BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Joe McDufee has seen just about everything since he started attending Indiana Hoosiers games in 1949.Hes celebrated five national championships and an undefeated season, coped with the firing of Bob Knight, witnessed the rise and fall of the program under Mike Davis and Kelvin Sampson, cheered for the resurgence of the Hoosiers under Tom Crean and will never forget the indelible image of that chair being flung across the floor.Yet when McDufee entered the newly renovated Assembly Hall for the first time in October, the 84-year-old Indianapolis resident was stunned.Its the same old place but its gotten a shine to it, doesnt it? he marveled. Really, really beautiful. The entryway out here just blows your mind.There may be no state in America that reveres basketball history more than Indiana. McDufee, like so many others around the Hoosier State, knew the 35-year-old arena needed a makeover long before an 8-foot metal plate broke away from the ceiling and fell into the seats just hours before Indiana and Iowa were scheduled to play in February 2014.What pragmatists noticed was that other schools were ditching their quaint, dark, sometimes historic arenas for bright, brand new palaces. They added more practice space, upgraded weight rooms and installed new amenities with hopes of attracting prized recruits and top dollars from donors who would embrace the improved fan experience.Assembly Hall, meanwhile, was widely viewed as a link to an Indiana history that should not be defaced or disturbed.Athletic director Fred Glass knew better.So when Cindy Simon Skjodt, an Indiana alum and the daughter of Mel Simon, the late Indiana Pacers co-owner, offered $40 million gift to give the arena a new look, Glass took it and began the quest of turning the hall into a basketball mecca for a whole new generation of Indiana fans.---Every Indiana community has a basketball story.The Big Tens career scoring leader, Calbert Cheaney, played high school basketball in Evansville. Purdues career scoring leader, Rick Mount, played prep ball in Lebanon, about 45 minutes southeast of campus. Before chasing college and pro championships, Oscar Robertson fought for playing time on a hard-clay court in Indianapolis known as the Lockefield Dustbowl. Larry Bird, of course, will always be known as the Hick from French Lick.Bill Garrett went from Shelbyville High School to Indiana, becoming the Big Tens first African-American to log regular minutes. Bobby Plump was the real-life star of the Milan Miracle, Damon Bailey of Bedford remains the boys high school career scoring leader and former Looggottee High School coach Jack Butcher won a state-record 806 games.Indiana has several unique venues. Athletic administrators often tap dance around history while trying to keep up with the Joneses.Butler athletic director Barry Collier faced that dilemma when he realized Hinkle Fieldhouse needed refurbishing. The former Bulldogs player and coach presided over a $36 million face lift on one of the oldest courts still used in Division I basketball. Hinkle hosted Indiana state basketball championship games from its opening in 1928 through 1971, served as a military barracks during World War II and was a movie set for Hoosiers.The project replaced wooden railings with Plexiglas, bench seats with seat backs, new scoreboards and a video board above midcourt that allowed fans to see replays. Administrators tried to leave the character of the building untouched.I dont think its lost anything at all, said 30-year-old Tyler Moore, who attended Colliers basketball camp at Butler. We talked about how much cleaner things like the bathrooms are now, and to be in the Big East and recruit the caliber of player you want, you need have a place like this.Former Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke faced the same task in 2007 when blueprints were drawn for the first major project at Mackey Arena in 40 years.When it opened in December 1967, Purdue hosted one of its most famous alums, John Wooden, and his powerhouse UCLA team. Mount made his college debut that day against reigning national player of the year Lew Alcindor. During the next several decades, the Boilermakers embraced coaches such as Gene Keady and Matt Painter, watched future No. 1 draft picks Joe Barry Carroll and Glenn Robinson and celebrated a three-year Big Ten title run.Burke found a way to add more comfortable seats, a more appealing ticket office and better practice facilities. Since completing the $82 million project five years ago, attendance has increased and Purdue has reclaimed its perch in the Big Tens upper division.As far as the recruits, its all about the show, said Trent Johnson, who graduated from Purdue in 1988 and has had season tickets for 20 years. When they play