With great atmosphere, Indiana State knocks off a Big Ten foe ... again

Mar. 24—Terre Haute resident Rick Petty has followed Indiana State University men's basketball a long time.

Long enough to remember seemingly endless lines of fans waiting for the doors to open ... just so they could rush inside to pack Hulman Center and watch future Hall of Famer Larry Bird, future NBA guard Carl Nicks and some of the best role players a team could want rack up dozens of victories in the late 1970s when Petty was an ISU student.

Among those home victories over the last six decades were decisions over Big Ten Conference foes Purdue (91-63 on Nov. 28, 1977, thanks to 26 points from Bird and 22 from Leroy Staley), Minnesota (94-86 on Dec. 11, 1984, when the Sycamores were guided by Dave Schellhase) and Indiana (59-58 on Nov 29, 2000, when ISU guard Michael Menser hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final nine seconds to sink the Hoosiers).

Also long enough to remember the Sycamores' only previous National Invitation Tournament victory before this season, which occurred against Illinois State (73-71) on March 10, 1978, Bird's junior season.

On Sunday, coach Josh Schertz's 2023-24 crew became the second team in program history to compile at least 30 wins in a season and the only Indiana State team to win two NIT games in a season by outpointing Minnesota from the Big Ten (repeating the name of the conference in case you didn't catch it on the first reference) by a 76-64 score in the second round of the NIT.

That propels the Sycamores (30-6) into an NIT quarterfinal matchup with Cincinnati, which will tip off at 9 p.m. EST (thank ESPN for that) Tuesday. Should they win, they'll advance to the four-team NIT finals April 2-4 at Indianapolis' Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Realizing this might be a long shot, it's worth mentioning that if the Trees win out, they'll match the program record for victories in a season set in 1978-79 when Bird & Co. went 33-1 and finished as NCAA runners-up.

If Indiana State plays the way it's capable of playing, there's no reason it can't win out. After all, Minnesota (19-15 overall, 9-11 in the Big Ten) lost at Purdue by eight points during the regular season while posting victories over eventual NCAA tournament teams Nebraska, Northwestern and Michigan State.

Back to Petty, aside from the falling confetti and the countless rolls of toilet paper heaved onto the court to delay the start of home games during Bird's senior season — traditions that no longer exist, much to the delight of Hulman Center's cleanup crew — he has noticed plenty of similarities between the atmospheres that surround the current ISU team and the great ones from long ago.

"I went to a couple [ISU home] games at the old Arena [in the late 1960s and early 1970s]," recalled Petty, a 1981 ISU graduate and a retired Vigo County middle school teacher. "I listened to Bob Forbes call games on [WTHI] radio.

"I would say the atmosphere is about equal [to the Bird years]. I'll tell ya, the atmosphere is really good here. It's real loud here."

Petty attended Sunday's game with his son, Patrick Kelly, another ISU graduate who lives in Fortville and wanted to see the Sycamores with his father.

"These [ISU] guys are a lot of fun," Petty continued. "It's on par with what we experienced in college."

Petty admitted that he went to his share of games during a few down seasons that piled up between 1979 and 2024, stressing he's not "a bandwagon jumper" and adding that he's been a season-ticket holder for "the past 15 years or so."

Gazing into his imaginary crystal ball, Petty sees the future of ISU basketball looking bright if Schertz remains in Terre Haute.

"I think Schertz, no matter where he goes, is never going to have the admiration he has here," Petty said. "I think the same goes for the team. I go to some of their practices and they're just super-nice kids. The city loves them. I don't know if they'd get that if they go to a big city.

"Money's not everything, but I'd understand it [if someone accepts a high-dollar contract or NIL deal elsewhere]."

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Hours before the 2 p.m. tipoff, Sunday around downtown Terre Haute felt like a mid-2000s game day in Indianapolis when Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne played for the NFL's Colts in their heyday — more tailgating parties than usual, including a large one under a tent in the parking lot next to The Terminal Public House.

