On October 29, 2022,  Marian played the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for an exhibition game for men’s basketball. An exhibition game is a friendly game that does count toward either team’s record. They are played to help players and coaches prepare for competitive games.

The last meeting between the two teams was in October 2017. This game was the first time Marian Coach Scott Heady and previous IU Coach Archie Miller would be coaching their respective schools. Heady, who is going into his sixth year here at Marian, said Marian plays exhibition games for a few reasons. They experienced playing at Assembly Hall, they were able to experience playing a top team not just in the state but in the country, and they measured the things they needed to work on to be more competitive.

Heady had some positive takeaways from the game. “We rebounded with them, we did not turn the ball over, we kept them off the free throw line, and we limited their transition points,” Heady said.

 Marian’s men’s basketball team has had to change between this season and last. The team lost three key seniors. “… but we are returning a lot of guys that were rotation players,” Heady said. He mentioned depending on players such as senior Christain Harvery, senior Hayden Langkabel, senior Luke Heady, sophomore Brody Whitaker, junior Maximus Gizzi, and sophomore Rowen Farrell on stepping up. He is looking for big things from these players. The team welcomes three Division One (D1) players on their roster. Heady and the team have high goals for the season. The men’s basketball team has been to the NAIA National Tournament for the past five years.

Josh Bryan, a junior business management major, said, “The goal is always to win a championship.” Bryan is one of the three new transfers to the team. He played for two years at Ball State before coming to Marian.

“Shoutout to my team for welcoming me with open arms,” Bryan said. Marian had been on Bryan’s radar since high school. The difficult part of transferring to a new team is not having the experience of knowing how new teammates play, he said.  After a preseason full of injuries, the team’s biggest challenge is not having experience playing with each other.

Marian lost to IU, ending with a score of 42-78. At halftime, the Knights were down 25-52. During halftime, Marian University’s Athletic Director, Steve Downing, and his 1972-1973 Indiana University basketball team were honored. The team was Big Ten Champions in 1973. Downing, wearing yellow, addressed the crowd that game and thanked IU for the opportunity to be there. This game was an excellent opportunity for the basketball team and students, faculty, and staff.