Thursday, October 14, 1999
Indiana must make up for big losses
Recker transfered;transferred; 2 recruits ineligible
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Indiana coach Bob Knight's program may have a difficult time avoiding a sixth consecutive season with double-figure losses and an early NCAA Tournament exit.
The Hoosiers lost leading scorer Luke Recker (16.1), who transfered to Arizona, and two freshmen who didn't qualify academically.
These are some questions facing IU:
Who was the biggest offseason loss for the Hoosiers?
That's a close call. It'd be easy enough to say Recker. But what's scary is there may be room for debate, given that incoming freshmen Kei Madison and George Leach are ineligible. Madison, a 6-foot-8 power forward, was expected to add an athletic spark to the frontcourt, and the 6-11 Leach to provide some muscle and rebounding in reserve.
Who takes Recker's place?
Probably 6-4 sophomore Dane Fife, a McDonald's All-American two years ago whose freshman year was something of a disappointment.
Fife was a tremendous prospect coming out of high school and passed for 51 assists in just 16 minutes a game on the wing, but he struggled with his jump shot and turned over the ball too often.
What will guard A.J. Guyton's role be as a senior?
It has seemed to change almost from game to game during his career — from playmaker to scorer and back again, depending on which other IU guard happened to be playing well.
For the Hoosiers to be really good, Guyton will have to play off the ball at shooting guard. That means senior Michael Lewis could be in charge of the offense again.
Is there a player who could surprise?
Center Kirk Haston is extremely skilled and fits perfectly into the IU system. He averaged 9.9 points and 6.5 rebounds as a freshman and seems capable of doubling his scoring output as he gets more touches and more minutes.
What's the competition like in the Big Ten?
Severe. The league's two Final Four teams, Ohio State and Michigan State, have many of their best players returning. Illinois appears to be ready to make a major move with three McDonald's All-Americans arriving. Wisconsin and Michigan should fight the Hoosiers for positions in the middle of the pack.
Will the Hoosiers ever see the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament again?
They've lost in the first or second round each of the past five seasons.
For this team to make it, it will have to pull an upset or two. The talent collected suggests a team that again will be seeded in the 6 to 10 range — where the Hoosiers have been for the last half-decade.
Indiana basketball roster
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