• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Assembly Call

IU Basketball Podcast and Postgame Show

IU basketball podcast and postgame show

Follow @assemblycall

  • About
    • Our Team
    • Contact
    • Support
    • Internship Program
    • AC on the Radio
  • Blog
    • Banner Morning
    • 6-Banner Sunday News Roundups
    • IU Artifacts
  • Community
  • Podcast
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
    • Assembly Call T-Shirts
    • IU Tickets
    • Other AC Gear

Chris Williams

About Chris Williams

Chris is a 2006 graduate of Indiana University. He is an IU memorabilia historian, consultant, and avid collector, and posts regularly about IU sports memorabilia and history on Twitter under the handle @IUArtifacts. Email Chris at gloryforoldiu@gmail.com.

Hoosier Time Capsule: December 5, 1998

January 7, 2021 By Chris Williams 1 Comment

This IU basketball series will focus on a specific date in Hoosier hardwood history. In addition to game notes, important facts, and highlighted pieces of IU memorabilia, there will also be a focus on pop culture facts (music, movies, TV), other sporting highlights, as well as U.S. and world events. Inspiration for this series comes from the “Random Box Score” series from soxmachine.com.

The Game:

My ticket stub from the game.

#16 Indiana (7-1) vs #10 Temple (4-2), December 5, 1998. Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana. Nationally televised on ESPN.

Pop Culture and Major Events

If you were tuned in to the FM dial, chances are you wouldn’t be able to miss hearing “I’m Your Angel,” a collaboration by R. Kelly and Celine Dion, which stood atop the Billboard music chart for six straight weeks. Moviegoers could take in the recently released re-make of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic “Psycho,” “A Bug’s Life,” and the Will Smith action thriller, “Enemy of the State.”

Gamers would be enjoying the recent release of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron for Nintendo 64.

For a sampling of TV commercials from January of 1993 click here.

Americans would be watching developments in the accusations of “high crimes and misdemeanors” against President Bill Clinton, as preparations for impeachment were in motion. Clinton would become the third president in American history to be impeached later that month.

Outlook

The #16th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers entered the game seeking to upend their first top-ten opponent of the season. Come-from-behind wins had been the theme thus far for a Hoosier squad that had to claw back three previous times for victories.

Question marks hovered over this Hoosier squad entering the season as a concern over front-court play would lead to Coach Bob Knight implementing more three-guard rotations. At the conclusion of the prior season, Indiana lost a huge bulk of their frontcourt — Andrae Patterson, Charlie Miller, and Richard Mandeville — to graduation, plus the transfer of 7-foot center Jason Collier, who transferred to Georgia Tech.

Indiana’s success for 1998-99 would largely depend on the backcourt play of guards A.J. Guyton and Luke Recker, the top two scorers for the Hoosiers during the 1997-98 season.

Temple had gotten off to a quick 4-0 start to their season, including an upset victory over eventual Big Ten champion Michigan State. However, three straight losses had left the Owls reeling heading in to the matchup in Bloomington. Temple’s main outside shooting threat, Lynn Greer, was unavailable due to having surgery on a fractured bone under his eye.

This was the third ever matchup between the two programs. In their previous meeting, Temple defeated Indiana 59-53 on November 14, 1997. An obvious storyline heading in to the 1998 matchup was two high-profile coaches at the helm of each program: Bob Knight and John Chaney. Knight was coaching in his 999th career game.

The Starters for Indiana:

Luke Recker (So.), A.J. Guyton (Jr.), Dane Fife (Fr.), William Gladness (Sr.), Jarrad Odle (Fr.)

The Starters for Temple:

Pepe Sanchez (Jr.), Quincy Wadley (Jr.), Rasheed Brokenborough (Sr.), Mark Karcher (So.), Lamont Barnes (Jr.)

The Game:

To no one’s surprise, Temple implemented their zone defense in an effort to force the Hoosiers to play outside and shoot jumpers. It definitely seemed to be working, as clutch shooter A.J. Guyton couldn’t seem to buy a bucket for much of the first half. By halftime, with momentum going back and forth throughout the first 20 minutes, the Hoosiers clung to a one-point advantage, 30-29.

