Is IU's 13-1 Start a Fluke?

Let me begin by saying I would like to think I am a realistic Hoosier fan. I try my hardest not to get my emotions wrapped up in my analysis and expectations for the season. Last year I had the Hoosiers winning 14 games and missing the NIT. The year before, I thought we'd win 10 games. Without Maurice Creek's injury, I'd like to think I was pretty close to predicting our seasons. This year, according to the chart below, I had us at 21-10 which would put us on the Bubble for March Madness. (See predictions on left versus actual on right)



As we all know, the Hoosiers have surpassed everyone's expectations this year. The team has performed above and beyond my wildest dreams. Looking at the schedule, and based on the analysis below, it appears the Hoosiers have a great shot at going at least 25-6 (Assuming IU goes 6-5 in "Best" games). The Hoosiers are here to stay.

A Closer look at the 13-1 Record.

Indiana went from unranked and picked to finish last or near the bottom of the Big Ten, to a front runner and a top 15 ranked team. This climb to the top isn't a fluke. While many media members and fans (primarily of other teams) will mention the fact that IU has played an easy schedule, I'd like to show them what the Hoosiers have DONE versus that "easy" schedule:

I have broken the schedule into three different buckets: "Good" Games (RPI >200), "Better" Games (RPI 75-199) and "Best" Games (RPI <75). Let's take a look at each group. "Good" Games


The Hoosiers have played 7 games against teams with a current RPI ranging from 212-328. These games are called "Good" Games because their current RPI is greater than 200. I called them "Good" to be nice… In the preseason, these are games that were marked off as Wins. While it isn't impressive that IU went 7-0 against these teams. The margin of victory is impressive. IU beat these 7 teams by an average margin of 34.6 points. That isn't winning games, that's demolishing teams. A lot can be said about the margin of victories being inflated due to Coach Crean keeping his starting lineups in the game. That may be true, but to beat 7 teams by an average of 35 points is incredible. It is also good to note that when IU played these schools, three of them were in the top 200 in regards to RPI.

"Better" Games



The Hoosiers have played 3 games against teams with a current RPI ranging from 85-162. These games I would call "Better" games as the current RPI is between 75 and 200. Against the Better opponents, IU has gone 3-0 including one road and neutral site victory. Again the key isn't that IU beat these teams, it is how they beat them. IU won these three games by an average margin of 16 points. IU should have won these games, but they won them in a very convincing fashion. The average RPI for this bucket is 126.

"Best" Games



The Hoosiers have played 4 games against teams with a current RPI ranging from 6-48. These games I would call "Best" games as the current RPI is between 1 and 75. Against the Best opponents, IU has gone 3-1. IU is 2-0 at home, and 1-1 on the road for these games. Not including the IU game, these teams have a combined record of 51-6 (90%). They have an average RPI of 18.3 which is driven up by NC State. The average margin of victory in these games is where it gets muddy. IU is averaging 74.5 pts/game while giving up 74.3 pts/game which leads to an average margin of victory of 0.2 points. This shows how close these games have been.

Overall:



Overall the Hoosiers have gone 13-1 against an average RPI of 167.5. Obviously with the Big Ten schedule heating up, the Hoosiers are set to face much tougher opponents. IU has 17 games left in the season. As the RPI currently falls, IU has 11 "Best" Games, 5 "Better" Games and only 1 "Good" Game left. The average RPI of IU's remaining games is 73.5.

The point of this analysis is to show that many people who feel IU isn't a top 10 team based on our schedule are kidding themselves. While some opponents haven't been the best, IU has BEAT them like a Top 10 team should. The Hoosiers have another "Best" game coming up on Thursday vs. RPI #34 Michigan (Preview).

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Christmas Comes in Crean

It's time, Hoosiers Nation, to turn the page. It's time to take down the posters from the 70's, 80's and 90's. It's a new era in our great basketball history, and we should celebrate it. 11-0 is nothing to get too hyped about, especially looking forward at the schedule. But seeing our team this year perform the way they have, and to listen to the buzz about how well practices are going day in and day out I am petitioning my fellow Indiana fans to finally let go of the past, and look forward to the now and what is to come in the future.

