Offseason brings changes to IU

Coming off the school's first losing season in 30 years, and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985, the IU basketball program has seen a slew of changes during the off season. \nWith the loss of assistant coaches John Treloar and Ben McDonald, IU coach Mike Davis brought in former Utah interim coach Kerry Rupp to help add discipline and organization to the Hoosier program.\n"My former coach in college attended a basketball camp that he conducted in Utah and said this guy is like a machine," Davis said. "I needed energy. I needed details paid attention to. I needed also for that person to be able to go out and recruit."\nWith Rupp only being on campus for a no more than a few weeks, Davis said the changes can already be seen.\n"He came in and worked camp this week, and it was unbelievable," he said. "It was the best camp we've had since I've been here from a teaching standpoint."\nDavis said his staff isn't complete and that he will add a new assistant in the next couple of days. \n"This would be the first time for me to sit back and put a staff together from the ground up," Davis said.\nFor Rupp, being a part of the Hoosier tradition is an honor. For the Hoosiers, coming off the type of season they did last year, starting their work now, instead of the fall, is imperative. \n"We have great young kids here," Rupp said. "I think we have kids that they just got to start today. They can't wait until next fall to get going. We need to make sure we are organized and have a plan."\nComing off a season in which many questioned his ability to lead on and off the court, sophomore Bracey Wright has begun his training for the 2004 USA Basketball under-20 team tryouts under a new weightlifting regiment that includes more machines and focusing on specific muscles. \n"Once I got the invite, I started working out a lot more," Wright said. "You have to get your body in shape, and you have to be physically and mentally ready."\nThe tryouts, which include 24 players from around the country, begins July 16 and concludes the beginning of August. \nGetting back into the swing of summer workouts is welcomed by Wright, who spent most of last summer sidelined after back surgery late in his freshman season. \n"I am doing really well," Wright said. "My back is a lot stronger. It wasn't a real issue last year. I haven't had any pain back there. I feel extremely good. I am doing a lot of exercises and weight programs that I wasn't able to do when I was hurt. It gives you a sense of confidence, knowing you will be injury free going into the situation."\nAlong with Wright, incoming freshman D.J. White has been bulking up on campus. He is the first of the highly touted recruiting class to arrive in Bloomington. A top-ranked class in the nation, the five recruits are looking to turn around the Hoosier program.\n"The freshmen we got coming in are pretty good," Wright said. "I've got a chance to see D.J. play a lot. He's going to be a key player for us next year."\nIn addition to the five freshman recruits, Davis might be on the verge of securing yet another talent. Former Auburn standout Marco Killingsworth visited Bloomington this weekend according to www.espn.com's Andy Katz. Killingsworth entered his name for the 2004 NBA Draft but was not invited to pre-draft workouts in Chicago and decided to pull his name from the entry list.\nThe 6-foot-7 inch forward then informed new Auburn coach Jeff Lebo of his plans to transfer from the Tiger program. A junior last year, Killingsworth led the Tigers in scoring with 13.7 points per game and rebounding with 6.9 rebounds per game and led the Southeastern conference in field goal percentage, shooting 59 percent, for the second straight season. \nIf Killingsworth decides to transfer to IU, he would be forced to sit out the 2004-2005 season.\nWith the possible addition of Killingsworth and the combination of new players and new coaches, Wright said the team will have a new look on it. \n"The atmosphere will be totally different," he said. "We have new coaches. I think everything about this year is going to be completely different."\n-- Contact Editor in Chief Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.