana coach Mike Davis and given an oral commitment to Illinois. Then the season started and observers quickly began to notice a change in Indiana's style of play. They were emphasizing defense, playing hard, playing disciplined. They were not giving games away. Even losses were tightly contested. Perhaps best of all, Indiana was winning more than expected. The Hoosiers took third in the Big Ten behind No. 1 Ohio State and No.3 Wisconsin. A program that has won five national championships -- three under Knight -- again seemed on the rise. "I think everybody loves a winner most of all, and that's what Indiana basketball fans were used to for such a long time," ex-Hoosier Landon Turner told Indianapolis Star last month. "Of course there are a few Bobby Knight naysayers out there, but those people will always be there. I'm a Bobby Knight fan, but my alma mater ma·ter n. Chiefly British Mother. [Latin m  ter; see m is IU and I want to see Indiana do well."
Sampson has tried to embrace Indiana's tradition, while keeping keenly focused on the future. Much like Howland at UCLA, he is less trying to recapture a moment in time for Indiana as use its past to shape a new future. "I think tradition is important, but I think the future is more important," he said. "It's kind of like progress. A lot of people want progress but seldom do they want change. "There is always a segment of society that wants to keep things they way they've always been. But I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how you can have progress without change, especially today in this game. "All sports have to change, but the commitment more schools have made to college basketball College basketball most often refers to the American basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA. History
"Cutting edge is a floating term, but if you're not still on that cutting edge today, then you're getting passed. That's the area every program strides for." With only one off day before meeting the Bruins, Sampson said he won't even bother to mention UCLA's own history or 11championship banners. "You don't have much time to talk to them about that," he said. "I've been talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to them a lot more about Arron Afflalo Arron Agustin Afflalo (born October 15, 1985) is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Detroit Pistons. He recently completed a three-year career at University of California, Los Angeles in the Pacific Ten Conference of the NCAA as the starting shooting and Josh Shipp Josh Shipp (born 23 January in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is an American motivational speaker and author focusing on youth and college-aged audiences. He is noted as being one of the youngest speakers ever accepted into the National Speakers Association. ." Sampson built programs at Washington State and Oklahoma. He understands the process, the small steps, the consistency it requires. "You have to build your program, but before you build it you have to have a vision for how you would like it to be, which end of the court you want to win at," he said. "You want to be good at everything, but you have to have an identity somewhere." Most in Indiana now seem on board, won over by Sampson's force of personality and his team's style of play. If there are some still mistrustful of illegal goings-on at Oklahoma, winning still captures the day. These Hoosiers have learned to adjust their games. Figured out the emphasis on defense and playing under control. Started a process Sampson hopes is only a beginning. "These kids have been our test group," he said. "All these kids have had to make major adjustments. It has been a struggle at times but it's supposed to be a struggle. It's not supposed to be easy. "That's where you get your biggest enjoyment. You get a lot of pleasure from taking over programs and turning them and having your vision and philosophy built into the program, and them moving forward. "I'm really looking forward to this spring and summer and next fall for a second team. Because I think we have a chance to build something special here." To hear new applause. stephen.dilbeck@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Coach Kelvin Sampson, speaking with A.J. Ratliff, has pointed the Hoosiers toward a different style of basketball -- and winning with it. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Box: No 2. UCLA vs. No. 7 INDIANA |
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