Close Menu
The Daily Hoosier
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • East 17th Street Ep. 22 — New IU basketball transfer forward Josh Harris joins
    • The early returns on IU football’s 2026 class are very positive
    • IU softball eliminated from NCAA Tournament
    • For 2026 IU football commit Jay Timmons, overcoming pressure became a necessity
    • IU baseball is the No. 6 seed in the 2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament
    • IU football recruiting: Hoosiers land 2026 4-star DL Gabe Hill
    • IU baseball notebook: Hoosiers qualify for Big Ten, Mercer and Taylor with notable achievements
    • Former Hoosiers OG Anunoby and Thomas Bryant to meet in Eastern Conference Finals
    • Sign Up
    • About/Support
    • Jobs
    • Tickets
      • IUBB Tickets (Stubhub)
      • IUFB Tickets (Stubhub)
    • Shop
      • Official IU Store
      • IU Adidas Store
      • Amazon: Support TDH
      • IU Memorabilia
      • IU Press (Books)
      • The Daily Hoosier T-Shirt
    • Radio/Podcasts
      • East 17th Street
    • Pro IU
      • IUBB NBA
      • IUFB NFL
      • IUBASE MLB
    • Forum
      • Disqus Forum
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    The Daily HoosierThe Daily Hoosier
    Monday, May 19
    • IU Basketball
      • Latest IU Basketball News
      • Offseason roster activity tracker
      • 2025-26 IU Basketball Roster
      • DeVries’ new staff
      • Scholarship Chart
      • Future Schedules
      • IU Basketball 2024-25 Schedule
      • 2024-25 Big Ten Standings
      • 24-25 IU Basketball Stats
      • Rankings & Bracketology
      • IU Basketball Media Guide
    • IU Football
      • Latest IU Football News
      • Roster updates by position
      • 2025 scholarship tracker
      • Current roster
      • Curt Cignetti’s staff
      • Future opponents through 2032
      • IU Football 2024 Schedule
      • 2024 B1G Standings
      • 2024 IUFB Stats
      • IU Football 2024 Record Book
    • IU Recruiting
      • IU Basketball Recruiting News
      • IU Football Recruiting News
      • IUBB 2026-28 Prospects
      • Recruit Interviews
      • Recruit Highlights
      • IU Football Recruiting Commits
    • IU Women’s Basketball
      • IU Women’s Basketball News
      • 24-25 Schedule
      • Big Ten Standings
    • IU Men’s Soccer
      • 2024 Schedule
      • Indiana Men’s Soccer: Program History
    • More Hoosiers
      • Fan and Business NIL options
      • IU Baseball
        • Baseball Schedule
        • Statistics
        • Big Ten Standings
      • IU Swim & Dive
      • IU Olympic Results
    • Hoosier History
      • March Madness Classics
      • Basketball History
      • Football History
      • IUFB Best Seasons
      • IUFB All-Time Top 10 Players
    The Daily Hoosier

    This Date in Hoosier History: Indiana Slays Shaq and LSU in Round of 32

    Mike SchumannBy Mike SchumannMarch 21, 2023 Basketball History 2 Comments
    Getty Images - John W. McDonough
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    March 21, 1992 — Boise, Idaho

    The last time Indiana and LSU met, it was the 1987 NCAA Tournament, with the Final Four on the line.  IU overcame an eight point deficit in the final seven minutes to win, and Hoosier head coach Bob Knight dropped this unforgettable line in the post-game press conference.

    “I was worried about losing until I looked down the floor and saw (LSU head coach) Dale Brown. Then I knew we had a chance.”

    When Knight looked down the floor during a 1992 rematch he still saw Brown.  But he also saw someone else that no doubt looked much more menacing.

    At 7-foot-1 and 294 pounds, Shaquille O’Neal was no small second round task for a No. 2 seed Indiana squad that once again had Final Four aspirations.

    O’Neal’s stat line for the 1991-92 season was almost as imposing as he was:  24.1 points, 14 rebounds and 5.2 blocks per game.  The two-time consensus All-American and SEC player of the year was going to be a considerable challenge for an Indiana team that had no one in its regular rotation above 6-foot-9.

    The key to this game wasn’t going to be stopping O’Neal.  No one had done that yet, and neither did the Hoosiers.

