Hoosiers hoping for recruits

The bad news is that the IU basketball team has zero agreements with any recruits. The good news is that two of the top high school players were in Bloomington during Homecoming weekend, and received a boisterous welcome from IU fans.\nThe pair, forwards Luol Deng and Charlie Villanueva, both of Blair Academy in New Jersey, watched while the Hoosiers held a scrimmage against each other. With the fans touting signs, and cheering them on, the pair acknowledged the crowd as they walked out of the Hoosiers' second scrimmage.\nDeng is also considering Duke, Missouri and Virginia, while Villanueva has looked at Villanova, Illinois and Seton Hall. At this time, neither the recruits nor the Hoosiers can comment on the recruiting status.\nPolling the season\nIt's that time again. Let the poll explosion begin, as polls about the projected top 25 teams in the nation begin rolling in. The Hoosiers are projected to finish the Big Ten season tied with Minnesota for second place, and a short while ago, ESPN/USA Today named IU as No. 21.\nBut facing a doubtful press is nothing new for the Hoosiers.\n"When you put people up like that, it puts pressure on you," IU coach Mike Davis said. "I think Michigan State and Minnesota are definitively the teams to beat. Look at every team in this conference, all of them have five players that are really good basketball players. When you have five players that are really good, all you need is two-or-three players off your bench to step up and play well. That's why the conference is wide open."\nIndividual awards\nIU's Tom Coverdale is the lone Hoosier who has been recognized in the preseason. The senior guard is a candidate for two awards. The first award Coverdale is on the watch list for is the Senior CLASS award. This award is for a male and a female college basketball player that decides to stay in college rather than opt for a professional league.\nThe second award Coverdale is a candidate for is the John Wooden Preseason All-American Award. Coverdale is one of 50 candidates for the award.\n"I just want to be a leader," Coverdale said. "In the games when we aren't doing as well, I just have to pick up the slack and get everyone together."\nHere to stay, for now\nFollowing the Hoosiers' memorable run to the NCAA title run, Davis was given a six-year contract by the University. The contract extends through the 2007-2008 season, and gives Davis a base salary of $225,000 per year, plus $25,000 in deferred compensation and $550,000 in marketing and promotional income.\nThe contract also includes bonuses depending on Big Ten Championship performances, NCAA Tournament performance and the academic performance of the team.\n"My wife feels good," Davis joked about the contract. "It's really good to have one. It's nice to be able to focus on basketball. This is the first season that I can just focus on basketball and that's good."\nTurning pro\nFollowing the run to the NCAA title game, then IU forward Jared Jeffries opted out of his final two years of college to turn pro. In the June draft, Jeffries was taken as the Washington Wizards top pick, 11th overall. Jeffries was the leading scorer for IU during the 2001-2002 season, and was named the 2002 Big Ten Most Valuable Player.\nJeffries has seen a considerable amount of playing time for the Wizards as the NBA season gets underway. \nAnother Hoosier that is taking a shot at the professional level is former guard Dane Fife. Fife was drafted second overall in the CBA Draft by the Gary Steelheads.