Editing Hoosier hysteria

{{Short description|Excitement surrounding basketball in Indiana}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Reggie2 2 work.tif|thumb|[[Indiana Pacers]] shooting guard [[Reggie Miller]] shooting over [[Kobe Bryant]] during Game 5 of the [[2000 NBA Finals]]]]
'''Hoosier hysteria''' refers to the excitement surrounding [[basketball]] in the U.S. state of [[Indiana]].<ref name="SI1955HoosierMadness" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ihigh.com/100/article_23210.html 
|title=You can relive days of Hoosier Hysteria &#124; 100 Years in 100 Days Boys' Basketball &#124; iHigh.com 
|access-date=2010-04-21 
|url-status=dead 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713005802/http://www.ihigh.com/100/article_23210.html 
|archive-date=2011-07-13 }}</ref> This excitement generally revolves around the [[Indiana High School Boys Basketball Tournament]], the [[Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball|Indiana Hoosiers]] men's basketball team of [[Indiana University]] (IU), the [[Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball|Indiana State Sycamores]] men's basketball team of [[Indiana State University]] (ISU), the [[Indiana Pacers]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) and the [[Indiana Fever]] of the [[Women's National Basketball Association|Women's National Basketball]] Association (WNBA).

Indiana's passion for basketball was observed and written about by basketball's inventor, [[James Naismith]]. In 1925, Naismith visited an Indiana basketball state finals game along with 15,000 screaming fans. He later wrote that while it was invented in [[Massachusetts]], "basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport". In the 1954 Indiana High School Boys Basketball Tournament, underdog [[1954 Milan High School basketball team|Milan]], with just an enrollment size of 161 students, defeated the heavily favored [[Muncie Central High School|Muncie Central]] to win the state title. The 1986 [[David Anspaugh]] film ''[[Hoosiers (film)|Hoosiers]]'', starring [[Gene Hackman]], is loosely based on the 1954 tournament.

Since the late 20th century, numerous basketball stars have generated excitement and fan generation in Indiana. One of these players, [[Larry Bird]], became one of the most marketed and popular Indiana athletes in history due to his play for the Indiana State Sycamores from 1976 to 1979, and for his head coaching tenure for the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. Players such as [[Reggie Miller]] and [[Jalen Rose]] became popular during Bird's tenure as head coach of the Pacers. In the 21st century, athletes such as [[Caitlin Clark]], [[Paul George]] and [[Tyrese Haliburton]] have generated similar excitement to a lesser degree. The [[Caitlin Clark effect]] has particularly generated excitement around the Indiana Fever of the WNBA.

== High school basketball ==

===Homegrown talent===
Indiana high schools boast a tradition of producing top caliber basketball players. Through the 2009-2010 NBA season, 152 Hoosier athletes have played professional basketball in the world's top league. Considering the size of the state (population 6.4 million),<ref name=09CenEst>{{cite web | title = Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 | publisher = United States Census Bureau | access-date = 2010-01-04 | url = https://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2009-01.csv}}</ref> this makes Indiana high schools by far the most successful at developing NBA players per capita.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/high_schools.cgi?state=IN |title=NBA & ABA Players Who Attended High School in Indiana |website=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref> Today there are 22 Hoosiers in the NBA - more than one for every 150,000 male residents. In 2017, Indiana natives won the NBA and D-league Dunk Contests, NBA and D-league 3-point contests, and won runner-up in the NBA Skills Challenge.

===One-class tradition===
Historically, each of the several hundred small towns of Indiana had its own small school system. Before consolidation of many of these rural school districts in the last half of the twentieth century, Indiana high schools had fewer students than those of most other states; basketball was a natural game for these schools since it only required five starters and a few reserves and even a few great players could make a strong team.

The [[Franklin Wonder Five]], led by [[Fuzzy Vandivier]], was the first team to win the state championship in three consecutive years, from 1920 to 1922. This accomplishment would not be matched for over six decades.

After Milan's Miracle in the 1950s, no school with an enrollment of less than 500 won another boys' State title under the all-comers format. As school consolidation became more common and as more rural residents migrated to cities making large high schools grow even larger, smaller high schools had only a mismatch to look forward to come [[tournament]] time, as success concentrated in Indiana's large [[Urban area|urban]] and [[suburban]] schools. Starting with the 1997–1998 season, Indiana established a controversial four-class system for its basketball championship, although many other sports remain single-class. The state's move to this new system has, to some extent, diminished the phenomenon and public opinion is widely split on the merits of "class basketball."

Aside from the "Milan Miracle," the story of [[Crispus Attucks High School]] ranks as one of the greatest in Indiana high school basketball tradition. In 1955, the year after Attucks had lost in the semistate final (state quarterfinals) to Milan's championship team, Attucks gained fame by winning the Indiana state championship, becoming the first all-black school in the nation to win a state title open to all schools regardless of race. Crispus Attucks repeated as champions in 1956, becoming the first Indiana high school team to complete a season undefeated. The Attucks teams of 1954 through 1956 were led by [[Oscar Robertson]]. Both stories, Milan and Crispus Attucks, are memorialized for their accomplishments and tradition at the [[Indiana State Museum]] as well as at the [[Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame]] in [[New Castle, Indiana|New Castle]].

