John Wooden. Damon Bailey. Oscar Robertson and Crispus Attucks. Milan and Bobby Plump. The Franklin Wonder Five. Purple Reign. The Bearcats and the North Central Conference. Homer Stonebraker. Marion Crawley. George McGinnis. “Hoosiers.” Cliff Wells. Steve Alford and James Blackmon. The Big Dog. Hinkle Fieldhouse.
They’re names that resonate through the minds of the aficionados and the everyday fan of that unique experience known as Hoosier Hysteria. And they’re just a few of the hundreds of players, teams, coaches and experiences that Indiana has celebrated for 100 years.
The Indiana High School Athletic Association is celebrating the 100th state basketball tournament. The tournament began — unofficially — in 1911 when Crawfordsville knocked off Lebanon in the championship game at Indiana University. The teams competing were the winners of district tournaments aligned with each of the state’s congressional seats.
The next year, the IHSAA took over and the tournament took off with a bang.
It was in 1925 when James Naismith, who invented the game in 1891 in Massachusetts, attended the state finals at then-Butler Fieldhouse with 15,000 others and saw the Frankfort Hot Dogs defeat Kokomo. The experience left him amazed.
“Basketball,” he said afterwards, “really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport.”
He was right then, and it’s still an accurate assessment today. Where else could you nearly fill a domed stadium with people to watch a high school basketball game? In 1990, the Hoosier Dome hosted the state finals for the first time and 41,000 people were on hand to see Bailey and the Bedford North Lawrence Stars defeat Shawn Kemp and Concord for the 80th state championship.
And while the number of those attending games has dwindled over the years as a result of consolidations and alternatives too numerous to mention, the support and excitement teams receive as they make their way along the tourney trail remain unsurpassed.
Naysayers will offer up that class basketball has ruined Hoosier Hysteria.
Yet, try to tell the young men from Lewis Cass who won the Class 2A state championship in 2003 that the medal hanging around their necks means any less than the ones awarded to the Berries in 1934 or to Crispus Attucks in 1955 or Plymouth in 1982.
Celebrate the anniversary this weekend by getting out and cheering for your favorite team.
Editorials
Major milestone for Indiana’s game
- Editorials
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A positive step for public schools
Indiana is one of 10 states granted waivers last week from provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The waiver appears to be a step forward for schools across the state.
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An outstanding community effort
United Way of Cass County announced this week that it had raised more than $600,000 in its most recent campaign. The campaign’s success is a testament to the generosity of local residents and to the great work of the United Way and its member agencies.
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Another step forward for local trails
Local officials broke ground this week on the planned Eel River Run from downtown to Riverside Park. The project will expand a trail system of which the community can be proud.
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White should not return to office
The conviction of Indiana’s secretary of state on charges of voter fraud has left Republicans and Democrats fighting over who will hold the office. No matter how the fight comes out, Charlie White’s ouster from office should be permanent.
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A grand success for Indianapolis
The just-ended Super Bowl was the result of decades of preparation. Indianapolis left a great impression on the thousands of visitors who descended on the city.
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Should schools teach creationism?
The Indiana General Assembly is considering a measure that would allow public schools to teach creationism as long as they include instruction on other reliigious theories. Broadening the instruction to include other religions might address constitutional concerns, but the result might be a class the law’s supporters didn’t envision.
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Giving every child a chance
Students from Columbia Middle School delivered a message of inclusion in a play last weekend. The message is one that can’t be repeated too often.
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Testing lawmakers a good idea
A measure requiring drug testing for welfare recipients would also require drug testing for legislators. If lawmakers are going to impose such a requirement on welfare recipients, they should be willing to stand up to the same measure.
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Peru delivers important message
The city of Peru collected $20,000 last year from property owners who failed to keep their yards mowed. An aggressive enforcement effort can help the city’s finances, but the benefits go beyond dollars and cents.
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Jail GED program a great step
The issue
The Cass County Sheriff’s Department has begun offering GED
classes for its prisoners.
Our view
The department, and society at large, will see a huge return on that
investment. - More Editorials Headlines
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A positive step for public schools
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