Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Durham goes bonkers to beat Maryland – IU will face Purdue in the Big 10 Tourney semis tonight

“Don’t you shoot the F***ing ball again, Al! Don’t push your luck!” Archie Miller yelled at Mr. Perfection, Aljami Durham.

“The Lord guided me. No other way to explain it,” said Al Durham after pouring in a career high 37 points to lead Indiana to an improbable 91-66 runaway win over #3 seed Maryland.

Durham’s previous career high was 22 points against St. Francis (PA) in last year’s NIT. Against Maryland, Durham quite literally could not miss, hitting 10 of 10 from behind the arc, his only two two-pointers, and all three free throws.

Durham’s most amazing basket was neither a three-pointer nor dunk, it was the outback of a 28-foot airball launched with just three seconds of the shot clock gone by Devonte Green. Durham sprinted through the Maryland defenders, soared to meet the ball as it fell short of the rim by two feet, and flipped it over his head into the basket. As Green passed the scorer’s table, he asked to be awarded an assist. The official scorer laughed as he complied.

As happy as this performance out of nowhere made everyone associated with Indiana Basketball, it bothered Maryland coach Mark Turgeon just as much, “I kept telling our guys to play off Durham because nobody makes every shot, right? That kid might not make another shot in his life after tonight.

“I wouldn’t change a thing. Durham is just not a guy I believe can beat us. Even after watching him do it, I still don’t believe he was able to do it. I would do it again, and again, and again. If Durham wasn’t graduating, I promise you next year you would not see a Maryland defender within 10-feet of Durham,” Turgeon added.

When I reminded Turgeon that Durham is only junior, he broke his dry erase board over his chair and stormed into the locker room.

Indiana coach Archie Miller was just as surprised, but happily so, “I kept telling Al to stop shooting. When he was five for five shooting threes, I demanded he stop shooting. I mean, what are the odds of a 38% shooter making a sixth in a row. When he hit it, I told Armaan to get him, and Armaan shook his head no. I’m glad he did.

“Who’s going to do it for us against Purdue – Cooper Bybee?” Miller said with a laugh in our nightly exclusive conversation over a rib eye and beer at Prime 47. That he has decided to speak only to me after every game rather than talk to the rest of the media that covers IU hoops is a source of discontent for them, but I appreciate the access.

Junior Joey Brunk was also singled out for praise by Miller as he devoured his steak cooked rare and his Pabst Blue Ribbon draft, “Brunk was stout. His six blocks were key. (Jalen) Smith knew after Brunk blocked his first two shots, it was over for him.”

Behind Durham’s excellence, the Hoosiers slide into the semifinals of the Big 10 Tournament for the first time in many years, and keeps alive its hopes to win the whole thing for the first time ever.

“We’re still in it! Ain’t gonna argue with perfect!” yelled De’Ron Davis has he embraced Durham in the locker room.

Maryland’s seed will fall a bit after the loss, but as long as senior Anthony Cowan, Jr., is ambulatory, the Terps will be a tough out in March.

As for Indiana’s March Madness hopes, their NET ranking bounced up to #42 and #24 in Ken Pom. Even Joe Lunardi has adjusted Indiana’s seed to the seven line.

The semifinal matchup against Purdue will both give IU a chance at redemption against a Boilermakers team that beat them badly twice, and allow the Hoosiers a chance to eliminate their cross state rival from a spot in the NCAA Tournament. After Purdue beat Michigan State 61-60 because of a lack game Tom Izzo technical, Lunardi and fellow bracketologists Jerry Palm and Mike DeCourcy moved them into the first four out slot.

The winner of Indiana and Purdue will take on the winner of the other semifinal between surprise qualifier Michigan and the Fighting Brad Underwoods of Illinois.

Should be a spectacular Saturday night in the Circle City – the rightful home of college basketball’s premier conference tournament.

Devonte Green’s miracle shot and Archie Miller’s temper lift Indiana past Penn State 74-73!

Devonte Green celebrates his game-winning three in front of the fans who have been both thrilled and infuriated by the mercurial senior.

March Madness roared into Indy last night as Indiana completed the most unlikely comeback in Big 10 Tournament history, beating Penn State 74-73.

With four minutes left, Indiana trailed by 18 points. It looked like the Hoosiers’ tourney run might end, and its tenuous place on Joe Lunardi’s bubble quite insecure. The typical malaise infused basketball that IU has authored during the Big 10 Tournament drove booing fans to the breaking point – and then Archie Miller broke.

