Joby Wright - A Look Back

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Wouldn't ordinarily start a thread just because it's his birthday, but this is a nice story about Joby and his post-IU career.

https://indianahq.com/joby-wright/

[HoosierCoop]

The first time I saw Joby Wright in person was at Bob Knight's basketball camp in '85.  That dude was massive and intimidating.  He commanded attention and respect.  We need more Joby Wright's.  At a young age, they were recruiting Chris Lawson who was in 8th grade at that time.  Those camps were a big part of my childhood and I think they are greatly missed in these modern times.

[LamarCheeks]

5 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Wouldn't ordinarily start a thread just because it's his birthday, but this is a nice story about Joby and his post-IU career.

https://indianahq.com/joby-wright/

When I first saw this new thread, my heart sank a little -- I thought I was gonna open it to see that Joby had passed away ... I was at IU when he left for Miami-Ohio. I knew he then went to Wyoming, but I never heard what happened to him after that. ... Glad to hear he's doing well. ... Happy Birthday, Joby ... Thanks for posting, Old Fart. 

[pumpfake]

An all time Hoosier great.

I remember driving back to Indy after a game at AH back in the late 1980's and we were passed by Joby.  He was driving a small, compact car and it was comical how he looked shoe-horned into the thing.

[Honkyman]

Joby Wright was a part of arguably the most talented front line in IU history during the 1970-71 season: George McGinnis and Joby Wright at forwards and Steve Downing at center.  Coach Lou Watson couldn't handle all that talent and the team under-achieved resulting in Watson's dismissal and the hiring of Bobby Knight. In two seasons, Knight took IU to the Final Four, though without McGinnis who signed with the Pacers after one season at IU (leading the Big Ten in both scoring and rebounding) and Joby Wright who played for Knight for just one season before graduating. In those days, freshman were ineligible to play varsity. Otherwise, Joby Wright's statistics would be even better. Wright was a high school All American out of Savannah, Georgia--athletic and smooth.  IU landed another All American from Wright's high school--6'4" guard Ed Daniels. But Daniels transferred after Knight was hired. I don't know how Lou Watson was able to bring two high school All Americans from Georgia to Bloomington, Indiana. If Knight had been able to coach all three--McGinnis, Wright, and Downing at once, he might have won his first national championship before the 1975-76 undefeated team.

[OGIUAndy]

On 9/5/2019 at 10:17 AM, HoosierCoop said:

The first time I saw Joby Wright in person was at Bob Knight's basketball camp in '85.  That dude was massive and intimidating.  He commanded attention and respect.  We need more Joby Wright's.  At a young age, they were recruiting Chris Lawson who was in 8th grade at that time.  Those camps were a big part of my childhood and I think they are greatly missed in these modern times.

I went to camp there a couple of times around the same years. I got sick maybe the second day there? and came to camp a few minutes late and Wright screamed at me in front of everyone about being late. Unbeknownst to him I wasn't going to camp at all, but straight to  the infirmary, where I was diagnosed with strep throat and got a huge shot in my butt. That shot was a miracle drug I swear. I was up and at 'em the next day. Needless to say, Wright was scary, and similar to Knight, would not do well with today's kids/parents. 

[323SGrant]

I went to camp there a couple of times around the same years. I got sick maybe the second day there? and came to camp a few minutes late and Wright screamed at me in front of everyone about being late. Unbeknownst to him I wasn't going to camp at all, but straight to  the infirmary, where I was diagnosed with strep throat and got a huge shot in my butt. That shot was a miracle drug I swear. I was up and at 'em the next day. Needless to say, Wright was scary, and similar to Knight, would not do well with today's kids/parents. 
[/quote
Joby is a good dude.


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[HoosierCoop]

On 9/6/2019 at 5:22 PM, OGIUAndy said:

I went to camp there a couple of times around the same years. I got sick maybe the second day there? and came to camp a few minutes late and Wright screamed at me in front of everyone about being late. Unbeknownst to him I wasn't going to camp at all, but straight to  the infirmary, where I was diagnosed with strep throat and got a huge shot in my butt. That shot was a miracle drug I swear. I was up and at 'em the next day. Needless to say, Wright was scary, and similar to Knight, would not do well with today's kids/parents. 

One final memory on this, Wright used to do announcements at the beginning of every night session and he was always looking for the same two kids:  Scott O' Malley and his roommate Frank.  Nobody stepped up the first night and everyone knew that they were in deep s***.  All these years and I never forgot those two kids and what in the world they got in to.