Hoosiers: Is it SECRETLY Sci-Fi?

Okay, hear me out. I know, I know, Hoosiers, the ultimate underdog sports movie, right? But I've been rewatching it (like I do every year, gotta keep the tradition alive!), and I'm starting to think it's got hidden sci-fi elements. Not aliens-landing-in-Indiana sci-fi, but more subtle, almost metaphorical. Think about it: Norman Dale is basically an alien, right? He arrives in Hickory with coaching methods that are totally foreign to this insulated community. He's got super advanced (for the time) concepts about teamwork and discipline that nobody GETS. And his initial, kinda robotic demeanor? Reminds me of a well-programmed android trying to understand human emotion. Plus, the way he just knows Jimmy Chitwood is the key, even when the whole town is against him bringing him back to the team! It's almost precognitive. And what about the town of Hickory itself? It's like a self-contained experiment, a microcosm of humanity where everyone is obsessed with a single thing: basketball. The pressure is intense, the stakes are artificially high. Is it possible Dale was sent to Hickory as some kind of social experiment? Like, to see if his 'advanced' coaching techniques could overcome the limitations of these small-town biases, or even just flat out save them from themselves? I know it's a stretch, but I swear, Dale's characterization and the almost hyper-real quality of Hickory just feel…off. Too perfect for a regular sports flick. Maybe it's just gene Hackmans's performance, but dude, that guy is like a level 99 coach, it's like he was designed for the role. Any thoughts?