Analysis: Who would be on your Indiana University basketball equivalent of Mount Rushmore?

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Players only . I would only ask Victor Oladipo in replacement on Mr Schlundt. Vic is a huge ambassador for Hoosier basketball..

Knight, McCracken, I. Thomas, Alford, Oladipo

This is an interesting one for me. Coming from New Jersey and not growing up a fan of IU basketball, I don't qualify myself as a historian of the program, yet. Though I was a huge college basketball fan and always thought of IU as a blue blood.

The four players I could've named before becoming a huge fan would be: Isaiah Thomas, Steve Alford, Eric Gordon and DJ White. The last two obviously don't belong, but for casual fans my age they along with Victor Oladipo, Zeller, and Jared Jeffries are who we associate with IU in this era.

Now that I'm a bit more well-versed in Hoosier history I think Scott May and Calbert Cheaney absolutely have to be on Mt. Rushmore.

Cheaney, May, Oladipo, Thomas.
Cheaney and May are the two obvious ones, and Oladipo because I loved watching him play. I also think he really does a lot for the program. Thomas because he was a great player at Indiana, but also a phenomenal player in the NBA.

Clearly this will be a generational related topic as to just how old we are and who we actually saw as players.   Seems like Walt Bellamy should be considered but I don't know who I'd feel compelled to omit from Terry's list of players only.  Probably Thomas if forced to drop 1 name.

Can my Mount Rushmore have 20 heads???

Knight, Cheaney, Alford, Thomas

Others close, May, Zeller, VO, Benson, Bellamy, McGinnis, Guyton, Schlundt

Players only . I would only ass Victor Oladipo in replacement on Mr Schlundt. Vic is a huge ambassador for Hoosier basketball..

Knight, McCracken, I. Thomas, Alford, Oladipo

 

I'm a big Oladipo fan but sorry, in the history of IU basketball, there's no way he could be one of the four faces in my opinion.

 

While he may be a great face (as an ambassador) for Indiana basketball, I don't think he's a face on that mountain.

 

If you don't want Schlundt, that's fine. But man, there are a lot of other really good candidates.

 

Now, if we were talking a contemporary Mount Rushmore, say from 2000 on, then he's a no brainer.

 

Thanks for participating.

This is an interesting one for me. Coming from New Jersey and not growing up a fan of IU basketball, I don't qualify myself as a historian of the program, yet. Though I was a huge college basketball fan and always thought of IU as a blue blood.

The four players I could've named before becoming a huge fan would be: Isaiah Thomas, Steve Alford, Eric Gordon and DJ White. The last two obviously don't belong, but for casual fans my age they along with Victor Oladipo, Zeller, and Jared Jeffries are who we associate with IU in this era.

Now that I'm a bit more well-versed in Hoosier history I think Scott May and Calbert Cheaney absolutely have to be on Mt. Rushmore.

 

So my question for you is what do you with Bob Knight and Branch McCracken? Or do you just make it a players-only mountain?

So many to choose from.

Cheaney, May, Oladipo, Thomas.
Cheaney and May are the two obvious ones, and Oladipo because I loved watching him play. I also think he really does a lot for the program. Thomas because he was a great player at Indiana, but also a phenomenal player in the NBA.

 

Vic is one of my favorite all-time Indiana basketball players in terms of athleticism, on and off the court personality, work ethic, etc.... 

 

But my opinion is there's no way he could be in a Mount Rushmore conversation. How do you put him ahead of some of IU's all-time great players?

So my question for you is what do you with Bob Knight and Branch McCracken? Or do you just make it a players-only mountain?

That would be for my players only mountain. I think if we are including coaches its got to be: 

 

Knight, McCracken, Cheaney, and Scott May. I think had May not gone down, we would have the '75 banner hanging.

