IU Basketball Then and Now

Last night, Doug invited Phil over for dinner.  It was a nice night, so after we ate they decided to get out the projector and watch something outside.  I suggested watching The Grey as Phil had just been talking about wolves.  He didn't want to watch anything intense so that movie was out as well as Doug's pick, Die Hard.  I asked about Christmas movies, but the only one that Phil was interested in was A Christmas Story, which was my least favorite.  That was when I suggested watching an old IU basketball game.  Doug and Phil instantly agreed on IU vs UNC 1984.

I didn't remember very much about the famous game except that Dakich always took credit for holding Michael Jordan to minimal points in the game.  At first I only recognized him and Steve Alford until I saw Uwe Blab head to the free throw line.  I definitely remembered him as he was my Mom's favorite IU player.  Mike Giomi, Marty Simmons and Chuck Franz were just names to me, not players that I remembered long term.  Stew Robinson was hurt, but did get into the game.  He was always fun to watch and tonight was no different.  IU led most of the game, although North Carolina made it extremely close in the end.  As the game ended, I realized that it wasn't Dakich who stifled Jordan.  It was his own coach, Dean Smith.  He sat the star player after only eight minutes in the first half had gone by as Jordan had two fouls.  In retrospect, that decision and Alford's phenomenal play for the Hoosier were the factors in Indiana winning the game.

Doug and I headed inside after Phil left.  It was still early, so we started searching for something else to watch.  With not much on to television, I suggested that we try another vintage IU game.  We agreed on IU vs. LSU 1992, which was Shaq's last college game.  It was even more fun to watch than the first game as I knew every player on IU's team.  Of course, Calbert Cheaney was my favorite without question and he had the best game of the night, even outplaying the future NBA Hall of Famer.  IU won a close game again and both Doug and I had fun reliving the experience.

With all of the IU basketball history last night, Doug and I had low expectations for this afternoon's game.  The Hoosiers were playing #2 Kansas, and even though the game was at Assembly Hall, we all knew that they had no chance of winning.  They had just gotten destroyed by Auburn which helped to lower our expectations for this game.  The Hoosiers must have been hyped up from the games that we watched last night as they came out on fire.  They led the entire first half and well into the second.  I really thought they were going to win, but in the end Kansas won by 4.  Cal was super bummed about the game, but Doug and I were actually happy.  IU is so much better than they were three years ago.  They aren't the 1992 team, but definitely a fun team to watch.