Indiana State University - Sycamore Yearbook (Terre Haute, IN)

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5 , i l 6 :1 Vi. Capacify crowds anxiously awaHed +he fip-offs as Alex Gilbert used his 40 inch iump +0 s+ar+ +he games. Larry Bird hnd +he now famous +humH is largely responsible for +he nafional acclaim received by ISU. He was recrui+ed in I975 +0 play for +hen Coach. Bob King. Taking over +he crew of l3. assembled by his predecessor. Bill Hodges accom- plished whaf Bob King sef ou+ +0 do before being sfopped by illness - es+ab- lished ISU as a baskefball powerhouse.

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Whaf is Ief+ +0 be said abou+ a feam +ha+ everyone +hough+ would go nowhere and ended up going everywhere? Including +he final game of +he NCAA Champi- onships in Sall Lake Ci+y. Every wri+er in +he counfry a+ one +ime or anofher has wriHen abouf +he nafions bes+ college players Larry Bird and his confinu- ous refusals +0 +alk +0 +he press. and Head Coach Bill Hodges, whose career record now sfands af 33-l. Their has been called a feam of des+iny. and were for awhile. called Number I. This roundball +eam broughl' new dimensions +0 +he words bas- kefball and exci+emen+. From November +0 March. +he cify and campus reeled wifh ioy over +he Sycamore success s+ory. Every s+ore. every window. every mar- quee shoufed of +he ball club's superioril'y. Hulman Cenier was packed +0 capaci+y fime afi'er +ime by hordes of s+uden+s and oceans of Haufians . Ancl +hey packed Hie house once more when ifrcouni'ed +he mosf: +0 welcome home +he Sycamores on March 27. affer +heir firsf hearfbreaking loss - in +he NCAA final game. People of all ages came +0 cheer +he +eam +ha+ day. By +hen. +he shock of +he loss had worn off and everyone' including +he +eam. was ready 1'o go a+ if again nex+ year. Even +he usually Silen+ Giant Larry Bird emceed +he rally wifh commen+s and iokes. If +he Sycamores were +0 go +0 +he NCAA final four every year for +he nexf +en years. i+ wouldn'+ be quil'e as excifing as +his year. This Jream and ifs young coaches were desiined for big +hings. They deserved all +he glory offered: +hey worked hard and played hard fogel'her - on and off +he court On one of +heir rare Fridays free. +he +eam made a guesl' appearance on +he Capiain Jack Show lWTHI's answer +0 Cap- +ain Kangaroo l. much +0 every- one's delight The sfarfing seven lyes. seven. See page 78l also made a brief TV film appropri- a+ely named +he MagnificeM Seven. This could be +he beginning of a baske+ball dynasfy. No ma++er wha+ +he fu+ure holds, Terre Haule will never be +he same. And +hese Sycamores will always be Number I in +he hear+s of everyone here.

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The Condi+ House. Iocafed on +he edge of +he Quad. is home +0 +he Universify's Presidenfs. Terre Hau+e boas+s of several farks wifh lakes or ponds and ffiendly duc