Iconic Seasons Miniseries: Fixing the Indiana Hoosiers Biff Timeline

This series explores the rich history of Indiana University basketball, focusing on key eras, legendary players, and unforgettable moments that have defined the program's legacy.

Transcript

Welcome back, to Iconic Seasons. I’m your host Aaron Meyer, and today we're doing something a little different on. I’m running baseline to baseline on the Indiana Hoosiers. I'm putting this to bed once and for all.

Indiana basketball has a new head coach, and like Coach Devrese said in his introductory press conference, "I think you embrace everything about the past. That's awesome. Our history is our history, and it's a great history" Those words remind me that we need to embrace the past but not focus on the shadow of what once was.

So today, we're embarking on a three-part journey examining a bit of our  “Biff Timeline" . Somewhere along the way, someone stole our sports almanac, and the proud program of Indiana basketball veered off into an alternate reality. By going back through it and recognizing where we went off track, maybe, just maybe, we can resume the correct timeline and start making a new legacy.

Let's start with the Tom Crean era. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Here we go again, another Crean debate." But stay with me here. Those years weren't all bad. In fact — and I can't believe I'm saying this — based on the past nine years of mediocrity and disappointment, I'd argue Crean should've never been let go.

Think about it. Three Sweet Sixteens in four years. Two Big Ten regular season titles. Multiple NBA draft picks. Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller transformed before our eyes. That 2012-2013 team spent 10 weeks ranked #1 in the country!

But be that as it may, we made a change, and we're still outside of the continuity and blue blood status that the fanbase has been desperately searching for. We've been wandering in the basketball wilderness, and I'm tired of it. You're tired of it. We're all tired of it.

Let's go all the way back to the beginning, to understand how we got here.  

I'm sitting here watching another NCAA Tournament without my team. Another March where my bracket isn't biased by my heart. Another spring where I'm forced to care about baseball earlier than I should have to.

This is the definitive recap that will repair the timeline. At least that's what I'm telling myself as I reach for another bourbon while watching teams like Purdue — PURDUE! — make deep tournament runs.

What went wrong? How did the program with five national championship banners become an afterthought? The team that gave us Isiah Thomas, Steve Alford, and Calbert Cheaney now debates on whether to accept NIT bids.

[Pause]

This isn't just nostalgia talking. This is about identity. Indiana basketball isn't just a sports team — it's woven into the fabric of the state.  

In our initial episode.  episode, we'll dive deeper into the the arrival of Bob Knight at Indiana and the opening of Assembly Hall [1]. It details how Knight implemented his unique system, emphasizing defense and a slower pace, a shift from the previous run-and-gun style [2]. The episode will cover the challenges the team faced in its early years, along with key players such as Steve Downing and the team's first Big Ten title [3-5]. We'll discuss the 1973 Final Four run and how the team was built for future success

Our time is coming. This new coach understands the weight of those candy-striped pants. He gets what it means when we talk about "playing Indiana basketball."

The timeline will be restored. I truly believe that.

This is Aaron Meyer for, Iconic Seasons. Until next time keep your dribble low and your eyes up.