Indiana AD meets with players

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Indiana University athletic director Rick Greenspan met with basketball players late Thursday at Assembly Hall, but it was unclear whether he revealed to them the fate of their embattled coach, Kelvin Sampson. Greenspan is expected to announce today his decision to suspend, fire or retain Sampson. The players left Greenspan's office about 7:30 p.m. Brian Stemler said his son, IU senior forward Lance Stemler, told him the meeting centered on the team, not who would coach them Saturday at Northwestern, or beyond.

Indianapolis Star

Kelvin Sampson, AP Kelvin Sampson, AP
February 22, 2008  09:11 AM ET

Kelvin Sampson: Soon to appear at a community college gym near you.

February 22, 2008  09:50 AM ET

I expect another D1 school will pick him up. There are plenty of schools that are more concerned with getting good players at any cost than maintaining impeccable standards.

February 22, 2008  10:35 AM ET

What the article does not mention is that the players told the AD if the Coach goes, they will not play.

February 22, 2008  11:49 AM ET

I hope Kelvin Sampson. has unlimited minutes with his phone company....

February 22, 2008  12:49 PM ET

Yes, the players said they won't play for Dakich. Well, then shut down the season and cancel all their scholarships--they got them to play, and if they don't play IU shouldn't pay. I appreciate their loyalty to their coach, but this goes too far. He cheated, is embarrassing the university as a whole, and those 15 guys have to realize that the world doesn't revolve around them. IU simply cannot make personnel decisions based entirely on what a small group of whiny, self-important students think.

February 22, 2008  12:50 PM ET

It would be very unfortunate for IU if the players stick to their guns on this one. The bottom line seems to be that Kelvin has violated the rules, again, repeatedly. I understand wanted to stand by your coach, but allowing the players to win this one will deprive them of a great life lesson about the consequences of behaving unethically.

February 22, 2008  12:51 PM ET

WHy would the players potentially forfeit their season to stand behind a sleazeball like Kelvin Sampson??? I hope that was just an initial reaction and not something they really thought about.

February 22, 2008  12:54 PM ET

Sorry: it's 14 guys. Even better. A major university of 30,000+ students putting its reputation and future on the line for a bunch of guys who largely couldn't hack it in college without a lot of academic hand-holding and who are apparently such babies that they can't adjust to a different coach for a month.

Again, appreciate the loyalty, but these punks need to grow up.

February 22, 2008  12:55 PM ET

I think Kelvin tried to call me. Bet you'll see him on an NBA bench in the next couple years.

February 22, 2008  03:43 PM ET

When will these coaches get it. All he needs to do now is join the liars club
He'll be in good company Rafael Palmero Barry Bonds Roger Clemens, and Richard Nixon oh and Bill Clinton

February 22, 2008  04:49 PM ET

Sleaze ball, really? He made improper phone calls...phone calls. Didn't pay his players, didn't get his players "A's" in classes they didn't attend, etc. It was phone calls. The NCAA needs to redefine their interpretation of a "major" recruiting violation, b/c if what Sampson did is viewed the same as basically paying a player to come play for you, then I have serious doubts about the system. Yes he did break the rules, and yes he should be punished, but I find it odd that everyone is out to vilify Sampson. It was phone calls. There were over 100 similar violations that happened last recruiting season. What is happening to those coaches, schools, programs?? Why is Sampson being singled out? Does Miles Brand still have it out for any IU head basketball coach??

February 22, 2008  05:21 PM ET

if they cancel the whole season U of I wont finish dead last- well yes they would- man that is pretty sad, a team quits and still finishes ahead of you. U of I, go join a junior college division you cannot compete at this level. and while you are at it, please unwrap the piano wire from Bruce Weber's nuts, he talks like Mike Jackson

February 22, 2008  06:47 PM ET

U of I? It's IU dumbass. How is the College of Boston doing?

