Fox 28: South Bend, Elkhart IN News, Weather, SportsGrace College prepares to play IU

Grace College prepares to play IU

Wednesday, Indiana University basketball will open its preseason schedule against Grace College.

That's right, the little school in Winona Lake will travel to fabled Assembly Hall for the opportunity of a lifetime.

"This is what every Indiana boy dreams of," Grace Sophomore Duke Johnson said.

"Assembly Hall is so rich historically, the great coaches and games that have been played there; it's a real honor for us to be a part of it," Grace head coach Jim Kessler said.

Grace has six local players on its roster from right here in Michiana, with players from South Bend Riley, Northridge, Jimtown and Plymouth.  In fact the majority of the team was raised in Indiana.

"We have footage of me as a kid playing in the driveway, dreaming of playing for Bobby Knight," Grace senior Kyle Plumlee said.  He added "I used to pretend I was Damon Bailey."

So how does a small school like Grace get an opportunity like this? They put the phrase 'it's not what you know, but who you know' to perfect use. The Athletic Director at Grace, Chad Briscoe,  used to work under current IU assistant Tim Buckley.  But the connections don't end there.

Former player and coach Chet Kammerer works for the Miami Heat.  He spoke with NBA player Dwayne Wade, who played for IU coach Tom Crean when they were both at Marquette University.  Kammerer and Wade made a call to Crean to help facilitate the game.

"It's amazing to see how so many people came together to make this happen," Briscoe said.

It's a rebuilding year for the team, so they're not banking on pulling off the upset... but who knows.

"We don't have any pressure on us," Plumlee said.