Tony Hinkle

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Mark Montieth is our resident feature writer and Pacers historian. He has covered the team for decades and recently wrote a book on the formation of the franchise.

In 2018, Montieth cranked out a number of memorable features for Pacers.com on stories big and small, from key moments in the 2018 playoff run to historical lessons on important figures behind the scenes.

We've picked out 13 of our favorite Montieth stories from the past year. Here they are, presented in chronological order:

One of the coolest stories of 2017 belonged to Wilkins, a 37-year-old forward who had last played in the NBA in 2013 but made the 2017-18 Pacers out of training camp. Nate McMillan, who coached Wilkins as rookie in Seattle from 2004-05, loved the leadership Wilkins brought to his young team, while Wilkins also showed in the preseason that he was still capable of being a knockdown shooter.

Still, Wilkins knew that his time in Indiana was finite. His contract was only guaranteed until early January and sure enough, the Pacers' front office informed him on Jan. 6 that he would be released the next day.

But then something unexpected happened. Bojan Bogdanovic was unable to play that night against the Chicago Bulls, so McMillan tapped Wilkins to start in a sort of send-off game. The veteran scored 11 points in 22 minutes, going 3-for-6 from 3-point range.

He was released the next day, but graciously talked to the media following practice. Montieth chronicled Wilkins' classy and unique departure in this story.

Wilkins remained in touch with last year's team throughout their playoff run, attending many more games in person. He is currently working for the National Basketball Players Association.

Throughout the year, Montieth writes on each Hickory honoree that is honored at a designated Hickory game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Hinkle, the legendary Butler coach, was the Hickory honoree in February.

Most Hoosier residents know the name that decorates one of college basketball's most historic arenas, but how many know in detail about the career of a man who was a mainstay in Butler athletics for nearly half a century?

Montieth wrote about Hinkle's legacy, from coaching three sports to recruiting the great Bobby Plump, another former Hickory honoree.

Darren Collison's signing in the summer of 2017 did not come with much fanfare. But the 30-year-old point guard seemingly found a home in his ninth season and his second stint with the Pacers.

Collison enjoyed quite possibly his best season in his return to Indiana, leading the NBA in both 3-point percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio in 2017-18. He also took on more of a mentor role as one of the elder statesmen in the Pacers' locker room, something that has continued into the 2018-19 campaign.

In this piece, Montieth examines how Collison was able to have a breakout season at this point in his career.

McMillan's Calm Hides a Churning Competitive Spirit

Ahead of the Pacers' 2018 playoff series with the Cavaliers, Montieth took a deeper look at Pacers coach Nate McMillan, the unassuming veteran coach who steered the team that stunned the NBA by winning 48 games in the 2017-18 regular season.

Montieth delves into McMillan's steely demeanor and how he was able to win over the trust of the Pacers' locker room.

The story includes insight from several Pacers players, longtime assistant coach Dan Burke, and legendary Pacers executives Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh.

Montieth writes a feature story after every home Pacers game in the season, and none were more memorable in 2018 than Game 3 against the Cavs.

The Pacers' first home playoff game of the year featured an unexpected hero in Croatian forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who scored 30 points and tied a franchise playoff record by burying seven 3-pointers, all the while performing admirably in the herculean task of guarding LeBron James.

That night, Montieth wrote about Bogdanovic's two-way brilliance in a game that Pacers fans won't soon forget.

Bevan, Link to the Pacers' Birth, Retires

When the 2017-18 Pacers season came to an end, so too did the career of Bill Bevan, a member of the Pacers' stat crew for all 51 seasons up to that point and the team's official scorekeeper for nearly 49 seasons.

Pacers fans who have attended games over the years likely recognized Bevan's face, but might not know his name or his story. Montieth did him justice upon retirement, telling the tale of a man instrumental to Pacers games behind the scenes for over five decades.

Under Walsh, Pacers Moved Away From Guesswork at Draft

Heading into each NBA Draft, Montieth typically churns out one historical look at the Pacers' draft history. This year, he focused on Walsh's tenure as general manager and how he helped modernize the pre-draft process.

