If Mike Davis cuts by about 50% the time he spends complaining about his critics/fans/media/anyone else he deems guilty of his team's underachieving this year, and takes that time and applies it to actually, you know, coaching, I imagine that IU's season could still be salvaged. (Not that I particularly care to see that outcome.)
Isn't this the same team that Davis said was his deepest and most talented? Isn't this the same team that Davis said would be able to overcome the injury to any one player on the team?
Consider this quote, from about two months after Davis' official hire as head coach:
"What you can't control, you can't worry about. You can't control what goes on on the outside. You can control what goes on on the inside."And yet this column from the Louisville Courier-Journal's Rick Bozich states everything I wanted to say tonight. Here's a choice quote:
It's not angry fans, indifferent administrators, critical sportswriters, tough scheduling, unlucky injuries, bad officiating or aging facilities. I'll say it one more time: You've done bad work. Your teams are disorganized and uninspired. They're consistently short on grit and long on making excuses.Me too, Rick. I have nothing further to add. The prosecution rests - as does Davis' team's defense.
If you want to talk basketball, I'm ready. You win with defense. You lose with indifference to defense. Davis' players defend as if they'll get a technical foul for bending their knees.
There are 334 Division I teams. IU ranks 151st in field-goal percentage defense. I can't blame that on fans who threaten protests. I can blame that on a coach whose team shrinks from pressuring the ball.
Thank God and Greyhound he is gone.
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