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Indiana Basketball Receives Tough Non-Conference Schedule

Hoosier Favorite No. 34? Picking Favorite Indiana Basketball Players, One Number At a Time

There are no names on the Indiana basketball jerseys, just a number, and those digits mean a lot to all Hoosiers fans. We want to know who your favorites are, resuming with the No. 34 in Indiana basketball history that's meant the most to you. Pick your favorite, and we'll do this every day for the rest of the summer.

In this story:

Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Welcome back to our summer series where Hoosier basketball fans can vote on their favorite Indiana players to ever wear each number. Today, we resume with all the best to wear No. 34.

Hoosier favorite?

Every day we're going to give you four choices along with a short player bio to pick your favorite Hoosier who wore a certain number.

Here are your four No. 34 jersey choices in alphabetical order so that we're not showing bias. Be sure to take the poll below via Twitter.

(Editor's Note: We'll take results for 24 hours on the poll and then share results on this story the next day, so keep coming back to see the results.)

Brian Evans (1991-96)

Forward Brian Evans out of Terre Haute, Ind. ranks 12th on Indiana's all-time leading scorers list with 1,701 points across four seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances.

While at Indiana, Evans shot 44.9 percent from the field, 40.8 percent from three and 80 percent from the free throw line. He also totaled 750 rebounds and 332 assists.

The Hoosiers best tournament performance during Evans' time at Indiana was in the 1993 season when No. 1-seed Indiana advanced to the Elite Eight. No. 2 Kansas sent the Hoosiers packing after winning 83-77.

In his senior season, Evans was named a third team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year before being drafted 27th overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. Evans later began his overseas career with various teams. In 2018, he was inducted to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Brian Evans

Brian Evans

Steve Green (1972-75)

Forward Steve Green from Milan, Ind. was former head coach Bob Knight's first recruit in 1971. Green went on to play with the Hoosiers for three seasons taking one trip to the Final Four in 1973 and one to the Elite Eight in 1975.

Green ranks 33rd on Indiana's all-time leading scorers list with 1,265 points. He shot an impressive 53.8 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free-throw line. 

Following his final season with the Hoosiers, Green was selected by the Utah Stars in the 1975 American Basketball Association draft and by the Chicago Bulls with the 12th pick in the 1975 NBA draft. 

Green later played with the Indiana Pacers for three years ahead of his one season playing overseas in Italy.

Steve Green

Steve Green

Butch Joyner (1965-68)

Harry "Butch" Joyner played under head coach Lou Watson during his time at Indiana. The forward from New Castle, Ind. totaled 1,030 points ranking 53rd on the Hoosiers' all-time leading scorers list. Joyner also had 612 rebounds.

In his sophomore season, Joyner and the Hoosiers lost in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament against Virginia Tech, but took the win over Tennessee in the regional third place game 51-44.

Following Joyner's collegiate career, he played in two games for the Indiana Pacers.

Butch Joyner

Butch Joyner

Don Schlundt (1951-55)

Don Schlundt, a 6'9" center from South Bend, Ind. was an All-American from 1953 through the 1955 season. He also led the Hoosiers to the its second NCAA championship defeating Kansas by one point.

When Schlundt graduated, he was the Hoosiers' all-time leading scorer with 2,192 points but was later surpassed by Steve Alford and Calbert Cheaney.

Rather than pursue a basketball career, Schlundt chose to enter business after college. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. Schlundt died from cancer shortly after in 1985.

Don Schlundt

Don Schlundt

Honorable mentions:

Lawrence Funderburke (1989-90)

Lawrence Funderburke from Columbus, Ohio only spent half a season with the Hoosiers after a clash with Coach Knight in practice. The forward transferred to Ohio State where he helped lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title in 1992.

After school, Funderburke was drafted in the second round of the 1994 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings, perfecting his game in Europe until he was ready to join the team in 1997.

He was waived in 2004 and played for the Chicago Bulls for two games before retiring in 2005.

Lawrence FunderBurke

Lawrence FunderBurke

Andre Harris (1985-86)

Grand Rapids, Mich. native Andre Harris spent just one season with the Hoosiers starting in 55 out of 59 games and leading the team in rebounds with 351.

Harris decided to transfer to Austin Peay where he played for one season.

Andre Harris

Andre Harris

Steve Risley (1977-81)

Forward Steve Risley from Indianapolis played in 118 games for the Hoosiers across four seasons. The forward shot 47.9 percent from the field and 64.7 percent from the free-throw line.

In his sophomore season, Risley and the Hoosiers won their first and only NIT title knocking off Purdue 53-52. Two seasons later in 1981, the Hoosiers won their fourth NCAA title after defeating North Carolina 63-50. 

Risley, the 1977 Indiana All-Star was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Steve Risley

Steve Risley

Rich Valavicius (1975-77)

Rich Valavicius, a forward from Hammond, Ind., played on the Hoosiers' 1976 NCAA championship team as a freshman. Indiana defeated Michigan 86-68 for its fourth NCAA title and Coach Bob Knight's first with the Hoosiers.

Following the season, Valavicius transferred to Auburn.

Rich Valavicius

Rich Valavicius

All-time No. 34's at Indiana

Here are all of the players who have worn No. 34 at Indiana:

  • Malik Story — (2008-09)
  • Adam Ahlfeld — (2004-08)
  • Ryan Tapak — (2001-05)
  • Brian Evans — (1991-96)
  • Lawrence Funderburke — (1989-90)
  • Andre Harris — (1985-86)
  • Steve Risley — (1977-81)
  • Rich Valavicius — (1975-77)
  • Steve Green — (1972-75)
  • Ben Niles — (1968-70)
  • Harry “Butch” Joyner — (1965-68)
  • Dave Dickerson — (1964-65)
  • Don Schlundt — (1951-55)
  • Bob Lollar — (1946-49)
  • Marv Huffman — (1939-40)

Vote for your favorite No. 34 on Twitter

You'll be able to vote on Twitter for your favorite player with each number. Here's the link to today's poll for No. 34.

'Hoosier' Favorite Results

Check this story every day to see which players won the vote for each respective number.

'Hoosier' Favorite Results Story CLICK HERE

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