Kelvin Sampson?

[DrGonzoLives]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/5451938

Yeah, it's sports, but it's the Hoosiers...

[fishwax]

1. Oklahoma fan here--I think Kelvin's a great coach, but

I'm pretty shocked that the Hoosiers went in that direction. Kelvin's had more success at Oklahoma in the last 10-12 years than Indiana has had in that time, but I think his star has been quite tarnished in the last year. He's leaving the team with self-imposed sanctions as a result of improper phone calls, and the NCAA investigation into the program is still underway.

And investigations aside, this year was almost certainly Sampson's worst coaching job in his time at Oklahoma. The team was a preseason top 5 team, and horrifically underperformed during the regular season and then lost their first game in the Big 12 tournament and in the first round of the NCAAs.

I could see KS being successful at Indiana, but I'm not as convinced of it as I might have been a few years ago, and I don't blame Hoosier fans for being less than enthusiastic ...

[IndianaGreen]

2. Thanks for the info, fishwax

I am glad it is not "wonder boy" Steve Alford who got the nod. I thought Mike Davis did a great job in restoring dignity to a program that was badly tarnished by that psychotic paranoid that Bob Knight was. Knight should have been fired years earlier!

Yep, I am not a Knight fan and I am sorry that Mike Davis left. I wish Davis the best!

BTW, I am an IU grad.

[fishwax]

6. Always glad to help :) I hope that

he does well at Indiana, and I'll be following them next year.

As an outsider, it didn't seem to me that Davis got quite a fair shake. (From what I understand, though, he made some really questionable recruiting decisions.) I'm sure he'll land on his feet.

I don't like Knight either. I was excited when he wound up at Texas Tech because I knew I'd get to cheer against him at one home game a year :) A couple of years ago a call went against him at a game in Norman, and he has been totally classless to OU ever since then. :eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

7. Knight belongs in Texas!

That's a state better known for mistreating its citizens, so Texas is perfect for Knight to abuse and berate his players.

:P

[fishwax]

9. i can't argue with that

:rofl:

[salin]

4. Very interestihg... as one bone of pride

under Knight, and continued under Davis was a "clean" program.

Sad to hear this, we have had several years of upheavel in the overall athletics dept and the football programs, would hate to think that their will be a continuation of these problems in the basketball program (beyond the post Knight transition.) :-(

[fishwax]

5. Sampson's problems along that front aren't severe, and

I'd generally considered him to have his hands quite clean, so the phone thing came out as a surprise. He's had a number of players in the past who have had legal problems (usually marijuana possession, but occasionally shoplifting) and I've always thought he handled those matters very well--willing to give 2nd chances but also willing to take hard stands when the 2nd chances didn't work out, including kicking his best player off the team two days before a nationally-televised battle of two top-ten teams (OU and Maryland).

I think there's a good chance that the current NCAA review won't require any further sanctions, but even so it makes the timing weird for Indiana hiring him. He was a hot commodity a few years ago, but then just a few weeks ago there was talk of him heading to Arizona State--definitely a step down from OU--now all of the sudden he's going to a top program like Indiana? :shrug:

I wish him luck, though, and I'll have my eye on the Hoosiers next year :)

[salin]

11. Thanks for the info

the hardline on second chances sounds in line with the history of the Hoosier program. When Davis and Sampson faced off in the quarter finals a few years ago, Sampson came across as a very class act.

There is some incredible talent on the team this year - and many worries that some will leave with Davis. Hopefully a Sampson arrival will keep them in place, and give him some great material to start off with.

We welcome all new fans :D

[salin]

3. Just this morning in the Horrible Terrible (nic fot the b-ton paper)

they were ruling folks out - but Sampson had not yet been mentioned. Is this confirmed? Rather Ironic, isn't it given that Davis's run to the finals included bumping one of Sampson's teams. Also ironic given all of the talk that the next coach needed to have some kind of IU "family" connection.

I like Sampson, but I also liked/respected Davis, so I clearly am not a representative voice per local Hoosier supporters.

[fishwax]

8. apparently the OU athletic department was caught off guard

they didn't even have a statement prepared when the media initially called, so whoever is in charge of such things at Indiana got it done very quietly ...

[thinkingwoman]

10. I have no idea

what to think about this.

I am actually speechless...which is damn weird for me.

[Chiyo-chichi]

12. I don't call myself SoonerHoosier for nothin'.

I'm an alum of both universities. I was at OU during the Billy Tubbs era, but have been a big fan of Coach Sampson. I hope that fishwax is right about the NCAA investigation. I expect IU to begin winning more consistently - he is a great coach. I hope I get a chance to meet him here in Bloomington.

I'm going over to the press conference right now!

Boomer Sooner! Go Hoosiers!

[thinkingwoman]

13. I'm certainly willing to give him the benefit of the doubt

And winning more consistently would be nice!

[fishwax]

14. Hey SoonerHoosier

Must be a weird day to be both a Sooner and Hoosier fan :). I only hope that OU can find a great hire to replace him with. :thumbsup:

[Chiyo-chichi]

15. I hope so, too.

I believe they will.
A couple of colleagues came to break the news to me thinking I was not going to like it. I was certainly shocked, but I'm thrilled.
They took Coach Sampson off right after the press conference, but I got to exchange a "Boomer Sooner" with his son, Kellen.

The really weird day to be both a Sooner & Hoosier fan was when they played each other in '02. Didn't know what to do with myself. I said that I'd be happy whichever team won as long as the winner went on to win it all. That didn't work out.