Hoosiers

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To hear Angelo Pizzo tell it, the movie that basketball fans have loved for 30 years now, nearly died on the vine.

"There were just times, there were a lot of times where it just felt so overwhelming, where it just felt like we were trying to survive," said Pizzo.

Luckily for the state of Indiana, basketball lovers, and film buffs alike, not only did screenwriter Angelo Pizzo and director David Anspaugh survive the making of "Hoosiers", they thrived.

However, the journey from the inception of the film to its release ended up being so loaded with potholes and pitfalls, that the timeless movie's inclusion on lists of greatest sports movies feels nearly as miraculous as Jimmy Chitwood's game-winning shot (sorry for the spoiler).

As undergrads at Indiana University, Anspaugh and Pizzo became fast friends due to their shared interest in movies and Indiana basketball history. Late one night, the pair kicked around ideas about how cool it would be to not just make movies in Hollywood after college, but to make a film specifically about Milan's 1954 state championship run. By that time, the story had become gospel for coaches in Indiana.

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"Having played high school basketball, you knew it was tournament time every year, because every coach, and I'm assuming every other school like mine, would sit the team down, and we'd think, oh god, here we go, the Milan story again," Explained Anspaugh. "(They were) trying to inspire you that, you too, no matter how bad you were, you could go up against the big guys."

After the two finished their undergraduate programs at IU, they both headed west. Pizzo found success as a producer, so he had the connections he needed to make the pair's dream become a reality. Amazingly enough, Hoosiers was Pizzo's first script, so it was only right that he give the duty of directing to Anspaugh, who had yet to direct a feature film.

Initially, Pizzo struggled to animate his characters while writing the script. He felt as if, despite the stories he developed for his characters, they were all just manifestations of himself. They weren't ringing true.

So Pizzo dug back to his middle-school memories, crafting the characters loosely on people he actually knew growing up. In doing so, he managed to authenticate the voices of the characters, allowing his script to come to life.

While it's easy to look back now at what a universally acclaimed success the film was, at the time, the duo couldn't look beyond the task at hand, as the challenges and reality of making a movie from start to finish sprung up all over.

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"When we were in the process of making it, there was never a moment where we were in the context of stepping outside of ourselves and thinking look at us now," Pizzo said. "Making a movie is mounting a campaign, it's going to war, there are so many moving parts to it."

It was hard enough to train up the teenagers who played the kids on Hickory High, most of whom had never acted before, but the challenges were made greater by some of the more experienced actors having creative difference with Anspaugh's directing.

Add to it the limited budget for production, which made their margin of error in shooting and editing the film even slimmer, and you have an environment where every day felt like it brought the possibility of critical failure.

"It was a collection of things that were difficult for us," Pizzo said. "We knew we only had one opportunity, we were making a movie about something we cared about, you know, where we grew up and the passion that we had for basketball and we wanted to do it right, not just for ourselves, but for the people who live here."

By the time Pizzo and Anspaugh wrapped up shooting and editing the film, they were beyond relieved to just know it was going to be released in theaters and video stores. There was no thought that the film, based on Bobby Plump's legendary game-winning shot for Milan, would reverberate throughout cinematic and sports history.

And yet, here they are, set to be honored during halftime of the Pacers' game with the Phoenix Suns. Indiana will be wearing the jerseys whose name, colors, and story came from a couple of college kids staying up late at night imagining if they could make a movie about something they loved.

They took a shot, and just like Chitwood, they made it.

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For Pizzo and Anspaugh, "Hoosiers" is a Dream Come to Life

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INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana's all-time leading boys high school basketball scorer, Indiana's first Miss Basketball, champion high school basketball teams from the past and present and the writer and director from the movie Hoosiers highlight the Indiana Pacers' second season of Hickory Night honorees for 2016-17, the team announced today.

The Pacers will again wear the NBA Pride Hickory uniforms and Bankers Life Fieldhouse will be transformed to reflect the elements that helped make Hoosiers one of the most popular sports movies of all time.

