Expectations high for Davis

It's official.\nMike Davis will return to Bloomington next season as head coach of the IU men's basketball team, IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan formally announced Tuesday morning in a press release. \nDavis' return brings raised expectations not just from the public and the University, but also from Greenspan and IU President Adam Herbert.\n"Given its tradition and success, men's basketball is our most visible sport and will continue to be held to the same top standard," Greenspan said in a statement. "Mike Davis is the Indiana basketball coach. Coach Davis and I have reviewed every facet of the program, and we are both committed to returning Indiana basketball to the level to which Indiana is accustomed and to which we aspire."\nGreenspan and Davis met numerous times during the past week to review the coach's body of work, which Greenspan said includes the entire season, the off-court performance of the Hoosiers, as well as rules compliance, academic performance, recruiting and program management.\nGreenspan then reported to Herbert about Davis and the program.\n"I have had several conversations with Rick and coach Davis and agree with their assessments, as well as the goals they have established to restore a winning tradition to Indiana basketball," Herbert said in a statement. "The extended Hoosier family expects and deserves no less."\nComing off a 15-14 season and a loss in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament, all eyes were on Davis last week, both locally and nationally, to see whether or not he would survive the firestorm of criticism from the past two seasons.\nThough some of his players questioned the need for the media attention because Davis is still under contract and should be expected to return, he knows the pressure that will come next season.\n"I am fully aware of the high standard of excellence set for this program," Davis said in the statement. "I understand the goals and accept full responsibility of achieving these objectives. I think that our non-conference slate and our success in Big Ten play have only helped our basketball team to grow and mature. The future of Indiana basketball is certainly bright, and I am excited to be a part of it."\nDavis is in his fifth year as IU head coach after taking over for former IU coach Bob Knight, who was fired in 2000 after violating former IU President Myles Brand's "zero tolerance" policy. Davis is in the third year of a six-year contract that expires June 30, 2008. Davis will receive a one-time performance-based bonus of $300,000 on July 1. \nDuring the past two seasons, Davis has a 29-29 record, with zero NCAA Tournament appearances -- something Greenspan said needed to change.\n  "This is why we have set ambitious and achievable goals for next season of competing at a very high level in the Big Ten Conference and successfully competing in the NCAA Tournament," Greenspan said. \nGreenspan, who said throughout the season that every game was an interview for Davis, fired former IU football coach Gerry DiNardo Dec. 1 after his third consecutive losing season. \nBy remaining as head coach, Davis' 2005-06 team will feature the same group of talented freshmen that includes Big Ten Freshman of the Year D.J. White in addition to Auburn transfers Marco Killingsworth and Lewis Monroe, and recruits Joey Shaw from Phoenix and Ben Allen of Australia.\nBut despite the growing expectations for next year from the Hoosier faithful, the administration will be looking for an improvement on the past two seasons.\n"A number of our programs are nationally ranked," Greenspan said, "and we expect our basketball program to compete at the highest level as well."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.