His name will be forever linked to Indiana, and it still echoes in the walls of Assembly Hall. His voice I'm sure is still heard loud and clear in the locker room. Even Dick Vitale, being a member of the "non-partisan" media, can't call an Indiana game without endorsing his name for the court inside the Hall. But it's time; after eleven years since his departure from Bloomington, it's time to let him go.

Bobby Knight is a LEGEND, don't get me wrong. I was recently asked by a friend, if I could drink with any three men, who would they be? Bobby Knight was on that list. My family has had a dog named after him, and in our house that is the highest compliment. When I met my soon to be wife, to get her to have a better understanding of me and who I am I showed her clips of Knight's great and not-so-great moments. I can say as a man I have love for Bobby Knight and for what he did at Indiana, and for what he did for me as a kid watching those great teams. I still shoot free throws the way he taught those at his basketball camps: look at the basket, dribble three times, fluid motion... and release. Agree or disagree with his methods Bobby Knight will forever be a big part of what Indiana Hoosiers basketball was, is, and what it will be.

But we have a new coach at Indiana who is the face of Hoosiers basketball, and it's time to celebrate him and his efforts and the success he's had so far. Tom Crean came to coach at Indiana for the right reason, "It's Indiana." And he came to do it the right way- the Hoosier way: fair recruiting, high expectations of winning, and even higher expectations off the court. He recruits boys who love their mothers, and he proudly wears Indiana on his sleeve. He's coaching Indiana the way that we as fans want our team coached- with enthusiasm and dedication to the continuous development of the program. He knows that there is no higher goal than banner number six.

I'm done hearing podcast hosts say, "There's just something I don't like about him." They use the word 'arrogant' when describing him. Folks, let us not confuse arrogance for confidence. Look at what he did at Marquette. He took them from nothing all the way to the Final Four and near the top of the national rankings. And then he had the guts to come to Indiana; a program forced into the hollows where a previous coach left us. Tom Crean came to Indiana to rebuild this program, and through strong recruiting of great young men, Indiana, and I love to say it out loud to whoever is listening, Indiana is back! Young men out of high school need a confident man to lead them. Tom Crean is that man.

Even from the state of South Carolina where I now live, with plenty of filter and buffer from the local Indiana media via Kentucky and North Carolina, I run into people who will see the IU on my hat or shirt and they say about Tom Crean, "He's no Bobby Knight." Well who is? And in today's game who wants a coach like that? In the age of Twitter, strong NCAA punishments, and 24 hour news coverage, who wants a coach who is always in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons? Not this guy. I want Hoosiers basketball to be associated with morals and values and all the other good things about sports, and, of course, winning. If we keep dwelling on the closure that we as fans never had after Bobby Knight's firing at Indiana we're going to miss out on one hell of a good coach, and a good man. This man Tom Crean came to us and we're lucky to have him. It's a new era at Indiana, and as heavy as the page is, muster up the energy Hoosier Nation and turn the page to the Crean Era. If we don't we just might see this coach somewhere we don't want to see him, and we might be left out in the cold, again. Let me paint a picture...

There is a program in college basketball that is easily the envy of all programs. It has a coach that we would all love to have associated with our basketball team, and with whom any one of us would be proud to send our own son to play for. Coach Krzewski, or Coach K., of Duke University is one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports. His record speaks for itself. He doesn't always go after the best talent; rather the best kid who he believes can fit into his program. He develops that talent and gets the best out of every single player. He is a direct descendant of Bobby Knight. There is an irony here that can only happen in sports.

