Doyel had an article last week about a lady that runs a museum dedicated to the 1954 Milan Indians state championship team that was the basis for "Hoosiers."

 

I was working in Indiana today and had some time so I drove over to Milan to check it out. It's pretty darn cool if you love old pictures/stories/artifacts. The lady that runs it could not have been any nicer.

 

$3 donations at the door.

 

Worthwhile if you're ever near there.

 

Milan 1954 Hoosiers Museum |

Never been to Milan but a couple years ago my friends and I visited Knightstown, home of the "Hoosier Gym" which is the actual venue made out to be the Hickory High School gym in the Hoosiers movie. Just unreal to play on that floor.

 

Would really like to see this place as well.

Bobby Plump is the man, he has a restaurant/bar in Indy called The Last Shot. His niece is my CPA

Never been to Milan but a couple years ago my friends and I visited Knightstown, home of the "Hoosier Gym" which is the actual venue made out to be the Hickory High School gym in the Hoosiers movie. Just unreal to play on that floor.

 

Would really like to see this place as well.

 

If you visit Augusta for a game, you will relive that era, atmosphere and surroundings. It is wonderful for old timers and naustalgia buffs.

My wife grew up in Milan, we stopped in one time and it was a neat place to spend some time.

Milan is a great story but the movie Hoosiers is a little misleading in a few ways. That's okay though. Still a great story and all movies embellish true stories to some degree. Bonnie and Clyde did it. The Hatfield and McCoys, etc. But Milan did not sneak up on anyone the year they won the Indiana state championship. They had been there in the tournament the year before and was very well known as a team to not overlook. Small town Milan just happened to catch lightening in a bottle. And I love history stories such as that.

I've often said that Cuba in western Kentucky would make a great movie . They accomplished pretty much the same success and overcame obstacles of being a small school to win a single class state tournament, too.

Milan is a great story but the movie Hoosiers is a little misleading in a few ways. That's okay though. Still a great story and all movies embellish true stories to some degree. Bonnie and Clyde did it. The Hatfield and McCoys, etc. But Milan did not sneak up on anyone the year they won the Indiana state championship. They had been there in the tournament the year before and was very well known as a team to not overlook. Small town Milan just happened to catch lightening in a bottle. And I love history stories such as that.

 

Also they Beat Muncie Central not South Bend

Milan is a great story but the movie Hoosiers is a little misleading in a few ways. That's okay though. Still a great story and all movies embellish true stories to some degree. Bonnie and Clyde did it. The Hatfield and McCoys, etc. But Milan did not sneak up on anyone the year they won the Indiana state championship. They had been there in the tournament the year before and was very well known as a team to not overlook. Small town Milan just happened to catch lightening in a bottle. And I love history stories such as that.

 

Correct. 1953 state finalists. Lady told me the boys got rides back into town in Oldsmobiles. The local dealer said if they won it he'd bring them back in Cadillacs. She had pictures of the players in Caddies.

731 teams in the Indiana tourney that year. One champion. The ladies in the museum today were hating on the current format in Indiana.

731 teams in the Indiana tourney that year. One champion. The ladies in the museum today were hating on the current format in Indiana.

 

I forgot to mention. Some guy made a HUGE tournament bracket for the ENTIRE 731-team tourney. She has it on the wall. Every game. Every final score.

I forgot to mention. Some guy made a HUGE tournament bracket for the ENTIRE 731-team tourney. She has it on the wall. Every game. Every final score.

 

Awesome.

Milan is a great story but the movie Hoosiers is a little misleading in a few ways. That's okay though. Still a great story and all movies embellish true stories to some degree. Bonnie and Clyde did it. The Hatfield and McCoys, etc. But Milan did not sneak up on anyone the year they won the Indiana state championship. They had been there in the tournament the year before and was very well known as a team to not overlook. Small town Milan just happened to catch lightening in a bottle. And I love history stories such as that.

Professor, you can't let the truth get in the way of a good story!

Milan is a great story but the movie Hoosiers is a little misleading in a few ways. That's okay though. Still a great story and all movies embellish true stories to some degree. Bonnie and Clyde did it. The Hatfield and McCoys, etc. But Milan did not sneak up on anyone the year they won the Indiana state championship. They had been there in the tournament the year before and was very well known as a team to not overlook. Small town Milan just happened to catch lightening in a bottle. And I love history stories such as that.

 

The true story seldom has the drama needed to carry a two hour movie.

I forgot to mention. Some guy made a HUGE tournament bracket for the ENTIRE 731-team tourney. She has it on the wall. Every game. Every final score.

 

For two or three years, while in high school, I bought the biggest piece of poster paper I could find and made a bracket that started with the region tournaments and had every score through the semi-states and championship. Never got ambitious enough (maybe because I couldn't find a big enough piece of paper) to do all the sectionals too (what Hoosiers call the districts.) I came across them a few years ago and threw 'em out.

 

Never could have guessed it would be the forerunner of a website with Kentucky's high school history in it.

Edited January 31, 201511 yr by broadcaster