The Indiana Hoosiers have a remarkable history of winning five national championships, three under the legendary head coach Robert Montgomery Knight. Today we will break down and look at the five greatest point guards in Indiana Hoosiers’ history!
5) Damon Bailey 1990-1994
Bailey was a great all-around player and leader. He would have had to win 4 National Championships to live up to the hype the followed him to Bloomington.
Bailey was an All-American in 1994. When Bailey graduated, he ranked first in wins (108), fifth in scoring (1,741), and second in assists (474). Bailey was also awarded the Big Ten’s Freshman Award in 1991.
The Hoosiers reached one Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four during his time in Bloomington.
His career ended with an average of 13.2 points and 3.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. However, he was sometimes overshadowed by teammates such as Alan Henderson or Calbert Cheaney.
Damon Bailey: The HS Baller 41,000 Came to See (B/R Studios)
4) Keith Smart 1986-88
Keith Smart’s National Championship game-winning shot against Syracuse is perhaps the most well-known shot in Indiana Basketball history.
Smart averaged 12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and was awarded the Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award for his career.
He could only play two seasons in Bloomington but was very effective in them both.
Smart was named Co-MVP of his team in 1988. He also holds the Indiana single-game record for 15 assists. This record was set in the 1987 NCAA tournament win over Auburn.
Smart is over Bailey because of the last ten minutes of that 1987 National Championship game; it’s hard to top that.
Hoosier Rising – Keith Smart Describes “The Shot”
3) Yogi Ferrell 2012-15
Yogi Ferrell was the assist man in his freshman season alongside Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo. He posted 132 assists that season.
He showed he could pass while still maintaining his skills, particularly as a threat to shoot from a distance.
His active streak of at least one three-pointer per game, a career 40 per cent shooter from deep, spanned 65 games during his college career. This streak was the longest in the country.
He averaged 14.5 points per game over his entire career. However, he also broke Indiana’s all-time assist record while he was in Bloomington.
Ferrell is part of an elite group at Indiana. He is one of five Hoosiers who have 1,000 career points and 400 career assists, as well as 300 career rebounds. Ferrell was also the first player to lead the team’s scoring and assist totals in consecutive seasons since Isiah Tomas in 1980 and 1981.
Indiana PG Yogi Ferrell 2015-16 Highlights α΄΄α΄°
2) Quinn Buckner 1972-76
Quinn Bucker, the floor general of the Indiana team went undefeated in the regular season in 1975 and 1976. He was also part of the 1976 National Championship team, the last undefeated NCAA team.
In 1976, the Indiana team was voted the best team in all 75 years of NCAA tournament play. He was also the 1976 U.S. Olympic Basketball team captain that won the gold medal.
The four-year veteran started in 120 games and averaged 10.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists over his career.
His defensive and playmaking abilities were crucial to his success. Buckner is third all-time in assists at Indiana. The Milwaukee Bucks drafted him 7th overall. He enjoyed a solid NBA career and made it to four All-Defensive teams.
The top two on this list are unquestioned to me.
Quinn Buckner on 1976 Indiana, Bob Knight and more! | House of Hoosier
1) Isiah Thomas, 1980-81
Thomas is not just the most outstanding point guard in Hoosier history; he is one of the most significant point guards in NBA history.
In Indiana, Isiah is a legend in terms of his legacy and his success as a player in just two seasons.
As a freshman, he won the Big Ten and advanced to the Sweet 16. He did even more in his sophomore year, leading the Hoosiers towards a National Championship in 1981. In addition to winning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award, he set single-season school records for assists and steals. Thomas is the greatest leader in Indiana history and the best defensive guard in Hoosiers’ history. At Point Guard, Thomas being named the number one guy is unquestioned.
Thomas was also a consensus All-American in 1981, averaging 15.4 points per game with 5.7 assists during his two-year career in Bloomington.
He had a stellar college career and a hall-of-fame career in the NBA, winning two championships with Detroit Pistons. Thomas is the only IU player to have had greater professional success.
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