Mike Davis today showed how totally out of touch he is with Indiana Basketball tradition and how over his head he is coaching in the Big Ten. It is totally inconceivable to Davis why his fans have turned against him. Let me explain.Mike Davis is the first coach in Indiana history to begin his tenure with three straight 20-plus win seasons and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. In each of his first two seasons, Davis led the Hoosiers to six victories over ranked opponents. The last time Indiana defeated at least six nationally-ranked opponents was 1992-93. Under Davis' direction, Indiana has defeated four top 4-ranked programs (No. 1 Michigan State and No. 4 Illinois in 2000-01 and No. 1 Duke and No. 3 Oklahoma in 2001-02).
However, in the last two seasons, Mike has failed to make the NCAA tournament with a 14-15 record and 7-9 in the conference in the 2003-2004 season and 15-13 record, 10-6 in conference, the next year, which was the first time in over 25 years that IU failed to make the tournament in back-to-back seasons. This year the Hoosiers were ranked as high as 9th in the nation and were 12-3. Yet, typical Mike Davis fashion has turned a potent offense that scored 100 points in their first three games into a feeble 13-8. How does Mike fix this problem?
According to the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne he blames the fans and the media for his player's and his coaching scheme's poor results. "I know a lot of teams around the country that would have been happy if they were one game out of first and ranked in the country, but it's really, really taken effect on out players - not just this year but every year I've been here, because it doesn't matter what I do." Unfortunately, Mike, IU fans expect more than being ranked in the country, and now the Hoosiers are 2 1/2 games out of first in the Big Ten. We expect to make it to the tournament every year, we expect to win a conference road game. There wasn't a lot of complaining when you made it to the final game your first year or advanced in the tournament the next two. There are IU alumni who remember never seeing a home loss in Assembly Hall their entire academic careers. There are alumni who remember the undefeated season. There are alumni who remember when IU used to run an offense instead of constantly settling for three pointers.
If you can't live up the expectations, get out. And do it without making excuses. Mike says, "Indiana needs to have one of their own. They need to have someone that has played here, so they can embrace them." I don't remember hearing this his first three years; as if his lack of Hoosier affiliation was the problem. Since 1938, the year of the first NCAA tournament, IU had Branch McCracken who played at IU then coached them to 2 National Championships; Lou Watson a IU player turned coach who was dismissed after six seasons and a 62-60 record; and Jerry Oliver's 7-12 interim season. The school then chose to look outside of its alumni circle to a former Ohio State player, Bobby Knight who as a coach won 3 national championships. IU fans like coaches who win national championships not just coaches that are Hoosiers; IU fans want coaches with the drive and wherewithal to become members of the Hall of Fame (McCracken, Knight); to claim otherwise does a disservice to your fan support, your players, and your ability.
