There are reports that UK is in talks to play IU again in basketball, as part of a series that would feature neutral court games and on-campus games. This strikes me as bad news, as I don't see Calipari returning to Bloomington for another riot. I hope this doesn't mean that he's planning to retire soon.
By the way, here's how the traditional Big 10 programs -- I'm not counting Maryland -- rank from 1997 to 2022, according to Ken Pomeroy. The number next to each program is its ranking among all D-1 programs. Duke is number 1. Kentucky is number 2. Here's the Big 10:
5. Michigan St.
10. Ohio St.
13. Michigan
15. Illinois
18. Wisconsin
21. Purdue
22. Indiana
40. Iowa
54. Minnesota
85. Northwestern
Over the last 25 years, Indiana is the seventh-best program in the Big 10. Why do we want a long series with them? Here are the other non-conference schools that we play on a regular basis (now including Gonzaga):
1. Duke
3. Kansas
4. N. Carolina
5. Michigan St.
6. Gonzaga
10. Ohio St.
12. Louisville
14. UCLA
Again, IU just isn't at the same level as these other programs. Playing the Hoosiers simply feeds the nostalgia of people who remember Bobby Knight, and there are fewer of those people every year. Let's move on.
You convinced me.
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