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20th Century Top 50: Indiana
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|
Rank |
Profile |
|
1 |
John
Wooden , Martinsville
Before coaching UCLA to 10 NCAA basketball titles, he was three-time All-America
guard at Purdue; led Boilermakers to mythical national title in
1932. |
|
2 |
Larry
Bird , French Lick
Scored 28.6 ppg to lead Indiana State to 1979 NCAA title game; won three
straight MVPs ('84 '85, '86) with
Celtics.
|
|
3 |
Oscar
Robertson , Indianapolis
Led Crispus Attucks High to two state championships; only NBA player to
average triple double, with Royals in
1961-62.
|
|
4 |
Bob
Griese , Evansville
Two-time All-America at Purdue led Dolphins to Super Bowl wins in 1973 and
'74. |
|
5 |
Chuck
Klein , Indianapolis
NL MVP with Phillies in 1932; won '33 Triple Crown; record 44 outfield assists
in
'30. |
|
6 |
Ray
Ewry , Lafayette
Overcame polio as youngsterto win 10 gold medals in Olympic standing jump
events from 1900 to
'08. |
|
7 |
Rod
Woodson , Fort Wayne
Broke 13 football records and was two-time track All-America at Purdue; named a
cornerback on NFL's 75th-anniversary
team.
|
|
8 |
Jeff
Gordon , Pittsboro
Only driver in NASCAR's modern era to win 10 races three years in a row; Winston
Cup champion in 1995, '97,
'98. |
|
9 |
Tony
Hulman , Terre Haute
Won seven letters at Yale; bought dilapidated Brickyard in 1945 and helped
turn Indy 500 into premier
event.
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|
10 |
"Three Finger"
Brown , Nyesville
Ace of last Cubs' squad to win World Series, in 1908; won 20 or more games each
year from '06 to '11, 239 games for
career.
|
|
11 |
Bobby
Plump , Milan
Immortalized in Hoosiers for hitting last-second jumper to win 1954
state high school basketball title for tiny Milan
High. |
|
12 |
Gil
Hodges , Princeton
Hit 370 homers, made eight All-Star teams with Dodgers; managed 1969 Miracle
Mets.
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|
13 |
Oscar
Charleston , Indianapolis
"The Black Ruth" led Negro leagues with 20 homers and .445 average in
1925.
|
|
14 |
George
McGinnis , Indianapolis
Broke Oscar Robertson's state high school scoring records; averaged 29.9 points
at Indiana in 1971, 20-plus points in seven straight seasons as
pro. |
|
15 |
James (Doc)
Counsilman , Bloomington
Coached Indiana swim team to NCAA title each year from 1968 to '73; among
his 48 Olympians was Mark
Spitz.
|
|
16 |
Glenn (Big Dog)
Robinson , Gary
Carried Roosevelt High to 1991 state title; won '94 Wooden Award at Purdue;
averaged 20-plus points in each of first four NBA seasons with
Bucks. |
|
17 |
Alex
Karras , Gary
Undersized defensive lineman won Outland Trophy at Iowa in 1957; All-Pro
with Lions in 1960, '61, '62,
'65. |
|
18 |
Clyde
Lovellette , Terre Haute
Left Kansas as NCAA's career scoring leader (24.5 ppg); led U.S. to Olympic gold
in 1952; three-time NBA
All-Star. |
|
19 |
Edd
Roush , Oakland City
NL batting champion in 1917 and '19; had .323 average in 18 major league
seasons. |
|
20 |
Kent
Benson , New Castle
Three-time basketball All-America at Indiana helped lead Hoosiers to unbeaten
mark and NCAA championship in
1976.
|
|
21 |
Billy
Herman , New Albany
Hit .433 in 10 All-Star Games; played on four NL pennant winners, with Cubs in
1932, '35, '38, and Dodgers in
'41.
|
|
22 |
Steve
Alford , New Castle
Two-time basketball All-America made seven threes in Indiana's 1987 NCAA
title-game
win. |
|
23 |
Weeb
Ewbank , Richmond
Victorious coach in two of pro football's most significant games: Colts' 1958
title win and Jets' Super Bowl III
upset. |
|
24 |
Branch
McCracken , Monrovia
Began hoops career using peach basket and an inflated pig bladder for a ball;
ended it as Indiana coach who won national titles in 1940 and
'53. |
|
25 |
Stephanie
White-McCarty
, West Lebanon
Holds state women's high school basketball scoring mark (2,869 points);
All-America at Purdue in 1998 and
'99.
|
|
26 |
Fuzzy
Zoeller , New Albany
Ten PGA Tour victoriesinclude 1979 Masters and'84 U.S.
