The state of Indiana is known for its love affair with basketball. Many of us can attest to the ritual of supporting your favorite Indiana-based team. Sitting around the television with your father, your brother, your sister, your mother or some other relative watching the game was as important as God.
That might be a slight exaggeration, might being the key word.
The level of basketball that is the most important to most of us is college basketball. Just about all of us from the time we could remember chose a side whether that was Purdue, Indiana, Notre Dame, Ball State or some other college team from this state.
For the most part - unfortunately not this part of the state - Indiana teams are having great success this year.
In 2004 and 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments, the state of Indiana produced a grand total of one team - 15 seed Valparaiso in 2004 - "experts," and I use that term loosely, began saying Indiana was no longer a basketball state.
They couldn't have been more wrong. Indiana teams are having one of the best seasons in history.
The big five - Indiana, Purdue, Butler, Notre Dame, Ball State - are a collective 68-28 this season and when you eliminate Ball State's 3-15 that record improves to an astonishing 65-15.
In all, the state of Indiana boasts 10 Division I programs for men's basketball and only three of them - IPFW, Evansville, Ball State - have losing records.
Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame and Butler are all near locks for the NCAA Tournament this year.
Also IUPUI is a top contender for the Summit League crown - currently second with a 7-2 league record - giving them a good shot for March Madness.
Since the NCAA expanded the tournament to 64 teams, the most teams from Indiana to get in is six, which happened in 2000.
You could argue that's the most successful year to date for Indiana teams but of the six only Purdue got out of the first round that year. I would go with 2003 when five teams got in all five made it out of the first round. Also 1987 has a strong argument. Only three teams made it in but Indiana won the whole she bang, Notre Dame made it into the Sweet 16 and Purdue made it out of the first round.
Barring collapses Indiana, Butler, Purdue and Notre Dame are all looking at least No. 8 seeds and if they all stay where they currently are in their conference standings all would likely get top five seeds.
Notre Dame with Luke Harangody, Kyle McAlarney and Rob Kurz, Butler with Mike Green and A.J. Graves, Purdue with its fantastic four freshmen and Indiana with Eric Gordon and D.J. White all have players who can carry teams in games, which is crucial in the tournament.
It's going to be an interesting finish to the season for Indiana teams and a very exciting March Madness. The love affair with basketball in this state is alive and well.
Here's to Ball State making the grandest of all comebacks and a collapse down in Bloomington.
Sorry couldn't resist the parting shot at the Hoosiers. It happens when you are born and raised in West Lafayette.
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