Here's the harsh reality folks: Coach K. won't be around forever. And what sort of individual would be best suited to take over for a legend like that? Brad Stevens? Maybe, but I don't think he's the coach yet that Duke would be looking for. You need a coach who has maybe been in the position of being in the shadow of a legend before, and one who knows how to make and cast his own shadow. You need a man who takes pride in the development of boys into confident young men. Among other things you need a proven winner. Now fast forward three years, five years, ten years from now. After Tom Crean does what is shaping out to be done in Bloomington, and takes Indiana back to where it once was, don't you think he would be a strong nomination for that job in Durham? I can hear it now, "It's Duke. It's Duke." It would break my heart if that were to happen.

I miss our former coach, but I don't wish we could have him back. Recently in Bloomington there was a reunion of the 1987 championship team, but there was one key figure not in attendance. It's not like Coach Knight isn't around the game anymore, because I hear him break down games all the time as part of ESPN. But there is one team I have yet to even hear him mention, and it's a team that has fans that still yearn for him to come back and give us closure. The fans did not make the decision to fire him, and therefore should not be associated with his bitterness towards the greatness that is Indiana Hoosiers basketball. And if he doesn't want to give back what us fans gave, than let us focus on what we now have, and what we want for the future of Indiana basketball. I want to see Tom Crean with grey hair, wearing that nice suit with that crimson tie, pacing along the sideline for a long time to come. Maybe one day Knight will come back to Indiana to say hello again, or to say good-bye. But if he doesn't let us hope that we as fans can embrace another name for that court. Crean Court sounds pretty damn good to this Hoosier. In the meantime, we're 11-0, back in the top 25, and headed for greener pastures...Creaner pastures.

-Kenneth Languell
@AskTheWho

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Hoosier Hysteria on the Brain

By: Kent Languell (@AskTheWho)

If you are anything like me, your life has been made even better by the start that the Hoosiers are having to their basketball season. I have compiled yet another list, this time of the signs that you may be suffering from Hoosier Hysteria of the Brain. Do not worry if you suffer from some, or all of these symptoms. There is no need for medical attention. As a guy who watches a lot of TV, I can say that the only cure for Hoosier Hysteria of the Brain is... MORE HOOSIERS BASKETBALL! The symptoms:

-You wake up all of the sudden throughout the night, only to find yourself in front of the TV or computer to watch the Watshot.
-You've petitioned to your boss to make it mandatory for all employees to wear candy stripes for the company Christmas photo.
-You've done all of your Christmas shopping, and during the wrapping process you've noticed not one single gift isn't Hoosiers paraphernalia.
-In discussing names with your spouse of your next born child, you are unable to think of any other name besides Cody.
-In the daily decision of what to cook for dinner, you find yourself asking, "What would Crean make?"
-During the decoration of your Chrismas tree, you removed all colored lights from the strands except the red and white ones.
-You are still wearing the same underwear that you had on for the Kentucky game.
-As you walk through crowded places, you chant, "Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!"
-You order your morning coffee with sugar and extra Crean.
-Dick Vitale's voice has recently become beautiful to listen to.
-You've declared December 28,2011 at 7:30 (first Big 10 game) a holiday and therefore will be leaving work early.
-You had plans for New Year's Eve with the wife, but then looked at the schedule and cancelled dinner reservations.
-You've started pricing tickets to New Orleans for March 31 and April 2.
-Andrew Luck and 1-13 mean very little to you anymore.
-You look ahead at the schedule, and you get excited if the opponent's name has a very small number next to it.
-Bobby who? is a thought you've let enter your mind.
-You were kicked out of the Hall for trying to adjust five banners over to the left.

As mentioned before, there is no need to seek a doctor is you suffer from some of these symptoms. It's completely normal to feel the emotion you have about Hoosiers basketball. It's been a long three years, and these feelings and actions might seem a bit foreign to you. Remember, there's nothing more important in life than family, but a very close second is Hoosiers basketball! Just grab a glass of red Kool-aid, breathe, and repeat five times, "We're baaaccckk!"

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The Shot Heard 'round B-Town and the World

The Shot Heard 'round B-Town

Hoosier fans rush the court in celebration.

