Hoosier Favorite No. 40? 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. 40 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.
In this story:

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. 40.

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. 40 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 24 hours on the poll and then share results on this story the next day, so keep coming back to see the results.)

No. 40

Calbert Cheaney (1989-93)

Calbert Cheaney
© D. Todd Moore/IndyStar, Indianapolis Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC

We've finally reached Indiana's all-time leading scorer, Calbert Cheaney at No. 40. The forward from Evansville, Ind. scored 2,613 points across 130 started games out of 132 played.

Cheaney shot 55.9 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from the three-point line and 79 percent from the charity stripe. He also totaled 710 rebounds and 227 assists.

Cheaney led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament all four years including a Final Four run versus Duke in 1992 for his junior season. The Indiana legend left the Hoosiers as a three-time All-American and also National Player of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year in his senior season.

Selected sixth in the 1993 NBA draft, Cheaney played for the Washington Bullets/Wizards for six seasons before joining the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors over his 13-year NBA career.

After several coaching stints including serving as director of basketball operations under Tom Crean at Indiana, Cheaney is now an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers.

Glen Grunwald (1976-81)

Glen Grunwald
© Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Forward Glen Grunwald out of Franklin Park, Ill. was a part of the Hoosiers' 1981 NCAA Tournament championship team when Indiana knocked out No. 2-seed North Carolina 63-50.

It wasn't all banners for Grunwald throughout his Hoosiers career. He had to sit out a year due to a left knee injury in the 1978-79 season before heading back into the lineup just in time for a Hoosier Sweet 16 appearance versus rival Purdue in 1980.

After college, Grunwald was drafted in the fifth round of the 1981 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics but never played professional ball. Still in love with sports, Grunwald found a passion in serving as the Denver Nuggets' vice president and general counsel in 1990.

From 1994-97, Grunwald worked for the Toronto Raptors as vice president for legal affairs alongside former teammate and Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas.

Later, Grunwald found himself once again working with Thomas, this time with the New York Knicks as vice president for basketball operations in the earlier 2000's. Now, Grunwald is the executive advisor of Canada Basketball and senior advisor of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jim Wisman (1974-78)

Jim Wisman
IndyStar

Guard Jim Wisman from Quincy, Ill. played 104 games for the Hoosiers across four years. Although he wasn't always stacking the stat sheet, he made a huge effort stepping in for Bobby Wilkerson when he was knocked unconscious in the first minute or two of the 1976 NCAA championship game.

The Hoosiers ended up beating Michigan 86-68 after an undefeated regular season to make Indiana's third NCAA title that much sweeter.

Wisman scored 420 points and shot 45.5 percent from the floor over his Hoosiers' career. He's also pictured above in a controversial photo of former coach Bob Knight tugging on his jersey. 

Cody Zeller (2011-13)

Cody Zeller
BleacherReport

Forward Cody Zeller had only two seasons as a Hoosier but a full resume you have to scroll through. The Washington, Ind. native was named Indiana High School's Mr. Basketball before joining the Hoosiers in 2011.

After a 2012 Sweet 16 appearance, Zeller was named AP Honorable Mention All-American, Freshman All-American and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He ranked first in field goal percentage in the Big Ten shooting 61.6 percent from the field as a freshman.

In his sophomore and final season with Indiana, Zeller led the Hoosiers to another Sweet 16 and earned himself First Team All-Big Ten from coaches and media, Sporting News Third Team All-American, USBWA and Associated Press Second Team All-American, John R. Wooden All-America Team and Big Ten All-Tournament Team.

FYI, those are just a short list of his accolades.

After his dynamic Hoosiers career, Zeller was drafted fourth overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets. In 2021, Zeller signed with the Portland Trail Blazers but was waived in Feb. 2022.

All-time No. 36's at Indiana

Here are all of the players who have worn No. 36 at Indiana:

  • Anthony Scheidler — (1940-41)

All-time No. 37's at Indiana

Here are all of the players who have worn No. 37 at Indiana:

  • Don Ritter — (1947-49)
  • Stephen Chaleff — (1945-46)
  • Ray Brandenburg — (1943-45)

All-time No. 38's at Indiana

Here are all of the players who have worn No. 38 at Indiana:

  • Dee Baker — (1945-46)
  • Les Ray — (1943-44)
  • Swift Wunker — (1941-42)
  • Bob Dro — (1939-41)

All-time No. 39's at Indiana

Here are all of the players who have worn No. 39 at Indiana:

  • Del Russell — (1944-45)
  • Neil Funk — (1941-43)

All-time No. 40's at Indiana

Here are all of the players who have worn No. 40 at Indiana:

  • Cody Zeller — (2011-13)
  • Tijan Jobe — (2008-10)
  • Jason Stewart — (2002-04)
  • Jason Collier — (1996-98)
  • Calbert Cheaney — (1989-93)
  • Tracy Foster — (1982-84)
  • Glen Grunwald — (1976-81)
  • Jim Wisman — (1974-78)
  • Mike Miller — (1972-73)
  • Tom Boone — (1969-70)
  • Kevin Bass — (1968-69)
  • John Isenbarger — (1967-68)
  • Larry Turpen — (1963-67)
  • Thomas Hayes — (1956-57)
  • Robert Mehl — (1945-47)
  • Milton Mink — (1944-45)
  • Curly Armstrong — (1939-41)

Vote for your favorite No. 40 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. 40.

'Hoosier' Favorite Results

Check this story every day to see which players won the vote for each respective number.

'Hoosier' Favorite Results Story CLICK HERE

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Haley Jordan
HALEY JORDAN

Haley Jordan is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation video director, staff writer, host and reporter for Hoosiers Now, Fastball and Fastbreak sites. She is a graduate from Indiana University with degrees in Sports Broadcast Journalism and Spanish.