Indiana State to honor Larry Bird

[Redbird Recon]

How do most Tree fans feel about the Hoosiers? I've made the trip to Terre Haute quite a few times in the past few years, and many fans I meet act like the Sycs are their backburner team. Obviously Crean & Company have captured the attention of Indiana the past few seasons, and I wonder how much that directly effects attendance, coverage and overall enthusiasm towards Sycamore basketball. (Most Illinois State fans I know either despise the Illini or don't play them any mind. The Redbirds lose more attention battles against Chicago professional sports where most of the student and alumni population reside.)

[Redbird23]

I hope I can make it down to Terre Haute for the game

[acesrmyteam]

i've always been a huge Bird fan. bird's first two years with the trees, they scored over 100 pts on the aces, and i remember well, his senior year, we lost by 4 in roberts stadium. the most people i ever saw at roberts, people were standing in the aisles. this was only the third game after the plane crash.

[SycamorePsycho]

It's a shame that Indiana State doesn't put more into their basketball program given their history.

It's a shame that Sycamores don't care more about basketball. The average Indiana State fan doesn't follow basketball. If they did, we'd see some excitement on this board...or at least their own board. As it is, nary a peep is heard. Two years ago...after a mediocre season followed by a St Louis championship there was all kinds of over the top hullabaloo. Now there is only silence. Why? Because most trees just don't care!

A few in present company are excluded from the masses.

I wouldn't say the average Indiana State fan "doesn't care" about basketball. You have to realize that the majority of Indiana residents are huge fans of either IU, Purdue, Butler, or Notre Dame at birth. All four of which have had a lot of success with regards to college basketball over the past several years. Indiana State is progressing and getting better each year. I think Greg Lansing has done an excellent job moving Indiana State from a bottom dwelling team for nearly a decade to an upper middle of the conference team in a fairly short period of time. In my opinion this next year will truly determine the future of Indiana State basketball for years to come.

I graduated from ISU in 2011 and the change I saw during my time at ISU with regards to athletics was remarkable. The entire university as a whole in my opinion has made a huge improvement. There is a ton of new construction on university buildings and the entire campus looks great (although Terre Haute is still a dump). When I was a freshman our football team was...needless to say the worst in 1-AA, basketball was less than stellar, and baseball was mediocre. The football team has now had several winning seasons, we beat the #1 team in the nation this past year, and I believe we will contend for conference championships in the next several years (It is truly remarkable how Trent Miles turned that entire program around in such a short period of time). Basketball is on the rise, and I believe they will have a very good season this year. Additionally, baseball and track have both had a lot of success in the past couple years.

The university has finally come to the realization of how important athletics are. I believe students and fans are slowly but surely beginning to take notice. When ISU has had success in recent years the fans are willing to come out and support, but we need CONTINUED success, and not just a couple years of up and down success for good fan support to return. ISU is on the right track and by honoring our most notable alumni is a huge step in the right direction. I believe with a few more years of success ISU can be a top contender in the Valley with regards to athletics. It's a great day to be a Sycamore!!!