A highlight of the single-class tournament was the 1990 State Championship game, in which the paid attendance was over 40,000 fans. This phenomenal turnout of fans who witnessed [[Damon Bailey]]'s Bedford-North Lawrence Stars win the State Championship stands as the largest crowd ever to witness a high school basketball game.

After the 1997 season (when Bloomington North won the final single-class State Championship), the IHSAA controversially did away with the single-class system, ending the run of single-class champions in Indiana. Some argue Hoosier Hysteria was diminished as a result. In 2003, DeKalb High School (1200 students) nearly defeated Pike High School (3000 students). The Indiana tournament is still the most attended in the nation, with final four games for the two larger divisions regularly selling out [[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]] (formerly Conseco Fieldhouse and Bankers Life Fieldhouse).

===High school gymnasiums===
{{see also|Largest high school gyms in the United States}}
Indiana also possesses a disproportionate share of the country's largest high school basketball [[gym]]nasiums, including nine of the ten largest high school gyms in the country<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2004-02-25-ten-great-hoops-newcastle_x.htm | work=USA Today | first1=Sal | last1=Ruibal | title=High school hoops cathedral | date=2004-02-27}}</ref> and eighteen of the top twenty. Seventeen venues in Indiana today have a capacity of over 6,000, the largest being the [[New Castle Fieldhouse]], seating 9,325.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoopshall.com/gyms/ |title=Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame - Database of Indiana High School Gymnasiums |access-date=2007-03-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604143559/http://www.hoopshall.com/gyms/ |archive-date=2007-06-04 }}</ref>

==College basketball==
Hoosier hysteria may have its roots firmly planted in the high school game, but the college tradition brings its own depth to Indiana's passion. In [[NCAA]] Division I basketball, Indiana's colleges and universities have a storied past. [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] rivals [[Purdue University]] and [[Indiana University Bloomington|Indiana University]] and the [[University of Notre Dame]] are the most notable, with national and conference championships to boast. Smaller schools such as [[Indiana State University]], [[Ball State University]], [[Butler University]], the [[University of Evansville]], [[IUPUI]], [[Purdue University Fort Wayne|Purdue Fort Wayne]], the [[University of Southern Indiana]], and [[Valparaiso University]] add to the mix. [[Vincennes University]] boasts an outstanding national tradition in the junior college ranks. And in Division II [[St. Joseph's College (Indiana)|St. Joseph's]] and the [[University of Indianapolis]] have added their own successes to the legend of Indiana basketball. [[Wabash College]] won the Men's Division III NCAA Championship in 1982 and their 1905 24-0 team was considered World Champions; [[DePauw University]] and [[Manchester College (Indiana)|Manchester College]] were Div III National Finalists. It is safe to say that the terms "[[Final Four]]" and "[[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|March Madness]]" have grown out of the tradition of Hoosier hysteria.

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+Teams with national championships
!scope="col"|Team
!scope="col"|Championship
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|Years won
|-
!'''[[Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball|Indiana]]'''
|[[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Men's Tournament]]
|1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987
|-
!'''[[Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball|Notre Dame]]'''
|[[NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Women's Tournament]]
|2001, 2018
|-
!'''[[Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball|Purdue]]'''
|[[NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Women's Tournament]]
|1999
|-
!'''[[Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball|Evansville]]'''
|[[NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division II Men's Tournament]]
|1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971
|-
!'''[[Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles men's basketball|Southern Indiana]]'''
|[[NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division II Men's Tournament]]
|1995
|-
!'''[[Wabash Little Giants|Wabash]]'''
|[[NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division III Men's Tournament]]
|1982
|-
!'''[[Trine University|Trine]]'''
|[[NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament|NCAA Division III Men's Tournament]]
|2024
|-
!'''[[DePauw Tigers|DePauw]]'''
|[[NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament|NCAA Division III Women's Tournament]]
|2007, 2013
|-
!'''[[Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball|Indiana State]]'''
|[[NAIA men's basketball championship|NAIA Men's Tournament]]
|1950
|-
!'''[[Vincennes University|Vincennes]]'''
|[[NJCAA Division I men's basketball championship|NJCAA Division I Men's Tournament]]
|1965, 1970, 1972, 2019
|-
!'''[[Oakland City University|Oakland City]]'''
|[[List of NCCAA men's basketball champions|NCCAA Division I Men's Tournament]]
|1999
|-
!rowspan=2|'''[[Bethel University (Indiana)|Bethel]]'''
|[[List of NCCAA men's basketball champions|NCCAA Division I Men's Tournament]]
|1992, 1993, 2000, 2007, 2023
|-
|NCCAA Division I Women's Tournament
|2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011
|-
!rowspan=2|'''[[Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats|Indiana Wesleyan]]'''
|[[List of NCCAA men's basketball champions|NCCAA Division I Men's Tournament]]
|1995, 2008
|-
|NCCAA Division I Women's Tournament
|2002
|-
!'''[[Grace College & Seminary|Grace]]'''
|NCCAA Division I Women's Tournament
|2024
|-
!'''[[Huntington University (United States)|Huntington]]'''
|NCCAA Division I Women's Tournament
|1984, 1991, 1992
|-
|}

