Hoosier Favorite No. 3? Picking Favorite Indiana Basketball Players, One Number At a Time

There are no names on the Indiana basketball jerseys, just a number, and those digits mean a lot to all Hoosiers fans. We want to know who your favorites are, resuming with the No. 3 in Indiana basketball history that's meant the most to you. Pick your favorite, and we'll do this every day for the rest of the summer.

Haley Jordan | Jul 10, 2022

IU Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Welcome back to our summer series where Hoosier basketball fans can vote on their favorite Indiana players to ever wear each number. Today, we resume with all the best to wear No. 3.

Hoosier favorite?

Every day we're going to give you four choices along with a short player bio to pick your favorite Hoosier who wore a certain number.

Here are your four No. 3 jersey choices in alphabetical order so that we're not showing bias. Be sure to take the poll below via Twitter.

(Editor's Note: We'll take results for 48 hours on the poll and then share results on this story the next day, so keep coming back to see the results.)

OG Anunoby (2015-17)

Jefferson City, Mo. native OG Anunoby has been a fan-favorite since high school when he won an award of this title at an event. This hype quickly transferred over to the cream and crimson when the forward played in 34 games as a freshman and shot 80 percent or better from the field on numerous occasions.

In the Sweet 16 matchup versus North Carolina later that season, Anunoby put up two points, three rebounds and one assist. This would be former head coach Tom Crean's final NCAA Tournament game at Indiana where the Tar Heels advanced after defeating Indiana 101-86.

Anunoby's sophomore season started off hot as he was named a Pre-Season All-American. He made 10 starts in 16 games until he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

After a recovery, Anunoby was selected as the 23rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors where he's played for five seasons.

Tom Coverdale (1999-03)

Tom Coverdale from Noblesville, Ind. was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1998 and was part of coach Bob Knight's final season in 1999-2000. With Knight's team, Coverdale and his fellow Hoosiers made it to the NCAA First Round.

Upon new head coach Mike Davis's hiring, the Hoosiers had to gain their footing under unfamiliar leadership but still found themselves making the tournament.

Coverdale and company figured out the formula and were NCAA runner-ups to Maryland the following season.

Coverdale started in 98 out of 115 games for the Hoosiers shooting a career 41.5 percent from the field. He was known to share the sugar and tallied 500 career assists.

Maurice Creek (2009-13)

Maurice Creek, a guard from Oxon Hill, Md. started the first 12 games of the season as a freshman before suffering a season-ending fractured knee injury. Before the tragedy, he was the top-scoring freshman in the country averaging 17.3 points in the first nine games of the season.

The next season would be a similar story. Creek played in 18 games before injuring his knee again, this time a stress fracture.

He sat out the next season with a ruptured Achilles heel before finally making a comeback in his redshirt junior season. Although he didn't start, he played in 24 games off the bench and saw his first NCAA Tournament action against James Madison in the First Round.

Jay Edwards (1987-89)

Although he only played a couple seasons for the Hoosiers, Edwards made them count. He ended his freshman season as Big Ten Freshman of the Year and one-upped himself the next year by averaging 20 points per game and being named an All-American after leading the Hoosiers to the 1989 Big Ten title.

The Marion, Ind. native was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round as the 33rd overall pick in 1989, but only played in the NBA for four games.

Honorable mentions:

The No. 3 jersey has some other standouts as well. Here's a shorter blurb about some additional Hoosiers to sport the three.

Anthony Leal (2020-current)

Hometown player guard Anthony Leal is finding his way with the Hoosiers and even made two starts this past season. Even though he's not a starter yet, you can see from the photo below he provides immense support for his cream and crimson and puts in valuable playing time.

Charlie Miller (1994-98)

Miami, Fla. native forward Charlie Miller scored 810 points for the Hoosiers and tallied 422 rebounds. Miller made the NCAA Tournament all four seasons he was with the Hoosiers.

Now, Miller is the founder and owner of ATTACK Basketball Academy, which helps develop youth in basketball plus life. He's also the head clinician with breakthrough basketball.

Daniel Moore (2008-12)

A walk-on guard from Carmel, Daniel Moore played in 31 games as a freshman and started 10 times. In his sophomore season, he had the team's highest free-throw percentage at 82.4 percent.

In 107 games played, Moore managed 56 steals, 148 points and 119 assists.

Justin Smith (2017-20)

Buffalo Grove, Ill. forward Justin Smith quickly emerged as the top freshman for the Hoosiers playing in all 31 games and starting nine times.

Fast forward to his junior season where he started all 32 games and led the team in minutes played with 971.

At the end of the season, Smith transferred to Arkansas where he found success as he was rated the 22nd-best graduate transfer in the nation by ESPN.

All-time No. 3's at Indiana

Here are all of the players who have worn No. 3 at Indiana:

Anthony Leal — (2020-current)
Justin Smith — (2017-20)
OG Anunoby — (2015-17)
Max Hoetzel — (2015)
Jonny Marlin — (2011-13)
Maurice Creek — (2009-13)
Daniel Moore — (2008-12)
D.J. White — (2004-08)
Patrick Ewing Jr. — (2003-05)
Tom Coverdale — (1999-03)
Charlie Miller — (1994-98)
Jay Edwards — (1987-89)
Jerry Stuteville — (1947-50)
Ralph Dorsey — (1938)
Ken Gunning — (1935-37)
Jay Campbell — (1932)
Paul Jasper — (1929-31)
Art Beckner — (1926-28)
Paul Parker — (1924-25)

Vote for your favorite No. 3 on Twitter

You'll be able to vote on Twitter for your favorite player with each number. Here's the link to today's poll for No. 3.

Hoosier favorite player to ever wear the No. 3 for @IndianaMBB? Click on the story to read a blurb about each of the greats. https://t.co/YWlIgFFzmo
— Indiana Hoosiers on SI (@HoosiersNowFNSI) July 10, 2022