After a questionable foul call on Race Thompson, Miller watched the replay on Bankers Life Fieldhouse’s Jumbotron and exploded at referee Bo Boroski. “What in the sweet heck are you looking at you vacuous and obtuse balding oaf,” he yelled, taking four quick steps onto the floor.

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Boroski spun, cocked his head, and teed up the incredulous Miller. “Don’t say another word!” he yelled. Boroski and Miller stared at each other for several uncomfortable seconds.

Finally, Miller snapped, “Bollocks!” Confused by Miller’s suddenly non-profane exclamation, Boroski paused. Miller raised his fists and screamed toward the ceiling, “Ramparts!” Boroski teed Miller up a second time, which comes with an automatic ejection.

Miller continued screaming more oddly non-profane invective, and lunged at Boroski. Coaches Mike Roberts, huge in comparison to Miller, and Bruiser Flint grabbed Miller by the upper arm, picked him up and carried him kicking and screaming to the locker room.

Penn State’s Myreon Jones missed the foul shots for the technicals with the deafening Hoosier partisan crowd screaming.

With the crowd engaged, the Hoosiers rallied. Rob Phinisee hit a quick three off a turnover, and suddenly everything that had been so difficult for 36 minutes became easy. The defense gelled, and shots fell.

Devonte Green hit a 30-footer from the right wing and another from just inside the center circle off the glass to cut the Nittany Lions lead to single digits. Stops and baskets kept coming until the Hoosiers had narrowed the lead to two.

Penn State’s Lamar Stevens had two free throws up 73-71 to ice the game with 3.8 seconds left. The 71.9% foul shooter missed the first one short, and the second came off the rim to the right where Trayce Jackson-Davis grabbed it, passed to Green and hoped the mercurial Green could bring some Hoosier magic to an event where it has been absent for its first 22 years.

Green took two dribbles up the left sideline, and lofted a high arching shot from the half-court stripe. The hysterical crowd went eerily silent as the ball reached its apex and descended toward the rim. As it sliced through the net, teammates mobbed Green and the crowd roared.

Boroski and his fellow officials reviewed the shot to make sure it left Green’s hand before the clock clicked to 0.0, but the crowd knew it was good without the need for replay.

As the Hoosiers gathered themselves and ended their group celebration, Green was left alone, sobbing at the spot from which he launched what will be remembered forever as his signature moment. As he gathered himself, Green saluted the crowd and looked to the ceiling as he ran from the court.

After the game, Miller sat down with me exclusively to discuss his team’s miraculous comeback, “I knew we needed an emotional reset, Kent, and so I went after Bo. I hoped my lack of profanity would keep him from teeing me up. I mean, who screams ramparts? Saw that in Caddyshack when the reverend missed the putt to set the course record, and thought it was funny. Guess Bo didn’t.”

When I asked what Miller did in the locker room after his ejection, his answer was surprising. “I decided not to watch on TV. I actually hate watching games on TV. I mean, that’s all we do is watch film, right? So I dropped to my knees and prayed the team would find the strength to play their best basketball.

“I was so immersed in prayer I never heard the crowd. I wasn’t sure what happened until the guys stormed the locker room screaming. Even then, I thought it might be a prank. You know, like that show with the idiot who played Kelso on That 70s Show! Glad it wasn’t!”

So the Hoosiers, back from the brink of elimination and a nervous Selection Sunday, will stay in Indy with their NCAA ticket punched for at least another day as Maryland awaits.

State Basketball Tournament will be played minus fans, says IHSAA – are they right to hold the event?

Assuming IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox is putting basketball players in harm’s way is unfair to Cox and the IHSAA.

Virtually every sporting organization in America canceled or suspended their indoor activities during the last 24 hours, but the Indiana High School Athletic Association announced they will play the state basketball tournament as scheduled.

To lessen the chances of spreading the Coronavirus, only family members will be allowed to watch the games in person.

This bothered many people who believe playing regional games Saturday unnecessarily heightens the risk of athletes and coaches contracting the disease, and they are highly critical of the decision.

I received several texts and DMs today from friends and colleagues who are hot about IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox’s decision to play tournament games as scheduled, “Can’t the moron see what the NBA and NCAA are doing? What’s so precious about the state tournament that it should be played while the others aren’t?”

