The Most Underrated Winning Players in IUBB History

[AZ Hoosier 7,330]

1 hour ago, steubenhoosier said:

Wayne Redford. First Indianapolis recruit by RMK. Had a few shining moments in the Buckner/May/Benson et al era. Really blossomed in the 2 years following the undefeated season. Upset MSU when Magic was a freshman and outscored him 23-21 while guarding him much of the game 

Is he Robert's brother? :D (it's Radford)

And if you're gonna list him for one game against talent, then you have to include DD for his work on Mike in the NCAAs that year.

[bigrod 2,871]

I always thought Eric Anderson never really got the credit he deserved. He was he did make all big ten in 91, so l guess maybe he was more appreciated than I remember. He was just a tough, steady, player who did all the little things to help the team win. 

[IUFAN1976 3,248]

38 minutes ago, AZ Hoosier said:

Is he Robert's brother? :D (it's Radford)

And if you're gonna list him for one game against talent, then you have to include DD for his work on Mike in the NCAAs that year.

I wanted to mention DD but there seems to be a lot of backlash and discontent when he is mentioned on this board!  But I do agree!

[steubenhoosier 883]

45 minutes ago, AZ Hoosier said:

Is he Robert's brother? :D (it's Radford)

And if you're gonna list him for one game against talent, then you have to include DD for his work on Mike in the NCAAs that year.

Try looking at his senior season before you post like an a**hole 

[IUFAN1976 3,248]

10 hours ago, hoosierdogg said:

Jim Thomas, the other Thomas on that 1981 NC team.  Sixth man that stepped up in that natty game when Kitchell had early foul issues.  JT was the best rebounding guard to play at IU.  Led the team in rebounds his junior and senior years even with Blab, Bouchie, Kitchell and Wittnam on those teams.  Played on three Big Ten champion teams and one second place finish.  

I know Kitchell and Whitman played important roles on that team and Isiah was the engineer but I feel they won in 1981 because of Jim Thomas and Landon Turner’s great improvement throughout the year!

[HoosierHoopster 7,042]

39 minutes ago, IUFAN1976 said:

I wanted to mention DD but there seems to be a lot of backlash and discontent when he is mentioned on this board!  But I do agree!

I mean, in his mind MJ is scared of him….

[IUHoosierJoe 1,167]

57 minutes ago, bigrod said:

I always thought Eric Anderson never really got the credit he deserved. He was he did make all big ten in 91, so l guess maybe he was more appreciated than I remember. He was just a tough, steady, player who did all the little things to help the team win. 

Agree on Anderson.  And the 91-92 team he was a part of has always seemed under-appreciated to me, even though they made the Final Four.  They had the Big 10 title stolen from them by the officials in a late-season game at Purdue, then, of course, TV Ted stole a National Championship from them in the Duke game.  I will always believe they were the best team in the country that year.

[LamarCheeks 19,061]

1 hour ago, IUFAN1976 said:

I wanted to mention DD but there seems to be a lot of backlash and discontent when he is mentioned on this board!  

The Achilles injury did him in! 
LOL! 

[IUFAN1976 3,248]

1 hour ago, HoosierHoopster said:

I mean, in his mind MJ is scared of him….

I think that sounds logical!  DD is and looks like a real scary dude!  He makes Michael Myers and Freddy Kruger look like Girl Scouts, lol!!!

[IUFAN1976 3,248]

34 minutes ago, LamarCheeks said:

The Achilles injury did him in! 
LOL! 

Imagine seeing a facepalm emoji!!!

[cthomas 6,488]

This is a really good thread. Not many wrong choices. I'm going with Jim Crews because if he didn't tip that missed shot back inbounds, we weren't undefeated that year. I watched it in real time and thought it was incredible. For all the accolades the 76 team gets, the 75 team was better before the May injury. 

[IUFAN1976 3,248]

31 minutes ago, cthomas said:

This is a really good thread. Not many wrong choices. I'm going with Jim Crews because if he didn't tip that missed shot back inbounds, we weren't undefeated that year. I watched it in real time and thought it was incredible. For all the accolades the 76 team gets, the 75 team was better before the May injury. 

I agree!!!

[HoosierHoopster 7,042]

1 hour ago, IUFAN1976 said:

I think that sounds logical!  DD is and looks like a real scary dude!  He makes Michael Myers and Freddy Kruger look like Girl Scouts, lol!!!

That’s it, I’m going as Dakich on Halloween 

[RaceToTheTop 25,922]

I don't care how much hate I get for this.....Neil Reed.  Dude was tough as nails when he was on the court for IU and was a three year starter under Knight before he transferred.  

Some people blame him for events that led to Knight's firing (I 100% don't blame anything Reed did) and it has clouded their memory of the way he played.

[Alford Bailey 12,387]

Brian Evans

[AZ Hoosier 7,330]

Brian "Sloan Screen 45" Sloan

[str8baller 5,315]

On 10/26/2024 at 12:16 AM, RaceToTheTop said:

I don't care how much hate I get for this.....Neil Reed.  Dude was tough as nails when he was on the court for IU and was a three year starter under Knight before he transferred.  

Some people blame him for events that led to Knight's firing (I 100% don't blame anything Reed did) and it has clouded their memory of the way he played.

I would disagree mainly because those teams weren’t very good and didn’t win much. Not entirely his fault but he was one of many “square pegs in a round hole” on those teams. It’s pretty easy to pinpoint the era where knight stepped back from recruiting. 
 

A team with an upperclassman frontcourt of Evans and Henderson should never have been as mediocre as they were. And it was almost entirely due to their laughable backcourt. Reed, Miller, Hermon (started 6 games…lol), Hart….jeebus. Reed was only a frosh and probably the best of the bunch but I never felt he was contributing to winning a whole lot. At least not more than anyone else. 

[MikeRoberts 7,030]

Eric Suhr always seemed to make the right plays when he was out there. Definitely a Charlie hustle type but I always felt comfortable with him out their even though he was an undersized walk on

[HoosierCoop 3,927]

Reynolds

Pesky on D

Ran the point transition to a T

Knew where to place the ball for his scorers

[IUFAN1976 3,248]

I actually want to put Stew Robinson and Winston Morgan on this list too but that 1985 was a disappointment for both.