Indiana Hoosiers Basketball: 1987 and a Legacy of Excellence, Adaptation, and Hoosier Spirit Through Decades of Change

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Tracing the evolution of Indiana University basketball from the 1980s to the early 2000s, this narrative explores how the program maintained its core identity through significant transitions. From iconic moments like Keith Smart's championship-winning shot in 1987 to memorable tournament runs in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Hoosiers consistently embodied values of teamwork, discipline, and resilience. The program weathered coaching changes, celebrated talented players like Steve Alford, Calbert Cheney, and Damon Bailey, and achieved remarkable victories, including an unforgettable upset against Duke in 2002. Beyond wins and losses, being a Hoosier represents a deeper commitment to tradition, community, and excellence—a spirit that transcends individual eras and continues to inspire fans and players alike. The story emphasizes adaptability and the importance of preserving the program's rich heritage while embracing new challenges in college basketball.

Transcript

  Welcome back everyone to iconic seasons.  Today we're wrapping up our mini series, exploring the Legacy of Indiana Basketball Beyond the 1976 undefeated season, focusing on dramatic moments leading up to the modern era and what it truly means to be a Hoosier. We will look at how the program has maintained, at least the feeling of excellence, even through periods of change. 

First, let's talk about the shot.  It's more than just a basket. It's a symbol of Indiana basketball's dramatic flare. On March 31st, 1987, with just seconds left in the NCAA championship game, Keith Smart took a pass from Darryl Thomas and Lofted a 16 foot jumper that secured the championship. And I thought that was the game was over for me.

And then finally getting back into the game, coach asked me if I was ready to play Syracuse, had made a big run and got themselves back into the game.  And I said, said, yes, I'm ready to play.  I said, well, you have a couple minutes to go in and play, and if you have done anything a couple minutes, I'm taking you out and I can't use you. 

So I figured being at home in Baton Rouge with All right from Baton Rouge with all family there  and I better do something to stay on the floor and got in there and started playing And, uh. Things started to open up and plays. I started to make,  and the strangest thing was that I was able to go back into the game  and didn't, and I didn't see anyone in the arena. 

Strange as it may sound, didn't see anyone on the floor, didn't see. I was in a, in the arena on the floor by myself playing,  and I played as if I was outside playing somewhere. I had all the time in the world to make the right pass.  You know, all the time in the world to make the right shot, the right decision.

It was like athletes talk about being in the zone and you don't really, you never get to that place again. But it was, I guess that was it, because I felt like I was playing by myself and didn't hear anything else again until the final shot when I heard the explosion of noise.  And that kind of brought me back to like where I am back to reality.

You know, you work so hard to get to a point and then you, you just don't want it to end. And I just remember it being so fast, it was hard to remember things. Uh, the first half seemed to go very quickly. Halftime was, was very quick. And then, you know, even the combination of the game of how it ended with, uh, Keith hitting an incredible shot, made it a very, very special ending.

But it just seemed like it was all too quick. You know, we were on the stage and then we gone, we in the locker room and take uniform for the.  You just want like that to go on forever. And unfortunately they don't. But, uh, to be, to cap it off and be on stage and Crown Champion was, uh, it was a great thrill.

Well, I think we understood what we accomplished because we were at Indiana, and Indiana was about championships, so former players and the people that were associated with Indiana, we knew full well what it was like to put on that uniform and what it meant to wear that uniform. And we were all about winning championships.

And I think winning a Big 10 championship and a national championship in the same year was our goal, and that was our drive. So we knew.  And now we're down to free throws and never in a championship game under Bob Knight. Have things been this close?  At the line? Is Derek Coleman going to the Stripe?  It's 73 72 Syracuse by 1 28 seconds to go.

It is a one on one.  Coleman has eight points.  He is one of two. One of three. Two of three from the line of tonight, and here it is. The shot is in the air. It is Go out  Thomas.  With a chance the winner down by 1 24 seconds.  Go nearest Keith. Smart, smart, back out the hill on the clock down to 18 and the Hoosiers look like they're going for the last shot. 

Now off the smart  halford trying to work himself free, smart download Daryl Thomas. Eight seconds go at the smart may. Find. Jump shot in the air. God.  Four seconds, three. 

Bays has time on. Nobody called Time. There's a second go. Keith foot hits the baseline. Jeff, Indiana with a chance to win.  It's Derek Coleman who inbound and Greg Monroe is gonna try and get the shot off. It looks like now they baseball off the floor. Here's a job 

championship.  Congratulated by his  assistant coach, his son Patrick, out there and there is 10 on him. There was the super do in Indiana woman, 

Patrick Knight and his dad. Now embracing out there. Patrick and Cares Coach Knight, uh, pretty close to it. I would say at this point  we have pandemonium as Indiana has won the national title here. 

Syracuse, 74 to 73,  the final, the Hoosiers have a fifth National Championship. Max, what a night This is for the Hoosiers  and Indiana  will celebrate this one for a long time  to come. This moment forever. Etched in Hoosier folklore, embodies the heart stopping excitement. A never say die attitude that defines the program.