 

You've made it interesting bringing Schlundt into the picture though. He certainly belongs with those accolades, but since he's not well known I would say I have some reservations putting him on the list. I think of Mt. Rushmore as a symbol of people who have done the most for the program and that includes visibility. In that regard, Alford and Thomas are ahead of Shlundt, even though on paper Schlundt may have had a more impressive career 

Zeller is the only player from the Crean era that could really even be considered. And I would say no. If Christian hadn't fallen off a cliff his senior year maybe he could get some consideration too but even then I would say no.

Cheaney and Alford are 2 I'm certain of. I'll admit I don't the teams pre bob knight very well. But I would lean to May and Thomas

Clearly this will be a generational related topic as to just how old we are and who we actually saw as players.   Seems like Walt Bellamy should be considered but I don't know who I'd feel compelled to omit from Terry's list of players only.  Probably Thomas if forced to drop 1 name.

 

Bellamy was another great one from that late 50's/early 60's era. But you're right it's going to be a generational conversation. It's hard for people that never saw players like Don Schlundt, Wally Bellamy, Archie Dees and Jimmy Rayl to have a true appreciation for how good those guys were. 

 

I asked a former player to give me a  list of his top 25 all-time IU basketball players for a book I wrote and he told me he couldn't put guys like Schlundt and Rayl on the list because he had never seen them play. While I understand the sentiment, I just don't think you could do this properly without considering those guys.

 

This is probably why, back in 2000, when IU decided to name an all-century team it came up with 15 players. Just easier that way.

Can my Mount Rushmore have 20 heads???

Knight, Cheaney, Alford, Thomas

Others close, May, Zeller, VO, Benson, Bellamy, McGinnis, Guyton, Schlundt

 

Now that would be SOME mountain.

 

It would probably have to be a mountain range.

You guys are forgetting a major contender for the "players or non-players" side of the mountain:

 

Don Fischer.

 

I had actually thought of Fish when I was doing this and you're absolutely right.

 

The problem with Fischer is his head would be too big and take up most of the mountain.  :laugh:

Now I can say that because Fish is one of my best friends at IU and frankly, I can't wait until that comment gets back to him.

So many to choose from.

 

But that's another reason why I like the exercise. 

 

If it were cut and dry and an easy decision, how much fun would that be?

Yes Cody did bring back the program and clearly that is about it unless I'm forgetting something else major here.

For me it is simple. Knight, McCracken, Fischer, and Cheaney. Those 4 ARE Indiana basketball.

 

That would be for my players only mountain. I think if we are including coaches its got to be: 

 

Knight, McCracken, Cheaney, and Scott May. I think had May not gone down, we would have the '75 banner hanging.

 

You've made it interesting bringing Schlundt into the picture though. He certainly belongs with those accolades, but since he's not well known I would say I have some reservations putting him on the list. I think of Mt. Rushmore as a symbol of people who have done the most for the program and that includes visibility. In that regard, Alford and Thomas are ahead of Shlundt, even though on paper Schlundt may have had a more impressive career 

 

 

I think visibility is a whole different animal though.

 

Again, it's a generational thing but who are the guys you think about and what are some of the images that come into your mind when you think IU basketball.....

 

1. Keith Smart's shot to win it in '87

2. The Wat shot against Kentucky

3. Tom Coverdale lifting Kirk Haston off the ground after he hits the buzzer beater to knock off No. 1 Michigan State.

4. A.J. Moye blocking Carlos Boozer in the 2002 Sweet Sixteen will always make my list.

 

I think all those guys helped advance the visibility of the program. 

 

But on my own Mount Rushmore, I want the best of the best.

 

Here's a quick sidebar on Don Schlundt though....

 

Don Schlundt holds the IU school record for free throw attempts with 1,076.

 

Alan Henderson is second with 692. That means that Schlundt took 384 more free throws than anyone in IU history.

 

Schlundt also holds the school record for made free throws with 826.

 

Alford is second at 535. So Schlundt made nearly 300 more free throws than anyone in IU history.

 

To me those are staggering statistics.

 

And here's one more, Schlundt is the fastest player in IU history to reach the 1,000 point barrier. He did it in 43 games. That's 10 games faster than Calbert Cheaney. It's four games faster than anyone else in IU history.