Top 40 Indiana basketball players of all-time: #36 Steve Green

Indiana basketball is now 36 days away from tipping off the 2022-23 season against Morehead State; now we reveal the 36th best Hoosier of all-time on my top 40 list. Based on his three seasons under Bob Knight, this Indiana basketball legend made quite a lasting impact, even though he graduated from school just one season before the legendary undefeated championship season in 1975-76.

Top 40 Indiana basketball players of all-time

Indiana basketball career stats: 14.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 53.8 FG%

Steve Green is most famously known as Bob Knight’s first recruit as the head coach of the Indiana basketball program in 1971-72, and he did not disappoint. Though he wasn’t allowed to play as a freshman, in Green’s junior and senior seasons, he averaged more than 16.0 points per game and shot 56.0 percent from the field in his final two seasons.

Now I could not find many highlights from 1973 to 1975; take a listen to the video below. I can promise you I did not listen to the whole 1 hour 22 minute interview, but around the 12 minute mark, Green gets in-depth about how he came about connecting with former IU coaches Branch McCracken and Bob Knight. Green is a great storyteller and is very energetic from what it seems.

Green ended up only playing three seasons with Bob Knight and the Hoosiers, so he only ranks in the top 10 all-time in the following statistical category:

Field goal percentage – 53.8 % (9th)

A senior at the time, Green is most known for his scoring performance in the 1975 NCAA Tournament, where he scored 34 points against Oregon State in the Sweet 16, then followed that up with 21 points against Kentucky in an Elite Eight loss. If Green played all four seasons at IU, where do you think he would’ve ranked in many statistical categories? My opinion, top 10 for sure in a lot of those categories.

Which Hoosier will come in at #35 on my all-time Indiana basketball players list as we get closer to tip-off for the 2022-23 season? Check back tomorrow!