Alumni prepare for Saturday's game

We're ready. \nReady to flood Kirkwood Avenue and jump in Showalter Fountain in the event of a Hoosier victory Saturday.\nBut, for alumni who can't join in the jubilation here or in Atlanta, the party will have to occur elsewhere. \nJoe's Bar, located in Lincoln Park on the north side of Chicago, will serve as the "nest" for Chicago-area alumni. Ed Warm, an '87 alum and owner of Joe's Bar, said he expects this weekend's festivities to draw as large of a crowd as the two previous games.\n"It was absolutely berserk here (after the Hoosiers first two wins)," Warm said. "It was like a scene out of 'Coyote Ugly.' People were dancing on the bar, hugging each other and throwing beer. I expect this Saturday to be more of the same."\nHis senior year at IU, Warm went to every NCAA tournament game. The Hoosiers went on to win the national championship.\nWarm has been in business five years, but the pub has already developed some traditions. Pre-game rituals at Joe's Bar include viewing a scene from "Hoosiers" just prior to tip-off -- the scene when Gene Hackman prepares the team for the Indiana high school state championship. Other traditions include serving beer in concession cups ordered directly from Assembly Hall.\nWarm said despite Hoosiers' 7-5 start, he has been pleased with the season.\n"Except for the Miami game, I've been very pleased with the season," he said. "I knew we had a lot of heart. I knew our seniors were going to carry us."\nMichael McCurry, an '85 graduate and president of the Chicago alumni club, will not be able to view the game from his typical seat at Joe's. Instead, he'll be in Denver watching the game with other Denver alums at Three Jacks, a local alumni hangout.\n"Typically, (Chicago alums) watch games at Joe's," McCurry said. "Ed is a very warm host. Usually there are between 400 to 1,200 alumni at any event."\nThe Chicago IU alumni club is the second largest in the country behind Indianapolis, McCurry said. The Chicago club has 4,000 members.\nMcCurry said he has no worries about how the Hoosiers will perform this weekend.\n"We're not favored, but that's OK," he said. "Davis and the guys are confident, and if we can hit from outside and get it to Jared (Jeffries), we'll kick butt and win. I'm excited."\nThe celebrations in Bloomington last week sent students strewn about campus in celebration. Dean of Students, Richard McKaig, wants to make sure any further celebrations go as well as last weekend's.\n"Winning certainly isn't everything," he said in a statement. "But winning does make a difference, and that difference has been evident on countless Bloomington faces this week. Anyone still wondering whether sports can bring out the best in people wasn't in town last Friday.\n"The day after Duke was a glorious day in our town and on our campus. By Saturday's victory over Kent State, ours was arguably the happiest town on earth. And the excitement continues."\nWarm said growing up he always knew he was going to IU. And his prediction for this weekend is not surprising.\n"I think we're going to shock the world"