===Ball State Cardinals===
{{main|Ball State Cardinals men's basketball}}

The [[Ball State Cardinals]] have won several conference championships and earned a number of NCAA Tournament berths over the years, including:
*Seven [[Mid-American Conference]] Season Championships
*Seven Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament Championships (and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearances)
*[[Bonzi Wells]], a [[Muncie, Indiana]] native, was a four-year letterwinner at Ball State, finishing his career as the [[Mid-American Conference]]'s all-time leading scorer, and leading the NCAA in steals.
*Ball State's highest finish in the NCAA Tournament came in [[1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1990]], when they defeated [[Gary Payton]]'s [[Oregon State Beavers]] and Coach [[Denny Crum]]'s [[Louisville Cardinals men's basketball|Louisville Cardinals]] before falling to eventual champion [[UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball|UNLV]] by 2, 69–67.

===Butler Bulldogs===
{{main|Butler Bulldogs men's basketball}}
* Home of the legendary [[Hinkle Fieldhouse]], the largest basketball arena in the world from 1928 to 1950 (including professional arenas). Hinkle hosted the [[Indiana High School Athletic Association]] Championships for many years (including Milan's 1954 championship), [[Butler University]] also is notable for its men's and women's basketball teams. The Bulldogs advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in the [[2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2003]] and [[2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2007]] seasons.
* In 2006, the Bulldogs won the 2006 [[NIT Season Tip-Off|Preseason NIT]], beating most notably Indiana and Notre Dame to reach the semifinals in New York City. Behind a strong performance from guard [[A.J. Graves]], the Bulldogs defeated Tennessee and Gonzaga at [[Madison Square Garden]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nit.org/history/nit-preseason-year-by-year.html |title=NIT Tournament Home &#124; NCAA.com |website=Nit.org |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>
* [[2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team|In 2010]], Butler reached their first Final Four as a #5 seed, beating #12 seeded [[2009–10 UTEP Miners basketball team|UTEP]] in the first round behind a flurry of 3-pointers, edging out a very good #13 seed [[2009–10 Murray State Racers men's basketball team|Murray State]] (who upset #4 seed Vanderbilt in the first round), and then in the Sweet 16, Butler upset #1 seed [[2009–10 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team|Syracuse]], and in a thrilling Elite Eight game Butler upset #2 seed [[2009–10 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team|Kansas State]]. The Bulldogs made it to the Finals of the NCAA Tournament after defeating #5 seed [[2009–10 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team|Michigan State]] from the Midwest division. The Bulldogs played against #1 seeded [[2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team|Duke]] from the South in the finals but lost in a close game, with a potential game-winning shot by [[Gordon Hayward]] from just inside half-court rimming out.
* [[2010–11 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team|In 2011]], Butler returned to the NCAA title game for a second straight year. However, Butler lost 53–41 to [[2010–11 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team|Connecticut]], shooting a historically low 18.8 percent from the field — the worst in any NCAA title game and the worst in any NCAA tourney game since [[Harvard Crimson men's basketball|Harvard]] against [[Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball|Ohio State]] in 1946.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2011/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=6294241 |title=2011 NCAA national championship game: UConn Huskies' win over Butler Bulldogs not a pretty sight |website=ESPN |date=2011-04-05 |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>

===Evansville Purple Aces===
{{main|Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball}}
*The Evansville Purple Aces have won five national championships in the NCAA College Division (now known as [[NCAA Division II|Division II]]): 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 (29–0 record), and 1971. This ranks second all-time.
*After joining the NCAA's Division I in 1977, Evansville was a charter member of the [[Horizon League|Midwest Collegiate Conference]], now known as the Horizon League. The Aces won or shared the MCC regular season title in 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1993. They also won the conference tournament title in 1982, 1992, and 1993.
*The Aces are now a member of the [[Missouri Valley Conference]], and won the 1999 regular season title.
*Legendary Aces coach [[Arad McCutchan]] was the first NCAA College Division coach selected to the [[Basketball Hall of Fame|Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncaasports.com/basketball/mens/results/3744 |title=NCAA.com – The Official Website of NCAA Championships |website=Ncaasports.com |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>

