2011–12 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team

Preseason

Coach Tom Crean signed a three-man class in 2011.

Season

On December 10, 2011, top-ranked Kentucky traveled to Bloomington to take on unranked Indiana. Indiana fans sensed a resurgence in the program and possible upset, with students lining up outside the arena 10 hours before tipoff to get good seats. The game remained close and hard-fought, with five lead changes in the final 121 seconds. At the last second, Christian Watford hit a 3-pointer, giving the Hoosiers a stunning 73–72 upset. Victor Oladipo had 13 points and five Hoosiers wound up in double figures. Watford's shot sent Indiana fans storming the court and crowding around players. Kentucky's loss was their only one of the regular season and prevented them from matching a record last set by Indiana's 1975–1976 team.

Video of Indiana fans reacting to the shot around the country went viral. ESPN commentator Dick Vitale, who was covering the game for the network, said it was the "best game of the year" and that "[t]he atmosphere there was unreal, as I felt the building shaking after Watford hit the shot." According to Bob Kravitz, the win marked "a day when Hoosier Hysteria was restored to something akin to its former glory."

On December 31, 2011, the Hoosiers knocked off 2nd ranked Ohio State and in doing so became the first IU team in history to knock off the top 2 team ranked teams in the same season. On February 28, 2012, they again beat a Top 5 team by beating No. 5 Michigan State, and became the first IU team since the undefeated 1975–76 team to beat 3 Top 5 teams in the same year. The Hoosiers earned a number four seed in the 2012 NCAA tournament and defeated New Mexico State in the second round. After defeating VCU in the third round, the Hoosiers however would go on to lose to eventual champion Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen 102–90, as the Wildcats avenged their lone regular season loss.

Roster

• Tom Crean
• Tim Buckley
• Bennie Seltzer
• Steve McClain

Schedule

|- !colspan=9| Exhibition |- !colspan=9| Regular Season |- !colspan=12| Big Ten Regular Season |- !colspan=9| Big Ten Conference tournament |- !colspan=9| 2012 NCAA tournament

Rankings

"The Movement"

The 2012 class consists of Yogi Ferrell, Hanner Perea, Jeremy Hollowell, Peter Jurkin, and Ron Patterson.

References

References

1. "Indiana Bests No. 1 Kentucky". Indiana Univ. Athletic Dept..
2. "Fan Reaction to Indiana Beating Kentucky on Buzzer Beater". YouTube.
3. (March 13, 2012). "Q & A: Dick Vitale's enthusiasm for NCAA tournament is contagious". Los Angeles Times.
4. Vitale, Dick. (December 12, 2011). "Indiana basketball back on the map". ESPN.
5. Kravitz, Bob. (December 10, 2011). "With last-second shot and win over No. 1 Kentucky, IU brought magic back to Assembly Hall". Indianapolis Star.
6. (February 28, 2012). "Indiana vs. Michigan State – Postgame Notes". iuhoosiers.com.
7. (February 28, 2012). "Cody Zeller key as Indiana downs No. 5 Michigan State". [[ESPN]].