Indiana State University Sycamores Basketball: A History of Excellence
Indiana State Sycamores basketball represents the NCAA Division I men's basketball program at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. As a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, the Sycamores boast a long and storied history, marking them as one of the oldest basketball programs in the NCAA.
Early Years and NAIA Dominance
The Sycamores' basketball journey began in 1896, sharing the distinction of the oldest NCAA basketball team alongside Bucknell, Minnesota, Washington, and Yale. While records from 1896 to 1899 have been lost, the program's legacy is undeniable. The Sycamores have made 28 postseason appearances, including 7 NCAA, 5 NIT, 2 CBI, 1 CIT, and 12 NAIA tournaments, as well as the 1936 Olympic Trials, demonstrating their consistent competitiveness. They have reached six national championship appearances, with 2 in the NCAA, 1 in the NIT, and 3 in the NAIA.
In the early years, the Sycamores found success in the NAIA, with national championship appearances in 1946 and 1948, ultimately claiming the NAIA national championship in 1950. They also reached the NAIA National Semifinals in 1949 and 1953.
Coach Wally Marks' 1935-36 Sycamores garnered national attention by participating in the first national post-season collegiate basketball tournament. The winning team would earn the right to name five players to represent the United States in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, the first Games to feature basketball. The Olympic team members were selected from the best AAU teams and winners of the national collegiate tournament conducted in eight regional districts. The Sycamores earned a bid by winning two games in Indianapolis (March 12-14) and advanced to the district finals and were pitted against Coach Jim Kelly's DePaul Blue Demons, at the Chicago Armory, DePaul's home court.
The 1949-50 squad won the NAIA 1950 National Championship. Subsequently, Coach John Longfellow and eight Sycamore players were invited to represent the United States in the inaugural (1951) Pan American Games, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Sycamores Roger Adkins, Dick Atha, Richard Babcock, Bob Gilbert, Tom Kern, Gene Lambdin, Ed Longfellow, and Cliff Murray represented the United States and Indiana State University. The United States defeated the national teams of Ecuador (74-32), Cuba (77-55), Panama (90-55) and Brazil (69-42) to reach the championship game against Argentina. Seven Sycamores were members of the 1951 Pan-American Games gold medal-winning team.
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The Legendary 1978-79 Season
The 1978-79 season stands as the Sycamores' most memorable, etched in basketball lore. Led by unanimous National Player of the Year Larry Bird, the team achieved an undefeated regular season, capturing both the AP and UPI national titles. This historic run culminated in the program's first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance.
The Sycamores, unranked at the season's start, swept through the regular season unbeaten. Bird spearheaded this success, averaging 28.6 points per game, closely followed by Carl Nicks with 19.3 points per game. The starting lineup also included Miley, Alex Gilbert, and Steve Reed, with Heaton and Leroy Staley as key reserves.
The only time that the perfect regular season was in jeopardy was on Feb. 1. The Sycamores were 18-0 against New Mexico State. With three seconds remaining, the Sycamores were down 83-81. New Mexico State was at the free throw line and the shot was missed. The missed shot was rebounded by Brad Miley and passed to Bob Heaton.
The Sycamores secured the top seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional. The final game of the regional tournament was against Arkansas with a berth in the Final Four on the line. With the game tied at 71, the right-handed Heaton was the hero again with a last second left-handed shot in the lane to win the game.
The 1978-79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team is considered the greatest in the school's history. The Sycamores competed as members of the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1978-79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, playing their home games at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. Led by first-year head coach Bill Hodges and National Player of the Year Larry Bird, Indiana State was unranked to begin the season, but swept through the regular season unbeaten.
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The championship game against the Magic Johnson-led Michigan State Spartans captivated the nation, becoming the most-watched game in the sport's history. Despite a valiant effort, the Sycamores fell short, losing the national title game and concluding the season with a 33-1 record. Their performance remains the deepest run by a first-time participant in the Division I tournament, a feat matched only twice since (UNCC in 1977 and Georgia in 1983).