As general manager, Walsh decided to bring in UCLA guard Reggie Miller for a pre-draft interview in 1987, believed to be the first pre-draft interview in franchise history. We all know how that story turns out.

Montieth looks back at some of Walsh's most memorable draft picks, from Rik Smits to Dale Davis to Travis Best.

An Alford Finally Gets a Shot with Pacers

An interesting story heading into the 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas was the inclusion of Bryce Alford on the Pacers roster. Bryce's father, Steve Alford, was of course the legendary Indiana basketball star who helped lead Indiana University to the national title in 1987.

The Pacers famously (and correctly) passed on Alford in the draft that year, choosing Miller instead. But an Alford finally wore a Pacers uniform this past summer, when Alford played for Indiana in Las Vegas.

Though he only lived in Indiana for the first six months of his life, Bryce Alford was acutely aware of his father's connection to the state and entertained reporters this summer with some good-natured ribbing of his famous dad.

Doug McDermott was one of the Pacers' marquee signings in free agency in the summer of 2018. On his first day in Indiana, McDermott revealed that he rooted for the Pacers in childhood and idolized Miller.

Montieth examined the connection between the two sharpshooters, who met when Miller served as the color commentator for one of McDermott's NCAA Tournament games while he was at Creighton.

Montieth's story also delves into McDermott's fit with the Pacers and how Indiana could provide some stability to his career.

Q&A: Kevin Pritchard on the State of the Pacers Entering Training Camp

Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Montieth sat down with Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard for a one-on-one interview on the state of the franchise.

The wide-ranging discussion covered everything from Victor Oladipo's leadership to Lance Stephenson's departure to the longterm future of Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis.

Fan Passion Fueled Muncie's Basketball Tradition

Muncie Central High School, winner of eight basketball state championships, was the honoree for the first Hickory game of the 2017-18 season.

Montieth took a deep dive into the rich basketball tradition of Muncie in this story, focusing in particular on the die-hard fans that have supported the Bearcats over the decades.

Holiday Season Arrives Just In Time for Pacers

The Pacers took Aaron Holiday with the 23rd overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Though Holiday is likely the franchise point guard of the future, the 21-year-old saw limited playing time through the first month of the rookie season.

But when Victor Oladipo went down with an ankle injury in the opening minutes of a Nov. 17 game against the Hawks, Holiday was thrown to the fire. He stepped up to the challenge, scoring 12 points in just over 15 minutes off the bench and igniting the crowd with his energy and hustle.

Montieth chronicled the night that the young Pacers guard first won over Indiana fans.

The dominant storyline over the past month has been the play of 22-year-old Pacers center Myles Turner. The fourth-year big man got off to an admittedly slow start to the season, but has been sensational in December.

Turner currently leads the NBA in blocked shots and has recorded a double-double in eight of 12 games this month, including his last four.

Montieth wrote about Turner's emergence after one of his best performances, a 26-point, 12-rebound, five-block evisceration of the Wizards on Dec. 10.

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.

Mark Montieth's book on the formation and groundbreaking seasons of the Pacers, "Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis," is available in bookstores throughout Indiana and on Amazon.com.

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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The Best Mark Montieth Stories of 2018

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Tony Hinkle officiated high school football games on Friday nights.

That's as good a place as any to begin when examining what's nothing less than the most unusual career in the history of American college athletics, a livelihood that spanned three sports and 49 years, and landed him in at least seven halls of fame.

Hinkle, whose legacy at Butler University will be honored by the Pacers at the next Hickory game on Sunday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, left behind records, memories and stories that will forever go unmatched. Seriously. Who else is going to coach 1,902 games for a university – 303 in football, 952 in basketball and 647 in baseball, and have a winning record in all of them? Who else is going to coach all three sports in the same academic year for 31 of those years? Who else is going to also work as athletic director for his final 39 years?