The Hickory Nights, opponents and those to be honored are:

"Through our partnership with MGM, we are again delighted use the Hickory Nights as a platform to celebrate and honor some of those who have made Indiana synonymous with the game of basketball," said Todd Taylor, senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. "The Hickory nights last season really resonated with our fans. In conjunction with our 50th Season Decade Nights, this promises to be a very special season."

Last year's Hickory Nights saluted Crawfordsville as the birthplace of Indiana basketball, Loogootee's Jack Butcher as Indiana's all-time winningest high school coach, George Crowe of Franklin as Indiana's first Mister Basketball, the 1955, '56 and '59 Crispus Attucks state champions, the 1954 Milan state champions who served as the inspiration for Hoosiers, and the eight 2016 boys and girls IHSAA state basketball championship teams.

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Hoosiers Screenwriter, Director Lead 2016-17 Hickory Night Honorees

Wheat Hotchkiss

The headlines belonged to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers on Sunday night, but the scoreboard belonged to Paul George and the Pacers. Indiana (11-5) built a big lead early and withstood a late rally to win in Los Angeles, 107-103.

George scored 39 points, including the Pacers' final 12 points over the last 1:57, to help the Blue & Gold seal their fifth straight victory and 11th win in their last 13 contests. It was a fitting performance for George, a Southern California native, in his last game at the Staples Center against his boyhood idol.

Bryant, the NBA's third all-time leading scorer, announced hours before Sunday's contest that he was going to retire at the end of the season.

"I was going to cherish this moment," George said. "What a feeling, to play against your idol back home."

Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said pregame he thought that Bryant's announcement might give the Lakers an emotional lift early in Sunday's game, but in fact the opposite occurred.

The Lakers had an abysmal first quarter shooting the ball, connecting on just 2-of-20 shots. The Pacers had no such struggle, going 12-for-24 from the field in the first period to build a 28-12 lead.

Indiana led by double digits for most of the night and had an 84-69 lead with 9:45 to play before the Lakers threw together a 16-5 run to make it a four-point game with 4:01 remaining.

The Pacers seemingly responded, with center Ian Mahinmi foiling Los Angeles' intentional foul strategy by knocking down four straight free throws, and George buried a step-back jumper to give Indiana a 98-89 lead with 1:27 left.

But Kobe and the Lakers put together a memorable rally down the stretch. First, Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 1:19 to play. After two free throws by George, Nick Young hit a three of his own. After George lost the ball out of bounds, Bryant passed out of a double-team to Julius Randle, who subsequently found Metta World Peace open on the right wing for yet another triple, making it a two-point game.

George continued to knock down free throws down the stretch to keep the Lakers at bay, but Bryant buried a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key with 12.1 seconds left to cut the deficit to just one.

Despite the suddenly thunderous roar from the Lakers faithful, George calmly knocked down two free throws once again to ensure that Los Angeles could only attempt to tie the game.

There would be no more heroics from Bryant, whose subsequent 3-point attempt missed well right, allowing the Pacers to escape with the victory.

All told, George hit 9-of-10 free throws over the final 1:07 to seal the win.

"I had the utmost confidence to put this game in my hands," George said after the victory.

Still, it was a closer outcome than he and his teammates expected against the team with the worst record in the Western Conference.

"We've got to learn from this," George said. "Being up big and letting this team come back, they made some tough shots, but it was against us not playing great defense."

But given the unexpected national spotlight on Sunday's game due to Bryant's announcement, Vogel thought his team handled themselves well.

"I thought we came in with the right mindset and the right focus, got a big lead, and overcame a lot of circumstances to get a tough win," Vogel said. "The environment that we played in tonight was atypical to what the Lakers have been this year."

Monta Ellis added 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and dished out six assists in the victory. George Hill and Rodney Stuckey were the only other Pacers players to score in double figures, each finishing with 11 points.

