Quinn Buckner

Wheat Hotchkiss

Bally Sports Indiana is scheduled to televise 79 Regular Season and Two Preseason GamesFans can watch the Pacers on Bally Sports on cable, satellite, and streaming providers or with a subscription to Bally Sports+Unique Pacers+ Ticket Plan Includes Six-Month subscription to Bally Sports+All games to air on the Pacers Radio NetworkINDIANAPOLIS – Bally Sports Indiana enters its 28th season as the official home of the Indiana Pacers and is scheduled to bring fans comprehensive coverage of 81 games throughout the 2023-24 season, while every game this season can be heard across the Pacers Radio Network. BALLY SPORTS INDIANA COVERAGEBally Sports Indiana will tip-off its 2023-24 broadcast schedule with two preseason telecasts, the first on Monday, October 16 vs. the Atlanta Hawks, and then again on Friday, October 20 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.Bally Sports Indiana is also scheduled to carry 79 regular season games, starting Wednesday, October 25 when the Pacers host the Washington Wizards (broadcast plans for the Pacers regular season games during the week of December 4-8 will be announced at a later date). Leading into the season opener, Bally Sports Indiana will produce a one-hour pregame show starting at 6:00pm ET.Fans can watch the Pacers on Bally Sports on cable, satellite, and streaming TV providers throughout the region. In addition, fans can stream Pacers games with a subscription to Bally Sports+, the stand-alone streaming service that gives fans direct access to Pacers games. For more information on how to watch the Pacers, visit Pacers.com or BallySports.com.PACERS+ PACKAGEAnother unique way for fans to access Bally Sports+ is through the Pacers+ Plan (pacers.com/plus), which returns this season and includes:•    A premium fan experience that includes tickets to five of the most anticipated games of the season, plus a bonus sixth game free.•    A post-game player experience with a Pacers player.•    A limited-edition, one-of-a-kind Pacers gift.•    A six-month subscription to Bally Sports+ allowing you to stream every 23-24 Pacers game.BALLY SPORTS INDIANA BROADCAST TEAMChris Denari, in his 18th season as play-by-play announcer, and Quinn Buckner, in his 25th season as analyst, will call all the action, while Jeremiah Johnson serves as in-game reporter. Johnson also serves as host of both the Pacers Live pregame and postgame shows, where he will be joined by analyst and former Pacers guard Eddie Gill.PACERS RADIO NETWORK COVERAGEThe Pacers Radio Network is the official home for all 82 regular-season games and all four preseason games this year, beginning on Sunday, October 8 when Indiana visits the Memphis Grizzlies. All games can be heard on flagship stations 93.5FM and 107.5FM The Fan, as well as on partner stations that are part of the extensive Pacers Radio Network.PACERS RADIO NETWORK BROADCAST TEAMMark Boyle – the “Voice of the Pacers” – returns for his 36th season behind the microphone to bring all the action on the court to life, where he will be joined by lead analyst Eddie Gill for all home games and 25 road games, as well as sideline reporter Pat Boylan for all games. Prior to every Pacers game, Boylan will also serve as host of the Kroger Pregame Show, and after the game, fans will have a chance to hear Boyle recap all the highlights during the Kinetico Postgame Show. Host Eddie White returns to bring fans the Pacers Overtime Show, which debuts following the regular-season opener on October 25, presented by Kroger. On Saturday, October 21, Pacers Weekly returns, hosted by Boylan and airing Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. on 93.5FM & 107.5FM The Fan.

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Indiana Pacers Announce 2023-24 Broadcast Schedule

Brendan Rourke

INDIANAPOLIS – October 1, 2021 – Bally Sports Indiana enters its 26th season as the official home of the Indiana Pacers, and this year will bring fans comprehensive coverage of 83 regular- and preseason games throughout the 2021-22 season, while every game this season can be heard across the Pacers Radio Network.

BALLY SPORTS INDIANA COVERAGE
Bally Sports Indiana will be there for Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle's return to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse sidelines in two preseason home games, the first against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, October 13, and then again on Friday, October 15 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Regular season coverage will tip off when the Pacers visit the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, October 20, and will also include the team's home opener on Saturday, October 23 vs. the Miami Heat.

