Is there any doubt that Indiana is the best basketball state in the world?
If there is, I would like to invite those naysayers to show themselves. So what if no Indiana college is left now that the NCAA tournament is down to its Final Four? Indiana still rules all.
Allow me to explain. Let's start at the very beginning. I hear it is an excellent place to start.
The state of Indiana had five schools -- IUPUI, Indiana University, Purdue University, Notre Dame and Butler -- reach the field of 65 teams. North Carolina also had five teams reach the field, but no other state could muster that total.
Truth be told, Indiana is always a threat to have at least six schools make it to the Big Dance. IUPUI is not a constant threat, but Valparaiso, in the Mid-Continent Conference and Ball State in the wide-open Mid American Conference always have a fighting chance.
Indiana's dominance doesn't end there, though. Four of Indiana's teams advanced to the second round. The state of North Carolina could only muster two first-round victories.
The Hoosier State also smelled sweeter when the field was narrowed to 16. Notre Dame (led by Indiana native Chris Thomas) and Butler (with seven Hoosiers on its roster) both advanced that far. Duke was the only Carolina school play on the second weekend.
Then the race died, though. Neither state could play its way into the Elite Eight. So, possibly, neither of these states can be considered the best. After all, neither could secure the national championship, let alone a Final Four spot.
That theory is misleading, though. Some Indiana natives were still alive.
Let's start with Arizona. The Wildcats are led by a former Indiana Mr. Basketball: Jason Gardner. Gardner graduated from North Central High School in 1999 after winning a 4A state title his senior year. Unfortunately for Gardner, Arizona bowed out in the Elite Eight.
Maybe we should move on to Michigan, then. Michigan State reached the Elite Eight from the seventh seed in the South. State's point guard and three-point specialist, Chris Hill, happens to be from Indiana.
Hill graduated from Lawrence North High School in 2001. As a sophomore at Michigan State, Hill led the team in scoring, assists and steals. He also shot 40 percent from behind the arc.
The Spartans also boast two other Hoosiers: Bluffton native Adam Ballinger and Arlington High grad Delco Rowley, who redshirted this year.
The Spartans also fell in the Elite Eight though, leaving Hoosiers little to cheer for. Enter Syracuse University.
Syracuse, a three seed knocked off number one Oklahoma in the Elite Eight to earn a ticket to New Orleans. Their senior leader? None other than Bloomington North graduate Kueth Duany.
Duany started all 33 games for the Orangemen and averaged 11 points and four rebounds on the season. Duany, originally from Sudan, earned a state championship for the Bloomington North Cougars in 1997.
The Indiana schools may be gone, but the Hoosier impact remains. If you want a home-town hero, choose the African native Kueth Duany.
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