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Fair questions aggressively stated, and it’s reasonable to assume Cox and other IHSAA officials asked kinder and gentler versions of physicians, epidemiologists, and public health experts. What if the answers came back, “We believe the risk is virtually nonexistent for athletes and staff because travel is very limited within a specific geographic region, fans are kept to a bare minimum, and no overnight stays are required. Playing in this tournament is actually less dangerous than going to church or the grocery store. There is no reason to cancel these games – other than to placate a terrified public.”

I’m not saying that’s a verbatim composite of comments from the experts in the field of infectious diseases who were consulted, but it can be assumed Cox was given no reason from smart people who study these situations for a living for cancelling, or he would have made the very easy and popular decision to pull the plug.

Cox may still revisit the issue and cancel, but it won’t be the result of protests from laymen who believe they understand how the Coronavirus spreads because they watched an anchor on Fox News or CNN explain it. He will listen to people who actually know what they are talking about, and adjust accordingly.

If athletes and coaches are said by experts to be safer not playing, we can assume Cox will act on that guidance.

People in media need to understand they are not all-knowing because they have access to a microphone. The ability to make loud and widely heard noises does not confer omnipotence upon them

Leave keeping us safe to the experts.

Sports media is no place to get informed perspective on Coronavirus spread and dangers

Be careful whom you trust as news of the Coronavirus spirals into panic based upon ignorance. Sports media is not the place for relevant and accurate updates. When it comes to medical insight, Get Up! is an empty set.

People working in sports media normally operate in a world where being wrong is inconsequential. Debates rage about where Tom Brady will play and whether LeBron is better than Giannis. Host A takes one side, and the Host B argues the opposite.

Televised sports arguments are a frivolous exploit that reflects and services passion. There is no downside for being wrong, nor is there a bonus for correctly applied logic. Sometimes, the more outlandish the commentary, the better.

In the midst of a health crisis that has tentacles extending into sports, talking heads who normally blather about games are yammering about how the NBA, NCAA, MLB, and PGA should respond to the spread of Coronavirus.

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This is not just irresponsible; it’s dangerous. These are people who occasionally make sense talking about basketball. They have no training in epidemiology, and no clue as to what the right path might be to contain the Coronavirus outbreak.

When ESPN NBA expert Brian Windhorst implored the NCAA this morning to “get on the right side of history,” I wondered from where he received his MD. Turns out he has no background in medicine whatsoever. He might be right. He might be wrong. Not only do we not know – he doesn’t either.

Sports media are doing the same thing with Coronavirus they have done to present themselves as supposed experts in sports – read a bit, listen a bit, and gather enough information to be able to present themselves as plausible experts. That works in the frivolous world of sports, but not in a potential health crisis.

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked about the Coronavirus the day of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Indiana Pacers – the last game either team played prior to the NBA suspending the season. He said, “Turns out we’re not all that qualified to talk about medical situations.”

As usual, Stevens revealed himself to be smart enough to know what he doesn’t know – a trait not shared by many in sports media.

ESPN, Fox Sports, BTN, and hundreds of local sports media outlets need to be responsible with their coverage. They need to engage experts who have spent a lifetime studying infectious diseases to share accurate information about whether games should be played rather than asking hot take artists for a perspective generated by watching CNN this morning.

I love Charles Barkley as a talented host, but the Round Mound of Rebound’s opinion about how our society can be protected from Coronavirus is of no value.

Ignorance is the nexus point for hysteria, and there is no sect I trust less to communicate the details of the spread of a virus than the talking heads of sports media. They need to learn what Stevens has always been smart enough to realize – knowing what you don’t know is every bit as important as knowing what you do know.

Media consumers need to be vigilant in seeking out information and perspective they can trust. Listen to those trained in the area of your curiosity. If you have questions about sports, Get Up on ESPN is a fine show to start your day. If you want to know whether players are at risk for contracting the Coronavirus by playing in a conference tournament or the NCAAs, or just as importantly whether you or your loved ones are in danger, Stephen A. Smith, Jay Bilas, and Brian Windhorst are the last people you should listen to.

And it’s a shame sports experts are not smart or responsible enough to understand their expertise does not extend to critical medical questions.

Empty Bankers Life for Pacers games? Let’s calm down about Coronavirus and those who might overreact to it

Bankers Life Fieldhouse could look a lot like this for Pacers games later this month.

