How About the Top 5 IU Basketball Players of All-Time

[MichaelSoCal]

While this may be hard as many are not familiar or saw real "Old School Guys" play I will start the discussion with my thoughts.I can't go back to the Bobby Leonard or Don Schlundt days. I would be curious to read others ideas on the subject.
1. Isiah Thomas-Probably the most gifted IU player ever. One of a handful of IU players whose game transcended to the NBA.
2. Walt Bellamy-This is as old school as I can go. Dominant college and NBA player.
3. Scott May-Great college player on perhaps the best college team over two years of all time. I still think IU's "75" team was more talented than "76" but he broke his wrist and Kentucky broke our hearts that year. I thought he would make it at the next level but ended up a journeyman for a couple years in NBA with knee problems.
4. Kent Benson-Very dominate college player. One of the last players to use the hook shot as a weapon. He was never the same as a player after Kareem busted his face in his first game as a pro.
5. Steve Alford-Great shooter and college player. What Indiana basketball is all about. Not a pro-style player though. Lucky the Pacers choose Reggie Miller instead of Alford in the draft like fans wanted.
6. Honorable mention. This is for debate as they played little for IU so I am projecting greatness if they would have stayed in school. McGinnis and Gordon probably would replace other listed above if they played more than one year.
A. George McGinnis-The first prototype NBA power forward that combined extreme strength and quickness. Got a little wild sometimes but dominated the Big Ten during his one year tenure at IU. To this day, he may have been my most favorite player to watch. Very lucky he left the year before Bobby Knight came though. His game was so different than Knight's style if would have been a car crash ready to happen.
B. Eric Gordon- Great player (and kid) on a troubled team. Deja Vu -He is now a Clipper!
C. Jay Edwards-Foolishly left school early on bad advice but not sure he was really a high character college student/athlete anyway. Incredible college talent but his game did not translate to the NBA. Ended up in CBA.
D. Landon Turner- Okay this may be a sympathy vote based on the early tragic end to his career from an auto accident leaving him paralyzed.

[Richard Loy]

What about Alan Henderson? Certainly he deserves a mention. There's Jared Jeffries as well, athough he did not spend enough time at IU like Thomas, Gordon and McGinnis. For old timers, what about the twins, Tom and Dick Van Arsdale brothers? They are certainly NBA greats.

[hgdownunder]

Two New Castle guys.

[Dan Laposa]

I know i'm younger than most on here, but ive gone to many many IU games and what about Jared Jefferies, Dean Garrett and Greg Graham. Calbert by the way, for 4 years was the most dominant player of all time at Indiana. Thomas for the time he was a hoosier too. These 2 men though r the best, Bellamy for old school times rounds out the top 3. The other 2 spots you can argue all day about but i think Alford, and Sean May would be other 2. And by the way Jay Edwards is no Alan Henderson, or AJ Guyton. Dean Garrett I thought was better than Jay too.

[Richard Ritz]

How come nobody has mentioned Uwe Blab? LOL Seriously, though folks, are we putting together a team or simply the top five players? If we're doing only the best, and for their time period, I pick Scott May, Walt Bellamy, Calbert Cheaney, Isiah Thomas and George McGinnis. The second five would be Jared Jeffries, Mike Woodson, Alan Henderson, Eric Gordon and Kent Benson. My favorite player to watch of all time was Quinn Buckner. When he and Bobby Wilkerson double-teamed opponents they usually lost the ball and sometimes more. I could forget all of the above and start over and still have some of the best teams of all time! Boy, have we been spoiled or what!

[bruce heas]

The list of a top 5 team is hard to nail down. I do think that on the list has to be at least one player from the undefeated team. My choice is Bobby Wilkerson. Here's what Coach Knight had to say in his book My Story "I think he is the best athlete I ever had." "He could guard anybody" "Ive never seen a better defender in college basketball" Defense was the hallmark and the key to the Knight Era and so for me Wilkerson has to be on the list. I still remember hearing the roar in my dorm and all across campus when he stole the ball from the Purdue player to secure the Big 10 Championship. Lots of great players hard to narrow down to 5 but in my mind Bobby Wilkerson has to be on it. One more Honorable Mention i have not seen mentioned not top 5 but one of my Faves Winston Morgan , maybe without his injury troubles he would have made the list.