Favorite All-Time Hoosier Basketball Player

[The Baby Bull]

George McGinnis. AKA “The Baby Bull !”

[woodenshoemanHoosierfan]

This post probably doesn't belong in this thread, but it does co cern a past player.
About 10 or so years ago, our local paper, The Effingham Daily News, published a book on the history of Effingham County High School Boys Basketball. In the chapter on Effingham High School, the author talks about how Uwe Blab came to Effingham and the reaction of area coaches. I thought I would share

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[HoosierHoopster]

Kind of strikes me that I think only 1 person in this thread has said I Thomas. Maybe it’s an age thing. 
 

I was just a high schooler when Thomas lead us to that NC but damn that guy was one of the best point guards ever, absolutely incredible, and definitely a smiling assassin, fearless, almost impossible to stop, killing you while smiling.

That’s my favorite kind of player (along with 2-way players grnerally) so for me, Thomas and Vic

And Vic also bc my kid got to go one on one with him at a Crean camp, as a middle school player, and Vic literally jumped over and dunked on him in one motion. Lol

[DChoosier]

30 minutes ago, woodenshoemanHoosierfan said:

This post probably doesn't belong in this thread, but it does co cern a past player.
About 10 or so years ago, our local paper, The Effingham Daily News, published a book on the history of Effingham County High School Boys Basketball. In the chapter on Effingham High School, the author talks about how Uwe Blab came to Effingham and the reaction of area coaches. I thought I would share
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 

Thanks for the article which also mentions Uwe’s problem catching. I remember when he came to IU and he would post up but couldn’t catch a bounce pass if his life depended on it.  He really worked and improved going from 7ppg as a freshman to 16 as a senior and a first round draft pick.

[Hardwood83]

On 12/20/2020 at 9:47 AM, Honkyman said:

George McGinnis--a man among boys. Led the Big Ten in Scoring (30 pg) and rebounding (14.7 pg) his only season at IU. The most talented player to ever wear an IU uniform.  

Was before I was born, but those are amazing numbers. Imagine if he would have stayed around a couple years under RMK!
 

Appears I am the first to say Alford. His last couple seasons are when I started following IU basketball.  

He just embodied Indiana basketball. Too bad he didn't have the 3pt shot his whole career! 

Loved him as a player but am thrilled he's NOT the coach, btw. 

I am SHOCKED no one has said Cody yet. 

[DChoosier]

I was at IU a gazillion years ago, and have too many favorite players to mention, but it’s interesting how Alan Henderson falls through the cracks.  I realize it’s primarily because he was not on a team that won a natty (we would have beaten Kansas and won it all if he had not been injured) but his career stats are absolutely crazy:

7th all time IU scorer

1st all time IU in rebounds

5th all time in steals (he is the only big man in the top ten in steals)

2nd all time in blocks

Quite a career.  

[Honkyman]

Hardwood83: Appears I am the first to say Alford

________

I lived in Bloomington from 1978 through 1987, so I was able to watch 2 national championship teams ( '81 & '87) with regularity. What impressed me most about Alford--aside from his unbelievable shooting ability--was his maturity even as a freshman. He had great game judgment--better than almost any IU player since. I was a student from 1967-1971 so IU basketball was a mixed bag then. But Vernon Payne, who was All Conference, was as good a point guard as IU has ever had besides Isiah Thomas and Quinn Buckner. George McGinnis, who just played one year (1970-71) was the most talented player to put on an IU uniform. He was like LaBron James--a man among boys. That 1971 team's front line had three high school All Americans-- McGinnis, Steve Downing and Joby Wright. Too bad the coaching was so poor. Yes, even McGinnis acknowledges he would have benefited from a year playing under Bobby Knight.

[GloryDays]

I'm having a hard time with this one.

LOL

[IU Scott]

3 hours ago, HoosierHoopster said:

Kind of strikes me that I think only 1 person in this thread has said I Thomas. Maybe it’s an age thing. 
 

I was just a high schooler when Thomas lead us to that NC but damn that guy was one of the best point guards ever, absolutely incredible, and definitely a smiling assassin, fearless, almost impossible to stop, killing you while smiling.

