The Greatest IU Basketball Player of All-Time Bracket: Post-Knight Round of 64

  • 03/26/2020 10:07 am in

Welcome back to the “Greatest IU Basketball Player of All-Time” tournament bracket, where Inside the Hall and Assembly Call teamed up to put together a field of 68 former Hoosiers who have left a tremendous impact on the Indiana basketball program.

Last Friday, voting took place for the play-in games of each region, on Monday voting took place for the Round of 64 in the Pre-Knight era region, on Tuesday voting took place for the Round of 64 in the Knight Pre-’85 era region and on Wednesday voting took place for the Round of 64 in the Knight Post-’85 era region.

Today, it’s time to vote in the Round of 64 in the Post-Knight era region.

Among the factors to consider when voting:

– Impact on winning at IU
– Statistical achievement
– How they represented the program and university
– Qualitative impact on the culture and tradition of IU basketball overall

Remember, go to Inside the Hall’s Twitter account to vote on these matchups (the polls will also be embedded in this post once they go live), and you have 24 hours from when the polls go live to vote. The Round of 32 will begin on Monday. (The updated bracket can be found at the bottom of the article.)

Today’s matchups are below:

No. 1 Yogi Ferrell vs. No. 16 Troy Williams

Yogi Ferrell (2012-2016)

A top recruit at point guard for the Hoosiers, Ferrell was a first-team All-Big Ten player in 2015 and 2016. A member of the 2013 Big Ten all-freshman team, then 2016 Big Ten all-defensive team and an All-American selection, Ferrell started and ended his IU career by winning the Big Ten regular season title and reaching the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. He started all 137 games of his Indiana career, averaged 14.5 points and 4.6 assists per game for his career and had 114 career steals. Ferrell is sixth all-time in scoring at IU with 1,986 points and is the program’s all-time assists leader with 633. He also has the most made 3-pointers in Big Ten play (159) among all Hoosiers.

Troy Williams (2013-2016)

Williams defeated Romeo Langford in the play-in game. Williams came to Indiana and was instantly thrown into the fire, starting all 32 games his freshman year in 2013. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds and was named Big Ten freshman of the week at one point in the season. In his sophomore season his points raised to 13 per game and rebounds to 7.4 while he was named Big Ten and National Player of the Week in December. Williams almost left for the NBA after his second season at Indiana, but he came back for one more ride his junior year. His athletic ability helped Indiana win the Big Ten outright and advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament, knocking off Kentucky in the round of 32. Williams earned third team All-Big Ten that year. He then moved on to the NBA for three years until moving to Italy to continue his professional career.

No. 8 Jeff Newton vs. No. 9 Christian Watford

Jeff Newton (1999-2003)

Newton played all four years for the Hoosiers and gradually increased his production in that time span. His points per game went from 6.8 his freshman year to 14.9 his senior year. Newton may have not been the biggest name on Indiana’s 2002 team that made a Cinderella run to the national title game, but he was an important piece. Newton was a rim-protector, often on the floor for defense and rebounding. He finished his career with 737 rebounds and 227 blocks. After his Hoosier career ended, he went on to become a legend in Japan where he won six national championships.

Christian Watford (2009-2013)

Obviously, the thing Watford will be remembered for most during his IU career is the “Wat-Shot” where he hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to knock off No. 1 Kentucky in Assembly Hall in 2011. As much as that one shot in that one game resonates with Watford’s IU career, he had a pretty solid four years at Indiana. He finished his career ninth on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,730 points, and he also finished ninth in rebounds with 776 boards. During his senior year, he led the Big Ten in 3-point percentage at 51.5. In the back half of his career, he helped Indiana reach the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons, as well as capture the Big Ten title in 2013.

No. 5 DJ White vs. No. 12 AJ Moye

DJ White (2004-2008)

White made three NCAA tournaments with Indiana, earning 2005 Big Ten freshman of the year, 2007 second-team All-Big Ten, 2008 first-team All-Big Ten and 2008 Big Ten player of the year honors during his four-year career. White’s career ending stats (1,447 points, 748 rebounds, 198 blocks and a 56.2 percent shooter from the field) could have been even better if a broken foot hadn’t derailed his sophomore season. White averaged more than 10 rebounds per game as a senior before becoming a first round selection in the 2008 NBA Draft before later continuing his player career overseas in Turkey. White is the last IU basketball player to average a double-double for an entire season (17.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in 2007-08).

AJ Moye (2000-2004)

Moye has one of the most memorable plays for Indiana in the postseason. It was in the Sweet Sixteen in 2002, and Moye, standing at 6-foot-3, rose up and stuffed Duke’s Carlos Boozer at the rim with five minutes to go while Indiana was down one point. It was a huge momentum builder for the Hoosiers, who would go on to win that game. In Moye’s senior season at IU, he averaged a career-high 10 points per game. During his career, he averaged 6.1 points on 48.7 percent shooting and 3.9 rebounds per game. Moye was a scrappy player who really helped Indiana transition out of the Bob Knight era.

No. 4 Jared Jeffries vs. No. 13 Thomas Bryant

Jared Jeffries (2000-2002)

A power forward and center for the Hoosiers for two seasons under Mike Davis at the turn of the century, Jeffries was a major part of the IU team which finished as national runner-up in 2002. He came to IU after being named Mr. Basketball in 2000 for the state of Indiana at Bloomington North, Jeffries was the 2001 Big Ten freshman of the year and the 2002 Big Ten player of the year. Impressively, Jeffries slotted in as a starter right away and averaged 13.8 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game as a freshman, before finishing his Hoosier career with more than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. After an 11-year NBA career, Jeffries now hosts his own fishing show on television.

