In 49 other states it is just basketball... but this is Indiana.
I have seen that phrase many times in my life. It is pretty much the unofficial state motto. There is something about the game in this state that grabs so much obsessive attention. I was born and raised in Indiana on basketball. I grew up following my local high school around the state from Richmond to East Chicago and beyond. In my 36 years I literally cannot remember a time where basketball was not the main topic of discussion from November to March. I am probably the perfect example of how that love for the game develops from youth all the way through adulthood.