AAU ball, they already are traveling to Las Vegas, Orlando and Atlanta. They want a certain wow factor. They are pampered. If you dont do it, you risk losing kids to other schools who have upgraded facilities. You need the players to continue to draw the crowds.Not everyone agrees.A half century ago, six Indianapolis men pooled their money together to found the ABAs Indiana Pacers. Their first home court was Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum, where fans were so close to the floor that former Pacers star player Darnell Hillman said he could hear their heartbeats.Over the years, the Pacers moved to Market Square Arena and eventually to Bankers Life Fieldhouse, a spacious NBA facility full of suites and restaurants. Hillman waxes nostalgic when he thinks about the renovated coliseum, which reopened in 2014-15 as the new home court for IUPUI.I think we have to find a way to hold on to that, Hillman said. Thats where the history of basketball lives. This is basketball country. They love the game. Theyre into it from the moment they get to the arena.---At Indiana, the three-story entryway looks more like the entrance to a mansion than a basketball arena with its shiny escalators and elevators and all those open windows. Theres a presidential suite behind the student section, trophy cases on both sides of the lobby, even touch screen technology to learn more about Hoosiers history in all sports.On the north end, the feature attraction is the hanging midcourt section from the playing floor used at Assembly Hall from 1976-95. Look around and fans will find the scoreboard that hung above center court from 1983-2005 and the double-sided stanchions that were once a signature part of Indiana basketball.Inside, all the seats are crimson-and-cream and a new large videoboard can be seen from every corner of the court.I think its fantastic, said Dan Caldwell, a 37-year-old Bloomington resident. I love the mix of the new and the old and I think theyve kept that home-court advantage just with the way the crowd is right on top of the floor and everything. And theyve kind of brought it into the next century so to speak, so yeah, I love it.McDufee believes Indiana made the right call by making renovations to the building he calls home rather than tearing it down and starting over.If they could have built one that seated about 24,000 or 25,000 so all the people that could wanted to be in could be in, that would have been good, he said. But I dont know, theres a lot, a lot of history here and tradition and I love the place. Marvin Bagley Jersey . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. Justin James Jersey . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. https://www.kingslockerroom.com/Richaun-Holmes-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Chris Webber Kings Jersey . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. Tyler Lydon Kings Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. On Friday afternoon, Keala Kennelly watched on the tiny screen of a borrowed cellphone as her friend and competitor Paige Alms won the Peahi Womens Challenge at Jaws, Mauis famed big-wave break, and captured the inaugural World Surf League womens Big Wave Championship.A few hours earlier, in the first heat of the womens contest, Kennelly caught the opening wave. It was the first surfed by a woman in a WSL big-wave contest, and it received the highest score of the day. On her second wave, Kennelly lost her balance navigating bumpy surf and felt the lip of a 30-foot wave crash onto her back leg. An MRI fortunately revealed no torn ligaments, but she was unable to surf in the final for which she qualified.As the first woman to tow into a wave at Teahupoo, the first woman to paddle into a wave at Nelscott Reef and the first woman to win an XXL Big Wave award in a previously male-only category, Kennelly, 38, is one of the most influential and respected women in big-wave surfing. Alms, 28, is the next generation. In 2005, she became the first woman to get barreled at Jaws, her home break and a wave shes surfed since she was 14, and was called the best female big-wave surfer by Surfline.She lived up to that billing on Friday, catching more waves than any woman in the event and surfing with confidence and poise on a windy, treacherous day at Jaws.The day after competing in this historic event, espnW caught up with both women, who were already asking, What next?espnW: What was the vibe like when you all arrived at the beach Friday morning knowing youd surf in the first WSL womens big-wave contest ?Paige Alms: Everyone was so supportive. I was so happy to see that all the girls showed up and were charging.Keala Kennelly: I was more relaxed than ever for a contest. I was Zen. Ive been living in California. I was just so happy to be in Hawaii and