This Started It All for Me

[schoosier 3,445]

My hope for all you young Hoosiers is to see the titles that I have witnessed from 76-87. My hope for me is that I don't have to wait another 25 years to see another one. This is the longest drought since we won our first NCAA.

[rebelhoosier848891 9,588]

Amen to that schoosier---we are long overdue for another title!

 

Another title would also stem the tide of our young Hoosiers from switching loyalties to other schools!

[OliviaPope40 6,304]

Amen to that schoosier---we are long overdue for another title!

 

Another title would also stem the tide of our young Hoosiers from switching loyalties to other schools!

We had chances and we didn't take them.

[rebelhoosier848891 9,588]

Parakeet---they still have those BBall calendars in Southern Indiana---one proudly hangs in my office each year!

 

Kepner---I still have my red "bad call" brick!

 

Camp Crean---it is an obsession--I had Knight's coaching videos and when I coached Upward basketball I taught grade schoolers a watered down version of the IU motion offense and we had the best out of bounds plays around!

 

IU basketball is addictive!

[ALASKA HOOSIER 11,190]

My family moved to Southern Indiana my Sophomore year of HS. No idea what IU basketball was until i left HS (my sister went away to IU but still had no interest) and joined the Army. My Sergeant was a huge IU fan and I had to "learn" to be a fan... One night i was on duty where i had to stay in the barracks and it happened to be the 1987 championship (my sister was at that game in N.O.) That game did it for me. That night, i knew that one day i would graduate from Indiana. in 1993, I got out of the Army and got accepted to Indiana University. There was no turning back! My wife who is from Wales, UK was introduced to Indiana basketball when we were dating, she ended up falling in love with all things Indiana and actually decided to attend college (she hasn't finished thanks to me getting called back into the Army to go fight the global war on terror and moving all the time) in Bloomington. Our family is a Hoosier family! I can honestly say that there we are the biggest Hoosier fans in Alaska!

[rebelhoosier848891 9,588]

Great story Alaska Shake!  Maybe the Hoosiers will be in the Great Alaska Shootout (or whatever it's called now) soon and you will get to see them live again!

[Dennis 58]

Moved into Indiana in 1966.  Never really had a team at that time.  Got really involved in high school basketball in Marion with Colscott and Green as coaches.  Would go to every home and away game except for the one over Thanksgiving weekend - went to see our parents in IL and MO.

 

Went to Indy to see a game with McGinnis and Steve Downing play in the city tournament when they were seniors.  Was so flabbergasted at seeing the two of them play that when I heard that they both were going to IU, I decided to follow IU at that time.  George disappointed me when he left before his Soph year when Knight came.  However, have really enjoyed watching them since.  So many great players, wins, and championships.  Many ups and downs but will always be a Hoosier fan with 2 brothers for IL and WI and one for IL.  Have a lot of fun getting together and ribbing each other.

 

Great question for us to answer - thanks for letting me enjoy all those times again.  

[HoosierD 504]

This thread is awesome.

I was born into it. My Dad always tells me about the game he took me to when I was little, and he had to hold the back of my shirt to keep me from going over the main level railing when Andrae Patterson had a big time dunk. Guyton was my first favorite player. Was at midnight madness Gordon's freshman year and haven't missed one since.


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[hoosha61 386]

Great thread, like HoosierDribbler I'm a Indiana native. I've now lived in NC longer than I lived in indiana. I will ALWAYS be a Hoosier! My parents were really into sports, especially hoops. Early on I rooted for all the teams in the state, but eventually I focused on IU. Outside of my family IU basketball is my greatest passion. Go Hoosiers![attachment=1190:ImageUploadedByBtownBanners1411544904.620997.jpg]


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[Parakeet Jones 3,734]

Parakeet---they still have those BBall calendars in Southern Indiana---one proudly hangs in my office each year!

 

 

I can never find one now.  The little independent bank that we always got them from has been bought out and they don't do it any more.  I know I could buy one at AH, but there was always something neat about getting one from a local business. 

[Clay City Eels 78]

IT's Indiana. Watching the games at my Grandmas with 20 plus family members. Then running to the barn to play Ted Kitchell and Randy Whitman. I was pretty young and coach Knight came to Terre Haute to speak. My dad took me, closed the garage for the day and that didn't happen often. So I knew it was a special moment looking back today, special is to cheap a word. Go IU!

[LockdownD 2,212]

IT's Indiana. Watching the games at my Grandmas with 20 plus family members. Then running to the barn to play Ted Kitchell and Randy Whitman. I was pretty young and coach Knight came to Terre Haute to speak. My dad took me, closed the garage for the day and that didn't happen often. So I knew it was a special moment looking back today, special is to cheap a word. Go IU!

Enjoyed your post Clay City. Thanks for sharing. Kitchel's back injury really hurt the team's tournament run. With a healthy Kitchel, maybe that 1983 BIG TEN Champion Banner would have read NCAA instead.

[Schreckbagger 547]

When your Grandfather was a Cutter and lived a 4 iron from where AH is now located....how could you be anything but a Hoosier.

[rebelhoosier848891 9,588]

This is one of the best threads ever!

 

I agree Parakeet that there are fewer businesses handing out the IU calendars ---and has anyone else noticed in Southern Indiana that there are fewer radio stations carrying IU games? There used to be several and now in my area there are just a couple and they sometimes carry local sports over IU!  That's another reason why we need to start winning big---to wake up our huge fan base and increase interest again!

 

Thanks to all the posters for sharing your stories---keep'em coming!

[Banksyrules 4,292]

Was raised a New Yorker, and my family rooted for St. Johns.  Mom went to IU, but was not into sports. We moved to Colorado at age 13, and we took a truck all across the country, and one of the places I visited was Indiana University.  She took me to an IU game, and got to see Calbert Chaney in action.  Got hooked, and knew where I wanted to go to college.  

[Hoosier Roots 725]

I was Born and raised (and still live in) Bloomington. It was only natural


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[scots07 161]

My cousin played on the '68 Rose Bowl team. He "encouraged" me to go. :lol:

[rebelhoosier848891 9,588]

Rose Bowl---has a nice ring to it!  Hope we get back there some day, Scots07 !

[mesaiufan 30]

Born and raised in Btown a long long time ago. My first favorite IU player was Sammy Miranda.

[theriverpilot 5,589]

I'm in Evansville so it's almost an even mix of UK and IU fans. I remember watching IU games on local TV and Martha the broom lady leading off the broadcast. UK games were televised too but I hated the "atmosphere" of their games and play. Even back in the early 80s, UK seemed more like a mini NBA team than a college. Plus their fans were still arrogant and obnoxious back then. I just quickly loved watching the Hoosiers and that cool, white Indiana state on the floor.

My sister went to IU in the mid 80s so that helped too.

Of course, Calbert is my favorite player since he's from Evansville and same age.


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