Jan. 8, 2001

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Let's see them fire Mike Davis now. Let's see them, all of them, especially the ones who just can't let go of Bob Knight, find a reasonable rationale for letting Davis go at season's end. Let's see the fans, who finally showed up Sunday afternoon, continue to stay away. Let's see the racists, the ones who send the vicious e-mails – and yes, Davis has seen them – continue to rip away at a man who has done nothing but make his university and his team proud.

Your mind had to be closed, and your heart had to be small, if you could look at that wondrously mad scene in the wake of Indiana University's seismic upset of Michigan State and not believe – not know – that Mike Davis should be the coach of this basketball team.

"I want this job in the worst way," Davis said later, talking quietly in a back hall as the celebration continued on the court. "I want to be here, believe me. But I'm not going to pressure anybody."

Well, coach, it's too late.

Indiana 59, Michigan State 58.

The pressure to remove the "interim" tag, now and forever, is on. That wasn't just No. 1 Michigan State. That was defending national champion Michigan State. That was 23-victories-in-a-row Michigan State. It's fair to wonder, could any of IU's starters make MSU's starting five? Kirk Haston? Maybe?

But there they were, the seconds ticking down, the Hoosiers down two, the play in motion (23 Special), the ball finally in Haston's hands just beyond the 3-point line. He had almost no time. He had absolutely no choice. He shot a rainbow and, as he describes it, everything went silent, just like when Jimmy Chitwood launched his prayer in Hoosiers . And then there was this joyous dog pile, players and students acting as if they'd been let out for recess. Some players jumped atop a press table and woofed to the heavens. Others leaped upon Haston, making it nearly impossible for him to breathe. Davis, who says he's "too old" to get in the middle of such hysteria, stood back and smiled.

"Our team has been through so much emotion," he said, shaking his head, "had so much to overcome."

Davis was given this year. But it's the only act of charity Davis has been given. From the moment he accepted this job – and what was he supposed to do, say no? – he has been the conscientious prodigal son he heard about in Sunday morning's church sermon. He has been given nothing, except maybe grief. He has earned everything, not the least of which is the full-time job at Indiana University. He took over a young, inexperienced, spiritually broken team that was fractured by the Knight mess, and he has produced a team that plays hard and, most of the time, plays beyond its ability.

"Should the interim tag be taken off coach Davis' title?" someone asked Haston.

"That's what we're working for," he said.

And they are.

What else could anybody want? So they lost a game they should have won against Missouri. But they won a game they should have lost at Notre Dame. They had a terrible loss against Kentucky. But they had a clamorous victory Sunday against Michigan State.

Considering everything Davis does is compared to his predecessor, tell me, honestly, would Knight have this team a whole lot better than 10-6? Would he even have them at 10-6? And, just wondering, who would Knight's point guard have been?

So much was made of Davis' post-Kentucky meltdown. So much was made of the fact he suggested maybe he wasn't the best man for the job. How many times did Davis' predecessor go ballistic after games? Remember when Knight essentially quit on his team that night in Winston-Salem, N.C., when Colorado spanked his team in the first round of the NCAA tournament?

It's the enduring double standard around here. Knight did it and he's trying to motivate. Davis does it, and he's not, ahem, cut out for the job.

Can you understand the pressure this man is under? Can you concede, even for a second, that he is in the toughest position of any college basketball coach in America? Can you understand what it is to be told, time and again, how you're not Bob Knight, how some IU fans don't really want a black head coach – check his e-mails – how the school should put a full-court press now on Rick Pitino, who will likely resign his pro coaching position today?

Let's see them try to fire him now. Let's see them look Davis in the eye and tell him he's the wrong man for the job. Let's watch them walk into that IU locker room and talk to these kids, every last one of them playing their guts out for this guy, and tell them Davis has no place here.

Let's see them try.

Bob Kravitz is a sports columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Contact him at (317) 444-6643 or via e-mail at bob.kravitz@starnews.com