Temple came out more aggressive from the get go in the second half and stretch a lead to 52-43 with less than eight minutes remaining in the game. The large deficit was the fourth of the season for the Hoosiers, who also found themselves down big against Indiana State, Kansas State, and Notre Dame before coming from behind to win. With key three pointers from Luke Recker and A.J. Guyton tying the game at 58, Indiana looked to gain another come-from-behind victory.

With under 30 seconds remaining, and the game tied 60-60, Temple dumped it down low to Lamont Barnes, who converted a bucket to give Temple the lead 62-60. While nearly everyone inside Assembly Hall including Coach Bob Knight was screaming for a double-dribble violation against Barnes, the basket counted and Indiana found themselves down two with 18 seconds remaining and an Indiana timeout being called.

Knight put a four-guard lineup on the floor (Luke Recker, A.J. Guyton, Dane Fife, and Luke Jiminez) to give IU plenty of shooting options in hopes of tying the ball game or hitting a three for the win. With under 10 seconds remaining, Guyton had the ball behind the arc. Following a fake pass to Luke Recker in the left corner, Guyton drained a three-pointer with six seconds remaining. Temple was unable to convert in the the final seconds and Indiana emerged victorious over the 10th-ranked Owls, 63-62.

The Hoosiers were led by Luke Recker with 15 points, and Kirk Haston, who finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Lamont Barnes led Temple with 16 points while Rasheed Brokenborough added in 15 points in the loss.

Click here for the full game video.

Reaction:

Temple coach John Chaney on the final sequence: “I don’t second-guess myself,” Chaney said. “We forced them to try to get a shot outside, and they got a good look on a swing pass. We really wanted them to do exactly what they did, and they hit a good shot.”

Indiana coach Bob Knight regarding the decision to go for the win in the final seconds of the game: “I would not bet on getting two against Temple,” he said. “They’re just too tough inside. We had our four best shooters in there.”

A.J. Guyton’s game-winning three pointer to lift Indiana over Temple, 63-62. Source: AP photo

Season Conclusion:

Indiana would enter Big Ten play with a solid 13-2 record. However, consistency would plague the Hoosiers throughout conference season. Michigan State would run away with the Big Ten title at 15-1, and Indiana would settle for a three-way tie for second place at 9-7.

The Hoosiers’ 22-10 overall record would earn them a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament. After taking out 11-seed George Washington, the Hoosiers would fall flat against 3-seed St. John’s, losing 86-61.

Following their loss to Indiana, the Owls would struggle with consistency in their remaining pre-conference games finishing at 6-6. Conference play would prove to be more rewarding for Temple as they would capture the Atlantic-10 title with a conference record of 13-3 (21-10 overall) and be rewarded with a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Temple’s NCAA Tournament run was one of the main storylines that year as the Owls came within one game of a Final Four appearance, losing in the regional final to Duke, 85-64.

Resources: sports-reference.com, Indy Star IU Basketball database, NewspaperArchive.

Filed Under: Featured, Hoosier Time Capsule, Recent Content

Rewatch Prepper: Indiana vs Syracuse on March 30, 1987

April 11, 2020 By Chris Williams Leave a Comment

This is the eighth in our series of posts that “preview” notable NCAA Tournament games in Indiana’s storied history. These are companion posts for our live rewatch series that we are doing in place of the cancelled 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Today, we will preview the championship game of the 1987 NCAA Tournament — Indiana, the #1 seed in the Midwest Region, against Syracuse, the #2 seed in the East Region.

The live rewatch and postgame show for the IU-Syracuse game takes place on Sunday, April 12th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Click here to access the YouTube replay of the game.

Photo: Indiana University Archives

Breaking down the matchup:

Indiana (29-4) vs. Syracuse (31-6)

Coaches:

  • Indiana: Bob Knight (16th season with school)
  • Syracuse: Jim Boeheim (11th season with school)

Last matchup: 

This will be the first matchup between the two programs.

Indiana probable starters:

  • G. Steve Alford (Sr.)
  • G. Keith Smart (Jr.)
  • F. Ricky Calloway (Soph.)
  • F. Daryl Thomas (Sr.)
  • C. Dean Garrett (Sr.)

