Hoosier fans support team’s new look with 13,321 filing into Assembly Hall

It began with the fans – the ones who arrived early, the ones who drove from miles away and the ones who disobeyed doctor’s orders.

Students, alumni and Indiana residents came out to Hoosier Hysteria on Friday to see the start of the IU men’s basketball season.

“They know the history,” junior guard Jeremiah Rivers said. “They know what Coach Crean is building here. They know what we’re trying to do here.”

The men’s basketball season began on Friday with fireworks, the Big Red band and 13,321 fans. 

The evening was a combination of new players and old traditions. A new “Mop Lady” emerged on Friday, despite many students not knowing about the old commercial.

Friday’s Hoosier Hysteria ranged from the typical dunk and 3-point contests to the bizarre – a scrimmage against singing group Straight No Chaser and an appearance from Jared “the Subway guy” Fogle. 

Crean also acknowledged older fans, like 82-year-old Wes Hovis. Crean introduced Hovis, who has stomach cancer, to the crowd. Having been sick for the past six years, Hovis ignored his doctor’s advice to stay at home.

A resident of Muncie, Ind., Hovis went to his first Hoosier game when he was in his 20s. Sixty years later, he is still a fan.

“I’m an IU nut,” he said.

Rivers said the team was excited to see the fans and that their encouragement was uplifting.

“We were missing dunks, missing 3s,” Rivers said. “They were cheering like we were making them the whole time.”

One fan sign said, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for Tom Crean.”

The sentiment was true, as Crean received more cheers than any of the players during the introduction.

During his on-court speech, he acknowledged that the team will have growing pains this season, and he said they should not be discouraged by any losses. 

Fewer than 1,000 student season tickets remain for the season, with the first exhibition game little more than two weeks away on Nov. 4.

Sophomore guard Verdell Jones said the turnout was another example of community support. He said fans give him positive feedback on a regular basis.

“Around this time I think Indiana just changes over,” he said. “It’s like it’s dormant for a while, and then basketball season hits and it gets wild.”

Scott Sullivan of Vevay, Ind., was one of many fans who came down to Bloomington after being hit by basketball fever. Sullivan drove almost three hours with his three sons.

“It was frustrating at times,” he said of watching last year’s team, “but I stuck with them like they won every game, like they was undefeated last year. That’s what you do when you’re a fan.”