Indiana Basketball: The Top 50 Players in School History

As star freshman Cody Zeller leads a resurgence of Indiana basketball, it’s an ideal time to reflect on the extraordinary hoops tradition in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have capitalized on Indiana’s famed high school talent to the tune of five national championships and 53 NBA players.

Clippers fans—and now Hornets fans—are well aware of how good the Hoosiers are at turning out NBA talent, thanks to shooting guard Eric Gordon. The fourth-year pro went from a sizzling one-and-done season at IU to an instant standout who will be key to the latest attempt at reviving the moribund New Orleans franchise.

Read on for a closer look at Gordon and the rest of the 50 greatest players ever to wear an Indiana uniform.

50. Steve Green (1972-75)

Although he graduated a year too early to win national-title glory, Steve Green still made his mark in the greatest offensive frontcourt in IU history.

As a senior, Green (an All-American as a small forward) was the leading scorer in a trio—also featuring Kent Benson and Scott May—that combined for 47.9 points per game.

Drafted by the Bulls in the second round, Green opted for the ABA’s Utah Stars instead. After the merger, Green signed with the Pacers, where he spent three seasons as a little-used backup.

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49. Jared Jeffries (2000-02)

Jared Jeffries didn’t stay in Bloomington long enough to make a dent in the career record books, but the lanky 6’11” PF put up his share of impressive performances anyway. Jeffries averaged 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game in two seasons as a Hoosier.

Primarily a bench player as a pro, Jeffries has grabbed just enough rebounds to stick around. He averaged a mere 1.8 points and 2.8 boards a night while splitting last season between the Rockets and Knicks.

48. Ted Kitchel (1978-83)

A sophomore backup on Isiah Thomas’ 1981 national champs, Ted Kitchel developed into a star scorer once Thomas jumped to the NBA.

The 6’8” forward led the Hoosiers with 19.6 points a game as a junior and set a Big Ten record by shooting 18-for-18 from the free throw line in a game against Illinois.

Despite Kitchel’s history of back injuries, he was drafted by the Bucks in the second round. However, that was as close as he got to an NBA court.

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47. Dick Farley (1951-54)

Swingman Dick Farley was the third of IU’s outstanding scoring options on the 1953 national champs. Overshadowed by Don Schlundt and Bobby Leonard, Farley nevertheless played a valuable role in bringing Branch McCracken his second title.

Farley won an NBA championship as a rookie reserve with the Syracuse Nationals (now the 76ers). He played only sparingly, though, and was out of the league after three otherwise-undistinguished seasons.

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46. Andrae Patterson (1994-98)

Although 6’9” bruiser Andrae Patterson powered his way to a career average of 11.3 points a game at Indiana, it was on defense that he made his real mark. Patterson’s 127 career blocks are the ninth-most in Hoosier history.

Drafted by the Timberwolves, Patterson never got more than a cup of coffee in the pros. He averaged all of 7.6 minutes in his 40 career NBA games.

45. Chris Reynolds (1989-93)

A classic college point guard, Chris Reynolds ran the show on both ends of the floor for Indiana. His 356 career assists are tied with Isiah Thomas for 11th all-time at IU, and he ranks eighth among Hoosiers with 135 career steals.

Reynolds never played in the NBA, but he’s made a career out of Hoosier basketball after all. The IU law grad is back in Bloomington as a Senior Associate Athletics Director.

44. Kirk Haston (1998-01)

Boasting one of the best hook shots of his generation, Kirk Haston averaged as many as 19 points per game in a Hoosier uniform. He was even more effective on the glass, as his 748 career rebounds put him in a tie for ninth place in school history.

Although Haston was drafted by the Hornets in the first round, his well-honed fundamentals couldn’t mask his lack of raw athleticism at the next level. He played just 27 games in two NBA seasons, averaging a mere 1.2 points a night.

43. Butch Carter (1976-80)

Big for a point guard at 6’5”, Butch Carter earned his stripes as a distributor for the Hoosiers. Carter’s 416 career assists are the seventh-best total in program history.

