I want to preface this with the fact that this is VERY long. The only reason I even want to post this, is because my least favorite program is Indiana, in all sports, and it's not even close. Basketball, football, baseball--couldn't care less, I wish they would cease to exist. I hate Bob Knight. Their fans are delusional, and they don't deserve a seat with the blue bloods. They're frauds. With that said, luckily for us, especially in the last 25 years, that wish has come true.
For decades Indiana could quietly claim a right to some throne as college basketball's most elite in the north. From the 40's through the 80's Indiana basketball positioned itself as a major contender. Bob Knight ran a program that wasn't devoid of success, despite the absolute asshole incidents that would permeate the program throughout the years. He experienced three championship seasons, and Indiana was often in the hunt throughout the early life of the NCAA. Although, what does it matter when your resident asshole is winning, right? Well, this can only go on for so long...
Let me truly start this post by harkening back to Spring -Summer of 1993. Ahh what a time that was. I was not even born yet, and Indiana basketball was still in it's heyday. Bob Knight was still compensating for his small but slightly still functioning lower piece by screaming at refs, players, fans, the floor, whatever he could get in contact with. Hocus Pocus was dominating movie theaters and Whitney Houston was still tearing it up (RIP). Indiana lost to Kansas (Lol) in the Elite Eight that year. The future was bright, their fans must have thought. A Final Four the year before in 1992, followed by an elite eight, a championship only years before with 5 total championships being the second highest total ever...What. A. Run. It could only get better right? WRONG.
In the next 5 out of 9 years, Indiana would lose in the first round of the tournament, with two more years falling in the second round. Bob Knight would get fired in disgrace following the 2000 First Round loss. The rest of the 90's would be a disgrace while UK dominated the later half of the decade.
Flash Forward to the Harrison Twin version of Tournament success in 2002. Indiana, despite all odds, makes it to the Championship game, only to fall to mighty Maryland. The fanbase, despite the last DECADE of disgrace, must have thought change was finally coming.
Unfortunately for them, a Mike Davis forehead slap incident would occur, followed by a Kelvin Sampson scandal that would lead to a Dan Dakich immediate season that would do no favors. This would all culminate in a Tom Crean signing that would provide only a handful of respectable seasons. Ironically during this time, as a major sign of deflection, a large portion of Indiana fans really started attacking UK fans over cheating. This lead to a massive increase in insecurity, which led to what is known as a court storming of sadness in 2011 when Indiana exorcised decades of demons by defeating Kentucky on a last second 3.
Somehow a popcorn box of a Christian Watford 3-pointer would define an entire decade plus of basketball. It's pathetic really, that Indiana couldn't even remain respectable in their own conference with only one real semblance of an important moment/season among a few sweet 16's.. In this trying time, among the many arguments against Indiana, current fans have remained in extreme optimistic hope. Highly ranked recruiting classes have been a formality for the blue bloods. Each recruiting class has given hope that their seat at the table was granted back. Unfortunately for Indiana Basketball fans, nothing has truly gone their way since 2002, and in a more meta sense, since 1998.
The Big Ten Basketball Tournament was established 20 years ago in 1998. Since that time, Indiana has only made the championship game once, losing to Iowa in 2001. Since that time, 7 different programs have won a big ten tournament championship, with Indiana still NEVER winning it.
Not including Maryland, Rutgers, and Nebraska as they have only competed in 4, 4, and 7 tournaments respectively, since the tournament was instituted, the ONLY team that has a worse Big Ten Tournament record than Indiana is Northwestern with a 9-21 record. Indiana's all-time record is an absolutely pathetic 12-21. This epitomizes how bad things have fallen. This is what seals Indiana losing blue blood status. No championship since 1987, and barely better than Northwestern.
For perspective, just since 1998, UK's record in the SEC Tournament is 43-10, with 11 SEC Tournament Championships, and 3 losses in the championship game. The Big Ten Tournament has only occurred for 21 years, and Indiana almost has as many losses (21) as Kentucky has in the ENTIRE history of the SEC Tournament (25). Kentucky has as many SEC tournament wins in the last 4 years (12) as Indiana has the last 21 (12). Their little brother syndrome makes a lot of sense when you actually look at the stats.
At the end of the day, with Indiana finally starting to get elite recruits and some semblance of hope, It's still important to be able to point out to them their extreme flaws. Indiana fans in the last few years have attempted to point to a few select players that were supposed to bring them back. Thomas Bryant, Cody Zeller, James Blackmon jr., now Romeo Langford...a 5th-6th seed, at best, awaits their year. A year in which they believe they’re “back”...unfortunately, for them, it’s still not 1987. It never will be again.
