When one takes a moment to reflect, you realize that 20 years is quite a long time, especially in the sporting world.

Yes, an outright Big Ten championship has been a long time coming for these Indiana Hoosiers.

It’s been exactly two decades since the last time the Indiana Hoosiers were sole champions of the Big Ten, when they were led by then-seniors Calbert Cheaney and Greg Graham under coach Bobby Knight. Finishing 31-4 (17-1 Big Ten), they were the #1 overall team in the polls and the tournament, eventually losing to the 2-seed Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite Eight.

Twenty years later this year’s Hoosiers team finished 26-5 (14-4 Big Ten) and once again became outright winners of the B1G. But this year’s script remains unfinished. With the Big Ten Tournament beginning on Thursday, and the Big Dance on the 19th, the final chapters of this storied Hoosier team have yet to be written.

Looking back on the regular season now, fighting for the outright title certainly wasn’t easy, it most definitely wasn’t pretty; and the title quite literally hung in the balance during the waning seconds of what was a wildly exciting finish.

Scoring all of Indiana’s final six points, it was the Hoosiers’ big man Cody Zeller who stepped up both offensively and defensively to help steal the game and the conference title.

After a driving layup and a pretty alley-oop tip-in by Victor Oladipo, Indiana nearly let the game – and the outright title – slip away in the final few minutes.

A few ill-advised shots as well as a couple turnovers, and a two-point lead suddenly turned into to a five-point deficit with 52 seconds remaining…

The Final 52 Seconds

When it absolutely counted the most, Cody Zeller took over the game and dominated. It was refreshing, because it took Cody a good portion of the first half to find his game and some sort of rhythm offensively.

For nearly the first 15 minutes he was getting manhandled and pushed around in the low block by a Wolverine defense that was constantly collapsing on him.

Drawing frequent double teams, he started the game 1 for 6 from the field, had a few turnovers, and didn’t even pick his 4th point until there was 3:22 remaining in the first. But from then on, the Big Handsome’s game only got prettier, looking absolutely gorgeous in the final minute.

Scoring the Hoosiers’ final six points, he single-handedly won the game for Indiana on the offensive end in those final 52 seconds.

Following a Glenn Robinson made free throw to make it 71-66, Cody drove hard to the basket and … missed. Undaunted, he corralled his own shot and got the put-back to bring the Hoosiers within three, 71-68.

With a little more than 40 seconds left, Tom Crean and Indiana opted to foul to force Michigan to win the game at the free throw line rather than trying to play it out for a final possession. With Michigan in the single bonus, it was certainly the right choice.

Tim Hardaway Jr. (a 69% free throw shooter) was immediately fouled and sent to the line for his first attempt, missed, and the Hoosiers’ Christian Watford rebounded the ball with 38 seconds left and the Hoosiers down by three.

Cody Zeller went to work once again, picking up the foul on Jordan Morgan, and sank both free throws. Down by 70-71 with 28 seconds remaining, Michigan superstar Trey Burke broke free on an inbounds play, grabbed the pass, and was immediately fouled.

A 78% free throw shooter, the usually-clutch Burke missed his first attempt as well, and Zeller grabbed the rebound. Handing the ball off temporarily to Yogi Ferrell, Zeller set himself up near the baseline of the low block, received the pass moments later, spun towards the rim and made a beautifully contested pump-fake to put the Hoosiers up 72-71 with less than 15 seconds remaining.

But the game was far from over. The Hoosiers needed to get one more stop defensively.

Michigan’s Trey Burke then pushed the ball up the court and drove hard to the basket against Indiana’s bigs, deftly switched the ball to his left hand, and shot a left-handed layup. The shot hit back iron and missed.

But Jordan Morgan flew in for the offensive rebound, attempted a left-handed tip-shot that lollied, rolled, and danced around on the rim before falling into the hands of Indiana’s Christian Watford as time expired … and a silenced and stunned Crisler crowd realized they let one get away.

Give credit to Indiana’s coaches for maintaining their composure, for feeding the big man, and for keeping the players from jacking up quick and unnecessary desperation three pointers. They put the pressure back on the Wolverines by forcing them to step up at the free throw line, and it paid off.

Let’s look at the Four Factors at halftime, and at the end of the game.

Four Factors: Halftime

eFG% TO% OR% FTR INDIANA 39.19% 17.14% 47.62% 2.70% MICHIGAN 45.00% 16.66% 20.00% 20.00%

Four Factors: End of Game

eFG% TO% OR% FTR INDIANA 47.86% 21.88% 57.14% 7.14% MICHIGAN 46.92% 9.38% 29.27% 10.77%

The Wolverines were up 3 points at halftime, 33-30, largely due to their defense and Indiana’s poor shooting, and the fact that they had completely taken away one of the Hoosiers’ best strengths: getting to the free throw line.

The Hoosiers only made 5 free throws on 9 attempts the entire game; it was a season low in both attempts and free throws made for Indiana.

The Wolverines also didn’t have a single turnover in the second half.

So how exactly did they lose?

Well, Cody Zeller (and missed free throws) for one, but the Hoosiers absolutely dominated on both ends of the glass, tying their season-high with 53 total rebounds. Their 24 offensive rebounds were a season-high as well, seven alone by Victor Oladipo, who set a career-high with 13 total rebounds to go along with his 14 points.

Aside from the rebounding clinic the Hoosiers put on, they also found the bottom of the net a little more often in the second half, barely eeking out the Wolverines in eFG%, pulling ahead on Cody Zeller’s performance in the final minute of the game. He finished with a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds.

In the end, both teams split the Four Factors, which was very indicative of the back-and-forth type of game that we saw.

STAT OF THE GAME

Total Lead Changes: 14

It’d be hard to imagine a more closely fought battle for the Big Ten title than what we saw in Indiana versus Michigan. The final 10 minutes of the game were the epitome of the agony and ecstasy that is college basketball.

With the lead changing on almost every other possession, each trip up and down the court became that much more meaningful, more harrowing, more heartbreaking. From impending doom to sheer joy, and back again, one could not ask for a basketball game so emotionally captivating.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Big Ten tournament starts on Thursday.

Indiana is slated as the #1 seed and will get a first round bye, facing the winner of 9th-seeded Minnesota vs. 8th-seeded Illinois, with both teams having defeated Hoosiers the last time they played each other.

Illinois and Minnesota split the season series, but the Big Ten Tournament is being hosted in Chicago, so expect an Illini-friendly atmosphere.

It’s a tough game to call. The Illini were blown out in Minnesota, and only won by four at home, but Illinois has been playing better as of late. I anticipate that we’ll end up having a rematch against them on Friday.

Let the Madness begin.