Make or Break Part II

If you liked Part I, here is Part II.

Anthony Calhoun's Introduction to the piece: Well tonight Coach Davis finally sets the record straight on all those rumors, rumors surrounding his future, how HS phenom Greg Oden slipped away and his definition of a true IU fan.

Anthony Calhoun: 2002 IU Coach Mike Davis was one of the hottest names in college basketball. He had just led the Hoosiers to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament. The coach was sitting on top of the world.

Mike Davis: Was I sitting on top of the world? Well, from from your viewpoint maybe I was sitting on top of the world. But for me its never changed. Um I love coach.

AC: You were a wanted man. A lot a lot of schools wanted you to come coach for them. And you probably could have left if you wanted to.

MD: Thats not true because um thats thats those are the rumors of all the schools that that I so called interviewed, wanted me, but thats not true cause I never talked to anyone. Um was I a wanted man? Not from that standpoint.

AC: Ever since he replaced Bob Knight 5 years ago, there have been questions about Davis and his future in Bloomington. Let's set the record straight. Give me some of the rumors you have heard that are just ridiculous and blows your mind away.

MD: The Georgia job was available and someone said they saw me on the Georgia campus interviewing for the job and you know I haven't been on the Georgia campus since I was a coach at Alabama.

AC: Davis says he can go down a list of rumors like: leaving for the NBA - false, taking a job at Tulane - false, Davis trying to get Charles Barkley to help him get the Auburn job - false. So have there been any schools in the past asking for permission to speak with Davis?

Rick Greenspan: Thats a question that in my 25 years in the business that I've never answered and I won't answer now. Because I don't think that does anything but fuels speculation. But I think you can trust Mike and Mike's word.

AC: But Davis told me that its those rumors that have hurt him in recruiting. And the biggest blow happened this past summer when he lost the #1 senior in the country, Lawrence North's Greg Oden. And he lost him to another B10 school Ohio State.

MD: When a kid decide to go somewhere else, then no matter where it may be, that's his decision. Um am I disappointed? You're disappointed but you not upset with the player. Um there is people right now upset with DJ White for coming to Indiana.

AC: But some IU supporters say that the administration should be held responsible for the loss of Oden and some other big recruits. That's because many feel the University should have either fired Davis last year or be committed more than one season leaving Davis as a lame duck.

RG: It was a decision uh that was reached and it was reached with the idea that certainly there is an additional burden when there is all kinds of speculation about a coach's tenure, but I really believe that uh um we can overcome that.

MD: Lets not get that confused with just this year, its been 5 years. Its been that way for five years. The year I was interim coach, who knew? You go play for a National Championship and I'm going somewhere else. Um I've beaten it.

AC: Davis admits that he has changed a whole lot since taking the job 5 years ago. He's more mature as a coach. He says his wife Tamilia and his players have been his biggest supporters during his time at IU.

MD: People take shots at me um its not about me and I can't control that. I'm I'm way past that those those stages of me worried about what they are saying and taking shots about me and me being upset about it.

AC: And when it comes to those true IU fans.

MD: There's some great people um in Indiana Basketball involved in Indiana Basketball and they love being (unintelligible) whether I'm here or Bob Knight is here or whoever it is. Those are the people that I care about and those are the people that make Indiana what Indiana is all about. It's not the ones that okay if Mike Davis is coach I'm not going to be a part of Indiana Basketball. Those those are the people that not true Indiana fans you know. Should they get upset? Yes they should get upset when we lose games they should be upset and disappointed cause this they love this school you know. But they don't love it no more than I love it!

AC: Mike Davis and the Boys will get their season started Friday Night at Assembly Hall against Nichols State. Of course you will find the best coverage of IU Basketball all season long right here on 24 Hour News 8

Fortunately ESPN aired an All Access Bob Knight special during the 11pm SC so I didn't have to go to bed with Davis on my mind. That could only have led to some VERY BAD nightmares.