Jordan Clarkson led the Lakers' offensive attack, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Young added 22 points off the bench.

Bryant struggled mightily from the field despite a couple late 3-pointers. The former MVP had 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists while going just 4-for-20 from the field.

The Pacers now will stay in Los Angeles and enjoy a couple days off before returning to Staples Center on Wednesday evening to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Thanks in large part to George's heroics down the stretch, the Pacers dominated the Lakers from the free throw line. Indiana went 30-for-37 from the charity stripe, while Los Angeles was just 16-for-22 from the foul line.

George set a new career high with 17 free throw attempts, one more than his previous best, set on March 17, 2014 against Philadelphia.

Indiana had 16 turnovers on the night to the Lakers' 12, just the fifth time this season that the Pacers committed more turnovers than they created.

Former Pacers center Roy Hibbert played for the first time against the team that drafted him on Sunday night. The two-time All-Star finished with eight points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in 26:40.

Both starting center Ian Mahinmi and backup Jordan Hill collected 10 rebounds for the Pacers.

"They played the foul game and marched us to the line and they’d shoot three and we got two free throws. That’s what happens in the NBA, but our guys held on and it was a heck of a win." - Pacers head coach Frank Vogel

"A decision like this, you can’t allow—you can’t make that decision based on outside circumstances. It has to be an internal decision, and finally I just had to just accept the fact that I don’t want to do this anymore, and I’m okay with it, and once I accepted that then it became time to just let everybody know. Why not? It takes a load off my shoulders and everybody else’s, and I think it’s just the right thing to do." -Bryant on his decision to announce his retirement

"Kobe was my [Michael] Jordan, I didn’t really have any moments of watching Jordan, but Kobe was my Jordan; watching him win championships. I remember just being at home watching the games with my mom, my grandma, my dad, [and] just idolizing him. After the game was over, I’d go in the front yard and try to imitate everything that I just saw." -George

"He’s the greatest. He’s one of the greatest. He did more than enough for the NBA, for this league, and I guess he feels it’s time to hang it up, so I mean, I congratulate him. Wonderful career, wonderful guy, best of luck." -Jordan Hill on Bryant, his teammate for three-plus seasons with the Lakers

Including Sunday's game, George averaged 29.5 points over 13 contests in the month of November. He topped 20 points in the final 12 games and scored 30 or more on six occasions, including four of his last five games.

The Pacers return to Staples Center to take on Chris Paul and the Clippers on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 10:30 PM ET.

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Game Rewind: Pacers 107, Lakers 103

Two things were abundantly clear from the get-go at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday night.

The first? The Hickory Pacers jerseys, inspired by the film "Hoosiers" — and the Hickory-themed Fieldhouse as a whole — looked amazing.

George knocked down five of his first eight shots of the evening, piled up 36 points and 12 rebounds, and led the Pacers to a 90-87 win against the Miami Heat.

"I think I'm getting more comfortable with the offense," George said. "Tonight, from the tip I got a quick layup and felt good from there on. And then I got rolling in the second half."

With just over four minutes remaining in the game, things got testy when George and Heat center Hassan Whiteside exchanged words and a shove, earning them both technical fouls. But on the ensuing possession, with the game knotted at 80, George hit a step-back jumper with two defenders closing in to put the Pacers up two. A Ian Mahinmi strip of rookie Justise Winslow on the other end gave the Pacers (3-3) the ball once more, and again, George hit a jumper from the right elbow to extend Indiana's lead to four.

However, a 4-0 Heat run followed and knotted the game up at 84. But with one minute remaining, PG drove the lane and got fouled, then proceeded to knock down both of his foul shots to put the Pacers up once again.

"When you see a guy rolling, you've got to milk the cow when the cow is there," said George Hill of PG. "When a guy is rolling like that, you've got to keep feeding him until that well is dry."

Feeling the energy of a crowd clad in Hickory gear, George tried to shoot the proverbial dagger from the baseline but it rattled out. Luckily, Jordan Hill wiggled in and was able to tip the miss in, which also gave him his second double-double in a row (10 points, 10 rebounds).