The one regular-season game not aired by Bally Sports Indiana will be Dec. 21, when the Pacers visit Miami in a game carried nationally by TNT. Bally Sports Indiana is widely available on cable, satellite, and streaming providers throughout the region. Fans can visit GetMyHomeTeams.com to see options for getting Bally Sports Indiana in their area. Pacers programming on Bally Sports Indiana also streams live on the Bally Sports app and on BallySports.com for fans who authenticate through their pay-TV service.

BALLY SPORTS INDIANA BROADCAST TEAM
Chris Denari, in his 16th season as play-by-play announcer, and Quinn Buckner, in his 23rd season as analyst, will call all the action, while Jeremiah Johnson serves as in-game reporter. Johnson also serves as host of both the Pacers Live pregame and postgame shows, where he will be joined by lead analyst and former Pacers guard Eddie Gill.

PACERS RADIO NETWORK COVERAGE
The Pacers Radio Network is the official home for all 82 regular-season games and all four preseason games this year, beginning on Tuesday, October 5 when Indiana visits the New York Knicks. All games can be heard on flagship stations 93.5FM and 107.5FM The Fan, as well as on partner stations that are part of the extensive Pacers Radio Network.

PACERS RADIO NETWORK BROADCAST TEAM
Mark Boyle – the "Voice of the Pacers" – returns for his 34th season behind the microphone to bring all the action on the court to life, where he will be joined by lead analyst Eddie Gill

On October 16, Pacers Weekly presented by PetSmart returns, hosted by Boylan and airing Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. on 93.5FM & 107.5FM The Fan. Also, the Pacers will host a weekly podcast, The Sideline Guys presented by Gainbridge, hosted by Boylan and Johnson.

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Indiana Pacers Announce 2021-22 Broadcast Schedule

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Quinn Buckner, long-time Pacers Fox Sports Indiana analyst and vice president of communication for Pacers Sports & Entertainment, was honored at Friday night's 15th annual  Masquerade event, benefitting the Simon Youth Foundation and the Pacers Foundation.

The Indiana Roof Ballroom was transformed into "Club Q" for the night, as Buckner, well known for his accomplishments on the court as a player (one of only three men to win a high school championship, an NCAA championship, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal) and courtside as a broadcaster, was recognized for his involvement in the community.

"I'm humbled, I really am," Buckner said. "I've been blessed enough to have worked in this organization for just under 20 years, and with the Simon family in some form or fashion, and it's amazing the giving this family does. And to be considered somewhat in that arena, I'm a little awestruck by being here."

Buckner has served on the boards of numerous charities, and has made it a priority to serve his community no matter where his professional life took him.

"Quinn Buckner personifies what this event is about," said Pacers Sports & Entertainment President Rick Fuson Friday night, before the event began. "It's about giving back… It's about hope, it's about caring, and it's about giving."

Since its inception, The Masquerade has raised over $10 million to assist the Pacers Foundation and Simon Youth Foundation's efforts in education and mentoring for at-risk youth across the country. Past honorees include Melvin and Herbert Simon, Larry Bird, Jim Morris, and Tamika Catchings.

"For us, he's somebody that our students can aspire to be," Simon Youth Foundation Executive Director J. Michael Durnil said. "And that's what the Simon Youth Foundation is about, is helping kids see the goals that can be out there for them, and encouraging them to go after them."

"I can't think of anyone more deserving," Pacers Foundation vice-chair Cindy Simon Skjodt said while paying tribute to Buckner in front of hundreds of guests, which included members of the Pacers team and basketball staff.

The reception was highlighted by several videos that took the audience back through Buckner's life, and featured interviews with many important people in his life. One video described his home upbringing and impressive high school athletic career, while another focused on his time at Indiana University.

Former Hoosier teammates Wayne Radford, Tom Abernethy, and Scott May, along with former coach Bob Knight, all contributed to the video with memories of his time in Bloomington, which concluded with an undefeated season and the 1976 NCAA championship.

Of all the people in attendance, and those that paid tribute in the various videos throughout the night, the person Buckner was most excited to be in the presence of?

"My mother is 93 years old, and she's here," Buckner said. "It's a tribute that she's here."

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Buckner Humbled to Receive Recognition at The Masquerade

indmmontieth

Editor's Note: Quinn Buckner is being honored on Friday, October 21 at The Masquerade, the signature fundraising event of the Simon Youth Foundation and Pacers Foundation. The following story appears in the banquet program for the event.

It would be simple to recognize Quinn Buckner for the depth of his athletic accomplishments, which are, by themselves, extraordinary.

