Indiana State Sycamores | |
Current: | 2023–24 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team |
University: | Indiana State University |
Firstseason: | 1896 |
Athletic Director: | Nathan Christensen[1] |
Conference: | Missouri Valley Conference |
Location: | Terre Haute, Indiana |
Tenure: | 1st |
Arena: | Hulman Center |
Capacity: | 9,000 |
Nickname: | Sycamores |
Studentsection: | The Forest[2] |
Ncaarunnerup: | 1968*, 1979 |
Ncaafinalfour: | 1968*, 1979 |
Ncaaeliteeight: | 1968*, 1979 |
Ncaasweetsixteen: | 1967*, 1968*, 1979 |
Ncaaroundof32: | 1966*, 1967*, 1968*, 1979, 2001 |
Ncaatourneys: | 1966*, 1967*, 1968*, 1979, 2000, 2001, 2011 *at Division II level |
Conference Tournament: | MVC 1979, 2001, 2011 |
Conference Season: | IIC 1930, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950 |
Record: | 1,596-1,351 |
H Body: | fn |
H Pattern B: | _thinsidesonwhite |
H Shorts: | 224E92 |
H Pattern S: | _blanksides2 |
A Body: | 224E92 |
A Pattern B: | _thinwhitesides |
A Shorts: | 224E92 |
A Pattern S: | _whitesides |
Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2011.
The Sycamores' first season was 1896, making them the oldest basketball team in the NCAA along with Bucknell, Minnesota, Washington and Yale; however, the records from 1896 to 1899 no longer exist. The Sycamores boast two College Players of the Year, 14 All-Americans, 41 1,000-point scorers, and 1,590+ victories.
In addition, the Sycamores have 28 postseason appearances (7 NCAA, 5 NIT, 2 CBI, 1 CIT, 12 NAIA, and the 1936 Olympic Trials) with six national championship appearances (2 NCAA, 1 NIT and 3 NAIA). Seven Sycamores were members of the 1951 Pan-American Games gold medal-winning team. The Sycamores' most memorable season was 1978–79, when unanimous National Player of the Year Larry Bird led an undefeated team to its first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, as well as the AP and UPI national titles. However, it lost the national title game versus the Magic Johnson-led Michigan State team; and ended the season with a record of 33 - 1. Their performance was the deepest run by a first-time participant in the Division I tournament, and one of only three times that a first-time team has advanced as far as the Final Four (UNCC in 1977 and Georgia in 1983). They would not have another postseason appearance until 2000.
The Sycamores were the national runner-up in the NCAA College Division (now Division II) in 1968; they won the NAIA national championship in 1950, had NAIA Finals appearances in 1946 and 1948 and NAIA National semifinals appearances in 1949 and 1953. Over the decades, the Sycamores were led by All-Americans, Duane Klueh, Dick Atha, Lenny Rzeszewski, Butch Wade and Jerry Newsom. As the program transitioned from NAIA to the NCAA, one final NAIA highlight was Ray Goddard leading the entire nation (all collegiate divisions), in FT percentage (91.2%)[3] during the 1961–62 season. Former Head Coaches include the legendary John Wooden, Purdue All-American Dave Schellhase, Indiana coaching legend Glenn M. Curtis and well-known college coaches such as Bob King, Royce Waltman, Tates Locke and Ron Greene. Former assistants include collegiate head coaches such as Rick Ray (Mississippi State, Southeast Missouri), Rob Flaska (Centenary), Jim Saia (Cal State-Los Angeles), Stan Gouard (Univ of Southern Indiana) and Benjy Taylor (North Central, Hawai'i and Tuskegee), Thad Matta (Butler, Xavier, Ohio State), Kareem Richardson (Missouri-Kansas City), Phil Hopkins (Western Carolina), Mel Garland (IUPUI), and NBA Great Mel Daniels.
The Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team currently play their home games at The Hulman Center II (9,000).
The Sycamores have appeared in four NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 5–4.
