Hoosier Hysteria Opens 2016-17 Season

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Over 16,000 fans welcomed a new Indiana basketball season at the newly-renovated Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as they met the 2016-17 team during Saturday's Hoosier Hysteria presented by Smithville Fiber.

Highlights of the event included a three-point shooting competition, a dunk contest and the hosting talents of ESPN College Basketball analyst Seth Greenberg. After staff and player introductions, IU head coach Tom Crean presented the Hoosiers and staff with their 2016 Big Ten Championship rings. The night concluded with a Cream vs. Crimson scrimmage as the 2016-17 team took the court for the first time in front of Hoosier Nation.

Three-Point Contest
In the first round of the three-point contest, James Blackmon, Jr., Josh Newkirk, Colin Hartman and Thomas Bryant all advanced to the semifinals, with Blackmon Jr. recording the round's top score of 18. Grant Gelon, Robert Johnson, Zach McRoberts and Freddie McSwain, Jr. were eliminated in the first round.

In the semifinals, Bryant out-dueled Hartman, 21-18, to earn his spot in the final, while Newkirk beat Blackmon Jr., 21-15, to advance. For the final round, Bryant continued his hot shooting, beating Newkirk, 19-13.

Dunk Contest
The four competitors in the dunk contest were Curtis Jones, Juwan Morgan, Devonte Green and OG Anunoby. After the first round, both Jones and Anunoby advanced to the final. Leading off the final, Jones had an impressive, one-handed over coach Crean. The freshman was unable to take the crown, however, as Anunoby won with a 360-degree, between-the-legs dunk that electrified the crowd.

Here are some video highlights from Hoosier Hysteria Presented by Smithville Fiber:

Head Coach Tom Crean speaking to the Hoosier Hysteria Presented by Smithville Fiber crowd at Simon Skjodt Assemby Hall crowd:

""We don't have the same group that we had last year but we have a bunch of people who want to represent you the right way. As long as we have you all out here, there is really nothing we can't accomplish. Don't ever bet against the Hoosiers, don't ever."

"We could have a very good defensive team. The place where we have to be good is – we can be versatile, multi-dimensional. We can switch, we can trap. Once we get our health right, we will have our depth. We have to have that commitment to defense every day the way we do moving up and down the court."

"We hung a banner last year because our defense got better, and every one of our guys is going to be a big part of that even more so than last year."

Players Mentioned

OG Anunoby

Thomas Bryant

Grant Gelon

Devonte Green

Robert Johnson

Curtis Jones

Zach McRoberts

Freddie McSwain Jr.

Juwan Morgan

Josh Newkirk

Indiana University Athletics