The final score was 64-75 vs. No. 3 Michigan State Spartans.
Larry Bird - 1979 Oscar Robertson Trophy, Naismith Award, John R. Wooden Award.
Notable Players and Coaches
Over the decades, the Sycamores have been guided by talented players and coaches. All-Americans such as Larry Bird, Duane Klueh, Dick Atha, Lenny Rzeszewski, Butch Wade, and Jerry Newsom have left their mark on the program. Ray Goddard led the nation in free-throw percentage (91.2%) during the 1961-62 season.
Former head coaches include Hall of Famer John Wooden, Purdue All-American Dave Schellhase, Glenn M. Curtis, and well-known college coaches like Bob King, Royce Waltman, Tates Locke, and Ron Greene.
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Five Sycamore players have had their numbers retired by the school. A bronze statue of Larry Bird by sculptor Bill Wolfe was dedicated on November 9, 2013, prior to the annual men's basketball game with Ball State University. A bronze statue of Coach John Wooden by sculptor Blair Buswell was dedicated when the newly renovated Pauley Pavilion opened on October 26, 2012, and a men's basketball game was played at the UCLA arena between Indiana State and UCLA on November 9, 2012.
Post-Season Appearances
The Sycamores have a rich history of postseason appearances, showcasing their competitive spirit across different levels of collegiate basketball:
- NCAA Division I Tournament: 4 appearances
- National Invitation Tournament (NIT): 5 appearances
- College Basketball Invitational (CBI): 2 berths
- CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT): 1 appearance
- NCAA Division II Tournament: 3 appearances (5-4 combined record)
- NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament: 12 appearances, reaching the NAIA Final Four five times (25-12 combined record)
Most recently, the Sycamores were the 2024 NIT National Finalist.
Sycamores in the Pros
Fifteen former Sycamores have transitioned to professional basketball, playing in the NBA, NBL, BAA, and ABA. These players include:
- Nate Green - Pallalcesto Amatori Udine (2007-08), Olimpia Milano (2006-07), Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna (2005-06), S.S.
- Winfred King - Nuova Pallacanestro Gorizia (Italy), CB Breogán, CB Collado Villalba (Spain), APU Udine, Pallacanestro Firenze (Italy), Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.
- Jake Odum - Banvit B.K.
Retired Numbers
The following players have had their numbers retired by Indiana State University:
- Larry Bird
- Jerry Newsom
- John Sherman Williams
- Barbara Graves
- Amy Hile
Team Achievements
The Indiana State Sycamores basketball program has been honored with several team inductions into various halls of fame:
- 1978-79 Men's Basketball Team (Inducted 1999): Larry Bird, Tom Crowder, Eric Curry, Alex Gilbert, Bob Heaton, Brad Miley, Carl Nicks, Rod McNelly, Rich Nemcek, Steve Reed, Bob Ritter, Leroy Staley, Scott Turner. Trainers: Bob Behnke, Rick Shaw. Head Coach: Bill Hodges. Assistant Coaches: Mel Daniels, Terry Thimlar.
- 1949-50 Men's Basketball Team (Inducted 2000): Jim Berger, Richard Campbell, Dan Dimich, Bob Gilbert, Jim Hans, Buren Hooper, Max Hungerford, Bill Jagodzinski, Jerry Kunkel, Gene Lambdin, Ed Longfellow, Don McDonald, Dick Pattengale, Jim Powers, Jack Reece, Len Rzeszewski, John Scott, Clarence Walker. Managers: Stan Jacobs, John Sweet. Head Coach: John Longfellow.
- 1967-68 Men's Basketball Team (Inducted 2005): Daniel Chitwood, Michael Cooper, Ken Haas, Fred Hardman, Rodney Hervey, Steven Hollenbeck, Howard Humes, John McIntire, Richard Mason, Jerry Newsom, Gerald Novak, Mike Phillips, James Waldrip, Don Weirlich, Thomas Zellers. Head Coach: Gordon Stauffer.
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