College basketball’s All-time Starting Five: Indiana Hoosiers
With March Madness right around the corner, The Dagger is picking an all-time starting five from some of college basketball’s most tradition-rich programs.
Our picks were based on a variety of factors, including stats, tourney success, All-America selections, and of course, our opinions.
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Next up: Indiana Hoosiers.
Who was considered from Indiana:
Scott May F, 1973-76 (17.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Calbert Cheaney F, 1989-1993 (19.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Isiah Thomas G, 1979-81 (15.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.4 apg)
Steve Alford G, 1983-87 (19.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Walt Bellamy C, 1958-61 (20.6 ppg, 15.5 rpg)
Don Schlundt C, 1951-55 (23.3 ppg, .768 fgp)
Kent Benson C, 1973-77 (15.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg)
George McGinnis F, 1970-71 (29.9 ppg, 14.7 rpg)
Quinn Buckner G, 1972-76 (10.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.5 apg)
A.J. Guyton G, 1996-2000 (16.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.1 apg)
• Feb. 10: Arizona
• Feb. 12: Georgetown
• Feb. 17: Louisville
• Feb. 19: UConn (women)
• Feb. 22: Indiana
• Feb. 24: Syracuse
• Feb. 26: Michigan St.
• Feb. 29: Kentucky
• March 2: UCLA
• March 4: UConn (men)
• March 7: Duke
• March 9: UNC
• March 11: Kansas
Indiana’s All-Time Starting Five
G — Isiah Thomas
A playmaker who loved creating shots for his teammates. He dished a single-season school-record 197 assists during his final season and also led the Hoosiers to the national championship that year. He was a two-time Big Ten champion and started every game he played at Indiana. He only stayed in the program for two seasons, choosing to turn pro after winning a title in 1981.
G — Steve Alford
He led the nation in free throw shooting, making 91 percent of his attempts as a freshman. His senior season was the first in college basketball with the 3-point shot. He set a record that season by making seven 3-pointers in a game twice, including in the national title game win over Syracuse. He shot 53 percent from behind the arc that season.
F — Scott May
The Hoosiers won four Big Ten titles and a national championship with May on the team. He was the 1976 player of the year on Indiana’s unbeaten team. He was unbeaten in conference play as a junior and a senior. He shot .513 in a career that included taking almost 1,300 field goal attempts.
F — Calbert Cheaney
Cheaney is the Big Ten’s career scoring leader with 2,613 points. He was a starter in his first game as a freshman, which was not an easy accomplishment under former coach Bob Knight. His smooth left-handed stroke made him a career .559 shooter and a .438 shooter from behind the 3-point line. The Hoosiers went 87-16 in his final three seasons and played in one Final Four.
C — Walt Bellamy
Bellamy’s rebounding prowess was extraordinary. He averaged 15.5 rebounds per game in his career, and had almost 18 per as a senior. He was a three-time team MVP and finished his career by grabbing 33 rebounds and scoring 28 points in a win over Michigan. He went on to win a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics and was the first Hoosier taken No. 1 in the NBA draft.
Toughest omissions: McGinnis only played one season at Indiana but it might have been the single best season by any player in school history from a statistical standpoint. He averaged 30 points and 15 rebounds. Schlundt was the program’s career scoring leader for 32 years and won a national title. If you wanted to take Alford’s shooting out of the lineup to get a bigger body in, take your pick between McGinnis and Schlundt.
That’s the five we’re going with. Who would you take?
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