by Kent Sterling There are a million sayings about the importance of defense in basketball. One of the most concise and on-point is “Defense travels.” Better than any other, that axiom explains why Indiana was unable to beat Northwestern with so much on the line last night in Evanston. Tom Crean discussed ad nauseum during […]
by Kent Sterling The college basketball season changes in the middle of February. Teams that appeared unbeatable in January are suddenly flawed, and those that couldn’t win earlier find the right combination of effort, experience, and talent to vanquish foes. Fans saw it last night as Syracuse beat Notre Dame in South Bend, Maryland upset […]
by Kent Sterling Normally, I’m not a fan of Quixotic causes, but a couple of potential rule changes would make college basketball a lot more fun to play and watch, and neither have anything to do with the shot clock. Sadly, neither have any chance at all to be implemented. I still rage against the […]
by Bert Beiswanger Each game is just another game, so they say. For Fishers High School basketball coach Joe Leonard and the Fishers basketball program, Friday night’s game against Zionsville (17-4 and winners of their last ten going into the game) for the Hoosier Crossroads Conference championship wasn’t just another game. The program, nine years […]
by Kent Sterling Late in the afternoon yesterday, Indiana took the court against Rutgers University, and it was clear the Hoosiers would roll over the confused and apathetic Scarlett Knights. The Pacers went to work as the Hoosiers game reached halftime against the team with the best record in the NBA – without the best […]
by Kent Sterling Indiana lost a basketball game to Purdue last night at Assembly Hall that dropped them to 8-6 in the Big Ten – one-half game ahead of two teams tied for seventh. The most troubling part of the night for Indiana fans should be the opening comment coach Tom Crean delivered in his […]
by Kent Sterling Indiana vs. Purdue used to be something else. Streets in Indiana emptied. Kids were allowed to stay up past bedtime. Gene Keady and Bob Knight matched wits and wills. Knight brought a donkey onto the set of his TV as a replacement for the Purdue AD, and Keady profanely threatened campers who […]
by Kent Sterling Not enough. Not nearly enough. A handwritten apology might work for a fourth grader expressing regret to a girl he decided not to take to the school dance, but not for an adult who is supposed to be the face of a historic franchise. Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle, Ford, Munson, Jeter, […]
by Kent Sterling Back in the day, I enjoyed shuffling the letters on those low tech signs that allowed hyperactive adolescents to spell something new and occasionally profane. They provided an opportunity for jumble-esque fun while also providing some laughs. As Zionsville police continue to question junior high students and adults with seventh grade sensibilities, […]
by Kent Sterling Indiana beat Minnesota last night with a historic three-point shooting barrage that accounted for 60% of the Hoosiers 90 points. Hitting 18-of-32 (56.3%) triple tries is tough to count on, but at 8-5 in the Big Ten, Indiana is very close to securing a spot in the league’s top five, which will […]