1997–98 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team

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1997–98 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team

Overview
The Indiana Hoosiers, led by head coach Bobby Knight in his 27th season, played their home games at Assembly Hall in Bloomington and competed in the Big Ten Conference. They finished with a 20–12 overall record and went 9–7 in the Big Ten, placing fifth in the conference. After losing in the first Big Ten tournament game, IU earned a spot in the 1998 NCAA tournament, where they reached the Round of 32 before being eliminated.

Season in brief
- Head coach: Bobby Knight (27th season)
- Assistant coach: Mike Davis (1st season)
- Home court: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
- Conference: Big Ten
- Final records: 20–12 overall, 9–7 in the Big Ten (5th place)
- Postseason:
- Big Ten tournament: Defeated Ohio State in the opening round, then lost to Purdue in the quarterfinals
- NCAA tournament: Won in the first round against Oklahoma (94–87 in overtime) but lost in the second round to Connecticut (68–78)

Key players (roster)
- 3 Charlie Miller — Forward, 6'7", Senior, Miami, Florida
- 4 Luke Recker — Guard/Forward, 6'6", Freshman, Auburn, Indiana
- 12 Luke Jimenez — Guard, 6'3", Sophomore, Redwood Falls, Minnesota
- 21 Richard Mandeville — Center, 7'1", Senior, Pasadena, California
- 23 Rob Turner — Guard, 6'4", Junior, Wilmington, Delaware
- 24 Michael Lewis — Guard, 6'1", Sophomore, Jasper, Indiana
- 25 A.J. Guyton — Guard, 6'1", Sophomore, Peoria, Illinois
- 30 William Gladness — Forward, 6'8", Junior, West Memphis, Arkansas
- 32 Robbie Eggers — Forward, 6'10", Senior, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
- 33 Larry Richardson — Guard, 6'8", Sophomore, Orange Park, Florida
- 35 Kirk Haston — Forward/Center, 6'10", Redshirt Freshman, Lobelville, Tennessee
- 40 Jason Collier — Center, 7'1", Sophomore, Springfield, Ohio
- 45 Andrae Patterson — Forward, 6'8", Senior, Abilene, Texas
- 53 Tom Geyer — Forward, 6'8", Redshirt Freshman, Indianapolis, Indiana

Notable schedule moments
- Non-conference results included a season-opening loss to Temple and several strong road and neutral-site wins.
- In the Big Ten, Indiana had mixed results but finished 9–7, good for fifth place.
- In the NCAA tournament, IU defeated Oklahoma in the first round (94–87, OT) at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., before losing to Connecticut in the second round (68–78).

This season kept Indiana competitive in a tough Big Ten and earned a postseason bid, adding another chapter to Bobby Knight’s long coaching tenure.