WZIS-FM disc jockeys playing tunes, the smell of Sati Babi meat on a grill and enough beverages to satisfy all ages. What more could you want before your favorite team plays?

Among those who attended were Jeff Hunt and his daughter, ISU senior Kendra Hunt, from Terre Haute. Like Petty, Jeff Hunt has followed ISU basketball for decades, but not quite as long as Petty.

"This team is amazing," Jeff told the Tribune-Star inside the tent. "What coach Schertz has done for this program ... He's really built this team up and brought in some quality players. This is a team this year."

Mr. Hunt said last season's team was good, finishing 23-13, but this season's team has the potential to be great, especially if it wins the NIT.

He also predicted a triumph over Minnesota, which came true.

"Minnesota is a good team," he said. "They're a Big Ten school. They've always been tough. They just beat Butler [by one point in the NIT first round]."

Kendra threw in her two cents about the Sycamores: "I love Indiana State basketball."

The Hunts agreed they want Schertz to remain in charge of the program for the long haul.

"Money talks," Jeff admitted. "He's built this program up. If he goes, he goes. I'm all for someone wanting to improve his financial situation. There's not much we can do about it but cheer him on and wish him luck.

"If he stays, it's going to be phenomenal for next season."

"He's really improved the team over the years," Kendra added. "I hope he stays as well, but we'll see what happens."

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Sunday's game went as Wabash Valley fans had hoped.

Ryan Conwell poured in 23 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead a balanced ISU attack that was bolstered by Julian Larry and Jayson Kent with 16 points apiece and Robbie Avila with 11. Kent also grabbed 11 rebounds, while the 6-foot-10 Avila dished out a team-high seven assists.

Ahead 9-8, the Sycamores went on a 9-0 run to pad their cushion to 18-8 and they never trailed after that.

Indiana State led 38-28 at halftime, then Avila and Kent each converted a three-point play in the early minutes of the second half to build the advantage to 44-30.

The Golden Gophers made a few mini-runs, so the matchup never felt like a rout. But it never felt like the visitors would win either.

Perhaps the highlight for ISU fans came with 14:39 remaining in the contest when Conwell sank a 3-pointer from the top of the arc while getting knocked to the floor, earning a free throw. He made it to complete a rare four-point play, which boosted the Sycamores' margin to 14 at 52-38.

Afterward, Kent appreciated the significance of being part of only the second Indiana State basketball team to reach 30 wins.

"It's a blessing to be the second team," he said during the postgame news conference. "These wins aren't just for us. They're for the community. What they do for us is just as important as what we do on the court. These 30 wins are for them."

Sunday's attendance was listed at 8,239.

Meanwhile, ISU fans Ted and Amy Swan and their sons — Colton and Camden Swan — were heading to their car with smiles on their faces. Ted has followed the Sycamores since he attended a Larry Bird basketball camp as a youngster in 1978.

"The atmosphere today was great," Ted said. "I'd love to see it continue."

Ted Swan cited reasons why he believes the 2023-24 Sycamores are for real.

"They have a complete team," he assessed. "They play team ball. They've all bought into coach Schertz's system. ... I'd definitely love to see them run it back with the same crew and coach Schertz next season. They have a great shot to have tremendous success."

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According to Indiana State, tickets for Tuesday's game against Cincinnati may be purchased by accessing your ISU Ticketmaster account or in the "Sycamores March On" app, by logging in and selecting "Invoices" to view your total payment required. ISU season-ticket holders also may purchase tickets in person by visiting the Hulman Center Ticket Office.

Season-ticket holders will have until 5 p.m. Monday to access their account and process payment for the tickets they wish to purchase. General public sale of tickets will begin at noon Monday.

In order to allow the ticket office time to process payments, season tickets purchased over the phone Monday will be available after 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Additional tickets not claimed by season-ticket holders will be released at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

As an NCAA-sponsored event, there are no Flex 5 or Sycamore Kids Club tickets available for this game.