Summer work helps Hoosiers into better shape

Sophomore Kyle Hornsby carried a 10-pound weight everywhere he went last year. It's wasn't a dumbbell in his backpack, it was simply extra body weight. After losing the extra weight over the summer, he said he's become a better basketball player.\nBut he's not the only Hoosier on the men's basketball team to make great strides over the summer, interim head coach Mike Davis said. Sophomore Tom Coverdale and junior Jarrad Odle have also improved. Coverdale can also attribute part of his improvement to losing weight. Odle's hard work in the offseason brought about more finely honed skills. \nEven though they combined to average only seven points per game last season, they will be important to IU's success this season. Odle and Hornsby started in IU's exhibition game against Athletes in Action and played 22 minutes each, while Coverdale played 12 minutes. Odle scored 11 points in the first half.\nHornsby said he lost the weight on his own, without the help of a dietician, and it has made him quicker and more explosive. \n"If I was carrying around a 10-pound weight all day and got used to it, I wouldn't be any faster," Hornsby said. "But if I put that weight down, I've got to be faster. Now I can penetrate more and be more of a multi-dimensional player." \nDavis said he is impressed by Hornsby's mental approach and his improvement on the court.\n"He was playing at 100 mph last year," Davis said. "He's slowed things down, and he's knocking down his shots."\nOdle has taken a different approach to the game. In the past, he was primarily a defensive player who spent little effort on scoring. But this year he's looking to make baskets. \n"I've just been working on my offense a lot more this year," Odle said. "I'm working on driving and shooting and my all-around game. A lot of it is confidence though."\nBut Davis said he doesn't want Odle driving too much.\n"You want him to catch and shoot," Davis said. "You don't want him on the post or driving, and that's how I play him. He can shoot the basketball."\nDavis said he also has been pleased with Coverdale's improvement, especially on defense.\n"He really understands the game, and he's working harder than he did last year," Davis said. "He has a real good feel for the game"