1 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Final Four National Championship Game | (8) Virginia Tech (5) Oklahoma (2) Arkansas (2) DePaul (2) Michigan State | W 86–69 W 93–72 W 73–71 W 76–74 L 64–75 | ||
12 | First round | (5) Texas | L 61–77 | ||
13 | First round Second round | (4) Oklahoma (12) Gonzaga | W 70–68 OT L 68–85 | ||
14 | First round | (3) Syracuse | L 60–77 |
The Sycamores have appeared in five National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 5–5.
First round | Houston | L 82–83 | ||
First round Quarterfinals | Illinois State Rutgers | W 73–71 L 56–57 | ||
First round | Iowa | L 52–68 | ||
First round | Arkansas | L 71–91 | ||
First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game | Southern Methodist Minnesota Cincinnati Utah Seton Hall | W 101–92 W 76–64 W 85–81 W 100–90 L 77-79 |
The Sycamores have received two College Basketball Invitational (CBI) berths. Their combined record is 1–2.
First round | Saint Louis | L 54–63 | ||
First round Quarterfinals | USC Upstate Eastern Kentucky | W 67–62 L 88–89OT |
The Sycamores appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). Their record is 0–1.
First round | Robert Morris | L 60–67 |
The Sycamores have appeared in three NCAA Division II basketball tournaments. Their combined record is 5–4. They hosted the Great Lakes Regional during the 1966-67 Tournament.
Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Southern Illinois Lamar | L 65–83 L 78–93 | ||
Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Luther Valparaiso | W 109–88 L 77–80 | ||
Regional semifinals Regional Finals National Quarterfinals National semifinals National Championship Game | South Dakota State Illinois State UNLV Trinity Kentucky Wesleyan | W 101–83 W 98–93 W 94–75 W 77–67 L 52–63 |
The Sycamores appeared in the NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament 12 times. They reached the NAIA Final Four five times. The Sycamores combined NAIA Tournament record is 25–12. Indiana State is the only team to finish as the National Runner-Up in the NAIA and both the NCAA DI and DII tournaments.
Indiana State won 7 NAIA District 21 titles (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1962 and 1963)[4]
First round Second round Quarterfinals | Wisconsin–Stevens Point Simpson Hamline | W 83–45 W 51–43 L 41–45 | ||
First round | Northwest Missouri State | L 28–37 | ||
First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | St. Cloud State Houston Dakota Wesleyan Pepperdine Southern Illinois | W 62–51 W 62–43 W 55–34 W 56–43 L 48–49 | ||
First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | St. Francis (PA) BYU San Jose State Hamline Louisville | W 72–40 W 82–68 W 59–52 W 66–65 OT L 70–82 | ||
First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd-place game | Eastern New Mexico Loyola (MD) Emporia State Regis Beloit | W 60–42 W 78–5–8 W 67–66 L 45–48 2OT L 59–67 | ||
First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game | Delta State Arkansas Tech Baldwin–Wallace Tampa East Central State (OK) | W 65–59 W 87–79 W 61–39 W 73–69 W 61–57 | ||
First round Second round | Farleigh Dickinson Southwest Missouri State | W 79–72 L 64–82 | ||
First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd-place game | Midwestern State Arkansas Tech Findlay Southwest Missouri State East Texas State | W 100–76 W 100–81 W 106–70 L 78–84 W 74–71 | ||
First round | Geneva | L 82–88 | ||
First round Second round | Morningside Georgia Southern | W 87–67 L 70–73 | ||
First round | Winston-Salem | L 71–83 | ||
First round Second round | Parsons Carson-Newman | W 78–77 L 63–70 |
Coach Wally Marks' 1935–36 Sycamores gained national attention when they participated 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 the American sport of basketball. By earning the bid, the Sycamores joined a select group of college teams hand-picked by the Amateur Athletic Union, the U.S. governing organization.
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 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. Despite vaulting to a 10 - 0 lead, maintaining a 16 - 10 halftime advantage and outscoring the hosts from the field, Marks' cagers lost on a long shot in the waning moments of the game, 29 - 28.
First round Second round Third round | Miami (OH) Augustana (IL) DePaul | W 45–27 W 30–26 L 28–29 |
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. The Americans defeated the hosts, (57 - 51), for the gold medal.