The NBA tried to shoehorn Carter into a shooting guard’s role with little success. He had a couple of half-decent seasons as a part-time starter for the Pacers (averaging as many as 13.4 points a night), but was out of the league after six forgettable years.

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42. Bill Garrett (1948-51)

The first black player in Indiana history—and the first black starter in the Big Ten—Bill Garrett led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding for all three of his seasons in Bloomington. His career total of 792 points was a school record when he graduated.

Although Garrett was drafted by the Celtics, military service delayed his chance to join the team. He never did play in the NBA, but he did spend three years as a Harlem Globetrotter.

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41. Eric Gordon (2007-08)

In one season in Bloomington, Eric Gordon left no doubt that he’d make an impressive NBA guard. Gordon averaged 20.9 points a game as a freshman, a total bolstered by his 70 three-pointers made.

In three NBA seasons, Gordon has lived up to his collegiate promise. He averaged 22.3 points a game (along with 4.4 assists) for L.A. last year and was recently featured as a centerpiece of a trade that sent Chris Paul from the New Orleans to Los Angeles.

40. George Leach (1999-03)

A key contributor in the defensive-minded frontcourt that helped Indiana make the 2002 title game, 6’11” George Leach made the most of his impressive length. The Hoosier center blocked 194 shots in his career, fifth-most in program history.

The closest Leach got to the NBA was a single season with the D-League’s Florida Flame. He played respectably as a part-time starter, averaging 8.3 points and 1.4 blocks a night.

39. Marshall Strickland (2002-06)

Although he ran the point for Mike Davis’ Hoosiers, Marshall Strickland was most effective when he was looking for his own shots. Strickland’s 188 career three-pointers are the third-highest total in IU history.

Unfortunately for Strickland, the NBA had little interest in a point guard who couldn’t top 3.4 assists per game as a collegian. He went undrafted and has never played in the league.

38. Keith Smart (1986-88)

Although Keith Smart was a perfectly respectable combo guard who averaged 12.1 points a game as a Hoosier, he earns his place on this list for one iconic play. Smart’s buzzer-beating jumper stunned Syracuse and clinched Indiana’s last national title in 1987.

Smart was a second-round pick of the Warriors, but his 6'1" height made him a tweener as a pro. He played just two career games (as a Spur) at the next level.

37. Jon McGlocklin (1962-65)

Overshadowed at IU by the brilliance of the Van Arsdale twins, Jon McGlocklin was a valuable swingman in his own right. He hit 90 percent of his free throws as a senior, finishing with 827 career points.

At his best, McGlocklin was a dangerous NBA scorer who averaged as many as 19.6 points a game with the Bucks. He won a title with Milwaukee in 1971 as the high point of a strong 11-year pro career.

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36. Bill Menke (1938-41)

Center Bill Menke won All-America honors in leading IU to its first national title (in the NCAA tournament’s second season of existence) in 1940.

He led the Hoosiers in scoring the next season, breaking by five points the career scoring record that had been set by his coach, Branch McCracken.

Menke went undrafted by the NBA, not surprising considering that the NBA didn’t exist until five years after he graduated. He never played professionally.

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35. Dean Garrett (1986-88)

A talented 6’10” center who averaged 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds as a senior, Dean Garrett’s real calling was blocking shots.

He recorded the two best single-season averages in school history (including a record 3.4 rejections a night) and swatted 192 shots in all in just two years as a Hoosier.

A second-round draft pick of the Suns, Garrett chose to head for Europe instead. He returned to the States with the Timberwolves at age 30, playing five nondescript seasons (mostly as a backup) in the NBA.

34. Bracey Wright (2002-05)

A lethal scorer at 6’3”, SG Bracey Wright averaged 17.6 points (not to mention 5.1 rebounds) per game for his Indiana career. His 1,498 points place him 15th on the school’s all-time charts, and he’s tied for fourth among Hoosiers with 186 career three-pointers.

