Passing of an Indiana basketball legend

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BelieveinBlue

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Last Wednesday Indiana basketball suffered the loss of Tom Goldsberry, a coaching legend who also happened to be my grandfather. He was an excellent coach and an even better man. Here is the link to his obituary:
http://www.bannergraphic.com/story/1403153.html

and a link to his Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame page:
http://www.hoopshall.com/inducteeA.htm

I am curious to see if anyone out there knew him, played for/against him, coached with/ against him or was taught by him. I'd love to hear any memories if you did.
 

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I am sorry to hear about your grandfather's passing. I didn't know of him, but I enjoyed reading his Hall of Fame bio. He coached back when Indiana basketball was special, and is obviously one of the reasons it was special!

My sympathies and prayers to your family.
 
One of my earliest memories was of my Grandfather taking me the Wabash Valley Tournament - this would be in the late '50's- and can always remember Grandpa telling to watch out for the Greencastle teams. These were probably your Grandfathers team he was referring to. Sorry for your loss. An irreplaceable generation...
 
Goldsberry was an outstanding coach

I remember Coach Goldsberry well. I covered the 1956 Wabash Valley Tournament Finals for the Terre Haute Star and Greencastle upset a Terre Haute Gerstmeyer team that boasted five major college players in the final game.

Actually, senior Bob Hickman -- the sixith major college player on Howard Sharpe's 1955-56 squad (he played with Wilt Chamberlain at Kansas) -- did not play in the 1956 Wabash Valley tournament because he had fractured a bone in his wrist. However, Howard Dardeen (Kentucky/Indiana State), Charlie Hall (Indiana), Sam Smith (Louisiana State), Bill Newton (Kansas) and Ron Greene (Bradley/Murray State). all underclassmen, were in the starting lineup and returned the next year but got beat by Goldsberry's Tiger Cubs again in the final game by a couple of points. Hickman recovered in time to lead the Black Cats to the Final Four in 1956, where they lost to undefeated Indianapolis Crispus Attucks, led by Oscar Robertson (though Hickman held Oscar to a mere 17 points), in the afternoon.

I remember Chuck Dickson, Bucky Patterson and kids named Braden, York and Remsburg of Greencastle outplaying the Black Cats two years in a row. If I thought about it long enough I might remember some more names. Goldsberry was a great coach and some of those Greencaslte kids -- Dickson and Patterson come to mind -- enrolled at Indiana State, I believe.
 
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