The Hoosier State: In a Time of Sadness, Let Us Reflect on Positives

MICHAEL CONROY/AP

As many of us sulk in sorrow as seemingly every sporting event is cancelled, it's tough to be happy in wake of recent sporting news. The cancellation, and postponement, of tournaments and suspension of professional leagues is the right move. The fact of the matter is, we really don't know what we're dealing with here and based on recent data from other countries, COVID-19 has the potential to do a lot of damage. However, with all the negatives in mind, let's take some time to reflect on the positives of our recent sporting year in basketball with special focus on the Hoosier State, but some reflection on other surprises.

Collegiate Men's Basketball:

This one hurts the most due to the tournament being cancelled, causing us to not be able to witness what these teams could have done.

B1G

Rutgers: Who saw this coming? A season after going 14-17 on the year (7-13 in conference play) the Scarlet Knights shocked the CBB world by finishing with a 20-11 record (11-9 in the Big Ten). Before the cancellation of the tournaments, Rutgers rattled off back-to-back wins against No.9 Maryland and Purdue while losing by a single point to No.16 Penn State. Leading the way for the Scarlet Knights was 6'6" sophomore guard Ron Harper Jr. who averaged 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds on the year. Not to be left out, Geo Baker (10.9 PPG, 3 REB, 3.5 AST, 1.1 STL) and Myles Johnson (7.8 PPG, 7.9 REB, 1.5 BLK) also made a difference on the court.

Illinois: If you somehow calculated that Rutgers was going to have a great year in basketball, I simply wouldn't believe you would have predicted the Fighting Illini to rebound like this from their previous season. Better yet, I should say seasons. After finishing with a 12-21 record last year, Illinois went 21-10 and finished in the top 25. Yes, you may reread that, they are ranked. For those who follow CBB, especially the Big Ten, they know of the success the Fighting Illini have endured throughout the season. Led by sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu, who averaged 16.6 PPG, 4.3 REB, and 3.3 AST, Illinois went on a tear to finish the regular season by winning five of their last six, notably defeating No.18 Iowa, (then) No.9 Penn State, and Indiana. Looking back at games against ranked opponents in which they lost, the Fighting Illini kept things close in nearly all of them.

Despite the fact that I have plenty of time due to everything being cancelled in wake of COVID-19, the Big Ten was far too good this season to be able to recap all of the surprises. So, to keep me from rambling on, other Big Ten impressive this season include Penn State and a decent start to Juwan Howard's coaching career with Michigan. Last but not least, how about them Hoosiers? While they weren't very successful in B1G competition (9-11), they were able to rebound off a 19-16 year last season by going 20-12.

Around Indiana

Welcome Back, Butler: Talk about a confusing, up and down, season. The Bulldogs started the year off hot by going 9-0 before losing to Baylor by one point. They continued their quest after the loss by rattling off six straight wins, making them 15-1 and climbing as high as No.4 nationally. Then the Bulldogs suddenly found themselves outside the top 25 after dropping three straight to conference foes Seton Hall, DePaul, and Villanova. Three games later, and after a loss to Providence, they found themselves victorious over No.10 Villanova...and then preceded to lose the next game to Marquette. They were simply unable to find ways to defeat their ranked conference opponents. However, injuries did play a big factor. Regardless, the Bulldogs still finished an impressive 22-9 (and above .500 in conference play at 10-8) and within the top 25. Considering a season ago Butler finished 16-17, this season can be considered a success.

Oh Evansville: I know this isn't necessarily a positive, but after the Purple Aces defeated No.1 Kentucky in their second game of the season, they went on to lose their last 19 games of the season. There were, of course, contributing factors...specifically Walter McCarty's dismissal following an alleged sexual misconduct investigation. HOWEVER, watching Evansville outperform Kentucky is a highlight of the CBB season. If you have nothing else better to do during this hiatus, why not give it another watch!

UIndy: The University of Indianapolis silently had a dominate season in Division II. The Greyhounds finished with a 24-6 record and were ranked No.1 in the Midwest region. Nationally they finished ranked No. 15 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Perhaps even more impressive is that they defeated Loyola-Chicago in an exhibition match-up to start the season. The Ramblers would go on to finish first in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Greyhounds were led by junior forward Trevor Lakes who averaged 15.7 PPG and 6.2 REB while shooting 44% from the field and an outstanding 39.8% from three. Fifth year senior Jimmy King averaged 13.3 PPG while shooting 49.8% from the field and 34.8% from three while also racking up 6.6 AST, 3.8 REB, and 1.1 STL per game.

NAIA: Both Indiana-Wesleyan and Marian (IN) finished in the top 10 in the NAIA coaches poll. Indiana-Wesleyan went 29-4 on the year and were ranked No.2 while Marian finished 25-7 and ranked No.6. The Wildcats were led by Kyle Mangas who averaged a jaw dropping 26.9 PPG on 55.8% from the field and 38.1% from three. Mangas, a junior, also grabbed 6.4 rebounds per game. The Knights were led by Cameron Wolter who averaged 17.4 PPG and 8.8 REB per game.

Collegiate Women's Basketball:

B1G

The Hoosiers: The lady Hoosiers had an outstanding season, finishing with a 24-8 record (13-5 in the B1G) and ranked No.20 in the AP. Their leader, Ali Patberg, averaged 15.6 PPG on 49% from the field and 38.6% from distance. She also grabbed 4.6 rebounds per game. Unlike the men, the women were able to compete in the Big Ten tournament and faced a dismissal in the semi-finals by No.6 Maryland who went on to win the title game handily against Ohio State.

IUPUI Jaguars: I couldn't wait for this one. If you've read this far, don't be discouraged by my enthusiasm on this. My school? Conference champions? Punched the ticket to the NCAA Tournament? While we'll never get to know what may have happened in this year's tournament, it gives me joy to know that after seasons of hard work, Austin Parkinson and the lady Jags were able to win their very first Horizon League Championship and punch the ticket to the big dance. Finishing 23-8 and dominating conference play (15-3) the Jags were determined to make it to the national tournament. Through the overall presence of junior center Macee Williams, who averaged 17.5 PPG, 9 REB, 1 STL, and 1.9 AST per game, and senior leader Holly Hoopingarner, the Jaguars did more than just #ReachtheHORIZON, they #ObliteratedtheHORIZON, defeating both Cleveland State and Green Bay in double figures during the Horizon League Tournament. With that in mind, it's safe to say they would have made it to the NCAA Final Four.

Professional Basketball:

Indiana Pacers: Following the All-Star break, the Indiana Pacers have won seven of their last 10 and went 4-1 on a five game road trip. The most promising during the stretch was the resurgence of Victor Oladipo. The guard averaged 16.8 PPG during the stretch while only playing six of the 10. The Pacers' surge has given them a 39-26 record going into the hiatus. After taking a bit to adjust, it appears the Pacers are on the right track heading into the hopeful rest of the season or playoffs. Take some time during the break to watch the epic and triumphant return of Oladipo vs. the Bulls or the recent comeback (though they fell short) by the Pacers against the Celtics.

DON‘T FORGET: WASH YOUR HANDS

Follow me on Twitter: @DevinVoss23