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20th Century Top 50
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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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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. |
