The best cover you've never heard about

What if I told you that last week, during all the chaos of college basketball, one of the greatest covers took place and nobody is talking about it.

That’s right. Last Tuesday, the Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis (wow that’s a mouthful, or IUPUI) Jaguars men’s basketball team took on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the opening round of the Horizon League Tournament.

The Jags entered the game as 22.5 point underdogs and, as the saying goes, good teams win, but great teams cover.

IUPUI scratched and clawed their way to a 70-58 loss, ending their tournament, but picking up an easy cover.

So what’s the catch? Where’s the hook? Well, let me tell you.

IUPUI entered the game having won just three games this season, with only one of those coming against a Division 1 opponent.

Those wins:

Nov. 23: 61-41 over Spalding University (KY.)

Jan. 31: 75-59 over East-West University 

Feb. 17: 66-56 over Robert Morris

For the record, East-West University is a private university in Chicago with a 41 per cent acceptance rate and a student body of about 1,000 people.

OK, cool, a bad college basketball team lost a game by 12 points. Once again, where’s the hook?

Well, IUPUI played the game with only five players!

When the season opened, IUPUI had 13 players on their roster, but due to a number of reasons – injuries and transfer related – their roster dwindled down to just six players.

Then, on Feb. 26, that number dropped to five when starter Bakari LaStrap went down with a season-ending injury.

Last Tuesday, IUPUI had just five eligible players as they took on the Golden Grizzlies, becoming the first men’s D I basketball team to play just five players in a game since 2000 (Jacksonville St. vs Charleston Southern).

IUPUI had