===Franklin College Grizzlies===
{{main|Franklin College (Indiana)}}
* Franklin College (total enrollment of around 350 students), known as the "[[Franklin Wonder Five]]", declared '''national college champions''' in 1922–1923 season,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21047116/the-courier-journal/ |title=Franklin Tops Indiana Quintettes |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |page=9 |date=1923-03-07 |access-date=2020-04-10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> staying undefeated against teams from major universities, including [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]], [[University of Illinois|Illinois]], [[Purdue University|Purdue]], and [[University of Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]. 
* Had a string of 50 consecutive victories over a 2-season span that ended in February 1924, after the team suffered its first defeat by [[Butler University]].
* In 1924, turned down an offer to play the [[Original Celtics]], the top professional team in the nation, for a claim to the ''"undisputed national championship"''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18763994/the-indianapolis-star/ |title=Franklin Declines to Play Celts Five |newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]] |location=Franklin, Indiana |page=10 |date=1923-03-03 |access-date=2020-04-10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
* Two '''Indiana State Collegiate Championships''' (1923, 1924).

===Indiana Hoosiers===
{{Main|Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball}}
Indiana's collegiate basketball squad, the [[Indiana Hoosiers]] men's basketball team has several championships to their credit:

*Five NCAA National Championships ([[1940 NCAA basketball tournament|1940]], [[1953 NCAA basketball tournament|1953]], [[1976 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1976]], [[1981 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1981]], [[1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1987]]), placing them in a tie for fifth most all-time
*One [[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]] Championship ([[1979 National Invitation Tournament|1979]]) over rival Purdue; and one Runner-up finish ([[1985 National Invitation Tournament|1985]]) to a UCLA team featuring future member of the [[Indiana Pacers]], [[Reggie Miller]]
*Twenty-two Big Ten Championships (including four in a row from 1973 to 1976), currently two behind rival Purdue for the most all-time
*Also, Indiana completed the most recent undefeated season in Division I men's college basketball, going 32–0 in the [[1975–76 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team|1975–76 season]] under Hall of Fame coach [[Bob Knight]].

The Hoosiers' five NCAA Championships are the fifth in history, tied with Duke, and trailing [[UCLA Bruins men's basketball|UCLA]] (11) [[Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball|Kentucky]] (8) [[UNC Tar Heels men's basketball|North Carolina]] (6) and [[UConn Huskies men's basketball|Connecticut]] (6). Their eight trips to the [[Final Four]] ranks eighth on the all-time list. The Hoosiers have made 41 appearances in the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] (sixth-most in NCAA history). In those 41 appearances, Indiana has posted 68 victories, the eighth-most in NCAA history.

===Indiana State Sycamores===
{{main|Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball}}
*Led by the legendary French Lick standout [[Larry Bird]], [[1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team|Indiana State]] was the runner-up in the [[1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1979 NCAA tournament]]. They lost to [[Magic Johnson]]'s [[1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team|Michigan State Spartans]]. Their final record was 33–1.
*[[Indiana State University|Indiana State]], led by All-American [[Jerry Newsom]], was the 1968 NCAA College Division Runner-up. They lost to perennial power Kentucky Wesleyan. Their final record was 23–8.
*[[Indiana State University|Indiana State]] won the 1950 [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] Championship.
**Eight players from the 1950 team played for Head Coach John Longfellow as the United States' Gold Medal Basketball team at the inaugural 1951 [[Pan-American Games]].
*[[Indiana State University|Indiana State]] was the runner-up in the 1946 and 1948 NAIA championship games. The 1948 team was coached by the legendary [[John Wooden]]; it is the only Championship game loss in Coach Wooden's career.
**In 1947, Wooden's basketball team won the conference title and received an invitation to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. Wooden refused the invitation citing the NAIA's policy banning African American players. A member on the Indiana State Sycamores' team was Clarence Walker, an African-American athlete from East Chicago, Indiana. In 1948 the NAIA changed this policy and Wooden guided his team to the NAIA final, losing to Louisville. That year, Walker became the first African-American to play in ANY post-season intercollegiate basketball tournament.
**[[Indiana State University|Indiana State]] finished third in the 1953 NAIA tourney and fourth in the 1949 NAIA tourney
* In 1936, Indiana State was the runner-up in the U.S. Olympics Trials for basketball.
* Two [[Missouri Valley Conference|MVC]] Regular Season Championships and three MVC Tournament Championships.
* Four Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) Regular Season Championships.
* Four Indiana Intercollegiate Conference (IIC) Regular Season Championships

