Hoosiers To Be Part Of ESPNU Midnight Madness

Basketball season is just around the corner.  I mentioned in an earlier post that IU was a pre-season #1 pick.  While that may have been a little (or a lot!) early in the game, it bodes well for Hoosier basketball.  As the season draws closer, ESPNU announced that IU’s practice on October 12 will be broadcast as part of their Midnight Madness.  That is certainly a long way from the dismal seasons IU had a few years ago.

Here’s a portion of what is posted on the Indiana Athletics website:

For the seventh year, ESPNU will tip-off the nation’s college basketball season with more than four hours of Midnight Madness coverage on Friday, Oct. 12 beginning at 5 p.m. ET. This year’s programming will once again include both the men’s and women’s defending NCAA National Champions and eight teams in ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz’s Preseason Top 25.

 The night begins with an in-depth look at what Katz put as the No.1 team in his super-early rankings last April, with ESPNU Midnight Madness: Indiana Practice at 5 p.m. on ESPNU. For the first time, the network will air a Hoosiers’ practice live and in full with commentary from college basketball analysts Jay Williams and Dan Dakich as well as Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean wearing a microphone throughout practice.

Go Hoosiers!

IU #1 Preseason – a little too soon??

It’s just one day after the championship game and the first preseason poll for 2012-2013 is out.  Andy Katz has Indiana as preseason #1.  Isn’t it a little soon?  While I think it speaks volumes to where Tom Crean has helped bring the program, it seems a little early to be making such predictions. It does assume several players are leaving for the NBA from other teams and that IU is staying intact.  It seems early, but it sounds good to Hoosier fans.

Here’s what Katz wrote about the Hoosiers.  You can see his Top 25 here.

1. Indiana

Surprised? Putting Indiana No. 1 isn’t a reach, and it speaks volumes about how far Tom Crean has brought the Hoosiers. There was legitimate grumbling in the Hoosier Nation a year ago, wondering whether the rebuilding was taking too long. Well, IU had two of the more significant wins of the 2011-12 regular season and then reached the Sweet 16, where it pushed Kentucky as well as any team. Cody Zeller has to stay put for Indiana to remain No. 1 of course. But if Zeller is back, the Hoosiers — with nearly everyone returning and joined by another elite recruiting class — will be right there in the running for a national title.