By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
The NBA opened the 2008-09 season this week and the debut of former No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden of the Portland Trailblazers has been one of the more anticipated events of the early season.
With that in mind, we’ve enlisted the help of MaxPreps columnist Dave Krider, who has covered Indiana basketball for close to 50 years and has written for Street & Smith’s, Basketball Times, SI.Com and Basketball Weekly. He is also a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame and has written several basketball books, including “Uncaged”, which chronicles the careers of Oden and Mike Conley Jr., and Indiana High School Basketball’s 20 Most Dominant Players.
We’ve asked Krider to name his 10 greatest Indiana high school basketball players of all-time. Here’s a look at his list along with a bio and comment on each player.
10. Fuzzy Vandivier, Franklin
Vandivier played a looong time ago. How long? He was one of John Wooden’s idols. That’s how long ago. However Vandivier ranks as the first great player in Indiana basketball history, leading Franklin to three-straight titles in the early 1920s and earning all-state honors each time. He is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Krider’s Comment: Sparked three-time state champs and resides in Naismith Hall of Fame.
9. Scott Skiles, Plymouth
According to Krider, Skiles was known for his intensity and his will to win. He led tiny Plymouth to an improbable state title over Gary Roosevelt when he hit a 22-foot jump shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. Plymouth won in two overtimes with Skiles scoring 39 points. He led the state in scoring his senior year with 29.2 points per game and scored 1,788 career points. He went on to star at Michigan State where he was the National Player of the Year before enjoying a long NBA career. He is currently the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. Krider’s Comment: Indiana’s most underrated player.
8. Dave Colescott, Marion
Colescott led Marion to a pair of state titles in 1975 and 1976 and finished his three-year varsity career with 1,529 points for a 20.1 average. The Giants were 64-17 in those three seasons, including 28-1 his junior year. Colescott earned Mr. Basketball honors in Indiana his senior year and also won the Trester Award, making him one of only three players in state history to win both awards and a state title in the same year. Although he played four years at North Carolina, his college career was plagued with injuries. He was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Krider’s Comment: Won Indiana’s trifecta – Mr. Basketball, Trester Award and two state titles.
7. Jay Edwards, Marion
Edwards matched Vandivier’s feat of three straight state titles when he led Marion to state championships in 1985-87. At 6-4, Edwards was a swingman who netted 1,860 points in his career for a 19.0 average. The Giants posted an 85-4 record in his three seasons on the varsity and he shared Mr. Basketball honors in Indiana with teammate Lyndon Jones. Edwards enjoyed a sparklingly two years at Indiana before entering the NBA draft. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers, but was cut in his second year. He played in the CBA and overseas for 12 years. Krider’s Comment: Great outside shooter on three-time state champion.
6. Rick Mount, Lebanon
Considered one of the greatest shooters to ever play the game, Rick Mount was a high school legend who found a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1966 as the result of a story by Frank DeFord. He was named the No. 1 player in the country and averaged 30.1 points per game as a junior and a senior. His 2,595 career points still rank fourth in Indiana state history. He went on to an outstanding college career at Purdue, averaging over 30 points three-straight seasons, including 35.4 his senior year. He scored 2,323 in his college career, but signed with the ABA in 1970 and was unable to find the same success there that he had in college. Krider’s Comment: Country’s best-ever long-range shooter.
5. Mike Conley Jr., Lawrence North
The son of Olympic long jumper Mike Conley, the younger Conley played on three-consecutive state championship teams at Lawrence North, teaming with Greg Oden to form one of the most potent high school teams in Indiana state history. The Wildcats won their final 45 games and lost just two in Conley’s final two seasons. He scored 1,157 career points and had a school record 449 assists and 290 steals. He played one year at Ohio State, helping to lead the Buckeyes to the national championship game against Florida. He is currently a member of the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. Krider’s Comment: Indiana’s best-ever point guard.
4. Damon Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence
Despite playing with no other future Division I players on his team, Damon Bailey led Bedford North Lawrence to the state Final Four three-straight years, winning it all in 1990. He broke the state career scoring record his senior year, finishing with 3,134 points. Besides winning Mr. Indiana honors, he was also the National Player of the Year by a number of media outlets. In four years at Indiana University, Bailey finished fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,741 points and first with 380 3-pointers. Although drafted by the Indiana Pacers, Bailey never played in the NBA, instead playing four years in the CBA. Krider’s Comment: Single-handedly took team to three Final Fours and one state title.
3. George McGinnis, Washington
McGinnis may have been the best all-around athlete to ever play basketball in the Hoosier State. An outstanding football player, McGinnis led Washington to a mythical state championship as a sophomore receiver. As a senior, McGinnis led the Continentals to a state championship with 35 points and 27 rebounds in the finals, capping a 31-0 season. For his career, McGinnis scored 2,075 points and grabbed 1,638 rebounds. He was named the National Player of the Year by Basketball News in 1969. Although he attended his freshman year at Indiana University, McGinnis declared hardship at the end of the season and signed with the Indiana Pacers of the ABA. He was the ABA Rookie of the Year and helped lead the Pacers to the ABA championship. He later played for the Philadelphia 76ers and enjoyed an 11-year professional career. Krider’s Comment: Unstoppable inside – high school All-American in football and basketball.
2. Greg Oden, Lawrence North
Oden teamed with Conley to win three straight state championships at Lawrence North, but it was Oden who claimed all of the postseason honors. Oden, a 7-0 center, was named Mr. Indiana in 2006 and he also earned National Player of the Year honors as a junior and a senior. He played one season at Ohio State, teaming with Conley to lead the Buckeyes to the NCAA finals against Florida. He was the No. 1 pick of the Portland Trailblazers in 2007, but sat out his rookie year with a knee injury. He is set to make his NBA regular season debut this week. Krider’s Comment: Best – and most humble – big man in Indiana history.
1. Oscar Robertson, Crispus Attucks
Name an honor and Oscar Robertson has probably won it. He was a three-time NCAA player of the year in the late 1950s. He led the United States to a Gold Medal in the 1960 Olympics. He won two state championships in high school. He won an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks. He ranks as one of the all-time leading scorers in NCAA and NBA history. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple double for an entire season. He was named the “Player of the Century” in 2000 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is also in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Krider’s Comment: Still the greatest all-around player in basketball history.
