Last week was Spring Break in the school district where I work. For the record, I went south for the break … albeit only a 4-hour drive to my dad’s place in Indiana. No sunscreen necessary for this fella!
But it did elicit a memorable Spring Break trip even further south to New Castle and a visit to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and then a bit further south even still to Knightstown which is home to the Hoosiers gym. In this post, I focus on my time at the Hall of Fame.
Fittingly – I suppose – the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame sits on Trojan Lane, the same road as New Castle High School, the school with the largest high school gymnasium in the nation; seating capacity of an astonishing 8,424, which is actually down from it’s 1-time high that was over 9,000.
If another state has its own basketball hall of fame, I’m unfamiliar with it. And, certainly, another state would be hard-pressed to create a space such as what exists in New Castle.
Upon arriving, the first order of business should be a trip to the small theater to view the 17-minute welcome video and get a sense of what basketball means to the people of this state. Among the Hoosier state luminaries telling the story are Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Steve Alford, Judi Warren, Katie Douglas, and Stephanie White. It’s a wonderful way to get into the right frame of mind for touring.
Out of the theater, the kiosks nearest the entrance focus on the current year’s Hall of Fame inductees. Of this group, the one I was most familiar with was Dan Dakich, the former Indiana Hoosier player and interim head coach.
From there it’s a bit of “choose your own adventure” in terms of how you’d like to tour the facility. There’s a staircase down to the lower level where most of the exhibits reside or you can choose to use the ramp which has an arena egress feel to it. We chose the ramp and enjoyed the sights along the way, including displays devoted to Mr. & Ms. Basketball recipients and past state champions.
Among the sights at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is this photo of prep phenom Damon Bailey’s Bedford North Lawrence final high school game in the state championship, played before a record crowd of more than 41,000 in the RCA Hoosier Dome, the showcases of the newly inducted hall members, and pennants of past state champions.
We chose the ramp and it provided a glimpse into Indiana’s storied hoop past. There at the bottom was a an entire section devoted to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Coach John Wooden. Wooden prepped at Martinsville High School where he won a state championship as a junior, played collegiately at Purdue University, and, following a brief pro career, began coaching at South Bend Central and, ultimately, Indiana State University, before he found his way to unparalleled success at UCLA.
Among the other items I found fascinating, were showcases devoted to many of the Indiana’s legendary high school teams. Two, in particular, were intriguing to me and intertwined: Milan HS and Indianapolis Crispus Attucks.
Milan was a tiny school (total student enrollment of 161) located southeast of Indianapolis (darn near to Cincinnati) that won the 1954 Indiana all-class state championship. It defeated Crispus Attucks (with a young Oscar Robertson on the team) in the quarterfinals, Terre Haute Gerstmeyer in the semifinals, and mighty Muncie Central, 32-30, in the championship.
The 1954 IHSAA championship bracket and the Milan HS team photo from that memorable season.
To this day, the Milan story is the stuff of legend in Indiana (the city has it’s own shrine to the team, website here) and became the inspiration for the movie “Hoosiers.” What I was unaware of prior to my visit was that Milan had made it to the semifinals the previous year so, yeah, there was some talent on that tiny team to be sure.
As noted, Milan vanquished Attucks during its run to the 1954 title. Robertson and company found its ultimate success over the next two seasons, posting a 61-1 record on its way to back-to-back state championships.
team and was a gift of the faculty.
Fittingly, the showcases for Milan and Crispus Attucks are side-by-side in the Hall of Fame.
As I wandered through the displays of great teams, I was struck by one other, East Chicago Washington High School, which went 29-9 during the 1970-71 season. What I noticed, immediately, was future Major Leaguer – and North Carolina State Wolfpack player – Tim Stoddard. It was not until my dad asked me to check out the results that I noticed that the Senators scored 100-plus points eight times in an era before 3-point lines, shot clocks, and/or any other matter of rules that promote more offense. In addition to Stoddard, this team included furture UCLA player Pete Trgovich and future Louisville and NBA player, Junior Bridgeman
Beyond the John Wooden display, the other two spaces I wanted to explore were the those dedicated to Robertson and Larry Bird.
As noted previously, Robertson was a high school superstar who matriculated to the University of Cincinnati before taking the NBA by storm. His showcase featured both a miniature statue of the Big O as well as memorabilia from his playing days, including the terrific Associated Presss photo that was the subject of a recent Fan Teaser.
The Oscar Robertson showcase includes plenty of artifacts from his playing days. This statue captures his shooting form.
Bird’s area also included a miniature statue and plenty of items from his playing days at both Springs Valley High School and Indiana State University.
Larry Bird is seen driving to the hoop in his statue and his display area includes plenty of artifacts from his career.
One spot that took a more poignant turn was a lifesize replica of 7-foot, Eric Montross. The 1-time Bedford Indianapolis Lawrence North High School star found success at the University of North Carolina and then for nine seasons in the NBA. Montross died at 52 in mid-December after a brief bout with cancer.
19 feet are outlined below.
Finally, the Hall has its version of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Plaque Gallery or the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Bust Room. A lovely pencil sketch of each inductee as seen during their playing or coaching days as well as a more current version. Each has a write up of their accomplishments and is backlit to provide the type of reverent environment such galleries aim for. It was enjoyable to tour this area and see names from bygone days who’d otherwise been lost in the catacombs of my memory. Similarly, for my father, he was able to reconnect with legends from days of yore as well as some some who were significant influences in his life.
A few of the inductees in the Hall of Fame. Clockwise from upper right, Bobby Plump from Milan HS, John Wooden, Robert Dille who introduced my father to baseball, Brad Stevens, Eric Montross, and Damon Bailey. Montross and Stevens were both inducted in 2023.
- Next Time: A visit to the Hoosiers’ Gym in Knightstown.