The “Hoosier State” of Basketball

“In 49 states it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana”. 

A familiar quote to most Hoosiers, it conveys how much the sport means to Indiana and how much Indiana means to the sport.  Although Dr. James A. Naismith created basketball at the Springfield, Massachusetts YMCA in December, 1891, Indiana is where high school basketball was born.  It was Dr. Naismith himself, who in in 1925 after attending an Indiana basketball state finals game, wrote "Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport." 

The sport grew at the high school level to become the greatest sporting event in the state, which concluded each season with the electrifying single-class basketball tournament. Indiana’s passion for basketball was evident during the 1990 state title game, at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, when Damon Bailey and his Bedford North Lawrence team won the state championship in front of a crowd of more than 41,000 people, the most people to ever attend a high school basketball game. Likewise, just skim over the list of the nation’s 20 largest high school gymnasiums and it is obvious where the game matters most. 

It was because of this distinction that we decided to visit a handful of Indiana’s most famous gyms in 2008 to see Hoosier Hysteria for ourselves.  But before we stepped foot into any gym, we had to visit an unmarked site where it all started.

Old Crawfordsville YMCA

Records indicate that in 1893, Rev. Nicholas McKay, an associate of Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, became the general secretary of the YMCA in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He brought with him the skills to operate the YMCA, but more importantly, he brought to Indiana the game of basketball.  So it was from its beginnings in Crawfordsville, that the game took off in popularity, with players from Crawfordsville spreading the word about the new game to nearby communities. As the game spread across the region, improvements began to appear as well. Backboards were installed to keep spectators in the balcony from interfering with the game and bottomless nets were hung to eliminate the need to push the ball out of the basket with a pole. 

On March 16, 1894, the first game played outside of Massachusetts between two different towns was played between the Crawfordsville YMCA and the Lafayette YMCA, which Crawfordsville won 45 -21.  On Feb. 19, 1897, Wabash College played Purdue University at the old Crawfordsville YMCA in the first official intercollegiate basketball game.  By 1911, the state had a state high school basketball tournament, which was also won by Crawfordsville.  The game continued to grow in popularity and by the 1920s and 1930s, basketball had spread throughout the state.  

Empty Bank Parking Lot - Old YMCA site

So it was two years ago in an empty bank parking lot, located on the corner of Washington and Main, that we stood and paid homage to the site of the old Crawfordsville YMCA.  It was only fitting that we started our Indiana basketball trip at the very same spot where basketball started its own journey across the state and into the history books.

It wasn’t until writing this blog entry that I read that on April 16, 2011, a historical marker was unveiled on the site of the former YMCA (also the site of the first Indiana high school basketball game) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Crawfordsville Athenians winning Indiana's first high school state title.  Although long overdue, I am glad to see that Crawfordsville is being recognized for its contributions.  So when making a trip through Indiana, make sure to set aside a few minutes to exit off Interstate 74 and stop by the bank parking lot, read the historical marker and reflect on how far the game has come. Because 118 years ago, on that same spot, Rev. McKay was envisioning the possibilities of the sport that would later set off Hoosier Hysteria and create the identity for Indiana.

Historical Marker Dedication on the former YMCA site

Keeping “The Streak” Alive

Benet Academy, of Lisle, IL,  made national headlines this year when the boys’ basketball team beat Simeon in the City-Suburban Showdown.  The win catapulted the undefeated Redwings to sixth in the USA Today national poll and first in the Illinois 4A state poll.  Unfortunately, their season ended early with a loss to East Aurora in sectional semifinal play, ending their dream season of going undefeated and winning a state title.  But this year’s run may not be the most memorable in school history. 

Between November 26, 1975 and January 24, 1987, the boys' basketball program won 102 straight home-games in their “old gym”.  The streak ended when Benet lost to Naperville North High School 46–47. When visiting with coach Gene Heidkamp in October 2010 he mentioned that on that night in January, the Naperville North fans decided that they would take away Benet’s home court advantage and showed up early to fill the small gym.  Heidkamp said that Naperville North fans packed the bleachers, almost making it an away game for the Redwings. The rest is history.
 

Benet’s IHSA record still stands today, and I do not see it being broken anytime soon.  The closest any team has come is Aurora (A. Christian) from Feb. 9, 1988-Feb. 11, 1997 with 80 consecutive home court wins (Quincy is 3rd with 70).

