Under HOF coach Bob Knight at Indiana University, Risley was a member of the 1979 NIT, 1980 Big Ten, and 1981 NCAA champion teams. When I say a member, I say he played a key role. He scored 5 points in the 1981 National Championship game and helped guard James Worthy and Sam Perkins. Yes, Risley was just a role player, but with Knight as the head coach, the Hoosiers won largely because of role players. The Hoosiers had many talented players that did what was best for the team so Indiana could win. Many Hoosiers like Risley could have been stars at other big-time programs, but they chose to stay at home and become a part of something bigger than themselves. Steve Risley is on this list representing all of those players. Check out the best basketball betting sites.
Special Guest:Former Indiana Hoosier Steve Risley
9) Bracey Wright
At 6’3″, SG Bracey was a lethal scorer. He averaged 17.6 points per game and 5.1 rebounds during his Indiana career. He is 15th in the school’s all-time scoring charts and tied for fourth with Hoosiers, who have made 186 three-pointers over his career.
Hello, I’m BRACEY WRIGHT and This is My STUNTED GROWTH Story
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Brian Evans, 6’8″, averaged six rebounds per game for a career total of 750. However, he was much more dangerous as a scorer. Evans as a senior and averaged 21.2 points per night. He finished 10th in IU history with 1,701 points.
Unfortunately, Evans’ scoring touch did not follow him to the NBA. Evans averaged just 3.0 points per game in three seasons on various pro benches.
Hoosier Basketball legend Brian Evans for three against Kansas!
7) Ted Kitchel
Ted Kitchel was a backup and sometimes starter for the Hoosiers 1981 national champions. He became a star scorer when Thomas made the jump to the NBA.
As a junior, the 6’8″ forward led the Hoosiers with 19.6 points per game. He also set a Big Ten record by shooting 18-for-18 from the free-throw line against Illinois.
Kitchel was drafted by the Bucks in round two, despite his history of back injuries. Imagine what he would have done with a healthy back.
Indiana Basketball Weekly:Guest Ted Kitchel, W/Collin Hartman and Steve Risley
6) Greg Graham
Greg Graham, was a fine shooting guard who averaged 16.5 points per game as a Hoosier, was at his best when defending. Graham’s 151 career steals show that he was one of the greatest defensive guards in Hoosier history.
Graham was a first-round draft pick in the NBA draft and played five sub-par seasons in the NBA as a backup. He never averaged more than five points per season while playing for the Sixers, Sonics, Nets and Cavs.
1992-93 Indiana University Basketball
5) Marv Huffman
Marv Huffman, one of two All-Americans and the only senior on Indiana’s first national champions in 1940, provided backcourt scoring to compliment Bill Menke’s inside game.
Huffman’s 12 points in the title-game victory over Kansas earned him the second-ever Final Four MVP award.
The NBA was still years away when Huffman graduated. One professional season was played with Akron in the National Basketball League. This was one of the precursors of the NBA.
Indiana vs Kansas – 3/30/1940 – Men’s Basketball Title Game
4) Randy Whitman
The Indiana offense needed swingman Randy Wittman (6’6″) to do everything, and he did. His 1,549 career points rank as the 13th-best for a Hoosier. Wittman’s 432 assists rank top ten all-time for the Hoosiers
At the end of the first half of the 1981 title game, Whitman’s baseline buzzer-beater started a Hoosier avalanche that overwhelmed the Tar Heels.
1981 NCAA Mens Basketball Final Four Highlights “Indiana Celebration”
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Dean Garrett was a 6’10” tall center, averaging 16.1 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per season as a senior. But his true calling was blocking shots.
He had the best single-season averages (including a record of 3.4 rejections per night) and hit 192 shots in his two years as a Hoosier.
Garrett, a Suns second-round draft pick, chose to travel to Europe. At the age of 30, he returned to the States as a Timberwolves player, playing five seasons in the NBA.
Bob Knight’s View of the 1987 Indiana vs. Syracuse Championship
2) Jon McGlocklin
Jon McGlocklin, a valued swingman at IU, was overshadowed by the Van Arsdale twins’ brilliance. As a senior, he made 90 per cent of his free throws and finished with 827 career points.
McGlocklin, at his best, was a skilled NBA scorer and averaged 19.6 points per game for the Bucks. As the culmination of an 11-year professional career, McGlocklin won a title in Milwaukee in 1971. Check out the top basketball odds.
Forgotten stories from Jon McGlocklin on 50th anniversary of Bucks lone title in 1971
1) Bobby Wilkerson
Quinn Buckner received most of the praises in the mid-70s, but Bobby Wilkerson was a big part of Indiana’s imposing defense for the 1976 undefeated national champions. Wilkerson, 6’6″, also had 171 assists for the team that year.
Wilkerson’s strong defense was a great asset in the NBA, where he averaged 1.3 steals per game over his entire career. He averaged 10.1 points per game over seven seasons, including time with the Bulls, Nuggets Cavs, Cavs, and Bulls.
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