Indiana Hoosiers: Analyzing our fan survey – part one

Which rival school do you hate the most?

To be frank, this one caught me off guard. If I was told that more fans would say they hate Kentucky more than Purdue I would have giggled and called you crazy. I personally hate Purdue’s guts. We see Purdue basketball twice every year but we haven’t seen Kentucky since we sent them packing in the 2016 dance. Kentucky is completely petrified of IU and the city of Bloomington so I don’t think about them much. But hey, that’s just me.

Who is the best Indiana coach of all time?

I mean, ya, but Jerry Yeagley and his contributions to NCAA soccer are criminally underrated. Indiana men’s soccer is one of the best and most decorated soccer programs in the nation all thanks to Yeagley. The team has produced a plethora of professional talent as well, but that still doesn’t beat out the General.

What is your favorite IU sports facility?

This one was never going to be a competition. Assembly Hall reigns supreme and its greatness will never be matched. Period.

Best Indiana University win of all time?

Indiana is one of the winningest programs in basketball history so if we’re talking big wins, there’s going to be plenty of them. 2011 vs Kentucky and the ‘87 championship games are both really good games.

I would agree with our readers that they’re probably the one and the two but the order is up for debate. I personally would put Indiana’s 1987 championship win over the Kentucky game as it secured Bob Knight‘s legacy as one of the best college basketball coaches ever and proved that his success could last throughout multiple decades. The title game in ‘76 is an interesting case as the game itself was a blowout win for the Hoosiers but it put a cap on one of the best seasons of all time and the best ever in college basketball.

Which players belong on the Indiana Mount Rushmore?

*Drumroll please* The four Hoosiers that will be immortalized on IU’s Mount Rushmore are Calbert Cheaney (76.8%), Isiah Thomas (71.2%), Steve Alford (48%) and Scott May (36.8%). I think this is a solid cast of characters for the IU Mount Rushmore.

Cheaney pulled in the most votes with 96 and I’m not surprised. Calbert Cheaney is the B1G’s all-time leading scorer and was a member of many powerhouse IU teams in the ’90s.

Isiah Thomas brought in the second most and this is also pretty fair. Zeke is absolutely an Indiana legend and he is the best player ever to come out of Indiana. He played miraculously in his final season in the cream and crimson earning a final four MVP and NCAA championship. After Cheaney and Thomas, Scott May and Steve Alford bring up the rear. May was the star player for the undefeated 1976 Hoosiers and Alford was the star of the 1987 champions.

While it’s unfortunate that Indiana’s Mount Rushmore doesn’t include Football, Indiana Basketball has been a dominant force for the past century while Indiana Football has been quite mediocre.

The results from part one of the survey were fascinating and gave many insights into what our readers believe and how they think. Stay tuned for parts two and three coming soon.