Thorntown to Celebrate 100 Year Old Basketball Championship

Cliff Woody (from left), Gordon Wait, David White, Martha Randel, Florence Emma Peery and Cliff Beesley surround the trophy for the 1915 Indiana state basketball champions of Thorntown High School at the town’s Public Library, 124 N. Market St. (Photo: Kyle Neddenriep / The Star)

A link came across Twitter today that caught my attention. My grandparents lived for many years (not sure how many) in the little town of Thorntown, Indiana. Most of my memories of Thanksgiving and some Christmases are at the house they lived in on Locust Place. They are both buried at the cemetery in town.

So, it was kind of surprising to see a link to an article titled “100 years after winning boys state basketball championship, Thorntown’s ready to party.” The article gives the story of the boys championship that happened in 1915. The article talks about where they played some of their games and gives some of the scores. The final score of the championship game was 33-10. Not a very high scoring affair.

Having a connection to Thorntown made the article interesting for me. For anyone who likes basketball, especially the mystique that comes with Indiana high school basketball, you’ll enjoy this article. It is kind of reminiscent of the movie Hoosiers.

One of my favorite family pictures is of my grandpa after his high school team beat their rivals New Albany. The article just reminded of my grandparents and the town where they lived.

You can read the article on the Indy Star website.

Here’s the text from the article for your reading pleasure:

THORNTOWN — Why would a community go out of its way to honor a high school basketball state championship team from 100 years ago?

“Pride,” said Florence Emma Peery, a 1946 Thorntown graduate and former teacher at the school. “It’s the one thing we have in a small town. It’s the thing we can be proud of.”

Thorntown, a community of 1,500 in Boone County, hasn’t had its own high school since the last senior class graduated in 1974. But back in the early portion of the 20th century, Thorntown was part of the “Cradle of Indiana Basketball.” The first eight high school state champions came from a 30-mile radius — Crawfordsville in 1911, Lebanon in 1912, ’17 and ’18, Wingate in 1913 and ’14, Thorntown in 1915 and Lafayette Jeff in 1916.

On Saturday at the Thorntown Elementary School, the alumni association will celebrate the accomplishments of the 1915 team at its annual banquet. It’s been a long time coming, according to many of the alums, who hope to eventually raise money to put signs outside of town to honor the championship. There are also plans for the downtown merchants in Thorntown to dress up their businesses in the blue and white of the school’s colors this weekend, as well as invite graduates of the rival schools near Thorntown. There will be displays available for viewing beginning at 9 a.m. and a buffet lunch served at noon.

“The whole town has kind of embraced the idea,” said Martha (Maiden) Randel, a 1965 Thorntown graduate who has played a major role in coordinating the event. “That championship (in 1915) is kind of our one claim to fame in basketball.”

Fifteen years after Thorntown won the title, the Thorntown Centurian recalled the aftermath of the championship. “Thorntown had one of its greatest celebrations of its first century when the boys came home. Every business closed its doors and the citizenship gave vent to its enthusiasm. This began with a big street parade of the school children, citizens and visitors headed by a band of volunteer musicians.”

As with many schools at the time, Thorntown in 1914-15 did not have its own gym. Previous Thorntown teams had played games in the opera house downtown, but local historian David White and others believe Thorntown played most of its home games in 1914-15 on the third floor of the grade school, in a large room that was also used as a science lab.

“There was an independent team called the Thorntown Americans that played at the opera house,” White said. “But that court had posts in the middle of the floor, so people didn’t really like to play there.”

The 1915 postseason was the first with a sectional round. Thorntown, coached by a young Chet Hill (who would later go on to Martinsville, Lebanon and Kokomo and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame), won the sectional at Lebanon by avenging a regular-season loss to the host and knocking off Rossville in the championship.

Thorntown was one of 14 teams to advance to the state tournament in Bloomington. Thorntown won 46-20 over Hartford City and avenged a 14-point loss to Rochester, winning 17-14. In the final four, Thorntown defeated Manual 30-16 and blew out Montmorenci 33-10 in the championship. Al Smith, a senior, was the star of the seven-player team.

Thorntown, later nicknamed the “Kewaskees” in the late 1920s, went back to the final four in 1919 — played that season at Purdue — and lost to Bloomington in a semifinal. Thorntown star Walter Cross, named the Gimbel (Trester) Award winner in 1919, was the grandfather of former Park Tudor coach and current UCLA assistant Ed Schilling.

Thorntown never again reached such great heights in basketball, though the teams were successful and the passion ran high. Thorntown won sectionals in 1944, 1957 and 1960. Part of the legacy of the 1915 team was that it became immediately apparent that the community needed a larger gym than a third-floor science lab could offer. The following season, a gym was built-in the space between the elementary and high school buildings (all of which are now gone).

