NBC 2 Videographer AJ Schub, who covered IU Basketball for four years, gives insight on Hoosier Hysteria and asks if this team has more hype then the 91' Hoosiers.
There were plenty of things showcased during last weekend’s Hoosier Hysteria. It was the first practice open to the public--unless you count the nationally televised hour-long opening practice that spotlighted the Hoosiers—where Indiana fans were able to spill into the cream colored mecca of Hoosier Nation, Assembly Hall, and watch the pre-season #1 team ball so hard.
Cody Zeller impressed the full house with a trip to the finals in the long shot contest, where he defeated Johnny “Cash” Marlin. Zeller’s win was even more impressive because he only put up half court shots against Austin Etherington in the round leading up to the finals. Let’s not kid ourselves; the “long shot” contest was not about Zeller’s ability to shoot a three pointer, and more about lucking into a few half-court shots that were worth ten points each. It was nice however, seeing Zeller hit enough shots from a distance to propel himself into the finals.
Senior Jordan Hulls also looked sharp despite being knocked out of the long shot contest early on. He had a great scrimmage scoring a Cream squad high twelve points, and keeping his team within striking distance of the Zeller led Crimson group. It is also clear early on that Hulls is playing a crucial role in the development of highly regarded freshman Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell. Earlier this week Ferrell credited Hulls on impacting his defensive skill set by forcing him to guard closer on screens, in effect helping him stay with the player he is guarding. Look for Hulls to mentor Yogi throughout the year especially in the thick of Big Ten play when the spotlight is sure to be on the Hoosiers.
There was plenty of glitz and glamour, hoopla and horseplay throughout the evening. The player soaking in the spotlight the most? You guessed right, Victor Oladipo. Vic, a starting guard for the #1 team in the country is also the clown, the crowd pleaser, the energizer, whatever you want to call him. He is a big part of the personality of this team. When he was supposed to be on the sidelines he was center stage with ESPN personality, and former Indiana undergrad, Sage Steele to the point where I was confused who the emcee of the event really was. Vic was pumping up the crowd, interviewing players, and even getting Coach Crean involved on the microphone. Look for Victor to bring the same energy as he brought last year regardless if he’s on the court or the bench. When this team needs a spark, or a big defensive stop he’ll be the guy the Hoosiers look to make a play.
All of that being said, this “practice” was not for the players, not for the coaching staff, and not even for the media. Hoosier Hysteria was put together for Indiana’s hysterical fan base, a fan base that has been waiting a long time for a team as promising as the 2012-2013 group. They have been waiting longer than Tom Crean’s four full years, longer than Kelvin Sampson’s tainted tenure, even longer than the half decade of Mike Davis. You would need to go back 20 years to a Bobby Knight coached team to find a preseason surrounded with as much hype as this one.
The year was 1991, and Bob Knight’s number two seeded Indiana Hoosiers were coming off of an 83-65 loss to the third seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the Sweet 16, who would eventually lose to Duke in the championship game. The bitter loss left fans hungry for more. The 1991-1992 Hoosiers started the season as the second ranked team in the nation ready to take down any team that stood in their path. The group was led by the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer Calbert Cheaney, future All-American Damon Bailey, and freshman phenom Alan Henderson. The team came back from the tournament loss to go 27-7 on the year and earned a spot in the 1992 final four where they were edged out by Duke 81-78.
It’s been 20 long years since die-hard Indiana basketball fans had a team with as much promise as the 2012-2013 version of the Hoosiers, and the fan base sure did show their support at the first chance they got. Students lined up as early as Thursday morning to get a chance at the best seats inside Assembly Hall for Hoosier Hysteria. Two and a half days before the doors would open to let them in! By 8 a.m. on the Saturday of Hoosier Hysteria the line to get in wrapped around Assembly Hall, and the doors did not even open until 4 p.m.! Did you try to get into Assembly Hall at 5:30 p.m., an hour and a half before the practice began? You were turned away because the Hall was full by five o’clock. These fans deserve this group; they stuck around watching teams that won a total of 28 games over three years. They helped Tom Crean and his coaching staff build this program. Crean was quoted in a video that kicked off the Hoosier Hysteria festivities, “They say it takes a village to raise a family. Well, it took a nation to rebuild this program. THANK YOU HOOSIER NATION.”
The similarities between the 91-92 group and this year’s group are well deserved. Both teams are coming off of a Sweet 16 loss to a team that would eventually play for a national title, both teams retuned the majority of their starting line up from the previous season, and both teams added a dominant freshman to their rotation (Henderson in 91, Ferrell in 12). This brings up two questions: Are the expectations for the 2012-2013 Hoosiers higher than those of the 1991-1992 team, and if so, would this season be considered a disappointment if the current Hoosiers suffered a loss in the Final Four like their predecessors of two decades ago? Hysterical Hoosier fans, let’s hear your answers!
