On the boards Damion was Damion pulling down nine rebounds

We can only hope that his locker is now free of all alcoholic beverages, and that his desire to win a championship supersedes all else that is damaging.Finally, the Lakers have to participate in a bit of self-reflection, because the time will come when the chips are down and their resolve is tested.How they rise above the challenges of their inner demons may be all that can stop Los Angeles from repeating. There aren't many teams that seem capable of accomplishing that task in seven games.If the Lakers can fight the tendency to become complacent, and glance in the mirror to see the image of a champion, their road to a repeat may already be paved. . BATESVILLE, Ind., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ Hillenbrand, Inc.(NYSE: HI) has appointed Jan M. Santerre as vice president of lean business,focusing on continuous improvement and operational excellence initiativesacross the enterprise. Santerre will be part of Hillenbrand's executivemanagement team, reporting directly to President and CEO Kenneth A. Camp.Most recently serving as vice president of operations in Parker HannifinCorporation's hydraulics group, Santerre oversaw and improved performance inseveral North American operations.

Prior to that, she was vice president ofthe lean enterprise and quality, where she developed and deployed the ParkerLean System. "I'm excited tobe part of the management team that's collectively shaping the company'sfuture. We're building the strongest organization we possibly can throughexcellent processes that deliver superior, measurable, timely results.""Batesville Casket is recognized in the manufacturing community for itsimplementation of lean business principles that improve quality andproductivity," said Camp. "Jan's experience will help us take those skills tothe next level as we seek opportunities to acquire or partner with businessesthat can benefit from our expertise to improve profitability. These corestrengths are the foundation of our strategy to grow the Hillenbrandenterprise and create additional shareholder value."ABOUT HILLENBRAND, INC.Hillenbrand, Inc. () is the holding company forBatesville Casket Company, a leader in the North American death care industrythrough the sale of funeral services products, including burial caskets;cremation caskets, containers and urns; selection room display fixturing; andother personalization and memorialization products HI-INC-ESOURCEHillenbrand, Inc.Mark R. Lanning, Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasurer,Hillenbrand, Inc., 1-812-934-7256, .

Tag and bag another victim of the Longhorn brand of Chinese water torture basketball. Death from a thousand paper cuts or a thousand missed free throws, its all the same.If you watched this game without looking at the scoreboard youd have thought the 'Horns would have eeked out a victory by a bucket or so. Thats the sort of feel a game is going to have when the prohibitive favorite shoots 40 percent from the field, is 2-for-11 from three, and misses 15-of-34 free throws.Im sure USC felt the same way until they looked up at the scoreboard with 3 minutes left, only to realize they were about to bleed to death from the combination of a thousand hand checks, physical rebounds, and smothering defense. Its the same game Texas has played all year, and we wont know if its a successful identity until they play a team with a top 50 RPI.An ugly win is an ugly win, but as fans of a top five program, we wouldnt be doing our jobs if we didnt pick at the paper cut sized scabs.On to the players: Damion JamesWhen Damion James is taking nearly a quarter of this teams field goal attempts, we have a problem.Its a problem we can overcome against thin teams without much talent, but if Damion is putting up 25 percent of our shots when we play MSU and UNC, and they arent dunks or within the flow three-pointers, were porked.When Damions channeling Glen Robinson, UNC will pull the board, outlet to one of their greyhounds, and then posterize one of our guards. MSU will do the same, but it might take them two or three more passes.Sure, Damion was 6-of-14, but if he sticks to our axiom of dunks/layups off of dimes/ put backs and wide open threes, he goes from 6-of-14 to 6-of-10. Which gives JCovan Brown four more opportunities to jack up threes.On the boards, Damion was Damion, pulling down nine rebounds.

On the glass, hes one of the best power forwards in the nation. Dexter PittmanIf you watched the game, youd have thought Dex played poorly, as he missed three bunnies and had a couple of miscues handling entry passes.Then you look at the box score and hes a solid 5-of-8 for 13 points. Problem is, I watched the game, and Pittman looked like a shell of the normally physical, dominating beast of a player hes been the first four games of the season. He didnt guard well, didnt compete hard on the glass, and seemed to shy away from contact going to the goal. It was midway through the second half before he realized he was off and needed to either get to the rim for offense or involve other players. The fact that Balbay has taken over point guard duties seems to have crept into JCovans psyche, in that hes not looking to create as much.If Im Barnes, I make it known to Brown that theres nothing wrong with having two point guards on the floor.On the plus side, Brown is our most important player with under five minutes in close ball games. Hes the only guard we have that can handle the ball and has confidence at the foul line.