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Another year around the sun is almost in the books which means most of the workforce has put their feet up and completely cashed out for the rest of the calendar year. You may even be reading these exact words on company time! Don’t worry, no one cares. Your boss is probably on vacation until after the New Year, you’re all good. With another year in the books, it’s time to reflect on the year that was. And more specifically: the best of 2023. The Best of Indiana Sports Moments of 2023 even more specifically.
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- The Indiana Fever Land The No. 1 Overall Pick
Could the Indiana Fever’s fortunes finally be turning back in the right direction? They finished 13-27 in 2023 but in the process landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and (presumably) the rights to select Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. Nothing is set in stone obviously but the Fever have been in such a valley the last few years that landing a certified superstar in Clark would bolster not only the interest locally and nationally in the team but pairing her with Aliyah Boston would give the franchise a legit 1-2 punch and could elevate the team back to prominence.
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- The Colts Draft Anthony Richardson
The first several months were filled with anticipation. The Colts, fresh off a miserable 2022 season, had the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft. They needed a quarterback, and they needed one badly. Speculation of who they could take, and the strengths and weaknesses of each prospect were debated to death until the night of the draft when the Colts selected Florida QB Anthony Richardson. Richardson brought a mobility the Colts had never had before, and Richardson had wowed at the Scouting Combine months earlier and showed his potential could be off the charts. Richardson brought an excitement and optimism to the Colts they haven’t had in years. Unfortunately, his rookie season was cut extremely short due to injuries. There were highs and lows, but the small sample size makes it nearly impossible to gauge on Richardson’s true ceiling. That’ll have to wait until 2024 but when it comes to moments and intrigue, there may have been none bigger than the drafting of Richardson.
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- Indiana Fires Tom Allen, Turns to Curt Cignetti
The Indiana Hoosiers finally pulled the plug on the Tom Allen Era at the end of the 2023 football season. After leading IU to a 6-1 record and a trip to the Outback Bowl in the COVID-shortened 2020 season it has been a three-year pandemic on the football field when it comes to the Allen-led Hoosiers. A disastrous 2-10 season in 2021, a 4-8 effort in 2022 followed by this season’s 3-9 finish. Allen already seemed to be on the hot seat heading into the season and being on the receiving end of multiple blowout losses in 2023 only amplified the need for change. Tom Allen finished his stint with IU with a 33-49 record and at the end of November the Hoosiers began a new book with the hiring of Curt Cignetti. Cignetti comes from James Madison University and led the Dukes with a 52-9 record in his five seasons as head coach, including an 11-1 effort in 2023. It’s a much-needed new direction for a program that was spiraling into purgatory before the change. 2024 should be the jumpstart to pulling the Hoosiers back into relevance again.
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- The Colts Hire Shane Steichen
2023 was just getting it’s legs underneath itself but one of the biggest stories of the year locally took place on Valentine’s Day when the Colts announced the hiring of Shane Steichen as their new head coach. The 39-year-old was pulled off of the Philadelphia Eagles’ coaching staff and would be the one the Colts entrusted to be the guy overseeing the development of what they hope will be the franchise’s next long-term quarterback. Steichen brought a no-nonsense approach right out of the gate. His “all ball” mentality isn’t just a saying either. The guy loves football, and anything not related to football he doesn’t seem to care overly that much about. Steichen’s job in 2023 and beyond is developing Anthony Richardson and the rest of the Colts into playoff and championship contenders. The season-ending injury to Richardson should have derailed the entire season but the Colts under Steichen have fought all year and are in the playoff hunt with two weeks remaining. He may be a long shot for Coach of the Year consideration but what he’s been able to do with the team, specifically in the absence of their rookie quarterback, is something Steichen should be lauded for. The Colts seem to be in more than capable hands with Shane Steichen at the helm and the hire could pay off huge dividends in the future if his rookie outing is any indication.
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- Tyrese Haliburton Reaches Superstar Status
Last year’s top story was the Pacers trading for Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield. As we close out 2023, the biggest story is once again centered around Tyrese Haliburton and his ascension into NBA stardom. Haliburton has been everything the Pacers could have hoped for both on and off the court. He is a great face of the franchise and is backing up all of the accolades on the court. The 23-year-old guard finished last season averaging 20.7 points and 10.4 assists per game. This season he’s seen significant increases in both of those categories with 24.8 points per game and an NBA-best 12.1 assists per game. Over the summer, the Pacers locked up Haliburton to a massive five-years, $260 million extension, furthering their commitment to the star point guard. While the Pacers have gotten off to a somewhat rocky start record-wise, Haliburton has been the catalyst of the league’s highest-scoring offense (126.3 ppg) and assists per game (30.5). If the Pacers can right the ship when it comes to defense and make a move or two at the trade deadline in 2024 it should even further the impact Haliburton has on the team as a whole. He’s the star player Pacers fans have been hoping for and he’s answered every call. The national attention is starting to spread following Indiana’s impressive run in the NBA In-Season Tournament and Haliburton’s star should shine even brighter when Gainbridge Fieldhouse hosts the NBA All-Star Game in February 2024.
