Finally, basketball

After weeks of off-the-court distractions stemming from self-reported NCAA violations, the 108th season of Indiana basketball tips off Sunday afternoon with an exhibition game against the North Alabama Lions.\nThe game will cap off a hectic week for the Hoosiers. In the past five days the University released the report filed to the NCAA outlining the self-reported violations and sanctions put in place for the coming year, former assistant coach Rob Senderoff resigned and has been replaced by Director of Basketball Operations Dan Dakich and the Hoosiers had its fourth commitment to the recruiting class of 2008, point guard Terrell Holloway.\nSenior forward D.J. White said all the events surrounding the program will not affect the team’s preparations for the season.\n“I have been through changes in coaches,” White said. “Went through the sanctions thing when Coach Sampson first came here. I don’t think it is a problem right now. We have a game and I think we are just getting ready for that. We are trying to put whatever is going on behind us and get focused on North Alabama Sunday.”\nThe Lions, who compete in Division II during the regular season, come to Bloomington with 10 returning lettermen and two starters from a team that finished third in the Gulf South Conference East Division last season with a 15-14 record.\nNorth Alabama is coached by Bobby Champagne, a former assistant coach for IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson at Washington State and Oklahoma from 1991-1997.\n“He will bring a good team in here,” Sampson said. “I told him to do whatever you want to do. I think our kids will be hungry to play.”\nSampson said after scrimmaging against each other for about 20 practices, the team is ready to get on the court and face some new competition. In particular, Sampson said the game will be an important teaching tool for the team’s four freshmen.\n“I think we are at the point where we need to play a game, especially our freshmen Eli (Holman), Brandon (McGee), Eric (Gordon) and Jordan (Crawford),” Sampson said. “Those four guys are doing the same thing every day, so they need to play a game to know exactly how this stuff works. They need to make some mistakes so we can correct them.”\nWhile the high school All-American Gordon is expected to make the biggest impact as a freshman, Holman could become the answer to the biggest question facing the Hoosiers heading into the season.\n“I think the biggest question or concern for our team is how we are going to manage the four spot,” Sampson said. “I don’t know that the answer to that will come until we start playing games.”\nSampson said he has been pleased with Holman’s progression during practice so far this season.\n“I don’t want to get ahead of myself on him, but he’s starting to do some things instead of thinking so much or going slow to make sure he does things right,” Sampson said. “He is not a finished product, but boy he is going to be good.”