'Spartan Strong': Indiana basketball recognizes Michigan State shooting

EAST LANSING, Mich. – IU players wore black Tuesday night, and their parents wore white, each in their own way acting in silent solidarity with the Michigan State community in the wake of last week’s campus shooting.

Tuesday marked the first home men’s basketball game since a random shooting claimed the lives of three Michigan State students and left one of the Big Ten’s largest, proudest university communities riven with grief.

“Spartan family last week our campus community suffered an unexpected act of violence,” public-address announcer Jeremy Sampson said. “Our hearts are broken for their families and for our community. The Michigan State community has always been an unwavering one, and with no uncertainty will continue to be Spartan Strong, as we navigate the impact of our loss.”

Indiana had already blocked out moments of silence in home men’s and women’s games over the weekend. But the Hoosiers' role Tuesday was more direct, more personal.

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From the moment they exited their bus until they entered the game, the visitors wore black Adidas-branded t-shirts and hoodies reading “SPARTAN STRONG” across the breast. Beneath the capitalized lettering, the Michigan State Spartan logo and Indiana’s trident IU sat side by side.

Every member of the Hoosiers’ traveling party — from head coach Mike Woodson all the way down to his police escort — wore the same. Sport coats didn’t make it to the bench Tuesday. Woodson and his staff worked in their hoodies.

Behind the Indiana bench, members of the traveling party wore white, blending into a crowd asked in the days leading up to Tuesday’s game to wear white in a sign of unity and togetherness. Department staff split, while Ray Jackson, Trayce Jackson-Davis’ father, who remains close to Michigan State coach Tom Izzo from Jackson-Davis’ high school recruitment, wore white.

There was pin-drop silence during a moment of remembrance before the national anthem. After all pregame services were rendered, as fans settled into their seats, a lone voice sounded out the standard exhortation among Spartans.

“Go Green!” the fan shouted.

“Go White!” answered thousands of souls.

“Go Green!” came the retort.

“Go White!” again.

Then, in a moment of levity, an IU fan in the crowd shouted “Go Hoosiers!” The arena murmured with laughter, then a chorus of boos rang from an arena bathed in white.

The moment seemed so normal.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball recognizes Michigan State shooting