Osiris Eldridge moved comfortably from one interview to the next Thursday at Redbird Arena. He fielded questions and posed for pictures, wearing a smile and his No. 0 Illinois State uniform.

By the time Media Day was over, Eldridge was in practice gear, swishing one baseline jumper after another. Nine in a row found nothing but net, his smooth stroke making basketball look so easy.

There was no hint of the anguish, confusion and indecision Eldridge experienced a few months earlier. Basketball wasn't easy at all then, as Eldridge digested the March 5 firing of his coach, Porter Moser.

The newly named Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year wrestled with where, and for whom, he should play his sophomore season.

"It was one of those where you're by yourself and you have a million thoughts going through your head," Eldridge said. "You're like, 'They just fired my coach. I want to leave.' But it was also, 'I still want to stay here.' You don't know what to do."

At one point, Eldridge went to the ISU compliance office and requested the paperwork needed to seek a transfer. Yet, as the 6-foot-3 guard talked to those close to him, he kept getting the same question.

"They asked me, 'What do you really want?' " Eldridge said. "Deep down, I wanted to stay."

So there he was Thursday, talking about how excited he is to be in new coach Tim Jankovich's fast-paced, guard-oriented system, and how when he is alone now, "all I think about" is making ISU a winner.

Basketball is a lot easier that way. Yet, getting to Thursday - to this season - required patience and an open mind, and not just from Eldridge.

Among Jankovich's first acts after arriving on March 24 was to meet with the cornerstone of ISU's future. The former Kansas assistant had heard Eldridge might leave.

"He was confused, and I didn't blame him. I wasn't upset with him," Jankovich said. "We started talking from day one, and it was all above board. All I was asking was: 'Give me a chance for you to get to know me, and if you don't like me, then leave. But don't leave before you know what you have here.'

"He was great about that. In a strange way, I think it was actually the best thing that could have happened. I think I got to know him a lot better, and I hope he feels like he knows me a lot better because of that. Now, it makes me laugh. But it wasn't so funny at the time."

Losing Eldridge would have been a setback in reviving a program with a 59-88 record the past five seasons. Eldridge averaged 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds on last year's 15-16 team, hitting 49 shots from 3-point range.

Clearly, he made an impression throughout the Valley, but that didn't mean much when Moser and his staff were let go.

Among those Eldridge turned to was Paris Parham, his former coach at Chicago Phillips High School.

"I told him, 'Be careful who you talk to, and be patient and see who the coach is going to be,' " Parham said. "It was a very hard time for him. Those guys recruited him. He knew me and he knew them as far as the basketball world goes.

"You come down here with some guys, you've been together one year, you have a successful freshman season like he did, and then you're like, 'Wow, now that's over with. What's next?' "

In time, the angst went away. Eldridge said he found Jankovich to be "a nice guy," adding, "I think that was a big part of me staying here."

Another bonus came shortly after Eldridge told Jankovich he would remain a Redbird. The new ISU coach, searching for an assistant to recruit the Chicago area, interviewed Parham and hired him.

So Parham was on the court Thursday as well, noting the muscle Eldridge has added to his 190-pound frame since high school.

He welcomes the opportunity to watch Eldridge grow into "a major force" in the Valley. Eldridge welcomes having Parham's familiar voice urging him on.

"It was a surprise when he told me he was coming down here. I thought he was playing at first," Eldridge said. "But I like it because it's somebody who pushed me in high school and is going to push me here. It's going to be a good deal."

Jankovich agreed, saying Eldridge has "a good spirit about him" in addition to his talent and toughness.

"By his senior year, when the whole product is finished, he's going to be outstanding," Jankovich said.

Now, it appears, that senior year will be here. It was the best news of all from Media Day.

Randy Kindred is a Pantagraph columnist. To leave him a voice mail, call 820-3402. By e-mail: rkindred@pantagraph.com. The Randy Kindred Blog is at www.pantagraph.com/blogs