Sports, nothing but sports. That’s what I try to focus on everyday, but responses by the MAC, Ivy League, NBA, and the State of Ohio to the Coronavirus has commingled news and sports in a way that is impossible to ignore.

I understand the thought process that landed us at a place where organizations are forging a new normal to deal with containing the spread of this virus.

No one wants to cause the death of a fan or participant through the transmission of a communicable disease at events they sanction. The worst case scenario is the only consideration for responsible organizers. Those who would sit in meetings and champion a course of inaction to allow the disease’s effects to play themselves out would stand as culpable for their behavior if the worst came to pass.

Click here for your copy of “Oops – the Art of Learning from Mistakes and Adventures” by Kent Sterling

So the MAC has banned fans from its conference basketball tournaments, and the Ivy League eliminated its tourneys altogether. The NBA is having serious discussions about playing in empty arenas or suspending operations, as the Chinese professional basketball league has.

Leagues, franchises, conferences, and event organizers are meeting across the country with health care officials and governmental agencies to discuss contingencies to determine the best course of action.

In Indianapolis, the Big 10 Tournament will carry on as planned – for now, the NCAA Regional scheduled to begin here in 15 days could be played in an empty Lucas Oil Stadium, and the Indy 500 (which attracts more than 300K people to roughly a one-half square mile area) could be postponed.

Traditional classes have been replaced by online instruction at many universities and school districts that have experienced contamination have closed schools. Businesses are being encouraged to allow employees to telecommute when possible.

Many people are washing their hands more often than when they use the bathroom, and people are bumping elbows rather than shaking hands.

Will any of that do any good? Who the hell knows. It can’t do any harm, right?

News about the virus is being presented with equal portions unbridled hysteria and calm bordering on indifference. The result is that people have no idea which polar opposite to believe, and fear is driving thinking and policy.

The only problem with these best laid plans that champion a safety-first attitude was echoed by Charles Barkley, of all people. Oddly, Barkley is a rare voice of logic during trying times. He told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, “I’m like, okay, if they don’t come to games, are they not going to live their lives? Are they not going to go to work? Are they not going to go out and have dinner and things like that? Just not coming to a basketball game, I don’t think that’s going to solve all the issues.”

Barkley is right. It’s great to make sure no one catches Coronavirus in an arena, but are people also going to stop going to casinos (where it seems the demographic in greatest danger congregates disproportionately), churches, grocery stores, and indulge in air travel?

Safety is an inane concept. We aren’t safe, and we will never be safe. An expectation of imperviousness is nonsensical. Eventually, we all meet an opponent we cannot conquer. It could be cancer, a virus, a beer truck, a dirty needle, bullet, or our own foolishness. One day, the bell tolls for us all.

Our inevitable demise doesn’t mean we should rush into harm’s way or cause others distress, but we should understand and empathize with those who are panicked or overzealous in trying to keep us from harm.

If events are cancelled, that’s OK. Life goes on. If we can’t attend a Pacers game, that’s life. Stay calm, wash your hands, sneeze into your elbow, and this too shall pass.

Our lives will be normal again soon enough.

Corona Virus measures by the NBA and NCAA might bring an end to useless and silly traditions

Nate McMillan stood at a table during his media availability today to try to maintain safe distance from the media.

Responses to the spread of the Corona Virus have caused many sectors of our society to make adjustments to our routines. Sports is no different.

Some of the new protocols are a pain in the ass, but others might help eliminate source of annoyance for fans and athletes alike.

The Pacers will play the Celtics tonight, and the NBA is making health a priority as concern over the spread of the virus is heightened. This morning’s shootaround media availability, which is usually very relaxed and a good opportunity to get one-on-one interviews, was held at a table and podium.

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The NBA will have a conference call for owners tomorrow to discuss next level possibilities, which will include playing games in empty arenas and limiting travel for staffs.

