Top Numbers the Indiana Hoosiers Should Retire

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The Indiana Hoosiers are one of the most storied programs in all of basketball. The Hoosiers have won five National Championships (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, and 1987) which ranks third all-time, 20 Big Ten Championships and have made 35 NCAA Tournament appearances which ranks them seventh all-time.

The Hoosiers have had many great players come through Bloomington and are known as legends not just in Indiana, but nationally.

Indiana can boast two national Player of the Year winners, 18 Big Ten Player of the Year honors, 8 Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and 42 All-Americans.

With head coach Tom Crean trying to instill the old traditions of Hoosier basketball, I think he should honor Hoosier greats by retiring their numbers.

Coach Crean is already trying to bring back all the greats and desperately trying to bridge the past to the present. What better way than to bring the greats back, if they're still living, and retire their numbers? Many programs already do and I think Indiana should as well.

If the Hoosiers were to retire numbers, I think these would be the ones I would retire first.

No. 11 Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas may be the best point guard to ever put on a Hoosier uniform even though he only played for two seasons in Bloomington.

Thomas led the Hoosiers to the 1981 NCAA Championship as a sophomore and was named as the tournaments Most Outstanding Player.

Thomas was an All-American in 1981 and a part of two Big Ten Championship teams.

No. 12 Steve Alford

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Steve Alford is arguably one of the most popular players to ever put on the Hoosier uniform.

Alford played at Indiana from 1984-1987. He is currently ranked second on the all-time scoring list with 2,438 points.

Alford helped lead the Hoosiers to the 1986-1987 NCAA Championship in New Orleans and was the first player to be named team MVP all four years.

He was an all-american and Big Ten MVP in 1986 and 1987.

No. 21 Quinn Buckner

Quinn Buckner played for Indiana from 1972-1976.

He was a huge part of the undefeated 1976 NCAA Championship team. This is the last team to go undefeated and win the national championship.

Buckner was a four year starter, and named as captain his last three seasons at Indiana.

He was one of the smoothest players to ever play at Indiana.

No. 22 Damon Bailey

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Damon Bailey was recruited to Indiana as an eighth grader. Bailey is up there with Steve Alford as one of the most popular Hoosiers to ever wear the cream and crimson.

He was a four year starter and ranks sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,741 career points.

Bailey earned an All-American award, and All Big Ten.

He also led the Hoosiers to the 1992 Final Four in Minneapolis.

Bailey was a part of the Hoosier team that lost only one home game in his tenure at Indiana.

No. 25 A.J. Guyton

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A.J. Guyton was a key contributor in his four years at Indiana. Guyton played for the Hoosiers from 1996-2000.

He was a great outside shooter and that led to him being ranked fourth on the all-time scoring list with 2,100 points. Guyton shot a career 40% from the three-point land.

Guyton was named Co-Big Ten MVP and first team All-American his senior year in 2000.

No. 34 Don Schlundt

Don Schlundt may not be well known to many outside of the Hoosier faithful, but he is one of the best Hoosiers to ever play in Bloomington.

Schlundt was a key contributor on the 1952-1953 national championship team. He scored 30 points in the championship game.

Schlundt played for Indiana from 1951-1955.  He currently ranks third on the all-time scoring list with scoring 2,192 points in his Hoosier career. He held that spot for 32 years until Steve Alford passed him.

Schlundt was an All-American in 1953, 1954 and 1955.

No. 40 Calbert Cheaney

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Calbert Cheaney is one of two national players of the year to put on an Indiana Hoosier uniform.

Cheaney played for Indiana from 1990-1993. He was an All-American and All Big Ten in 1991, 1992 and 1993. He was the 1993 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year.

He also is the Big Ten and Indiana Hoosiers all-time scoring leader. He scored 30 or more points 13 times and averaged 19.8 points per game in his Hoosier career.

Cheaney helped Indiana win 105 games in his four year career, which is most all-time. He can boast that the Hoosiers only lost one home game in his career as a Hoosier.

Cheaney is arguably the best player to ever put on the cream and crimson uniform.

No. 42 Scott May/ Mike Woodson

This is a rare two-player number. Both guys were greats in the No. 42 and you would have to honor both.

These guys occupied the number from 1973-1980.

Scott May is the other of the two Hoosiers to win a national player of the year honor. He played for Indiana from 1973-1976.

May was a main threat on the 1975-1976 undefeated national championship team. This team is the last team to ever go undefeated and win the championship in a season.

May was a two-time All-American, UPI and NABC player of the year in 1976.

He scored 1,593 points in 90 career games as a Hoosier.

May will forever be a Hoosier legend.

Mike Woodson played for the Hoosiers from 1977-1980.

Woodson currently ranks fifth on the all-time Hoosiers scoring list with 2,061 career points in his four seasons at Indiana.

He would be higher up on the list if it wasn't for his back injury that limited him to 14 games as a senior.

He was the leading scorer of the team in the 1979 NIT Championship team.

No. 44 Alan Henderson

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Alan Henderson was another four year starter in the early 90s and came to Indiana in the same recruiting class of Damon Bailey and Calbert Cheaney.

Henderson led Indiana in rebounding all four years. He is also the first player to rank in the top five in scoring, blocked shots, rebounds and steals.

Henderson was a key member of the 1992 team that went to the Final Four.

No. 45 Ray Tolbert

Ray Tolbert was a member of the Indiana Hoosiers from 1977-1981.

He was a part of the 1980-1981 Championship team and a part of two Big Ten Championship teams in 1980 and 1981.

He was also a part of the 1979 NIT Championship team.

Tolbert won the Big 10 Player of the Year in 1981.

He was truly the best to ever wear the No. 45.

No. 54 Kent Benson

Kent Benson played with the Hoosiers from 1973-1977. He ranks second on the all-time career rebounds list.

Benson was a huge part of the undefeated 1975-1976 Hoosiers championship team where he averaged 17.3 points per game and 8.8 rebounds.

The next year he averaged a double double with 19.8 points per game and 10.4 rebounds.

He ended his career with 1,740 points and 1,031 rebounds. Here's another amazing stat: he finished his career with 71.5% from the free throw line and 53.6% field goal percentage.