Year in Review: Tom Brew's 10 Favorite Indiana Games in 2022

As 2022 comes to a close, it's time to take a look back at some of the best moments at Indiana during the last 12 months. There have been some memorable games that brought pure joy. Here are Tom Brew's 10 favorite Indiana games of the year.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It's been quite a year, this 2022, and it's been a great time to be in Bloomington. Indiana sports teams have provided a lot of dramatic moments, and it's been fun to witness a lot of it with my own eyes. 

Narrowing that list down to 10 wasn't easy, but here we go. It's a fun look back. Here are my 10 favorite Indiana games of the year in 2022.

10. Indiana vs. Arizona in Las Vegas

DEC. 10, 2022: I know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but this was definitely a weekend to talk about. Indiana basketball fans wanted a better nonconference schedule and they got it, and the trip to Las Vegas to play Arizona was well worth it. 

Thousands of Hoosier fans descended on Sin City and they had a lot of laughs in the casinos and made a ton on noise in the MGM Grand Garden Arena. This is Arizona's second home — they call it McHale North — but it was IU fans who took over the place. Arizona won the game 89-75, but a great time was had by all. It was so much fun.  

Las Vegas was a blast for the Indiana-Arizona game, and a good time was had by all. (HoosiersNow.com photo by Becky Rigel) / Becky Rigel

9. Indiana women vs. Connecticut in NCAA Tournament 

MARCH 26, 2022: There is always a major bias in the NCAA Tournament, because UConn and its massive fan base always gets catered to with locations for regional games. The Huskies, who have won 11 national titles since 1995, played home games the first two rounds and then got filtered to a regional last March right down the road in Bridgeport, Conn. It was their stage, not Indiana's.

The upstart Hoosiers, who were 24-8 after winning two games in the NCAAs, had the unenviable task of playing the Huskies in the regional semifinals. They gave their all, but couldn't overcome the location and atmosphere in a 75-58 loss. It was very hard watching long-time Hoosier Ali Patberg on the postgame media stage, talking about the end of her career with tears flowing down her cheeks. It was a great learning experience, though, and set the stage for bigger things ahead.

8. Indiana rallies against Michigan

MARCH 10, 2022: Indiana played a half of ugly basketball in the first-round game of the Big Ten Tournament against Michigan, and it looked like their season was about to end abruptly. But after a halftime tongue-lashing from coach Mike Woodson, Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers roared back to win 74-69 to live for another day. 

Indiana trailed 60-43 with 11 minutes to go, but then went on a wild 20-2 run in the next six minutes to take the lead on a pair of Jackson-Davis free throws. He and Xavier Johnson scored all the points for Indiana down the stretch to get the win and advance.

Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) works against Michigan's Brandon Johns Jr. (23) in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Indianapolis in March. (Robert Scheer/USA TODAY Sports)

7. Indiana women's basketball at Tennessee

NOV. 14, 2022: Tennessee is a true blueblood in women's college basketball and they draw great crowds at Thompson-Boling Arena. Indiana got an invite in November in a huge nonconference game. Indiana sent a major message that night, beating the No. 11-ranked Volunteers 79-67. 

It was great to be there and witness the win. Tennessee fans were duly impressed with the Hoosiers, who had five players score 13 points or more. Indiana has never slowed down since, winning all 12 games and moving up to No. 4 in the country. The confidence built that night in Knoxville has certainly carried over, even with star Grace Berger missing a lot of time with a knee injury. 

Indiana guards Yarden Garzon (12) and Grace Berger (right) lock down defensively during the win at Tennessee. (USA TODAY Sports)

6. Indiana, Wyoming in First Four in Dayton 

MARCH 15, 2022: Indiana waited six long years to be a part of the NCAA Tournament, and it started a few days earlier than expected when Indiana had to open the event in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. Starving Hoosiers fans drove across the state line to fill the arena in Dayton, and the Hoosiers beat Wyoming 66-58 for their first NCAA win since 2016.

Trayce Jackson-Davis, playing in his first NCAA Tournament game, was brilliant. He scored 29 points and had nine rebounds. Jordan Geronimo was great off the bench, too, scoring 15 points. It was a whirlwind, playing four games in six days, but it was also a lot of high-energy fun in a building packed to the rafters with Indiana fans.

A determined Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) high-fives fans as he leads Indiana onto the floor at the University of Dayton Arena for their First Four NCAA Tournament game. (USA TODAY Sports)

5. Indiana football over Michigan State

NOV. 19, 2022: Coming back to Indiana four years ago to start the HoosiersNow.com website has been a lot of fun, and the bonus above basketball was the enjoyment level that came from the football program too in 2019 and 2020. Things have fallen off the cliff since then, of course, which made it so nice to see them have one shining moment late in the season at Michigan State.

