Score 1 for Sampson!

One of the things I highlighted that Coach Sampson needed to do IMMEDIATELY was to extend an olive branch to the former players. That didn't take long...

Sampson works to build support - Indystar.com

When new Indiana University basketball coach Kelvin Sampson learned that the United States Basketball Writers Association planned to honor the 1976 and 1981 IU national championship teams at its awards breakfast Friday, Sampson called event organizers and asked to participate in the program.

If some IU people have greeted Sampson's hiring from Oklahoma on Wednesday by sitting on their hands, Sampson is extending his hands in every direction.

Outstanding... and it is already working...

"I'll admit it, I was surprised (that IU hired Sampson)," said Buckner, who works for the Indiana Pacers. "But this thing (the fracture between the school and former Knight players) has gone on long enough. I was in the shower just the other night and told myself, 'You've got to get over this. This is your school. You've just got to get over it.'

"We need somebody who can galvanize this basketball program again, and I think Kelvin can do that."

Thanks Quinn!

"It's time for Indiana University basketball to move on and it's time for all of the players to be adults and realize that life changes and you have to accept change," Risley said. "That's part of being an adult.

"Programs can't keep holding on to the past. They tried to do that with coach (John) Wooden at UCLA and they had a hard time for a number of years. We should learn something from that and embrace a new era.

"I love coach Knight as much as anybody and I appreciate everything he did for me, which was a lot. But he's not the coach at Indiana anymore. Kelvin Sampson is. And the name on the front of my jersey didn't say 'Bob Knight.' It said 'Indiana.' That's what I support -- Indiana."

Thanks Steve Risley!

"We all need to give him a chance -- the fans, the former players and especially the current players," Tolbert said. "He deserves that. Any man would."

Thank you Ray Tolbert!

Keep up the good work Coach Sampson!