Where does a Hoosiers fan begin when they try and describe the events and feelings that occurred last Saturday night? Does the entire experience begin at 5:25 when the ball was tipped off? Does it begin when we as Hoosiers fans woke up Saturday morning to do all of our chores early, just to be sure we were on our couch, or in the bar, or, for those lucky enough, in our seat in Assembly Hall? If you were one of the 17,000 plus fans with a ticket to the game, I’m sure that at 5:25 you weren’t sitting. And as I’m sure that my blood bleeds crimson, I’m sure wherever you were, you were not sitting down as Christian Watford released one of the most beautiful shots in Indiana Hoosiers basketball history. But for this fan, the experience of Saturday night’s victory over the then top ranked Kentucky Wildcats began long before Saturday.

I often repeat in my head two words that Tom Crean said when he got hired on as Indiana’s basketball coach, “It’s Indiana.” To those who question why I’m a Hoosiers fan, to those who don’t know why a coach would leave a Final Four team in Marquette to take a job for a program that is suffering, to those who don’t truly know why I often times schedule my social life around IU basketball games, I just tell them what Coach Crean told so many: It’s Indiana. It’s Indiana.

Saturday night was what I needed in my life when it comes to sports, and as conflicted as it makes me feel, it’s what I needed in my life to move on as an Indiana born man. When Watford’s shot went in, and Indiana “upset” Kentucky, I felt a rush of emotion come over me that I thought I would save for the next time IU won a national championship. Some may think that all of that emotion stems from watching IU do so poorly the past three years. Those people are correct, to a certain extent. I can’t lie and say that the past three years have been easy to watch, but as a true Indiana fan I knew that it was just a part of the process. I had to stick by my team, and their coach, and one day it would all come back. One day Indiana would be Indiana again.

But the emotion I felt as that three point shot went through the net, and the emotion I felt after pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, and the emotion I felt as I hugged my wife-to-be (proud to say a new Hoosier fan herself), that emotion stems from my bedroom closet when I was seven years old. When I was a kid (born in 1982, too young to remember the ’87 championship), I admit I was a bit of a trouble maker. More often than not I spent my time confined to my room for doing things I knew I shouldn’t be doing; hiding my report card from my parents, getting into trouble at school for taking the fish out of the tank and causing it to die, not doing my chores, etc. But even though I was told to go to my room after dinner, and not allowed to watch the Hoosiers play, I always had my radio that I would take into my big closet to set up shop with and listen to WOWO radio broadcast the game. In that closet is where I fell into a deep, never abandoning, never doubted love for Indiana basketball. In that closet is where Saturday night’s emotion stems from. That beautiful closet where my blankets where all laid out, where my stuffed animals kept me company and where my IU basketball calendar hung will forever be etched in my memory, right alongside a new memory I now have- the greatest shot I’ve ever seen taken by a Hoosier. Some say I’m living in the moment, and that’s fine. But I say, “No. I’m living in The Movement.”

 

-Kenneth Languell
@AskTheWho

 

Due to the amount of requests to post things, we can not post everything, but please know we appreciate your submissions! If you have a contribution to the site, please email us at BtownBanners@gmail.com! We would love to show off your work!

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From the Fans: IU vs Kentucky Poem

We have yet another fan post today! We receive many requests to post things daily. We can not post everything, but please know we appreciate your submissions. If you have a contribution to the site, please email us at BtownBanners@gmail.com! We would love to show off your work!

Today's contribution comes from Kenneth Languell (@AskTheWho)! A lovely poem about Saturday's game vs Kentucky!

It's Kentucky week,

and all through the South

you can smell the stench of trash

as it leaks out every Kentucky fan's mouth.

Kentucky smells

like the worlds biggest shit pile.

And there's a saturated ratio of trailers-

146 for every square mile.

But up in B-town

the tents are all a-glow.

Hoosier pride is a-plenty

as the cold beers flow.

Crimson and Crean

will have our boys focused.

