Team 1 finished third in the four-team competition. We were an all-guard squad.
Prior to the 2011-12 Indiana basketball season, head coach Tom Crean held the 2nd Annual Media Challenge at Cook Hall and Assembly Hall on Thursday. It was a unique and fun opportunity to see inside the program and how hard they work each day.
(Click here to see a photo gallery from the day from IU athletics).
Upon arrival, we were presented with a packet that included a dri-fit Indiana shirt and Adidas shorts. Then we headed to the IU locker room to change. It was my second time in the team locker room and preparing for the challenge there provided a more realistic feel.
After warm-ups, it was stretching time with strength and conditioning coach Je’Ney Jackson. Because the majority of the media were over the age of 35, this was an important stage.
We then rotated through the four stations with our team — 1) dribbling and cutting, 2) defense movement, 3) layups and jump shots and 4) a team shooting challenge.
My team included Dustin Dopirak of the Bloomington Herald-Times, Pete DiPrimio of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, Dave Furst of WRTV, Ross Kinsey of WANE, Zach Osterman of InsideIndiana.com, Larra Overton of the National Sports Journalism Center, Andy Proffett of the Terre Haute Tribune. We were coached by Brian Evans and Chris Reynolds.
Assistant coach Steve McClain led the dribbling and cutting drill where we caught the ball on the wing, cut towards the paint and lay it in.. While heading to the hoop, we were to keep our eyes focused on the corner where a teammate was standing. The drill was done on both sides and then we repeated the drill and added a crossover. Most participants had little to no left hand so it made it tough for them to dribble and score. I thought I did fine and Coach Jackson picked me as an early candidate for camp MVP…I didn’t win though.
At our next station coach Bennie Seltzer went through the defensive rotations when playing a zone. I think they realized most would be gassed in the games and settle back into a zone. Seltzer demonstrated where to moved when you are one, two and three passes away and to keep your eye on the ball and the defender. All of which I remember in great detail from my AAU and middle school playing days.
Tim Buckley oversaw the next station which was short and simple, layups and jump shots. It really got my blood pumping and it helped our team become comfortable with each other. The fourth and final station was a competition within the team. We split into two groups and shot until one side made 10 shots from the free throw line and then the wing before the other. Needless to say my group was 3-1, with the one loss coming on the final game when freshman Cody Zeller, the one guy with a scholarship, joined our side.
Following stretching, drills and warm-ups in Cook Hall, Coach Tom Crean gave us a pep talk and led us over to Assembly Hall to get the games underway. Four teams, two games, one winner. (Note: After a few minutes, Tom Crean drove to Indy to recruit).
My team’s initial thinking was to make the game fast, run all the time and full court press. In our first game we started off well and scored six points in the first two minutes. After that it was a rough first game. We lost by double-digits as our strategy back-fired. Our opponent was a comprised of a lot of college media students like myself and so after they got by the first defender in the press, they had an open layup to the basket. Way too many of them.
I give big props to my teammate Ross Kinsey of WANE who I met that day. He was the only player not to sit out at all in the two games…clearly he works out a lot and he did admit that he hoops at least once a week.
Losing the first game bad, we played in the consolation game which featured Jeremy Gray of IU, Terry Hutchens of the Indianapolis Star and Ashley Adamson of WISH-TV. Jeremy, a fellow North Central alum, brought the northside Indy trash talk. That’s what he was about. He wasn’t afraid to shoot and his team needed the help.
I compared Hutch to Bill Laimbeer because on one occasion, I was driving to the hoop and he whacked me hard in the mouth and I fell into the goal. Hard foul and no blood no foul. Fair enough. Terry would feel his old age later in the game when landing hard on defense. And Ashley played fast and feisty. She has always been an athlete and her competitive side certainly came out.
We won the second game by three so we weren’t the challenge losers on the day.
The legend, Don Fischer served as commissioner and did a nice job. The players helped with the stations and also were referees…let’s just say none of them should look to get into that field after IU.
I am very thankful for J.D. Campbell and Tom Crean for putting this on. I know we all had a great time, got a workout and more importantly saw inside the program. The Hoosiers really work their butts off everyday. Given, I went full out, but the day after my back and quads are really hurting, and I’m a young gun compared to most.
The media challenge help to serve as a reminder to those that analyze Indiana basketball that it’s not so easy. We are the ones that watch for the little things and criticize, so it was only fair for the players to do the same on this day.
Cody Zeller summarized the day with his tweet, “No videos should be released of today’s media challenge because a few reporters (I’m not saying names) would lose all basketball credibility.”
Other stories about the day:
Terry Hutchens on what he learned.
Dustin Dopirak writes “I made it.”
Zach Osterman says he had a basketball jones — and it hurt
And here’s a video story from WISH-TV.