Wright was drafted in Round 2 by the Timberwolves, but didn’t impress the Minnesota coaches. In two seasons on the roster, he played in just 26 games, averaging a mere five points a night.

33. Bobby Leonard (1950-54)

Don Schlundt’s point guard on the 1953 national champions, Bobby Leonard was a terrific scorer as well as a distributor. Even playing alongside one of the greatest scoring threats in Hoosier history, Leonard still posted 1,098 points in his own right.

Although he was drafted straight out of college, Leonard—also called Slick—wouldn’t play in an NBA game until 1956. He proved to be a fine point guard as a pro (mostly with the Lakers), averaging as many as 16.1 points and 5.4 assists in a season.

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32. Bobby Wilkerson (1973-76)

Quinn Buckner got most of the accolades, but Bobby Wilkerson had a lot to do with the imposing defense of Indiana’s undefeated 1976 national champs. The 6’6” Wilkerson also dished out a team-high 171 assists that year, the fourth-best season total in school history.

Wilkerson’s aggressive defense served him well in the NBA, where he averaged 1.3 steals a game for his career. He played seven workmanlike seasons with the Sonics, Nuggets, Cavs and Bulls, averaging 10.1 points a game overall.

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31. Marvin Huffman (1937-40)

One of a pair of All-Americans (and the lone senior) on Indiana’s first national champs in 1940, Marv Huffman provided the backcourt scoring to complement Bill Menke’s inside game.

Huffman’s team-high 12 points in the title-game win over Kansas earned him the second-ever Final Four MOP award.

When Huffman graduated, the NBA was years away from coming into being. He did play one professional season with Akron of the National Basketball League, one of the precursors to the NBA.

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30. Brian Evans (1992-96)

Although 6’8” Brian Evans averaged six rebounds a game (for a total of 750 in his career), he was far more dangerous as a scorer. Evans poured in 21.2 points a night as a senior, finishing 10th in IU history with 1,701 points.

Regrettably, Evans’ scoring touch didn’t follow him to the NBA. He averaged just 3.7 points per game in three seasons on assorted pro benches.

29. Jamal Meeks (1988-92)

Jamal Meeks (No. 23 in photo) was a terrible scorer whose career high as a Hoosier was just four points per game. As a passer, though, he was outstanding, finishing in a tie for fourth place in school history with 474 career assists.

Given Meeks’ 6’0” stature and lack of point production, it’s little wonder that he went undrafted out of IU. He never played in the NBA.

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28. Greg Graham (1989-93)

A fine shooting guard who averaged as many as 16.5 points a game as a Hoosier, Greg Graham was at his best on defense. Graham’s 151 career steals are the third-highest total in Indiana history.

Graham never justified the first-round pick the Hornets spent on him, playing five sub-par seasons as an NBA backup. Playing for the Sixers, Sonics, Nets and Cavs, he never averaged more than five points per game for a season.

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27. Randy Wittman (1978-83)

There wasn’t much that 6’6” swingman Randy Wittman didn’t do for the Indiana offense. His 1,549 career points are the 13th-best total for a Hoosier, while his 432 assists rank sixth on the school’s charts.

Acquired by the Hawks in a post-draft deal, Wittman briefly held down a starting job in Atlanta as a jack-of-all-trades. In the end, though, his unimpressive career highs of 12.9 points and 3.8 assists per game relegated him to journeyman status as a pro.

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26. Uwe Blab (1981-85)

Impossible to miss with his 7’1” frame and incandescent red hair, Uwe Blab was an imposing presence in the middle for Indiana. He averaged 16 points and 6.3 rebounds a game as a senior, and his career total of 196 blocks places him fourth in Hoosier history.

A first-round pick of the Mavericks, Blab was a disaster as an NBA center. Injuries and immobility turned him into a punch line who averaged just 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds a game in five dreadful NBA seasons.

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25. Dick Van Arsdale (1962-65)

Inextricably linked to his twin brother and backcourt mate Tom, Dick Van Arsdale led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding as a junior (the one year of their careers that Tom didn’t). Dick finished with 1,240 career points, a dozen behind Tom.