 

As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, a team’s gym can play a significant role in the home winning percentage.  Benet is a great example of that but it is not what the teams did decades ago that caught my attention, it’s what the school did years later that intrigued me most.  The Redwings continued to play basketball in their Alumni Gym until the end of the 1994 season, when a newer athletic facility was built down the hall.  It wasn't until years later  when Marty Gaughan, who coached Benet from 1989-2008,  decided to honor the school record by playing one home game each year in the Alumni Gym, where the streak was recorded.  The Redwing coaches and Academy administration continue the tradition because they too understand how special the record and gym are for their program, team, and fans, due to its historical relevance and electric game-night atmosphere.

 

This gesture was also the catalyst that drove our family to visit it last October.  Look at the list of schools and gyms that fall below Benet for top honor and you too would be impressed.  But what’s most impressive is that this annual game keeps the streak “alive” for future generation of players so they know how special it is to play for Benet and in Alumni Gym.

 

Restraining Mt. Vernon

I have toured and played basketball in some of Indiana  and Illinois’ most touted gyms and there are only a handful that I have walked into, where I felt as though I was walking into another era.  Fewer and fewer of these gyms exist each year because bigger facilities are replacing the small, older gyms due to school needs, deterioration or high maintenance costs.  Of the gyms that I have visited,  the 75 year old Stanley Changnon Gymnasium, which is home to the Mt. Vernon Rams, is one of my favorites.  It was built in 1936 and is one of the most historic buildings on the 106-year-old high school campus.  The gym was named for legendary coach Stanley Changnon, who won 229 games at Mt. Vernon, including a perfect 33-0 season in 1949-50 and three state titles.   Last October, Changnon Gym did what only a few gym can do– it took me back in time for a few hours.

There are many features of this gym, inside and out,  that you immediately notice when entering from South 7th Street.  The word “Gymnasium” etched in the aged brick greets you as you enter. Take one step into the lobby and the trophy cases present you with a glimpse of the program’s history.  Take a few more steps inside and you are taken back to the days when Max Hooper and Walt Moore ran the court and Coach Changnon, the sideline.  The rafters provide a constant reminder of the first back-to-back titles in state history and the old, varnished wooden pull-out bleachers, fold-down seats and black iron balcony put an exclamation point on how old the gym is.  If you have ever read articles or books on the history of Illinois high school basketball, you will not get past the first chapters without reading about Mt. Vernon basketball and Changnon Gym.  But its history is only the beginning to its importance.

 

Over the course of three quarters century, Changnon Gym is also recognized for its electric, raucous atmosphere on game nights, due to its acoustics and the close proximity of the fans to the court.  Its dimensions make it a very difficult place for any opponent to play, let alone win.  I remember talking to Lee Bennett, Centralia boys head basketball coach, about their rival, Mt. Vernon, and he mentioned two things.  First, that we have to go visit  Changnon Gym, which was already in our plans and second, how difficult it was to play at Mt. Vernon because it feels as though the students and fans are on top of you.

This brings us to the one hidden “gym”  that intrigued me the most and which most fans outside Southern Illinois might not be aware of…and that is the gym’s infamous restraining line.  When greeting us at the entrance of the gym, Athletic Director Doug Creel, who coached the Rams until the 2007-08 season, spoke of the restraining line when we took our first steps into the gym.  He mentioned that Changnon Gym  is one of the few, if not the last, remaining large school gym in Illinois that still have a restraining line.  Due to the tight accommodations of the gym, the restraining line is marked several feet in from each end line, to allow the offensive team room to throw the ball inbounds.  The crowd is restricted from entering this area as well.   It’s hard to believe that a gym that houses one of the state’s most renown programs (Class 3A), still has these boundaries, but to me, this type of feature makes it even more special.  Although this “cracker box” style of gym provides the greatest home court advantage, the restraining line restricts the school and gym from hosting post-season games according to the IHSA by-laws.  Some think that this drawback is a cause to the Ram’s downfall in regional play over the last decade.  Others feel as though the gym itself is restraining the school and its programs.

I wanted to write about Changnon Gym, because the MVTHS referendum was voted on April 5 and passed.  It pretty much sealed the fate of future generations watching or playing games in their historic gym that has assisted in their program’s success.  It will soon be demolished, along with the other campus buildings.  I know that a gym cannot hold-up forever and a new gym provides new opportunity, but I am a fan of old gyms that hold tradition and coaches using that tradition and success to build their programs.  There is nothing better than playing in a gym, where some of the state’s greatest players, coaches and teams have played because you want to add to the legacy.  And then add in the fact that these smaller gyms create such as huge advantage for the home team and create a boisterous game-night atmosphere for the fans, that you wish it to stay around forever.

Only time will tell the impact of losing Changnon Gym will have on the Rams.  Although the new facility has its benefits, I only hope it doesn’t restrain one of Illinois’ most successful basketball programs because you don't know what you've got, until it's gone.