===Notre Dame Fighting Irish===
{{main|Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball|Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball}}
* The Notre Dame Men's Basketball team was crowned National Champions of the 1926-1927 basketball season as well as the 1935-1936 basketball season by the [[Helms Athletic Foundation]].
* The Notre Dame Men have a history of upsetting number 1 ranked teams as they have beaten 12 teams ranked No. 1 in the polls. The most notable of these upsets was the 1974 upset of UCLA, who had won their previous 88 contests. 
* The Notre Dame Men's Basketball team currently has the 9th most wins in [[List of teams with the most victories in NCAA Division I men's college basketball|College Basketball History.]] 
* Led by Coach [[Digger Phelps]], the Irish made a trip to the [[1978 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1978 Final Four]] where they lost to the Duke Blue Devils.
* The Irish have appeared in the Elite 8 on 7 different occasions. These include 1953, 1954, 1958, 1978 (Final Four),1979, 2015 and 2016.
* Since joining the Big East in 1995, a Notre Dame basketball player has been crowned Big East Player of the year 5 times.
* 10 Notre Dame players have been named consensus All Americans. Three of those players were named to the team in 3 different years. (Only 18 players have been named as consensus All-Americans three times.)
* Notre Dame all-time leading scorer [[Austin Carr]] currently holds the record for the most points in an NCAA tournament game, scoring 61 against Ohio in 1971. 
* The Irish women won the National Championship in [[2001 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|2001]] and [[2018 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|2018]].
* The Irish women went to five consecutive Final Fours from 2011 through 2015, finishing as national runner-up in four of those years—[[2011 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|2011]], [[2012 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|2012]], [[2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|2014]], and [[2015 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|2015]]. The Irish were also runners-up in [[2019 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|2019]].

===Purdue Boilermakers===
{{main|Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball|Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball}}
With their only men's national championship coming in the days before the NCAA Tournament, the [[Purdue Boilermakers]] have a basketball history:
*National championship in 1932, led by three-time All-American player and Indiana native [[John Wooden]]. (Championship retroactively awarded by the [[Helms Athletic Foundation]], seven years before the NCAA sponsored a basketball championship)
*NCAA Tourney runner-up in 1969 and 2024, semifinalist in 1980
*One [[National Invitation Tournament|NIT]] Championship ([[1974 National Invitation Tournament|1974]]); the first for the [[Big Ten Conference]] and two Runner-up finishes ([[1979 National Invitation Tournament|1979]], [[1982 National Invitation Tournament|1982]]) and a third-place finish ([[1981 National Invitation Tournament|1981]])
*Twenty-Six (26) Big Ten Championships (including a "Three-Pete" - a play on their mascot - from 1994 to 1996 and from 1934 to 1936.)
**The most all-time.
**Currently first all-time in [[Big Ten Conference]] victories with 992.

The Boilermaker women have one National Championship ([[1999 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|1999]]), one national runner-up finish ([[2001 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|2001]] to Notre Dame), seven Big Ten Championships, and have won nine of the 25 women's [[Big Ten Conference women's basketball tournament|Big Ten tournaments]].

===Valparaiso Beacons===
{{main|Valparaiso Beacons men's basketball}}
*Nine [[Summit League]] regular season championships.
*Eight Summit League tournament championships.
*Memorable run in the [[1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1998 NCAA tournament]] following [[The Shot (Valparaiso University)|The Shot]] by [[Bryce Drew]].

===Indianapolis Greyhounds===
The [[Indianapolis Greyhounds]], representing the University of Indianapolis (UIndy), have a storied basketball history. The Greyhounds were led by UIndy Hall of Famer Angus Nicoson throughout the 1950s and 60s, and Nicoson's teams won 8 Hoosier Conference Championships. More recent success has seen the Hounds ranked No. 1 in the country in Division II basketball in 2014, led by former USI standout, [[Stan Gouard]].

===St. Joseph's Pumas===
*The [[Saint Joseph's College (Indiana)|Saint Joseph's]] Pumas, led by coach Richard Davis, returned to the NCAA Elite Eight for the fourth time in 2010. The Pumas had numerous conference championships and 10 appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. 
They are members of the [[Great Lakes Valley Conference]], the top Division II conference in the nation.
*Four Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season championships.
*One Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament championships.
*One Indiana Collegiate Conference regular season championship.
*Memorable run in the 2010 NCAA tournament reaching the Elite Eight by make the tournament as an 'at-large' bid and preceding to win the Midwest Regional (3 games) by a total of 5 point. They won the Regional Championship by 1 point in a thrilling triple-overtime game, defeating Quincy University.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saintjoe.edu/news/?id=5513 |title=News Archive &#124; Saint Joseph's College (Indiana) |website=Saintjoe.edu |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>

===USI Screaming Eagles===
*The [[University of Southern Indiana|USI Screaming Eagles]], led by current [[Auburn Tigers men's basketball|Auburn]] coach [[Bruce Pearl]], won the 1995 [[NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship|Division II National Championship]] and were runners-up in 1994 and 2004.

===Vincennes Trailblazers===

The Vincennes University men's basketball program is the 4th winningest junior college program in the country, with 1,470 victories. The Trailblazers trail Southeastern Iowa Community College (1,519), Moberly, Mo., (1,505) and Hutchinson, Kan., with 1,490.
The Trailblazers' 4 National Titles place them tied with [[Moberly Area Community College]] and [[San Jacinto College]] - Central, which each have four titles. The Vincennes program began in 1903, however, no teams were formed from 1910 to 1912 and 1931–1950.