Syracuse probable starters:

  • G. Sherman Douglas (Soph.)
  • G. Greg Monroe (Sr.)
  • F. Howard Triche (Sr.)
  • F. Derrick Coleman (Fr.)
  • F. Rony Seikaly (Jr.)

Indiana game notes:

The Hoosiers settled for a share of the Big Ten title at 15-3 with Purdue after dropping two of their last three games in conference play to Illinois and Purdue.

A 77-76 victory over LSU sent Indiana to the Final Four where they faced UNLV in one of the most exciting games of the tournament, winning 97-93.

Syracuse game notes:

The Orangemen finished 3rd in the Big East standings at 12-4 and claimed the title in the Big East Tournament. A victory over UNC, 79-75, gave Syracuse their second ever Final Four berth.

Facing Providence, led by coach Rick Pitino and guard Billy Donovan, in the national semi-final, Syracuse took care of business 77-63.

What to expect — Indiana:

The newly instituted three-point shot has been the best friend of Indiana’s leading scorer, Steve Alford. The Big Ten Player of the Year has been north of 50% from beyond the arc all season, and the Syracuse 2-3 zone may give Alford plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his shooting prowess.

JUCO transfers Keith Smart and Dean Garrett have been welcome additions to the Hoosier lineup this season and combined for 32 points in the win over UNLV, but watch for senior Daryl Thomas and his ability to score (and pass) around the rim.

What to expect — Syracuse

Scoring can come from a variety of sources for Syracuse, as evident with all five starters scoring in double-figures in the semi-final win against Providence. The Orangemen are a capable shooting team from three, but don’t expect them to live and die by the deep ball.

Speedy guard Sherman Douglas likes to create off the dribble, and the interior options of Rony Seikaly and freshman phenom Derrick Coleman have posed challenges for opponents all season. If Indiana bigs Dean Garrett and Daryl Thomas cannot stay out of foul trouble, it could be a long game for the Hoosiers defensively.

Result

If you want to know the result of the game and see the box score, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Recent Content

Rewatch Prepper: Indiana vs North Carolina on March 30, 1981

April 10, 2020 By Chris Williams Leave a Comment

This is the seventh in our series of posts that “preview” notable NCAA Tournament games in Indiana’s storied history. These are companion posts for our live rewatch series that we are doing in place of the cancelled 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Today, we will preview the championship game of the 1981 NCAA Tournament —  Indiana, the #3 seed in the Mideast Region, against North Carolina, the #2 seed in the West Region.

The live rewatch and postgame show for the IU-North Carolina game takes place on Friday, April 10th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Click here to access the YouTube replay of the game.

Photo: Indiana University Archives

Breaking down the matchup:

Indiana (25-9) vs. North Carolina (29-7)

Coaches:

  • Indiana: Bob Knight (10th season with school)
  • North Carolina: Dean Smith (20th season with school)

Last matchup: 

Indiana traveled to Chapel Hill earlier in the season and lost to the Tar Heels, 65-56.

Indiana probable starters:

  • G. Isiah Thomas (So.)
  • G. Randy Wittman (Sr.)
  • F. Ted Kitchel (Jr.)
  • F. Landon Turner (Jr.)
  • F. Ray Tolbert (Sr. )

North Carolina probable starters:

  • G. Mike Pepper (Sr.)
  • G. Jimmy Black (Jr.)
  • G. Al Wood (Sr.)
  • F. Sam Perkins (Fr.)
  • F. James Worthy (So.)

Indiana game notes:

The Hoosiers’ season got off to a rocky start, with a 7-5 entering Big Ten conference play. However, a 14-4 record in conference play led Indiana to a conference title, their sixth under head coach Bob Knight.

In their first four NCAA Tournament matchups, Indiana has overpowered its opponents, winning by an average of 26 points. IU defeated LSU in the national semi-final, 67-49.

North Carolina game notes:

North Carolina finished as the runner-up in the ACC Conference regular season, and went on to claim victory in the ACC Tournament. The Tar Heels reached the Final Four by defeating the likes of Pittsburgh, Utah, and Kansas State. UNC defeated Virginia 78-65 in the national semi-final game.

