HIGH SCHOOL

Bailey, Cheaney to join Indiana Basketball HOF

Kyle Neddenriep
IndyStar
Former Indiana University stars Calbert Cheaney (left) and Damon Bailey highlight the newest Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame induction class.

A pair of the biggest names in the state’s basketball history will be inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in March, the Hall of Fame announced.

The 14-member men’s induction class is headlined by Damon Bailey and Calbert Cheaney, who both went on to star at Indiana University. The class will be honored March 23.

Bailey, a 1990 Bedford North Lawrence graduate, remains the all-time leading scorer in Indiana high school basketball history with 3,134 points. Bailey was the 1990 IndyStar Mr. Basketball and led the stars to three state final appearances, including the state title as a senior in front of a record crowd of 41,046 at the Hoosier Dome.

Bailey was an All-American in 1994 as a senior at Indiana. After leading the Bedford North Lawrence girls program to a Class 4A state title in 2014, he’s now in his second season as an assistant at Butler.

Bailey is the ninth player to be inducted in his first year of eligibility, joining Steve Alford, Kent Benson, Larry Bird, Dave Colescott, Kyle Macy, George McGinnis, Rick Mount and Oscar Robertson.

Cheaney, a 1989 Evansville Harrison graduate, set a single-game scoring record (47 points) and led Harrison to two city and conference championships. He scored 1,064 points in his high school career before a standout career at Indiana, where he left with three of the top 13 scoring seasons in program history. He played 13 seasons in the NBA.

The rest of the class:

Tom Bowman, Martinsville: The 1959 graduate led Martinsville to two sectional titles before breaking Bobby Plump’s scoring record at Butler (1,334 points). He was a three-time all-conference selection and a 1963 draft pick of the Baltimore Bullets.

Henry “Hank” Clason, Goshen: The 1938 graduate was Goshen’s leading scorer for three seasons and went on to be an all-Big Ten player at Northwestern. He also set numerous records in track and field at Northwestern.

Jim Fisher, Lebanon: The 1979 graduate was the leading scorer for two sectional championship teams and graduated as the sixth all-time leading scorer in school history. He totaled 1,317 points and was a three-time all-conference player.

Russ Grieger, Evansville Bosse: The 1960 graduate was a four-year starter and averaged  close to 24 points as a senior, as he was named MVP of the all-city team. He was a starting guard on the 1965 Evansville team that finished 29-0.

Bill Hahn, Michigan City Elston: The 1959 graduate led Elston to a 41-10 record over two seasons before starting three seasons at Drake. He went on to coach at Michigan City Rogers, among other schools.

Willie Humes, Madison: The 1967 graduate was a four-year starter on four sectional title teams and graduated with 1,876 points. He still  owns the single-game scoring record with 53 points. He went on to star at Vincennes University and Idaho State. His brother, Larry, was inducted in 1991.

Brad Miley, Rushville: Miley was a member of Rushville’s 26-2 state runner-up team as a senior in 1976. He remains the school’s single-season leader in rebounds (14.1 per game). He was a four-year starter at Indiana State and started on the 1979 national runner-up team.

Terry Stillabower, Lafayette Jeff: Stillabower was named an Indiana All-Star in 1964 as a senior after helping Jeff to a state title. He went on to play at Ball State, where he owns the record for field goals in a game (20).

Joe Todrank, Holland: The 1956 graduate led the small school to a 50-16 record in three seasons, averaging 18.1 points as a senior. He was an All-American at Oakland City College and coached for several years at Monroe City, Barr-Reeve, Holland and Southridge.

Charles “Butch” Wade, Columbus: The 1963 graduate starred on a top-ranked team as a senior, averaging 19.1 points and 10.5 rebounds. Wade is the fourth player from that team inducted into the Hall of Fame. He starred at Indiana State.

Silver Medal Award — Evansville broadcaster Mike Blake, on the air with 14WFIE-TV since 1970, is the winner of the Indiana Pacers Silver Medal Award. Blake has won numerous awards for his coverage of high school sports over five decades.

Centennial Award — Bill Diddel, a 1904 Manual graduate helped his team to a 26-1 record and went on to be a two-time all-state player at Wabash College. He gained prominence as a renowned golf course architect, designing  close to 300 courses across the country.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Follow him on Twitter: @KyleNeddenriep.