Indiana State basketball became nationally famous in 1979 when Larry Bird led the Sycamores to an undefeated regular season and an NCAA Championship Game appearance against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. The program competes in the Missouri Valley Conference and has produced one of the greatest players in basketball history.
The Sycamore tree is abundant in Indiana, and the nickname was adopted in 1920 to reflect the natural landscape of Terre Haute and the surrounding Wabash Valley.
Larry Bird leading Indiana State to the 1979 NCAA Championship Game against Magic Johnson and Michigan State, a matchup that drew the highest TV ratings in NCAA Tournament history.
Larry Bird averaged 30.3 points per game in the 1978-79 season and won the Naismith Award, yet he was originally drafted by the Boston Celtics a year before he finished at Indiana State.
The Indiana State Sycamores compete in the MVC and hold an all-time record of 1240–1154 (.518 winning percentage) across 104 recorded seasons dating back to 1899-00. The program has reached 1 Final Four.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 11-21 | 4-16 (MVC) | Matthew Graves | |
| 2024-25 | 14-18 | 8-12 (MVC) | Matthew Graves | |
| 2023-24 | 32-7 | 17-3 (MVC) | Josh Schertz | AP #23 |
| 2022-23 | 23-13 | 13-7 (MVC) | Josh Schertz | |
| 2021-22 | 11-20 | 4-14 (MVC) | Josh Schertz | |
| 2020-21 | 15-10 | 11-7 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2019-20 | 18-12 | 11-7 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2018-19 | 15-16 | 7-11 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2017-18 | 13-18 | 8-10 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2016-17 | 11-20 | 5-13 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2015-16 | 15-17 | 8-10 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2014-15 | 15-16 | 11-7 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2013-14 | 23-11 | 12-6 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2012-13 | 18-15 | 9-9 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2011-12 | 18-15 | 8-10 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2010-11 | 20-14 | 12-6 (MVC) | Greg Lansing | |
| 2009-10 | 17-15 | 9-9 (MVC) | Kevin McKenna | |
| 2008-09 | 11-21 | 7-11 (MVC) | Kevin McKenna | |
| 2007-08 | 15-16 | 8-10 (MVC) | Kevin McKenna | |
| 2006-07 | 13-18 | 5-13 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 2005-06 | 13-16 | 4-14 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 2004-05 | 11-20 | 5-13 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 2003-04 | 9-19 | 5-13 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 2002-03 | 7-24 | 2-16 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 2001-02 | 6-22 | 4-14 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 2000-01 | 22-12 | 10-8 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 1999-00 | 22-10 | 14-4 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 1998-99 | 15-12 | 10-8 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 1997-98 | 16-11 | 10-8 (MVC) | Royce Waltman | |
| 1996-97 | 12-16 | 6-12 (MVC) | Sherman Dillard | |
| 1995-96 | 10-16 | 6-12 (MVC) | Sherman Dillard | |
| 1994-95 | 7-19 | 3-15 (MVC) | Sherman Dillard | |
| 1993-94 | 4-22 | 3-15 (MVC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1992-93 | 11-17 | 7-11 (MVC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1991-92 | 13-15 | 12-6 (MVC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1990-91 | 14-14 | 9-7 (MVC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1989-90 | 8-20 | 2-12 (MVC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1988-89 | 4-24 | 0-14 (MVC) | Ron Greene | |
| 1987-88 | 7-21 | 3-11 (MVC) | Ron Greene | |
| 1986-87 | 9-20 | 4-10 (MVC) | Ron Greene | |
| 1985-86 | 11-17 | 5-11 (MVC) | Ron Greene | |
| 1984-85 | 14-15 | 6-10 (MVC) | Dave Schellhase | |
| 1983-84 | 14-14 | 6-10 (MVC) | Dave Schellhase | |
| 1982-83 | 9-19 | 5-13 (MVC) | Dave Schellhase | |
| 1981-82 | 9-18 | 3-13 (MVC) | Bill Hodges | |
| 1980-81 | 9-18 | 4-12 (MVC) | Bill Hodges | |
| 1979-80 | 16-11 | 8-8 (MVC) | Bill Hodges | |
| 1978-79 | 33-1 | 16-0 (MVC) | Bill Hodges | AP #1 |
| 1977-78 | 23-9 | 11-5 (MVC) | Bob King | AP #4 |
| 1976-77 | 25-3 | MVC | Bob King | |
| 1975-76 | 13-12 | Ind | Bob King | |
| 1974-75 | 12-14 | Ind | Gordon Stauffer | |
| 1973-74 | 12-14 | Ind | Gordon Stauffer | |
| 1972-73 | 16-10 | Ind | Gordon Stauffer | |
| 1971-72 | 12-14 | Ind | Gordon Stauffer | |
| 1947-48 | 27-7 | Ind | John Wooden | |
| 1946-47 | 17-8 | Ind | John Wooden | |
| 1945-46 | 21-7 | Ind | Glenn Curtis | |
| 1944-45 | 18-6 | Ind | Glenn Curtis | |
| 1943-44 | 17-4 | Ind | Glenn Curtis | |
| 1942-43 | 13-4 | Ind | Glenn Curtis | |
| 1941-42 | 17-4 | Ind | Glenn Curtis | |
| 1940-41 | 11-8 | Ind | Glenn Curtis | |
| 1939-40 | 15-3 | Ind | Glenn Curtis | |
| 1938-39 | 10-9 | Ind | Glenn Curtis | |
| 1937-38 | 1-17 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1936-37 | 7-6 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1935-36 | 11-3 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1934-35 | 13-4 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1933-34 | 8-9 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1932-33 | 10-6 | Ind | David Glascock | |
| 1931-32 | 10-5 | Ind | Roy Goodland | |
| 1930-31 | 7-8 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1929-30 | 16-2 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1928-29 | 15-4 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1927-28 | 12-5 | Ind | Wally Marks | |
| 1926-27 | 3-13 | Ind | David Glascock | |
| 1925-26 | 9-9 | Ind | David Glascock | |
| 1924-25 | 11-4 | Ind | David Glascock | |
| 1923-24 | 16-7 | Ind | Arthur Strum | |
| 1922-23 | 20-5 | Ind | Birch Bayh | |
| 1921-22 | 12-3 | Ind | Birch Bayh | |
| 1920-21 | 15-7 | Ind | Birch Bayh | |
| 1919-20 | 4-6 | Ind | Birch Bayh | |
| 1918-19 | 6-3 | Ind | Birch Bayh | |
| 1917-18 | 8-8 | Ind | Orville Sink | |
| 1916-17 | 13-4 | Ind | Alfred Westphal | |
| 1915-16 | 8-6 | Ind | Alfred Westphal | |
| 1914-15 | 7-6 | Ind | Alfred Westphal | |
| 1913-14 | 11-4 | Ind | Alfred Westphal | |
| 1912-13 | 8-3 | Ind | Alfred Westphal | |
| 1911-12 | 7-6 | Ind | Bertram Wiggins | |
| 1910-11 | 2-8 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1909-10 | 2-9 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1908-09 | 2-7 | Ind | Eddy Conners | |
| 1907-08 | 2-6 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1906-07 | 1-8 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1905-06 | 6-6 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1904-05 | 5-5 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1903-04 | 2-11 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1902-03 | 5-7 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1901-02 | 1-6 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1900-01 | 0-4 | Ind | John Kimmell | |
| 1899-00 | 2-2 | Ind | John Kimmell |
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All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home
| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|