“The ceiling was low,” said Marvin White, a 1943 Thorntown graduate. “If you shot it too high, the ball might hit the rafters. We had an old hardwood floor and in the wintertime when it was freezing it would get a little uneven. The Thorntown players knew you had to pass the ball in that gym instead of dribble. I remember a team from Sheridan came over to play us and the coach swore after the game he’d never come back to play us in that gym.”

Thorntown built a new, modern gym in 1954. For the gym’s dedication, Milan — fresh off its famous state championship win that spring — made a visit for a game.

“To me, the Thorntown Kewaskees were kind of like the Boston Celtics or New York Yankees,” said Gordon Wait, a 1963 graduate who followed the teams closely. “For a lot of teams, even if you were having a lousy season, if you could beat Thorntown it was a good season.”

But by 1974, Thorntown had gone the way of many small towns and lost its school to consolidation, in its case into Western Boone. Even after 40 years without a graduating class, Thorntown is still proud of his basketball heritage. Larry Campbell, a 1958 graduate and former player, was a part of a float in 2010 that honored 100 years of high school basketball in Indiana. With him that day was the trophy created in 1915 by coach Hill, which featured half of the basketball from the sectional title and half of the basketball from the state championship game.

To Campbell and other Thorntown graduates, the 1915 championship is worth celebrating — even 100 years later.

“It exemplifies the best of Indiana high school basketball,” he said.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

Creek Not Returning to IU

Indiana is losing several players to graduation (including Watford and Hulls) and entrance to the NBA draft (Zeller and Oladipo). Just today I saw on Inside the Hall that Maurice Creek will be graduating and not returning to play ball at Indiana. He will look for another school where he can complete his eligibility. Since he is going to grad school, he can start playing next season.

While this is quite an exit of talent from IU, it will also mean a very young roster. According to the article, only two of the scholarship players are upperclassmen. I know Indiana has some good talent staying and coming in. It will be interesting to see how their lack of experience will affect them.

B1G Division Realigns

I am a pretty big fan of Indiana basketball, but also keep track of football. While the football program hasn’t experienced the same success as the basketball program, they continue to improve. When we visited Indiana last summer, we walked out on the football field and went through the weight room. Very nice facilities for the football team for sure.

Earlier today there was a tweet from the Crimson Quarry that provided the realignment of Big Ten football. Instead of going with the Leaders and Legends, they have gone with a geographic split. Indiana is in the Big Ten East and have a rough schedule ahead of them. It will be a challenge to win in that division, but hopefully it will bring more quality football players in IU.

Here’s the new divisions. Tough road for the Hoosiers for sure.

Big Ten East
Rutgers
Maryland
Penn State
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Indiana

Big Ten West
Purdue
Northwestern
Illinois
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Iowa
Nebraska

Sad Week for IU Fans

IU started out as a preseason #1 and won the regular season Big Ten title, even spending time at #1 during the season. They were a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but got knocked after making it to the Sweet Sixteen. It was an exciting season to be sure and confirmed Indiana’s return to relevance in college basketball.

This week is sad for many IU fans. Victor Oladipo had a monster season and put himself in the running for player of the year. It was obvious he could play at the next level. A few days ago, he made the announcement. He is going to the NBA.

Today, Cody Zeller made the same announcement. I, along with a host of Hoosier fans I’m sure, had hoped he would stick around for another year. I could say it was because I wanted him to get better. Selfishly, I wanted to see him in the Crimson and Cream for at least one more season to help IU continue to get better.

Here’s a copy of his announcement that was posted on Inside the Hall:

Cody Zeller confirms that he will make himself eligible for the 2013 NBA Draft: “Two years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life to attend and play basketball at Indiana University. My experience here at IU has been unforgettable and has surpassed my expectations, making me even more confident that I made the best college decision. Attending and playing basketball for IU not only fulfilled my collegiate dreams, but it also has provided me with the opportunity to fulfill my lifelong goal of playing in the NBA. While I will continue to pursue my degree in the future, I believe it is in my best interest to pursue my professional basketball career in the NBA next season.”

Great ESPN Article on Indiana and Basketball

With Indiana basketball back in the national spotlight, ESPN did a great article on the connection between the state of Indiana and the game of basketball. The stereotype that you can find a basketball hoop on just about any stationary item in the state is reflected in this article.

The feature covers cities in Indiana, including Martinsville where John Wooden played high school ball and Indianapolis. It highlights not only John Wooden, but Bob Knight, Cody Zeller, Brad Stevens, Damon Bailey and more.

It’s a lengthy article and you can check it out on the ESPN website.