*4 [[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]] National Championships; 1965, 1970, 1972, 2019
**National Finalist in 1986
**National Semi-Finalist in 1974, 1983, 1992, 1993
**National Tournament Top 10 finishes: 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2000
*30 appearances in the [[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]] National Tournament
**28 appearances in the [[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]] finals.
*34 [[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]] Region 12 championships.
*9 [[National Junior College Athletic Association|NJCAA]] District 12 championships.
*7 Inter-region playoffs

===Bethel College (Mishawaka)===

*3 NAIA National Championships (Men's DII Basketball)
*29 NCCAA National Championships
*15 NAIA National Players of the Week

== Professional basketball ==

===Indiana Pacers===
{{main|Indiana Pacers}}

The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team is based in the state's capital and largest city, Indianapolis, located in the center of the state. The Indiana Fever of the WNBA, also owned by Melvin & Herb Simon, are the Pacers' sister team and also play in the [[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]].
*Founded in 1967 as a charter ABA team.
*Joined NBA in 1976
*Won 3 ABA Championships (1969, 1970, 1972)
*Won 5 ABA Conference Championships (1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975)
*Won 3 ABA Division Championships (1969, 1970, 1971)
*Won 1 NBA Conference Championship (2000)
*Won 5 NBA Division Championships (1995, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2013)
*Home-[[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]]
*Mascots-[[Boomer and Bowser]]
*[[Reggie Miller]]
*[[Bobby Leonard|Bobby "Slick" Leonard]]
*[[Larry Bird]]
*[[Danny Granger]]
*[[Paul George]]
*[[Victor Oladipo]]
*[[Tyrese Haliburton]]
*[[Jermaine O'Neal]]
*[[Rik Smits]]
*[[Jalen Rose]]
*[[George McGinnis]]
*[[Mel Daniels]]
*[[Lance Stephenson]]
*[[Metta Sandiford-Artest]]
*[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]]
*[[Roy Hibbert]]
*[[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]]
*[[Stephen Jackson]]
*[[T.J. McConnell]]
*[[Jamaal Tinsley]]
*[[Darnell Hillman]], also known as "Dr. Dunk," the winner of the first NBA Dunk competition

===Indiana Fever===
{{main|Indiana Fever}}

The Indiana Fever is a professional women's basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Their home arena is Gainbridge Fieldhouse located downtown. The Indiana Fever is the sister team of the NBA's Indiana Pacers, sharing ownership and administrative resources. Since drafting Caitlin Clark, they have sold a record breaking amount of tickets for a WNBA team. Lower level tickets for a single game have sold for as much as $4,000. 
*Founded in 2000
*Home — [[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]] (permanent), [[Hinkle Fieldhouse]] (2020–2022)
*[[Tamika Catchings]]
*[[Katie Douglas (basketball)|Katie Douglas]]
*Mascot-[[Freddy Fever]]
* Won 2012 WNBA Championship
*[[Caitlin Clark]]

== National profile ==

===Big Ten tournament===
At the conclusion of the regular Big Ten season, a tournament is held to determine the conference winner, who receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Indianapolis has hosted all but one of the [[Big Ten Conference women's basketball tournament|women's tournaments]] since its inception in 1995, and [[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]] has hosted every tournament since 2002, as well as the 2000 edition. The [[Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament]] began a five-year stint at the then Conseco Fieldhouse in 2008.

===Final Four===
[[Indianapolis]], headquarters of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] and often referred to as the "Amateur Sports Capital of the World" has hosted a number of collegiate basketball events. Aside from the multitude of regional games held during the NCAA tournament, Indianapolis is tied with [[New York City]] for having hosted the second most [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship]]s ([[1980 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1980]], [[1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1991]], [[1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1997]], [[2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2000]], [[2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2006]], [[2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2010]], [[2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2015]], and [[2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|2021]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://herosports.com/collegebasketball/history-final-four-indianapolis|title=History of the NCAA Tournament Final Four in Indianapolis|publisher=HERO Sports News|access-date=June 30, 2016}}</ref> The city will host the men's Final Four next in 2026 and 2029.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indianapolis to host Men's Final Four in 2029 |url=https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/local-sports/indianapolis-lucas-oil-stadium-host-final-four-2029-mens-college-basketball-ncaa/531-ebdc5fb1-ece2-4d61-bcc1-2db5b4bae58e |website=WTHR |date=November 22, 2022 |access-date=8 January 2023 |ref=November 22, 2022}}</ref>
Previous events were held in the [[Market Square Arena]] or the [[RCA Dome]], but given the new stadium built for the [[Indianapolis Colts]], [[Lucas Oil Stadium]] began hosting Final Four events in 2010. When the NCAA Headquarters relocated to Indianapolis, it was stated that Indianapolis would then host the men's Final Four once every five years.