The shot produced a smile and an adrenaline rush. For any Hoosiers fan,  the shot is one of the pinnacle moments. In over a hundred years of Indiana basketball,  four Hoosier players that day did all the scoring in that game.  Alfred had 23, smart had 21, Thomas had 20, and Garrett had 10.  The 1987. Team's journey to the championship was filled with challenges and memorable games.

The team started the season strong, but suffered some losses on the road.  They had a memorable game against Wisconsin that went to double overtime, which they eventually won.  The Hoosiers also had two hyped matchups against Purdue splitting the series  in the NCAA tournament. They face tough opponents such as Auburn Duke, and UNLV, showcasing their ability to overcome adversity. 

Well, the thing that was amazing was that we weren't gonna leave Bloomington until the day before the game, which is how we travel all throughout the year. You know, we're back at home. We're looking at all the teams that are arriving in, in New Orleans, uh, you know, saying, this is great. We had friends that had gone down there that were calling back saying, man, I saw this player from UNLV.

I saw this player from Providence. I saw this player.  We are hearing the coaches say, this is a once in lifetime deal for these players.  And here we were still back in Bloomington, going to class and doing everything else, and coach that you'll have the rest of your life to go to Final Fours and have some fun.

But we're going there for one thing and one thing. All that to go there and win the championship. Again, just another, you know, incredible thing that coach did was that nobody had had any success running with UNLV. They were the running rebels and they were leading the country and scoring at the time.

Very, very explosive, offensive team that ended up having I four or five NBA guys on that team. Everybody anticipated Indiana running a motion offense that was gonna make 5, 6, 7 passes and milk the clock and try to get in a slowdown game. And we did the exact opposite. Coach thought our best chance of winning the game was to run with him, and we did run with him and we beat him in a a high scoring shootout. 

Ultimately the team's victory in the championship game against Syracuse cemented their place in history. I definitely wanna highlight the contributions of players like Steve Alford. A two-time All American. Darryl Thomas, who developed his game over time, and Rick Callaway who had a strong tournament,  the 87 teams success, showed how a talented group of players could come together and perform under pressure. 

Of course, I want to talk to you guys about. This team and have you guys go back and look at the 1987 iconic seasons. If you're really interested in more about this team, we've got so much archival audio and interviews to really tell the story of this amazing team. I think one of the most fun teams to follow simply because it didn't seem like they would make it  after the 87 team. 

We still had continued success through the nineties and early two thousands, and certainly I think there is lost opportunities. This is where luck comes in to sports. Uh, at any time where we had had luck before. I think we had, well, I mean even going back to the 75 team where we had an injury that probably cost us a championship that year.

Maybe even. There's two undefeated seasons if you  factor in the injury there. But we had an injury to Alan Henderson that really.  Hurt the, the, the team and their chances that year. But we did see a lot of success as well. The early nineties saw that rise of players like Calbert Cheney, who was an absolute star and broke the all time scoring record in Indiana and in the Big 10, which is just incredible  in, in that time too.

Talking about that 1 0 8 and 12 record, they posted a 1 0 5 and 27 record. They made the sweet 16 three times and the final four. What I did at the end of that game and hitting the three, three pointers, I, I can remember where all the shots went in from, but I, I think the first one was an out of bounds play.

I know the second one that I hit, I thought I got fouled on, but I didn't see it go in. The guy hit me in the head and it knocked me down and I didn't see it go in. But they had called the timeout as soon as it went in, or we had called the timeout as soon as it went in. You know, Eric Anderson picks me up and he had been on the bench and he picks me up over there and I start walking towards the free throw line.

'cause I thought I got fouled. I didn't. I didn't have a, I didn't have a clue. It went in. It was pure luck. I think that one banked in Actually,  Damon Bailey was another key player who lived up to the hype of being a Hoosier High School sensation. He was Big 10 freshman of the year. Third team, all American.

And the 88 89 team was known for so much offense. J Edwards was an absolute killer. I mean, I would've loved to see that guy on, uh, modern team shooting threes 'cause he could absolutely fill it up.  He had three amazing buzzer beaters in a row at one point. In that season, the 92 93 team was ranked number one for five weeks and had strong inside outside play, uh, demonstrated that Hoosier dominance of those earlier teams.

They won the NITE title that year and had a 23 and two record in the regular season.  The team had a 23 and two record in the regular season.  Allen Henderson had a ton of double doubles and became a huge inside threat.  He also left Indiana as the record setter for rebounds, blocks and double doubles.  The late nineties and the early two thousands.

Saw the emergence of players like AJ Guyton and Kurt Hasten, as well as Michael Lewis, who was, i's all time assist leader.  Tom Coverdale and Jared Jeffries also led a team to the Final four in 2002. The last time I was at a Final Four, uh, in person was in 2002.  It was a season that had so many dramatic moments, including an absolute all time upset victory over Duke in the sweet 16, maybe one of the biggest upsets in basketball history.

I don't remember seeing a second half come back like this, and the numbers on the board remain the same. 15.3 seconds in regulation. Nine seconds remaining on the shot clock for Indiana who leads in this game. 72 70 after trailing at halftime. 42. 29, they were on the verge, what seems like a thousand times from being blown out of rough arena.