And, yes, who else would also officiate high school football games on Friday nights, just to help fill the hours?

"Isn't that crazy?" Billy Shepherd said. "He did it for years."

So many aspects of Hinkle's life and coaching career qualify as crazy by today's standards, but he wasn't. While those unfamiliar with his personality might picture him as some manic workaholic who couldn't sleep, sit down or settle into anything, he actually was a calm, collected sort who rarely raised his voice. He accomplished so much for so long by keeping things simple and not taking things too seriously.

Hinkle's took the same approach to his role as athletic director. He was said to be a "three-drawer man," who kept the budget in one drawer, schedules in another drawer and contracts in another.

Granted, Hinkle was fortunate to coach at a university that maintained an emphasis on academics and in an era – eras, really – when the public was less neurotic about outcomes. Hinkle had his down seasons, as coaches tend to do over 49 years. He had three consecutive losing seasons twice in his basketball coaching career and lost plenty of games to teams with lesser talent. But his successes overshadowed everything.

Hinkle inherited a strong program from Harlan "Pat" Page, who had coached him at the University of Chicago, and kept it rolling. His teams were a combined 112-29 over his first seven seasons and was awarded a declared national championship in 1929 after it finished 17-2 and knocked off the likes of Pittsburgh, Purdue, North Carolina, Missouri and Notre Dame. It was an honor bestowed by the Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia, but the Bulldogs were as legitimate a choice as any. The Helms Foundation voted the same recognition to Montana State.

As other conferences evolved and larger universities built facilities to compete with Butler's spacious fieldhouse, which was an attraction in itself after construction was completed in 1928, it became more difficult for Hinkle's teams to compete on a national scale. Although playing in small-school conferences, or at times no conference at all, Hinkle always scheduled home and road series with Big Ten Conference schools and other major programs. In his final decade of coaching, his teams defeated Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State and Purdue, as well as third-ranked Michigan in the 1965-66 season.

Butler played in the NIT in 1958, a big enough deal that the team received a send-off from a band and hundreds of well-wishers. It lost in the first round to St. John's at Madison Square Garden. The Bulldogs qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1962 when it consisted of a 25-team field. They defeated an eighth-ranked Bowling Green team led by future Naismith Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond in the opening round to reach the Sweet Sixteen. They lost to Kentucky, then followed by defeating Western Kentucky in a regional consolation game.

Hinkle's accomplishments came despite a sane, somewhat passive recruiting approach. He recruited just two Indiana Mr. Basketballs, Bobby Plump and Shepherd, and got them without fuss.

One of his pitches to Shepherd came after officiating a high school game at Carmel. Shepherd, a 5-foot-10 guard with exceptional shooting and passing skills, had offers from the likes of Indiana, Purdue, UCLA, North Carolina and Florida heading into his senior season, but also was considering Butler. His father, Bill, had played for Hinkle 20 years earlier, and staying close to home appealed to him.

Shepherd's father took him to meet Hinkle in the officials' locker room after the game.

"By the way, kid, what size shoe do you wear?" Hinkle asked at one point.

Shepherd, thinking he might be getting a free pair of shoes, answered: "Nine-and-a-half, Mr. Hinkle."

"Well, we've got that size at Butler," Hinkle said.

Shepherd chose Butler the following Spring, over Indiana.

Plump got his pitch via mail after leading Milan to its historic state championship in 1954. The letter Hinkle wrote can be viewed in a display case at The Fieldhouse today. Plump had offers from more than 30 colleges, including Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Cincinnati and Tennessee. Rather than putting on a fullcourt press, Hinkle asked him to call to set up an appointment to meet. Plump did and arrived at Hinkle's office one May afternoon at the scheduled time.

Hinkle was nowhere to be found, however. Underwhelmed and a bit confused, Plump was rescued in the hallway by Butler's sports publicist, Jack Shackelford, who led him to the baseball diamond. There, Hinkle was picking dandelions out of the infield and stuffing them into his pocket.

"Hey, kid, I'll be with you in a little bit," Hinkle said.