The Hoosiers, who had lost seven straight games, went up to East Lansing and and beat the Spartans 39-31 in overtime. For a fractured program, it was great to see the players enjoy a moment in the sun and be able celebrate a victory. They kept working hard despite all the losses and had a weekend to enjoy, which deserved. For the players, I was happy for them at the end of a lost season.  

"I just want to say that I am really proud of our players; the fight that they showed today was unbelievable,'' Indiana coach Tom Allen said. "Down at halftime, all we had going here recently, just having a hard time getting wins, just being able to come on the road and get a huge win, and to win a trophy game. I just could not be more proud of our guys.'' That was a two-way street. 

Indiana won the Old Brass Spittoon with an overtime victory at Michigan State (Photo courtesy of IU Athletics)

4. Indiana vs. North Carolina 'White Out' 

NOV. 30, 2022: The showdown between multiple NCAA championship winners in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge had Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall buzzing. The game between Indiana and North Carolina — the preseason No. 1 team in the country — was electric. It was a ''White-Out'' night, and The Hall had never looked better.

The Hoosiers won 77-65, holding North Carolina to just 33.9 percent shooting. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 21 points and Xavier Johnson added 20. Freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino played at a high level too, scoring 14 points, and Trey Galloway had 11. It was a really fun night in Bloomington, something that fans and players alike thoroughly enjoyed.

Jalen-Hood Schifino takes a jump shot against North Carolina on a ''White-Out'' night. (USA TODAY Sports)

3. Indiana soccer NCAA final

DEC. 12, 2022: Indiana's men's soccer program has won eight national championships, the most in school history. And the pleasant surprise in 2022 is that they had a chance to win a ninth title.

Despite not winning the Big Ten and entering the NCAA Tournament as the No. 13 seed, the Hoosiers locked down defensively, not allowing a goal all the way to the national title game. They got there and took on Syracuse, scored late to tie the game, but then lost on penalty kicks, the second time in three years that they've lost an NCAA final. The standard at which this program plays at such a high level is a great gift to Indiana. There's no doubt that ninth title will come sooner rather than later.

Indiana defender Joey Maher (2) reacts after making a penalty kick in the NCAA College Cup championship game against Syracuse. (USA TODAY Sports)

2. Indiana finally beats Illinois

MARCH 11, 2022: As it turned out, beating Michigan wasn't enough to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, so it was incumbent on the Hoosiers beating No. 1 Illinois in the semifinals. They did just that, winning 68-65. Trayce Jackson-Davis led the way with 21 points and Race Thompson hit two big three-pointers for the Hoosiers.

This was a huge win in front of a massive pro-IU crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and it sent them into the semifinals against Iowa. It was a also a big deal finally getting past Illinois, a team that had beaten them four times in a row. Exorcising demons, especially in front of a huge IU crowd, was a big deal.

Xavier Johnson celebrates with Indiana fans in the closing minutes of the win over Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament. (USA TODAY Sports)

1. Indiana finally beats Purdue 

JAN. 20, 2022: The biggest rivalry Indiana has is with hated in-state rival Purdue, but it hasn't been much of a rivalry lately with the Boilermakers winning nine games in a row. But then came Jan. 20, and first-year coach Mike Woodson got his first shot at the Boilermakers.

Assembly Hall was on fire, but the game started out horribly when Trayce Jackson-Davis picked up two quick fouls. Others had to step up, and point guard Xavier Johnson and back-up Rob Phinisee — a Lafayette native — answered the bell. Johnson had 18 points and Phinisee had career-high 20 points, including a late three-pointer that gave Indiana a one-point lead with 18 seconds to go. Trayce Jackson-Davis made two free throws and a final Purdue attempt went awry in the 68-65 win.

In what was probably the best court-storming since the Wat-Shot against Kentucky 10 years earlier, Indiana fans went nuts and hoisted Phinisee up on their shoulders.

It was a special night for Phinisee, a senior who had an up-and-down career at Indiana. He made sure that losing streak ended, made sure Indiana got its signature win. It was 40 minutes of pure gold, a game that will leave fantastic memories for years. 

Senior guard Rob Phinisee celebrates on the court with Indiana fans after his game-winning shot beat Purdue on Jan. 20, 2022 in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. (Photo by Gracie Farrell/IU Athletics)