Although the Pacers trailed by as much as 13 in the first half, falling victim to a 18-1 Heat run, a 13-3 counter by the Pacers, sparked by 3-pointers from George and George Hill (12 points), lifted the Pacers back into the game and tied things up at 49 when the halftime buzzer sounded. Unfortunately for Indiana, Rodney Stuckey suffered an injury in the first half and did not return.

In the third frame, the teams traded baskets throughout as PG poured in 10 points on a variety of shots, leading the Pacers to outscore Miami 22-19 in the period.

Using a couple of crafty inbounds plays drawn up by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat was able to make it a single-possession game with four seconds on the clock. But needing to foul, Miami wrapped up George, who sank one of two free throws; which gave the Heat (3-3) a final chance to tie the game. But Dwyane Wade's 3-pointer missed the rim completely, giving the Pacers the win — their third straight, and team Hickory's first of the season.

Tonight was Paul George's first regular season game with 36 points or more since he scored 36 against the Kings in January of 2014. It was his first game with 27 field goal attempts since he had 27 against Portland in January of 2013.

Dwyane Wade had his first game this season without scoring 20 points. He finished the night with nine points, going 4-of-15.

The Pacers outrebounded their opponent for the second game in a row after being outrebounded the first four games of the season.

"I'm not really surprised. He's been doing this since mid-summer and he works, works, and works. Nothing surprises me." -Pacers coach Frank Vogel on Paul George's night

"I tried to box my man out at the right place, at the right time. I saw it coming so I just went up and tipped it back in. I'm just having fun, playing basketball and doing everything I can do to help my team win and help me get better. It was a rough start at the beginning but we banded together. We're learning the system, learning how to play together, to play for each other and it's coming out good." -Jordan Hill

"One thing we know about the Pacers is that they are going to play defense no matter who they put out there.  I think we had a few turnovers and really, them getting into an offensive rhythm, kind of put us back on our heels and the offense wasn't really flowing as it was because we kept taking the ball out of the net." -Heat forward Chris Bosh

The Pacers are at .500 for the first time since the second game of last season.

The Pacers hit the road to take on a conference rival in the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday at 3:30 PM. On Monday night at 7 PM, the Pacers return home to face Victor Oladipo and the Orlando Magic. Good seats still remain.  Find Tickets »

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Game Rewind: Pacers 90, Heat 87

If you're a fan of the Pacers and planning to attend tomorrow night's game against the Miami Heat, you probably already know by now that the Pacers will be donning their Hickory uniforms for the first time this season.

But what you might not know, and won't experience fully unless you're actually at the game, is the lengths that the organization has gone through to make the experience so much more than just a change of uniform.

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Come Friday night, Bankers Life Fieldhouse will have undergone a full-on Hickory makeover, complete with banners, historical exhibits, special guests, and even the actual bus from the film Hoosiers, which will be parked outside the entry pavilion in the plaza.

"Everything is going to be different," said Dean Heaviland, the Pacers' vice president of game operations. "The banners are going to be different, our opening is going to be different. Everything we do in-game will be different."

Story:  Learn More About Our First Hickory Honoree: The City of Crawfordsville »

The idea behind the thematic transition is to capture not just the feelings stirred up from the movie Hoosiers, but to reflect the pride and tradition of Indiana basketball, which can be traced all the way back to the tail end of the 1800s in the Hoosier state.

For Heaviland, who grew up in Indiana and has been a basketball fan for his entire life, the challenge of getting The Fieldhouse ready for the switch has been a tall order, but one that he's excited about seeing come to fruition during Friday night's game.

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"It's a great thing and it's a fun thing," he said. "It's fun for me and it will be fun for the fans."

