We Love the Madness of March

At Langenwalter, we love sports and the big basketball tournament played every March is a ton of fun. To add to the entertainment, we are giving away 3 $100 gift cards! We are challenging our loyal customers and fans to guess the Sweet 16 teams. Those with correct entries will be entered into a drawing to win one of three $100 gift cards. Now that the field of 68 teams is set, you can enter to win on our website. Good luck!

Since it is that time of year, we thought we would recap some of the basketball tournaments great moments for teams around the state of Indiana.

Indiana Hoosiers

We have to start with the Hoosiers. The top team in the state by number of championships, the Hoosiers have won five in 36 tournament appearances. They also have eight Final Four appearances which is seventh best all time. While they have recently fallen on tougher times, Hoosier fans remember the glory days of Steve Alford, Keith Smart, Quinn Buckner, Kent Benson, and others. Who can forget that the Hoosiers are the last undefeated tournament champion going 32-0 in 1976?

Purdue Boilermakers

While they have never won the tournament, the Boilermakers have had some good runs. Purdue made its first appearance in the tournament in 1969 led by their All-American Rick Mount. In their first try, the Boilermakers managed to reach the Final Four before being defeated by UCLA and their legendary coach and fellow Boilermaker John Wooden, who in defeating the Boilermakers in the National Championship game claimed his 5th National Title as a coach. Besides 1969, the Boilermakers also appeared in 1977 and made their only other Final Four run in 1980 with Joe Barry Carroll, another Big Ten legend, and current Pitt head coach Kevin Stallings.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish have played in the tournament 35 times which is the 9th most all time. They reached the Final Four in 1978 under legendary coach Digger Phelps. Irish greats that have played in the tournament include Austin Carr, Adrian Dantley, LaPhonso Ellis, Troy Murphy, and David Rivers. While the Irish haven’t had a lot of success in the tournament historically, they have been a regular participant of late including playing in this year’s tournament.

Butler Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have made their name as being regular underdogs in the tournament. Their climb up the basketball ladder started in the early 2000s with consistent tournament appearances and upsets only to be capped with two improbable runs to the Final Four in 2010 and 2011. In doing so, Butler became the first team to reach consecutive final fours without being a one or a two seed either year. They were also the first non-BCS school to reach the championship game in back-to-back seasons since the 1960–61 and 1961–62 Cincinnati Bearcats, as well as the first national runner-up to return to the championship game since the 1990–91 Duke Blue Devils.

Ball State Cardinals

Were you part of the party when the Cardinals reached the Sweet 16 in 1990. If you were there, you’ll remember fans storming the village after their second-round win against Louisville. The Cardinals began the tournament as a 12 seed and opened the tournament in Salt Lake City. In their first game, they upset Oregon State in what was star point guard Gary Payton’s last college game. Ball State then knocked off Louisville to advance and play overall number 1 seed UNLV. The Cardinals shut down one of the best offenses in college basketball history and had a chance to win in the final seconds.

Indiana State Sycamores

No one can forget the Sycamores run in 1979 that started the Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird rivalry. Bird led the Sycamores to the ’79 championship game where they eventually fell to Johnson’s Michigan State team. While Indiana state didn’t win the championship, their tournament run forever solidified the position ‘Larry Legend’ in basketball history.

The state of Indiana is known for basketball and we’ve had a lot of excitement over the years. We hope to see it continue for the state’s teams that are playing in this year’s tournament. Langenwalter is known for cleaning carpets, floors, upholstery, and water damage. We are the pros you can call when you need a victory over the dirt and grime left behind on your carpet and floors. To schedule your appointment, call 317.876.9944.