Van Arsdale remained a sensational all-around player at the NBA level. A three-time All-Star with the Suns (where both he and Tom retired in 1977), Van Arsdale averaged as many as 21.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

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24. Tom Van Arsdale (1962-65)

Tom Van Arsdale was the more scoring-oriented of IU’s Van Arsdale twins, meaning that he racked up 1,252 points—12 more than brother Dick.

The 6’5” swingman led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding as both a sophomore and a senior (posting 18.4 points and 8.5 boards a contest in the latter season).

Despite falling to the second round of the draft, Van Arsdale went on to an outstanding NBA career. A three-time All-Star with the Cincinnati Royals (now the Kings), he averaged as many as 22.9 points and 6.5 rebounds a game over a dozen NBA seasons.

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23. Eric Anderson (1988-92)

A textbook power forward at 6’9”, Eric Anderson gave the Hoosiers an imposing presence on the inside. His 826 rebounds are eighth-most in school history, while his 1,715 points are ninth-best.

Despite his eye-catching stats, Anderson went undrafted out of IU. His performance in 27 games as a Knick showed why, as he recorded a total of 42 points and 31 rebounds in his NBA career.

22. Jimmy Rayl (1960-63)

A 6’2” guard with a deadeye jump shot, Jimmy Rayl was an explosive scorer for the Hoosiers.

His junior-year average of 29.8 points a game is the second-best in school history, and he holds the single-game school record with 56 points (against Minnesota as a junior and again vs. Michigan State as a senior).

Rayl was a third-round pick of the Cincinnati Royals (now the Kings), but never played in the NBA.

Although the ABA’s newly-invented three-point shot seemed perfectly suited to Rayl, he lasted just two seasons as a Pacer, averaging 11.1 points a game and hitting 34.1 percent from long range.

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21. D.J. White (2004-08)

A 6’9”, 251-lb immovable object in the middle for Indiana, D.J. White developed into a devastating college center.

He averaged 14.6 points a game in three-plus seasons, his 748 career rebounds are tied for the ninth-highest total in program history, and he’s third all-time among Hoosiers with 198 career blocks.

White has been less than impressive as a pro, though he finally got some playing time last season after being dealt to the Bobcats. In 24 games in Charlotte, he averaged 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds a game.

20. Ray Tolbert (1977-81)

Isiah Thomas may have been the biggest name on Indiana’s 1981 national champs, but it was Ray Tolbert who won Big Ten Player of the Year honors that season.

The 6’9” PF averaged 11.2 points a game for his career, and his 874 career boards are the sixth-best total in school history.

Tolbert would go on to spend seven years warming various benches around the NBA. He never averaged more than 5.1 points (or 16.1 minutes) per game in his pro career.

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19. Damon Bailey (1990-94)

One of the stars of IU’s 1992 Final Four run, Damon Bailey followed up a legendary high-school career with four impressive seasons in Bloomington.

Bailey poured in 19.6 points a game as a senior, shot 43.7 percent from beyond the arc for his career (sixth-highest for a Hoosier) and racked up a career total of 1,741 points (seventh-best in program history).

Although Bailey was drafted by the Pacers, he spent his entire rookie year on injured reserve following knee surgery. He never played in the NBA.

18. Jeff Newton (1999-03)

6’9” forward Jeff Newton developed into a fine all-around player who averaged 14.9 points and 8.2 rebounds a night as a senior.

What kept him on the floor for four years in Bloomington, though, was his remarkable defensive instincts, as he swatted a school-record 227 shots in a Hoosier uniform.

Despite his enviable defensive ability, Newton didn’t make much of an impression on NBA scouts. He went undrafted and never played in the league.

17. Steve Downing (1970-73)

It took a few seasons for Steve Downing’s shot to develop at Indiana, but he was a standout from day one on the glass. The 6’8” Downing grabbed 889 rebounds, good for fifth all-time among Hoosiers.

