August 30, 2009

Rivals.com
Rivals.com College Basketball

At the College Basketball Roundtable each week, we ask each member of the college basketball coverage staff for his opinion about a topic in the sport. We have two questions this week - one Saturday and one today.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Indiana has announced it will induct former coach Bob Knight into its athletic Hall of Fame later this year. Do you think Knight will attend the induction ceremony?

If Knight's friends and former players don't even know what Knight will do, how do I have any hope of predicting what he will do? The Indianapolis Star has spoken to friends and former players about Knight's Hall of Fame induction, and they don't sound hopeful that he will attend. Maybe Knight can put the past behind him. Much has happened in nine years to help Knight and IU move on. The Hoosiers are on their third coach since Knight was fired, and Knight can at least have the last laugh about the Kelvin Sampson era. I think Knight will pass on this induction and say he doesn't want to overshadow the other inductees. But he'll return at some point when the Hoosiers honor him ? and him alone ? in some other way.

- DAVID FOX

Even with the nasty way the relationship ended between Knight and the school, I would hope he would attend, but who knows? His tenure at Indiana is one of the most remarkable in college basketball, belonging with Dean Smith's at North Carolina, John Wooden's at UCLA, Adolph Rupp's at Kentucky, Mike Krzyzewski's at Duke and Henry Iba's at Oklahoma State. It's good to see IU officials trying to recognize Knight. But Knight can be a bully and he's stubborn, so he may think snubbing the induction ceremony is just another way to stick a finger in IU's eye. To me, though, snubbing the ceremony is disrespecting his former players; Knight and those players did something to be proud of, and showing up at the induction ceremony would be a way to revel in those accomplishments. Imagine: Knight could attend the ceremony and take the high road, re-living all those great moments from the 1970s into the 1990s. It also would be a way to remind folks what kind of powerhouse Knight oversaw at IU in the 1970s and '80s. Think of the adoration of the crowds. Alas ?

- MIKE HUGUENIN

I think Knight will attend his Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Indiana. Knight may be a stubborn man, but he's also a proud one. And nothing should give Knight greater satisfaction then what he accomplished at Indiana. Even with all that went on during his final few years in Bloomington, there's no way he can look back on his overall time there with anything but fond memories. If he can't get emotional and sentimental about something like this, he's not human. Indiana has taken the first step in burying the hatchet with Knight, who needs to take the next one and attend this ceremony. It could end up being one of the more meaningful nights of his life.

- JASON KING

I'm glad Indiana officials took the first step in repairing this relationship by inducting Knight into their Hall of Fame, but I have no idea whether Knight will appear. The early reports aren't promising. You'd think that if Knight actually planned to show up, he at least would have issued a statement announcing his appreciation over the honor. Then again, this is Bob Knight. There's no telling how he might react. While his lack of a response so far indicates he probably won't participate in the induction ceremony, it wouldn't surprise me if he simply makes a last-minute decision to show up without informing the media beforehand.

- STEVE MEGARGEE