Year | Home | Capacity | |
---|---|---|---|
1973–present | 10,200 | ||
1962–1973 | 4,800 | ||
1928–1962 | 3,000 | ||
1923–1928 | 1,600 | ||
1895–1923 | Indiana State Normal School North Hall[6] | unk |
See main article: List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers. Four Sycamore players have had their numbers retired by the school. Jerry Newsom is the latest, with his number 41 retired by the school on February 19, 2022.
Indiana State Sycamores retired numbers | |||||||||||
width=40px style="" | No. | width=150px style="" | Player | width=40px style="" | Pos. | width= px style="" | Tenure | width= px style="" | No. ret. | width= px style="" | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
22 | 1976–77, 1978–80 | 2019 | [7] | ||||||||
33 | 1976–79 | 2004 | [8] | ||||||||
44 | 1982–86 | 2024 | [9] | ||||||||
41 | 1964–68 | 2022 | [10] | ||||||||
54 | 1945–49 | 2004 | [11] |
In 1899, basketball became a Sycamore tradition; in the first official game, State defeated the Terre Haute YMCA by a score of 20–17; in 1999, to recognize the first century of intercollegiate basketball, a panel selected the following All-Century Team.
In addition, 'All-Decade' teams were selected for the following:
The rosters and more information can be found in the Winter 1999 (Volume 3, Number 1) issue of the 'Indiana State University Alumni Magazine.
1922–25 | Member of Akron Firestone Non-Skids (1928-1934), 1933 NBL Champion; MiLB career (1925-1928) | |
Les Reynolds | 1929–31 | All-American Guard |
1947–49 |
| |
1947–50 | All-American Forward; NAIB Player of the Year | |
1950–53 |
| |
1966–68 |
| |
1965–67 |
| |
1969–71 | All-CMU Forward, #6 career rbs, #14 career pts | |
1977–79 | 3-time All-American Forward; Consensus National Player of the Year, Basketball Hall of Fame NBA Forward | |
1977, 1979–80 | Guard, #7-T career pts, #8 career steals, NBA Guard | |
1983–86 | Forward, # 2 career pts, 4-time All-MVC, CBA & Foreign Leagues | |
1994–96 | Forward, #5 career rbs, 2-time All-MVC | |
1955–67 | ||
Total members | 13 |
---|
Only players selected for the conference first team are displayed; for second team and honorable mention, please consult the Indiana State Men's basketball media guide at www.gosycamores.com
Year | Player | |
---|---|---|
1943 | Bill Hitch | |
1946 | Ed Lash |
Year | Player | |
---|---|---|
1951 | Dick Atha | |
1951 | Cliff Murray | |
1952 | Rodger Adkins (MVP) | |
1952 | Sam Richardson | |
1952 | Dick Atha | |
1953 | Roger Adkins | |
1954 | Joe Lee | |
1956 | Sam Richardson | |
1958 | Jim Bates | |
1961 | Howard Dardeen | |
1962 | Howard Dardeen | |
1964 | Wayne Allison | |
1965 | Butch Wade | |
1966 | Jerry Newsom | |
1966 | Butch Wade | |
1967 | Jerry Newsom | |
1967 | Butch Wade (MVP) | |
1968 | Jerry Newsom (MVP) |
Year | Player | |
---|---|---|
1971 | George Pillow | |
1971 | Bob Barker | |
1972 | Dan Bush |
Year | Player | |
---|---|---|
1978 | Larry Bird (MVP) | |
1979 | Larry Bird (MVP) | |
1979 | Carl Nicks | |
1980 | Carl Nicks | |
1985 | John Sherman Williams | |
1986 | John Sherman Williams | |
1998 | Jayson Wells | |
2000 | Nate Green (MVP) | |
2001 | Matt Renn | |
2013 | Jake Odum | |
2014 | Jake Odum | |
2020 | Tyreke Key | |
2021 | Tyreke Key | |
2024 | Robbie Avila |
See also: Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball statistical leaders.