"It's Indiana. It's Indiana"

were the words Tom told us.

We've been through days of glory;

hanging five banners in the Hall.

Calipari cheats to get his-

Hoosiers work hard to earn them all.

So let's hear it Hoosier Nation;

every steal, every shot and every good pass.

Let those inbred hicks hear it from the stands,

and let's all watch as IU beats Kentucky's ASS!

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Kentucky Sucks T-shirt WINNER!

Thanks for everyone that retweeted and entered to win the "Kentucky Sucks" Shirt! If you didn't win, don't worry! All the way up until gametime, if you enter the Promotion Code "Kentucky Sucks", we will take $2.00 off the price of the shirt!

A blind drawing was done, and @ntbanist19 is our winner!!!!! Please send us an e-mail at BtownBanners@gmail.com with your Shirt size and Address and we'll get the shirt in the mail for you! Congratulations!!!

Check out our NEW Store if you would like to purchase the Kentucky Sucks shirt!

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Loudest Moment in Assembly Hall

My ears were ringing, my body was shaking, I thought Assembly Hall might topple over.



It was that dunk. With 7:43 to go in the game, all 300+ pounds of Marco Killingsworth trucked down the court for a dunk that gave IU their first lead. It was the final piece of an 11-0 run that got IU back into the game. It was a thing of beauty.

It’s hard to put into words what it was like. I was a freshman at IU at the time, it was my first big IU basketball game as a student. I had been to plenty of games over my life, most notably the Haston 3 pointer vs Michigan State, but nothing compared to this. To this day I get chills just thinking about that play. IU fans know how loud it was, the players knew it, and Duke knew it.

Coack Krzyzewski called it the loudest environment he’d experienced… (outside of Cameron Indoor, which he probably only included so the Cameron Crazies wouldn’t commit suicide.) He said after, “Wow! What a great game. What an amazing atmosphere.” It was incredible.

I actually had a friend on the Duke team at that time, after the game the next day I called him to see what he thought. He said he couldn’t even describe how loud that was. It was the loudest thing any player on Duke had experienced. He said during timeouts, they couldn’t hear Coach, they couldn’t even hear the ball bounce. If you wanted to call a play on the floor??? FORGET it. Their ears were ringing ON the court while they were playing.

As we all know, IU couldn’t hold on. They let the momentum go away. For all of the games I’ve seen, this game is still my most memorable moment. It trumps all other sporting events I’ve been to in my life. Considering we lost… that speaks volumes about how loud it was that night.

With #1 and undefeated Kentucky coming to town on Saturday, many fans are asking if the Hall will be that loud again. For that to happen, IU is going to have to keep this game close and make a run similar to the 11-0 run they made vs Duke back in 2005. I hope for all the fans attending, that Assembly Hall is rocking like it did that night in 2005. For those of you who didn’t experience Duke in 2005, it’s something that you will NEVER forget.

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#KentuckySucks List

We all know #KentuckySucks, and our Twitter feed is blowing up with jokes. Share your best here and we will add them to the list and Tweet out the best ones!

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Requesting your help Hoosiers!

The Indiana men's basketball team has jumped out to an early 7-0 start. Led by the Big Ten Freshman of the Year front runner Cody Zeller, the Hoosiers have not only won all of their games, they have earned some respect in the process.

At the beginning of the year, it appeared the consensus for this year's squad had the Hoosiers destined for the NIT with a small possibility to go Dancing as a bubble team. Given the last three years of Hoosier Basketball, that seemed like a realistic expectation. Over the first few weeks of the season, It appears those expectations are changing for this team...

This is where you come in, as the season progresses, BtownBanners.com wants to gauge the thoughts of Hoosier Nation and expectations for the season.

As of today, sitting 7-0, how do you see this season turning out? What would make this season a success/ failure?

Feel free to leave your responses in the comment section below, or E-mail us at BtownBanners@gmail.com.

We are looking forward to this analysis! Thanks in advance for your help!

