Indiana Basketball: Ranking all 5 National Championship teams
By Alec Lasley
3. 1987 National Championship Team
The championship team that almost didn’t come to fruition, as it went down to the last shot, now known as the ‘Keith Smart Shot’.
Going 30-4 on the year, Indiana played in 12 single-digit games but came out on top in 10 of them. After winning the title, Bob Knight said of the 1987 team:
"“The greatness in this team may be the greatness no other team here has had.. total resolve not to recognize or be a part of defeat…This team played the last five minutes of critical games as well as I’ve ever seen a team play.”"
The Hoosiers had Big Ten Player of the Year (Steve Alford), Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Dean Garrett) and then the Tournament MVP (Keith Smart). Indiana rode those three along with Daryl Thomas and Rick Calloway, all 11+ point per game scorers, all season. Outside of those five, nobody else scored more than three points per game.
From the Sweet 16 on, Indiana outscored its four opponents by just 13 points, including two one-point wins.
In the NCAA Championship game, Alford, Smart, and Thomas all scored 20+ points and gave Bob Knight his final Championship in Bloomington.