By far the saddest part about everything that happened yesterday is that a fine performance by the Hoosiers — a well-executed gameplan against a good team — went totally by the wayside. It was overshadowed. Overshadowed not only because Brian Butch hit a lucky (yes, it was lucky) banked three-pointer from about 24 feet to win the game, but overshadowed by the giant inky-black specter of the NCAA’s announcement about major violations yesterday.
Sunday, the Hoosiers (to my mind, at least), took a significant step forward to alleviating a lot of the obvious concerns about them as a whole. Last night, they continued that pattern, albeit in a flawed loss. That progress — think how bad they looked the first game against Wisconsin — should be the story. But as I sit and write this, attempting to write about what’s happening on the floor reeks of blind fandom. It feels like ignoring the giant elephant in the room. Be positive! Think good thoughts! Talk about basketball! Easier said than done.
And that’s the problem. It’s not the sanctions themselves — we’re all adults here, and we can get over it. Kelvin Sampson getting fired? C’est la vie. Life goes on. Another lost scholarship? Sucks, but it’s not devastating. Kent Benson getting all worked into a froth again? Not exactly newsworthy.
No, the problem is that because of Kelvin Sampson’s utter stupidity, enjoying the game for what it is in its rawest, purest form — a group of almost-student-athletes competing with their school’s name on their shirts — is now impossible. Watching this team develop into a tournament contender is ruined. Our expression of basketball fandom is tainted. To paraphrase Christopher Hitchens, sanctions poison everything. That’s not fair to D.J. White and Eric Gordon and Armon Bassett and the rest, and it’s not fair to us.
So thanks, Kelvin. Thanks a lot. Idiot.
(Editor’s Note: The Indianapolis Star has revealed secondary violations that have taken place in the last 15 months. You can read that report by 
ITH Super Happy Fun Time Top 10 List: Kent Benson
Years at Indiana: 1973-1977
The numbers: 1,740 points (15.3 average); 1,031 rebounds (9.1 average); 1,346 field goals; 53.6 field goal percentage
Career highs: 38 points (February 9, 1976 vs. Michigan State); 23 rebounds (March 22, 1975 vs. Kentucky)
Notable achievements: 42 career double-doubles; All-American (1975, 1976, 1977); First team All-Big Ten (1975, 1976, 1977); Big Ten MVP (1977); Indiana team MVP (1977); Academic All-American (1976, 1977); Indiana Hall of Fame (1989); Big Ten champion (1974, 1975, 1976); NCAA Tournament Most outstanding player (1976); National champion (1976)
The case for Benson: The New Castle native was a centerpiece of the last undefeated team in college basketball alongside Scott May and Quinn Buckner in 1976. The three-time All-American’s 25 points led Indiana to a 86-68 route over Michigan in the national championship game in Philadelphia.