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BLOOMINGTON – They both came to Indiana with lofty expectations.
Like Damon Bailey, Eric Gordon has lived up to them, according to IU interim coach Dan Dakich.
“I think they are very similar. I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone come in with the expectations that could match what Damon came in with. Eric has,” said Dakich, who was an assistant when Bailey played for the Hooisers from 1991 to ’94. “Both of them are very similar kids, quiet kids, fun-to-be-around kids, no-maintenance guys. Just did their work. Weren’t real vocal other than when they were with their teammates.
“Both of them have performed at a level of which they were expected to perform. Which, particularly now as opposed to when Damon came in, there is a lot more scrutiny because of the Internet, different radio talk shows, college basketball’s focus on young players. Now, if you were great in high school and you go to Indiana, UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, somewhere like that, you are expected to be great right away. And you are still 18 years old.”
Gordon leads the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 21.5 points per game. He was named the conference’s freshman of the year, the school’s first since D.J. White in 2005. White and Gordon both made the All-Big Ten first team. Aside from a shooting slump down the stretch, Gordon said he’s handled the fans’ expectations well.
“I think I have. The only thing is maybe just my shooting for the past five or six games, that is the only thing that has been bad just a little bit,” he said. “You can usually recover that. … The main thing is we’ve had a successful season. Now we have to make it real successful.
“Everyone goes through ups and downs. All I have to do is keep on practicing and keep on shooting. It’s not like I’m having horrendous shooting where I don’t hit a field goal throughout the whole game. It’s going to come. It’s going to come to me.”
Gordon is also handling the speculation about his future and whether he’ll return to IU or turn pro. Pat Riley, Miami Heat president and coach, was in attendance for the regular-season finale at Penn State. When the time comes to make a decision, Gordon said factors like the team’s success and his family’s input will play roles.
“People have tried to hype that up since high school,” Gordon said. “I’ve never thought about that. Pat Riley, I didn’t know about that until (Monday). I just don’t really pay attention to things like that.”
lpope@jg.net