After all, he is only one of three players in history – Magic Johnson and Jerry Lucas are the others – to win a state high school basketball championship (Thornridge, in Dolton, Ill.), an NCAA championship (Indiana, 1976), an NBA championship (Boston Celtics, 1984) and Olympic Gold Medal (Montreal, 1976).

But stopping there would be stopping far short of the totality of Quinn Buckner.

A basketball player who always valued the assist that led to a goal, that trait has followed Quinn into his post-athletic career and is why he is being recognized tonight as the 2016 Masquerade Honoree.

Big Ten Advisory Commission, Center for Leadership Development, Community Health Network Foundation, First Tee of Indianapolis, Indiana University Board of Trustees, Indiana University Foundation, Indiana Youth Institute, Indianapolis Zoological Society, National Basketball Players Association, Old National Bank Advisory Board, Pacers Foundation, Special Olympics of Indiana, USA Basketball and the YMCA.

Yes, Buckner's day job is Vice-President of Communications for the Pacers, the most visible aspect of which is his role as commentator for the Fox Sports Indiana telecasts. That alone is enough to fill the hours, but still he devotes time to assisting others.

That seems a natural followup to a 10-year NBA playing career that was forged on leadership and selflessness, and a four-year college basketball career in which he was the acknowledged leader of one, if not two, of the greatest teams in NCAA history. Buckner wasn't a scorer – he averaged just 10 points over his four seasons at IU, and 8.2 points over his 10-year NBA career – but was the seventh pick in the draft. He defended tenaciously, shared the ball, knew where everyone was supposed to be and acted as a liaison between players and coaches.

There was a reason he was captain of most of the teams on which he played: he was a purist about the game. Now he's a purist about life.

"I played on really good teams and I was very well-coached," he once said of his playing career. "I was trying to make sure I was not the weak link, and did what I needed to do to support my teammates. That really was it. It was never about being the person.

"That's served me well over my life. Basically, we're all in a team sport. In group dynamics, you have to watch when people strive to be the individual greatest. That's not an environment I want to be part of."

Buckner wasn't a part of losing environments very often. Well, there were those freshman and sophomore seasons he played football at IU, when he was a standout on losing teams. In basketball, his teams tended to win. As a freshman, he was the starting point guard on a team that reached the Final Four in 1973. As a junior, he led the Hoosiers through an undefeated regular season, only to lose to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament because teammate and best friend Scott May had broken his arm and couldn't play at full strength. As a senior, he was the coach on the floor for an iconic team that remains the last team to go undefeated and win the national championship.

His performance in the final game against Michigan summarized his all-around play: 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and five steals. Those numbers, however, don't reflect all of his contributions.

"He was the leader from the first day he stepped on the campus," IU classmate and teammate Tom Abernethy said. "The leadership is what screams out at you when you're around Quinn. He's a no-nonsense guy. He really set a tone for our team, from our freshman year all the way through.

"It was an intangible. We all felt it. We all benefited from playing with him. There are so many subtle things a leader will do that makes your team what it is. Having a leader like Quinn differentiated us from a lot of other good teams."

Buckner went on to play six seasons for Milwaukee, which drafted him, and three for Boston. He was voted second-team all-defense four times, and was a backup guard on the Celtics' championship team in 1984, a teammate of Larry Bird. He finished his playing career with a 32-game stint with the Pacers in the 1985-86 season, getting in a tenth NBA season –  more than he ever expected to play.

He learned lessons from players during those years, well beyond tricks of the on-court trade.

Bucks teammate Junior Bridgeman, who played on East Chicago Washington's state championship team in 1971, conducted a free clinic for kids in Milwaukee. Buckner participated – and began one after he joined the Pacers' front office.

Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier, a teammate in Milwaukee for 2 ½ seasons, was another influence. Lanier encouraged players throughout the NBA to give back to the communities that supported them and made them wealthy, and pushed Commissioner David Stern in that direction as well. Stern eventually ran with it, making community involvement a hallmark of his administration. Buckner bought in, too, and has never stopped.

"I've been extraordinarily blessed," he said. "I just try to inspire and encourage people to do more than they can."

He doesn't need recognition for it, though. An honor such as the one he's receiving tonight embarrasses him a little, frankly. He's received so many for his athletic career, including induction into the College Basketball Hall of Fame last year, and he's been adequately recognized for community service, too. No recognition, in fact, would be adequate, because that's not what motivates him.

