I’m sad that the season is over because I love Hoosier basketball. But I was conflicted because I did not want Davis to have any more success that he could call his own and consequently use to pad his resume and use against IU.
I’m fighting the temptation to turn this post into yet another Davis rant. That will be another post. Instead, I’ll keep it short and turn my attention to the future; a future that I’m actually looking forward to — if the right coach is hired.
IU will return a terrific point guard in Earl Calloway who came into his own during last part of the season. During the NCAA tournament he willed IU to a victory over San Diego State in the first round and had a near triple-double in a loss to Gonzaga. He has speed, vision, and can distribute the rock. With the right coach, I can see him being one of top point guards in the nation next year.
D.J. White will return. He has talked about transferring to where ever Davis ends up, but that would require him to sit out an entire year after being sidelined for 90% of this year’s games due to injury. He’ll be back and the former Big Ten Freshman of the Year will be hungry to prove himself ready for the NBA.
IU will also return three other productive players: Ben Allen, Roderick Wilmont, and A.J. Ratliff.
I know next year will be a rebuilding year, but these five guys form a terrific nucleus around which a skilled coach can build a competitive team. And by skilled coach, I mean those not named Steve Alford and Isiah Thomas.
Update
Terry Hutchens over of the Hoosier Insider has a post about this same thing.
Let's take a look, first with the possibly idealistic view that everyone that is eligible to be back returns. The starting lineup would probably look this way:
Point Guard -- Earl Calloway. If one guy emerged from the two NCAA Tournament games it was Calloway. I think for most of the season he believed his role on the team was to push the ball up court, get it in the hands of either Killingsworth or one of IU's catch-and-shoot guys on the perimeter, and use his quickness to pay dividends on defense. In the NCAA Tournament, he emerged as a player who can do all of those things and be an effective scorer, too.
Shooting Guard -- Roderick Wilmont or A.J. Ratliff. These guys could both potentially be in the starting lineup if Ratliff gets over his sophomore jinx. But these guys will be looked upon to shoulder a lot of the perimeter scoring load.
Off Guard/Small Forward -- Robert Vaden. If Vaden returns, he could be a solid candidate for first-team all-Big Ten honors. He needs to do better handling the ball and work on some of his passing decisions, but the guy can flat-out play.
Forward/Power Forward -- Ben Allen. I think this is a role that he could potentially settle into, but he'll need to make good strides over the summer. The breakout season that many hoped for this season could occur under a new coach next year.
Power Forward/Center -- D.J. White. If White decides to return, Indiana will be a team that will be given instant status as a squad that could compete for the Big Ten championship. Sure, Ohio State will be the favorite, but Indiana, with White, would at least be considered a team in the upper third of the conference.
My only disagreement here is that I think Vaden will be gone so I didn't even bother speculating. Davis has already received a call from Mississippi about its head coach position and I don't see Vaden having a problem sitting out a year, especially if its a decent program.
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