Although they could have gone to major programs and competed for national championships, or to schools that would have rewarded them generously under the table, neither Plump nor Shepherd regret their decisions. The experience of playing for Hinkle was reward enough, although Shepherd only got to play in Hinkle's final season.

Story: 10 Things to Know About Coach Hinkle »

They recall intense but enjoyable practices that focused on their own fundamentals rather than the opponent's tendencies, competitive games against major conference opponents and an experience that didn't make college basketball feel like a life or death proposition.

Hinkle wasn't a screamer or profane, but had ways of getting points across without berating or embarrassing a player. The strongest term he ever used was a certain synonym for a male donkey, but had to be really angry to dig that deep into his vocabulary.

Plump's coach at Milan, Marvin Wood, had played for Hinkle – as did so many of Indiana's high school coaches -  and utilized Hinkle's famed five-way system that emphasized passing and cutting. Wood often told the story of how one day in practice Wood had missed an open cutter and shot the ball.

"Woods! I know a blind man who would like to have those eyes!" Hinkle shouted.

"Marvin said he never missed a cutter after that," Plump recalled.

Plump, who finished his career as Butler's all-time leading scorer, got a gentler admonishment after a game at Indiana State. He had roomed with Arley Andrews during the annual two-game all-star series with Kentucky after their high school careers, and become friends. When Andrews fouled out of the game, Plump offered a handshake. When he reached the locker room after the game, Hinkle had written – or had someone else write – "It is not necessary to shake an opponent's hand during the game."

Shepherd, who still holds Butler's record for single-season (27.8) and career (26.3) scoring averages, got Hinkle's points in red ink. The morning after every game, Hinkle taped the box score with various stats circled in red ink – the ones Hinkle thought needed improvement – to a board.

Shepherd, the team's best shooter, never got a red circle for his field goal attempts no matter how many he took, while another player - a poor shooter - might get one for taking five shots. Shepherd did get circles for his turnovers, though. As one of the primary ballhandlers and a skilled passer who occasionally attempted behind-the-back or needle-threading darts, he amassed his share of them.

Shepherd also earned possession of a less-than-coveted trophy that Hinkle distributed after every game to the player with the most turnovers, early in his sophomore season. That point got across, too, and he played more carefully.

Hinkle utilized practical jokes, too. Shepherd recalls a freshman game at Wabash – first-year players couldn't play for the varsity at the time – when he unintentionally threw a pass off the dribble that hit an unsuspecting defender in the face.  The official called a technical foul on Shepherd, who reacted emotionally.

The next day, Shepherd was in the training room at The Fieldhouse getting his ankles taped when trainer Jim Morris gave him a slip of paper with a telephone number on it.

It turned out to be a direct line to Indiana High School Athletic Association commissioner Phil Eskew, a towering figure on the state's athletic scene.

"I understand you were trying to officiate basketball games without a license," Eskew told Shepherd.

Hinkle and his assistant coach, Bob Dietz, then walked into the office to complete the point.

Hinkle also was notoriously cheap. Even in his final season as coach, his team bused to most road games, and did so on the day of the game whenever possible. Their "meal" for the ride home was a pre-wrapped ham or turkey sandwich and a warm can of 7-Up. Hinkle got the drinks for free because of his relationship with a woman connected to a local 7-Up distributor. For some games, if it was convenient, they might have splurge and stop at a McDonald's on the way home for a sandwich – but still had to settle for the warm can of 7-Up.

Hinkle was more generous when Butler played in the NIT in New York City during Plump's senior season. After its seven-point loss to St. John's, Hinkle gathered the players back at the hotel

"Fellas, I want you to have a great time in New York," Hinkle said. "It might be the first time you've been here, so you ought to see the sights. Mr. Dietz will give you some money as you leave the room."

"He didn't want us to have too good of a time, though," Plump said. "Each player got $5."

And that was adjusted for inflation. Dietz, who had been an All-American player for Hinkle in the early Forties, told Plump the per diem had been $2 per player on their trips to New York.

