Rising from the Ashes: The Return of Indiana University Basketball

by Terry Hutchens, Foreword by Calbert Cheaney

Coach Tom Crean has brought the storied Indiana University Hoosiers basketball program back to national prominence by taking an unranked team at the beginning of the 2011 season all the way to the 2012 Sweet Sixteen. Indiana University coach since 2008, the story of Coach Crean's successful rebuilding is of interest to serious college basketball fans and coaches everywhere. The success of last year's team and a top ranked incoming class is sure to gain the keen interest of any Hoosiers fan. The book opens with The Shot by Christian Watford that beat the Kentucky Wildcats to end Indiana's pre-conference schedule. That victory, over then #1 Kentucky, was the point when Hoosiers fans knew their team was back. A history of the program from the departure of Bob Knight through the difficult years faced by coach Mike Davis and the controversial years that followed under coach Kelvin Sampson follows. The book continues with complete coverage of the rebuilding of the program by Coach Tom Crean. Readers then get to relive that entire exciting season through its end. Author Terry Hutchens then concludes with a look at the highly rated incoming class and what the next four years hold for the program.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

333 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[Lennon Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an amazing book written the hometown hero, Terry Hutchens. I hope everyone knows how this IU team has persevered over the last 5 years and the way Tom Crean has brought this team back to its restored history and greatness. All around amazingly written and about a great subject that I am practically in love with.

[Nick Innis · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is a great book!I recommenced it to any sports or basketball fan.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I enjoy reading this book? Certainly. Did I wish there were fewer reprints of older newspaper articles? Definitely. Did my plan to read it the year Indiana University won their sixth National Championship backfire? Sadly, yes.

Every Indiana Basketball fan remembers "The Shot" against Kentucky in 2011, though it's tough to build an entire book around it. Some of the organization here was clunky and that led to some unfortunate repetition, so unlike Feinstein's high quality sports journalistic narrative, A Season on the Brink, this is strictly for fans only.

[Patrick Porras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hutch loves IU and that comes through

[Ben Waymouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a die hard follower of Hutch's blog the first two chapters are repetitive. Nice to read some deeper insight on Davis and Sampson. Davis pretty much gets a pass - he was a victim of circumstance following a legend. Sampson is shown for what he is / was / forever will be...

I enjoyed the flow of the writing - linear fashion as the games / seasons progressed. At the end I felt a good balance was struck between the tournament games and the regular season. The stretch of loses in the Big 10 schedule, particularly the Nebraska game could've used more fervor as a turning point, season low point.

[Charles Darlage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting stuff. Great insight into the Kelvin Sampson era. Lots of articles reprinted here from newspapers across the state. Some I remember reading when they were first printed in the Indy Star. Kinda got repetative, but overall an good read for IU fans.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for this since about 60% of the book was just reprints of previously published newspaper articles. A very unoriginal book that really did not tell me much more from what I already know.

[Brian Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for any Hoosier fans, or any fan of college basketball.

[Brian Chamness · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Must read for Indiana Hoosiers fans!

[Tom Sparrenberger · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was quite disappointing as it seemed to be a collection of newspaper articles put together to chronicle the struggles (& eventual improvement) of the Indiana University basketball program.