More from BtownBanners.com:

Get some new Threads for The Holidays! BtownBanners.com has partnered with Slumpbusting.com to offer Hoosier fans great shirts! Ranging from the original "The Movement" shirt worn by IU's top recruits, to the classic "Kentucky Sucks" and "Purdouche" shirts! Check them out!

Make sure to check out our in depth analysis of the NC State game HERE.

See Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller with their dunk parties HERE and HERE!

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Oladipo's Reverse ThunderDunk vs NC State (Video)

Man you've just got to love seeing him in the Cream and Crimson! Oladipo had a great game in his limited minutes due to foul trouble. Check out our FULL game analysis which is unlike anything you've seen before! -->HERE

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Zeller goes HAM on Butler (Video)

Zeller threw down a thunderous dunk vs Butler Sunday night. Check it here!

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#IUpickem Results - Butler

Every game day we will tweet out asking for your predictions. We will have a year long competition with some sort of prize at the end (still a work in progress!) Here is how the competition will be scored:

Rules:

• Each week you will submit the winner of the game, and the score for each team
• The top 10 each week will be awarded points (1st= 10, 10th = 1).
• Scoring:
• You will only be eligible to score points if the team you selected wins
• Assuming many people will pick IU all year long, we have a detailed tie breaker.
• 1st Tiebreaker is: Closest to total points in the game
• 2nd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for IU
• 3rd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for Opponent
• If this continues to be a tie, you both will split the points for your position.

With that being said, here are the game results!

...and the Current Season Standings!

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#IUpickem Results - Savannah State

Every game day we will tweet out asking for your predictions. We will have a year long competition with some sort of prize at the end (still a work in progress!) Here is how the competition will be scored:

Rules:

• Each week you will submit the winner of the game, and the score for each team
• The top 10 each week will be awarded points (1st= 10, 10th = 1).
• Scoring:
• You will only be eligible to score points if the team you selected wins
• Assuming many people will pick IU all year long, we have a detailed tie breaker.
• 1st Tiebreaker is: Closest to total points in the game
• 2nd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for IU
• 3rd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for Opponent
• If this continues to be a tie, you both will split the points for your position.

With that being said, here are the game results!

...and the Current Season Standings!

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#IUpickem Results - Evansville

Every game day we will tweet out asking for your predictions. We will have a year long competition with some sort of prize at the end (still a work in progress!) Here is how the competition will be scored:

Rules:

• Each week you will submit the winner of the game, and the score for each team
• The top 10 each week will be awarded points (1st= 10, 10th = 1).
• Scoring:
• You will only be eligible to score points if the team you selected wins
• Assuming many people will pick IU all year long, we have a detailed tie breaker.
• 1st Tiebreaker is: Closest to total points in the game
• 2nd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for IU
• 3rd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for Opponent
• If this continues to be a tie, you both will split the points for your position.

With that being said, here are the game results!

...and the Current Season Standings!

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#IUpickem Results - Chattanooga

Every game day we will tweet out asking for your predictions.  We will have a year long competition with some sort of prize at the end (still a work in progress!)  Here is how the competition will be scored:

Rules:

• Each week you will submit the winner of the game, and the score for each team
• The top 10 each week will be awarded points (1st= 10, 10th = 1).
• Scoring:
• You will only be eligible to score points if the team you selected wins
• Assuming many people will pick IU all year long, we have a detailed tie breaker.
• 1st Tiebreaker is: Closest to total points in the game
• 2nd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for IU
• 3rd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for Opponent
• If this continues to be a tie, you both will split the points for your position.

With that being said, here are the current standings!

