White, five others skip Hoosiers' practice

[Murph]

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- D.J. White and five other Indiana University basketball players were not at practice this afternoon at Assembly Hall.

Earlier, a person close to the team said players threatened to boycott Saturday's game at Northwestern if something happened to coach Kelvin Sampson.

The source said players will follow White's lead on whether to play.

White, Armon Bassett, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee were not at practice.

Assistant coaches Dan Dakich and Jeff Meyer were conducting the practice.

Freshman standout Eric Gordon was among the players at practice.

Assistant coach Ray McCallum was meeting with athletic director Rick Greenspan.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/SPORTS0601/80222047

[Braves4Life]

This might cause an irreparable split in the team if players begin choosing sides. Kiss the season goodbye IU

[Murph]

Sampson wants team to play Saturday

-- Kelvin Sampson will meet with his team tonight and encourage them to play in Saturday's game at Northwestern regardless of his situation, a person close to the team said today.

Six players, including D.J. White, Armon Bassett, Jamarcus Ellis and Jordan Crawford, did not show up for a scheduled practice today at Assembly Hall.

Another person close to the team said players have threatened to boycott Saturday's game if Sampson is not the coach, and the team will follow D.J. White's lead on whether to play.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/SPORTS0601/802220520

[Braves4Life]

[B]

Another person close to the team said players have threatened to boycott Saturday's game if Sampson is not the coach, and the team will follow D.J. White's lead on whether to play.

DJ White is IU's Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton? I think the kid has a future in politics

[brocks]

Will IU even allow these players to play Saturday after they've done this? If I were the AD, I would dismiss all six from the team. Absolutely unbelievable to let adolescents behave this way.

[IlliBraves]

This entire debacle is very amusing and most satisfying. Things just keep getting better and better! Northwestern getting its first win against IU would be icing on the cake!

[IlliBraves]

DJ White is IU's Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton? I think the kid has a future in politics

What does that mean? He has an extreme sense of entitlement and he doesn't like white people?

[Dallas Brave]

In this instance, not only do you question IU's judgement in hiring Klepto kelvin to begin with ... but what type of kids was Sampson recruiting who would pull such an unwise stunt?

[lefty]

that's really unbelievable....he breaks the rules and the kids really don't care......I don't know if I would kick them off yet. But I think I would sit them down and explain the situation to them........and make sure they understand the consequences

[amckillip]

Will IU even allow these players to play Saturday after they've done this? If I were the AD, I would dismiss all six from the team. Absolutely unbelievable to let adolescents behave this way.

I hate Kelvin Sampson but you have got to be kidding me!?!!? In what world is this unbelievable behavior. There standing up for their coach, have you played sports? You are on a TEAM, I hated my coach in soccer but if someone from the outside criticized him I would have defended him in a heartbeat. I can't stand Kelvin Sampson, IU, or Eric Gordon. But to say that the kids should be kicked off the team is laughable.

[tornado]

Most definitely the PJ Star will try to get a comment from Matt Roth at one of his upcoming games, maybe even tonight.

I know BU would still love to have him.

[dogsrus]

Will IU even allow these players to play Saturday after they've done this? If I were the AD, I would dismiss all six from the team. Absolutely unbelievable to let adolescents behave this way.

I take a different view on this Brocks....this is college. Its about learning about the real world, choices, consequences and well....education.

These guys are making a choice...sure it appears to be a bad choice, but thats coming from many of us that have learned from our OWN dumb choices/decsions over the years.

I say its a good thing to let em think for themselves. There will be negatives or positives to come out of the choice they make and they, hopefully, will learn one of the many life lessons to be learned while in college.

[Braves4Life]

What does that mean? He has an extreme sense of entitlement and he doesn't like white people?

No. Nothing that deep or sinister. Just that he obviously has a unique ability to lead the blind in support of silly, ridiculous, unjust (and any other adjective you can insert) causes.

[Grassman]

Love these STUDENT athletes. The myth continues!

[Dallas Brave]

I hate Kelvin Sampson but you have got to be kidding me!?!!? In what world is this unbelievable behavior. There standing up for their coach, have you played sports? You are on a TEAM, I hated my coach in soccer but if someone from the outside criticized him I would have defended him in a heartbeat. I can't stand Kelvin Sampson, IU, or Eric Gordon. But to say that the kids should be kicked off the team is laughable.

Really .. even if your coach had violated rules and put himself in a position to not fulfill his responsibility to you as a player? You would still stand up for a coach who betrayed his responsibility to you?