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Top 20 Indiana basketball players of all-time

By Connor O’Keefe

Former Indiana Hoosiers head coach Bob Knight . (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Former Indiana Hoosiers head coach Bob Knight . (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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Indiana head coach Bobby Knight celebrates with forward Scott May (center) and guard Quinn Buckner (21) after winning the 1976 NCAA basketball championship. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

Indiana basketball career stats: 17.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 51.3 FG%, 90 GP

Scott May probably could’ve ended his college career as one of the best players in college basketball history if it weren’t for a broken arm in the final game of his junior season. May led the Hoosiers to an undefeated conference record before going down with an injury. May could’ve even added another banner for Indiana basketball if it weren’t for the injury.

The year 1975-76 belonged to Scott May. He earned a spot on the All-Big Ten first team, AP Player of the Year, First Team Consensus All-American, NABC Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, the Rupp Trophy, and the Naismith Award. May led the best college basketball team in the history of college basketball in scoring (23.5 PPG) and averaged 22.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in the five NCAA Tournament games in 1976.

The 13th-best scorer in Indiana basketball history, the Naismith Award winner in 1975-76 is ranked in the top 10 in the following statistical categories for career and single-season numbers in IU history:

  • Field goals made: 666 (8th)
  • Field goal attempts: 1,297 (10th)
  • Points (single season): 752 in 1975-76 (2nd)
  • Points per game (single season): 23.5 in 1975-76 (10th)
  • Field goals made (single season): 308 in 1975-76 (1st)
  • Field goal attempts (single season): 584 in 1975-76 (2nd)

May was selected second overall in the 1976 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, where he spent five seasons and averaged 10.8 points in 281 career games. May ended up playing just two more seasons in the NBA (Milwaukee and Detroit) before taking his talents overseas to Italy.

If not for Scott May, the Indiana Hoosiers would be without one banner (1976) and would not have had the best season in college basketball history. He definitely deserves to be in the top five! Who will land in the top 3?

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