Celebrating the 40Th Anniversary of a Trip to the 1979 NCAA
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Celebrating the 40th Anniversary Of A Trip To The 1979 NCAA Championship Game Led by Boston Celtic star and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Larry Bird, Indiana State completed a dream season in 1978-79, finish- ing the year with a 33-1 record and a trio to the championship game of the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. The public was shown an early glimpse of what was ahead when, on November 20, the touring Soviet National team came to Hulman Center where ISU stunned them, 83-79, to become one of only four college teams to beat them that season. ISU sailed through the regular season to finish 29-0, including a perfect 16-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference, and earned the top ranking in the country. The perfect slate seemed in jeopardy on Feb. 1 when the 18-0 Sycamores trailed at New Mexico State, 83-81, with three seconds remaining and the Aggies at the free throw line. The free throw was missed, however and re- bounded by Brad Miley who passed the ball on to Bob Heaton. Heaton launched a 50-foot desperation shot which banked through the net to send the game into overtime and earned still another ISU victory. As mirac- ulous as Heaton’s shot itself was -- which was worth just two points prior to the 3-point line -- it is equally im- pressive that the team won despite the earlier fouling out of both Larry Bird and Carl Nicks. It would not be the Heaton’s last heroic shot of the sea- son. The top seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional was awarded to ISU, and the Sycamores promptly disposed of Virginia Tech and Oklahoma before facing Arkansas with a berth into the Final Four on the line. Inside Cin- cinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum, with the game tied at 71, the right-handed Heaton was the hero again with a last second left-handed shot in the paint to send the Syca- mores to Salt Lake City and a meet with DePaul. ISU defeated the Blue Demons, 76-74, to set up the most-watched college basketball game in history -- In- diana State versus Michi- gan State for the national championship -- the day that March Went Mad. The Spartans, led by Mag- ic Johnson and Greg Kels- er, won 75-64 to end the greatest season in Syca- more Basketball history. Coached by Bill Hodges, who took over for an ail- ing Bob King on October 11, 1978 was named the NCAA Coach Of The Year. The high-flying Sycamores were led by Bird, the NCAA Player of the Year and his 28.6 scoring average. He was followed by Carl Nicks’ 19.3 average. The starting lineup included Brad Mi- ley, Alex Gilbert and Steve Reed. Heaton and Leroy Staley were key reserves. The re- mainder of the ros- ter consisted of Tom Crowder, Eric Curry, Rod McNelly, Rich Nemcek, Bob Ritter and Scott Turner. A special 10-year re- union was held for the Dream Team on August 12, 1989 inside Hulman Center with a dinner and highlight film commem- orating the finest season in ISU athletic history. The entire team was later inducted into the ISU Athlet- ics Hall of Fame in August of 1999. In 2004, Larry Bird, along with the Duane Klueh had their numbers retired and in 2013 Bird was hon- ored with the unveiling of a statue in his honor out- side of Hulman Center. This season on February 16, 2019 Carl Nicks will have his No. 22 jersey retired during Sycamore Basketball Alumni Weekend. Finally, this winter head coach Bill Hodges will be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame on Jan- uary 31, 2019. .