IU wins final exhibition game

The IU men's basketball team defeated the University of Indianapolis 83-46 Friday night at Assembly Hall in its second and final exhibition game of the season. Junior forward D.J. White paced the Hoosiers with 17 points and five rebounds and went 11-for-14 from the free throw line.\nDespite the lopsided victory, IU coach Kelvin Sampson said he sees plenty of room for improvement for his team.\n"I just thought we started off the game flat, and that was disappointing," Sampson said. "In between, there were a lot of good things I saw. When you have a group like this and we're still trying to figure things out, you are going to have some head-scratching possessions occasionally."\nOther than White, four other IU players scored in double digits in Friday night's win: Lance Stemler with 16 points, Rod Wilmont with 15 and A.J. Ratliff with 13. Senior guard Errek Suhr tallied 10 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from the field, which included two three-point buckets. Sampson said that Stemler's strong play helped him realize there is a need for change in the starting lineup.\n"One of the things you noticed tonight is that Lance probably fits into the starting lineup a little better," Sampson said. "When Ben (Allen) and D.J. (White) are on the floor at the same time, they guard the same position. ... When Lance is in the game, our stuff really flows. But Ben (Allen) is not a four man; he's a five."\nSampson also said he will not be "experimenting" with the Hoosiers' lineup tonight when the team begins play in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament against Lafayette College of Easton, Pa. Friday night's game provided several players the opportunity for extra playing time, as all 12 members of the team saw action in the win.\nWith senior guard Earl Calloway battling a 102-degree fever, Sampson gave extended minutes to freshman guard Armon Bassett.\n"I thought once we started running and pushing the pace and just getting the ball out and going, that is when Armon is at his best," Sampson said. "Armon is a playmaker; he can pass. He didn't shoot the ball well tonight, but he had 10 assists and two turnovers."\nBassett's turnovers were just two of 19 the Hoosiers tallied in the game. White had a team-high six turnovers in the contest, including three traveling violations.\nBoth Sampson and White acknowledged that White still has a way to go to get back to top form.\n"I feel good. Just like coach said, there are areas I need to work on," White said. "I'm just going to continue to come to practice every day and try and get my confidence level back. On the offensive end, it's about realizing when to shoot the ball and when the double team is coming."\nIU will play Lafayette at 9 p.m. at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. If the Hoosiers win, they will face the winner of the Notre Dame-Butler game Tuesday night.\n"We are excited about going to play in Indianapolis," Sampson said. "When the NCAA bought the NIT, they went to this regional system, like they do in the tournament. Instead of having the game at certain campuses, everything is regional this year. You'd like to host them, but you have to be fair. It's good when you can have this tournament at a regional site. It's good for the fans, too"