Standout Moments From 2023 Hoosier Hysteria
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Hoosier Hysteria, the unofficial start to the Indiana basketball season, took place Friday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Players from the men's and women's teams were introduced, coaches Mike Woodson and Teri Moren gave speeches, and the event included a 3-point and skills contest. It even featured a concert from rapper Gucci Mane to end the night.
It would be unreasonable to draw any real conclusions from Hoosier Hysteria as it relates to either team's outlook on the season, but here are a few standout moments from the night.
Cupps, Garzon 3-point shooting
Freshman Gabe Cupps and sophomore Yarden Garzon tied for the most shots made during the 3-point contest, both draining 19-of-25 attempts. Cupps and Sara Scalia were ultimately named 3-point contest champions, combining for 34 makes in the team format. Garzon had a tremendous freshman season, scoring 11.1 points per game on 45.8% 3-point shooting, along with 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Cupps joins Indiana as a four-star recruit out of Centerville High School in Ohio, where he was a state champion and Ohio Mr. Basketball winner. Woodson has talked highly of the freshman guard's battles with sixth-year senior point guard Xavier Johnson this offseason. And to read our next generation profile featuring an exclusive interview with Cupps, CLICK HERE.
Here's a video of part of Cupps' performance in the 3-point contest.
Jakai Newton progressing from injury?
There was no pre or post-event press conference with Woodson or players, so it's still unclear exactly where freshman Jakai Newton is at in his recovery from knee surgery, but Friday revealed a potentially promising sign. Newton did not participate in any of the events, but he was not wearing any sort of knee brace and did not need crutches to walk.
The last time we saw Newton was at Indiana basketball media day on Sept. 20, and he was wearing a bulky knee braces and walking with crutches. That day, Newton said he was unsure of his availability for the 2023-24 season. Indiana announced on Aug. 16 that Newton underwent a procedure to treat a pre-existing injury, and there was no timetable for his return at that point. Newton is a four-star guard out of Covington, Ga.
Anthony Leal from deep
There wasn't too much real basketball played Friday night, but Anthony Leal made one of the most impressive plays of the night. During the skills contest, he heaved a three-quarter-court shot from near the opposite free throw line to defeat the team of Gabe Cupps and Chloe Moore McNeil.
Leal, a Bloomington native and 2020 Indiana Mr. Basketball, made shots like this a pregame ritual with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson last season, and he continued his long-range success Friday. Maybe Mike Woodson can work a three-quarter-court shot into the offensive game plan?
Woodson, Moren videos
The Indiana Athletics production team made two videos for the jumbotron that drew plenty of laughs and applause from the Assembly Hal crowd.
The first was rendition of the classic Martha The Mop Lady video, with an emphasis on Teri Moren, the all-time winningest coach in Indiana women's basketball history and reigning Big Ten champion. The video included the Big Ten championship trophy, an Indiana Fever 2023 WNBA Draft hat, various awards in Moren's office and more.
Here it is.
The second video was a reference to a classic Mike Woodson quote from 2022 Hoosier Hysteria, when he said, "Indiana basketball – excuse my language – is the s***."
The video featured cameos from former Indiana basketball stars Cody Zeller and Jalen Hood-Schifino. Here it is.
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- MY TWO CENTS HOOSIER HYSTERIA: Indiana tipped off the basketball season on Friday night with a night full of fun at Hoosier Hysteria. It brought Hoosier Nation back together in Assembly Hall for the first time since March, and a good time was had by all. CLICK HERE
- BOOGIE FLAND PICKS KENTUCKY: Indiana coach Mike Woodson missed out on one of his last remaining recruiting targets in the class of 2024 on Friday, when five-star guard Boogie Fland committed to Kentucky. Though Indiana has few recruiting options left, Woodson has roster flexibility with the transfer portal. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA LANDS LIAM MCNEELEY: With small forward Liam McNeeley picking Indiana over Kansas on Sunday, coach Mike Woodson has now landed five-star recruits in three consecutive classes: McNeeley, Mackenzie Mgbako and Jalen Hood-Schifino. CLICK HERE
- TJD DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR WARRIORS: Following an All-American career at Indiana, Trayce Jackson-Davis is working to establish himself in the NBA. He made his first-career start Wednesday in the Golden State Warriors' preseason game, and scored 13 points with 10 rebounds. CLICK HERE
- HOOSIER HYSTERIA DETAILS: 2023 Hoosier Hysteria will take place Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and can be streamed on Big Ten-plus. Here are the full event details. CLICK HERE
- GABE CUPPS LEARNING FROM XAVIER JOHNSON: Though the return of senior Xavier Johnson may limit freshman point guard Gabe Cupps’ immediate role, he'll benefit greatly from going up against a sixth-year veteran every day in practice. CLICK HERE
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