Hardy 'receives' praise, shines in conference debut

MADISON, Wis. -- Before the start of the football season, most IU fans probably knew freshman wideout James Hardy as the basketball player who played football. \nWith five touchdowns in his first four college football games and an unflappable sense of confidence, the 6'7" starter is quickly becoming the football player who also plays basketball. \nCall it reinvention. The 3-1 Hoosiers will call it an invaluable asset to their spread offense.\n"Having a target like James makes my job so much easier," sophomore quarterback Blake Powers said. "You can just throw it up there for him and there's a good chance he's going to make a play."\nHardy's early success has helped to spark a previously dormant Hoosier passing game and paid great dividends for Powers, who already has 14 touchdown passes, three away from Antwaan Randle El's IU record of 17.\nHardy has posted impressive numbers of his own. His most recent performance included seven catches, 157 yards and two touchdown receptions in the Hoosier loss at Wisconsin. \nOn the season, he's totaled more than 400 yards receiving on just 24 catches. He's made plays time and again for IU, including a one-handed grab at Central Michigan and a last-minute touchdown to seal a win over Nicholls State. The Fort Wayne native was at it again Saturday against the Badgers when he broke free on a post route for an 83-yard touchdown. Hardy's defender slipped on the play, allowing the wideout to cruise to a wide-open endzone. \n"He didn't fall on purpose," Hardy said. "I made him fall."\nHardy's comments following the Wisconsin game showed his production on the field is the only thing keeping up with his brimming confidence. \nWhen asked if he would be surprised if he didn't catch a touchdown in every game, he coolly replied, "Yes." \nWhen asked if he was affected by Wisconsin's rowdy crowd, Hardy downplayed their significance. \n"I didn't think much of it. It was a great experience for me to come here and play," he said. "Actually, I thought they were cheering for me."\nAnd if the Hoosiers are doubting themselves after their turnover-laden performance against Wisconsin, the freshman isn't showing it.\n"There's no way we're 17 points worse than Wisconsin," Hardy said. "We took this game away from ourselves."\nIU head coach Terry Hoeppner already puts a lot of stock in his young receiver, and said that Hardy will only continue to improve. \n"James is a naturally talented player," he said. "He's already very good at the little things, like hand position. The sky is the limit with that guy"