    O’Neal scored 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Indiana.

    Instead, Indiana’s plan was to outscore the No. 7 seed Tigers on the other end, attacking LSU with their depth and versatility.

    Calbert Cheaney nearly matched O’Neal with 30 points.

    Alan Henderson added 19, Matt Nover 13 and Eric Anderson 12 as the Hoosiers attacked O’Neal to try to lure the shot blocker and then looked to pass to their cutting teammates.

    LSU stormed out to a 27-13 lead and it looked like Brown might exact his revenge against his nemesis Knight.

    But the Hoosiers tightened things up on the defensive end and responded with a quick 9-0 run.  IU carried that momentum to a 45-38 halftime advantage.

    O’Neal only had nine points at the break but he would score LSU’s first nine points of the second half as the Tigers forged back into a 47-47 tie.

    Indiana would recover and found themselves up 71-61 with 6:30 remaining.

    But behind O’Neal, LSU kept fighting back and the Tigers pulled to within 73-70 with less than four minutes remaining.

    Perhaps that is when Knight remembered who was patrolling the opposing bench.

    IU guard Damon Bailey nailed a three-point shot to stretch the margin back to six points.  After an O’Neal basket, Cheaney made a traditional three-point play for a 79-72 Hoosier lead with 2:42 remaining.

    Indiana was able to hold off LSU from there, slaying the giant O’Neal as Knight once again tormented Brown.

    The Hoosiers shot 55 percent from the field, and Jamal Meeks led IU with eight assists.

    Indiana advanced with an 89-79 win and the Hoosiers would eventually land back in the Final Four in Minneapolis.

    It would be O’Neal’s last college game as he left school a year early and went on to a 19-year NBA career that included four championships.

    BOX SCORE


    See also:

    • March 14:  Indiana vs. Auburn (1987)
    • March 14:  Indiana vs. Maryland (1981)
    • March 17:  Four memorable games
    • March 18:  Indiana vs. Kansas (1953)
    • March 19:  Indiana vs. Kentucky (2016)
    • March 20:  Indiana vs. Duke (1987)
    • March 21:  Indiana vs. Duke (2002)
    • March 21:  Indiana vs. Purdue (1979)
    • March 21:  Indiana vs. LSU (1992)
    • March 22:  Indiana vs. North Carolina (1984)
    • March 22:  Indiana vs. LSU (1987)
    • March 23:  Indiana vs. Kent State (2002)
    • March 24:  Indiana vs. Temple (2013)
    • March 25:  Indiana vs. Louisville (1993)
    • March 26:  Indiana vs. Florida State (1992)
    • March 27:  Indiana vs. UCLA (1976)
    • March 28:  Indiana vs. UNLV (1987)
    • March 28:  Indiana vs. LSU (1981)
    • March 28:  Indiana vs. UCLA (1992)
    • March 29:  Indiana vs. Michigan (1976)
    • March 30:  Indiana vs. Kansas (1940)
    • March 30:  Indiana vs. North Carolina (1981)
    • March 30:  Indiana vs. Syracuse (1987)

    You can follow us on Twitter:  @daily_hoosier

    Find us on Facebook:  thedailyhoosier

    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

    Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no additional cost to you.

    Related

    Shaquille O'Neal
    Mike Schumann

    Keep Reading

    East 17th Street Ep. 22 — New IU basketball transfer forward Josh Harris joins

    Former IU basketball player Kanaan Carlyle finds new home

    IU will have some of the highest-paid assistants in college basketball

    Latest Hoosier News
    • East 17th Street Ep. 22 — New IU basketball transfer forward Josh Harris joins
    • The early returns on IU football’s 2026 class are very positive
    • IU softball eliminated from NCAA Tournament
    • For 2026 IU football commit Jay Timmons, overcoming pressure became a necessity
    • IU baseball is the No. 6 seed in the 2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament
    • IU football recruiting: Hoosiers land 2026 4-star DL Gabe Hill
    • IU baseball notebook: Hoosiers qualify for Big Ten, Mercer and Taylor with notable achievements
    Sign Up



    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    © 2025 The Daily Hoosier, LLC.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Ad Blocker Enabled!
    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please support us by disabling your Ad Blocker.