back in warm water. I was excited to surf anything over 4 feet. I was hyped to be able to paddle out without 60 guys in the lineup.espnW: What was it like to be out at Jaws with only women, and so few people, in the lineup?PA: Even when were free surfing at Jaws, there are usually only one or two women in the lineup. The most theres ever been at once was four or five girls. To have six of us out there in a heat with no one else in the lineup, we all felt the same way: This is awesome.If there are 60 guys in the lineup, you dont catch a lot of waves. We were all glowing and proud to be out there together. Win or lose, having an empty lineup at your home break, one of the best big waves in the world -- nothing tops that.espnW: Paige, because Maui is your home break, did you feel more pressure on you to take the win?PA: The pressure comes from within. I wanted to put on a good show and make sure we represented women well. That was the pressure for me. It wasnt about winning the contest. My friends tried to put that pressure on me. But it was about having those empty lineups, choosing the waves you want with other girls. When I won, I felt like I won for everyone.espnW: What was it like to have so many women competing at a break at which you both have been such pioneering surfers?PA: Only half the 12 girls had surfed Jaws before this contest, and the other half of us were nervous for that. I know how powerful this wave is, but not knowing is almost better. Those girls showed up and sent it. I felt pride for the girls.KK: Windy Jaws is treacherous, so my hats off to all the girls who went out and took a wave.ddddddddddddspnW: Speaking of wind, the conditions looked incredibly windy on the webcast. How bad was the wind?PA: It was very challenging. It matched the name of the contest, The Peahi Challenge. The wind was gnarlier than it looked at home. When its windy like that, it becomes really dangerous. I dont usually surf it when its windy. The risk isnt worth the reward.KK: I was excited when we left the harbor. But on the boat ride out, you can tell if the wind is going to be an issue. As the water got choppier, I could see the wind was going to be an issue, and that gets scary for me at Jaws. It becomes really dangerous because the wind gets up under the board, holds you up at the lip, doesnt let you in and releases your fins. It ups the danger so much. It was intense.espnW: Knowing that, how do you find the confidence to paddle out and make the decision that its worth the reward?PA: When the stadium is set and you know you have to go out, you go. We had a moment when I heard there would only be three of us in the final [after Kennelly, Laura Enever and Emi Erickson qualified into the final but pulled out due to injuries], and some girls asked if we should postpone the event or push it to the next stop on tour. I was like, No. We are here to surf, to do the job they invited us to do. If we didnt step to the plate, it would make womens big-wave surfing look bad.The conditions were tough, but its still the best big wave in the world, even when its windy. We are going to do it now. It was game on for all of us from that point.KK: Paige did such an amazing job and sent it. She went out there and earned her victory and carried it for the women. But Paige is a true sportswoman and she was bummed I wasnt in the final. We love and respect each other, and Paige definitely wants me out there. But she is so deserving. Paige let people know that we deserve to be there.One of the disadvantages of being backside at Jaws is you have your back to most of the wave so its difficult to see ??the oncoming section and sometimes it can creep up on you and take you out. ?????? unfortunately I didnt see the end section coming on this wave and it caught me by surprise so I had no time to brace myself for the explosion ???? and my body paid the price ??. @wsl #Peahichallenge2016 ?? by @tonyharringtonA photo posted by Keala Kennelly (@kealakennelly) onNov 12, 2016 at 11:34am PSTespnW: What do you think happens from here? Is this the first of many big-wave events for the women?PA: Thats the goal. This is the first of its kind, the first time they gave us this opportunity. This is my home break, where I grew up and learned to surf big waves, and I felt obligated to put on a show to show the world we know how to surf this wave. Thats where the pressure came from. Now that we showed that, I hope the WSL will add more events. Maybe we can talk them into having the Todos womens event. It would be rad to have an event at all the big wave stops.KK: It was an honor to compete, and I was stoked for the opportunity. Its not the way I wanted it to go down, but Im proud of the wave I rode and proud that I got the highest score. And I am excited for next year. There will be a next year. ' ' '