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Extreme Home Court Makeover: Hickory Edition

Friday's game will be the first of 10 times this season that the Pacers will wear their NBA Pride Hickory uniforms, a season-long tribute to Indiana basketball as symbolized by the Academy Award–winning movie, Hoosiers. Learn More About #HickoryPacers »

During Friday's game, the Pacers will honor the city of Crawfordsville, home to the first IHSAA state championship team. Hickory Honoree: The 1911 Crawfordsville Team »

Also, The Fieldhouse will be getting a major facelift for Friday's game, from new banners and a new intro to special Pacemates uniforms to the actual bus from the movie Hoosiers. More Details »

The Pacers (2-3) will look to complete the climb back to .500 with a third straight win on Friday night, when they play host to Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat (3-2). The Heat will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, as they won in Minnesota on Thursday evening.

Indiana is coming off a hard-earned 100-98 win over the Celtics on Wednesday night. After faltering down the stretch in early-season losses to Toronto and Memphis, the Pacers made enough plays in crunch time to seal a victory against Boston, a crucial step for a team still learning to play together.

No doubt the most encouraging part of Wednesday's win was the return of Paul George's shooting stroke. The two-time All-Star started the season just 4-for-20 from 3-point range, but he knocked down 5-of-11 triples on Wednesday on his way to a season-best 26 points.

The Pacers won despite missing the services of two starters, as both center Ian Mahinmi (sore lower back) and small forward C.J. Miles (sore right ankle) did not dress against the Celtics. In their stead, head coach Frank Vogel started a bigger lineup with both Lavoy Allen and Jordan Hill in the frontcourt, and that duo combined for 23 points and 21 rebounds, 11 on the offensive glass.

The Heat are once again led by perennial All-Star Dwyane Wade, who has looked like a younger version of himself in the early part of the season. The 33-year-old has topped 20 points in each of his first five games and is averaging 22.2 points and 4.2 assists per contest.

Center Hassan Whiteside, who enjoyed a breakout season last year in South Beach, has also excelled in the early going. Whiteside put up 25 points on 12-of-15 shooting and pulled down 15 rebounds on Nov. 1 against Houston. Two days later, he had 23 points on 11-of-12 shooting, 14 boards, and four blocks against Atlanta.

Pacers: PG - George Hill, SG - Monta Ellis, SF - Paul George, PF - Lavoy Allen, C - Ian MahinmiHeat: PG - Goran Dragic, SG - Dwyane Wade, SF - Luol Deng, PF - Chris Bosh, C - Hassan Whiteside

Pacers: C.J. Miles - out (sore right ankle)

Heat: Gerald Green - out (illness), Mario Chalmers - questionable (sore right knee)

April 5, 2015: Paul George scored 13 points in his season debut as the Pacers rolled to a 112-89 win over the Miami Heat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Playing for the first time since fracturing his tibia and fibula a little over eight months earlier, George made 5-of-12 shots (3-of-6 from 3-point range) to go along with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Luis Scola led the charge for the Blue & Gold, scoring 17 of his season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter. The Argentinian also collected 12 rebounds to record his ninth double-double of the season.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting. Goran Dragic and James Ennis each finished with 15 points for Miami.

Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »

TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
ESPN - Announcers TBA
Radio: 93.5 FM/1070 AM The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.

The Pacers and Heat renew their rivalry on Friday night. Good seats still remain. Find Tickets »

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Game Preview: Pacers vs Heat

Editor's Note: Most of the historical information and quotes for this article were found in an incredibly detailed retelling of Crawfordsville's 1911 State Championship run, by S. Chandler Lighty. For a more in depth look at Crawfordsville basketball, check out the Basketball Heritage Project, which chronicles the history of Montgomery County Basketball.

Crawfordsville's early dominance in Indiana high school basketball started the way so many great sports stories do: with a rivalry.

Since basketball's origins began in the late 1800s, the sport was a new concept to most. But as an indoor winter sport, it caught on quick in Indiana in the early 1900s; particularly in Crawfordsville.