===World championships===
{{main|2002 FIBA World Championship}}
In 2002, Indianapolis hosted the [[FIBA Basketball World Cup|FIBA World Championship]] (now known as the FIBA Basketball World Cup), an event that takes place on even years opposite the [[Olympic Games]]. Since inaugural event in 1950, Indianapolis is the only city in the [[United States]] to have hosted the event.

== Firsts ==
*In a game on December 9, 1916, Purdue became the first to use glass backboard on its hoops. Afterwards [[Hal Mefford|Coach Mefford]], of the [[Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers|Rose Poly team]], claimed that the glass backboards in the Purdue gym handicapped his team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/archivesphotos/results/item.do?itemId=P0028064|title=Archives Photograph Collection - "Men's Gymnasium showing the first glass backboards"|website=Webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu|access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>
*Patent no. 1,757,350 granted on May 6, 1930 to William Wallace of Lafayette, Indiana for a "Basket-Ball-Ball Suspension" is an improvement on earlier removable goals. In this instance, the goal merely folds up against the ceiling. This innovation provides the flexibility seen in gymnasiums today where basketball goals are simply raised and lowered by the flip of a switch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/sponsored/patents-behind-basketball-180971830/|title=The Patents Behind Basketball|website=Smithsonianmag.com|access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

==Local basketball stars==
{{Multiple issues|{{Fan POV|date=November 2022}}
{{Excessive examples|date=November 2022}}|collapsed=yes|section=y}}
Here follows a list of notable Indiana natives, as well as non-natives who were raised in the state, who have achieved success in basketball.
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*[[Steve Alford]]
*[[Forddy Anderson]]
*[[Damon Bailey]]
*[[Dick Barnett]]
*[[Kent Benson]]
*[[Larry Bird]]
*[[Ron Bonham]]
*[[Jim Bradley (basketball)|Jim Bradley]]
*[[Junior Bridgeman]]
*[[Wallace Bryant]]
*[[Vic Bubas]]
*[[Roger Burkman]]
*[[Don Buse]]
*[[Everett Case]]
*[[Haley Cavinder]]<!--Born in South Bend, but raised in the Phoenix area.-->
*[[Hanna Cavinder]]<!--Born in South Bend, but raised in the Phoenix area.-->
*[[Calbert Cheaney]]
*[[Zora G. Clevenger]]
*[[Mike Conley Jr.]]
*[[Louis Dampier]]
*[[Everett Dean]]
*[[Skylar Diggins-Smith]]
*[[Terry Dischinger]]
*[[Katie Douglas (basketball)|Katie Douglas]]
*[[Jay Edwards (basketball)|Jay Edwards]]
*[[Kelly Faris]]
*[[Yogi Ferrell]]
*[[Caleb Furst]]
*[[Winston Garland]]
*[[Eric Gordon]]
*[[Greg Graham]]
*[[Kyle Guy]]
*[[Luke Harangody]]<!--Born in Decatur, Illinois, but raised in Lake County, Indiana.-->
*[[Del Harris]]
*[[Gary Harris]]
*[[Gordon Hayward]]
*[[Alan Henderson]]
*[[George Hill (basketball)|George Hill]]
*[[Tony Hinkle]]
*[[Bill Hodges]]
*[[Paul Hoffman (basketball)|Paul Hoffman]]
*[[Matt Howard]]
*[[Robbie Hummel]]
*[[Jared Jeffries]]
*[[Roger Kaiser]]
*[[Billy Keller]]
*[[Shawn Kemp]]
*[[Duane Klueh]]
*[[Tommy Kron]]
*[[Ward Lambert]]
*[[Courtney Lee]]
*[[Bobby Leonard]]
*[[Troy Lewis]]
*[[Kenny Lofton]]
*[[Clyde Lovellette]]
*[[Trey Lyles]]<!--Born in Saskatoon, but raised in Indy.-->
*[[John MacLeod (basketball)|John MacLeod]]
*[[Kyle Macy]]
*[[Sean May]]
*[[Arad McCutchan]]
*[[Branch McCracken]]
*[[George McGinnis]]
*[[Jon McGlocklin]] 
*[[Carl McNulty]]
*[[Josh McRoberts]]
*[[John Mengelt]]
*[[Brad Miller (basketball player)|Brad Miller]]
*[[Eric Montross]]
*[[Rick Mount]]
*[[Stretch Murphy]]
*[[Craig Neal]]
*[[Jerry Newsom]]
*[[Greg Oden]]
*[[Matt Painter]]
*[[Bobby Plump]]
*[[Bob Polk]]
*[[Gregg Popovich]]
*[[Zach Randolph]]
*[[Glenn Robinson]]
*[[Glenn Robinson III]]
*[[Oscar Robertson]]
*[[Dave Schellhase]]
*[[Jerry Sichting]]
*[[Norm Sloan]]
*[[Scott Skiles]]
*[[Gordon Stauffer]]
*[[Brad Stevens]]
*[[Bob Stevens (basketball)|Bob Stevens]]
*[[Tim Stoddard]]
*[[Dave Strack]]
*[[Caleb Swanigan]]
*[[Chuck Taylor (salesman)|Chuck Taylor]]
*[[Jeff Teague]]
*[[Marquis Teague]]
*[[Chris Thomas (basketball player)|Chris Thomas]]
*[[Deshaun Thomas]]
*[[Monte Towe]]
*[[Gene Tormohlen]]
*[[Pete Trgovich]]
*[[Dick Van Arsdale]]
*[[Tom Van Arsdale]]
*[[Fuzzy Vandivier]]
*[[Sharon Versyp]]
*[[Clifford Wells]]
*[[Bonzi Wells]]
*[[Kris Wilkes]]
*[[Randy Wittman]]
*[[Michael Warren (actor)|Mike Warren]]
*[[Stephanie White]]
*[[Howie Williams]]
*[[John Wooden]]
*[[Jackie Young]]
*[[Cody Zeller]]
*[[Tyler Zeller]]
*[[Luke Zeller]]
*[[Shanna Crossley|Shanna Zolman]]
}}

