BTN.com staff, January 25, 2016
Who gets your vote for the best player in Indiana basketball history? We came up with a list of 12 Hoosier greats, and now it?s your job to rank them!
Read each player?s bio below, then scroll down and rank them, 1-12. The results of this fan survey will be announced on TV?s ?BTN Live? in February.
We?re rolling out a survey per school throughout the coming weeks.
Steve Alford 1983-87: Two-time Consensus First-Team All-American in 1986 and 1987. Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year in 1986 and 1987. Earned first team All-Big Ten honors three times. Alford was a member of 1987 National Championship team. He ranks second in school history with 2,438 points.
Walt Bellamy 1958-61: National Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee in 1993. Two-time All-American honoree in 1960 and 1961. As a senior, Bellamy averaged 17.8 rebounds per game, which is an Indiana record. He also holds the school records for most rebounds in a season (649) and most double-doubles in a career (59). In his final college game, he set the Indiana and Big Ten record with 33 rebounds in a game.
Kent Benson 1973-77: Three-time All-American honoree, including 1976 and 1977. Consensus first-team All-American. 1977 Big Ten Player of the Year. Most Outstanding Player of the 1976 Final Four and member of 1976 National Championship team. Ranks third with 1,031 career rebounds and eighth with career 1,740 points.
Quinn Buckner 1972-76: Two-time All-American honoree in 1975 and 1976. Buckner ranks second in school history with 542 career assists. Member of 1976 National Championship team that went undefeated, the last team to accomplish that feat. He was a four-year starter and three-year captain at Indiana.
Calbert Cheaney 1989-93: 1993 Consensus National Player of the Year. Three-time All-American honoree including 1993 Consensus First-Team All-American. 1993 Big Ten Player of the Year. School record holder with 2,613 points career points.
Archie Dees 1955-58: Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year in 1957 and 1958. Joins Jerry Lucas and Scott May as the only other Hoosiers to receive multiple Big Ten MVP honors. Two-time All-American honoree in 1957 and 1958. Ranks fourth in school history with 914 career rebounds.
Alan Henderson 1991-95: 1995 All-American selection. School record-holder with 1,091 career rebounds, and ranks sixth in school history with 1,979 points. Led the Hoosiers in rebounding all four seasons. Currently, he is the only Indiana University player to rank in the school's top five in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and steals. He recorded 50 double-doubles in those four years.
Scott May 1972-76: 1976 National Player of the Year. Two-time Consensus All-American in 1975 and 1976. Member of perfect 1976 National Championship team (32-0). Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year in 1975 and 1976. Olympic Gold Medalist at 1976 Montreal Games following senior season.
George McGinnis 1970-71: 1971 All-American selection. Averaged 29.9 ppg in 1971, which is the highest points per game average in school history. Also averaged 14.9 rpg in his only season with the Hoosiers. He became the first sophomore to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding.
Don Schlundt 1951-55: Three-time All-American honoree including 1954 Consensus First-Team All-American. 1953 Big Ten Player of the Year. Member of 1953 National Championship team and two Big Ten Regular Season Championship teams (1953-54). Ranks third with 2,192 career points and seventh with 860 career rebounds in school history. He was IU?s first three-time All-American. Three-time Big Ten scoring champion. At one point in time he held a total of eight separate records for the Hoosiers. The most notable was the scoring record he held for 32 years until Steve Alford broke it.
Isiah Thomas 1979-81: National Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee in 2000. 1981 Consensus First-Team All-American. Most Outstanding Player of the 1981 Final Four and member of 1981 National Championship team.
Mike Woodson 1976-80: 1980 Big Ten Player of the Year despite playing in just six Big Ten games. Two-time All-American honoree in 1979 and 1980. Ranks fifth in school history with 2,061 career points. Led Hoosiers to 1979 NIT Championship before winning the 1980 Big Ten Regular Season Championship.