That’s my favorite kind of player (along with 2-way players grnerally) so for me, Thomas and Vic

And Vic also bc my kid got to go one on one with him at a Crean camp, as a middle school player, and Vic literally jumped over and dunked on him in one motion. Lol

I was 10 bit remember that IT just took over the UNC game in the second half.  I have a at her all the tournament games on YouTube from 81.  When that team got rolling it was one of the best teams I remember.  My favorite players are probably Alford and IT

[Dave from Dayton]

Arrived on Bloomington campus fall of '69.  Blown away by the athleticism of Big George McGinnis and his entourage...Joby Wright...etc.  I was young and impressionable.  Left college and joined the U.S.Navy and succeeded in not going to 'Nam. Came back after 4 years...fall of '75.  Bobby Knight and the team...are you kidding me?!! Kent Benson, The MIghty Quinn Buckner, Scottie (Mr. Smooth) May, Bobby Wilkerson...etc.!!!  I. Thomas (I have to agree with Hoosier Hoopster posting above Isiah Thomas is a good pick for favorite)..Steve Alford...  Dean Garrett...Landon Turner...Keith 'The Shot' Smart......  Calbert Cheaney...Jared Jefferson...Victor Oladipo...  Just too numerous to choose just one GOAT...and I left out far too many great IU players.

But...McGinnis was a once-in-a-lifetime player...phenomenal!  And Isiah Thomas is the best PG I have ever seen. It would be difficult to choose between Cheaney and May...leaning toward Cheaney...but the National Champion undefeated team in the year I graduated IU-B and got married (still married after 44 years) implies May.

But my all time favorite...because of charisma, smile, and vertical leap.....A. J. Moye!  A. J. Moye!  A.J. Moye!  Leaps tall buildings in a single bound!  Did you see his block on Boozer in IU's upset against Duke in the '02 NCAAT?!!! (Took my family to the game at Rupp...wowee!)

 

[GloryDays]

1 hour ago, Dave from Dayton said:

Arrived on Bloomington campus fall of '69.  Blown away by the athleticism of Big George McGinnis and his entourage...Joby Wright...etc.  I was young and impressionable.  Left college and joined the U.S.Navy and succeeded in not going to 'Nam. Came back after 4 years...fall of '75.  Bobby Knight and the team...are you kidding me?!! Kent Benson, The MIghty Quinn Buckner, Scottie (Mr. Smooth) May, Bobby Wilkerson...etc.!!!  I. Thomas (I have to agree with Hoosier Hoopster posting above Isiah Thomas is a good pick for favorite)..Steve Alford...  Dean Garrett...Landon Turner...Keith 'The Shot' Smart......  Calbert Cheaney...Jared Jefferson...Victor Oladipo...  Just too numerous to choose just one GOAT...and I left out far too many great IU players.

But...McGinnis was a once-in-a-lifetime player...phenomenal!  And Isiah Thomas is the best PG I have ever seen. It would be difficult to choose between Cheaney and May...leaning toward Cheaney...but the National Champion undefeated team in the year I graduated IU-B and got married (still married after 44 years) implies May.

But my all time favorite...because of charisma, smile, and vertical leap.....A. J. Moye!  A. J. Moye!  A.J. Moye!  Leaps tall buildings in a single bound!  Did you see his block on Boozer in IU's upset against Duke in the '02 NCAAT?!!! (Took my family to the game at Rupp...wowee!)

 

Loved that kid.

6'3'' and taking on power forwards.

[pumpfake]

15 hours ago, DChoosier said:

Thanks for the article which also mentions Uwe’s problem catching. I remember when he came to IU and he would post up but couldn’t catch a bounce pass if his life depended on it.  He really worked and improved going from 7ppg as a freshman to 16 as a senior and a first round draft pick.

Going from memory here but I recall channel 4 broadcasting an intersquad game, possibly in Alford's freshman season.  Anyway Uwe was open under the bucket and Steve rifled a no-look pass to him - smacked him right in the puss (face, lol).

On one of the old forums somewhere there was a poster with the user name: "Hands of Blab". 

I may have responded previously in this thread, but a guy that rarely gets mentioned who was a solid contributor was Jim Thomas.

