To quote James Naismith, the inventor of the sport, “Basketball may have been invented in Massachusetts, but it was made for Indiana.”
What once began as, and still is, a high school craze in Indiana, basketball soon made its way to the college ranks. Since then, legends such as Oscar Robertson, Isiah Thomas, John Wooden, Larry Bird, Bobby Knight, and many others have risen to prominence from this basketball state. Two universities have garnered a myriad of accolades: Indiana University and Purdue University.
Between the two schools, there are 46 regular-season Big Ten titles (24 for Purdue, 22 for Indiana), which is 37% of all Big Ten basketball titles. Both schools have a NIT championship, and Purdue leads the all-time series 124-89. Though Purdue seems to have the magic in the head-to-head matchups, Indiana, at one time, tended to have the magic in March. Indiana University has won five national championships, Purdue has yet to win one.
There’s a famous mantra that states, “In 49 states it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana.” Even the inventor of the sport marveled at how it blossomed in the Hoosier state. There are many college basketball programs within the state, but Indiana and Purdue share the wealth of the glory. Though the rivalry exists within 100 miles of each other, it’s nationally recognized. This is partially because these two schools battle over recruiting the top high school players in the nation from their own backyards.
Despite blatant disrespect from fans towards the opposing team when these two play each other, there’s a great respect between the players and coaches. Matt Painter recently said that he used to pretend to be Mike Woodson playing basketball in his driveway as a kid. He grew up as a fan of Indiana basketball and dreamed of playing for Coach Knight.
When asked about the rivalry aspect of Indiana and Purdue, Mike Woodson stated, “Painter’s done a hell of a job with them.”
He also noted that he’s flattered that Painter was a fan of him growing up. Rob Phinisee, who’s from Lafayette, noted that he’s friends with some of the guys on Purdue’s squad. Many players from both teams have played AAU together. These factors add depth to the rivalry by knowing that there’s a mutual respect underneath all the contempt. As they say, there’s a fine line between love and hate.
Jordan Hulls, who’s no stranger to basketball in the Hoosier state, had a few things to say about the rivalry.
“The Purdue and IU rivalry was always a game marked on my calendar. The intensity, competitiveness, and just overall emotions going into that game was special. For me, that was fun. I love to compete and doing so against our in-state rival hold memories that I’ll never forget," Hulls said. "I have a lot of respect for what Coach Painter has done and continues to do there, but every time we were on that court, it was just another level of motivation. Growing up in Bloomington, I understood the rivalry and what it really meant.
"I grew up despising Purdue and Kentucky. Losing to them my first couple years always hurt, so I was glad we got them back in my last two matchups with them. I hope the players today understand the magnitude of how important the matchup is with claiming Indiana bragging rights. I’m excited to watch two good teams go at it. They have to be ready to battle despite rankings and streaks.”
The Hoosiers certainly need to put rankings and streaks aside tonight as they look to upset the Boilermakers in Bloomington.
Indiana fans often jest and refer to Purdue as “little brother.” With that in mind, Michael Jordan referred to his older brother as his fiercest competitor and even chose his jersey number because of that. Hopefully Indiana makes the rivalry more exciting by notching a victory this evening.
While “little brother” holds more head-to-head wins and Big Ten championships, “big brother” tends to earn national attention and accolades when things are going well.
Regardless, these two programs push each other to be the best they can be. In Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, when speaking on his enemy, Aufidius, he states, “And were I any thing but what I am, I would wish me only he” (1.1.236-237). Perhaps when choosing our rivals, we mark our equals.
Here’s to a good game tonight, and to many more to come.
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