I know we all, or maybe just me, are sick of the constant repetition of storylines from this Indiana Hoosiers’ run to a national championship victory. But the one I really think a lot of us are underestimating is the “this would make a good movie” quote from coach Curt ‘Google Me’ Cignetti.
The year before Cignetti took over, Indiana went 3-9 and won one Big Ten game the entire season. The year before that, 4-8, and the year before that, Indiana went 2-10.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%9@D6 D62D@?D H6C6 EJA:42= 7@C x?5:2?2] q67@C6 a_ac[ E96 w@@D:6CD 925 >@C6 5@F3=6\5:8:E =@D:?8 D62D@?D E92? E96J 5:5 H:??:?8] w64<[ E96 9:896DE H:? E@E2= :? 2 D:?8=6 D62D@? H2D ?:?6 H:?D 2?5 E96 =2DE E:>6 E92E 92AA6?65 H2D :? `hef] p?5 ?@E E@@ =@?8 28@[ x?5:2?2 3642>6 E96 7:CDE E62> :? 4@==686 7@@E32== 9:DE@CJ E@ 244CF6 f__ =@DD6Dj D:?46 E96?[ }@CE9H6DE6C? 2?5 #FE86CD 92G6 ;@:?65 E96>]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmtG6? DE:==[ x?5:2?2 A@DED 2? @G6C2== C64@C5 @7 da`\f`d\cc E9C@F89 `bg J62CD[ 2== 8@@5 7@C 2 ]cac H:??:?8 A6C46?E286]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmx? E9C66 J62CD[ a_a`\a_ab[ E96 w@@D:6CD 4@>3:?65 7@C ?:?6 H:?D] r:8?6EE:[ :? 9:D 7:CDE J62C[ H6?E ``\a 2?5 >256 :E E@ E96 4@==686 7@@E32== A=2J@77D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmx7 J@F 8@ 324< E@ @?6 @7 >J 4@==686 7@@E32== 4@=F>?D 7C@> =2DE J62C[ x HC@E6[ “r6CE2:?=J x?5:2?2 2?5 4@249 rFCE r:8?6EE: 56D6CG6 2== E96 7=@H6CD 7@C 3C:?8:?8 E96 w@@D:6CD :?E@ C6=6G2?4J :? 2 DA@CE @E96C E92? 32D<6E32==] qFE 9@H =@?8 :D :E 8@:?8 E@ =2DEn”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmp?5 :? ;FDE @?6 4@==686 7@@E32== D62D@?[ x 7@F?5 >J 2?DH6Cj :E’D 7@C 9@H6G6C =@?8 r:8?6EE: 4@?E:?F6D E@ =625 E96 492C86]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmqFE 9@H 5:5 x?5:2?2 5@ :En %92E’D E96 BF6DE:@? E92E C6>2:?D @? 6G6CJ@?6’D >:?5 H96? D66:?8 E96 @?46 =2F89:?8DE@4< @7 4@==686 7@@E32== DE2?5 @? E96 A@5:F> H:E9 E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A EC@A9J 9@:DE65 23@G6 E96:C 9625D]k^Am
More from this section
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm(6==[ :E >2J D66> D:>A=6[ 3FE 7@C @?6[ :E’D r:8?6EE:] w6 H2D ?@E ;@<:?8 H96? 96 D2:5[ “v@@8=6 >6[ x H:?]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmw6 E@@< 2 s:G:D:@?\xx AC@8C2> H:E9 x?5:2?2 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 !6??DJ=G2?:2 :? C6=6G2?46[ 8@:?8 df\`` E9C@F89 a_``\a_`e] %96? 7@==@H65 :E FA 2E t=@?[ 8@:?8 `c\h E9C@F89 EH@ D62D@?D] w6 8@E E@ y2>6D |25:D@?[ 2?5 H6?E da\h 7C@> a_`h\a_ab] %96? 8@E E@ x?5:2?2[ H96C6 ?@H :? EH@ D62D@?D 96 D:ED 2E af\a — 96 H2D C:89E[ 96 H:?D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmqFE H96C6 96 C62==J 5:776C65 7C@> E96 3F?49 H2D 9@H 96 E@@< 25G2?E286 @7 E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2=] (6 2== <?@H 23@FE E96 `b A=2J6CD E92E 7@==@H65 r:8?6EE: 7C@> y|&[ 2?5 E92E 96=AD 2 E@?] qFE H6 =@@< 2E E96 AC:?46 @7 4@==686 7@@E32== E9:D A2DE D62D@?[ u6C?2?5@ |6?5@K2[ H9@ ;@:?65 E96 E62> 7C@> r2=\q6C<=6J]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmr@==686 7@@E32== 92D D=@H=J AC@8C6DD65 :?E@ 2 >@56= @7 6IA6C:6?46 @G6C FAD:56[ 2D 72C 2D :>>65:2E6 DF446DD 8@6D] $@>6E:>6D 2 E62> :D H:==:?8 E@ =6E E92E 7:G6\DE2C 4@>:?8 @FE @7 9:89 D49@@= 56G6=@A :?E@ E96 DEF5 E96J H6C6 6IA64E65 E@ 364@>6[ 3FE @E96CD 2C6 =@@<:?8 2E E92E 8FJ H9@’D 366? :? 4@==686 7@@E32== 7@C E9C66 E@ 7@FC J62CD[ =@@<:?8 7@C E96:C ?6IE D9@E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmxE’D ?@E 2D E9@F89 :E’D ;FDE x?5:2?2[ x >62?[ =@@< 2E E96 @AA@D:E:@? :? E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A 2E |:2>:] %96 wFCC:42?6D 2C6 7@==@H:?8 E9:D @?6\J62C =@2? @AE:@? 2E BF2CE6C324<[ r2> (2C5 56G6=@A65 :?E@ E96 }@] ` @G6C2== A:4< 2?5 r2CD@? q64< E@@< E96 E62> E@ E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A] p?5 6G6? ?@H[ E96 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD 2==@EE65 7@C E92E A@D:E:@? 2C6 8@:?8 E@ sF<6’D s2C:2? |6?D29[ H9@ :D 6IA64E65 E@ ;@:? E96 wFCC:42?6D 7@C 2?@E96C @?6\J62C 562=]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmpD >F49 2D E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2= 92D :ED 7=2HD[ :E @A6?D E96 5@@CD 7@C DF446DD DE@C:6D[ 2D H6’G6 D66? H:E9 x?5:2?2]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmqFE ?@H[ E96 4@?G6CD2E:@? 2C:D6D @7 H9@ H:== 36 E96 ?6IE x?5:2?2n p?5 :7 H6 2C6 86EE:?8 E649?:42=[ H6 H@?’E] %96 DE@CJ H2D E@@ 8C2?5[ 6G6CJE9:?8 H6?E E@@ A6C764E=J[ H6 H@?’E D66 2 D62D@? D@ 5@>:?2?E 7C@> 2 @?46 3@EE@>\76656C :? 4@==686 7@@E32==] qFE :7 H6 H2?E65 E@ E9C@H D@>6 7F? ?2>6D @FEi z2?D2D[ '2?56C3:=E 2?5 x@H2 $E2E6 2== 92G6 @G6C ed_ =@DD6D :? E96:C AC@8C2>D 9:DE@CJ] k^Am