What to expect — Indiana:

Bob Knight’s Hoosiers have been involved in what he calls a “maturation process” since December. Whether that is focused directly on how forward Landon Turner has stepped up his game and become a force in the paint, or a reflection of the overall progress of the team as a whole, is open for interpretation.

Speedy guard Isiah Thomas has the ability to take over a game single-handedly with his play-making, but also can dump it down to the aformentioned Turner, or senior center Ray Tolbert. Shooting threats Randy Wittman and Ted Kitchel can also pose challenges to North Carolina if they get hot.

Keep an eye on reserve guard Jimmy Thomas, as he too has the ability to command the point position for IU.

What to expect — North Carolina

Since a home loss to Wake Forest (84-68) late in conference play, the Tar Heels have reeled off 11 wins in their last 12 games, and are peaking at the right time, similar to Indiana.

U.S. Olympian Al Wood is the most dangerous scorer for a UNC team that also can depend on freshman Sam Perkins and sophomore James Worthy (both of whom average north of 14 points per game). Wood set an NCAA national semi-final record with his 39-point performance against Virginia. Should Randy Wittman or even Landon Turner get the starting defensive assignment on Wood, limiting his touches will be a must if Indiana will win a second national title in the “City of Brotherly Love”.

Result

If you want to know the result of the game and see the box score, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Recent Content

Game Prepper: Indiana vs Michigan on March 29, 1976

April 6, 2020 By Chris Williams Leave a Comment

This is the sixth in our series of posts that “preview” notable NCAA Tournament games in Indiana’s storied history. These are companion posts for our live rewatch series that we are doing in place of the cancelled 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Today, we will preview the championship game of the 1976 NCAA Tournament —  Indiana, the #1 seed in the Midwest Region, against Michigan, the #1 seed in the West Region.

The live rewatch and postgame show for the IU-Michigan game takes place on Monday, April 6th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Click hereto access the YouTube replay of the game.

Photo: Indiana University Archives

Breaking down the matchup:

Indiana (31-0) vs. Michigan (25-6)

Coaches:

  • Indiana: Bob Knight (5 season with school)
  • Michigan: Johnny Orr (8th season with school)

Last matchup: 

This will be the third matchup of the season between the conference foes and the first time in NCAA history that two teams from the same conference meet in the NCAA title game.

In their last meeting, Indiana defeated Michigan 72-67 in OT. A Kent Benson tip in at the buzzer in regulation sent the game to overtime and ultimately victory to preserve Indiana’s perfect season.

Indiana probable starters:

  • G. Quinn Buckner (Sr.)
  • G. Bobby Wilkerson (Sr.)
  • F. Scott May (Sr.)
  • F. Tom Abernethy (Sr.)
  • C. Kent Benson (Jr. )

Michigan probable starters:

  • G. Rickey Green (Jr.)
  • G. Steve Grote (Jr.)
  • G. Wayman Britt (Sr.)
  • F. John Robinson Jr.)
  • F. Phil Hubbard (Fr.)

Indiana game notes:

The Hoosiers finished the Big Ten at an undefeated 18-0 for the second consecutive season. This time, IU is looking to finish the goal of an undefeated season and become only the seventh team in NCAA history to do so (the last being UCLA in 1973). Indiana defeated St. John’s (90-70), Alabama (74-69), Marquette (65-56), and UCLA (65-51) to reach their third NCAA title game in the school’s history. 

Michigan game notes:

The Wolverines finished second in Big Ten play at 14-4, and their 25 wins this season so far are the most during the Johnny Orr era in Ann Arbor. Michigan defeated Wichita State (74-73), Notre Dame (80-76), Missouri (95-88), and Rutgers (86-70) to reach their second NCAA title game in school history.

What to expect — Indiana:

Indiana is led by National Player of the Year candidate Scott May, who is the most potent scoring option for the veteran Indiana squad. The Hoosiers like to set up their half-court motion offense to score effectively, led by senior captain Quinn Buckner, but will also open it up in transition for fast break points. Michigan also cannot sleep in center Kent Benson, who led Indiana with 16 points in the semi-final victory over UCLA.