Although Downing won a championship ring as a Celtic in 1974, he rarely left the bench as a pro. He played just 27 games, averaging all of 5.4 minutes a night, in the NBA.

16. Dane Fife (1998-02)

Although SG Dane Fife did his share of scoring for the 2002 national runners-up, any points he put up were secondary to his real contribution. The 2002 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year holds the Indiana record with 180 career steals.

Although he never played in the NBA, Fife quickly found his footing as a coach. The former Hoosier assistant (under Mike Davis) is currently an assistant under Tom Izzo at Michigan State.

15. A.J. Guyton (1996-00)

Undersized for a shooting guard at 6’1”, A.J. Guyton was lethal from long range. He ran away with the school record by draining 283 career treys, and his 2,100 total points are good for fourth place in Hoosier history.

The Bulls wasted a second-round draft pick on Guyton, who lasted just three seasons as an NBA bench-warmer. He averaged 5.5 points a game for his pro career, though he did shoot as high as 39.1 percent from three-point range for a season.

14. Michael Lewis (1996-00)

Feeding standout scorers like Kirk Haston and A.J. Guyton, Michael Lewis established himself as a superlative pass-first point guard. Lewis broke Quinn Buckner’s quarter-century-old school record with 545 career assists.

Lewis didn’t have the scoring punch to make an impression on NBA scouts. He went undrafted and never played in the league.

13. Mike Woodson (1976-80)

Swingman Mike Woodson was a terrific defender whose 142 steals are the fifth-best total for a Hoosier. He was just as dangerous on the offensive end, becoming the second player in IU history to score 2,000 career points.

In the NBA, Woodson quickly became a superior scoring option off the bench, averaging as many as 18.2 points a game as a Sacramento reserve. For his 11 pro seasons, he recorded 14 points and 1.2 steals a night.

12. Tom Coverdale (1999-03)

The point guard for Mike Davis’ national runners-up in 2002, Tom Coverdale made plays in every phase of the game. His 137 steals are the sixth-most in school history, and he’s third in career assists (500) and second in three-pointers made (200).

Despite his impressive numbers, Coverdale went undrafted out of Indiana. He never played in the NBA.

11. Archie Dees (1955-58)

Archie Dees graduated as the second-leading scorer all-time at Indiana with 1,546 points (now 14th), and his average of 22.7 points a game is still third-best in school history.

The 6'8" Dees was just as dominant on the glass, grabbing 914 career rebounds (also good for third all-time among Hoosiers).

As a pro, Dees was a decent instant-offense reserve who scored as many as 9.7 points a game (with Detroit). Still, he lasted just four seasons in the NBA.

10. Quinn Buckner (1972-76)

A superlative defensive point guard, Quinn Buckner would've recorded far more than 65 career steals if the stat had been kept before his senior season.

He ran the offense for the undefeated 1976 champs, finishing with 542 career assists, the second-best total in school history.

Buckner enjoyed a fine NBA career featuring four All-Defensive appearances with the Bucks (who had drafted him seventh overall).

Though his best years were in Milwaukee, where he also averaged better than 5.5 assists a game for three straight seasons, he won a championship ring as a Boston benchwarmer in 1984.

9. Alan Henderson (1991-95)

Alan Henderson can make a great case for being the best power forward in Hoosier history. He’s sixth on the school’s charts with 1,979 points, holds the IU record with 1,091 career rebounds, and even ranks fourth in school history with 148 steals.

In the NBA, though, the 6’9” Henderson was rendered merely ordinary. He gave the Hawks four solid seasons as a starter, but mostly came off the bench in a 12-year career that saw him average 7.8 points and five rebounds a night.

8. Calbert Cheaney (1989-93)

Many Indiana schoolboy legends have worn a Hoosier uniform, but few have panned out as well as Calbert Cheaney.

The 6’7” swingman followed up on IU’s 1992 Final Four run by winning the Wooden and Naismith awards as a senior, and he finished his career with a jaw-dropping school-record total of 2,613 points.

