Forget the wait. (South Region Champion).(Indiana University basketball)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

This season was supposed to be a transition.

The thinking back in October: Give Mike Davis, in his first year as Indiana's coach without an interim label, a year to get acclimated. Then hope Jared Jeffries would return for his junior year and team with an acclaimed recruiting class, headlined by guards Bracey Wright and Marshall Strickland.

Then, and only then, look out for the Hoosiers.

After a 7-5 start, that thinking seemed rational. Even Davis asked for patience, saying reinforcements were on the way. But for seniors Dane Fife and Jarrad Odle, that plan did them no good. "For me, there was no next year to focus on," Odle says. "We knew we had to be good now."

The Hoosiers' vision went from farsighted to nearsighted. They became hardened by one of the nation's toughest schedules, embraced their long-range shooting ways and rode Jeffries inside. Along the way, they claimed a share of the Big Ten title, then stormed through the South Region, Duke included.

"We started meshing at the start of the Big Ten season and realizing how good we could be this year and not worrying about if J.J. stays or what kind of freshmen are coming in," junior Kyle Hornsby says. "There are only so many next years."

Davis has won over all but the blindest of the Bob Knight lunatics. This is a team with a star in Jeffries, who has not yet decided--at least, he has not said--whether he will declare for June's NBA draft, and a number of solid parts. While Davis has shown he can recruit for the long term, he gets high praise for developing players now. Seven players who were on the team last season are seeing significant minutes; each has improved his game.