Hoopraker

The drift of Eric Gordon from peerless national regard and King Hoosier to passive, disconsolate underachiever, a trend that had a sad culmination last night in Raleigh, was one of the most disheartening Big Ten stories of the year. The player that the Hoosier nation considered a recruiting holy grail who would inevitably lead their program back to national prominence will exit Bloomington as a victim of hype and the coach who failed him. Read the rest of this entry »

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As the punditocrats filled out their Tournament Brackets, they quickly and dismissively scribbled a line through the names Wisconsin and Michigan State. In an age where glamor too often trumps substance, they shout from their glass houses that the Big Ten stinks. Read the rest of this entry »

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The March road trips of the Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers, if they are to be of the long and winding variety, depend on rising above distractions, NCAA inexperience, and the best of the vaunted ACC. With two Big Ten bulls-eyes planted on the much patted backs of North Carolina and Duke, those weary of the continued maligning of the conference may get a chance for sweet revenge. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hoopraker spotted a Devin Ebanks look-alike sitting solemnly in Conseco section 15, the seats reserved for families and guests of IU, for Friday’s fateful game with Minnesota. As reported by zagsblog, the lanky Ebanks was in Indy to visit IU AD Rick Greenspan and formally ask for a release from his National Letter of Intent, which IU will grant. Read the rest of this entry »

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The tables were turned at St. Elmo’s when Ed Hightower commandeered Table #31 and while we took Bruce Weber’s chairs across the aisle. Over a spicy shrimp cocktail, Hoopraker reflected on having just watched two of the Big Ten’s best play to the music of the zebras’ whistles. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Gophers overcame a referee corps that did everything in its power to get the home state Hoosiers to Saturday, the continued absence of Spencer Tollackson, and another monstrous double-double from D.J. White in notching what constitutes the first signature win of the Tubby era in the Twin Minny. Read the rest of this entry »

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From the tenor of their post-game victory dinner at St. Elmo’s last night, the Illinois basketball team possesses quiet confidence. Seated from the proximity of table 31, between dissecting a dry-aged porterhouse and a bottle of Mauritson, Hoopraker caught the cohesive team of young men quietly rejoicing back-to-back wins for the first time since December. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hoopraker’s first day in Indy was bookended by some petty theft from a taxi driver and a shank of cow saved from St. Elmo’s fire and delivered, perfectly scarred and oozing, to our table adjoining Bruce Weber and his victorious Fighting Illini. Read the rest of this entry »

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