NCAA Basketball: Mount Rushmores for the top 25 programs of all-time

Indiana Basketball Mount Rushmore: Bob Knight, Isiah Thomas, Steve Alford, Scott May

Bob Knight

Though his time with the school ended amidst significant controversy (another 30 for 30!), Bob Knight remains synonymous with successful basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. He led the Hoosiers to three national championships, five final four appearances and 11 Big Ten regular season titles. Knight’s 1976 team is also the last to finish a season undefeated.

His 902 career wins were the most in men’s college basketball history when he retired, but he has since been surpassed by Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boehiem.

Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas started every game during his two-year stint at Indiana, making the All-Big Ten team in both seasons while being named a consensus All-American in 1981. That season, Thomas averaged 16.0 points, 5.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game as a sophomore, while leading the Hoosiers to a national title.

The 6-1 point guard declared for the NBA Draft after that season and was selected No. 2 overall by the Detroit Pistons. He went on to win two titles with Detroit and was a 12-time NBA All-Star.

Steve Alford

Steve Alford is one of the greatest scorers in Indiana history, averaging over 22 points per game during his junior and senior seasons. He shot 53 percent from three-point range during his senior year, and the Hoosiers rode his shooting and scoring to the 1987 National Championship – the last national title won by Indiana.

A three-time All-Big Ten performer and two-time consensus First-Team All-American, Alford remains one of the biggest legends in Indiana basketball history thanks to what he did in high school and in college for the Hoosiers. His pro career never materialized, playing only four seasons in the NBA before he turned to a career in coaching.

Scott May

Remember that undefeated 1976 National Championship team? Scott May was the best player of that group, averaging 23.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game during the 1975-76 season. He was also a consensus All-American for the second straight year and was named National Player of the Year.

Unfortunately, injuries limited May to just seven seasons in the NBA before he spent seven years playing overseas. Still, May holds a special place in college basketball lore as the best player and leader of the last undefeated team.