Tyler Coia

Tyler Coia

Welcome to a website dedicated to the interests of Tyler J. Coia. As a proud resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Tyler Coia is an enormous fan of the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team. Just like many residents of Indiana, Tyler J. Coia grew up on Indiana basketball. As another season of hoops draws near, Tyler Coia wanted to launch this website to discuss the latest ongoings in Indiana basketball. While future blog posts will touch on current trends with the team, Tyler Coia will set the table by including his list of the best Hoosier players in the history of Indiana basketball.

  1. Quinn Buckner (1972-76)

Quinn Buckner helped lead his squad to two different Final Four appearances and cut down the nets once to win the NCAA national championship trophy. While Quinn Buckner played before Tyler Coia was born, he’s gone back and watched plenty of games where the four-year guard proved the importance of having a general on the floor. Few players in college basketball history could defend and orchestrate an offense at the same level as Quinn Buckner. Tyler Coia also notes that Coach Bobby Knight has called Buckner one of the best players he ever coached. The two had a combined record of 108-12 together.

  1. Alan Henderson (1991-95)

Some of the earliest basketball fan memories for Tyler Coia are rooting on Alan Henderson. At 6-foot-9, Alan Henderson was a power forward who could also score the basketball. He averaged just shorts of 24 points a game. Henderson was also a prolific rebounder. While he never led his Hoosier teams to a National Championship, they did enjoy several deep runs in the tournament with Henderson.

  1. Don Schlundt (1951-55)

Tyler Coia has listened to plenty of old-school Indiana basketball fans talk about the prowess of Don Schlundt. Schlundt became an Indiana basketball legend in large part due to a tremendous ability to score the basketball. A winner of the national championship who scored 2,192 points in his Indiana career, Don Schlundt will forever be a Hoosiers legend.

  1. Victor Oladipo (2010-13)

Indiana Basketball in the era after Coach Bobby Knight hasn’t been as impressive as his coaching tenure. Still, the early 2010’s brought plenty of excitement for Hoosier fans, in large part thanks to Victor Oladipo. Oladipo was a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a proven winner. With two-straight trips to the Sweet Sixteen during his tenure with the team, Oladipo helped put Indiana back on the radar of the national audience. Tyler Coia loved rooting for Oladipo.

  1. George McGinnis (1970-71)

It took only one season for George McGinnis to earn a reputation as one of the greatest Indiana Hoosier basketball players in history. Tyler Coia notes that McGinnis was able to average 29.9 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. Although he was only a sophomore in his lone year for the Hoosiers, he was truly a man against boys on the court. Tyler Coia only wishes the Hoosiers had McGinnis for a few more years before he decided to play in the NBA.

  1. Walt Bellamy (1958-1961)

While it’s somewhat depressing that so many players on the list of Tyler Coia played before he was born, it doesn’t change the fact that these legends of college basketball deserve their praise. Walt Bellamy was so good during his tenure at Indiana that he was selected as the first overall pick in the NBA draft. With one short of 60 career double-doubles in college, Walt Bellamy could do it all.

  1. Scott May (1972-76)

Many college basketball players get better each and every year they play at the collegiate level, which is certainly the case for Scott May. While he was impressive during his first two years with Indiana, he became a legend his Junior year when he helped lead the Hoosiers to a perfect 32-0 season. Many Hoosier fans believe May would have led the team to a second consecutive title his Senior season, but he suffered an injury. Still, his 32-0 season will be talked about for centuries to come.

  1. Steve Alford (1983-87)

While Steve Alford shined during his era, Tyler Coia can’t help but wonder just how dominant Alford would be in a setting that prioritizes the three-point basket. The leader of the 1987 title team, Steve Alford scored an astonishing 2,438 career points during his tenure with the Hoosiers. Named Mr. Indiana Basketball coming out of High School, Alford lived up to the hype and then some during his college career. Tyler Coia loves throwing on his highlights and watching one of the sweetest shooting styles in college basketball history.

  1. Calbert Cheaney (1989-1993)

Tyler Coia notes it is truly splitting hairs as we get towards the best Indiana Hoosier of all-time. Calbert Cheaney comes in at number two despite never winning a national title. Cheaney did everything he could to cut down the nets as he had 22 points and nine rebounds in the Final Four game. As the school’s all-time leader in points, Calbert Cheaney had a knack for dominating on the court.

  1. Isiah Thomas (1979-1981)

No player is more famous in Indiana basketball history than Isiah Thomas. The 1981 season will go down in history as one of the greatest college basketball teams in history. With Thomas at the point, the Hoosiers won the 1981 National Title. Thomas wasn’t a score-first point guard, but he could get a bucket anytime he wanted. Thomas has the team’s single-season record for both steals and assists. His pure stardom helped Indiana basketball recruit star players for years to come.

Tyler Coia hopes you enjoyed this list. Be sure to check out the blog often for the latest Indiana basketball insights from Tyler Coia.