Game 7: Indiana vs. North Carolina (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)

Hoosiers Send Statement After Destroying Tar Heels in Raucous Assembly Hall

By Ryan Bramwell

#14 North Carolina   37  22   59  (5-2)
#1   Indiana             46  37   83  (7-0)

Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana


Individual Performances:

• Jordan Hulls:  13 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 0 turnovers.  Lordy, Lordy, how 'bout Jordy!?  Seriously, what a leader!  I know it is hard to pick a favorite Hoosier on this team, but this kid has got to be near the top of every IU fan's list.
• Cody Zeller: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks (career high), 1 steal, 1 assist.  Cody came prepared to annihilate UNC...and mission accomplished.
• Will Sheehey: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assists.  A second-straight game of 19 points for The Thrill on 8-of-12 shooting including 3-of-4 from downtown.
• Victor Oladipo: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist.  He had a couple of terrific plays including one along the baseline where he juked three Heels on his way to two points.
• Yogi Ferrell: 2 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds.  He wasn't successful from the floor (0-for-6) but Yogi continues to be a major factor with his ability to push the ball up the court, play terrific defense, and execute stellar passing with limited turnovers.

Team Effort:

• Magical:  That is the word I would use to describe the Hoosiers' team play on Tuesday night against the Tar Heels.
• Indiana didn't shoot the lights out like they have done in previous games (i.e. 60% vs. BSU). However the lights did literally go out in Assembly Hall at one point and I would attribute that to the crowd energy and volume that was in effect due to the overall dominating performance put forth by your Hoosiers.
• The Hoosiers essentially did everything right on the basketball court on Tuesday night.
• They passed the ball and found the open man every time and were nearly unselfish to a fault. 
• They rebounded on both ends of the court and delivered big time on their second chance opportunities. 
• They played smothering defense that stymied the Tar Heels so much that they began the second half shooting a dismal 1-for-20 from the field.  I believe the experts were telling us that IU's downfall would be their defense...more on that later.
• Field Goals: FG - IU 33-of-74, UNC 26-of-69; FG% - IU 44.6%, UNC 37.7
• 3-Point Shooting: 3FG - IU 8-of-20, UNC 1-of-8; 3FG% - IU 40.0%, UNC 12.5%
• Rebounding: Total Reb. - IU 44, UNC 34; Off Reb. - IU 13, UNC 9
• Assists: IU 21, UNC 8 

Thoughts:

• Thoughts?  Well, surely I am thinking about how the Indiana Hoosiers are a legitimate number one team.  I am thinking about how that performance would undoubtedly overmatch any school in the country.  I am thinking about how glorious and magnificent it feels to be a Hoosier basketball fan.  I feel loved by the basketball gods.  I feel warm inside.
• Really, people, how amazing was that game?  Outside of last year's victory over Kentucky and our performance in the tournament, I can't think of a more important result for this team since the beginning of last season.  Even the upset over second-ranked Ohio State will have to take a back-seat to this game against UNC.  Beating the Buckeyes was intrigal in establishing that the Hoosier program wasn't just fooling the nation when they beat UK.  It was a huge win and will not be taken lightly whatsoever.  However, this victory over UNC was the first game as the nation's top team where we went up against an NCAA crown jewel.  Sure, Georgetown is a better team and they are indeed a quasi-perennial basketball school.  But the Tar Heels are in that elite class...UCLA, Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Indiana, and North Carolina.  And the display that the Hoosiers put on was flat-out astounding.  Moreover, it was nationally televised, significantly hyped, and reviewed and analyzed more than any game thus far in the 2012-13 season. 
• How much better can we get?  This whole team still emphasized without hesitation that they can get better and mustn't rest on their laurels. 
• I think the original 'Hurryin' Hoosiers' from the Branch McCracken era have been outclassed by Tom Crean's team of superhuman squad of stellar athletes.  
• Defense?  Didn't the analysts expect that Indiana's offense was unquestionably the best in the country but that their defense would be suspect?  Well, Ken Pomeroy (ratings guru) has Indiana listed as the 6th best defensive team in the land.  Oh, and they 1st in offense if you can imagine that.