Indiana Wins! Devan Dumes Leads Tom Crean and Hoosiers to First Big Ten Win Over Iowa

I have been following Indiana basketball since the mid-80s, and rarely have I been as geeked up over a regular season win as I was last night when Indiana broke its 11-game losing streak by beating Iowa 68-60 at home. I was jumping up and down like a madman when Devan Dumes hit the three from the top of the key that sealed the Hoosiers’ first conference win of the year, and the first Big Ten victory for Tom Crean.

A little background: back in the day, my dad had two season tickets and went to the games with my mom, until one fateful night when Bob Knight grabbed the jersey of then-IU freshman Delray Brooks and she vowed never to go to an IU game again. (Brooks, of course, later transferred to Providence and played on their Final Four team under Rick Pitino.) Her loss, however, was my gain. I slid into her seat and never missed a game until the year after my family moved from Bloomington in 1994. And I guess the timing of this move was fitting, considering the 1993 IU basketball team is my favorite sports team of all time, and IU basketball has never been as good since.

Well, in the more than 20 years that I have been following Indiana basketball, from both up close and afar, I would rank last night’s home victory over Iowa in my all-time Top 10 most rewarding and appreciated wins. Sure, scores of wins have meant more in the conference standings or for tournament seeding purposes. And it isn’t like IU knocked off a conference giant — quite the contrary, as Iowa is in 10th place and was playing without their best player. And the game was at home, in Assembly Hall, where victories used to be a given and not a cause for jubilant celebration.

But this is not a normal season, nor a normal team. And I do not feel one iota of shame or embarrasment or foolishness for feeling, at least for a split second, like IU had won some kind of championship. When you have 5 national championships, a history of consistent success, and are one of the winningest programs in the history of college basketball, you aren’t supposed to be excited about being 1-8 in the conference. Well, screw that. I am excited, and I am really proud of Tom Crean and the Hoosiers.

I would also be remiss if I did not dole out some well-deserved kudos to Devan Dumes. He has taken all kinds of flack — and deservedly so — for lacking poise late in games and making silly turnovers or taking unnecessary shots. Think back to the Michigan game. But last night, Devan Dumes literally put on a shooting performance that is among the best ever witnessed in Assembly Hall. For one night, Devan Dumes allowed IU fans to harken back to the days of Steve Alford, Greg Graham, Calbert Cheaney, Damon Bailey, AJ Guyton, and Tom Coverdale, among others. Look at his statline:

Devan Dumes versus Iowa:

• 27 points
• 8-9 FG
• 5-5 3 FG
• 6-8 FT
• 4 Reb
• 2 Assts
• 2 Stl
• 2 TO
• 35 minutes played

If you substituted Calbert’s name atop that statline and told me it was a game against Michigan and the Fab Five or Jim Jackson and Ohio State, I’d believe it. That’s how good Devan Dumes was last night. And he was certainly not the only one who brought it.

The entire team only committed 11 turnovers, which is how many the Hoosiers have by halftime a lot of games. Kyle Taber played very solidly inside, grabbing 8 boards and scoring 7 points. Nick Williams was his usual scrappy and AJ Moye-esque self, grabbing 9 rebounds (6 offensive) and scoring 14 points. And Malik Story came off the bench to score 9 points in 15 minutes, while being the confident and assertive player that we have seen emerge over the last few weeks.

And as Dumes said after the game, according to the Big Ten Network, the team is looking forward to more such victories over the next month:

“I’m just focused on the second half of the season, and coach told us we can make some magic things happen,” Dumes said. “It’s just really exciting to finally get that first win. There was a lot of smiles in the locker room and a lot of relief.”

Ah yes, the coach: Tom Crean. He is off to one of the worst starts, record-wise, in the long and storied history of IU basketball. Yet, I feel more confident about the direction of our program right now than I did at any time under Mike Davis or the jackass who shall not be referred to by name. Crean’s attitude and positivity and optimism just speak to what I have always wanted IU basketball to be about. And I have been so impressed by how hard we have played all season long despite the consistent losing.

IU fans remember the NCAA tourney flameouts during the final years of Knight’s tenure in Bloomington, and the often disinterested look that Mike Davis’ team gave, and the complete lack of discipline displayed under the lying snake of a man who shall not be referred to by name. Sure, Tom Crean is only in his first season and all of the players are fresh and new — but for a team that has been so consistently beaten down this year to just keep getting up and fighting, and to never give up, well it’s all I want to see out of my basketball team. Wins, no doubt, will follow.

After the game, Tom Crean and the Hoosiers stayed on the court for a little while and soaked in their first victory. The Hoosiers high-fived the fans and Tom Crean even took the microphone to personally thank the fans and tell us that this win was ours. Watch the highlight video from the Big Ten Network if you didn’t see it last night. For any IU fan who has suffered through the last 11 games, and who will probably suffer through more losses this season, last night was a great reprieve from a very frustrating season.

And Coach, while all IU fans appreciate your dedication of the victory to us, last night’s win was yours and the teams’. You guys have battled, and fought, and clawed your way to so many close losses against teams with a lot more talent. Last night, you earned a well deserved victory. We’ll take the next one, but last night was yours.

And the first of many, many, many memorable wins that will happen under Tom Crean at Assembly Hall.