Name | Points | |
---|---|---|
Larry Bird | 2,850 | |
John Sherman Williams | 2,374 | |
Jerry Newsom | 2,147 | |
Brenton Scott | 1,760 | |
Butch Wade | 1,672 | |
Tyreke Key | 1,650 | |
Jake Odum | 1,568 | |
David Moss | 1,562 | |
Jordan Barnes | 1,558 | |
Eddie Bird | 1,555 | |
Duane Klueh | 1,432 | |
Carl Nicks | 1,432 | |
Rick Williams | 1,351 | |
Matt Renn | 1,347 | |
Cooper Neese | 1,332 |
Name | Points | |
---|---|---|
Michael Menser | 283 | |
Jordan Barnes | 271 | |
Brenton Scott | 270 | |
Jordan Printy | 215 | |
Cooper Neese | 203 | |
Eddie Bird | 161 | |
Travis Inman | 154 | |
Tyreke Key | 153 | |
Chad Adkins | 149 | |
Aaron Carter | 133 | |
Greg Thomas | 130 | |
Marcus Howard | 125 | |
Marico Stinson | 125 | |
Gabe Moore | 120 | |
Rashad Reed | 118 |
Name | Rebounds | |
---|---|---|
Larry Bird | 1,247 | |
Jerry Newsom | 953 | |
DeCarsta Webster | 862 | |
Matt Renn | 789 | |
Jim Cruse | 771 | |
George Pillow | 731 | |
Carl Richard | 709 | |
Djibril Kante | 676 | |
Rick Williams | 661 | |
John Sherman Williams | 629 | |
Brad Miley | 627 | |
Bob Barker | 620 | |
Jay Tunnell | 610 | |
Rich Mason | 581 | |
David Moss | 570 |
Name | Assists |
---|---|
Steve Reed | 616 |
Jake Odum | 602 |
Rick Fields | 551 |
Jimmy Smith | 517 |
Nate Green | 496 |
Gabe Moore | 444 |
Larry Bird | 435 |
Michael Menser | 426 |
Jordan Barnes | 383 |
Nick Hargrove | 369 |
Julian Larry | 357 |
David Moss | 350 |
Greg Thomas | 331 |
Steve Phillips | 328 |
Devonte Brown | 284 |
Name | Steals | |
---|---|---|
Larry Bird | 240 | |
Nate Green | 240 | |
Gabe Moore | 203 | |
Jake Odum | 202 | |
Michael Menser | 188 | |
Brenton Scott | 173 | |
Matt Renn | 165 | |
Julian Larry | 158 | |
Rick Fields | 149 | |
Jordan Barnes | 138 | |
David Moss | 133 | |
Carl Nicks | 128 | |
Marcus Howard | 125 | |
Nick Hargrove | 118 | |
Devonte Brown | 113 |
Name | Blocks | |
---|---|---|
DeCarsta Webster | 168 | |
Isiah Martin | 136 | |
Djibril Kante | 127 | |
Emondre Rickman | 116 | |
Nate Green | 109 | |
Justin Gant | 96 | |
Jayson Wells | 94 | |
Larry Bird | 83 | |
Alex Gilbert | 75 | |
John Sherman Williams | 72 | |
Jake Kitchell | 70 | |
Marcus Johnson | 66 | |
Myles Walker | 61 | |
Josh Crawford | 61 | |
Terry Braun | 53 |
The Sycamores have been led by 26 different Head Coaches through their history, the top 16 coaches; in terms of wins; are listed below.
