Hoosier Hoops History: Christian Watford for the Win

On this day 12 years ago, perhaps the greatest memory in the history of the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball program transpired. It was a frigid December evening in Bloomington when John Calipari and the top ranked Kentucky Wildcats came to town. Despite Indiana owning the same 8-0 record as Kentucky heading into the contest, many fans assumed the Wildcats would come out on top.

But as the game went on, it became clear that Indiana was serious about making a statement. The two teams went back and forth all the way down to the wire, and then it happened:

In the blink of an eye, Indiana basketball was officially back. The sweet sound of that net’s swoosh was the the Hoosier’s signal to the nation that they were not to be taken lightly. The explosion that ensued inside of Assembly Hall was like a lion’s roar, announcing it’s presence in the face of a challenger. The entire moment was one of surreal harmony, in which the entire sequence of sounds was like a symphony.

It was a memory that will forever live on inside the minds of Hoosier fans. Even years after it’s occurrence, it is still a game which Watford dreams about from time to time. The former Hoosier forward did not go on to fulfill a fruitful NBA career as he may have planned, but his legend will never be forgotten within the walls of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. December 10th should almost serve as an unwritten campus holiday in Bloomington, in honor of that unbelievable day.