What I know and what I think

Call this my obligatory and almost unreadable predictions column. This is what I know about the IU men’s basketball team’s Saturday night game against Northwestern State: I know Tom Crean will coach the guys in cream.

I know 12 of them will be dressed out in jerseys with “Indiana” arced over crimson numbering. IU should never, ever get rid of those jerseys – they’re the Yankee pinstripes of college basketball.

I know that one of the dressed-out players Crean plucked is from the IU baseball team, and one of those not dressed has an NBA Champion father.

I know each team will start five players, there will be three referees and the rules of basketball still apply.

We have now discussed the extent of what I empirically know about Saturday night – and the rest of the season for that matter.

There are plenty of things I think might happen: I think the Hoosiers will win their first game.

I think it will be ugly. I think it will be at times painful and at times refreshing for IU fans to watch a team filled with youthful exuberance and equally youthful inexperience. I think the whole season will follow this trend, except for the winning.

I think Devan Dumes will lead the Hoosiers in scoring, because he has the most on-ball confidence. I think Tom Pritchard will lead the Hoosiers in rebounding, because he’s going to improve massively from November to March. I think Daniel Moore – faceguard or no – will lead the Hoosiers in assists.

Those apply to both Saturday night and the season, and don’t doubt Moore. He has the best pure court vision and passing ability of any player on this team.

I think this team is better than most pundits would have you believe, but if they finish above .500, I think hell will freeze over (which would be pretty sweet). I think they’ll win 10 games, four in the Big Ten, one against Illinois.

I think fans will slowly rally around this team, because in the end, who doesn’t love a scrappy underdog? Especially after last year’s colossal failure at meeting fans’ expectations, a good story is probably almost as welcome as a good team right now.

There are plenty of things I don’t think, too: I don’t think this team will win a tournament game of any kind, save perhaps the 7/8 game in the Maui Invitational. I don’t think these Hoosiers will win the first-ever basketball game in Lucas Oil Stadium either.

I don’t think the Hoosiers will win half as many games as Mike Davis’ UAB Blazers.
Despite those predictions, I don’t think anyone who has even a passing interest in IU basketball will for five seconds utter the words, “Wow, I really miss Kelvin Sampson.”

I don’t think the NCAA will ban IU from the postseason whenever it hands down the
long-awaited verdict.

I don’t think Crean will spend much time wishing he were still at Marquette.

I don’t think the Hoosiers’ time in the Big Ten cellar will last long. Consider it college basketball purgatory for the sins of the father.

Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time.
See you Monday.