By Alex Trickett BBC Sport Online

The teams:

Baseball: None
American Football: Colts
Basketball: Indiana Pacers
Ice Hockey: None

Indiana is basketball country.

From school through university and into the pros, hoops reign in these prairielands that reach out from the metropolitan Midwest to America's western plains.

James: Hot prospect

The Pacers may no longer be the force they were in the 1990s, but Reggie Miller and company are still state capital Indianapolis' pride and joy.

Since 1984 the town has also had a vested interest in American Football.

In that year, the Colts - who called Baltimore home for 40 years - moved west.

Under the guidance of young stars Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James, they have shown glimpses of great - but as yet unfulfilled - potential.

Bird was born in French Lick, Indiana

Under coach Larry Bird - a legend at Indiana State University before playing for the Boston Celtics - they rolled to 25 straight home wins at Canseco Fieldhouse and made the NBA Finals.

Their run came despite some criticised roster changes and was only halted by the Los Angeles Lakers in game six of the season finale.

En route to that showdown, Indiana saw off bitter Eastern Conference rivals New York to send 18,000 Fieldhouse fans into rapture.

In another part of town is the Brickyard circuit, home to the Indy 500, America's most prestigious motorsport event.

Reggie can hang with the best

But no-one has found a way to stop Reggie Miller scoring game-winning baskets.

The most prolific three-point shooter in the history of the NBA, he can also hurt opponents inside with quick thought and fast feet.

The 6ft 7in guard has yet to win an NBA title, but was a key presence on "Dream Team Two", the US national side that swept to gold-medal glory at the Atlanta Olympics.

Miller is one of the top-20 scorers in history and holds the record for consecutive NBA free throws at 52.

Manning comes from good quarterback stock

The son of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie, he went one better than his father - who had been chosen second in 1971 college draft - by being taken first by the Colts in 1998.

In his first season at the helm, Manning passed for nearly 4,000 yards, and the following year he formed a potent offensive partnership with young running back Edgerrin James.

The Colts went 13-3 in 1999 and were among the favourites for the Super Bowl, before being ousted by Tennessee.

Since then, their form has dipped but few doubt Manning's ability to lead them back to the big time.