Here’s a couple quotes to whet your appetite:

“When I was growing up, you had your ABC, NBC, CBS and then you had Channel 4, the independent channel. Every Friday night, they’d have Indiana games and then Purdue games. So when I was a kid, that’s what you did. You’d sit there and watch.” (ESPN analyst and former Indiana player and assistant coach Dan Dakich)

“High school was more intimidating. You’d play in front of 7,000 people and three-quarters of them you’d know personally. That was pressure.” (Cody Zeller)

My senior year of high school, we were playing and every seat was taken and they filled in the track. It’s overwhelming. It really is Hoosiers. That’s why that movie makes so much sense.” (Jordan Hulls)

Go check it out! Go IU!

I.U.’s Recruiting Class

The Indianapolis Star ran an article today about Indiana Basketball’s recruiting class. You can read the entire article on their website, but here’s how the article opened. Good news for what Tom Crean is doing with the program.

It has been a month but Indiana coach Tom Crean finally was able to sit down, surrounded by his coaching staff Thursday, and talk about the six members of his most recent recruiting class that signed national letters of intent last month. Collectively, the group is ranked as the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation by both rivals.com and scout.com

By now, every IU fan knows a little bit about the group. Here’s a quick synopsis:

*** Devin Davis, 6-6, 200, Forward, Indianapolis (Warren Central)

*** Luke Fischer, 6-11, 215, Center, Germantown, Wis. (Germantown)

*** Collin Hartman, 6-6, 185, Forward, Indianapolis (Cathedral)

*** Stanford Robinson, 6-4, 185, Guard, Fairfax, Va. (Findlay Prep)

*** Noah Vonleh, 6-9, 220, Power Forward, Haverhill Mass. (New Hampton Prep)

*** Troy Williams, 6-6, 190, Small Forward, Hampton, Va. (Oak Hill Academy)

Sweet Hoosier Hysteria Video

Tom Crean tweeted the link to this video yesterday. I watched it and loved it. It is titled “Then and Now” and features past and current IU players. The creator of the video took photos and videos from the archives and made it appear that past players were alongside current players. You see Jordan Hulls and Damon Bailey side-by-side. One shot has last year’s team on the bench as Knight gets ready to toss the chair. Lot of fun to watch. Go IU!

Hoosiers To Be Part Of ESPNU Midnight Madness

Basketball season is just around the corner.  I mentioned in an earlier post that IU was a pre-season #1 pick.  While that may have been a little (or a lot!) early in the game, it bodes well for Hoosier basketball.  As the season draws closer, ESPNU announced that IU’s practice on October 12 will be broadcast as part of their Midnight Madness.  That is certainly a long way from the dismal seasons IU had a few years ago.

Here’s a portion of what is posted on the Indiana Athletics website:

For the seventh year, ESPNU will tip-off the nation’s college basketball season with more than four hours of Midnight Madness coverage on Friday, Oct. 12 beginning at 5 p.m. ET. This year’s programming will once again include both the men’s and women’s defending NCAA National Champions and eight teams in ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz’s Preseason Top 25.

 The night begins with an in-depth look at what Katz put as the No.1 team in his super-early rankings last April, with ESPNU Midnight Madness: Indiana Practice at 5 p.m. on ESPNU. For the first time, the network will air a Hoosiers’ practice live and in full with commentary from college basketball analysts Jay Williams and Dan Dakich as well as Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean wearing a microphone throughout practice.

Go Hoosiers!

Watford’s Shot Wins ESPY

Christian Watford hit the 3-point shot back on December 10 that lifted the Hoosiers over then #1 Kentucky.  As an Indiana fan, it is one of those video clips you never get tired of watching.

Watford’s shot has now won twice.  He won the ESPY for Play of the Year.  The winner was picked by fans across the nation who voted on-line for what they considered the play of the year.

I liked what IndyStar.com posted about it: “Watford’s clutch shot from the left baseline at the buzzer was memorable enough to win an ESPY award Wednesday night, being voted ESPN’s Play of the Year. The play will never replace “The Shot” by Keith Smart to defeat Syracuse for a national title in 1987, but the play resonates with fans just the same.”

Go Hoosiers!

Visit to IU

Last weekend I accompanied my daughter on an unofficial visit to IU.  She has looked at a few other schools, but this was special as I grew up as an Indiana fan.  I’ve been to two games at Assembly Hall, but have never looked around at the athletic facilities or the campus.  It was great to see Cook Hall, where the men’s and women’s basketball offices and practice courts are. We also looked around Assembly Hall and the football stadium and weight room.

The facilities are impressive.  Here are a few pictures.

The women’s locker room

The women’s practice court

Syd with some of the coaching staff