When you think of basketball, the State of Indiana is synonymous with the sport. That holds for the University of Indiana. Indiana basketball is one of the most historic programs in the country. From historic coaches to historic players the Hoosiers have it all. Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana remains one of the toughest environments in College basketball and the Big Ten alone.
The 22-time Big Ten Champions have also won five national championships. Not to mention, Indiana basketball has been the standard bearer of consistency for its players for so long, as every four-year player from 1973 to 2019 earned a trip to the NCAA tournament. Talk about history.
Though, in recent the Hoosiers have had a lot more one-and-done players, or players who have made major impacts for the team leave after just a couple of seasons in Bloomington. The list of historic players who donned the old cream and crimson. NCAA Champions, NBA Champions, Hall of Famers, and Indiana has a lot to be proud of with their alumni.
Here’s a look at the men who make up the All-Time Indiana starting lineup.
Indiana Basketball: Hoosiers All-Time Starting Lineup
Guard: Isiah Thomas
When you think of guards at Indiana, where there have been a lot of outstanding guards, Isiah Thomas stands out. Though he didn’t reach the 1,000-point mark in his two seasons as a Hoosier, Thomas’ contributions to basketball are limitless. The 1979 McDonald’s All-American left the Chicago Area, for Bloomington. Though Bobby Knight had quite a reputation already at that time, Thomas wasn’t scared.
Thomas who might not have seemed tough given his 6-foot-1 stature, didn’t back down to anyone, which would later present itself in his NBA career. The tough coaching from Knight only helped Thomas develop into one of the best true points guards the NBA ever saw. Thomas had a great two-year Indiana career, earning All-Big Ten honors both seasons, before leading the Hoosiers to the NCAA Championship in 1981 and a Consensus All-American honor for that campaign. After that outstanding sophomore season, Thomas entered the NBA Draft.
He was rewarded with being the second overall pick by the Detroit Pistons. From there the rest was history, Thomas became a key member of the famed “Motor City Bad Boys” and led the Pistons to back-to-back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990. Despite being the biggest snub from the “Dream Team” for the 1992 Olympics, Thomas did it all and remains one of the most famous names the Hoosiers have ever had.
Thomas called it a career in 1994 after playing his whole NBA career for Detroit, where scored over 18, 000 points and had over 9,000 assists. After ending his playing days, Thomas went into coaching, and had some highlights at that level, further proving the state of Indiana continues to produce players that go on to be strong coaches. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer certainly earned his place on this all-time Hoosier lineup.
Guard: Victor Oladipo
Victor Oladipo was a big piece for Indiana at a time when they had lost their way. Despite being only a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Oladipo didn’t let that slow him down. His scoring ability was well enough to reach the 1,000-point mark in his three-year Indiana career, but by far his best quality was on the defensive end of the floor. Though he was more of a background player his first couple seasons, he hit it big in 2012-13 becoming one of the best players in the country that season.
That team had depth across the board, and Oladipo was able to thrive. Not only did he average nearly 14 points per game, but he racked up several individual accolades for that season. He claimed the Sporting News College Basketball Player of the Year award, alongside being the co-defensive player of the year in the country as well. Grabbing those awards also helped secure a unanimous First-Team All-American honor. He was also the Big Ten’s best defender in 2012-13. That was quite a feat in a season where the Big Ten had lots of outstanding players, including the likes of Michigan’s Trey Burke and Ohio State’s Aaron Craft.
That season also saw Indiana win the Big Ten outright, and they reached the Sweet 16. Following that season, Oladipo made the jump to the NBA. Like Thomas, Oladipo was selected second overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. His defensive ability carried over to the NBA where he has been a two-time All-Star. Currently, Oladipo is a free agent, who last played with the Miami Heat.
Guard/Forward: Calbert Cheaney
Calbert Cheaney is a must-have for this all-time Hoosier lineup. He’s arguably the best player to ever suit up for Indiana. His contributions in his four-year career are unmatched. From 1989-1993, Cheaney was successful. The left-handed player had success as an individual and the team as a whole. He helped Indiana win 105 games, along with two Big Ten Championships in 1991 and 1993.
During his time in Bloomington, Cheaney earned major individual honors as well. A majority of which came during his 1992-1993 season which was his senior year. Not only was he a Consensus All-American that year, but he also captured the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and the Rupp Trophy, alongside being the Best Player in the Big Ten. That isn’t his best accomplishment though, as Cheaney remains the all-time leading scorer in Indiana history. In 132 career games, Cheaney scored 2,613 points. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Big Ten history.
His scoring prowess earned him a spot in the NBA, as he was picked 6th overall in 1993, by the then Washington Bullets (now Wizards). After a decade-long NBA career, Cheaney went into coaching and currently serves his beloved Hoosiers as the Director of Player Development. He’s one of the Big Ten’s best true scorers of all time and that earned him a spot in this lineup.
Forward: Scott May
One word can describe Scott May. That word would be a legend. May had an outstanding Indiana career and left as one of the better forwards the school had especially in the early seventies, when Bobby Knight first got things rolling. May spent three seasons at Indiana, and they were very memorable. The two-time consensus All-American was a major piece of the historic 32-0 1975-76 Hoosier team. What that team did and what May was able to do in his own right, winning the Naismith Player of the Year Award was simply amazing. May averaged 23.5 points that season and was certainly a scorer way ahead of his time.
Not only did he win National Player of the Year in 1976, but May went on to win a Gold Medal for Team USA that year at the Olympics. That also led to his second overall selection in that year’s NBA Draft, by the Chicago Bulls. His rookie season was memorable as he earned First-Team All-Rookie, but injury-plagued seasons led to just a seven-year run in the NBA. A member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame, May is still one of the many players that make up the legendary history of Indiana basketball.
Center: Cody Zeller
Big men have always been essential for success in basketball, especially in the Big Ten. That holds true for this Indiana star. Cody Zeller might have been one of the most talked-about bigs to ever step foot on campus in Bloomington. The former McDonald’s All-American and Indiana Mr. Basketball was a star from the start. Zeller backed it up with two memorable seasons in the cream and crimson. He earned consensus All-American honors in his sophomore season in 2012-13. He was key in both of his seasons in Indiana reaching the Sweet 16 which they have only done once since that time.
In just 72 games, Zeller scored 1,157 points and pulled down 525 rebounds. Zeller and Oladipo were a pair made in heaven for Indiana at that time. After that All-American season, Zeller declared for the NBA Draft. Joining Oladipo in the top five in the 2013 draft, going fourth to the Charlotte Hornets. He spent his first eight seasons in Charlotte, where he was an important piece alongside Kemba Walker.
Though he has bounced around the last several years, Zeller finds himself on the Atlanta Hawks heading into the 2024-25 season. One thing is for sure Zeller made the No. 40 jersey famous at Indiana and is the perfect choice for the center spot on this all-time Indiana lineup.
See Previous All-Time Big Ten Teams Below:
