For the last 70 or so years, my favorite season of the year has been basketball season. Although I’ve not been a player since my high school years, I’ve remained a fan of the game.
As a student at IU in Bloomington, I never missed a home game. The Van Arsdale twins, Tom and Dick, were my classmates—as was Jon McGlocklin. All 3 of them went on to long and successful careers in the NBA following graduation from IU. I can remember meeting Walter Bellamy, 7 feet tall with his size 16 shoes, walking across campus to class.
Two of my older brothers also graduated from Indiana University. They were as rabid fans of Hoosier basketball as I am. Often, we would get together for the games. Other times, we would call each other to re-hash the play-by-play. Together, we shared 4 National Championships along the way.
When Joe was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which would prevent him from enjoying another season, he bemoaned the reality that he would miss out on a team that included such stars as Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo, Yogi Ferrell, Jordan Hulls, and Christian Watford. Joe died just days before the season opener. That left Bob and me to cheer on the Hoosiers. Bob departed the gym early in the 2018/2019 season.
The current IU team is reminiscent of some of the great teams of the ‘seventies and ‘eighties. As I glue myself to each game, I can’t help think about Bob and Joe and our common love for IU basketball. I suspect they have season tickets with preferred seating right behind the bench.
