Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2011.
The Sycamores' first season was 1896, making them the oldest basketball team in the NCAA along with Bucknell, Minnesota, Washington and Yale; however, the records from 1896 to 1899 have been lost over time. The Sycamores boast two College Players of the Year, 14 All-Americans, 42 1,000-point scorers, and 1,620+ victories.
In addition, the Sycamores have 28 postseason appearances (7 NCAA, 5 NIT, 2 CBI, 1 CIT, 12 NAIA, and the 1936 Olympic Trials) with six national championship appearances (2 NCAA, 1 NIT and 3 NAIA). Seven Sycamores were members of the 1951 Pan-American Games gold medal-winning team. The Sycamores' most memorable season was 1978–79, when unanimous National Player of the Year Larry Bird led an undefeated team to its first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, as well as the AP and UPI national titles. However, it lost the national title game versus the Magic Johnson-led Michigan State team; and ended the season with a record of 33–1. Their performance was the deepest run by a first-time participant in the Division I tournament, and one of only three times that a first-time team has advanced as far as the Final Four (UNCC in 1977 and Georgia in 1983). They would not have another postseason appearance until 2000.
The Sycamores were the national runner-up in the NCAA College Division (now Division II) in 1968; they won the NAIA national championship in 1950, had NAIA Finals appearances in 1946 and 1948 and NAIA National semifinals appearances in 1949 and 1953. Most recently, the Sycamores were the 2024 NIT National Finalist. Over the decades, the Sycamores were led by All-Americans Larry Bird, Duane Klueh, Dick Atha, Lenny Rzeszewski, Butch Wade and Jerry Newsom. As the program transitioned from NAIA to the NCAA, one final NAIA highlight was Ray Goddard leading the entire nation (all collegiate divisions) in free-throw percentage (91.2%) during the 1961–62 season. Former head coaches include Hall of Famer John Wooden, Purdue All-American Dave Schellhase, Glenn M. Curtis and well-known college coaches such as Bob King, Royce Waltman, Tates Locke and Ron Greene. Former assistants include collegiate head coaches such as Rick Ray (Mississippi State, Southeast Missourri), Rob Flaska (Centenary), Jim Saia (Cal State-Los Angeles), Stan Gouard (USI) and Benjy Taylor (North Central, Hawai'i and Tuskegee), Thad Matta (Butler, Xavier, Ohio State), Kareem Richardson (UMKC), Phil Hopkins (Western Carolina), Mel Garland (IUPUI), and ABA/NBA Great Mel Daniels.
The Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team currently play their home games at the Hulman Center.
Postseason
Division I NCAA tournament results The Sycamores have appeared in four NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 5–4.
1979 1 Regional QuarterfinalsRegional SemifinalsRegional FinalsFinal FourNational Championship Game (8) Virginia Tech(5) Oklahoma(2) Arkansas(2) DePaul(2) Michigan State W 86–69W 93–72W 73–71W 76–74L 64–75 2000 12 First round (5) Texas L 61–77 2001 13 First roundSecond round (4) Oklahoma(12) Gonzaga W 70–68 OTL 68–85 2011 14 First round (3) Syracuse L 60–77
NIT results The Sycamores have appeared in five National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 5–5.
1977 First round Houston L 82–83 1978 First roundQuarterfinals Illinois StateRutgers W 73–71L 56–57 2013 First round Iowa L 52–68 2014 First round Arkansas L 71–91 2024 First roundSecond roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship Game Southern MethodistMinnesotaCincinnatiUtahSeton Hall W 101–92W 76–64W 85–81W 100–90L 77–79
CBI results The Sycamores have received two College Basketball Invitational (CBI) berths. Their combined record is 1–2.
2010 First round Saint Louis L 54–63 2023 First roundQuarterfinals USC UpstateEastern Kentucky W 67–62L 88–89OT
CIT results The Sycamores appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). Their record is 0–1.
