A look at some of the all-time great teams in Hoosier hoop history
February 28, 2023
How does our current boys basketball team stack up against some of the all-time great teams in Indiana history?
The boys finished the regular season 26-0 – the first undefeated regular season in school history — and were 13-0 against teams ranked in the final MaxPreps Top 25 (regardless of class) rankings.
The Giants start the postseason Wednesday against a tough Southport squad that took BD to overtime before losing in December and then lost by double digits to the Giants in January. The Giants would play seven more games if they win state, but coach Don Carlisle is well aware that tournament play means one game at a time.
Carlisle took the Giants to the state championship game in 2019, his first year as head coach. He played on the 1995 and 96 teams that won state. Ben Davis also owns a state title from 2017.
Here is a look at some of the all-time great teams in Indiana history.
Crispus Attucks 1955
30-1
Their key players were Oscar Robertson, Willie Merriweather, and Albert Maxey. Oscar Robertson was Indiana Mr. Basketball, went to Cincinnati for college and made it to two Final Fours, and was first to average a triple double in the NBA. He is also a NBA Hall of Famer. Willie Merriweather played at Purdue and is an Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer. ALbert Maxey also played college basketball at Nebraska and is in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame also.
Indianapolis Washington 1969
31-0
Their key players were George McGinnis and Steve Downing. George McGinnis was Indiana Mr. Basketball, played one year at Indiana then played for the Pacers. In his last four games of high school, he averaged 37 points per game and proceeded to have 53 points and 30 rebounds in the All-Star game versus Kentucky. Steve Downing also went to Indiana to play basketball and ended up in the NBA also.
Ben Davis 1995
32-1
Their key players were Damon Firerson and Courtney James, now an assistant at BD. Damon Frierson was Indiana Mr. Basketball who averaged 20 points per game on 14 shots. He scored about 1,500 high school career points, went to play basketball at Miami of Ohio, is in the Miami Hall of Fame, and played overseas. James was on the Indiana all star team and averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds. He went on to play two years at Minnesota, where he made it to the Final Four and played professionally overseas also.
Lawrence North 2006
29-0
No. 1 in the nation
Their key players were Greg Oden and Mike Conley. Greg Oden was 7 feet tall, won Indiana Mr. Basketball, and helped Ohio State go to the national championship in his first and only year there. He was picked number one overall in the 2007 NBA Draft but his career was shortened by injuries. Mike Conley also went to Ohio State to play basketball and still plays in the NBA today.
Warren Central 2018
32-0
No. 14 in the nation
This Warren team is the latest team to go undefeated and win a state championship. They were led by David Bell, Atwaan Cushinburry, and Dean Tate. They had a couple of close games throughout the season, one of them being Ben Davis, but got the job done before lifting the trophy at the end of the year.
Ben Davis is on track to having the most wins while going undefeated and winning a state championship. If the boys team wins out, they will end the season with a perfect 33-0, which has never been done before by a team in Indiana.