You would have no trouble believing that if you stopped by his office in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It contains no traces of ego. No photos of himself on the walls, no references to his playing career. He did once have a framed newspaper article about himself, but it had been presented to him without him requesting it. And it was resting on the floor, turned toward the wall.

For Buckner, it's never been about self, but selflessness. The influences on his character have been many, from parents to coaches to teammates. But let's start with Ben Barkin.

Barkin was a public relations executive and community activist in Milwaukee when Buckner lived there while playing for the Bucks, who had made him their first-round draft pick in the 1976 NBA draft. Buckner had just quarterbacked Indiana University's basketball team to that undefeated season and the NCAA championship when he moved to Milwaukee, and Barkin, who had a knack for recognizing something in people, befriended the young point guard.

Every now and then, Barkin would call Buckner and suggest they take a walk along the lakefront, just to talk for awhile.

"Quinn, at some point you have to look at life this way," Barkin told him. "Think about planting the seeds for a shade tree, even though you'll never be able to sit under that tree."

And thus a seed was planted within Buckner, who at the time was a typical recent college grad, enjoying his first taste of freedom and money. Here was Barkin, an influential and powerful man who could pick up the phone and reach virtually anybody he wanted, yet was most proud of founding the Great Circus Parade and making it a local institution because of the smiles it brought to so many faces.

"It obviously touched me," Buckner says today.

So today that continues. The seeds that were planted all those years ago are blossoming in many directions through Buckner's work, past and present, with so many civic and charity organizations.

For Buckner, it's not about a day in the sun. It's about planting shade trees for others.

"You just keep working and try to do the very best you can, and whatever comes with that you take it," he said. "You embrace it, and your responsibility is to pass it forward."

Have a question for Mark? Want it to be on Pacers.com? Email him at askmontieth@gmail.com and you could be featured in his next mailbag.

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Indiana Pacers. All opinions expressed by Mark Montieth are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Indiana Pacers, their partners, or sponsors.

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Quinn Buckner to be Honored at Masquerade for Work On and Off Court

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Current and Former Pacers Affiliated with Team USA

INDIANAPOLIS -- Quinn Buckner, long-time analyst for Indiana Pacers' television games and one of only three men to win state high school, NCAA, NBA and Olympic basketball championships, will be the honoree at the 15th annual Masquerade on Friday, Oct. 21, at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.

The Masquerade is one of Indianapolis's signature fund-raising events.  In its first 14 years, more than $10 million has been donated to the Simon Youth Foundation and the Pacers Foundation in support of education and mentoring programs for at-risk youth.

Perhaps best known in Indiana for his role as captain of the undefeated, 1976 Indiana University national champion Hoosiers, Buckner serves as Vice President of Communications for Pacers Sports & Entertainment in addition to serving alongside Chris Denari on Pacers' Fox Sports Indiana telecasts. Buckner also oversees all youth and high school basketball activities on behalf of PS&E.

He was inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame last November.

Buckner is a former head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and played 10 seasons in the NBA, including 1983-84, when he was a member of Boston's NBA Championship team.

An IU graduate with a business degree, Buckner won four Big Ten Basketball championships and captained the '76 Hoosiers, voted the greatest team in the 75 years of the NCAA tournament.  Buckner then captained the 1976 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Basketball team.  While in high school, he also captained two Illinois state championships teams.

Buckner's many civic and community activities have included serving on the boards of various charities, including the Indiana University Foundation, Big Ten Advisors Council, Center for Leadership Development, Pacers Foundation, YMCA, Community Health Network Foundation, USA Basketball, National Basketball Players Association, First Tee of Indianapolis, Indiana Youth Institute, Special Olympics of Indiana, Indianapolis Zoological Society, as well as being a member of Old National Bank Advisory Board.

Last year's Masquerade honoree was Indianapolis civic leader Jim Morris. Other past honorees include Larry Bird, Deborah J. Simon, Cindy Simon Skjodt, Tamika Catchings, Rick Fuson, Steve Stitle, Frank Hancock, Jeff Smulyan, the Hulman-George Family, Melvin Simon, Herbert Simon, Reggie Miller, Bobby "Slick" Leonard, Clark Kellogg and Donnie Walsh.

The Masquerade evening will begin with a reception, followed by the dinner, tribute and live music. Special guests will include the entire Indiana Pacers team and basketball staff as well as many of the past Masquerade honorees.