2012 First round Robert Morris L 60–67
Division II NCAA tournament results The Sycamores have appeared in three NCAA Division II basketball tournaments. Their combined record is 5–4. They hosted the Great Lakes Regional during the 1966–67 Tournament.
1966 Regional semifinalsRegional 3rd-place game Southern IllinoisLamar L 65–83L 78–93 1967 Regional semifinalsRegional Finals LutherValparaiso W 109–88L 77–80 1968 Regional semifinalsRegional FinalsNational QuarterfinalsNational semifinalsNational Championship Game South Dakota StateIllinois StateUNLVTrinityKentucky Wesleyan W 101–83W 98–93W 94–75W 77–67L 52–63
NAIA Tournament results The Sycamores appeared in the NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament 12 times. They reached the NAIA Final Four five times. The Sycamores combined NAIA Tournament record is 25–12. Indiana State is the only team to finish as the National Runner-Up in the NAIA and both the NCAA DI and DII tournaments.
Indiana State won 7 NAIA District 21 titles (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1962 and 1963)
1942 First roundSecond roundQuarterfinals Wisconsin–Stevens PointSimpsonHamline W 83–45W 51–43L 41–45 1943 First round Northwest Missouri State L 28–37 1946 First roundSecond roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship Game St. Cloud StateHoustonDakota WesleyanPepperdineSouthern Illinois W 62–51W 62–43W 55–34W 56–43L 40–49 1948 First roundSecond roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship Game St. Francis (PA)BYUSan Jose StateHamlineLouisville W 72–40W 82–68W 59–52W 66–65 OTL 70–82 1949 First roundSecond roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Third Place Game Eastern New MexicoLoyola (MD)Emporia StateRegisBeloit W 60–42W 78–58W 67–66L 45–48 2OTL 59–67 1950 First roundSecond roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship Game Delta StateArkansas TechBaldwin–WallaceTampaEast Central State (OK) W 65–59W 87–79W 61–39W 73–69W 61–57 1952 First roundSecond round Farleigh DickinsonSouthwest Missouri State W 79–72L 64–82 1953 First roundSecond roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Third Place Game Midwestern StateArkansas TechFindlaySouthwest Missouri StateEast Texas State W 100–76W 100–81W 106–70L 78–84W 74–71 1954 First round Geneva L 82–88 1959 First roundSecond round MorningsideGeorgia Southern W 87–67L 70–73 1962 First round Winston-Salem L 71–83 1963 First roundSecond round ParsonsCarson-Newman W 78–77L 63–70
1936 Olympic trials Coach Wally Marks' 1935–36 Sycamores gained national attention when they participated in the first national post-season collegiate basketball tournament. The winning team would earn the right to name five players to represent the United States in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, the first Games to feature the American sport of basketball. By earning the bid, the Sycamores joined a select group of college teams hand-picked by the Amateur Athletic Union, the U.S. governing organization.
The Olympic team members were selected from the best AAU teams and winners of the national collegiate tournament conducted in eight regional districts. The Sycamores earned a bid by winning two games in Indianapolis (March 12–14) and advanced to the district finals and were pitted against Coach Jim Kelly's DePaul Blue Demons, at the Chicago Armory, DePaul's home court. Despite vaulting to a 10–0 lead, maintaining a 16–10 halftime advantage and outscoring the hosts from the field, Marks' cagers lost on a long shot in the waning moments of the game, 29–28.
1936 United States Olympic Trials First roundSecond roundThird round Miami (OH)Augustana (IL)DePaul W 45–27W 30–26L 28–29
1951 Pan American Games The 1949–50 squad won the NAIA 1950 National Championship. Subsequently, Coach John Longfellow and eight Sycamore players were invited to represent the United States in the inaugural (1951) Pan American Games, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Sycamores Roger Adkins, Dick Atha, Richard Babcock, Bob Gilbert, Tom Kern, Gene Lambdin, Ed Longfellow, and Cliff Murray represented the United States and Indiana State University. The United States defeated the national teams of Ecuador (74–32), Cuba (77–55), Panama (90–55) and Brazil (69–42) to reach the championship game against Argentina. The Americans defeated the hosts, (57–51), for the gold medal.