The problem with being an early adopter of a sport is the challenge of finding someone to compete against, which is why Crawfordsville High School often competed against Wabash College, and other men's teams in its early days. However, as the sport gained a foothold in Indiana, many high schools began to adopt the sport, including nearby Lebanon.

Hickory Night Tickets: See Crawfordsville Honored When The Pacers Play The Heat on Friday »

But in 1910, a controversy – let's just call it Championship-gate – was born when Crawfordsville finished the season with a 13-1 record, with its only loss being a road game against Lebanon. But Lebanon made a claim to be the top team as well, sporting a 20-2 record for the season, with one of its two losses being a road loss to Crawfordsville.

Well, this was a problem. Two teams believed they were the top high school team in Indiana, but there was no structure or governing body to make a ruling on the dispute.

Photo Gallery:  Crawfordsville, 1911 State Champions »

Lebanon challenged Crawfordsville to a game at a neutral site to determine the true champion, but Crawfordsville declined the invite, incensing their newly-made rival.

When asked by his yearbook what his goal in life was, Crawfordsville basketball player Ben Myers said: "To defeat Lebanon."

The following season, the Indiana University Booster Club organized a tournament that would take the state's 12 best teams and put them together in a bracket. This was to be considered the first official State Championship.

As destiny would have it, Lebanon and Crawfordsville met in the finals, held in Bloomington on March 11, 1911.

The tournament organizers must have been in a hurry, because the game was Crawfordsville's third of the day, and Lebanon's second.

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At halftime, Crawfordsville led 13-7. From there, Crawfordsville continued their assault, winning the game 24-17 with the help of 14 points from Carroll Stevenson.

The coach of the team, David A. Glascock, was presented with the State Championship trophy at halftime of the IU-Northwestern game that was played on the court following the Crawfordsville game, but the players were nowhere to be found.

"I had no idea where the players had gone," Glascock told a local paper. He suspected his players had made good on what they said at halftime, that they would be celebrating in downtown Bloomington if they won. By the time Glascock returned to the fraternity house where the players were staying, he found them all asleep, most likely the result of three basketball games in a day and a bit of revelry.

When the players returned to Crawfordsville as State Champs, they received a hero's welcome. Students started a parade, and even a bonfire. Apparently, the administrators were not pleased with the hullabaloo.

But the team didn't seem to care much about what anyone thought; they were the undisputed basketball State Champions; the first in Indiana's history. And because of that, for the rest of time, they will always be remembered.

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Hickory Honoree: The 1911 Crawfordsville Team, State Champions

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers will wear their NBA Pride Hickory uniforms for 10 games this upcoming season, tipping off a season-long tribute to Indiana basketball as symbolized by the Academy Award–winning movie, Hoosiers.

The iconic Hickory uniforms will be worn during home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for six of the 10 scheduled games, beginning with a nationally televised (ESPN) matchup against the Miami Heat on Friday, Nov. 6.

Hickory Pacers Shirts, Jerseys On Sale Now »

To celebrate each of those "Hickory Nights", the Pacers will recognize individuals, teams and communities that have a significant place in Indiana basketball history.

ATTEND THE HICKORY NIGHTS: Single Game Tickets On Sale Now »

The scheduled Hickory Nights and honorees are:

Photo Gallery: Hickory Games, Honorees »

The Pacers will also wear the Hickory uniforms for road games at Los Angeles Lakers, Nov. 29; at Chicago, Dec. 30; at Boston, Jan. 13; and at New York, April 3.

The Pacers will be offering a special "Hickory Ticket Package" for the six home games as well as group ticket offers to the communities being represented. Details will be announced soon.

"While the uniform is inspired by the film, Hoosiers, through the multi-year partnership with MGM, Hickory will serve as a platform to celebrate, recognize and honor those that have helped make our state synonymous with the game of basketball,” said Todd Taylor, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “We are excited to officially announce the game dates and honorees for the upcoming season and look forward to wearing the uniform as a collective celebration of basketball across the State of Indiana."