NBA Pride Collection

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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

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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.

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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."

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Pacers Announce Hickory Nights and Honorees

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The Pacers had social media buzzing on Tuesday morning after announcing an innovative partnership with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the classic sports movie Hoosiers, the Pacers and MGM will introduce a special Hickory uniform to be worn in select regular season games as part of the NBA Pride Collection, beginning in the 2015-16 season.

Fittingly, the news was first shared by Pacers point guard George Hill. Having grown up in Indianapolis and starred at both Broad Ripple High School and IUPUI, Hill was the perfect person to model these uniforms, which pay tribute to the rich history of high school basketball in the state of Indiana.

Since Hill's initial tweet, numerous news outlets and personalities have chimed in with their thoughts on the new look, which seems to be a major hit. "George Hill" was even trending nationally on Twitter this morning.

FIRST LOOK: Photos of George Hill in Hickory Uniform »

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Check out this list below for a small sampling of what the world wide web is saying about the Hickory uniforms:

Indy Star: The Star interviewed Angelo Pizzo, who wrote the 1986 film. An ecstatic Pizzo said, "Those are the exact jerseys. It's obviously quite amazing to see that." Read More »

Entertainment Weekly: "Thanks to a special partnership between the Indiana Pacers and MGM, the movie Hoosiers will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a very special and very different kind of commemoration." Read More »

GQ: "(The Pacers') decision is genius, because these are jerseys that everyone loves, and even though they've actually never been the Pacers jerseys, they are totally fitting for a team from Indiana." Read More »

SB Nation: "If you're in a nostalgic mood, watch the ending scene from Hoosiers and get excited we'll see these on the court again." Read More »

CBS Sports: "This is a very unique and cool uniform choice by the Pacers. Hopefully, head coach Frank Vogel will be reciting Hickory High coach Norman Dale's pre-game motivational speech whenever the Pacers wear these uniforms." Read More »

Yahoo Sports: "It's a neat idea to tap into the state's love of its basketball mythology, especially if it opens the door to even further excavation of Indiana's rich love of hoops." Read More »

Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White:

Bleacher Report: "The kits are reliably nostalgic." Read More »

NBC Sports: "These uniforms border awesome and ridiculous, but even if they’re ridiculous, I love them." Read More »

Big Ten Network: "These are incredible." Read More »

Washington Post: "Yes, the Pacers will be wearing the Hickory High uniforms sported in the 1986 movie 'Hoosiers.'" Read More »

Indy Star: The Star also put together this amusing list titled "Top 10 things to expect from Hickory Pacers." Our favorite? "3. Joe Young will jump on Myles Turner's back and measure the height of every basket in road arenas."  Read More »

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What They're Saying: Pacers Unveil Hickory Uniform

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First Look: George Hill in Hickory Uniform

INDIANAPOLIS -- In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) and the Indiana Pacers will bring one of the all-time great underdog stories, Hoosiers, to the NBA hardwood, celebrating the film's 30th Anniversary.

For the 2015-16 season, the Pacers will introduce the Hickory uniform to be worn in select regular season games as part of the NBA Pride Collection. The Hickory uniform is a tribute to the rich tradition of basketball in the State of Indiana and will serve as inspiration to fans everywhere that no matter how improbable the challenge may be, amazing things can be accomplished through teamwork, determination, heart and hustle.

Interested in #PacersHickory Merchandise? Order Online Now »

Tickets: Hickory Pacers Schedule, Ticket Information »

"Our team will be honored to wear the Hickory uniforms because of the attention it will bring to the storied history of Indiana basketball and the success of that movie," said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. "Hoosiers takes us all back to a special place and time."

MGM's Hoosiers, which premiered in 1986, was inspired by the 1954 Indiana High School state champion team from tiny Milan. It was written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh, both Indiana natives, and starred Gene Hackman as Coach Norman Dale. The movie received two Academy Award™ nominations, including Dennis Hopper for Best Supporting Actor, and is widely regarded as one of the best sports movies of all time.

Todd Taylor, Pacers Sports & Entertainment's Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing, championed the idea of wearing the Hickory uniforms and worked with MGM on the partnership.

"Obviously, we revere the film, but more importantly we believe our organization, especially our players, embody the core message of the story – by coming together as a team, there is nothing that can't be accomplished," said Taylor.

What They're Saying: Pacers Unveil Hickory Uniform »

In addition to the upcoming season, the Pacers will wear the Hickory uniform during select games over the next several seasons.

Taylor added, "While the uniform being worn in front of a worldwide audience is thrilling, we are equally excited about the additional opportunities the partnership provides both on and off the court. The Miracle Men of Milan are just one of the legendary basketball stories in the state. We look forward to drawing attention to the contributions and accomplishments of those that have made Indiana synonymous with the game of basketball."

"With the 30th anniversary of Hoosiers approaching, MGM is excited to partner with the Pacers organization for this perfect tie-in," said Michael Brown, Executive Vice President Marketing, MGM. "We look forward to seeing the players wear the Hickory jerseys with pride."

While the central and most visible component is the Hoosiers inspired uniform, the partnership also will allow for a variety of unique community outreach and awareness opportunities throughout the State of Indiana.

Details on which games the players will wear the Hickory uniforms will be announced at a later date.

About Indiana Pacers
About to begin their 49th season of professional basketball in Indianapolis, the Indiana Pacers are a member of the National Basketball Association and the flagship of Pacers Sports & Entertainment which includes Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the WNBA Indiana Fever and Pacers Foundation. The Pacers' core mission is two-fold: winning championships and serving community.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content. The company owns one of the world's deepest libraries of premium film and television content.  In addition, MGM has investments in domestic and international television channels and is the majority owner of and distributor for United Artists Media Group (UAMG). For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

NBA Pride Collection

Hickory Honoree: The 1911 Crawfordsville Team, State Champions

Pacers Announce Hickory Nights and Honorees

What They're Saying: Pacers Unveil Hickory Uniform

First Look: George Hill in Hickory Uniform

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Pacers Bring "Hoosiers" Inspired Uniform to NBA