Although the title may be cliche, Indiana basketball fans
indeed have something to cheer about this year... their 12-0 Hoosiers.
During my freshman year in high school, we took a trip to Indiana while me and my two younger brothers were on spring break. As we were driving into the small town of Orleans, I couldn't help but noticing something a bit peculiar. Through the back window of our car I saw a little kid, maybe eight years old, carrying a basketball. He had no shoes, no shirt, and shorts that appeared as if they were older than Greg Oden. For the next 30 minutes, the sight I became accustomed to seeing was simply the game of basketball being played by those who appeared to have nothing else. To this day, I still don't know if I've ever seen a more fundamentally sound exhibition of basketball during "casual" pick-up games. There was not a single person trying to "break someone's ankles" or "posterize a big man", but rather cutting, setting picks, and even setting up screens away from the ball. So, my point is that no matter how scared basketball traditionalists may be about "losing the sport to showboating and hot dogging" just try to remember that you've always got young kids from small towns in the Hoosier state who are more concerned with winning a championship for their small town than they may ever be about fancy cars, big houses, or expensive jewelery that comes with being a professional basketball players in David Stern's long reigning dictatorship.
Now, enough rambling... how bout them Hoosiers? Who would have thought at the beginning of the 2011-12 season that Indiana would be off to this great of a start? We all knew that this year's team was talented... but undefeated? I don't think that anyone outside of Tom Crean and his players could have expected this kind of start. Christian Watford's buzzer beater to shock top ranked Kentucky has definitely been the defining moment of their season, and the crowd storming the court without a doubt embodied the passion of one of the most loyal fan bases in college sports today. Other key victories on their schedule this year have been a 75-59 win over two time defending national runner up Butler & a hard fought win over Notre Dame at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The youngest of the three Zeller brothers (all Indiana High Basketball phenomenons), Cody has led Indiana in scoring as well as rebounding. Through twelve games, he has averaged 15.1 ppg & 7.3 rpg. Bloomington product Jordan Hulls is also averaging 12.1 ppg as the Hoosiers' Junior point guard. Victor Oladipo, Assembly Hall Hero Christrain Watford, and Will Sheehey are also scoring in double figures on the year.
The Hoosiers will need their elite play to continue if they want to make any kind of statement in what is shaping up to be their first tournament appearance since 2008. Their last Final Four appearance came in 2002, when they fell to Juan Dixon's Maryland team in the National Championship Game.
Time is yet to tell how Indiana will match-up with their first three Big Ten opponents, though. Tom Izzo's Michigan State team is once again in the Top 25, Thad Matta has the Buckeyes at #2 in the country, and the 19th ranked Wolverines who possess developing talent Tim Hardaway Jr.
The talent is there for Indiana, and from this point on their success will be determined by how they play against quality opponents. Not getting complacent and being motivated to play teams such as Iowa, Penn State and Nebraska will be key as well. Northwestern could also be a challenge this season with Jon Shurna & Drew Crawford leading the way.
My early prediction for the Hoosiers is a five seed some March. And depending on what bracket they end up in, it is very possible that they may make a run deep into the tournament.
Nobody knows what the future holds for the Hoosiers this year, only time will tell. However, it is refreshing to see one of basketball's original blue bloods climbing up the ranks of college basketball's elite once again.
