Men's Basketball: Freshman holds his own off bench

As the last man on IU's depth chart, freshman forward Mike Roberts knows he'll only see action in blow-out games.\nKnowing Northwestern has won one game in the conference in the last two years, he was hoping the regulars would give him a chance to get off the bench and into last night's game.\nThey didn't let him down in the 78-54 win against Northwestern.\nRoberts entered the game for junior forward Kirk Haston with 3:57 remaining and IU holding a comfortable 65-45 lead against Northwestern.\n"I thought it was really good that Mike Roberts got a chance to play, because he's a guy who, in practice every day, works really hard," interim head coach Mike Davis said. "He battles every day and he's really helped Kirk (Haston) improve."\nAlthough the game was decided by the time he entered, Roberts said he was happy to contribute and give starting forwards junior Kirk Haston, freshman Jared Jeffries and sophomore Jeffrey Newton a well-deserved rest. The trio combined for 47 points and 26 rebounds. Newton played his best game of the season, scoring 17 and grabbing five rebounds.\n"We didn't have an answer for those guys," Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. "We didn't know too much about Newton, because everyone talks about Jared Jeffries and Kirk Haston." \nEach time Roberts touched the ball, the crowd cheered as if the game were on the line. It erupted when he went to the free-throw line and calmly sank a pair with 1:21 remaining. Less than 30 seconds later, he received the ball in the low post, spun, shot and watched as the ball went in and he was fouled. \n"It was exciting. I want to eventually be a player who plays a lot," Roberts said. "I thought I did a decent job except for (a missed free throw). I was more confident tonight because I've been practicing well recently. If you play well against Kirk and J.J., there's no reason you can't play with these guys."\nAs Haston walked off the court after the game, he put his arm around the new crowd favorite, who was smiling from ear-to-ear.\n"He was telling me that he wanted to get a dunk on one play," Haston said. "It was great to see the fans recognize how much work he puts in. He may be the most improved player since he first came in this summer."\nWith the starters accounting for 75 percent of the Hoosiers' offense, IU's bench isn't relied on for scoring. Sophomore guard Kyle Hornsby is the most consistent threat off the bench because of his ability to shoot and hit three pointers. He is 31-of-73 from behind the arc in the 22 games he's played in. Hornsby scored three points against the Wildcats.\n Freshman guard A.J. Moye has seen increased action off the bench during conference play. He's averaging 11 minutes and 3.4 points during conference play. His trademark is hustling and rebounding, especially on the offensive end. He has 24 offensive rebounds and 27 on the defensive end. \n "He's come a long way since the first day," Davis said. "He brings a lot of energy to the floor. He's a lot like Illinois' (Sergio) McClain was during his freshman year." \nDavis decided not to play freshman guard Andre Owens for three games, but he played 13 minutes against Northwestern and scored two points.\n"I wanted to get Andre some playing time and his attitude has really changed," Davis said. "I think he's ready to play and he's grown up. He's on the sideline cheering for guys. He's a talented player and can help us be a really good basketball team."\nJunior forward Jarrad Odle was a starter at the beginning of the season. But until last night had played only 48 minutes during the Big Ten season. He averages just 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. \nDavis walked off the floor at halftime with a scowl on his face even though IU was leading 38-22. When he came back on the floor after halftime, he was smiling. In the locker room, he reminded the Hoosiers they didn't get a vote in the Top-25 polls because they have built big leads and let them slip away. He said IU's propensity to lose leads has come into play when deciding who to play.\n"We've had opportunities to play (reserves), but as a coach I'm afraid to put them in because of the way we lose leads," Davis said. "I've been a little timid to play some guys. \n"But Mike is a guy who I wish everybody on our team could act like, and play like. He never, ever, complains about anything"