Defensively, Indiana will need to lean on Bobby Wilkerson to handle Michigan scoring threat, Rickey Green.

What to expect — Michigan

Michigan will come out with an uptempo style as much as possible during the contest led by speedy guard and junior college transfer Rickey Green, who leads the team in scoring at 19.9 ppg. Phil Hubbard, the agile freshman sensation, could give Indiana fits inside is he’s allow to get the ball early.

If Michigan can get their full-court press to be effective early, it could cause problems for Indiana’s game plan overall. 

Result

If you want to know the result of the game and see the box score, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Recent Content

Rewatch Prepper: Indiana vs UNLV on March 28, 1987

April 3, 2020 By Chris Williams Leave a Comment

This is the fifth in our series of posts that “preview” notable NCAA Tournament games in Indiana’s storied history. These are companion posts for our live rewatch series that we are doing in place of the cancelled 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Today, we will preview the Final Four matchup of the 1987 NCAA Tournament —  Indiana, the #1 seed in the Midwest Region, against UNLV, the #1 seed in the West Region.

The live rewatch and postgame show for the IU-UNLV game takes place on Saturday, April 4th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Click here to access the YouTube replay of the game.

Breaking down the matchup:

Indiana (28-4) vs. UNLV (37-1) 

Coaches:

  • Indiana- Bob Knight (16th season with school)
  • UNLV- Jerry Tarkanian (14th season with school)

Last matchup: 

This is the first meeting between the two programs.

Indiana probable starters:

  • G. Steve Alford (Sr.)
  • G. Keith Smart (Jr.)
  • F. Ricky Calloway (So.)
  • F. Daryl Thomas (Sr.)
  • C. Dean Garrett (Jr. )

UNLV probable starters:

  • G. Freddie Banks (Sr.)
  • G. Gary Graham (Sr.)
  • G. Mark Wade (Sr)
  • F. Gerald Paddio (Sr.)
  • F. Armen Gilliam (Jr.)

Indiana game notes:

The Hoosiers finished tied for first with Purdue in Big Ten conference play at 15-3. IU had a chance for the outright title but would drop two of their final three games to Purdue and Illinois.

A late Ricky Calloway put back with :07 seconds remaining put Indiana ahead of LSU and clinched a 77-76 victory in the Elite Eight matchup and sent Indiana to their sixth Final Four in the program’s history.

UNLV game notes:

Jerry Tarkanian’s “Runnin’ Rebels” are off to their best start in school history with 37 victories on the season and a Pacific Coast Athletic Association conference title and tournament championship. UNLV defeated their first three NCAA Tournment opponents by a combined average of nearly 20 points. In the Elite Eight, UNLV was able to squeak by a pesky Iowa squad, 84-81.

What to expect — Indiana:

Steve Alford, the leading scorer in both Indiana and Big Ten history, is a sharp-shooting threat with the new three-point line this season, shooting over 50% from beyond the arc. Senior journeyman Daryl Thomas can be a threat to score inside, but can be plagued by foul trouble.

Newcomer JUCO’s Keith Smart and Dean Garrett have proved to be instant successes in Bob Knight’s motion offense, but can struggle to be consistent scorers. The big question will be who will step up if Alford cannot get the looks from outside.

What to expect — UNLV:

The “run and gun” offense has proven overpowering all season for UNLV. Freddie Banks and Armen Gilliam have been the one-two punch all season, but don’t look past Gerald Paddio as a capable inside scorer.

Regardless of the makeup of the lineup, UNLV will look to push the ball upcourt as fast as possible. During the season, UNLV was prone to getting behind early and having to charge back to take control of the game. That will be something to watch for, and whether or not reliance on three-point shooting will be emphasized too much by Jerry Tarkanian’s squad.