Fear of a pandemic on the level of the Spanish Flu in 1918 is causing inconveniences, but might also help eliminate sources of annoyance for fans and athletes alike. Because we are vigilant in maintaining a positive outlook and trying to utilize panic as a level toward a positive result, here is a list of five steps in the right direction that might be included as pro, college, and high school basketball evolves to the Corona Virus world:

Free throw hand slaps – Unnecessary contact must be curtailed, so the repetitive and meaningless low fives may be a thing of the past. Of course, given the almost constant contact among teammates and opponents, these hand slaps may be comparatively troublesome, but eliminating them may be needed to set a positive example for the general population for whom hand to hand contact is being discouraged. How this traditional show of support began is anyone’s guess, but maybe it can be ended now. Teammates infer emotional support without the inefficiency of stopping after a first foul shot for each teammate to slap hands with the shooter. Just shoot the damn ball.
End of game handshake lines – There are a dozen reasons to finally stop these idiotic displays of supposed good sportsmanship. Mandating a perfunctory “good game” and hand slap between every man and women on both teams has always been dopey. A few seconds before they were trying to beat the hell out of each other, and now they’re buddies? Too many opponents have taken advantage of that proximity to sucker punch an adversary because of this sappy and ill-conceived tradition.
Hugs for opponents – Nothing about the NBA annoys an ample slice of fans like opponents hugging each other and laughing together following a game. In baseball, they used to call this fraternization. In the NBA, they call it brotherhood. Fans who have grown to hate visiting teams have trouble digesting overt on-court friendliness. I can’t imagine hugging is good for reducing the chances of spreading the Corona Virus. Let’s end the hugs.
Autographs – One of the silliest traditions in sports and traditions is the request that an athlete sign his or her name on a ball, shoe, or piece of paper. I guess it’s proof of contact and tangible evidence of a shared moment, but most athletes find it a pain in the ass. Maybe it’s time for fans to realize autographs signed with little more than a squiggle from a Sharpie is nothing to treasure. The NBA is definitely discouraging contact with fans, so the days of athletes signing swag after a game are suspended – hopefully forever.
Games lost because of the flu – See if you have heard these tips for spreading/contracting the Corona Virus before – wash your hands often, don’t touch your face, avoid shaking hands, sneeze into your elbow, and see a doctor if you have a fever or persistent cough. These are good tips for stopping the spread of all contagious diseases. As athletes maintain vigilance in Corona Virus avoidance, they are also very likely to avoid the flu, colds, strep throat, and other maladies.

Indiana loses, falls in bracket projections, so Archie Miller attacks Joe Lunardi

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi is a pro who does his job very well. Maybe Archie Miller will understand that one day.

Indiana lost to Wisconsin today at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, so the Hoosiers will be the 11-seed in next week’s Big 10 Tournament. Without a win or two in Indianapolis next week, they may be relegated to a second straight bid in the NIT.

IU coach Archie Miller knows it, and he took a swing at the messenger today in his postgame comments, “When I was in the Atlantic 10, Joe Lunardi was my best friend,” Miller said at the conclusion of his postmortem. “Now he’s crapping on Indiana to get people to watch his Sesame Street show. Now he can go back in the trash can where he came from.”

Bracketology is absolutely an odd way to earn a living, but Lunardi, CBS’s Jerry Palm, and Fox Sports’ Mike DeCourcy do it, and they make watching college basketball more fun through their work in trying to replicate the process utilized by the tournament selection committee.

Without bracketologists satisfying fan curiosity about their favorite team’s chances for an invite and what their seed might be, fewer people would watch the games and its coverage, media dollars would wither, and coaches like Miller would earn a professor’s salary to teach 15 students the game of basketball.

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That’s an oversimplification of how guys like Lunardi, as well as analysts like Dick Vitale and Dan Dakich, impact college basketball’s popularity, but the media is a necessary tool in the growth of the game. Miller would have been better off extolling Lunardi’s work rather than demeaning it because it’s part of the reason Miller is compensated to the tune of $3.5-million per year.

Miller’s petulance was especially awkward because his own work against Wisconsin was lacking in a critical area. With the Hoosiers down five with 1:15 left, Indiana still had only four team fouls. That left them three shy of the number needed to put the Badgers at the line for a one-and-one. Indiana remained at four fouls until :11 remained. They wasted the next four seconds fouling Wisconsin.

Poor foul management didn’t cost Indiana the game, but it sure didn’t help. A lack of ability to make shots near the basket was critical, but Miller’s inability to put Indiana in a position for success during the final minute is the reason Lunardi, Palm, and DeCourcy have the Hoosiers on the bubble. If Miller took care of his own business, he wouldn’t need to waste time worrying about the hypothetical projections he put on blast.

I’m sure it’s frustrating for Miller to be so very close to getting to the NCAA Tournament with a team that has the talent to earn a bid, but calling out a guy like Lunardi as a click whore who craps on Indiana “to get people to watch his Sesame Street show” was childish and idiotic.

