Indiana has a rich history in hoops. One of the nation’s top states for high school basketball, Indiana annually sends top players into the ranks of the college game. Visit Indiana and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame set out to put together a list of Indiana's 68 men's greatest college basketball players of all-time. These players took the court for colleges and universities around the country, but they honed their craft right here in the Hoosier State. This post features players ranked from #16 – #1.
Criteria
- Stats, accolades, historical significance, importance to their program, among other items from their college career were considered.
- Players across all divisions, including DI, DII, DII, NAIA, or any others are eligible.
- Must have been at least one of the following:
- Born in Indiana.
- Raised in Indiana.
- Attended an Indiana High School.
Ranking and comparing Indiana’s greatest college basketball players throughout the years – and different styles of play – was a challenge. The experts and historians weighed different aspects of these men’s college careers differently. Some mainly considered statistics, but it is hard to compare points and rebounds of those in the 21st century to those of the early 1900s. Others weighed National Championships, NCAA Tournament berths, and team success more heavily.
Please understand that this list of Indiana's greatest college basketball players of all-time is meant for fun and to tell Indiana’s authentic story. If we had to do it all over again, there’d likely be different placements. There’s just an immense collection of college basketball talent from Indiana!
Now….let the debate commence!
Best All-Time Players: #16 – 1
#16: Louie Dampier
College: University of Kentucky
High School: Southport
Career: During three seasons at Kentucky, Louie Dampier was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Southeastern Conference selection. Playing under Adolph Rupp, he helped lead the Wildcats to the 1966 NCAA Tournament Championship Game. By the time he graduated, Dampier had scored 1,575 points and grabbed 409 rebounds.
#15: Ron Bonham
College: University of Cincinnati
High School: Muncie Central
Career: Ron Bonham was a key piece of Cincinnati's 1962 NCAA Championship team as a sophomore. He was named first-team All-American his junior season, averaging 21.0 points per game while shooting 89% at the free-throw line. Bonham ended up with 1,666 points at the conclusion of his three-year career with the Bearcats.
#14: Alan Henderson
College: Indiana University
High School: Brebeuf Jesuit
Career: While playing for the Hoosiers, Alan Henderson led the team in rebounding for all four years he played. In fact, he is the only IU player to rank top five all-time for the Hoosiers in career points (1,979), rebounds (1,091), blocked shots (213), and steals (148).
#13: Larry Humes
College: University of Evansville
High School: Madison
Career: Larry Humes led the Evansville Aces to two consecutive NCAA Division II championships in 1963-64 and 1964-65. After the 1965 season, Humes earned Sporting News Honorable Mention All-America honors, which spanned over all divisions of college basketball. He was three-time MVP of the Indiana Collegiate Conference and is still Evansville's all-time leading scorer with 2,236 points.
#12: Kyle Macy
College: University of Kentucky
High School: Peru
Career: Kyle Macy played his freshman season at Purdue in 1975-76, averaging 13.8 points per game. He then transferred to the University of Kentucky at the start of the 1976-77 season. Macy was named a three-time All-American and All-SEC player at Kentucky. He solidified his place in history by being a star on the 1978 NCAA National Championship Wildcat team.
#11: Charles "Stretch" Murphy
College: Purdue University
High School: Marion
Career: Standing 6-foot-6 inches, Charles "Stretch" Murphy was considered a mammoth for his era. He was a dominating rebounder whose outlet passes revolutionized fast-tempo basketball. At Purdue, Murphy was a three-time All-American and helped lead the Boilermakers to an undisputed league title in 1930 with a 10-0 record.
#10: George McGinnis
College: Indiana University
High School: George Washington
Career: George McGinnis only played one college season for the Hoosiers, but his place in history is clear. He became the first sophomore to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding, with 29.9 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. McGinnis earned All-American and All-Big Ten honors. It is among the most memorable season by any Indiana college basketball player ever.
#9: Don Schlundt
College: Indiana University
High School: Washington-Clay
Career: During his time at Indiana University (1951-1955), Don Schlundt rewrote the history books. Due to the Korean War, freshmen were eligible to play college basketball in 1952, making Schlundt the rare 50's player to play for four years. He led the Hoosiers to the 1953 NCAA National Championship and was named an All-American in 1953, 1954, and 1955. Don Schlundt left as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,192 points.
