Chris Williams

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is the third 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 Sweet 16 matchup of the 1993 NCAA Tournament: Indiana, the #1 seed in the Midwest Region, against Louisville, the #4 seed in the Midwest Region.

The live rewatch and postgame show for the IU-Louisville game takes place on Friday, March 27th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. (Click here to access the YouTube replay of the game.)

Breaking down the matchup:

Indiana (30-3) vs. Louisville (22-8)

Coaches:

• Indiana: Bob Knight (22nd season)
• :Louisville: Denny Crum (20th season)

Last matchup: 

Indiana defeated the Cardinals 72-52 on December 1, 1990 as part of the “Big Four Classic” held at the Hoosier Dome.

Indiana probable starters:

• G. Chris Reynolds (Sr.)
• G. Greg Graham (Sr.)
• G. Damon Bailey (Jr)
• F. Calbert Cheaney (Sr.)
• F. Matt Nover (Sr.)

Louisville probable starters:

• G. James Brewer (Sr.)
• G. Greg Minor (Jr.)
• F. Troy Smith (Sr.)
• F. Dwayne Morton (Jr.)
• C. Clifford Rozier (Soph.)

Indiana game notes: 

The Hoosiers enter the game at 30-3 overall. Indiana went through Big Ten conference play nearly unscathed with a 17-1 record overall, losing only at Ohio State on February 23rd. IU’s 1993 Big Ten conference record is the best overall conference mark since Indiana’s 1976 squad went a perfect 18-0.

The Hoosiers were dealt a major blow on February 19th as starting center Alan Henderson went down with a season-ending knee injury. Whether or not Indiana can sustain a deep run in the NCAA Tournament without Henderson is the major question.

In their first and second round matchups, the top-ranked of the Midwest Region defeated the likes of Wright State (97-54) and Xavier (73-70).

Louisville game notes: 

The Cardinals enter the game at 22-8 overall. Their 11-1 Metro Conference record clinched regular season title honors, and Louisville would go on to win their conference tournament as well. Louisville defeated Delaware (76-70) in their NCAA Tournament opening round matchup, then went on to beat Oklahoma State 78-63 in the Round of 32.

What to expect — Indiana:

The veteran cast features four starting seniors led by All-American and National POY candidate Calbert Cheaney. If the shots are falling for Cheaney, this could be a long night for Louisville.

Not to be overlooked are guards Greg Graham and Damon Bailey who have the ability to light it up from outside. Matt Nover, Indiana’s starting big man, must stay out of foul trouble if the Hoosiers are hoping to move on to the Elite Eight.

What to expect — Louisville: 

The Cardinals bring a balanced scoring attack to the contest with Dwayne Morton and big man Clifford Rozier leading the way. If Rozier can get plenty of touches early and attack Indiana’s interior defense, Louisville may have a shot at the top-ranked Hoosiers. Containing a scoring threat like Indiana’s Calbert Cheaney will be difficult. Look for Dwayne Morton to be tabbed with the defensive assignment on Cheaney.

Result

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