A college education and good memories are priceless, however. Plump, Shepherd and virtually all the hundreds of athletes who played for Hinkle would tell you they were compensated fairly by the mere experience of playing for him.

Mark Montieth's book, "Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis," covers the formation and early seasons of the franchise. It is available at retail outlets throughout Indiana and online at sources such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Hinkle and His Career Were One of a Kind

With the Pacers honoring the legendary Butler coach Tony Hinkle during Sunday's Hickory Night against the New York Knicks, here are 10 things to know about Hinkle's life and legacy.

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10 Things to Know About Tony Hinkle

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In 1989, Chris Denari — who is now known for being FOX Sports Indiana's play-by-play voice of the Pacers — took a job with Butler University as the school's first-ever Sports Marketing Director. Working in the athletic department, Denari often crossed paths with the legendary coach Tony Hinkle, who had been retired since 1970 but still had an office and was around the program frequently.

Hinkle joined Butler in 1921, working as a teacher, athletic administrator, and a coach. But unlike most coaches of today, Hinkle oversaw multiple sports, leading the basketball, baseball, and football teams to success. Hinkle's impact on Butler was so profound, the legendary fieldhouse was re-named the Hinkle Fieldhouse in 1966. Four years later, Hinkle retired from coaching, having led the basketball team for 41 seasons.

Hickory Central: Head to Pacers.com/Hickory »

Coach Hinkle passed away in 1992. For Denari, getting a chance to observe Hinkle and get to know him during their three years of overlap at Butler left an impactful impression.

What was your day-to-day interaction with Hinkle like? What impression did he make on you?

Denari: He would come in every day with a coat and tie on, he looked like he was coming in ready for work. He was older when I as there in the late 1980s and early '90s, but I had a chance to talk to him. You were sort of in awe of being in the building that was named after him and you know how much he had accomplished in his career. I mean he was the basketball coach, he was the baseball coach, he was the athletic director. He was the do-it-all man of Butler. You knew that you were sort of there to carry on and build on the tradition that he had built, and you took pride in that.

It seems like Butler is always punching above its weight on the national stage. Do you consider that part of Hinkle's legacy?

I do think that was important. If you look at what they've instituted now, The Butler Way, (Athletic Director) Barry Collier sort of brought it back to the forefront when he became the basketball coach and he's the Athletic Director now but you're right. That really started in the days of Tony Hinkle, getting athletes to play above their grade if you will. To compete at the highest level, because if you go back to the 1920s and '30s and the '40s, here's Butler, this small private school back in the day playing Notre Dame, Purdue, and Indiana, and other various institutions around the country and they were not like those other schools. So you have to think that was kind of born in those early years and carried to fruition with coach Hinkle.

Do you think it's possible that there will ever be a modern version of Coach Hinkle, who coaches multiple Division I teams?

Probably not, I just don't think that can exist anymore, especially at the Division I level because everything is so specialized now and there is so much focus on each individual sports that I think it would very difficult for somebody to do what Tony Hinkle did all those years ago. If you think about what he did it almost borders on impossible, but he was somebody that could take on the challenge and be very successful with the challenge.

When you were at Butler, would coaches and players come by his office to pick his brain?

It was funny because he parked right by the side door that is looking over the Butler Bowl and he would walk right into his office. And he would drive in every day and there were people that would stop by his office. He called everybody "kid." Didn't matter how old you were, and there were so many people. Bill Sylvester was the longtime Athletic Director at Butler, he was there when I started, and he had a great history with coach Hinkle because he had been there as an athlete back in the day when Tony Hinkle was the coach. There were a lot of people when I had first gotten there to work that had had great relationships with him, because they had been there as coaches with him and they had been there as players or student athletes with him.

Tony Hinkle

The Best Mark Montieth Stories of 2018

Hinkle and His Career Were One of a Kind

10 Things to Know About Tony Hinkle

Q&A: Chris Denari on Crossing Paths with Tony Hinkle