#8: Kent Benson
College: Indiana University
High School: New Castle
Career: Kent Benson was one of the cornerstone players on the historic 1975-1976 Hoosier team that went undefeated and won the National Championship. Benson scored 25 points in the championship game and was voted the NCAA Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. He ended his career with 1,740 points, which is still #7 all-time at Indiana University. Additionally, Benson's prolific 1,031 rebounds rank 3rd in the history books.
#7: Glenn Robinson
College: Purdue University
High School: Theodore Roosevelt (Gary)
Career: Before Glenn Robinson even played a game for Purdue and coach Gene Keady, a school custodian gave him the name "Big Dog". It stuck. In just two seasons for the Boilermakers, Robinson totaled an insane 1,706 points and 602 rebounds. During his senior season, Robinson averaged 30.3 points and 11.2 rebounds a game while leading Purdue to the Elite Eight. He was the unanimous pick for the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith Award that season.
#6: Calbert Cheaney
College: Indiana University
High School: William Henry Harrison
Career: Calbert Cheaney is a legend in Bloomington, leading the Hoosiers to the Final Four in 1992. He ended his career as a three-time All-American and as the Big Ten's all-time leading scorer. Cheaney is as decorated a player as they come, winning pretty much every post-season honor available in his career. He was named the 1993 National Player of the Year by capturing the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith Award.
#5: Rick Mount
College: Purdue University
High School: Lebanon
Career: Rick Mount was the first high schooler to ever be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He took his talents to Purdue University and scored 2,323 points in three seasons, with a career average of 32.2 points per game! During the 1969 NCAA Tournament, Mount led the Boilermakers to the Final Four and is remembered for his "leaping lofter" game-winning shot in overtime against Marquette. Mount scored 61 points against a strong Iowa team his senior year, which was the NCAA single-game record at the time. Research showed that if the three-point line existed, he would have scored 74 points.
#4: Steve Alford
College: Indiana University
High School: New Castle
Career: While playing for Bob Knight, Steve Alford became the all-time leading scorer for the Hoosiers (2,438 points). During his senior season, the Hoosiers won its fifth and most recent national championship by defeating Syracuse. Alford scored 23 points in that game, including a buzzer-beating three-point shot before the end of the first half. Alford was named team MVP four times and earned All-Big Ten honors his final three collegiate seasons.
#3: Clyde Lovellette
College: University of Kansas
High School: Garfield
Career: Clyde Lovellette (6-foot-9 inches) is really known for becoming the standard for tall, physical, and high-scoring centers. He led the Kansas Jayhawks to the 1952 NCAA National Championship and was named Tournament MVP. Lovellette is the only college player to lead the nation in scoring and win the NCAA title the same season. During his senior campaign, he scored 28.4 points per game and was named the Helms College Player of the Year.
#2: Larry Bird
College: Indiana State University
High School: Springs Valley
Career: "Larry Legend" is not only one of the best basketball players of all time, but he truly revolutionized the game with his tall frame and unique shooting ability. Larry Bird's career at Indiana State University was second to none, scoring 2,850 points and grabbing 1,247 rebounds in three seasons. He led the Sycamores to the 1979 NCAA National Championship Game. With both Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson facing off, the game received the highest ever television rating for a college basketball game. Bird was named the Sporting News, AP, UPI, USBWA, and Basketball Weekly College Player of the Year in 1979 and received both the Naismith Award and John Wooden Award.
#1: Oscar Robertson
College: University of Cincinnati
High School: Crispus Attucks
Career: Oscar Robertson, "the Big O", is no doubt one of the top players in NCAA basketball history. His scoring average of 33.8 points per game is third all-time. In each of his three college seasons, Robertson won the national scoring title, was named an All-American, and was crowned College Player of the Year. Robertson led the Bearcats to a 79-9 overall record during his tenure which included two Final Four appearances. Over the course of his career, he set an unprecedented 14 NCAA and 19 school records.
Indiana’s Greatest College Basketball Players
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
Less than 20 minutes from The Hoosier Gym is the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, a 14,000 square foot museum that is full of memorabilia and interactive displays about basketball in the state. The Hall of Fame features inductees such as Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Bob Knight, John Wooden, and many more. Most of the photos on this page were provided by the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