Cheaney was never a star in the NBA, but he gave Washington six solid years after being drafted seventh overall. He posted a career best of 16.6 points a game in the second of his 13 pro seasons.

7. Don Schlundt (1951-55)

A 6’9” center with a devastating hook shot, Don Schlundt led the Hoosiers to their second national title in 1953.

Eligible to play as a freshman thanks to the Korean War, Schlundt had four seasons to rack up an eye-popping 2,192 career points—a mark that nearly doubled Bobby Leonard’s previous record and still places third in school history.

Like many contemporaries, Schlundt wasn’t especially interested in the still-young NBA. He went undrafted and never played in the league.

6. Walt Bellamy (1958-61)

An outstanding scorer who averaged as many as 22.4 points a game for the Hoosiers, Walt Bellamy was also the greatest rebounder in Hoosier history.

The 6’11” center is second on IU’s lists with 1,088 boards (three behind the top spot), and he holds the program’s top two single-season averages with 15.2 and 17.8 rebounds a night in his junior and senior seasons.

Bellamy became even more unstoppable at the NBA level, averaging 31.6 points and 19 rebounds a game as a rookie for the Chicago Packers (now the Wizards).

In 14 Hall of Fame seasons—including successful stints with the Hawks and Knicks—he scored 20,941 points (ranking 31st in NBA history) and grabbed 14,241 rebounds (placing ninth).

5. Kent Benson (1973-77)

The Final Four MOP for the undefeated 1976 national champs, Kent Benson was as dominant as a 6’10” center is expected to be at the college level. His 1,740 career points are the eighth-most in Hoosier history, and he stands third on IU’s charts with 1,031 rebounds.

Rarely a starter in the NBA despite being a No. 1 overall pick of the Bucks, Benson proved to be a stout backup center. He averaged 9.1 points and 5.7 rebounds a game over 11 pro seasons.

4. George McGinnis (1970-71)

The most dominant power forward in Hoosier history, George McGinnis made quite an impression in one season in Bloomington. He posted the fourth-best rebounding average in school history (14.7 a night) and set an Indiana record with 29.9 points per game.

McGinnis wasn’t allowed (in those days) to jump to the NBA after one collegiate season, so he headed to the ABA’s Pacers instead.

He would make three All-Star games there and three more in the NBA with Philadelphia and Denver, averaging 20.2 points and 11 rebounds per game for his 11-year career.

3. Scott May (1973-76)

The leader of the undefeated 1976 NCAA champs, Scott May took home the Naismith Award with averages of 23.5 points and 7.7 rebounds a game that season. For his career, the 6’7” May scored 1,593 points, the 11th-best total in Hoosier history.

In the NBA, May couldn’t live up to the No. 2 overall pick the Bulls spent on him, but he put in a few strong performances over a seven-year career as a sometime starter.

His best performance came as a rookie, when he averaged 14.6 points and 6.1 boards a night for Chicago.

2. Isiah Thomas (1979-81)

Isiah Thomas’ 15.4 career points per game were just icing on the cake for IU’s greatest point guard. Thomas led the Hoosiers to the 1981 national title while setting single-season school records with 197 assists (5.6 per game) and 74 steals (2.2 a night).

If possible, Thomas was even better as a pro, becoming an instant All-Star for the Pistons. In 13 Hall of Fame seasons in Detroit, Thomas averaged 19.2 points and 9.3 assists per game and led the Bad Boys to back-to-back NBA championships.

1. Steve Alford (1983-87)

One of the greatest pure shooters basketball has ever seen, Steve Alford led the Hoosiers to their last national title in 1987 with 22 points per game and a ludicrous 52.9 percent shooting season from the three-point line.

In his career, Alford—who’s also second among Hoosiers in career steals and 10th in career assists—racked up 2,438 points, second-best in school history.

After his meteoric college career, Alford’s NBA stint could only come as an anticlimax. He scored a paltry 4.4 points a game in four seasons of backup duty, mostly in Dallas.