Miller’s Hoosiers may punch their ticket as a tangible exhibit of the growth that has made them a dangerous but inconsistent opponent.

It appears Miller has some growing to do too – in his public comments about a sports media professional whose only sin has been doing his job very well for a long time.

And if Miller can’t be adult enough to treat Lunardi with the respect he’s earned, maybe he can learn how to manage fouls so Indiana doesn’t have to burn important seconds while trying to find a way to win a close game.

Indiana Basketball has finally found the perfect Hoosier point guard – and her name is Ali Patberg

Indiana point guard Ali Patberg smiles when talking about basketball almost as broadly as when she plays.

Ali Patberg is the perfect Indiana point guard.

She never stops talking, shoots well, drives to the basket and finishes, moves her feet, anticipates on defense, rebounds with tenacity, smiles often, makes sure teammates are engaged, and competes every second she is on the floor.

Fans have been waiting for a player on the guys’ team to play like this for more than a generation.

I’ve seen Patberg on TV and was impressed, but watching her today during Indiana’s win against an overmatched Rutgers team at the Big 10 Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, I was transfixed.

I found myself wishing that I could find a vocation I enjoyed as much as Patberg loves basketball. She scored 20 in a transcendent first half, but her game is far more than scoring. Indiana was lifted by her tenacity and commitment to team-first basketball, and Rutgers was defeated by their inability to match her spirited play.

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Patberg was imperfect, but mistakes were made and forgotten instantly. Three turnovers didn’t turn into three baskets on the other end because Patberg’s play was immersed in the moment.

Rutgers fans have been seated immediately behind my position on media row for the past two days. Yesterday, they were loud and raucous. I wanted them to shut the hell up just for a minute. Today I got my wish. Fans were quiet because they were frustrated.

Patberg even beat their fans.

A player for Rutgers was assessed a technical foul in the first half for quibbling profanely about a foul called against her. When Patberg was the victim of a strange foul call by the same official in the second half, Patberg pleaded her case. The Rutgers bench and fans demanded a technical be called. “You called one on ours – call one on theirs!” they shouted.

The ref looked at Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer, and said, “Your player used profanity. She did n’t” So Patberg out-argued and outsmarted them too.

The men’s team at IU gets the majority of the headlines and interest in Bloomington, but Patberg and the women’s Hoosiers are far more fun to watch. The credit for that goes to all the women on the team, but Patberg in particular.

There are nights when the men’s team appears to lack the energy needed to overwhelm an similarly talented opponent. That is not an issue shared by Patberg and her teammates. They play hard and together with love for one another – all the time.

The men could learn more than a few things about competing from their female counterparts. They could learn about how sweet basketball can be when you smile, battle together, execute the offense, and have a great time doing something you are supposed to love.

Tomorrow, the men will play Wisconsin on ESPN at 12 p.m. with a lot on the line, including a potential NCAA Tournament bid. Patberg and her teammates will play Maryland tomorrow night in the tourney semifinals. That game will be broadcast on BTN. Watch both. Tell me which you found more enjoyable.

This isn’t to crap on the men’s team, but throughout the last seven seasons I’ve missed something about IU Basketball. I wasn’t sure what it was. Turns out I found it today when I watched the women’s team.

It was joy.

While shooting, defense, quick ball movement, and rebounding are enormously important, joy can make all of those things come together for a magnificent 40 minutes. And don’t get it twisted, talent is needed to win too, but without collective joy, what’s the point?

I want to see joy twice tomorrow. Patberg reminded everyone in Bankers Life Fieldhouse today how much fun basketball can be, and I want more of that.

Will Tom Brady sign with the Colts? Let the guesswork continue for 12 more days!

Will Tom Brady sign with the Indianapolis Colts?

Who knows?

Colts owner Jim Irsay and Brady are the two people who can make that happen, and they can’t even talk to each other for another 11 days.

Signing Brady would be a costly transaction for the Colts, but they have $90-million under the cap to spend. Brady would need to forget about the rivalry being the Patriots and Colts that lapsed a decade ago when Peyton Manning played his last game for the Colts. At this point , the Colts vs. Patriots is more about laundry than championships, so that’s not problematic.

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Brady would also need to move past any residual anger from the Deflategate mess that was initiated by then Colts general manager Ryan Grigson. Given that virtually the entire Colts front office has flipped in the five years since that sordid affair, this too can also be filed under laundry, unless Brady holds Irsay responsible for Bob Kravitz’s story that started that ball rolling.

