The Sampson effect

It's a subtle difference, barely noticeable except to the most dedicated eyes. \nOn the left tank sleeve of IU men's traditionally nondescript basketball uniforms, an addition has been made: a small, stitched American flag. \nIt is a tiny change but one of many that show new coach Kelvin Sampson has already made his impact on the way his team learns, develops and plays basketball.\nSampson has changed a lot strategically about IU hoops. At the University of Oklahoma, the coach was known for his teams' defense and rebounding, as well as their toughness. Sampson has brought that reputation to IU with him, re-introducing the game to players returning from the Mike Davis era and new players experiencing college basketball for the first time. \nBefore his team had its first day of practice, Sampson was already doing things differently -- by putting them through a conditioning regimen some players said they had never experienced before. \n"Some days you walk in and (Sampson will) tell you what we're about to do," junior guard A.J. Ratliff said Oct. 12. "You'll see it on guys faces like, 'Man, I can't do that. I can't do it.' And at the end, guys are hugging and high-fiving because we did it. It makes a man out of you. I've never done anything like that before in my life."\nBeyond difficult drills like the "bubble drill" -- when teams wrestle for rebounds careening off a bubble-like hoop enclosure and losers run sprints and "ultimate suicides," when coaches push the bleachers back to the wall and the players run the full length of Assembly Hall's floor space repeatedly -- Sampson has changed the way the team plays the game, too. \nThe first change has been a more traditional collegiate offense with an emphasis on post play and the fast break. Davis' teams -- at least when successful -- surrounded themselves around an impact post player and his ability to pass out of double teams. Though Sampson has used a similar offense thus far, his style hinges more heavily on movement and is far less reliant on NBA-style isolation. \nPerhaps more noticeable, however, has been Sampson's attitudes on pressure defense. This year's IU team pressures full court for much of the game, and when it doesn't, usually picks up defensively as soon as the opposing offense crosses half court. The full-court pressure relies on IU's ability to pressure the inbound pass and prevent the opposition's point guard from catching the ball. \n"His style is defense first," forward D.J. White said. "Every coach has their own style, and we have to get adjusted to it. It's rebounding and defense. We work on it every day, and we should be proud of those areas."\nJunior college transfer Lance Stemler -- who had never heard of an ultimate suicide before his move to IU this year -- said Sampson's style is bringing the team together more and more every day. \n"I never really realized how intense he was until we got into the workouts further," he said. "He didn't really show it as much until we got to the individuals. And then it was full force. I mean, you've got to see him on the court. That's why he's successful and why he's a great coach. His enthusiasm and how he brings a team together. He makes everybody else just as intense as him on the court"