IU does college basketball best

College basketball fans, we have now entered the best chunk of the calendar.

During the next 24 weeks, a new college basketball season will unfold before the eyes of millions of fans who wear their colors with unwavering loyalty while still rooting for underdogs, buzzer-beaters and a chance at the National Championship.

Although the passion for NCAA basketball will run deep across the nation this year, the start of this college basketball season means more in Bloomington.

The 223-day wait between the Hoosiers’ last game — the Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky — and IU’s first game of this season — Thursday’s exhibition against Indiana Wesleyan — has almost been painful for IU fans.

Anticipation has led to more talk about Hoosier basketball at barbecues, water coolers and campus get-togethers than any season since Calbert Cheaney last lead Bob Knight’s offense
in 1993.

Last year’s success left Hoosier fans gratified and appreciative of how far the program has progressed, while also leaving them as hungry as ever for more success.
This is Indiana after all, right?

“The target of being an Indiana Hoosier has never changed, and Indiana is synonymous throughout the country for being a lot of things in basketball,” IU Coach Tom Crean said at Big Ten Media Day. “It was always a big deal when you were playing Indiana or Indiana was coming to town, and that hasn’t changed.”

This is why college basketball in Btown is as special as anywhere in America — and even more so in the Midwest.

No disrespect to any of the other college basketball programs in the Big Ten, but name me another Big Ten school that is as basketball-driven as IU.

Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State have strong college football programs and support them just as much, if not more, than basketball.

Michigan, Illinois and Purdue love basketball but don’t have nearly as much history as IU. Indiana has five banners, while those three combined have one.

Northwestern, Minnesota and Nebraska are a million miles away from comparing to the amount of support and history the Hoosiers have.

Do you think any of those teams are chomping at the bit to play in Assembly Hall this season?

Doubt it.

That’s why this offseason, which felt like the longest ever in Bloomington, could not have ended quickly enough for the Hoosiers.

“It’s been going by a little slow,” sophomore guard Remy Abell said earlier in October.

Remy’s not alone.

Through the dog days of summer, fans could only rely on the understanding that the key ingredients from last year’s successful team were on the verge of brewing with more young, talented players.

Without games, who could know what was going on behind the curtains?

“There is no doubt that the attention (our) team has gotten has been good, and in the sense of that they have worked very hard to get back in the conversation,” Crean said. “It makes for good conversation.”

College basketball talk has never stopped in Bloomington, even without games.
Now, Hoosier fans — and fans of every team in the country — are about to finally see how their team spent their summer vacations.

Regardless of team affiliation, this week represents a clean slate for everyone.

The college basketball season is the time of year for optimistic boasting, face painting and obnoxiously loud cheering.

No city will enjoy college basketball more than Bloomington this year.

­— mdnorman@indiana.edu