Years | Coach (Alma Mater) | Wins | Losses | Pct. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1955–1967 | Duane Klueh (Indiana State) | 182 | 122 | .599 | |
2010-2021 | Greg Lansing (South Dakota) | 181 | 164 | ||
1997–2007 | Royce Waltman (Slippery Rock) | 134 | 164 | .450 | |
1938–1946 | Glenn M. Curtis (Indiana State) | 122 | 45 | .724 | |
1948–1954 | John Longfellow (Manchester) | 122 | 64 | .656 | |
1967–1974 | Gordon B. Stauffer (Michigan State) | 121 | 92 | .568 | |
1927–1931, 1933–1938 | Wally Marks (Chicago) | 91 | 59 | .607 | |
1978–1982 | Bill Hodges (Purdue / Marian, (Ind.) | 67 | 48 | .582 | |
2021-2024 | Josh Schertz (Fla. Atlantic) | 66 | 40 | .623 | |
1975–1978 | Bob King (Iowa) | 61 | 24 | .718 | |
1918–1923 | Birch Bayh (Indiana State) | 57 | 24 | .640 | |
1989–1994 | Tates Locke (Ohio Wesleyan) | 50 | 88 | .411 | |
1912–1917 | Alfred F. Westphal (Amherst) | 47 | 23 | .671 | |
1946–1948 | John Wooden (Purdue) | 44 | 15 | .746 | |
2007–2010 | Kevin McKenna (Creighton) | 43 | 52 | .453 | |
1982–1985 | Dave Schellhase (Purdue) | 37 | 48 | .435 | |
2024– | Matthew Graves (Butler) | 0 | 0 | .000 | |
31 seasons | 16 other coaches | 171 | 280 | .380 | |
1896–Present | PROGRAM TOTALs | 1,588 | 1,350 |
NBA Regular Draft
Year | Round | Pick | Overall | Player | Team | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 1 | 19 | 19 | Minnesota Timberwolves | ||
1983 | 3 | 5 | 52 | Boston Celtics | ||
1980 | 1 | 23 | 23 | Denver Nuggets | ||
1980 | 6 | 17 | 132 | Alex Gilbert | Milwaukee Bucks | |
1978 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Boston Celtics | ||
1978 | 6 | 9 | 129 | Harry Morgan | San Antonio Spurs | |
1968 | 6 | 10 | 74 | New York Knicks | ||
1968 | 19 | 2 | 209 | Chicago Bulls | ||
1967 | 7 | 5 | 72 | Boston Celtics | ||
1953 | 6 | – | 50 | New York Knicks | ||
1950 | 4 | 4 | 40 | Fort Wayne Pistons | ||
1949 | 8 | 1 | 39 | Providence Steam Rollers | ||
1949 | 8 | 1 | 38 | Boston Celtics |
NBDL Draft
Year | Round | Pick | Overall | Player | Team | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 7 | 13 | 113 | Dwayne Lathan[19] | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | |
2011 | 2 | 2 | 18 | Jake Kelly[20] | Texas Legends | |
2011 | 7 | 15 | 110 | Harry Marshall | Canton Charge |
ABA Draft
ABL Draft
[21] Fifteen former Sycamores have played in the NBA and its predecessors, the (NBL, the BAA), and the ABA. They are:
1955–56 – New York Knicks; 1957–1958 – Detroit Pistons
1984–1986 – New York Knicks; 1987–1989 – Los Angeles Clippers
1979–1992 – Boston Celtics
1933–1937 – Indianapolis Kautskys
1948-49 - Detroit Vagabond Kings[22] [23]
1975–1976 – Virginia Squires
1948–1949 – Boston Celtics
1946–1947 – Detroit Falcons
1949–1950 – Denver Nuggets; 1950–1951 – Fort Wayne Pistons
2022–present - Memphis Grizzlies
1936–1937 – Indianapolis Kautskys
1980–1982 – Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz; 1982–1983 – Cleveland Cavaliers
1946–1947 – Detroit Falcons
1946–1947 – Detroit Falcons
1949–1950 – Denver Nuggets
(1981, 1984, 1986) Boston Celtics
35+ Indiana State players have played in foreign leagues; DeCarsta Webster and Brad Miley both won titles in Iceland, David Moss, Jayson Wells, and Djibril Kante have each won multiple championships in European and South American leagues
Hall of Fame Sycamores
Thirty-two former Sycamores players and coaches have been inducted into various Halls of Fame; they are:
In addition to the Conference Hall of Fame; the MVC selected an All-Centennial Team in honor of the Conference's 100th Anniversary;the Sycamores had three players named to that team; Larry Bird, Carl Nicks and John Sherman Williams.
Source:[36]
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During the Quantum Leap episode, The Leap Home: Part 1 – November 25, 1969 (1990); the father of lead character Dr. Samuel Beckett (Scott Bakula) remarks that while "Sam will likely end up at Harvard, I know he's still hoping for a basketball scholarship from Indiana State."[37]