As the Hoosiers say, "In 49 states it's just basketball. But this is Indiana." In Indiana, high school basketball is more than a game - it's a religion.Fifteen of the sixteen largest high school gymnasiums in the U.S. are located in Indiana, and each winter basketball fever grips the state as impassioaned fans from hamlets to big cities follow the fortunes of their local team.The game is part of the fabric of life and its rich lore encompasses the epic triumph of tiny Milan High School in 1954 (on which the film "Hoosiers" was based) and includes nameslike John Wooden, Larry Bird, Bob Knight, and a host of others.In 1997 Indiana crowned its last all-state champion, marking the end of an 87 year tradition. Despite a huge public outcry, the statewide tournament was replaced by four divisional tournaments baded on school size.Small school teams no longer have the chance to compete against big school Goliaths for the state title. Originally published in 1997, this updated version of Gildea's classic contains a new Epilogue tracingthe developments since the fateful decision and evaluates the chances of the movement to restore the proud tradition of one class basketball.
