Knight is the master, and he did it yet again

BLOOMINGTON - Brian Ellerbe is new to the Big Ten, so he deserves a break. But as for the rest of the Wolverines, they forgot the biggest factor in a Michigan-Indiana basketball game: the other team has Bobby Knight.

Maybe last night's 80-62 Michigan defeat can be chalked up to Ellerbe's naivete, but that hardly seems fair. After all, he did coach three seasons at Loyola (Md.) facing hated rival Towson. Seriously though, any disdain the Michigan coach feels for his players is justified.

The Hoosiers, notorious workhorses (possibly because they fear the wrath of the General), spent the entire game hustling after the loose balls that the Wolverines decided not to chase. With 14 minutes left in the second half, an Indiana shot fell short, and nary a Wolverine was close. So Indiana's William Gladness grabbed the dead duck for the Hoosiers and laid it in - with one second left on the shot clock.

SARA STILLMAN/Daily Robert Traylor scored 25 points last night, but the Wolverines fell to an inspired Indiana team, 80-62. The Hoosiers avoided slipping to 0-3 in the Big Ten with the victory - the last time that happened was in Bobby Knight's first year as the Hoosiers' head coach.

With 10 minutes left it happened again, as potential All-America Gladness rebounded an errant Indiana attempt and drove to the basket for two. Not a vital possession, yet emblematic of Michigan's failure to box out, or hustle, or even have any calls go its way.

Knight, whose intimidation chased center Jason Collier from here three weeks ago, spoke of Gladness and the rest of the team filling the void left by the 7-foot Collier.

"Maybe our answer is that we have no center," Knight said after the game. "Maybe we can move people around and make cutting our post player."

Michigan, on the other hand, did have one of the best centers in the country - Robert Traylor - and his 25 points and 10 rebounds did little to soften the tough loss. Knight, who has seen more than his share of Big Ten basketball since 1972, was full of praise for the 6-foot-9 center.

"Traylor is one of the most unique centers I've seen," Knight said. "He takes away a lot more than he gives."

The two potential NBA forwards - Traylor and Maceo Baston - stood across Michigan's front line and neither was able to dominate the smaller Hoosiers. In the second half the Wolverines were outrebounded, 26-13.

"We exploited their big men," Indiana forward Charlie Miller explained. "We tried to beat them down the floor.

"We executed our game plan to a 'T'."

But that was to be expected, wasn't it? Knight isn't the first coach to attack Michigan's center of attention, but in this situation, Traylor couldn't count on his teammates.

Over the course of Michigan's six-game winning streak - snapped last night by the Hoosiers - the long-range shots fell like rain, tickling the twine with regularity. After having 51-percent of their 3-pointers fall during the winning streak, just 26-percent of the Wolverines' treys found the net last night.

So the theory is out there, dare Louis Bullock and Robbie Reid to hit their shots and take a chance. This time, the plan worked and Michigan fell apart like a house of cards. But who's to say it won't happen again - especially against the Hoosiers?

History reiterates this point. In both games against Indiana last season - as well as last night - the Wolverines were either in the lead or close behind at the half. Momentum was theirs, and in all three instances, the Hoosiers owned the second half.

The only thing that has remained consistent in this rivalry is Knight, and he was true to form. Regardless of down or distance ... er, time or score, Knight continues to motivate his players.

And they calm down when he demands a halt to celebration. They revere him and that may be the reason his teams win the big games more often than not.

In his postgame comments, Ellerbe spoke of Indiana's "inspired" basketball and how the Hoosiers outhustled his Wolverines.

When questioned about Ellerbe's view, Knight responded in typical fashion, paying homage to the few in Indiana who command more respect than him.

"Ministers get inspired," Knight said. "I don't know if we got inspired. We played well."

The Indiana flag waved by a cheerleader spoke volumes about the week Michigan sports fans have endured. "Go Big Red," it shouted, "Go Big Red." Tom Osborne and Knight must have a "No Blue" hotline.

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