The Masquerade is made possible through the generous support of many local and national sponsors. PNC Bank will return as the event's title sponsor for the 15th year.

For ticket and sponsorship information, please contact Brandi Young at (317) 263-7694 or byoung@simon.com.

Simon Youth Foundation, a 4-star rated Charity Navigator national nonprofit, exists to help at-risk students who are on the verge of dropping out of high school stay in school. Through 26 Simon Youth Academies in 12 states and Simon Youth Scholarships, SYF advocates, creates and initiates educational opportunities for students so they can start here and go anywhere. In partnership with local public schools, SYF has maintained a 90% graduation rate at its Academies since inception, graduated more than 13,000 students, and awarded more than $15 million in scholarships. Learn more at syf.org.

Pacers Foundation encourages Indiana's youth to make winning life choices through contributions and community partnerships. Since its inception in 1994, the Pacers Foundation has provided more than $7 million to youth-serving Indiana agencies and has enabled thousands of youth to attend Pacers and Indiana Fever games through ticket donations. For more information, visit www.pacersfoundation.org.

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Quinn Buckner Is 2016 Masquerade Honoree

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Quinn Buckner to be Inducted into College Basketball Hall of Fame

Quinn Buckner will be inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. If not for a couple of twists of fate, however, it could be Bill Buckner going into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The former Indiana University basketball star will take part in the ceremony in Kansas City on Nov. 20, joining fellow players John Havlicek, Rolando Blackman, Ed Ratleff and Charlie Scott and coaches Don Donoher, Lou Henson and Felton Gayles. He'll do so with appreciation but also reservation, because he has a built-in resistance to being celebrated or recognized. He'll make the best of it, out of respect for those who have awarded him the honor and those who want to see him get it.

"The honest truth is, I wouldn't go, but I don't want to embarrass the people who selected me," he says.

Buckner is so immune to the trappings of ceremony, in fact, that he left his high school graduation ceremony after he had walked up to receive his diploma, and didn't even attend his graduation ceremony at IU. Then one day about 20 years ago, when that topic came up in conversation with his mother, she made a point that stuck like a pin-prick.

Photo Gallery:  Buckner's Illustrious Career »

"What if we wanted to see you?" she said.

"I didn't think about that," Buckner admits.

So, OK, Buckner will go. If nothing else, he can stand up for the 1976 Indiana University team that won the NCAA championship with an undefeated season. He was the captain of that team, and one of four starters who became a first-round draft pick. The other one, Tom Abernethy, had to settle for being a third-round pick and playing five NBA seasons.

Buckner's influence on that team was clear to all despite his middling statistics. He averaged just 10 points on 43 percent shooting for his career, and didn't even hit 60 percent of his foul shots. He wasn't a classic point guard, either, a drive-and-dish guy who set up teammates for easy shots.

He was good enough to become the seventh pick of the 1976 NBA draft, though, because, as the son of two educators, he was an unselfish leader and mentor. A stout defender, too. And, the perfect liaison between a coach and players. He knew what coach Bob Knight wanted done, knew how to communicate that to his teammates and knew his role in the bigger picture.

"I was as pure as you can be about the game," he says, which is as close as he'll come to giving himself credit for anything.

Mostly, he's grateful to have been a part of something special. He started on a Final Four team as a freshman, and then on the top-ranked team in the country as a junior before teammate and best friend Scott May suffered a broken arm, which contributed to a loss to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament. Finally, he played on that perfect championship team as a senior.

He received plenty of individual recognition for his work, and was selected to the '76 U.S. Olympic team – the highlight of his career, he says – but it was the group experience that means the most to him. The value of that experience has carried over into his post-playing career, which now finds him as the Pacers' Vice-President of Communications.

"I played on really good teams and I was very well-coached," he said. "I was trying to make sure I was not the weak link, and did what I needed to do to support my teammates, that really was it. It was never about being the person.

Buckner doesn't want to be part of a losing environment, either, which is why he ultimately focused on his second-best sport at IU. Football was better-suited to his particular athletic talents. He was an all-state defensive back in high school in Thornridge, Ill., so dominant that, according to Bob Knight's book, he led his conference in scoring on interceptions and punt and kickoff returns alone.  He was a prep All-American and the Chicago Area Player of the Year in both sports, but he knew which was his best.

