A new chapter in the battle between the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team and the Indiana Hoosiers will be written Monday night. Many in Upstate New York remember the first.
“Smart takes the shot. OHH! And the Hoosiers with three seconds go ahead!”
Nearly 40 years ago, both squads met on the court for the first time in New Orleans. It was the 1987 NCAA Championship, the first one for Syracuse under legendary head coach Jim Boeheim. True Orange fans remember the names that almost got the program its first title: Sherman Douglas, Rony Seikaly, Derrick Coleman.
Well, almost. Because on the other side of the court were the Hoosiers and Keith Smart’s heroics. Decades later, “The Shot” is still one of the most iconic plays in college basketball history. And unfortunately, Syracuse was on the receiving end of it.
Since then, quite a lot has happened between the two programs. Now, both find themselves in similar situations entering Monday’s game.
Syracuse returned to the NCAA Championship game in 1996, before Boeheim and the Orange finally captured their first and only title in 2003. Syracuse then rode some memorable highs (and lows) as the Boeheim era eventually came to an end.
After Smart’s shot, Indiana has never been back. The Hoosiers had their own legendary coach, Bob Knight. He remained on the sidelines for 13 more seasons, but Indiana only got as far in March Madness as the Elite Eight (and just once after ‘87). After Knight left, there have been glimpses of the “old Indiana”: 2002 under Mike Davis, 2013 with Tom Crean, and even a pair of improved years this decade with Mike Woodson. But it wasn’t the same, much like how Syracuse had some good “surprise” seasons (2016 and 2021), even if things were clearly not what they once were.
Syracuse and Indiana don contrasting colors, yet share much of the same story: two historic programs that have been around forever, searching for answers that will get them back to the mountaintop.
Syracuse hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2020-21 under Boeheim. After his weird but eventual exit, the program just couldn’t remotely return to form under Adrian Autry. Now, it’s Gerry McNamara’s turn.
As for Indiana, it’s made the tournament twice in the last decade. Since Crean’s departure, the Hoosiers are now on their third coach, Darian DeVries.
UNITED STATES – MARCH 30: College Basketball: NCAA Final Four, Indiana Keith Smart (23) in action, taking shot vs Syracuse Rony Selkaly (4), Greg Monroe (11), and Derrick Coleman (44), New Orleans, LA 3/30/1987 (Photo by Rich Clarkson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X34595 TK3)
Monday will mark an important step for both sides if this season truly is “the one.” First Power Five non-conference clash for either team. First true test of 2026-27. And the first time fans on both sides will be asking themselves, “Okay, just how good is our team?”
Since Smart’s heartbreaker in ‘87, Syracuse has had Indiana’s number. Six straight wins in the all-time series, but all of them have been at a neutral site: NYC, Hawaii, D.C. Syracuse’s most recent victory came in 2021, a double-overtime dub in the Dome. For the first time, both squads will clash in the Hoosier State.
And with that comes an interesting test Syracuse and Indiana will each need to be ready for, a matchup that could very well have implications come Selection Sunday, and a meet-up between iconic college basketball brands looking to return to their former glory.