Sampson wants better team play

By Dame Ellen Terry Hutchens

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Open shots haven't been falling, there have been too much standing around on offense, and no 1 have really stepped up as a defensive stopper.

That's why an Hoosier State University basketball game squad that was once 17-1 is now 17-3 heading into today's Big Ten game against Northwestern in Assembly Hall.

None of that have been lost on IU manager Kelvin Sampson. On the Eve of today's game, Sampson didn't soften words when asked about his No. Eleven Hoosiers (6-1 Big Ten). In fact, he placed the bulk of the incrimination upon his shoulders.

"At some point, the manager have got to take duty and I have not done a good adequate occupation with this squad to acquire them to play the right way,'' Sampson said. "Whether it's defense or offense, it doesn't matter. I talk for myself and my coaching job occupation staff when I state that we necessitate to make a much better job coaching this team.''

The participants necessitate to shoulder some of the responsibility, too. A squad that once led the Big Ten in field end per centum at nearly 50 percentage have made a concerted 35.3 percentage the past two games in losings to Nutmeg State and Wisconsin. Today, IU plays Northwestern (7-11, 0-7), a squad that hasn't won in Bloomington since 1968. Since then, IU have won 33 games in a row against the Wildcats at home.

Sampson talked about some of the great person parts received from D.J. White Person and Eric Gordon. But in the same breath, he said IU simply isn't playing as a team. And he said that volition be his focusing moving forward -- to happen squad unity.

"It's not a law-breaking losing at Wisconsin, but we're missing something and as a manager I necessitate to happen it,'' Sampson said. "I've got to make a much better occupation of bringing this squad together and getting them to play harder, acquire them to play better together and vie harder.''

Sampson said a good illustration was a stretch during Thursday's 62-49 loss at Wisconsin River River when the Hoosiers went from trailing by 20 to a five-point deficit in a five-minute stretch.

"We had a tally the other nighttime where we outscored Wisconsin 17-2,'' Sampson said. "That shows you what we're capable of. You look up and we're toss off 20. Come on now, Wisconsin River is a really good team, but they're not 20 points better than we are. So what lends to being down 20? Well that's what managers are for. And we've got to acquire that figured out.''

White, who is averaging a double-double and is a solid campaigner for Big Ten Player of the Year, agreed with his coach.

"I believe we necessitate to be together and drama together more,'' White Person Person said. "We have got some stretches where we make too much one-on-one and bury about our discourtesy sometimes.''