Open.
|
|
27 |
Don
Mattingly , Evansville
The 15th Yankee to have his number retired; AL MVP in 1985; nine-time Gold Glove
winner at first
base.
|
|
28 |
Rick
Mount , Lebanon
State's Mr. Basketball in 1966; had 27.6 ppg in high school and set Big Ten
career scoring record with 32.3 ppg at
Purdue.
|
|
29 |
Muriel Davis
Grossfeld , Indianapolis
Won 18 national gymnastics titles; at 1964 Olympic trials, became first American
woman to score a perfect
10.
|
|
30 |
Don
Lash , Auburn
Won seven straight U.S. cross-country championships and 1938 Sullivan Award;
competed in 1936
Olympics.
|
|
31 |
Bob
Kuechenberg , Hobart
Six-time Pro Bowl guard opened holes for Dolphins' potent ground attack of
1970s.
|
|
32 |
Tommy
John , Terre Haute
Had 288 wins in majors, 164 after undergoing 1974 ligament-replacement
surgery that now bears his
name.
|
|
33 |
Tom
Harmon , Gary
Versatile back won Heisman Trophy at Michigan in 1940, but pro career was
cut short by debilitated legs after his planes were downed twice during
World War
II. |
|
34 |
Shawn
Kemp , Elkhart
Six-time NBA All-Star; averaged at least 15 points and 10 rebounds six straight
years, 1992 to
'97.
|
|
35 |
Dick
Weber , Indianapolis
Three-time Bowler of the Year; became charter member of PBA Hall of Fame, in
1975. |
|
36 |
Fred
Wilt , Pendleton
Distance runner won eight national titles and 1950 Sullivan Award; coached 17
All-Americas in 12 years as Purdue track
coach.
|
|
37 |
Kenny
Lofton , East Chicago
Baseball's most dangerous leadoff hitter in 1990s; has led AL in steals five
times.
|
|
38 |
Charles O.
Finley , Gary
Eccentric owner's mustachioed, feuding A's were always colorful and often
great -- they won World Series crowns in 1972, '73,
'74.
|
|
39 |
Tony
Zale , Gary
Won two of three epic bouts with Rocky Graziano to establish himself as premier
middleweight of
1940s.
|
|
40 |
Tony
Hinkle , Logansport
Coached basketball, baseball and football at Butler from 1921 to '70; won 557
basketball
games.
|
|
41 |
Fuzzy
Vandivier , Franklin
Captained the Franklin Wonder Five, unprecedented winners of three consecutive
state hoops titles from 1920 to
'22.
|
|
42 |
Major
Taylor , Indianapolis
Turn-of-the-century cyclist was first widely recognized U.S. black athlete; 1899
world champion and American sprint champ in 1899 and
1900.
|
|
43 |
Damon
Bailey , Heltonville
State's alltime leading high school scorer (3,134 points); averaged 13.2 points
at Indiana from 1991 to
'94.
|
|
44 |
Mark
Clayton , Indianapolis
In 1980s and early '90s, he and Dan Marino formed most-prolific scoring duo in
NFL history, hooking up on 79 TD passes with
Dolphins. |
|
45 |
LaTaunya
Pollard , East Chicago
State's 1979 Miss Basketball was three-time All-America at Long Beach State and
'83 national player of the
year.
|
|
46 |
Max
Carey , Fort Wayne
When 10-time NL stolen base champion hung up his spikes in 1929, he had
league-record 738
swipes.
|
|
47 |
Lamar
Lundy , Richmond
Purdue football and basketball star was rock-steady member of Rams' Fearsome
Foursome front line in
1960s.
|
|
48 |
Charles (Stretch)
Murphy , Marion
At 6'6" -- big for his time -- he led Marion High to 1926 state
basketball title; two-time All-America at
Purdue.
|
|
49 |
Maicel
Malone-Wallace , Indianapolis
Female sprinter won 11 high school state titles, five NCAA titles, gold medal in
4x400-meter relay at 1996
Olympics. |
|
50 |
Scott
Rolen , Jasper
NL Rookie of the Year in 1997; won Gold Glove and hit 31 homers in second full
season. |