USA Basketball players (10) Roger Adkins – 1951 Pan American Games Dick Atha – 1951 Pan American Games Richard Babcock – 1951 Pan American Games Bob Gilbert – 1951 Pan American Games Tom Kern – 1951 Pan American Games Gene Lambdin – 1951 Pan American Games Ed Longfellow – 1951 Pan American Games Cliff Murray – 1951 Pan American Games Larry Bird – 1977 World University Games Larry Bird – 1978 World Invitational Tournament Carl Nicks – 1979 Select Team. Larry Bird – 1992 Olympic team, a.k.a. "The Dream Team"
Other national teams (2) DeCarsta Webster – Icelandic national basketball team (1984–1987) Manny Arop – Canadian University National Team (2013), Canadian Junior National Team (2011), Canadian U-19 National Team (2009), Canadian U-18 National Team (2008)
Arenas
Year Home Capacity 1973–present Hulman Center 10,200 1962–1973 Indiana State College Arena 4,800 1928–1962 Indiana State Teacher's College Gymnasium 3,000 1923–1928 Terre Haute William H. Wiley High School Gymnasium 1,600 1895–1923 Indiana State Normal School North Hall unk
Player of the year
National awards
National Player of the Year (2) Duane Klueh – 1948 NAIB Player of the Year Helms Foundation Larry Bird – 1979 consensus
Oscar Robertson Trophy (1) Larry Bird – 1979
Naismith Award (1) Larry Bird – 1979
John R. Wooden Award (1) Larry Bird – 1979
Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year (1) Larry Bird – 1979
Adolph Rupp Trophy (1) Larry Bird – 1979
Eastman Award (1) Larry Bird – 1979
Joe Lapchick Award (1) Larry Bird – 1979
The Sporting News (1) Larry Bird – 1979
Basketball Times (1) Larry Bird – 1979
Basketball Weekly (1) Larry Bird – 1979
Conference (6) Roger Adkins – 1952 Indiana Collegiate Conference Butch Wade – 1967 Indiana Collegiate Conference Jerry Newsom – 1968 Indiana Collegiate Conference Larry Bird – 1978 Larry Bird Trophy Larry Bird – 1979 Larry Bird Trophy Nate Green – 2000 Larry Bird Trophy
National tournament (3) Duane Klueh – 1948 NAIA Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Lenny Rzeszewski – 1950 NAIA Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Jerry Newsom – 1968 NCAA Div II Men's Championship Most Outstanding Player
Retired numbers
Five Sycamore players have had their numbers retired by the school. Jerry Newsom is the latest, with his number 41 retired by the school on February 19, 2022. Indiana State Sycamores retired numbers No.PlayerPos.TenureNo. ret.Ref. 22 Carl Nicks F 1976–77, 1978–80 2019 Carl Nicks gets to see No. 22 retired by ISU By David Hughes at Tribune-Star February 16, 2019 33 Larry Bird F 1976–79 2004 Indiana State retires Bird's No. 33 jersey at Deseret News – March 1, 2004 41 Jerry Newsom F / C 1964–68 2022 44 John Sherman Williams F 1982–86 2024 54 Duane Klueh F 1945–49 2004 Legendary ISU athlete, coach Duane Klueh makes $100,000 gift to men's basketball program at Gosycamores.com, July 9, 2021
All-Century Team In 1899, basketball became a Sycamore tradition; in the first official game, State defeated the Terre Haute YMCA by a score of 20–17; in 1999, to recognize the first century of intercollegiate basketball, a panel selected the following All-Century Team.
In addition, 'All-Decade' teams were selected for the following: 1910s–1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s
The rosters and more information can be found in the Winter 1999 (Volume 3, Number 1) issue of the 'Indiana State University Alumni Magazine.