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Here we are on the Road to Indianapolis. Boy, there sure are a lot of Kentucky license plates.
The Road to Indianapolis? That’s one of the perks for a Final Four host. It gets to own the title of the Road to (insert city name) for a year. Sort of like being Miss America.
So now that we’re in 2015—as of Jan. 3, only 90 more shopping days remain until they gather in Lucas Oil Stadium—maybe we should monitor the traffic on the R-to-I and ponder the best possibilities for April. Something memorable, something that will get relived a lot. Because every time it is mentioned in the years ahead, Indianapolis will have its face in the background.
The history scenario …
Notice all the blue. The Kentucky Wildcats are thundering over the college basketball landscape like a T-Rex, with defensive numbers that nearly defy description. The 29.7 shooting percentage allowed. The 11 of 13 opponents held under 53 points. UCLA scoring seven points in a half, or Louisville getting one assist in a game, or Kansas having as many shots get blocked (11) as those that went in. As Rick Pitino plainly put it, “They’re one of the great defensive teams I’ve seen in my 40 years.”
Of course, a lot of Indiana people would rather shake hands with a skunk than see Kentucky win another national championship, but if you’re going to host a Final Four, why not one for the ages? If the Wildcats are still unbeaten in April, it would elevate the Road to Indianapolis to something of a historical coronation. Also, the irony would be considerable, since they would be trying to replace 1976 Indiana as the last perfect team.
P.S. Big Blue Nation hits a host city in waves, and brings its wallets.
The quarreling neighbors scenario …
Make it Louisville vs. Kentucky for the title. The rancor would make Richter scales go off. It’s not North Korea vs. Sony, but it’d be close.
The showdown scenario …
Duke vs. Kentucky. Krzyzewski vs. Calipari. McDonald’s All-Americans more plentiful than McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Blue blood vs. bluer blood. This would be the most hyped national championship game since Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird. And Indianapolis would be along for the ride.
The Coach K scenario …
He’s won four national titles. Two came in Indianapolis. If it turns out that he wins three of his five here, the city might need a second name. Welcome to West Krzyzewskiville.
The Cinderella scenario …
In the past, the Road to Indianapolis has had enough fairy tales to resemble “Into the Woods.” The last time the event was here, Butler nearly won it all. The time before that, George Mason showed up.
In watching the traffic go by this year, we can try to find some potentials. Does Gonzaga count anymore? Butler again? Probably too much to ask and, besides, can a Big East team even be Cinderella? Wait a minute; here comes a candidate. Hello, Northern Iowa.
The Big Ten scenario …
Many of today’s college players were in kindergarten the last time the Big Ten produced a national champion. That was Michigan State in 2000. Guess where? Right, the Hoosier Dome. Wisconsin is a genuine contender this season, and should the Badgers—or any other lodge brother—pull it off in April, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany might petition to have the Final Four assigned here more often. Which is more than you can say the next few years for the Big Ten Tournament.
The Arizona scenario …
The last West Coast team to win a national championship was Arizona in 1997. Guess where? Right again, the Hoosier Dome. Here we are, 18 years later, and if the West is to end its prolonged drought—the one for college basketball, not rain—it’ll probably have to be Arizona once more.
The home state scenario …
It’s always nice to have some Indiana faces at an Indy Final Four, which has happened twice: Purdue in 1980 and Butler in 2010. The best bet on the R-to-I at the moment would be Notre Dame, with a pack of sharpshooters who started the season 12-1 and led the nation at last count with a 55.6 field goal percentage. Maybe Notre Dame is considered only barely an Indiana school, but consider this: Irish coach Mike Brey’s mother was a Purdue majorette.
The first scenario is the most likely, though noted historian John Calipari has been trying to knock down all the lavish assumptions about his Kentucky team. “They picked the Germans in World War II, too,” he said, reminding his audience that early victories over Poland, Belgium and France did not matter once the big boys showed up.
The next three months will thin the congestion. But for now, it’s early January, and traffic is heavy, and they’re all lined up behind the Kentucky semi. So it goes on the Road to Indianapolis.•
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Lopresti is a lifelong resident of Richmond and a graduate of Ball State University. He was a columnist for USA Today and Gannett newspapers for 31 years; he covered 34 Final Fours, 30 Super Bowls, 32 World Series and 16 Olympics. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at mlopresti@ibj.com.
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