[rayl456]

Pretty easy for me.  Out of all the great players to pass through IU, THE first player to capture my imagination as a kid was The Splendid Splinter...Jimmy Rayl.   :)

[HoosierHoopster]

22 hours ago, Honkyman said:

Hardwood83: Appears I am the first to say Alford

________

I lived in Bloomington from 1978 through 1987, so I was able to watch 2 national championship teams ( '81 & '87) with regularity. What impressed me most about Alford--aside from his unbelievable shooting ability--was his maturity even as a freshman. He had great game judgment--better than almost any IU player since. I was a student from 1967-1971 so IU basketball was a mixed bag then. But Vernon Payne, who was All Conference, was as good a point guard as IU has ever had besides Isiah Thomas and Quinn Buckner. George McGinnis, who just played one year (1970-71) was the most talented player to put on an IU uniform. He was like LaBron James--a man among boys. That 1971 team's front line had three high school All Americans-- McGinnis, Steve Downing and Joby Wright. Too bad the coaching was so poor. Yes, even McGinnis acknowledges he would have benefited from a year playing under Bobby Knight.

Pretty wild timeline - i lived in Btown from ‘76 - ‘88, so 3 NC’s and the ‘87 as a junior at IU

we didn’t know how good we had it 

[HoosierTrav]

I was born in 1986 and my first exposure to Indiana Basketball was the 1992 Indiana Hoosiers. My favorite IU player(s) were Calbert Cheaney and AJ Guyton. 
 

my favorite player since these guys has been Yogi Ferrell, hands down. I still to this day think IU fans took him for granted. He was so damn good. 
 

I’ll never forget the game we got beat by Louisville in Madison square garden. Yogi beat their full court pressure by himself the first few possessions, then the rest of the game, Pitino instructed his players to face guard him on the inbounds but IMMEDIATELY turn and sprint to the other end of the floor as soon as the ball touched Yogi’s hands. Talk about the ultimate respect. 

[ebridges24]

1a) Calbert    because it's Calbert

1b) Damon    because it's Damon

1c) Ray Tolbert  he was as tough as they come

[Honkyman]

1a) George McGinnis--because he did what no other IU player has done averaging 30 points and 15 rebounds per game;

1b) Isaiah Thomas--because he was the best point guard in IU history and led the 1981 team to a National Championship;

1c) Steve Alford--because he was the best pure shooter in IU history and led the 1987 team to a National Championship;

1d) Scott May because he was the NCAA National Player of the Year and led the 1976 team to an undefeated season & a National Championship. 

[darB s'tI]

A little bit of a dark horse here considering the guys he played with, but man I LOVED watching Greg Graham play. He was on a spectacular roster. The 91-92 team is still my all time favorite. I'm 43 so '87 was a bit too early for me. I remember watching it, but I was 9.

 

https://iuhoosiers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/1991-92

[Demo]

10 minutes ago, IU-DL said:

A little bit of a dark horse here considering the guys he played with, but man I LOVED watching Greg Graham play. He was on a spectacular roster. The 91-92 team is still my all time favorite. I'm 43 so '87 was a bit too early for me. I remember watching it, but I was 9.

 

https://iuhoosiers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/1991-92

1st time I saw Graham was at the Marion County tournament at Southport his Sr yr. He makes a steal at half court and goes in alone. I’m expecting a conventional dunk. He goes off 2 feet,  tomahawks it back with both hands until it’s touching his neck, gets his head within a couple of inches of the rim and freaking flushes it. No one had ever told me he was that explosive. It was shocking. 

[go iu bb]

50 minutes ago, IU-DL said:

A little bit of a dark horse here considering the guys he played with, but man I LOVED watching Greg Graham play. He was on a spectacular roster. The 91-92 team is still my all time favorite. I'm 43 so '87 was a bit too early for me. I remember watching it, but I was 9.

 

https://iuhoosiers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/1991-92

I'm the same age as you and Graham was my favorite player. Those early '90s teams are my favorite IU teams, although the 92-93 team is probably my favorite of them. They were so good before Henderson's injury.

I vaguely recall the run in '87. I don't remember any specifics, more just that I watched the tournament games and remember the excitement around the run.