There will be many other suitors for Brady – the Titans, Raiders, Bucs, 49ers and Patriots among them – but the Colts appear to be a reasonably good fit with a solid offensive line and young emerging defensive. There is one potential problem – a lack of offensive weaponry. T.Y. Hilton has become injury prone, and Zach Pascal is the #2 wide receiver right now.

The draft and free agency could help fill spots, but Brady’s soon-to-be 43-year-old arm only has so many fastballs left in it, so developing chemistry in a multiple season build is impossible.

We can only guess at the boxes Brady and his family want to see checked in order to find a new home, and that assumes he’s done playing for the Patriots. Ability to win is key, but there is likely a long list of criteria in addition to the potential to win a championship.

Maybe Brady wants to play for the 49ers. He’s a Bay Area guy, and might want to finish his career at home. Maybe wife Gisele wants warmth and sun after all these years in New England. Maybe Raiders owner Mark Davis offers Brady a sick amount of money to be the face of the franchise as the team relocates to Las Vegas.

It’s hard to point to anything Brady might covet that Indy could provide. Not sure how Tom feels about affordable real estate and breaded tenderloin sandwiches. Indianapolis is loved by people who live here, not dreamed of by those who don’t.

Hell, we are so clueless about Brady’s methodology in making a choice, we have been reduced to examining in detail Dana White’s Instagram Live show, on which Brady was a guest yesterday, to glean some hint. He didn’t provide one, by the way.

The one thing we do know is that Brady will play for someone in the NFL next year, and that leaves a maximum of 32 possibilities. The Packers, Rams, Bengals, Saints, Seahawks, Cowboys, Falcons, Ravens, Texans, Chiefs and Eagles can be immediately crossed off the list. That leaves 21 teams. The Colts are one of them.

That’s what we know. More than that is a guess.

And my guess is that he stays put with the Patriots. Inertia is a powerful force, and owner Bob Kraft is accustomed to getting his way.

Tonight’s game can make Indiana’s season a dream come true or a soon-to-end nightmare

So it all comes down to this.

Indiana hosts Minnesota tonight at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall with a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line. If Indiana wins, they will continue to be listed as a team inside the bubble for selection. Lose, and the path may close.

Indiana under Archie Miller has had moments of glory, but when all the chips have been on the table, they have folded. With the possibility of signature wins hanging in the balance against Maryland and Illinois, IU crumpled late. Win those games, and fans are trying to figure out whether IU is a seven seed.

But they didn’t win those games, and Indiana NEEDS a win tonight.

Click here for your copy of “Oops – the Art of Learning from Mistakes and Adventures” by Kent Sterling

Last year, IU faced a similar situation in the Big 10 Tournament. After winning their four final regular season games, the Hoosiers needed a win against Ohio State for a shot at making the field for March Madness. They allowed the Buckeyes to build a 20-point lead with 7:30 minutes to play before roaring back behind four Devonte Green three-pointers to cut the deficit to two before finally losing.

Tonight, Indiana has another chance to show they have grown enough to win crucial games needed to achieve their goals. This is the kind of game a serious program wins at home and that a soft and pampered program cedes to an inferior opponent.

Purdue went into Iowa last night as a team desperate for a road win in a place where no Big 10 opponent had been successful this season. They knew without the win, a trip to the NCAA was impossible. The Boilermakers dominated Iowa to punch their ticket – as long as they beat Rutgers at Mackey Saturday afternoon.

That’s toughness.

Indiana needs to show the same resolve tonight against Minnesota. If they do, all dreams remain within reach. If they wilt, the season will likely end with a trip to the NIT – again. If Indiana can’t squeeze their way into the NCAAs, Green and De’Ron Davis will become the first four-year Hoosiers to avoid competing in an NCAA Tournament since 1972 when the field was 25 teams.

College basketball is a great sport because the difference between a season ending as a dream or nightmare is often decided in early March by an errant pass, botched defensive assignment, or shot that rims out. For Indiana, the dream is a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and tonight’s game against Minnesota will go a long way toward determining whether it comes true.

Indiana’s math for an NCAA bid is this simple – win at home tonight and Saturday, clinch a spot. Lose either game, and wins will be needed next week at the Big 10 Tournament in Indianapolis.

Given IU’s historic misery in the Big 10 Tournament (a putrid 12-22 record second in futility only to Northwestern), their best chance to dance comes tonight and Saturday.