During halftime of the Indiana-North Carolina game, ESPN analysts Jay Williams commented on how weird it was to see Indiana basically beat North Carolina at their own game. While the Tar Heels have long been the transition, high energy school, Indiana broke away from its more methodical style in the past to put an absolute beat down on a North Carolina team that has a good amount of talent. This win was not just a win, but more of a statement that Indiana basketball is officially back.

Sure, last season, the Kentucky Wildcats were stunned by Indiana for one of only two losses during the season. The Hoosiers needed a three-pointer at the buzzer to win though, and few would argue that Kentucky would win the next nine times those two teams played if they did.

Indiana’s blowout win over North Carolina in front of a national audience was different though. The Tar Heels might be down, but they still are stocked with McDonald’s All-Americans and will be a top 25 team all season long. Indiana played a perfect blend of team ball and superb defense at a breakneck pace. It was one of the most impressive showcases of fantasy basketball talent in a November college basketball game in recent memory, proving to the nation that Indiana will be a hard team to beat in March.

Cody Zeller grabs all the headlines, and while he is not quite Anthony Davis, he has the same type of team-first leadership quality in the middle. He didn’t beat North Carolina by 24 points himself though. Will Sheehey, Jordan Hulls, Victor Oladipo and Christian Watford add upperclassman leadership, helping ease the learning curve for the talented freshmen and sophomores on the team.

At home, Indiana is going to be an extremely tough team to beat. They haven’t been quite as impressive on the road, but they have done enough to pull out victories against Georgia and Georgetown. This team is not unbeatable, and it is silly to think they will run through the toughest conference in the country over the next few months undefeated. With that being said, Indiana proved on Wednesday night that the Hoosiers are back as true National Championship contenders.