Indiana hoping to match hype of being No. 1

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Indiana basketball is back on top of the college basketball world and it intends to stay there for a while.

After going 27-9 last season, winning 15 more games than 2010-11 and reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time under coach Tom Crean, the Hoosiers enter this season ranked No. 1 for the first time since 1979-80 and only the third time in school history.

There's good reason for hope this season.

Sophomore center Cody Zeller has become a popular cover-boy on college basketball magazines. He's the favorite to win Big Ten player of the year and is being billed as a national player of the year candidate.

Zeller is one of four returning starters, and the Hoosiers have one of the nation's top freshmen classes, too.

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