The All-TIme Indiana Basketball Starting 5
By Carter Owen
Despite a lack of recent success, the Indiana Hoosiers will always be one of the most storied programs in all of men's college basketball. IU claimed national titles in 1940 and 1953 before legendary coach Bob Knight led them to three more in 1976, 1981, and 1987, with a long list of great players passing through Bloomington and making their mark. That makes picking an all-time starting lineup no easy task, but we're taking it on with all the intensity of Coach Knight.
1. Center: Kent Benson
One of only three IU players to be a consensus First Team All-American twice, Kent Benson was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player after Bobby Knight's Hoosiers won the 1976 national title. Additionally, he was an Academic All-American in 1976 and again in '77. To this day, he's still ninth all-time in scoring at Indiana and third in rebounding.
2. Forward: Scott May
Forward Scott May won three Big Ten titles and a national championship while playing at Indiana, and as a junior and senior, he did not lose a single regular season game. May averaged 23.5 points and 7.7 rebounds his senior year en route to being named 1975-76 National Player of the Year. One of just three Indiana players to be named Big Ten Player of the Year two times, he was drafted No. 2 overall by the Chicago Bulls in 1976 and played seven seasons in the NBA.
3. Forward: Calbert Cheaney
No Hoosier has ever scored more points than Calbert Cheaney's 2,613. Named an All-American in three different seasons, the talented wing was 1993's consensus National Player of the Year and went on to be a lottery pick by the Washington Bullets. The best part? As a native of Evansville, he's Indiana born and raised.
4. Guard: Steve Alford
Steve Alford was twice named First Team All American and was First Team All-Big Ten an amazing three times. As a senior in 1986-87, Alford led the Hoosiers to their fifth national championship, shooting 7–10 from the three-point line and scoring 23 points in the clinching win over Syracuse. The No. 2 scorer in IU history, he is currently the head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack.
5. Guard: Isiah Thomas
Despite only playing two years in Bloomington, Isiah Thomas left his mark on the program. As a freshman, he adjusted to Bob Knight's coaching style and helped lead his squad to a Big Ten title and an appearance in the Sweet 16. Thomas became a team captain the following year, leading the Hoosiers to another Big Ten championship and the 1980 national title. Thomas averaged 16 points per game that season and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He would then leave for the NBA to play for the Detroit Pistons in the "Bad Boys" era, leading them to back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. Thomas was elected to the the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
All Time Bench: Walt Bellamy, Quinn Buckner, AJ Guyton, Don Schlundt