The X Factor for IU Basketball 2023

    Indiana did it; I watched the whole thing. The Hoosiers clad in red beat the hometown Boilermakers on a Saturday night, this the second time we have beaten them this year. But this was in their lair, Mackey Arena.

    Whew! Purdue is really good. I told my wife, or I am telling you: if IU cannot win it all this spring, I would like to see the boys from West Lafayette do it. It can be an Indiana thing. Still. That would be nice. It has been way too long, for either program. Indiana since 1987 and Purdue, like never. They claim some national championships in the earlier 20th century, before the NCAA tourney started in 1939.

    I will discuss some of the history of the March Madness champs in another blog post. Like, who are the one-time winners? How often does that happen? Which schools have multiple championships What are the numbers of each?

    For now, assessment of the Indiana squad. I think that the X factor might be Trey Galloway. Of course, that goes with saying that the senior big man All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and the freshman all-world guard Jalen Hood-Schifino keep doing their masterful magic on the floor. Both of these guys are the horses, the engines, that make this team a better IU unit that they have been in years. As good as 2016, if not better. Possibly as good as in 2013, when they fell apart at the end of the season. But they were a number one seed and predicted by many to win it all. Ten years ago. But their biggest whiff of success came in 2002, another time coming up short.

    Could this be the year? I think that they may have the right pieces to go far and even win it all, but the man who might make the difference is Indiana's own Trey Galloway. When he does his thing, the Hoosiers are hard to beat. Yesterday in West Lafayette he almost dunked it on Zach Edey. 

    Let me repeat that. 6'5" Galloway almost dunked the basketball on 7'4" center All-American Zach Edey. They call him the crazy man. He hustles and scraps, and he attempts to boldly do what is needed to win. He steals the ball, puts pressure on ball handlers, goes aggressively to the hole. The cup. The bucket. He plays off his teammates, he makes the passes to put them in good positions to score. He knocks down long shots and makes athletic lay ups.

    He may be the difference in the next month.

    Race Thompson is a huge part, as a big man starter, and Miller Kopp is crucial, as a man who is counted on from outside. He gets some inside hoops too. The bench is a big part of rest for the starters and added energy, in sometimes sharpshooter Tamar Bates, the uber athletic Jordan Geronimo, and the crafty but foul-prone Malik Reneau. 

    Some would assert the "X" factor is the more than two month injured super speedy 5th year point guard Xavier Johnson. He broke his foot in December and is looking to return pretty soon. There are two more regular season games left, then the Big Ten Tourney, then on to The Tournament.

    Coming up this March of 2023.

    The X factor. Do the Hoosiers have it? 

    I think they do. But hey, I have been wrong about these guys so many times before...

    Go IU! Fight, fight, fight!