BLOOMINGTON — So here was Indiana University freshman Nick Williams, shooting a few jumpers, taking a few free throws, while the greatest scorer in Big Ten basketball history stood on the Assembly Hall sidelines preparing to deliver a few pointers.

That would be Calbert Cheaney, former Hoosier All-American and the 1993 College Player of the Year. He was in town for a few days to continue IU coach Tom Crean's knack for tapping the program's rich tradition to build for future success.

Cheaney's NBA days are done after 13 seasons, but he hasn't forgotten his Cream 'n' Crimson roots. So he shared insight on playing for Bob Knight, winning Big Ten championships, playing in the 1992 Final Four and contending for national titles.

Williams and the rest of the youthful Hoosiers soaked it all in.

“He's been giving us a lot of teaching points about being here,” Williams said. “He's talked to us about what he did when he was here and giving us pointers on how to get better.”

What Cheaney did better than any other Big Ten player was score. His 2,613 points are a conference record and likely will remain so, given the fact top players rarely stay in college for four years anymore.

What Cheaney hadn't done was show off his left-handed shooting stroke, although he was dressed as if to practice Tuesday afternoon.

“We haven't seen him shoot,” Williams said. “We've been listening and following him.”

If that produces a victory tonight against Michigan, all the better. It starts, but certainly doesn't end, by playing smart and instinctive.

In other words, don't over-think yourself into hesitant play. That's been a problem as the youthful Hoosiers learn the nuances of the major-college game.

“(Over-thinking) was bound to happen, because we want to get better and we're trying to get it right,” Williams said. “Coach told us to just play basketball, and everything would take care of itself.”

IU's 65-60 loss at Iowa last Saturday was its fourth straight. Still, the Hoosiers (5-8) showed a competitiveness they had previously lacked.

“We always felt we could compete,” Williams said. “We have to believe in ourselves and share the ball and rebound.”

Attitude is crucial, Crean said. He pushes the positives despite the recent losses.

“We can't treat this like a grind,” he said. “Every day has to be the most important day. We have no trouble getting excited for practice and making it competitive.

“The next step is when players understand it's not the coaches who have to hold you accountable, it's the other players.”

Michigan (11-3) features a four-guard lineup led by Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims. The 6-foot-5 Harris leads the Big Ten in scoring points (18.8) and is third in rebounding (7.6) and fifth in assists (4.93). The 6-8 Sims averages 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds.

The Wolverines' combination of potent offense and stifling defense (a mixture of man-to-man and a 1-3-1 zone) was good enough to produce victories over UCLA and Duke. Both were ranked No. 4 at the time.

“Michigan is one of the better communication teams,” Crean said. “When you switch defenses like they do, when you have that length and athleticism, it comes to light on both ends of the floor.

“They create a lot of baskets and scoring opportunities from their defense. They do a great job of collapsing in the middle of that zone. They create a lot of havoc. Sometimes it looks like it's 5-on-7 the way they play.”

Indiana (5-8, 0-1)

	Ht	Pos	PPG
Nick Williams	6-4	G	8.4
Devan Dumes	6-2	G	13.5
Verdell Jones	6-5	G	7.6
Malik Story	6-5	G	6.2
Tom Pritchard	6-9	F	12.8

Michigan (11-3, 1-1)

	Ht	Pos	PPG
Zach Novak	6-5	G	7.1
Manny Harris	6-5	G	18.8
David Merritt	5-10	G	2.6
Laval Lucas-Perry	6-3	F	11.6
DeShawn Sims	6-8	F	16.6

The pick: Michigan 72, Indiana 64