Why Indiana Hoosier Basketball Fans Are The Best

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words "Indiana Basketball"

Probably "tradition."

Five NCAA championships, 35 NCAA tournament appearances, 20 Big Ten Conference championships, and 41 All-Americans will do that for you.

But another aspect of Indiana Hoosiers basketball is the passion.

Through thick and thin, Hoosier fans love their teams so much, that they sometimes spend hours talking with friends, relatives, or even just someone who is willing to listen, why Bob Knight is the greatest coach on earth, or how "the Shot" by Keith Smart to win the 1987 National Championship was the best game ever played.

And just look at the current situation.

Never before have Indiana basketball fans seen their team filled with mostly just freshman and sophomores, struggling to win games.

Yet that never stopped the Cream and Crimson faithful from showing up to games, and cheering on their boys to victory against teams that possess much more experience and talent than this current Hoosier squad.

In fact, last season, Indiana finished with the 16th best average attendance in the nation, at 14,331 people per game (82 percent capacity).

Indiana, which had a 6-25 record in the 2008-2009 season, outgained in the seats the likes of Purdue, Texas, and Arizona, all teams which finished with over 20 wins and made the NCAA Tournament.

If those teams were in the same situation the Hoosiers are in now, would we see the same kind of attendance?

Probably not.

The Hoosier Nation lives, breathes, and eats Hoosier Basketball, and many mark their calenders at the end of March, for Hoosier Hysteria, when the next edition of Indiana Basketball returns.

It is a ritual for many to go to at least one game each year at the storied Assembly Hall.

Indiana basketball is the best combination of passion, tradition, and success in the country.

And that is why tomorrow night, at 7:00 P.M., when the Hoosiers take on arch-rival Purdue on McCracken Court at Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers will give the Boilers a great game.

The passion and energy exuding from all areas of the Hall has, does, and will continue to lift the team on its back, and the whole nation will see a sellout crowd cheer on the Hoosiers to play their hearts out.

"Go IU, Fight Fight Fight, For the Glory of Old IU"