Non-natives (i.e., those who did not arrive in Indiana before college) who gained basketball fame in Indiana's tradition include:
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
*[[OG Anunoby]]
*[[Grace Berger]]
*[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]]
*[[Thomas Bryant (basketball)|Thomas Bryant]]
*[[Quinn Buckner]]
*[[Brian Cardinal]]
*[[Joe Barry Carroll]]
*[[Mel Daniels]]
*[[Antonio Davis]]
*[[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]]
*[[Zach Edey]]
*[[Rick Fox]]
*[[Paul George]]
*[[Danny Granger]]
*[[Mark Jackson (basketball)|Mark Jackson]]
*[[Gene Keady]]
*[[George King (basketball, born 1928)|George King]]
*[[John Konchar]]
*[[Cuonzo Martin]]
*[[Scott May]]
*[[Reggie Miller]]
*[[Carl Nicks (basketball)|Carl Nicks]]
*[[Arike Ogunbowale]]
*[[Victor Oladipo]]
*[[Lee Rose (basketball)|Lee Rose]]
*[[Fred Schaus]]
*[[Marty Simmons]]
*[[Jerry Sloan]]
*[[Rik Smits]]
*[[Kevin Stallings]]
*[[Isiah Thomas]]
*[[Mike Woodson]]
*[[Fred Zollner]]
}}

==See also==
*''[[Hoosiers (film)|Hoosiers]]'', a 1986 film about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. Loosely based on the 1954 Milan state championship team.
*''[[Blue Chips]]'' - a 1994 basketball movie telling the tale of a by-the-books coach who turns to "friends of the program" to secure the talents of incoming freshman players; it contains roles by NBA stars [[Shaquille O'Neal]], [[Penny Hardaway|Anfernee Hardaway]], and cameos by [[Larry Bird]], [[Rick Pitino]], [[George Raveling]], [[Jim Boeheim]], [[Jerry Tarkanian]], [[Rick Fox]] and current Purdue Head Coach [[Matt Painter]]. The game segments were filmed in [[Frankfort, Indiana]]. Numerous other segments of the film were shot around the state of Indiana.
*[[Indiana High School Boys Basketball Champions]]
*[[Indiana "Mr. Basketball" award]]
*[[Illinois high school boys basketball championship]], known as "America's Original [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|March Madness]]"; the neighboring state of [[Illinois]] has a similar relationship and history with basketball.
* [[Sweet Sixteen (KHSAA State Basketball Championship)|Sweet Sixteen]], the boys' and girls' high school championship tournaments of another neighboring state, [[Kentucky]], which also has a similar relationship with basketball. Most notably, Kentucky's Sweet Sixteen still uses the single-class model that Indiana abandoned in the late 1990s.

==References==
{{Reflist |refs=
<ref name="SI1955HoosierMadness">{{Cite magazine |last=White |first=Charles W. |title=The Hoosier Madness |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=December 19, 1955 |pages=18–23, 45–46 |volume=3 |number=25 |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1955/12/19/42443 |access-date=February 9, 2024 |quote=Basketball in Indiana is an obsession with far-flung psychological and social effects. Look, for example, what happens in [[Muncie, Indiana|Muncie]].}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070207220800/http://www.hoopshall.com/inductees/mrbasketball.html Indiana's Mr. Basketball]
*[https://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2004-02-25-ten-great-hoops-newcastle_x.htm USA Today Article on New Castle Fieldhouse]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090318194208/http://www.ihsaa.org/main.shtm Indiana High School Athletic Association]
*[http://www.hoosierhysteria.org A synopsis of the State Championship tournament brackets for each year 1911-1997]
*[https://www.c-span.org/video/?98565-1/game-matters ''Booknotes'' interview with William Gildea on ''Where the Game Matters Most'', February 22, 1998.]

[[Category:High school basketball in Indiana]]
[[Category:History of college basketball in the United States]]
[[Category:Indiana culture]]
[[Category:Hysteria]]