Indiana Player Quits, Won't Play Without Knight

B L O O M I N G T O N, Ind., Oct. 6 -- Tom Geyer, who had limited playing timein two seasons, quit the Indiana basketball team, saying hecouldn’t play for any coach but Bob Knight.

Geyer, a 6-foot-8 junior, told interim coach Mike Davis of hisdecision to leave the team this morning.

“Tom made a decision that he felt was the right decision for him, and I respect that,” Davis said.

“He is the type of player that did not always show up in thebox score, but was a big contributor to this program with hisleadership and work ethic. Not many people work as hard as Tomdoes,” Davis said. “We had a good conversation this morning, and the entire men’s basketball program wishes him the best.”

Several other Indiana players threatened to leave after Knightwas fired Sept. 10, but decided to stay when Davis, a formerassistant and Knight’s top recruiter, was named interim coach.

Not Afraid of Change

“The administration made a change when they got rid of Coach Knight, and I guess now I feel that I need to make a change in my life and move in another direction,” Geyer, a junior forward, toldThe Indianapolis Star. “It’s a tough decision because I reallycare for my teammates, and I really wish them all the best. I hadto do what is best for me.”

Geyer, a walk-on from Lawrence North High School inIndianapolis, was redshirted as a freshman and played in only 19games and scored 21 points in the past two seasons with theHoosiers.

Throughout the recent Knight ordeal, Geyer was often one of theteam’s spokesmen.

“I just don’t want to create another stir, and I don’t wantanyone to look at this as being a negative against the program inany way,” Geyer said of his decision to leave.

Geyer, 23, said he will stay at the school. He said at the endof this semester he will need 14 credit hours to graduate withmajors in accounting and finance.