What a great week of college basketball.    Having grown up in the Hoosier state, playing both my high school and college basketball there, I wish I could be there to be in the mix of Butler’s great run to the finals.   What a story.

For those of you who have been hearing all of the comparisons to Hoosiers the movie,  I have a few facts for you to “square up” the story to reality.  Having lived on 49th street just a few blocks from Hinkle after college for a few years, I know first hand how cool Butler’s great old fieldhouse is  and would recommend the trip to anyone traveling to the Midwest to go visit.   Here are some facts about Butler and the movie “Hoosiers” for you to share with your friends as you watch the game tomorrow.

The facts:

Yes – the championship game of the movie was filmed at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler’s home court.  The state championship games were played at Hinkle until the late ’60’s

Yes – the movie is based on the true story.  Hickory High didn’t exist, but Milan High School did.  And in 1954, this school of 130 or so students made a run to win the single class Indiana State title against the mighty Muncie Central Bearcats (enrollment 2,000+)

No – Jimmy Chitwood is not a real person, but Bobby Plump is.   He hit the winning shot for Milan High School and was their star player.  He went on to play his college ball at – you guessed it,  Butler University for the legendary Tony Hinkle.

Yes, Milan High School was legit as a team.  On their way to the state finals, they handily beat Indianapolis Crispus Attucks who was led by the great Oscar Robertson.    By the way, Attucks won the next two Indiana State Titles and won some 50+ games in a row in doing so.

Yes – Milan high school did hold the ball for the final 4 minutes and 30+ seconds of the fourth quarter in the championship game to hit the winning shot….

And the weirdest fact of all – Milan won their game 32-30,  Hickory high won their game in the movie 42-40, and Butler won against Michigan State the other night 52-50.

While I think it will be exceptionally difficult for them to beat Duke, what a great story it would be for them to take home the title.

Go Bulldogs.