Why Indiana State keeps winning en route to the NIT Championship
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana State men’s basketball team is playing for a national championship on Thursday.
Just not the national championship that the Sycamores were hoping for entering the month of March.
When the Sycamores, the highest NET rated team ever to be snubbed from the field of 68, were left out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the focus changed.
Suddenly, Head Coach Josh Schertz and the kids from Terre Haute were focused on proving the nation wrong.
And a win on Thursday night would do just that.
The Sycamores will take on Seton Hall from the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Thursday for the championship game of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
ISU is enjoying its best season since Larry Bird’s 1978-79 team went to the national championship 45 years ago, losing to Magic Johnson’s Michigan State squad.
This year’s Sycamore team is 32-6, and a win in the NIT Championship game would tie Indiana State’s program record in wins with Bird’s 33-1 team.
However, it is safe to say that ISU is playing for more than just wins or losses.
After Indiana State defeated Utah 100-90 in the NIT semifinal game, Schertz was candid with a reporter about this year’s run.
“We believe in each other,” Schertz said. “We have winners in that locker room, and guys that care. It doesn’t guarantee you anything, but this group is special. The talent certainly, but the connection, the heart, the fight, the grit, the toughness, the way they just play for each other. When you have that inside of a group it gives you a chance to do some special things. I’ve been around, coached a long time, and this is about as special a run as I’ve ever been a part of.”
Schertz, in his third year with the program, guided Indiana State to its first Missouri Valley regular season title in 24 years.
His team is made up of some dynamic scorers, as Indiana State has eclipsed the 90-point mark 13 times this season.
The Sycamores are led in scoring by center Robbie Avila, who averages 17.5 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 4 assists per game. Ryan Conwell, Isaiah Swope, Jayson Kent, and Julian Larry all average north of 10 points per contest too.
Fast-paced offense and high-scoring point totals give fans plenty to cheer about, and the Indiana State faithful have done just that throughout the entire tournament.
As a No. 1 seed, ISU hosted its first three games at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute. The crowd then followed the Sycamores 84 miles east to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Avila was in awe of the Indiana State crowd at Hinkle Fieldhouse and throughout the entire tournament when speaking after the game on Tuesday.
“It has been amazing,” Avila said. “Just an entire run, starting at the Hulman Center, with those three games being sellout crowds. It’s been a lot of fun to come into Hinkle and see a sea of blue. Obviously, Utah is a really good team, it was a great game, but to continue playing in front of our fans like that has been a blessing.”
Indiana State will play an opponent that is no stranger to Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Seton Hall finished fourth in the Big East conference this season, coming into Thursday’s matchup with a 24-12 record.
The Pirates have now won two games inside of Hinkle Fieldhouse this year. Tuesday night’s 84-76 win over Georgia in the NIT semifinals, and a 6-point win over Butler in the regular season.
Seton Hall is led by a trio of standout guards, as Kadary Richmond, Dre Davis, and Al-Amir Dawes all average double figure scoring. Richmond leads the team with 15.6 points per game.
The Pirates have not played a relatively close game since the first round of the NIT tournament, defeating Saint Joseph’s 75-72. Since then, Seton Hall has rolled through North Texas (14-point win), UNLV (23), and Georgia (17) to get to the title game.
Shaheen Holloway’s squad is making its first trip to the NIT Championship game since Seton Hall won the tournament in 1953.
In fact, the Pirates are making their 19th appearance in the NIT tournament this year, while Indiana State has participated in the NIT just four other times.
Tipoff from Hinkle is set for Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game will air ESPN.
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