You know, they were down 17 at one point in the first half, 13 at the half, there were several possessions in the second half. Duke basketball, 14 point lead chance to go 16, sure couldn't convert. And then all of a sudden, Indiana just started owning the backboard. Here we go. And now the Hoosiers have no longer the luxury of a timeout.

They've gotta get the ball in bounds. And they finally due to cover jail, he almost threw. Picked off by AJ Moy, stripped of the ball. And a foul is gonna be called with 11 seconds to go in regulation. And Indiana will be on the free throw line.  And Duke, right now  in a very, very tenuous situation, the defending NCAA Champions and AJ Moy, a 79% free throw shooter, six for seven from the line up there to shoot two if he hits them both.

Dukes in deep trouble.  The first one is up. It's good. He's now seven for nine in this ball game. That was not a foul. Duke was giving. They were going for the steal. Right?  It's a three point game with 11 seconds to go. Mo  i a basket puts it up. Good again.  Duke needs a quick score and a timeout. They've got one left, 10 seconds.

Four point Lee Daniel Ewing throws up the three he misses it. Rebound. Jason Williams.  He fo Oh my goodness. He fo and hit the three. Threes. Oh my goodness.  The only thing that can beat you. At that point,  Jason Williams straight away hit the three and simultaneous when he went out for the shot, he was fouled on the play.

He got the offensive, rebounded well inside the ark and backed it out. Marty got rid of it very quickly. Fife didn't wanna foul him. Obviously his momentum carried him into him.  Tom Coverdale.  Keep in mind, Jason Williams is not  a hugely successful free throw shooter, but I bet on him making this four seconds remaining in regulation.

He puts up the free throw, he misses the free throw. Boozer rebounds, throws it up. No good. The ball is loose, the horn sounds.  Indiana has pulled off the upset  the are  another. 

Have  been upset  in the regional semifinals in Lexington, and the Indiana fans are absolutely beside themselves.  The 2002 team had an incredible run all the way to the championship game showing that the program could be resilient after a period of coaching changes. Sound familiar,  but the modern era teams, they weren't undefeated.

They still showcased. The ability to adapt and compete at a high level,  even during periods of change and transition. The core of Indiana basketball remain, and that's what we need to keep as we move forward here. The tradition as a lifeblood, but looking to the future, a shared experience of fans, but also fans enjoying themselves.

You need to be understand that you're part of something bigger than yourself. That's the fun of sports. Candy striped pants are about everyone as a collective enjoying something.  All the stuff that I look through are filled with examples of how the program's history and legacy are honored to remember the banners hanging in the hall serve as a constant reminder of the glory.

The emphasis on defense that we're often looking for is a hallmark of Bob Knight's team and remains a crucial part of the program.  Former players come back and I hope that this new, uh, crew of coaches embraces them and welcomes them back to assembly hall and connects to the current team, reinforces the all of the legacy through all the coaches,  the stories and traditions like we're doing here, passed down from one generation of Hoosiers to the next, creating a sense of continuity and belonging. 

Even the producers of movies like Angelo Pizo, who choose to watch their alma mater play in NCAA championships instead of attending the Oscars, showing the importance of the program. Being a Hoosier means embracing tradition, but it also means understanding the program's history, respecting values, and representing the state.

With pride, it's about the passion of the fans, the dedication to the players, and the pursuit of excellence on and off the court.  There are numerous anecdotes of fans who demonstrate their passion for the team. Regardless of the team's record or challenges,  the programs have been able to maintain its legacy of e excellence through change by staying true to core values.

Teamwork, discipline  programs always emphasize team unity and discipline play. Players are expected to execute the coach's game plan flawlessly. Put the team's goals ahead of individual ambitions. Something that's gonna be increasingly challenging in the new NIL area.  And I think there's one more word, adaptability. 

When we talked through the 87 team or the 76 team, they were able to adapt to challenges and the program's ability to adapt to this new era. And the challenges  is self-evident. It's necessary. The teams of the modern era have shown a desire to stay competitive.  But not the commitment to excellence. It's the 76 team, the dramatic 87 championship team, and those last few modern era squads that we can look to,  but also  look at their values, look at the things that were consistent with them, and we need to project that into the modern era.

Everything evolves. So what does the evolution of that look like? Bob Cousy to Victor Wema are two universes apart. But there's a core to who they are as people. That is consistent competitiveness, desire, desire to be a great teammate, that is a continuity through eras. Something that we can find and hope that this new coach finds from Bob Knight to Mike Davis and others.

The program's coaches have always emphasized that discipline, teamwork. I guess it's gonna, I'm gonna leave it on the Hoosier spirit. The passionate fans need to create an incredible environment, a shared experience. Alongside their traditions and values and foster that sense of, or re foster that sense of community.

That's not just about the wins and losses, but about the values of hard work, dedication, and that pursuit, enjoying the pursuit.  IU basketball is more than a sport for so many, and we can make it feel like that again. It can be an honor and a glory.