February 22, 2008  06:48 PM ET

i could just picture it now.. sampson's voice being the next hottest ringtone.. the guy can talk up a storm on your cellphone..sure to scare any telemarketers away...
oh kelvin.. why did they let you stay so long... your career in the cell phone business is just around the corner...
;)
ps have you guys been buying tickets to any games so far? i really wanna get some for the finals.. any good sites?

February 22, 2008  07:39 PM ET

"U of I? It's IU dumbass."

I think he was saying that even if Indiana quit now that they'd still finish ahead of Illini.

However, I really think that comment WAS out of place.

February 22, 2008  08:26 PM ET

This man has already been busted before for doing this crap. He is just a hard head that will not learn. He just sealed his fate by having been bought out as he just cashed his last college paycheck.
Had he taken his beatings like a man instead of being bought out is right out of that punk Butch Davis' playbook and Davis will NEVER be a head coach in the NFL again....mark these words Sampson won't be a coach in men's basketball in the NCAA any time soon because he will put that school under a microscope that NO team wants.
PERIOD !
I don't care how good of a coach he is, as a human being, he is stupid for getting busted for doing the same thing twice and that means he has NOT learned his lesson, thus he is stupid.
Enjoy that buyout check and that crap about your players quitting if you were fired, i would have told them that the players that want to stay, can stay, and those that want to leave can walk out the door right now and call their damn bluff.
"Take that thug nation crap for a walk".
they would have all set there like babies and if they didn't, and walked out, the nation would be screaming at how great Indiana was for not letting a bunch of student (stupid) athletes dictating policy at any time.
This has nothing to do with race by the way so throw that card right the hell out.
This just proves that the Indiana Hoosiers administration has no backbone and i hope when the smoke clears, the NCAA spanks them for being babies and not canning him outright.

February 22, 2008  09:01 PM ET

Sampson out as Indiana coach; 6 players skip Dakich???s first practice.

this is the latest headline.

i would be throwing players off the team hand over fist and ripping scholarships.
i can only hope he throws them off the team if this is true.

we'll see how is growing stones here !

February 22, 2008  09:03 PM ET

I dont think the players missing practice was because of Sampson leaving, theyve known that was coming for a while, I believe they wanted Ray McCallum to finish season instead of Dakich. McCallum was instrumental in recruiting these kids, has had some success at BSU (couple of NCAA's, Dakich 0 at BG) and been around longer than October. Not sure I agree with missing practice, but I understand their anger and confusion. They will be there tomorrow and will kick Northwesterns @#$

February 22, 2008  09:11 PM ET

If the players carry out this threat to quit the team (I doubt they will), what are their options, realistically?
1) Transfer to another major college program and then sit out a year? Who would want to give a scholarship to a player that has already quit on a previous school?
2) Follow Kelvin Sampson to his next job? WHERE? Who in their right mind would hire Sampson now?
3) Turn pro? Gordon was gone after this season anyway, so his decision is a mute point. Otherwise, how many legitimate pro prospects are there here, even for Europe? If some of these kids think they are going to be NBA lottery picks while being marginal players in college, their parents need to talk some sense to them.

Conclusion: I respect their loyalty to Sampson, but I really think it is misplaced. After all, if Sampson were really that loyal to his players, he wouldn't he have created this mess to begin with. Because if he had been kept as coach, the program still goes on probation with sanctions and penalties. How does that help his players? Hopefully, more mature minds will prevail. For everyone's sake.

To me, the next major question really is: Who should hire the next coach?
Greenspan? or Greenspan's successor? If Greenspan hadn't made this bone-headed hire to begin with, Indiana would be looking forward to the NCAA's right now, not suspension and probation! Lose him!

 
February 22, 2008  09:32 PM ET

Dankich needs to go back to his office job after this season is over. IU alumn or not, he would not be the best option. He's basically the only option at this point as a practical interm coach. I'll be supported IU through all this junk. Bobby Knight would make a great AD. LOL. I could see him totally busting some **** when needed.

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