Mike Woodson wants IU-Kentucky series back: 'However we’ve got to get it done, I’ll take it.'

[iubb 2,377]

Mike Woodson promised to beef up IU basketball's nonconference schedule. And he followed through, with games against Kansas and Arizona on the horizon.

 

But the opponent most IU fans want to see on the schedule is Kentucky.

 

At Wednesday night's annual trip to Huber's Orchard and Winery, Woodson said he's spoken to Kentucky coach John Calipari about renewing the rivalry.

 

I’m gonna stay on his heels about trying to get the Kentucky-Indiana series back on the table. Over the years that was a helluva game. It might not be Bloomington-Lexington. However we’ve got to get it done, I’ll take it.”

 

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2022/05/25/mike-woodson-wants-indiana-vs-kentucky-basketball-rivalry-back-john-calipari-iu-hoosiers/9933358002/

 

 

 

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[iubb 2,377]

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[Hardwood83 4,463]

I'd prefer they do play and it doesn't have to be a home & home necessarily, but having the game in Atlanta, Las Vegas, the Bahamas etc, is just silly. Indy & Louisville has been done before, but not sure Cal has gotten over his butt-hurt from 10yrs ago to allow that.  

[HoosierHoopster 5,985]

16 minutes ago, Hardwood83 said:

I'd prefer they do play and it doesn't have to be a home & home necessarily, but having the game in Atlanta, Las Vegas, the Bahamas etc, is just silly. Indy & Louisville has been done before, but not sure Cal has gotten over his butt-hurt from 10yrs ago to allow that.  

Cal:

[Dave from Dayton 2,574]

My neighbor has a UK banner hanging in her flower bed.  My dog, another neighbor's cat and I find it to be a very useful rest area.

I don't really care if IU schedules a series of games with UK.

[TheWatShot 13,335]

That time of year again, I guess. 

[Ghost of Rick Majerus 804]

3 hours ago, Dave from Dayton said:

My neighbor has a UK banner hanging in her flower bed.  My dog, another neighbor's cat and I find it to be a very useful rest area.

I don't really care if IU schedules a series of games with UK.

Yeah I agree. I just want a strong schedule. Whether that includes Kentucky or not makes no difference to me. Next year's schedule is off to a good start. 

[RaceToTheTop 23,436]

Wouldn't bother me if it didn't happen until after Cal was gone.

[WRSMick55 47]

I personally don’t care to play chickens@#t Kentucky. Home and away or screw them. There are other impact teams to play. 

 

[Brass Cannon 24,062]

21 minutes ago, WRSMick55 said:

I personally don’t care to play chickens@#t Kentucky. Home and away or screw them. There are other impact teams to play. 

 

While normally I agree. Playing Kentucky is a quality game regardless of how good they are.  By virtue of them being overrated every year.  There are advantages to that. 

[HoosierHoops1 5,024]

1 hour ago, RaceToTheTop said:

Wouldn't bother me if it didn't happen until after Cal was gone.

I don't want to go neutral court just to appease Cal. Once he's gone,  I'm all for games wherever.

[Brass Cannon 24,062]

I don’t think the neutral court thing is that big a deal or appeasing cal.  I honestly feel like Crean and Cal just wanted the series to die and it was made as difficult as possible so it would.  Neither of them gets it.  I would rather get it going again and if one day it’s possible to get it back on campus then make it happen. 

[LamarCheeks 16,770]

When I was in college -- way, way back when -- they did a thing much like the Crossroads Classic, but with us, Notre Dame, Louisville and Kensucky. It was in the old RCA/Hoosier Dame. 

One year, it'd be 
IU vs. Louisville
ND vs. Kentucky

the next year, it'd be 
IU vs. Kentucky
ND vs. Louisville 

Not sure how long that lasted -- at least 3-4 years -- but I thought it was pretty cool. We didn't play Notre Dame in it. Might be kinda fun to see us do that with Purdue and the two Kentucky schools at Lucas Oil. Could be too big for the Pacers' home (whatever it's called these days; I can't keep track any longer). 

[ziggyiu 542]

UK represents all that is terrible about collegiate athletics. I prefer neither IU nor any other team play them. 

[Capt. Crimson 3,395]

UK represents all that is terrible about collegiate athletics. I prefer neither IU nor any other team play them. 

Sent from my Fisher-Price Flip Phone

[JSHoosier 19,529]

3 hours ago, ziggyiu said:

UK represents all that is terrible about collegiate athletics. I prefer neither IU nor any other team play them. 

I prefer teams do play them.  And UK loses every single one by record margins until they shut the program down out of embarrassment.

I want us to play UK but I don't want to go neutral only just to appease Cal.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,853]

9 hours ago, LamarCheeks said:

When I was in college -- way, way back when -- they did a thing much like the Crossroads Classic, but with us, Notre Dame, Louisville and Kensucky. It was in the old RCA/Hoosier Dame. 

One year, it'd be 
IU vs. Louisville
ND vs. Kentucky

the next year, it'd be 
IU vs. Kentucky
ND vs. Louisville 

We didn't play Notre Dame in it. 

That was in the last millenium when ND was on our schedule year in and year out.  My employer at that time was a huge ND fan but would graciously give me a couple of his tickets when the Hoosiers played at ND.

[LamarCheeks 16,770]

43 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

That was in the last millenium when ND was on our schedule year in and year out.  My employer at that time was a huge ND fan but would graciously give me a couple of his tickets when the Hoosiers played at ND.

Yep -- used to play ND every season. When we played them in 1990-91 (Digger's last year), it was in South Bend. Jamal Meeks hadn't played a single second of the first 20 minutes, yet "started" the second half. When asked about it after the game, Knight said he thought they needed a smaller, quicker lineup -- and Meeks provided a nice spark off the bench in a close win. Man -- coaches just don't seem to make those kinds of adjustments anymore. 

[LamarCheeks 16,770]

FWIW -- a column from the blue side, the Lexington paper. 

My favorite comment is when it mentions that Cal was "rudely treated" during the Kitties' last visit, and wanted nothing more to do with B-town. Boo-hoo. That's college hoops.

It then goes on to say -- probably accurately, but a bit snarkily -- that the rivalry works best when both teams are relevant, and we haven't been relevant in a while. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/things-must-change-kentucky-agrees-100000388.html

[HoosierHoopster 5,985]

I think Woodson is looking at it as another way to vault IU back into the national spotlight. We’re headed back up the ladder anyway (imo), and it’s a series that helps, we’re building the program now, Woodson has the horses coming in, UK fans can talk about relevance all they want- while we’re beating them, again