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#IUpickem Results - Stony Brook

We have decided to start an #IUpickem Challenge this year for our Twitter followers!  Every gameday we will tweet out asking for your predictions.  We will have a year long competition with some sort of prize at the end (still a work in progress!)  Here is how the competition will be scored:

Rules:

• Each week you will submit the winner of the game, and the score for each team
• The top 10 each week will be awarded points (1st= 10, 10th = 1).
• Scoring:
• You will only be eligible to score points if the team you selected wins
• Assuming many people will pick IU all year long, we have a detailed tie breaker.
• 1st Tiebreaker is: Closest to total points in the game
• 2nd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for IU
• 3rd Tiebreaker: Closest to total points for Opponent
• If this continues to be a tie, you both will split the points for your position.

With that being said, here are the current standings!

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The Movement Commits

As all IU fans know, IU signed 5 new recruits for the 2012 class. Coach Crean met with the media to discuss all commitments. See what he had to say about each recruit below.

Yogi Ferrell


Ron Patterson


Jeremey Hollowell


Hanner Perea


Peter Jurkin

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2011-2012 NCAA Tournament Projections

With IU’s first game approaching on Friday, the analysts are starting to weigh in on IU’s season. Rivals.com released their Projected Field of 68 today. One inclusion of interest???? IU cracked the top 68 as a current 11 seed. This indicated IU will be a bubble team for this upcoming year. I hope they are right!

Other Notables:

1 Seed: Kentucky

2 Seed: Ohio State

3 Seed: Wisconsin

6 Seed: Purdue/ Michigan

7 Seed: Michigan State

10 Seed: Butler

11 Seed: IU

Big Ten has 6 teams (2^nd most for conference)

Big East has the most with 9.

You can check out the whole listing here. 2012 Top 68 Predictions

What do you guys think?

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Google says "Purdue CHOKES hard."

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Thoughts on Guy-Marc Michel

Btown Banners would like to welcome Gary Sweeney Jr. as a featured writer. If you'd like to see more columns from Gary, please let us know in the comment section below!

*Credit to iuhoosiers.cstv.com

By now you're aware of the fact that the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee has denied Indiana University's appeal regarding Guy-Marc Michel's eligibility. As a result, Guy will not be allowed to play for the Hoosiers. So, what does this mean for IU? Pondering the situation I can't help but think back to those old Tootsie Pop commercials where the curious young child asks the old wise owl, "how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"

"The World May Never Know."

Besides from the 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots, Guy accumulated in his 28 minutes of IU's pre-season scrimmage, we really don't know what kind of talent he possessed. Hoosiers fans recent memories of seven foot centers include the incredibly raw, uncoordinated images of Bawa Muniru and Tijan Jobe. No offense to Bawa and Tijan, but this doesn't leave Hoosier Nation with much to get excited about.

But, for some reason I had a feeling that Guy was different. No, I did not think that Guy would be Tyler Hansbroughish or Blake Griffinesque, but I did feel like his 7' 1", 265 pound frame was capable of helping the Hoosiers during their Big Ten schedule.

Guy, who showed excellent shot blocking ability during is two years with Northern Idaho, would have given this year's Hoosiers team a legitimate "Big Ten body" to patrol the paint. Tom Pritchard has already been disqualified from two of the first six games due to fouls and aside from the performance he turned in against Evansville (8 PT, 8 RBs, 5 BS, 3 PFs) what kind of resistance will Pritch offer against the Big Ten big men? Another big body to block shots, set screens and give us five more of those precious fouls would have been a welcomed addition to this year's Hoosiers team. That is exactly the reason why Tom Crean went out and got him, and I think that we can all agree that Tom Crean hasn't been sleeping on his recruits lately.

Sure Pritch is going to have to step up in Guy's absence but all of the responsibility shouldn't fall on Pritch's shoulders. The Hoosiers are going to have to do it by committee. It may be a different guy every night but in order for the Hoosiers to be competitive in the Big Ten they will have to get solid contributions from guys like Pritchard, Bobby Copobianco, Derek Elston and I'll even throw Christian Watford into that mix.

Are these guys up to challenge? That question will be answered this season, but as for Guy-Marc Michael's possible contributions to the Indiana Hoosiers Men's Basketball team...

"The world may never know."

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