The Greatest Basketball Story Ever Told, 50th Anniversary Edition: The Milan Miracle

Greg Guffey

Indiana University Press, Aug 21, 2003 - Sports & Recreation - 240 pages

"Nothing in basketball beats Hoosier Hysteria, and this true-life Cinderella story of the 1954 Milan Indians has it all—courage, heart, suspense, and triumph. Greg Guffey brings the team and its championship odyssey to life again in this action-packed book. A great read!" —Digger Phelps

With the release of the movie Hoosiers starring Gene Hackman, the whole world discovered the "Milan Miracle." The true story of the Milan miracle is even better, and Greg Guffey tells it here in graphic and gripping detail. Here we get to know the real Coach Marvin Wood and the remarkable group of high school players who defeated mighty Muncie Central. In his new introduction, Guffey talks about the switch to class basketball in Indiana and the legacy of this story for the town and for the legendary team.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• The Town: 8
• The 1953 Regular Season: 29
• The 1953 Tournament: 47
• The 1954 Regular Season: 60
• The 1954 Tournament: 74
• The Aftermath: 97
• Coach Marvin Wood: 104
• Bob Plump: 115
• Bob Engel: 127
• Ron Truitt: 137
• Gene White: 141
• Ken Wendelman: 150
• Ray Craft: 156
• Roger Schroder: 163
• Bill Jordan: 172
• Glenn Butte: 177
• Rollin Cutter: 185
• Conclusion: 194

About the author

Greg Guffey, Director of Publications and Technology for the Indiana House of Representatives, is author of More than a Game, a history of basketball in Henry County, Indiana. He lives in Indianapolis. Bob Hammel was for many years Sports Editor for the Herald-Times in Bloomington, Indiana.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Greatest Basketball Story Ever Told, 50th Anniversary Edition: The Milan Miracle
• Author: Greg Guffey
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Indiana University Press, 2003
• ISBN: 0253216311, 9780253216311
• Length: 240 pages
• Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Basketball