He Breaks Through in Gold-Medal Game : Olympic Festival: But Indiana basketball legend Damon Bailey cares about only one opinion--that of Bobby Knight.

There have been plenty of spectacular players in the U.S. Olympic Festival’s basketball games this week. But Damon Bailey hadn’t been one of them until Tuesday when his 25 points led the North in its 121-120 gold medal game defeat by the South.

Bailey’s legend lives.

Outside Indiana, only one thing about Bailey is known for sure: In 1986, Indiana University Coach Bob Knight said Bailey was better than Steve Alford.

At the time, Alford was Indiana’s star guard, and Bailey was an eighth-grader in Heltonville, Ind.

Knight’s comments were published in the best-selling book, “A Season on the Brink,” in which author John Feinstein chronicled a season with Knight’s Indiana basketball team.

A larger-than-life reputation started there. The rest, the 6-foot-3, 193-pound Bailey brought on himself.

He went on to become the leading scorer in the history of Indiana high school basketball.

During his career, the movie “Hoosiers” captured Indiana’s love affair with the game.

With that as a backdrop, Bailey last March played out his own rendition of the movie’s final scene.

Before 41,046 at the Indiana Hoosier Dome, Bailey led Bedford North Lawrence High to its first state championship, scoring his team’s last 11 points to erase a six-point deficit in the final 2:38.

Much to the surprise of some who watched him play in the Olympic Festival this week, Bailey never duplicated the feat until Tuesday.

He averaged 16 points, made 57% of his shots--including 11 of 16 three-point attempts--and passed for 18 assists.

Until the championship game, in which he was five for five from three-point range, he never drew much of a rise out of the crowd.

“I’m sure some people say I’m not the player everyone said I was, but I don’t take much stock in what other people think,” Bailey said the other day. “Just as long as Coach Knight thinks I can play the game. That’s the only man I have to impress right now.”

Back home, there is no escape from admirers even when Bailey steps away from the court.

“My girlfriend and I can’t go out to the mall or to a movie simply because people would always be talking to us,” Bailey said.

The most popular topic of conversation right now concerns Bailey’s chances of leading the Hoosiers back to the Final Four.

“That’s the kind of stuff I worry about,” said Pat Graham, a former high school rival of Bailey’s who will be a teammate next season. “I just hope people in the state of Indiana and elsewhere won’t be too hard on him.”

Graham, who preceded Bailey as Indiana’s Mr. Basketball, fears that Hoosier fans may be expecting more than a mere mortal can deliver.

“He’s not the type of player who is going to come into Indiana next year and dominate like some people might think,” Graham said. “He’s not going to be a guy who averages 30 points a game, but he is going to help us win.”

Louisiana State’s Dale Brown, coach of the South team, expressed a similar opinion.

“Damon is quick and smart, but what I like most about him is his mental toughness,” Brown said. “He’s not real flashy, but he’ll beat you. He wills victory.”

Four years later, comparisons are still being made between Bailey and Alford.

“Skill-wise, he is better right now than Alford was when he graduated,” Brown said.

Dick Vitale, basketball analyst for ESPN, agreed: “He’s a more complete player coming in than Steve Alford. The only thing Steve did better was shoot from the outside. Every time he came off the screen, you knew he would tickle the twine.”

Brown said he once thought Bailey was overrated, after scouting him in high school. Not anymore.

“The more I see him against better competition, the better he gets,” Brown said.

Graham said Brown’s first reaction was understandable.

“If you like players who help their team win, then there is no way you’d say Damon is overrated,” Graham said. “But people expect the spectacular from him because of all the publicity he’s gotten.

“If you want Magic Johnson-type things, Damon is not your man.”

Through it all, observers say Bailey has remained humble and polite. Graham said his friend remains “just a good old guy.”

But Bailey is growing tired of attention.

“At first, it’s fun, but it gets old real quick,” he said. “It’s been the same for four years. I’ve gotten used to it.”

Still, Bailey said he has never regretted Knight’s words. Or the fact he has lived up to them.

“You make adjustments,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of success. It’s been worth giving up going out and all that other stuff. I’m willing to pay the price.”