Bobby Plump

To the extent that Milan’s victory inspired ‘Hoosiers,’ one could argue that ‘Hoosiers’ returned the favor, enshrining the game in the country’s collective sports-history consciousness. And here, to mark the 50th anniversary of the game that ‘Hoosiers’ celebrates, former Milan players and the film’s cast and crew hold court on making a sports movie for the ages.

Starting now, Hoosiers will mark two centuries of Indiana history with a yearlong party. But what, exactly, are we commemorating?

The male and female All-Indiana Basketball lineups could hold their own against any state. Who’d we leave out?

The players of Crispus Attucks High School wrote a new chapter in the book of Hoosier basketball lore—one in which underdogs could be kids from urban ghettos, could grow up shooting in alleys and parks, could be black and be a vital part of the glory of the game.

The Hoosiers film crew couldn’t get quite enough warm bodies to fill the stands at Hinkle Fieldhouse for the championship game scenes, so they fudged with creative camera angles.