1975 Indiana Basketball: The Unfinished Masterpiece

Bob Knight came to Indiana in 1972, inheriting a program with a  proud history and coming off a 17-win season, but otherwise having not done a lot in recent years. By 1973, Knight was in the Final Four. In 1974, Indiana tied for the Big Ten title but with only one NCAA bid per conference available, lost a tiebreaker game to Michigan. The 1975 Indiana basketball team came roaring back with a vengeance, and only an untimely injury kept them from completing their mission.

THE PIECES COME TOGETHER

On a balanced team, no one was better than Scott May. The 6’7” forward averaged 16 points/7 rebounds per game and was a first-team All-American. Steve Green was at the other forward, averaging 17ppg and making All-Big Ten. Kent Benson, the sophomore center, posted a 16/9 line and made All-Conference itself. Indiana was dominant in the frontcourt.

And they weren’t too shabby in the backcourt. Quinn Buckner was the floor leader, averaging 12 points/4 rebounds/5 assists, and becoming the fourth Hoosier to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors. The two-guard spot was shared between John Laskowski, a double-digit scorer, and Bobby Wilkerson, who could crash the boards.

Indiana opened the season with high expectations, ranked #3 in the country.

A PERFECT START

A road trip to seventh-ranked Kansas was the first test. Indiana got out of Allen Fieldhouse with a 74-70 overtime win. The Hoosiers went to South Bend to face 11^th-ranked Notre Dame and won 94-84. And in a home date with #15 Kentucky, the rout was on—Indiana thundered to a 98-74 win.

They went on to Hawaii for a tournament the week between Christmas and New Year’s. A trip that included a game with Ohio State that would officially count as non-conference produced three more wins. Indiana concluded the early portion of the schedule at 11-0 and went into Big Ten play.

BATTLE FOR THE BIG TEN

The NCAA Tournament made a modest expansion in 1975, going to 32 teams. This made it possible for more than one Big Ten team to make it to the field. However, that was no guarantee. In this era of college basketball, the only sure path to the NCAAs was to win your league—and with no conference tournament in the Big Ten, that meant winning it over an 18-game haul. The money part of the season was about to begin.

A DOMINANT JANUARY RUN

Indiana went to East Lansing to face Michigan State. The Spartans had Terry Furlow, who ended up as the league’s top scorer, combined with forward Lindsay Hairston, who averaged 20/11 per night. The Hoosiers sent a message to the rest of the Big Ten by demolishing a good team, 107-55.

They moved on to Ann Arbor to face 11^th-ranked Michigan, who had ousted them in the tiebreaker game a year ago, and still had C.J. Kupec to handle the low post. Indiana won 90-76.

After blowing out lowly Iowa in the conference home opener by 53 points, the Hoosiers hosted Minnesota. The Gophers had a good young front line that included Mark Olberding, Mark Landsberger and a future pro in Mychal Thompson. IU merely beat them by twenty, 79-59. ooHh

They went back on the road and blew through non-contenders in Northwestern and Wisconsin by a combined 46 points. The Hoosiers returned home to face archrival Purdue. Boilermaker center John Garrett was one of the best in the Big Ten, averaging a 20/10 line and they had a quality playmaker in Bruce Parkinson. Indiana responded by dropping a 104-71 beatdown.

Illinois was the next victim to come to Assembly Hall. The presence of 20ppg scorer Rick Schmidt didn’t stop the Hoosiers from rolling to a 73-57 win.

Finally, on February 1, a Saturday in Columbus, Indiana got a test. Ohio State was a mediocre team overall, but they had some good component parts. Bill Andreas averaged a 19/8 line down low. Craig Taylor was a tough rebounder, and Larry Bolden could run the offense. There were the classic “on any given day” team. And they put the Hoosiers through their paces, but Indiana got out of town with a 72-66 win.

We were halfway through the league schedule. IU was ranked #1 in the country and in complete command of the conference race.

THE INJURY TO SCOTT MAY

And they kept rolling, with a 74-48 rout of Michigan at home, and then cruising past Iowa 79-56. A road trip to Minnesota turned into a comfortable 69-54 win. Indiana blasted Northwestern and Wisconsin at home.

That led us to Saturday, February 22 at a trip to West Lafayette. It was the toughest battle of the season. Indiana escaped with an 83-82 win, but they did not escape unscathed. Scott May broke his arm.

It was a devastating injury at the time and it looks even more ironic in retrospect. Eighteeen years later, in 1993, almost to the day, facing Purdue, another Indiana forward—Alan Henderson—suffered an injury that severely curtailed the remainder of his season. Indiana partisans believe the Henderson injury cost them a national title. And they certainly believe the same of May in 1975.

FINISHING THE BIG TEN SWEEP

For the time being, Indiana closed strong. They dropped 112 points at Illinois and then closed the season with home wins over Ohio State and Michigan State. When all was said and done, they cleared the field in the Big Ten by six games.

This was a league where Michigan was good enough to get one of the few at-large bids to the NCAAs, and where Minnesota, Purdue, and Michigan State would all have easily made the field by the standards of today. None held a candle to the ’75 Hoosiers.

May would suit up for the NCAA Tournament and attempt to play, but what he could contribute was in doubt. The bracket was not seeded until 1979, but Indiana’s draw was appropriate for what a 1-seed would receive. They stayed close to home in what was then called the Mideast Regional (today it’s evolved to become the South). Kentucky and Marquette were the notable national powers in this region, and both were on the far side of the draw.

POWERING PAST UTEP

The Round of 32 game was held in Lexington and IU faced UTEP, coached by Knight’s friend Don Haskins. Gary Brewster, a 6’8” center, was the Miners best player, but they otherwise did not match up with the Hoosiers.

Indiana didn’t shoot well, but they hit the boards and played defense. UTEP was held to 41 percent from the floor, and the Hoosiers enjoyed a 40-28 edge in rebounds, ten from Benson and nine more from Buckner. After leading 31-24 at the half, Indiana pulled away to a 78-53 win.

May was only able to play one minute. But this journey was continuing to the regionals in Dayton.

BLOWING OUT OREGON STATE

Oregon State, led by forward Lonnie Shelton, awaited in the Sweet 16. May was only able to play three minutes. But it didn’t matter. Indiana shot 59 percent from the floor. Green poured in 34 points and Benson added 23 more. Shelton, headed for a good career in the NBA, was held to 7 points/6 rebounds. The Hoosiers led 48-27 at the half and cruised home to an 81-71 win.

Kentucky was the last obstacle to the Final Four. Get past the Wildcats, and Indiana could take a shot at UCLA, playing their final season under the legendary John Wooden.

KENTUCKY SHOWDOWN

The regional final would be epic.  Benson was extraordinary, scoring 33 points, hauling in 23 rebounds and keying another decisive edge for the Hoosiers on the glass. Green added 21 more. Wilkerson scored 14 points and had 11 boards.

But try as he might, May was only able to log seven minutes. And Indiana was turning the ball over. Buckner and Laskowski struggled from the floor, and even Wilkerson’s points came at the cost of 6-for-15 shooting. In a game that went down to the wire, Indiana lost a 92-90 heartbreaker.

AFTERMATH AND REDEMPTION

The sting of losing, particularly without one of the country’s best players, stayed with Indiana. Green was the only senior on this team, so everyone came back with a vengenance. In 1976, Indiana again blasted through the regular season undefeated and then sealed the deal with a national title. The two-year run that began in 1975 was one of college basketball’s all-time displays of greatness.