BLOOMINGTON — General party attire in Assembly Hall was red and white, except for the guest of honor, who wore a dark suit presentable for any formal occasion.

Mike Woodson made his debut as coach of the Indiana University men’s basketball team Tuesday night, marking a milestone which has made the passing of the torch into an optimistic ritual that recipients hope never burns them.

Of course, sooner or later, something goes wrong and there is always a next guy. Woodson, a favorite son come home, replaced Archie Miller, once a heralded replacement himself, now an exile after mediocre seasons.

The main course was a game against Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference. Anticipation over Woodson’s return from a lifetime of playing and coaching in the NBA to lead the team he once starred for has grown steadily over recent months.

Capturing a nonleague game in November against a low-key opponent mattered. And the Hoosiers did the job, winning 68-62 to avoid spoiling the evening.

Woodson averaged 14 points a game in 10 seasons as a pro after averaging nearly 20 points for IU between 1976 and 1980. It was not the memories of NBA play or coaching the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks he and his in-house fan club savored when he entered the court area.

College years make men out of boys. They enter as teenagers and depart old enough to drink, vote, sign legal documents, prepared for a career. Woodson, 63, is from Indianapolis and expected between 30 and 40 family members and friends in the stands. That many probably didn’t make the trek for his first game coaching Atlanta.

This was a homecoming, even if author Thomas Wolfe famously wrote that “You Can’t Go Home Again.” Still, just about everyone wants to, in passing, for a glimpse, though not often with the pressure of producing somewhat of an instant replay of his own past.

Woodson admitted to some of his feelings Tuesday night.

“Again, it’s good to be back home,” Woodson said. “I mean, when I walked on the floor, I appreciated the fact that I had spent my career here as a young basketball player. And I left it. This team allowed me to go into the NBA and have a successful career in the NBA. And now , ’m back. It’s a special time for me.”

While Woodson said this season is about the players, he was the doctor hired to perform surgery after a 12-15 season of disappointment. Plus, he is a living, breathing link to the glory days of legendary Bob Knight, his old coach who won three NCAA titles.

The broad shoulders on his 6-foot-5 frame carry the hopes of Hoosier Nation, and he is the conduit of Hoosier tradition.

Assembly Hall was not full, perhaps because of a 6 p.m. start time, perhaps because there are skeptics about how good the 2021-22 team can be. Perhaps because fears of the pandemic still linger — everyone was required to wear masks.

It was not a school holiday in Bloomington, though perhaps IU hoops opening day should be. This is one of the few schools where basketball is more important than football.

There was a big-league roar when the 17 players jogged on the floor in their trademark red-and-white candy-striped pants, when Woodson walked onto the court, when player introductions featured the lights out and a spotlight on.

There were scoreboard reminders this is the 50th season at Assembly Hall, and when the team moved out 10-0, it seemed the good times were back.

IU led 36-19 at halftime. The Eagles couldn’t shoot, and the Hoosiers defended hard and well. IU expanded its margin to 23 points, and sophomore Trayce Jackson-Davis, a 6-9 forward who is the team’s most potent weapon, opened up with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Michael Jordan had his “Space Jam,” but Jackson-Davis’ dunks, some on alley-oop feeds, are his Trayce Jams.

Midway through the second half, the Eagles woke up, making free throws when IU fouled too much and 3-pointers until Indiana led by just 59-58. It took Jackson-Davis and Xavier Johnson (14 points) to allow fans to exhale.

However, Woodson knows it is much sweeter to be 1-0 than 0-1, regardless of style points. So yes, he said, he is going to keep the game ball from his first college win as a souvenir.