"My gift was football," Buckner says. "I could play football and play it well without even having to think about it. I took my football skills for granted, honestly. I had to work harder in basketball."

His father, William, had been a backup player on IU's undefeated Big Ten championship team of 1945, and tried to nudge him toward football as often as possible. Quinn, though, enjoyed basketball more. He wanted to attend UCLA, where John Wooden was in the midst of his basketball dynasty, but Wooden didn't make home visits. Quinn and his father had to drive to O'Hare Airport and meet with Wooden there, and his father was put off by that. Wooden also discouraged Buckner from trying to play football at UCLA, and Buckner's father later learned Wooden already had a redshirt guard, Andre McCarter, waiting in the wings. Besides, dad said, if you go to UCLA and win a championship you'll be one of many. If you go to IU and win a championship, you'll be one of few.

One more factor worked in favor of Quinn attending IU: His older sister, Kamala, already was enrolled there, so he would have family on campus.

Buckner didn't commit to IU until July 31 after his senior year in high school, the last possible day for him to declare. It wasn't his decision, though. He was laying across his bed at the family home in Phoenix, Ill. when his father walked in, tossed a letter of intent at him and said, "Sign this, boy, you're going to Indiana."

So, IU it was. For football and basketball, although he enrolled on a football scholarship. Dad, for one, was more interested in the football part of it, but was all for his son playing basketball, too. He knew playing both sports would limit Knight's control over his son, and he sold Knight on the fact it would free up another basketball scholarship for him.

Buckner's timing was fortunate, because he entered college the first year freshmen were eligible to play on NCAA varsity teams. He was an immediate starter for John Pont's last football team at IU in the fall of 1972, and a star performer as a safety and kickoff and punt returner. He led the team in interceptions, passes broken up and kickoff returns.

Basketball went well, too, despite his lack of preparation.

He was hoping to delay his introduction to the sport after football season ended with a loss at Purdue. His parents were at the game, and he planned to make the 2 ½ hour trip home with them. Bloomington Herald-Telephone sports writer Bob Hammel, though, told him in the postgame locker room he was expected to report for basketball the next day.

His first day on the job, he played in an intrasquad basketball game. It consisted of three 20-minute periods. He sat out the first one while an assistant coach explained the offense to him. Eleven minutes into the second one, he was told to report in for Kim Pemberton. He had no idea who Pemberton was, since he hadn't yet had time to meet all his teammates. Within a week, he was directing the offense in practice, and by the opening game, exactly one week after his final football game, he was starting at guard. He wound up being an instrumental player on a team that reached the Final Four, where it lost to eventual champion UCLA.

Pont was fired after Buckner's freshman season, replaced by Lee Corso out of Louisville. Corso brought an entirely different approach, seeming to put as much focus on entertainment as fundamentals. Buckner, aware of the potential over in basketball and put off by Corso's approach, didn't commit to playing football again until shortly before practice was to start. He made his decision pushing a cart down the aisle with his father at a Kroger supermarket.

"He's a new coach, give it a try," Dad said.

Buckner knew from the outset it wasn't going to work. Corso had his team take the field for the opening game in a double-decker bus, driving down from the practice fields, barely arriving in time for the kickoff because it got stuck in traffic. The team piled out, the fans went crazy, and the Hoosiers marched down the field for a touchdown on their opening drive – but wound up losing to Illinois, 28-14.

Buckner still recalls the conversation he had with his father after that game.

"I was like, 'Daddy, this guy is about jokes. You can't win football game with jokes, you have to get out there and beat somebody in the head.'"

His father encouraged him to stick with it, to give it a chance, but Buckner's heart wasn't in it. He realized that one day when his position coach, Trent Walters, came to him at practice and told him Corso wanted him to go work with the running backs. He refused, a totally out-of-character response from someone with a built-in respect for authority. His attitude became so casual he didn't even bother to tie his shoes for practice sometimes.

"That's arrogant; I admit to it now," he says. "But I was that confident in my ability to play."

Buckner was good enough to be named a second-team all-Big Ten safety as a sophomore despite IU's losing record, but that didn't subdue his frustration. And if he needed a final persuasion to give up football, it came when he was drilled after catching a hanging punt against Ohio State. He can still feel that one. But it was worse than that. May, a member of the same basketball recruiting class, who also had been a high school All-American football player, told him some of his older teammates weren't even bothering to block for him. He had taken playing time from some of them, and perhaps that was how they were exacting revenge.