Thomas Bryant (2015-2017)

Bryant had a short but effective career with the Hoosiers. During his freshman season, he averaged 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds as Indiana went on to win the Big Ten championship outright. He also led the Big Ten in field goal percentage that year. Bryant had 19 points on 6-8 shooting, five rebounds, two steals and a block against Kentucky in the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament in a win that sent IU to the Sweet Sixteen. His sophomore year, Bryant averaged 12.8 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds. Unfortunately, injuries plagued IU that year and they missed the tournament. After Tom Crean was fired, Bryant took his talents to the NBA, where he is emerging as one of the better players on the Washington Wizards roster.

No. 6 Tom Coverdale vs. No. 11 Juwan Morgan

Tom Coverdale (1999-2003)

Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 1998 at Noblesville High School, Coverdale totaled more than 1,200 points and 500 assists (fourth all-time at IU) as a guard for the Hoosiers. A 36-percent 3-point shooter while at IU, Coverdale made more than 200 shots from distance (sixth all-time at IU). Coverdale reached the NCAA tournament during each of his four college seasons, with the highlight obviously being the Big Ten-title winning season in 2001-02, which ended with a trip to the NCAA title game in Mike Davis’ second season as head coach. Coverdale played professional basketball in Germany before later becoming a collegiate assistant coach.

Juwan Morgan (2015-2019)

Morgan never reached the NCAA tournament as a starter with Indiana, but he nonetheless offered a reason to watch the Hoosiers each night during the final three seasons of his career. He’s only the second Hoosier to ever record a triple-double in a college game, and spent the final two seasons of his career averaging at least 15 points and seven rebounds per contest. He ranks in the top 25 in IU history in points (24th with 1,374), rebounds (10th with 757), blocks (8th with 138) and field goal percentage (4th at 56.2 percent). Morgan is also remembered for frequently being the player representative who spoke to the media postgame, for wearing a t-shirt underneath his jersey during each game and helping bridge the gap between Tom Crean and Archie Miller’s tenures as coach.

No. 3 Cody Zeller vs. No. 14 Bracey Wright

Cody Zeller (2011-2013)

A native of Washington, Indiana, Zeller continued his high school success (he was Mr. Basketball in Indiana in 2011) into his college career. Zeller was the 2012 Big Ten freshman of the year and a second-team All-Big Ten selection in the same year, before closing his two-year Hoosier career as a first-team All-Big Ten selection and a consensus second-team All-American. Zeller started every game of his IU career, and finished with averages of 16.1 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game, in addition to 87 career blocks and 86 career steals. He shot 59.2 percent from the floor for his career before going on to be drafted fourth overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the Charlotte Bobcats.

Bracey Wright (2002-2005)

Wright came to IU after an influx of talent left the team after the 2002 title run. Wright was instantly thrown into the fire and led IU in scoring his freshman year with 16.2 points per game. IU had impressive wins to start the year, and they ended the season 20-12 and got into the tournament as a seven seed. Unfortunately, that would be the last time Wright would experience the NCAA tournament during his career. However, he still put up good numbers as he averaged 17.6 points per game across his three seasons with IU.

No. 7 Eric Gordon vs. No. 10 Jordan Hulls

Eric Gordon (2007-2008)

Gordon spent just one season in Bloomington, but it was enough to propel him to becoming the seventh overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. A future NBA sixth man of the year, Gordon averaged 20.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while recording 42 steals. A product of North Central High School in Indianapolis, Gordon’s lone season resulted in setting IU freshman records for points (669), field goals attempted (425) and free throws made (231) as he was named Big Ten freshman of the year and a third-team All-American.

Jordan Hulls (2009-2013)

Hulls was the point guard and red hot shooter during Indiana’s impressive stretches in 2011-2013. IU basketball was his backyard all his life as he grew up in Bloomington and played at Bloomington South, where he led the Panthers to a state title and perfect 26-0 season his senior year. At IU, Hulls averaged 9.8 points per game during his four-year career and shot 44.1 percent from the 3-point line, which is fifth on the program list. He finished with 1,318 career points to rank 26th on the Indiana career scoring list. In his final season, he connected on 80 triples, giving him 254 made 3-point field goals in his career to finish second in IU history.

No. 2 Victor Oladipo vs. No. 15 Dane Fife

Victor Oladipo (2010-2013)

A terrific ball handler and tenacious defender while playing at shooting guard, Oladipo rose from a bench player to a superstar with the Hoosiers, closing his college career by being named a first-team All-Big Ten selection, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, first-team All-American and the Sporting News national player of the year. Oladipo scored 1,235 points in his IU career, one that culminated with a Big Ten title and consecutive appearances in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. Oladipo, third in IU history with 161 steals and a player shot 53.8 percent for his college career, is one of the most popular IU players in recent history and now plays for the Indiana Pacers after being selected second overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2013 NBA draft.

Dane Fife (1998-2002)

Fife was a glue guy during his four-year career at Indiana. He only averaged 5.6 points per game during his career, but he defended and rebounded the ball very well. In the 2001-02 season, he was named Big Ten defensive player of the year. In 2002, he was placed on the NCAA All-tournament team as well as the NCAA tournament All-region team. IU went to the tournament every year Fife played with them, including a national championship run in 2002. Even though IU lost to Maryland, Fife was the second leading Hoosier scorer in that game with 11 points.

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