Before the Hoosiers' starting lineup is announced, amid a slowly filling Assembly Hall crowd, even before public address announcer Chuck Crabb's voice can greet spectators, a different sound takes control.\n"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to ball now," the voice says. "You're in the Hall now."\nFinally, as the men's basketball team charges onto Branch McCracken Court, the voice leaves one more reminder -- "Get in the Game."
Same name, different game\nIU junior Lance Bennett is no stranger to Hoosier fans. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native plays for the football team and has garnered attention with his kick returns as well as his song "Knock, Knock," which he wrote for the 2005 Hoosiers. Inspired by that song's popularity, Bennett went on to write "Get in the Game" -- the song that screams from Assembly Hall's rafters at every home basketball game.\n"(Freshman) James Hardy was my roommate on the road for football and said I needed to do one for the basketball team, so I said all right," Bennett said. "When I wrote the song on the plane, we were on our Michigan trip. A lot of people have been asking about my music, and at the same time I wanted to record something for the basketball team. I was able to add a little more excitement to the basketball stadium." \nThough Bennett had originally created his own beat for the song, he was not completely pleased with it. He decided to send it to music producer Treezah, who made a new beat and sent it back to Bennett. From there, Bennett and Pete Rhoda, director of IU athletic media relations, toyed with the idea of putting it on CD with a music video featuring the Hoosier basketball team.\n"I just wanted to give people the best of both worlds," Bennett said. "I wanted people to have the video and the song. I wanted to do something that had never been done before. I am a student-athlete here doing something for one of our teams."
Playing by the rules\nNCAA student-athlete regulations forbid Bennett from making money off the CD. Instead, it will be sold in IU bookstores with proceeds going back to the school. Bennett said he understands what lies ahead for him, despite his frustration with the NCAA's rules.\n"There are things that are taking time and I see why they're taking time," Bennett said. "Let's say last week that Sony Records wanted to put out an album of me, I would have an NCAA problem. And it's not fair, but there are certain things that I see God delaying for a reason. I just take it in stride."\nMoney did not seem to concern Bennett much with his latest project, though. He said he had only one intention for the song.\n"You know (the men's basketball players) keep saying they want something to get hyped before the games," Bennett said. "To be able to hear that and even if I'm not out there playing, even if this is a tiny, tiny 10th of a percent of what gets them excited to play, it's still something. To be able to do that is a pleasure; it's a blessing."\nJunior Rod Wilmont said Bennett achieved that goal.\n"I thought it was pretty cool, especially since that was my first music video," Wilmont said. "I told Lance that he needs to get it to Puffy ... It's getting the job done. Anytime you hear it, it gets the job done."\nFreshman Joey Shaw echoed Wilmont's sentiments.\n"We had some good times doing it and making the video, just messing around," Shaw said. "After coming back the second time we always get hyped to it. We just went out there and when they said 'action' we were just going with the flow having fun."
The future of 'Flo Blitz'\nDespite the minor setbacks with NCAA regulations, Bennett -- or "Flo Blitz," his stage name -- has still managed to create a resume during his college career that most students spend a lifetime trying to achieve. His past work with NFL teams such as the Baltimore Ravens, as well as Will Smith -- with whom he helped write the hit songs "Nod Ya Head (Black Suit's Comin')" and "Switch" -- has given Bennett the experience and exposure necessary to become successful in the music industry.\n"If I had the right team with me, I know tomorrow that I could run a record label," Bennett said. "Obviously I would have to have the right marketing person with me, but I just thank God that throughout all these years I wasn't just writing music, I was learning the business."\nThis year Bennett will be working with ESPN to create songs for 10 episodes of "The Season," a mini-documentary series that, in 2005, featured the IU football team. \nAnd, not surprisingly, football fans can expect "Knock, Knock Part II" next football season.\n"It's a good feeling," Bennett said. "I just wanna be able to leave my mark, period ... anywhere I can"
