Reaction: Sampson good choice

During IU's search for a new men's basketball coach, Kelvin Sampson's name wasn't plastered on headlines or message board walls. Fans speculated about a list of potential candidates, but the former University of Oklahoma coach's moniker was rarely mentioned. \nWhen reports surfaced Tuesday saying Sampson was bound for IU, fans and columnists criticized the decision and spoke out negatively against him.\nBut when the University announced Sampson as its 26th men's basketball coach Wednesday, Hoosier nation decided to speak out again -- this time with words of encouragement and praise for the new head coach.\n"I was definitely surprised, but I was happy," freshman Evan Suttner said. "I hope he's excited to be here. I think we made a good choice."\nSampson walked on to Branch McCracken Court Wednesday behind a slew of Hoosier players, whom he talked to moments before the press conference began. The brief meeting with the team was enough to squash the rumors and convince many of the players that Sampson was truly the man for the job.\n"I was kind of shocked; it came out of nowhere," sophomore forward D.J. White said. "I guess that a lot of people were because his name was never mentioned. (IU Director of Athletics Rick) Greenspan did what he had to do and made the best choice."\nOther Hoosier players were also surprised by Sampson's hiring, but anxious to be a part of his team.\n"I'm excited because he's a great coach," junior guard Errek Suhr said. "I didn't know what to expect at first, but he seems like a great guy. I'm excited and thrilled that we have somebody to lead us now."\nJunior Roderick Wilmont said that he was pleased with Sampson's hiring and happy to see the coaching search come to an end.\n"I was just waiting for something like this to happen, and then I would know who the real coach is," he said. "I think he came into a great situation. We've got great players."\nThough some Hoosier fans may not be familiar with Sampson's past, Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and IU alum, said the coach's track record speaks for itself.\n"He can coach, he can recruit, he knows how to win," Cuban said in an e-mail interview with the Indiana Daily Student. "Plus, guys I know in the NBA that played for him just rave about him. Plus, Kelvin is young enough to establish himself and coach at IU for a long, long time. I'm really fired up about it."\nCuban added that he wasn't sure at first how fans would respond to the hiring, but thought "they should love it." IU alum Dennis Campbell, a 1973 graduate who witnessed the Hoosiers 1976 national championship, also said he was happy with the decision and hopes the University will move on from its past.\n"I think the day is all about starting with a new coach, a new era, a new time period," Campbell said. "I'm ready to move on. What we want is more of those banners sitting up there (pointing to banners in the Assembly Hall). If he can bring that to us, that will be all we need"