May's opinion meant a lot to Buckner. They had hit it off immediately upon arriving on campus, and remain best friends today, playing golf at least once a week during the summers in Bloomington. The potential of the basketball team was diametrically opposed to that of the football team, and May wanted Buckner to be healthy enough to fulfill it.

"I used to go to the games, and I was an old football player," May says. "I was like, 'Man, hey, we really need you. We don't need you getting hurt on the football field. I was the one who talked him out of it. We were trying to win.

"It was a real easy decision for me to make for him. I'm not saying he couldn't have played in the NFL or been drafted, but I think he did the right thing."

The hard part for Buckner was breaking the news to his father.

"Dad, Buckners don't quit, right?" Quinn said.

"We'll I'm not quitting, but I'm not going out next year," Quinn said.

He put his entire athletic focus into basketball his final two years at IU. The world still remembers how that turned out, because no team since IU's in 1976 has finished a season undefeated and won a national championship. Buckner wasn't the most talented member of that team, but perhaps was the most instrumental. His performance in the championship game win over Michigan was indicative of his all-around contributions. He finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and five steals.

Now that team is putting its first member into a national hall of fame. It could just as easily been May, the national Player of the Year in 1976, or Kent Benson, an All-American and No. 1 draft pick in ' 77, or even Wilkerson, another first-round draft pick. But it's Buckner, the acknowledged leader of that team. Objections are unlikely.

"Quinn is well deserving of this honor," May says. "It's cool with me."

But to think how differently it could have turned out.

Had IU's football program been more competitive at the time, he might have stuck with that sport. It's difficult to imagine Knight letting Buckner get away from the basketball team, but there was enough friction between his father and coach – both strong-willed men who occasionally clashed –  that it's not out of the question Buckner might have chosen his best sport if he was enjoying it more. Or, perhaps he would have played both sports all four years, keeping open the option for an NFL career.

It's also not so far-fetched to consider how close he came to being known as William, like his father. His full name is William Quinn Buckner. "Quinn" came from Paul Quinn College, then located in Waco, TX, where his maternal grandfather had been the president. He was usually called Quinn around the house, although his mother, Jessica, often went with "Willie Q." Or, if he was in trouble, the more formal "William Quinn."

He was called William at school, though, up until his junior year. Then, he asked a local sports reporter to go with Quinn instead, that being more familiar to him at home. His father found out about it in the newspaper, and wasn't pleased. His father was commonly known as "Bill," or by his nickname, "Buck," and was imagining headlines proclaiming the feats of another Bill Buckner, his son, along with references to "Bouncing Billy Buckner" and the like.

So, a Bill Buckner going into the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta isn't so far-fetched.

Buckner still could have tried football after he finished basketball at IU. He was in Hawaii for a post-season all-star game when he took a call in his hotel room from George Allen, coach of the Washington Redskins. Allen wanted to know if Buckner was going to take advantage of the opportunity to play football as a fifth-year student at IU. Immediately, the hit he had taken against Ohio State came back to him. He said no.

Still, Allen drafted Buckner in the 14th round (out of 17) of the NFL draft, the 393rd overall selection. Just in case.

Buckner went on to play 10 NBA seasons for Milwaukee, Boston and the Pacers. His peak season came with the Bucks in 1980-81, when he averaged 13.3 points on 49 percent shooting for a team that won 60 games. He was traded to Boston for Dave Cowens, and was a backup on the Celtics' championship team in 1984. Overall, he was an NBA All-Defensive second-team selection four times.

That made for a satisfying professional career and a nice pension from the NBA. His best days, though, were at IU, where he reigned as an on-court and locker room leader for four years for one NCAA champion, two teams that reached the Final Four and another that could have won it all if not for an injury to an All-American.

"He was the leader from the first day he stepped on the campus," Abernethy says. "The leadership is what screams out at you when you're around Quinn.  He's a no-nonsense guy. He really set a tone for our team, from our freshman year all the way through.

Buckner's office at Bankers Life Fieldhouse indirectly hints at his leadership ability by proving his lack of interest in individual glory. You wouldn't find a single hint of his career at IU on the walls. The best indication of his lack of ego is the framed newspaper article about him that someone presented to him. It rests on the floor, turned toward the wall.

Soon, Buckner will have another honor to make him feel uncomfortable. But it will mean a lot to his family and friends.