Result

If you want to know the result of the game and see the box score, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Recent Content

Rewatch Prepper: Indiana vs Kent State on March 23, 2002

March 28, 2020 By Chris Williams Leave a Comment

This is the fourth in our series of posts that “preview” notable NCAA Tournament games in Indiana’s storied history. These are companion posts for our live rewatch series that we are doing in place of the cancelled 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Today, we will preview the Elite 8 matchup of the 2002 NCAA Tournament — the game after Indiana’s epic comeback against Duke: Indiana, the #5 seed in the South Region, against Kent State, the #10 seed in the South Region.

The live rewatch and postgame show for the IU-Kent State game takes place on Sunday, March 29th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. (Click here to access the YouTube replay of the game.)

Photo: Indiana University Archives

Breaking down the matchup:

Indiana (23-11) vs. Kent State (30-5) 

Coaches:

  • Indiana- Mike Davis (2nd season)
  • Oklahoma- Stan Heath (1st season)

Last matchup: 

Indiana lost to Kent State during the opening round of the previous year’s tournament in 2001, 77-73.

Indiana probable starters:

  • G. Dane Fife (Sr.)
  • G. Tom Coverdale (Jr.)
  • G. Kyle Hornsby (Jr.)
  • F. Jared Jeffries (Soph.)
  • F. Jarrad Odle (Sr.)

Kent State probable starters:

  • G. Andrew Mitchell (Sr.)
  • G. Demetric Shaw (Sr.)
  • F. Trevor Huffman (Sr.)
  • F. Eric Thomas (Sr.)
  • F. Antonio Gates (Jr.)

Indiana game notes:

The Hoosiers finished tied for first in Big Ten play, clinching their first conference championship since 1993. Entering today’s game, Indiana is riding a wave of emotion after taking down #1 seed Duke Blue Devils on Thursday night, 74-73.

In their first two round matchups, IU defeated Utah (75-56) and UNC-Wilmington (76-67). Should Indiana defeat Kent State, the Hoosiers would reach their first NCAA Final Four in 10 years.

Kent State game notes:

Stan Heath’s first season at Kent State has been nothing but memorable as their 30-win season is the highest mark in school history. The Golden Flashes took care of business in the Mid-American Conference going 17-1 overall.

NCAA Tournament victories over Oklahoma State (69-61), Alabama (71-58), and Pittsburgh (78-73) have led Kent State to their first ever Elite Eight appearance.

What to expect — Indiana:

Indiana is led by Big Ten Player of the Year Jared Jeffries, and his inside-outside scoring threat will cause matchup problems for the undersized Golden Flashes, who must also watch for kickouts to Kyle Hornsby and Tom Coverdale, both of which can get hot from downtown.

The Hoosiers committed 23 turnovers against Duke. A repeat of this could drastically hinder Indiana’s chances to reach Atlanta.

Defensively, Indiana must deny Trevor Huffman’s looks early, while also not forgetting about interior scorer Antonio Gates who scored 22 points in Kent State’s win Thursday over Pitt.

What to expect — Kent State:

The Golden Flashes are not the deepest team in the field, so keeping their starters out of foul trouble will be key. 

Antonio Gates may be undersized, but has the ability to create his own shots around the rim making him a threat. Trevor Huffman and Andrew Mitchell are both capable shooters, but have lacked consistency at times during the season.

Indiana’s interior size poses challenges to Kent State, but this is a hurdle that Stan Heath has been able to work around all season.

Result

If you want to know the result of the game and see the box score, click here.

Filed Under: Featured, Recent Content, Uncategorized

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe today

Get more out of being an IU basketball fan.

Stay in-the-know. Receive our weekly 6-Banner Sunday news roundups and our postgame analysis emails.

It's all free.

Recent Posts

  • DTW: Minnesota Post-Game Show/Recap
  • AC Radio: IU-Purdue Preview and Mailbag
  • IU-Maryland Postgame Show
  • DTW: Rutgers Postgame Show
  • IU-Ohio State Postgame Show

Footer

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Privacy Policy
jared-weyerbacherWhether basking in a signature victory or wallowing in a defeat, loyal Hoosier basketball lovers need a place where they can surround themselves with like-minded fans for intelligent postgame wrap-up. That place is The Assembly Call. -- Jared Weyerbacher (IU, '08)

Copyright © 2023 · The Assembly Call · Image credit: IU Communications