For decades Indiana could quietly claim a right to some throne as college basketball's most elite in the north. From the 40's through the 80's Indiana basketball positioned itself as a major contender. Bob Knight ran a program that wasn't devoid of success, despite the absolute asshole incidents that would permeate the program throughout the years. He experienced three championship seasons, and Indiana was often in the hunt throughout the early life of the NCAA. Although, what does it matter when your resident asshole is winning, right? Well, this can only go on for so long...
Let me truly start this post by harkening back to Spring -Summer of 1993. Ahh what a time that was. I was not even born yet, and Indiana basketball was still in it's heyday. Bob Knight was still compensating for his small but slightly still functioning lower piece by screaming at refs, players, fans, the floor, whatever he could get in contact with. Hocus Pocus was dominating movie theaters and Whitney Houston was still tearing it up (RIP). Indiana lost to Kansas (Lol) in the Elite Eight that year. The future was bright, their fans must have thought. A Final Four the year before in 1992, followed by an elite eight, a championship only years before with 5 total championships being the second highest total ever...What. A. Run. It could only get better right? WRONG.
In the next 5 out of 9 years, Indiana would lose in the first round of the tournament, with two more years falling in the second round. Bob Knight would get fired in disgrace following the 2000 First Round loss. The rest of the 90's would be a disgrace while UK dominated the later half of the decade.
Flash Forward to the Harrison Twin version of Tournament success in 2002. Indiana, despite all odds, makes it to the Championship game, only to fall to mighty Maryland. The fanbase, despite the last DECADE of disgrace, must have thought change was finally coming.
Unfortunately for them, a Mike Davis forehead slap incident would occur, followed by a Kelvin Sampson scandal that would lead to a Dan Dakich immediate season that would do no favors. This would all culminate in a Tom Crean signing that would provide only a handful of respectable seasons. Ironically during this time, as a major sign of deflection, a large portion of Indiana fans really started attacking UK fans over cheating. This lead to a massive increase in insecurity, which led to what is known as a court storming of sadness in 2011 when Indiana exorcised decades of demons by defeating Kentucky on a last second 3.
Somehow a popcorn box of a Christian Watford 3-pointer would define an entire decade plus of basketball. It's pathetic really, that Indiana couldn't even remain respectable in their own conference with only one real semblance of an important moment/season among a few sweet 16's.. In this trying time, among the many arguments against Indiana, current fans have remained in extreme optimistic hope. Highly ranked recruiting classes have been a formality for the blue bloods. Each recruiting class has given hope that their seat at the table was granted back. Unfortunately for Indiana Basketball fans, nothing has truly gone their way since 2002, and in a more meta sense, since 1998.
The Big Ten Basketball Tournament was established 20 years ago in 1998. Since that time, Indiana has only made the championship game once, losing to Iowa in 2001. Since that time, 7 different programs have won a big ten tournament championship, with Indiana still NEVER winning it.
Not including Maryland, Rutgers, and Nebraska as they have only competed in 4, 4, and 7 tournaments respectively, since the tournament was instituted, the ONLY team that has a worse Big Ten Tournament record than Indiana is Northwestern with a 9-21 record. Indiana's all-time record is an absolutely pathetic 12-21. This epitomizes how bad things have fallen. This is what seals Indiana losing blue blood status. No championship since 1987, and barely better than Northwestern.
For perspective, just since 1998, UK's record in the SEC Tournament is 43-10, with 11 SEC Tournament Championships, and 3 losses in the championship game. The Big Ten Tournament has only occurred for 21 years, and Indiana almost has as many losses (21) as Kentucky has in the ENTIRE history of the SEC Tournament (25). Kentucky has as many SEC tournament wins in the last 4 years (12) as Indiana has the last 21 (12). Their little brother syndrome makes a lot of sense when you actually look at the stats.
At the end of the day, with Indiana finally starting to get elite recruits and some semblance of hope, It's still important to be able to point out to them their extreme flaws. Indiana fans in the last few years have attempted to point to a few select players that were supposed to bring them back. Thomas Bryant, Cody Zeller, James Blackmon jr., now Romeo Langford...a 5th-6th seed, at best, awaits their year. A year in which they believe they’re “back”...unfortunately, for them, it’s still not 1987. It never will be again.
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