With Hoosier Hysteria 16 days away, the IU freshmen basketball players addressed the media on Thursday afternoon to give a little preview of what to expect. Instead of being part of the crowd at Hoosier Hysteria, the freshman trio of Austin Etherington, Remy Abell and Cody Zeller will don the cream and crimson in front of the IU faithful for the first time.
"I think it'll be completely different when I'm actually the one performing, whatever it is, whether it's in the dunk contest or playing," Zeller said. "I think it'll be a fun night. It will really be my first time playing in front of the crowd in IU gear. I'm definitely looking forward to it."
No information has been released in regards to who will be participating in each event but Zeller did reveal what he would like to compete in.
"I want to be in a cookie eating contest," Zeller said.
Zeller claimed it would be part of his weight-gain plan that he has been on since he got to IU in the beginning of the summer. Needless to say, Zeller will look more bulked up to IU fans than he did during his days at Washington High School.
Whatever event Zeller competes in, he'll be part of a show expected to entertain IU recruits. One of the recruits expected to be in attendance is Hamilton Southeastern product and five-star recruit Gary Harris, whose official visit to IU is on October 15.
Etherington said an event like Hoosier Hysteria is always an experience for a recruit.
"I was actually committed before I went to Hoosier Hysteria so once I came here and saw what it was like, I really was pleased with my decision," Etherington said. "I was pleased with my decision right when I made it but seeing the crowd and knowing what it's capable of. Even at the time I was definitely looking forward to seeing what a game will be like."
Hoosier Hysteria will mark the first time IU will play in front of a crowd since their 77-67 loss to Wisconsin on March 3. Though they weren't there to witness last season, both Zeller and Etherington said that the IU veterans are out to prove something.
"It's probably nice to get people back in watching you play and seeing how much we've improved," Etherington said. "I think they're looking forward to showing people what we're capable of."
"I think everybody's just trying to prove that we're better than what our record was last year," Zeller said. "It's like we've got a chip on our shoulder and we're trying to prove to everyone that we're better than what we were last year. That's the biggest thing right now"
