Terre Haute Tribune-Star. Jan. 6, 2021.
Editorial: Indiana up to the NCAA challenge. No state better equipped to handle college tourneys
March Madness is no stranger to Indiana. Actually, college basketball s big dance feels quite at home in the Hoosier state.
The hoops sport, at every level, holds a significant spot in the state s heritage, and yet another niche is about to be added.
The high school game s Milan Miracle happened here in 1954, along with Oscar Robertson and the legendary Crispus Attucks state champs in 1955, and Damon Bailey s heroics in 1990. Hoosier colleges produced five NCAA titles by the Indiana Hoosiers, John Wooden s career at Purdue, Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores amazing 33-1 NCAA finalist season, and Butler s back-to-back runner-up finishes. Among the pros, the Indiana Pacers won three ABA championships under Coach Bobby Slick Leonard, and an NBA Finals appearance in 2000 under Bird, the coach.
Bridges’ consistency on and off of the court, fused with his work ethic behind the scenes, has helped him become one of the NBA’s breakout players during the early season.
Matchup After dropping their second straight game in Sacramento on Monday, the Pacers (6-4) will look to get back in the win column on Tuesday night, when they visit the Chase Center to take on Steph Curry and the Warriors (6-4).